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Govt orders airport remodelling contractors to refund money OLUSEGUN KOIKI

Chidoka

Vol. 51 N0. 1120 115

ontractors handling the multi-billion naira airports remodelling projects across

the country are to refund money they collected to the purse of the Federal Government. This is as the government yesterday gave reason why the planned re-establish-

ment of a national carrier for the country collapsed. Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, who spoke in Lagos during the presentation of his score-

We’re ready to answer query on handover notes –Sambo

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Tuesday, Tuesday,June May7,26,2011 2015

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Oil workers end strike ...as Senate commits FG to pay N159bn debt GEORGE OJI, OLUSEGUN KOIKI AND JOEL AJAYI

Kashamu: Court summons AGF, NDLEA chairman

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he Senate yesterday took a major step to end the lingering fuel shortage, which has crippled economic activities, by rallying the Federal Government, oil marketers and other stakeholders to resume lifting of petroleum products across the country immediately. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Troops kill 30, terrorists’ commander, recover foreign currency P.6

Oyo, Osun civil servants down tools over unpaid salaries P11 P.11 ADVERT HOTLINES For advert bookings and information, please contact: LAGOS 01-8446073, 08113947415 08113947419 08113947420 08113947422 ABUJA 08113947421 PORT HARCOURT 08113947418 OGBESE 08113947424

Supporters of embattled Senator-elect from Ogun State, Kashamu Buruji, protesting at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday.

Supreme Court throws out FG’s suit on Constitution amendment …says it’s incurably defective, incompetent

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FG declares Friday, May 29, public holiday

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Govt orders airport remodelling contractors to refund money CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

card as minister, said government asked the contractors to refund the money because of their inability to complete the scheme. Chidoka was appointed a minister on July 23, 2014. His predecessor, Princess Stella Oduah had commenced the airport remodeling in 2011 on a controversial note. At the commencement of the exercise, Oduah took $88m from the Bilateral Air Service Agreements, BASA, deposited in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, was one of the signatories to the account. A former Supervising Minister in the sector, Chief Samuel Ortom had declared that Oduah left behind N174bn debts from the remodeling, an allegation Oduah did not debunk. Chidoka explained that on his assumption of office, the government set up a committee to look at some of the projects that had been abandoned, adding that few weeks later, the committee submitted its report to the ministry. According to him, the committee came up with a report that the qualities of jobs done by some of the contractors were substandard. Chidoka noted that while some were asked to refund the money they collected to government, others were mandated to return to site to complete the projects. He said: “Many of the contractors are to refund money given to them for works on the airports. Quality of job was very poor and uncompleted in some places. “They have been asked to return to site to complete the various airports projects. The report of the committee set up to look at the projects is ready.” The minister attributed the inability of Aero Contractors to emerge as a national carrier to the failure of the airline to source for partners as well as resolve issues bordering on funding mechanism and equity holding. Chidoka said Aero Airlines, which has been acquired by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, with government having majority equity

holding, did not possess the capacity to qualify as a national carrier. AMCON has 60 per cent equity shares in Aero, while the Ibru family owns the remaining 40 per cent. Chidoka said government was still poised to deliver a national carrier provided the domestic airlines to be selected have corporate

governance, adequate fleet size, sizeable operational coverage, restructured ownership, route development plan, the right employee size as well possessing international certification. He said the proposed national carrier should not run as a private company solely owned by one individual as it must have insti-

tutional investors, technical expertise and other parameters. According to Chidoka, the stunted growth in the sector in the past decades was due to the absence of a robust master plan that could form the architecture of implementation. He also said there are no set targets in infrastructure,

which would assist in fixing gaps in the sector. He canvassed for the setting up of airport management companies from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, to enable them run efficiently like other airport groups across the globe. The minister said there was the need to have action

plan for performance management as well as diversification of revenue sources for FAAN. Chidoka canvassed transparency in the pursuit of the aerotropolis project, which he said could be fine-tuned if FAAN was given free hand to choose companies that it would work with.

Vice President Namadi Sambo (right) presenting the Presidential handover documents to Chairman of the transition committee, Alhaji Ahmad Joda, during joint meeting of the Transition Committee at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Oil workers end strike CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The lawmakers also got the stakeholders, particularly members of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas, NUPENG, and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, as well as the oil marketers, to resume the lifting of petroleum products within 24 hours every day for two preceeding weeks in order to halt the crippling impact of crisis on all facets of national life. The decision to find immediate solution to the fuel scarcity which yesterday forced banks to close their operations midday was arrived at by oil and gas and public sector stakeholders during a public hearing organised by the joint Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream and Upstream) at the National Assembly.

The public hearing was in line with the resolution of the senate last week, which mandated the joint committees to hold a public hearing to determine the immediate and remote causes of the persisting fuel scarcity. At yesterday’s public hearing where the decision to end the fuel crisis was taken were the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who represented the Federal Government and the Executive Secretary of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Obafemi Olawore. Others were Chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Workers, NARTO, Kassim Bataiya; Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Chinedu Okoronkwo and his counterpart in Depot

and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN, Olufemi Adewole. At a point during the session, the key stakeholders and the lawmakers retired into a closed-door session at the prompting of the Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum (downstream), Senator Magnus Abe, who presided at the event, where the resolution was eventually reached. In her presentation during the public hearing, Dr Okonjo-Iweala, had accused MOMAN of sabotage, alleging that the marketers reneged on an agreement it reached with the Federal Government to end fuel scarcity after being paid N154bn. The minister explained that after the marketers were paid N154bn, they insisted on the payment of another N200bn out of which

N159bn would be for foreign exchange differentials. She said government refused to accede to the N159bn claims by the marketers to avoid being accused of signing unverified claims after leaving office. Okonjo-Iweala said the disagreement led to an agreement between the government and the marketers to set up a committee for verification of the claims with the resolve that fuel supply would be made available while the committee was handling the assignment. The minister, who said she was shocked when 24 hours later, MOMAN reneged on the agreement by failing to make fuel available to Nigerians, expressed concern that when the marketers were owed over a trillion naira, they did not shut down the economy, neither did they stop fuel supply for

once, wondering while they now chose to cripple the economy over the claim of N200bn. She explained that the marketers shut down the country because they wanted all arrears they were owed by the government to be cleared before the end of this administration, a situation she said was wrong because government is a continuum. However, Olawore refuted the minister’s claim, saying they had failed to import fuel because only N32.5bn of the N154bn paid by the government accrued to them, claiming that the balance was deducted by commercial banks which funded the importation before they could access the money in the banks. He also claimed that no supply was made because the banks refused to finance CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National News

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

L-R: Regional General Manager, North Central, Engr. Olawole Osituyo; Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Engr. Saleh Dunoma; General Manager, Finance, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Chibuzor Nwachukwu and Head of Protocol Lounge, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Hajia Salami Ladi, during inspection visit ahead of commissioning of the Protocol Lounge and Pilots' Lounge at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at the weekend.

L–R: Executive Director, Business Development, Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri; Executive Director, Market Operation and Technology, NSE, Mr. Ade Bajomo; President, CFA Society Nigeria, Sade Odunaiya of Fund Managers Association of Nigeria, and Mr. Michael Oyebola, during the closing gong ceremony by CFA Society at the NSE, yesterday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Marketing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, Mr. Sola Oke; hiphop artiste, Yemi Alade; Head, Marketing and Communications, Viacom International, Colette Otusheso and another artiste, Naetochukwu Chikwe (Naeto C), during a press conference announcing Absolut Vodka partnership with MAMAs 2015 in Lagos, at the weekend.

L-R: Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Olawore; Coordinating Minister of Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, Mr. Olufemi Adewole, during public hearing and signing of MoU on fuel scarcity with relevant stakeholders and agreement to start lifting oil products within six hours ultimatum or have their licences revoked, at the Senate Chambers of the National Assembly in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

National News Wale IgbIntade

ustice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to appear in court today to clear issues over plots to extradite Prince Buruji Kashamu to the United States of America to face trial on alleged drug-related offences. Kashamu is the senator-elect for Ogun East Senatorial District in Ogun State. Justice Buba issued the summons after hearing a committal application filed by Kashamu’s counsel, Ajibola Oluyede over attempt by operatives of NDLEA to fulfill a request by the US government for his extradition. Operatives of the anti narcotics agency have since Saturday lay siege on Kashamu’s house. The embattled senatorelect had in his application urged the court to

Kashamu’s extradition: Court summons AGF, NDLEA chairman ….to appear in court today

hold that the invasion of his property, arrest and detention by officials of NDLEA constitute a criminal contempt of the court. He also prayed the court to restrain the respondent from intimidating, harassing or laying siege on his house. In the motion brought pursuant to Order 35 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules 2009 and under inherent jurisdiction of the court, Kashamu prayed for a declaration that the AGF and the chairman of NDLEA are in contempt of court and obstructed the administration of justice by taking steps to arrest him in regard to alleged drugrelated offences. He stated that the court had on January 6, 2014 in suit number FHC/L/

CS/49/2010 restrained the respondent from prosecuting or threatening to arrest or detain him in respect of the allegation. Ruling on the application, Justice Buba directed that the respondents should be put on notice in view of the urgency of the matter. “In view of the nature of this matter and in the light of subsisting judgment and court orders, instead of hearing an ex-parte application, the respondents are ordered to be put on notice and to appear in court on May 26, 2015 at 12 noon in order to be heard in view of the subsisting judgment and orders of court. Time is hereby abridged for the respondents to appear in court,” Justice Buba held. Kashamu had urged the

court to nullify every step taken by the respondents including any arrest, detention, and arraignment for his extradition in pursuance of any request by the US government. It will be recalled that a Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Okon Abang, had fixed May 27, 2015 (Wednesday) to decide on a fundamental rights enforcement suit by Kashamu, seeking protection against alleged plot to extradite him to the US. Kashamu, in the said suit, had accused the Inspector General of Police and 11 others of plotting to abduct and forcibly transport him to the US to face trial on alleged drugrelated offences. He alleged that he had uncovered plans by the

defendants doing the bidding of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to arrest him during his swearing in as a senator and to transport him to the US in a private plane to face trial before Judge Norgle. He therefore prayed the court to declare the alleged abduction and extradition plot as an infringement on his fundamental human right to liberty, freedom of association and freedom of movement as protected by sections 35, 40 and 41 of the Constitution. But in opposition, counsel for the Inspector General of police and the Interpol National Central Bureau, Mr. David Igbodo, said Kashamu failed to show any proof of the alleged move to abduct and extradite him. Kashamu is seeking,

among other reliefs, an order of the court directing the police IG to “provide a security detail of at least six armed police officers to protect the applicant at all times of the day and to prevent (him from) any attack or abduction.” He also prayed for a court order directing the clerk of the National Assembly “to accord the applicant every facility, right and privileges due to a senator-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria until he takes his oath of office and thereafter as is due to a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” He had prayed the court to restrain all the respondents and their agents from preventing him from entering the National Assembly hall.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Supreme Court throws out FG’s suit on Constitution amendment ISE-OLUWA IGE

full panel of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmoud Mohammed, yesterday prompted the Federal Government to enter into an emergency dialogue with the National Assembly over its suspended plan to enact into law the Fourth Alteration Act which seeks to amend the 1999 constitution. The apex court gave the suggestion, yesterday, after faulting the originating summons filed by the Federal Government to stop the 1999 constitution amendment project as incurably defective and incompetent. The justices took their turns to point out the defects in the suit by the Federal Government to its lead counsel and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN. For instance, the justices said the suit was incurably defective because proper parties recognisable by section 232 (1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and the additional Supreme Court Jurisdiction Act to invoke the court’s original jurisdiction were not before them. They also contended that the Federal Government wrongly commenced the case by way of originating summons instead of writ of summons in view of the hostile nature of the case which would require oral evidence. The justices also ruled that the processes filed by government in the court were riddled with fundamental errors and that an application by the government to cure the defects of wrong parties and the entire structure of the suit was a progress in error as such application, they said, could not cure the defects in the accompanying affidavit, among others. The court also said that the judiciary, as an arm of government, lacked the powers to stop another arm of government from performing its constitutional duty as it appeared to be in the instant case. The summit court said the fundamental defects of the suit notwithstanding, both the federal executive and the legislature must not fail the nation on the

1999 constitution amendment project. The project had gulped enormous time of lawmakers at both the national and state assemblies and fund totalling about N4bn and may expire with the tenure of President Jonathan Goodluck and the 7th National Assembly. Justice Mohammed, who presided over the panel of the Supreme Court in the matter, though had prepared ground for the striking out of the suit for want of competence, yet, decided to grant rare indulgence to the government by giving it another 72 hours to urgently meet with the lawmakers for amicable resolution of the dispute and report back to the court on Wednesday morning. The apex court said it had to take the step because it was unable to get the undertaking of the National Assembly that it would not pass the bill into law in the form it was if the case was struck out yesterday. The National Assembly had attempted to alter 65 sections of the 1999 constitution (as amended) but the Federal Government was not comfortable with 10 of the proposed alterations. The Federal Government had said that the purported Fourth Alteration Act 2015 was not passed with the mandatory requirement of four-fifths majority of members of the National Assembly and the mandatory due processes provided for under the relevant sections of the extant Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. In an originating summons, the Federal Government asked the apex court to make an order nullifying and setting aside Sections 3, 4, 12, 14, 21, 23, 36, 39, 40, 43 and 44 of the Fourth Alteration Act, 2015 purportedly passed by the National Assembly. Analysts had also fingered two provisions being planned to be interpolated into the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, including the plan to grant lawmakers constitutional immunity from criminal prosecution while holding office and making any person who had held offices of President and Deputy President of the Senate; Speaker and Deputy Speaker of

the House of Representatives to be entitled to life pension at a rate equivalent to the annual salary of the incumbent as self serving. But Justice Mohammed, however, made the senior legal practitioners in the case to go back to their clients who are the Federal executive and the legislature

to sit down in a round table and agree on the grey areas pointed before the amended constitution is passed into law. Supreme Court had earlier issued an order compelling both the National assembly and the Federal Government not to take any step on the passage of the

new constitution until June this year when the tenure of the 7th National Assembly would have elapsed. The National Assembly had brought an application to set aside the order and strike out the suit on the ground that the Federal Government lacked the locus standi to invoke the

original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in the matter. National Mirror had exclusively reported last week that the apex court had decided to hear both parties yesterday with a view to determining whether or not it should vacate the order.

Protest by aviation union yesterday against Nigerian Air Force men for beating an aviation worker last week at the Murtala International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

Oil workers end strike CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

further importation, adding that despite the intervention of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, the banks did not change their stance. Olawore also claimed that tanker drivers were instrumental to the fuel crisis because they failed to lift fuel from depots. He also claimed that both the premium motor spirit (PMS) and diesel would be lifted by drivers whom he said stopped lifting. Following the inability of the stakeholders to publicly agree to the way forward, Abe decided to adjourn the public hearing for a closeddoor session. Upon resumption, the senator said information reaching them at the time showed that NUPENG and PENGASSAN had called off their strike. Abe also announced that Okonjo-Iweala and MOMAN had resolved to raise an undertaking on how the matter would be resolved; a move he said led to a resolution that lifting of fuel would begin six hours after the meeting. Abe said: “As we speak now, we have clear information that NUPENG and PENGASSAN strike has been called off following the intervention of the GMD of NNPC. So, we have agreed

on the following; the minister of finance will give an undertaking to the major marketers and PPPRA that the work of that committee being headed by the CBN would be concluded in verifying the outstanding claims. “If it is concluded before the end of the life of this administration, it will be reflected in the handover note. If it is not concluded before the end of the life of this administration, then the fact that such a committee is set up and working will be reflected in the handover note and a copy of the letter conveying the existence of this committee will be sent to MOMAN and DAPPMA and also to this Committee. “So, on the basis of that agreement, MOMAN will offer whatever cooperation that is needed to enable lifting of products nationwide to begin within the next six hours. “MOMAN has also agreed to give a similar undertaking to NARTO to pay existing transport cost as has been determined by them, not all existing, but the portion that had been agreed by them to be paid. “MOMAN will give that written undertaking to NARTO and a copy will also be sent to this Committee.” In addition, Abe disclosed that agreement had been reached with the Department of Petroleum

Resources, DPR, that any depot that has products and failed to begin lifting within six hours should have their licence revoked immediately in the national interest. Meanwhile, business and other activities suffered remarkably before the truce as major banks closed their operations due to fuel challenges. For instance, in Lagos UBA, First Bank, Zenith Bank and some others attributed the forced closure of their branches to inadequate fuel to power their generators. Electricity supplies to Lagos, especially to the business hubs in Marina, Broad Street, Victoria Island and Ikoyi where the headquarters of most of the banks are located had been cut off for over one week. In the electronic mail sent to its customers nationwide, Zenith Bank stated that “all our branches will close for business at 2pm today, May 25, 2015 and 1pm from tomorrow May 26, 2015 due to lingering fuel situation in the country” and implored customers to use alternative electronic channels for their transactions during the period. The latest outcry of the banks came barely 24 hours after the Organised Private Sector, OPS, and the telecommunications services operators had lamented over their inability to sustain their operations in the face of

fuel supply crisis which has remained a recurring challenge in the economy in the past two months. This Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, also threatened to direct workers to stay at home if the fuel scarcity persists. The Congress’ Deputy National President, Isa Aremu, in a statement lamented the crisis, which, he said, had adversely affected workers welfare and socioeconomic wellbeing. He stated: “If the current scarcity and price robbery of Nigerians continues, NLC will have no choice but compel workers to stay at home. Workers certainly cannot fuel themselves to work with their blood. There is limit to slavery and state marketers’ extortion. “With an outgoing president and incoming one, five past heads of state alive, 36 state governors and hundreds of legislators and scores of ministers, no country on earth parades the highest number of state actors like Nigeria. Yet there is no governance with respect to distribution of basic products like petroleum and Kerosene,” Aremu lamented. In Osun State, the fuel crisis led to early closure by many commercial banks, many of them shutting their doors to customers by 1:00pm.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Troops kill 30 terrorists, foreign commander ...Foreign currency found on dead commander UBONG UKPONG AND INUSA NDAHI

igerian Army fighting insurgents in the north eastern part of the country have killed over 30 Boko Haram members, including a commander said to be a foreigner. In an operational update

released by Defence Headquarters, DHQ, through its Director of Defence Information, DDI, Major-General Chris Olukolade, yesterday, thousands of foreign currencies were found on the body of the dead foreign Boko Haram commander. The DHQ said that arms and armoured vehicles were also recovered by the troops, who also repelled

an attack on Dikwa, Borno State, on Saturday. “Thousands of Euro currency was found on the body of a terrorist commander after troops successfully repelled a terrorists attack on Mafa towards the border. “The terrorist commander, who is also an Amir by status and believed to be of foreign de-

scent, is among about 30 terrorist who died in the encounter while many others fled with wounds. “The terrorists also lost some weapons and equipment including 13 rifles, a machine gun, rocket propelled grenade tubes and several other assorted ammunitions. A Toyota Bufallo vehicle was also recovered from the terrorists. Two of their armoured vehicles were also destroyed

L-R: Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Malam Aminu Abdullahi; FCT Police Commissioner, Wilson Inalegwu; FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Chukwu; Minister of FCT, Sen. Bala Mohammed and Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, during Sen. Mohammed’s presentation of keys of 18 Hilux vans to FCT police/NSCDC in Abuja.

Navy to mark 59th anniversary with sea trip

he Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy in Lagos on Monday said it would mark its 59th anniversary with a sea trip and public access to its ships. This is contained in a press release signed by the Command’s spokesperson, Lt. Commander

Abdusallam Sanni, and made available to newsmen. It quoted the Flag Officer Commanding, Rear Admiral Jonathan Ango, as saying that the celebration would involve a sea trip and public access to ships. “Members of the public, including friends of

the navy, are invited to avail themselves of this opportunity to understand the workings of the Navy as well as celebrating with the Nigerian Navy. “Interested members of the public who wish to participate in the sea trip are expected to be at the Nigerian Navy Ship

(NNS) BEECROFT, at the Naval Base, Apapa, or Naval Dockyard Limited on Victoria Island Jetties on Thursday, May 28 by 8:30 a.m. “In addition, the ships of the Nigerian Navy on the same day would be opened to visitors from 8:30am to 6:00pm,” it said.

in the battle. “The only casualty on the side of our troops was a damaged equipment. Mopping up operations is ongoing in the general area,” the DHQ said. It added that the offensive on all terrorists’ hideouts was continuing in many fronts. Meanwhile, Defence Headquarters, DHQ, yesterday, said that it now has a Joint Operations Centre, JOC, with state of the art facilities to combat the ongoing insurgency in the country. The JOC it was learnt, is well equipped to among other activities, pick video footages from all parts of the country, just as signals and commands could reach field commanders and personnel on the field right from the centre to guide their operations. Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, while hinting on the new JOC at the commissioning of the just completed DHQ complex extension in Abuja, said that the JOC was strategically located at the basement of the new extension to the complex. The complex basement, which he said was the first in all the armed forces buildings in the country Badeh said, was meant to house the JOC and its supporting staff. The CDS said that it became imperative to build the DHQ complex extension since working conditions in most of the offices left much to be desired, as very senior officers were sharing cubicle-like offices with limited conveniences. “Therefore, in order to provide a better working environment for our officers and men, I decided to embark on the building of the

structure we shall be commissioning today. “The extension has five floors and the detailed scope of work done include the following: a basement to house the Joint Operations Centre, JOC, and its supporting staff, a ground floor with nine offices and conveniences, the first floor which contains 10 offices and conveniences, the second floor which has three offices and the conference room, the third floor also has three offices for supporting staff for the conference room. “The fourth floor has the CDS’ office, offices for the PGSO, the MA and other personal staff of the CDS, the fifth and last floor of the extension houses the penthouse, which has a large area and some rest areas. Special visitors to the DHQ could be received and entertained in the penthouse,” Badeh stated. He said that added to the new extension work, was a total facelift given to the DHQ complex to make it befitting of its status. In his remark, Defence Minister, Lt-Gen. Aliyu Gusau, (rtd), who was represented by Minister of State for Defence, Colonel Augustine Akobundo (rtd), commended the effort saying it would enhance the productivity of the workforce. The commissioning is coming days after the new Armed Forces Radio station was commissioned on Friday by President Goodluck Jonathan, which the minister said were testimonies of the vision of the CDS which would enhance the activities of the services to the upliftment of Nigeria.

Speakership race: Gbajabiamila, Dogara intensify campaigns WOLE OLADIMEJI ABUJA

he Femi Gbajabiamila Speakership Campaign Secretariat yesterday declared that more than 179 new members of the House of Representatives have endorsed his speakership race. While the 8th Assembly Consolidation Group of Yakubu Dogara also claimed that over 213 members endorsed Dogara as Speaker.

Gbajabiamila campaign group in a release signed yesterday by Honourable James Fakeye stated that the entire northern Caucus endorsed Femi Gbajabiamila and that their endorsement was based on merit. The group maintained that the endorsement was hinged on the fact that the victory of APC, apart from the good programmes of the party, was based principally on the alliance of North/

South West. “Since the South-West supported current Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to the end, they believe South-West deserves support of the North to produce the next Speaker in the person of Gbajabiamila,” the group stated. “Taking a look at Gbajabiamila’s candidacy, thee group said his candidacy is based on meritocracy as his competency and integrity is not in doubt. In

the last 8 years out of his 12 years experience in the House, he has led the opposition fearlessly and resisted all anti-democratic moves even at the risk of his life,” they noted. His contributions made the voice of the opposition irresistible in the hitherto PDP dominated House. As a bridge builder, Gbajabiamila was the first and only legislator to move a motion for the invocation of the doctrine of neces-

sity, which led to the swearing in of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President in 2010. The chairman of the group noted that despite the endorsements the campaign organisation already had in its custody, the organisation is persuading all other members of the 8th assembly across party lines to support Gbajabiamila as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. Also in a release signed

by Hon. Babangida Ibrahim Mahuta, the Dogara support group stated that the group is glad to announce that no fewer than 213 members have endorsed the candidature of Yakubu Dogara as Speaker of the House of Representatives. All the 213 members have signed up to work for the emergence of Dogara as Speaker of the 8th House of Representatives.

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News

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Handover notes: We’re ready to answer any query –Sambo Rotimi Fadeyi, abuja

ice-President Namadi Sambo yesterday told members of the transition committee of the incoming government of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) that members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would be available to provide clarification or answer to any query that may arise from the handover notes. Sambo spoke while presenting copies of the handover notes to the chairman of the committee, Ahmed Joda, at the Presidential Villa. According to him, the report detailed the activities of the Federal Government between 2011 and 2015. The Vice President said: “The handover notes of the

FG declares Friday, May 29 public holiday omeiza ajayi

ederal Government has declared Friday, May 29, 2015 as public holiday in order to allow Nigerians celebrate this year’s Democracy Day. This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja and made available to National Mirror. The statement was signed by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Abubakar Magaji. Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, who made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, urged Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora to support the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari and pray for the success of Nigeria’s democratic process. Moro used the opportunity to congratulate President Goodluck Jonathan and Nigerians for the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections. The minister also congratulated Buhari on his electoral victory, wishing his administration good luck.

Federal Government of Nigeria for this administration between 2011 and 2015 have been properly articulated and printed.” ``The permanent secretaries of each ministry have signed each page of this report to authenticate it and it is our pleasure to

present it to you and pray that it will guide the incoming administration towards the achievement of positive objectives, development and progress of Nigeria. ``And I want to add that all of us are always available; after this report, between now and May 29; any-

time you need to meet with us we are ready to come and sit and clarify. ``All the (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) MDAs will also be ready to meet with you, give you any additional information or clarifications that you would want to have on this

report that we are presenting.” In his remarks, Joda described the handover notes as comprehensive, stressing that his committee would look into the report before final submission to the incoming administration.

Fuel queue at a filling station at Berger, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, yesterday. PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

EFCC closes prosecution of oil marketer charged with N963.7m fuel subsidy fraud

conomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday closed the prosecution of its case against an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril, accused of N963.7 million fuel subsidy fraud. News Agency of Nigeria reports that Jubril is standing trial alongside his company, Brila Energy Ltd., before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court. At the resumed hearing yesterday, EFCC counsel, Mr. Seidu Atteh, informed the court that the prosecution was closing its case after calling 16 witnesses who testified against the defendants. He therefore asked the court to order Jubril to open his defence. The judge adjourned the matter till October 6 for hearing of the no case submission filed by the defence. It will be recalled that the

defendants were arraigned on November 13, 2012 on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretext, forgery and use of false documents. The EFCC alleged that the defendants had obtained N963.7 million from the Federal Government under the Petroleum Support Fund between October 2010 and May 2012. The anti-graft agency said the money was obtained for the purported importation of 13,500 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). According to the EFCC, their alleged offences contravened Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006. It said the offences also contravened Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003. Adesina rounds off AfDB presidency campaign

All the eight candidates contesting the presidency of the African Development Bank, AfDB, rounded off their campaign at the weekend and await declaration of the winner later this week. News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the declaration of a new president would be made on May 28, during the annual general meeting of the bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The week-long annual forum of the continental financial institution, where 54 member states and 26 non-member states, which include the U.K. and the U.S., began yesterday in Abidjan. Nigeria’s candidate and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, yesterday expressed optimism that he would be declared the president, having con-

sulted widely. Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, the special adviser to the minister on media, told NAN via an e-mail that Adesina recorded tremendous support from African nations and other stakeholders beyond Africa during his campaign. ``The minister has embarked extensively on campaigns and recorded tremendous support from African nations and other stakeholders beyond Africa. “Now, campaign is ending. It is time to expect his declaration as president by the bank’s board, and that is coming up later in the week. “His presidency will prioritise the development in energy sector across the continent, ICT and urban infrastructure. “Emphasis will be on private sector growth and a shift in emphasis from aid dependence.

Youth group drums support for Saraki’s Senate presidency

he Informed Youth Political Forum, a non-governmental organisation, yesterday called on the incoming Senate to support Senator Bukola Saraki’s candidacy for its presidency. National coordinator of the organisation, Mr. Tokunbo Olateru-Olagbegi, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt that Saraki’s choice would guarantee the independence of the Senate. “As an informed group, we have done an independent assessment, reached out to Nigerians, sampled opinions and we are guided to tell the 8th Senate that Nigerians have explicit confidence in Senator Bukola Saraki to pilot its affairs. “The choice of Saraki will not only guarantee the independence of the Senate, it will also help to rejuvenate it and make it more responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians,’’ he said. Olateru-Olagbegi said the legislature is a vital arm of the government that needed a leader with proven record and respect who could stand up to the executive arm. He said the Senate needs a leader who would put the National Assembly on a good standing before Nigerians and the international community. “Saraki comes out tall in this regard. We urge the 8th Senate not to make it business as usual where the decisions of the Senate will be taken in the Presidential Villa,’’ he said. The coordinator said Nigerians need a robust Senate that could take decisions to strengthen the nation. He said any arrangement that excludes the minority would not be good for the nation’s polity because it could generate bad blood and lead to marginalisation. “Any change without a sense of justice will never meet the needs of Nigerians. “Saraki’s experience, exposure, international reach, political sagacity and brilliance are central to redefining the National Assembly. We need to get it right. Saraki is the choice of Nigerians,’’ OlateruOlagbegi said.

South West

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Assault: Unions issue FG 21-day ultimatum to remove Air Force from Lagos airport Olusegun KOiKi

eading aviation unions yesterday issued the Federal Government 21 days’ ultimatum to evacuate Air Force personnel from the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA, Lagos. The ultimatum followed the assault on one of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN’s staff last week at the departure lounge of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, by some personnel of the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, attached to the terminal. The assaulted FAAN staff, Mr. Mohammed Shuaibu, was beaten into coma by officials of NAF for allegedly obstructing free flow of traffic at the terminal. The unions - Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and the Nation-

al Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE - staged a peaceful protest round the airport with several inscriptions on their placards. The unions threatened to ground the industry if the NAF personnel are not removed from the airport, saying that rather than contribute to the safety and comfort of users of the airport, the personnel had constituted themselves into a nuisance in the environment. Speaking at the protest ground, the Deputy General Secretary, NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye, said it is wrong for the government to deploy NAF to all the airports across the country, arguing that in other climes, air force personnel are not seen within the airport environment. He insisted that their posting to the airports contradicts the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, adding that Nigeria could not operate in

isolation of other aviation environments around the world. He explained that airport environments are supposed to be civil and not militarised as presently witnessed in the Nigerian aviation industry. He said: “In the first instance, Air Force personnel mounting road blocks at our airports are unknown to ICAO rules. Annex 17 of the ICAO convention stipulates who should be in charge of aviation and it is the Aviation Security Personnel, AVSEC. They have a full fledged functional directorate in FAAN and they are supposed to be doing these things; they have the primary responsibility for the maintenance of security at the airports. “The aviation unions and their entire membership decided to embark on a peaceful protest today (yesterday) to show solidarity to a staff of FAAN who was brutalised and beaten

into a state of coma some few days ago by four personnel of NAF attached to the MMIA.” He accused the Airport Commandant for the unscrupulous behaviour of his men, tasking him on why he approved their dastardly acts within the airport environment. The union leaders, in conjunction with the workers had assembled at the Freedom Square within FAAN headquarters before matching to the MMIA. Our correspondent who witnessed the protest observed that most of the union members were chanting solidarity songs in honour of the FAAN staff and carried several placards with various inscriptions such as “Federal Government, Save our souls from Air Force officers at the Airports" and "We want Aviation Security Personnel only to be in charge of security at our airports,” among others.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ekiti gov, APC lawmakers' peace meeting deadlocked abiOdun nejO ADO EKITI

meeting between Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers in the House of Assembly for peaceful resolution of the crisis rocking the legislative arm yesterday ended in deadlock. A statement by Mr. Wole Olujobi, media aide to embattled Speaker of the Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, stated that the governor and the lawmakers were not on the same page at the meeting. Olujobi stated that while Fayose promised to pay the salaries and allowances of the 19 APC lawmakers, the legislators insisted on return to the status quo as at November 11, 2014 as condition for resolution of the crisis. It would be recalled that seven Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers loyal to Fayose had on November 17 last year impeached Omirin as speaker and elected Hon. Dele Olugbemi in his place. According to Olujobi, the meeting which held in Akure, the Ondo State capital at the instance of Fayose, had in attendance the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Etop John James, and the state’s Director of State Security Service, Mr. Duke Fubara.

The statement reads in part: "While the governor emphasised before the lawmakers the offer of their salaries and other entitlements, the lawmakers insisted on returning to the status quo as at November 11, 2014. "That means restoring all the principal officers to their positions and all aides of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, including those of other principal officers to their respective positions. "The lawmakers made it clear they were ready to return to their jobs and that the governor should provide the atmosphere for that possibility. They asked the governor to clear the House of Assembly of thugs and create conditions that would make them do their jobs without any security threats. "They insisted that restoring the security aides of the principal officers and opening the Assembly for resumption of their legal duties should be the starting point for the restoration of peace.". Olujobi said while the lawmakers made their positions clear, the governor was more on payment of their entitlements while promising to look at what he could do on the possibility of a return to the status quo, saying that he might have difficulty in resolving the return to the status quo because the matter was already in court.

Amosun dissolves Executive Council, others

O L-R: Managing Director, Osun Investment Company Limited, Mr Bola Oyebamiji; Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Industry (BoI), Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa; Executive Director, Small and Medium Enterprise, BoI, Mr. Waheed Olagunju and Iyaloja-General, Chief Awawu Asindemade, during commissioning ceremony of BoI Staff office in Osogbo, yesterday.

Woman dies after bite by housemaid Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

yo State Police Command may have to unravel the mystery behind the death of a 30-year-old woman, Tawa Lawal, who died after she was bitten on her breast. National Mirror learnt that the deceased had engaged a maid of one of her neighbours, Elizabeth

Fatoki, in a duel, which led the former to bite her on the breast. It was gathered that the deceased, a mother of three, lived in the Salvation Army area of Ekotedo in Ibadan North West Local Government Area of the state. According to the deceased's husband, Mr. Aliu Lawal, his wife started complaining of headache

and pains on the night of the incident, adding that he took her to the Alaafia Hospital, Mokola, Ibadan, where she eventually gave up the ghost on Sunday morning. During a visit to the hospital, the doctor that attended to her, Adedamola Odebode, ruled out the possibility of tetanus infection because of the open wound sustained by the deceased in the affected area.

Children of the deceased; Barakat (15), Waris (10) and Aliya (2) lamented that their mother who until her death was a jewelry seller, would be sorely missed by them. But Elizabeth who was alleged to have bitten the woman was said to have taken to her heels. It was gathered that the deceased’s corpse had since been buried accord-

gun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has dissolved the state’s executive council. The dissolution, which is coming four days to the expiration of the governor's first term in office, will affect the Secretary to the State Government, Chief of Staff, commissioners, special advisers, consultants, senior special assistants, special assistants, and personal assistants. Addressing members of the extended exco inside the council chambers, OkeMosan, Amosun thanked the political appointees for their support, co-operation and devotion to the accomplishment of the ‘Mission to Rebuild Ogun State.’ He commended members of the council for being part of the team that has laid the

foundation for a new Ogun State, adding that posterity would be kind to them for their hard work. Amosun prayed that God blesses the outgoing members of the Ogun State government and grant them success in their future endeavours. During the final meeting of the extended council, members took turn to relate their experiences in the last four years and thanked God and Amosun for the opportunity given them to serve. The outgoing officials have been directed to hand over to the most senior civil servant in their respective ministries, department and agencies. Amosun who was re-elected on April 11, will be sworn in for a second term on May 29.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

ASUU makes case for Western Sahara’s decolonisation SaIdat alauSa

cademic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has called on the global community, especially African countries to join forces for the liberation of the last colony in Africa, the Western Sahara. The union made the call yesterday during a press conference at the University of Lagos, Akoka, to mark the African Liberation Day and to announce activities for international conference organised by ASUU

on decolonisation of the Saharawi people. Speaking at the press conference, the convener, Dr. Dipo Fashina, from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, said the international conference would be held between June 2nd and 5th at the Musa Yar’Adua International Conference Centre, Abuja. He said the conference is being organised by ASUU to contribute to efforts at freeing the last colony on the continent. “ASUU is using the avenue of the conference to once more draw global at-

tention to the continued colonial domination of the people of Western Sahara by a fellow African country, Morocco and its allies in Europe and America.” He disclosed that at the conference, scholars from all over the world will dissect the history and trajectory of the liberation struggle in the colony with a view to finding a pathway to end the historical aberration and injustice which the continued Moroccan colonialism and occupation represents. “Our union holds it to be true that colonial sub-

jugation is a historical anachronism that must be expunged from the world. We believe in the legacies of the struggle of PanAfricanists and African liberation fighters that colonialism must be thoroughly defeated in the continent.” Fashina said that as the United Nations prepares for another round of discussions on the colony at the General Assembly 2015 meeting, there is need for people all over the world to join forces for the achievement of a just resolution of the conflict.

Forgery: Judge's absence stalls re-arraignment of ex-CAC, CAN bosses KemI olaItan IBADAN

he absence of Justice Nathaniel Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, yesterday stalled the rearraignment of retired factional President of the Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, Pastor Elijah Howard Oluseye, Oyo State Chairman of Christians Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Olabisi and two others on forgery case. Others, who were to be re-arraigned are the immediate past factional General Secretary of the mission, Pastor Gideon Okegwemeh, and a director with the Cor-

porate Affairs Commission, CAC, Mr. Abdul Hakeem Mohammed. The accused were to face trial on nine-count charge of forgery and conspiracy by obtaining through fraudulent means two Certificates of Incorporation, CofO, of the Christ Apostolic Church dated 21st October and 7th December, 1995, respectively. As early as 7.00am, many pastors of the two factions of CAC stormed the court to resume the 24 year-old legal battle and expressed frustration when the court Registrar announced June 18 as the next adjourned date for the opening of the case.

Tribunal fixes May 26 for Agbaje’s petition mattheW IrInoye

L-R: Lagos State Head of Service, Mrs. Shade Jaji; Special Adviser to the Governor on Eko Project, Mrs. Ronke Azeez; Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris; Governor Babatunde Fashola and Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, during the public presentation of a book, Lagos Good Practice Series, in Lagos, yesterday.

Kidnappings: Ekiti health workers suspend strike abIodun nejo ADO EKITI

igerian Medical Association, NMA, Ekiti State chapter, has suspended its no-work protest declared over serial kidnappings of its members. The suspension of the strike action yesterday followed the release on Saturday of 11 kidnapped victims at Esure Ekiti in Irepodun/ Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti State. Ekiti NMA Chairman, Dr John Akinbote, yesterday said the suspension was with immediate effect and requested for improvement and sustenance of security measures in the state. The association had a couple of weeks ago declared a state-wide industrial action to press home for immediate

and unconditional release of some of their members who were abducted at various locations within the state. Medical workers kidnapped in the state were former Chief Medical Director of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, Dr Patrick Adegun; his wife, Kikelomo; a nurse

working with the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Mrs Margaret Aladenika and two other nurses, whose identities were not disclosed. Apart from Adegun who was released to source for funds to secure his wife's freedom, others were kept in the bush for weeks before breathing the air of freedom on Sat-

urday. In a letter dated May 25 and addressed to Governor Ayodele Fayose, Akinbote stated that the NMA at its emergency general meeting decided to suspend the nowork protest which started based on the serial kidnappings and security situation in the state.

agos State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal has fixed May 26 to begin hearing in the petition filed by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Mr Jimi Agbaje, on the outcome of gubernatorial election result in the state. The date was fixed by the three-man tribunal presided over by Justice Muhammad Sirajo. It would be recalled that Agbaje petitioned the tribunal challenging the declaration of Mr Akinwunmi Ambode of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the April 11 gubernatorial election. The PDP candidate had alleged that he observed some irregularities during the election, which contravened the provisions of the Independent National Electoral Commission,

INEC, approved guidelines. Ambode, INEC, APC and the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State are the respondents in the suit. The tribunal had on May 5, granted Agbaje leave to inspect all polling documents and devices used in the conduct of the election. It also ordered INEC to provide Certified True Copies of all polling documents, including printed data in each polling unit, from the card reader machines. However, the tribunal rejected Agbaje’s request to inspect the polling documents and devices used in the conduct of the March 28 presidential election in Lagos State. The tribunal also rejected Agbaje’s Freedom of Information request asking the tribunal to order INEC to produce all polling documents and card reader machines used for the governorship election.

Assembly seat: Appeal Court sets June 15 for Eshilokun's objection Wale IgbIntade

he Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, yesterday fixed June 15, 2015, for hearing of an objection raised by former Secretary to the Lagos State All Progressives Congress, APC, Wasiu Eshilokun, challenging an application seeking to

amend a notice of appeal filed before the court. His opponent, Hakeem Masha, had sought to amend his notice of appeal in the case over Lagos Island Constituency 1 of the Lagos State House of Assembly. Eshilokun and Masha (both APC members) are currently locked in fierce contest for the assembly seat. Eshilokun had polled 186

votes to beat seven other candidates in the primary election conducted by APC to select a candidate for Lagos Island Constituency 1. However, he was substituted with Masha, who polled 70 votes, thus forcing the applicant (Eshilokun) to file a suit before Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos. Justice Buba, had in his

judgement, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to recognise Eshilokun as the candidate of the party, saying the evidence before him showed clearly that Eshilokun won the APC primary, and that same was not controverted. Dissatisfied, Masha, through his lawyer, Badejo Bonojo (SAN), appealed the

verdict, and urged the appellate court to upturn it. When the matter came up yesterday at the Court of Appeal, Bonojo indicated interest in amending one of the three notices of appeal which he filed. But Eshilokun's lawyer, Wahab Shittu objected, saying the move was an attempt to place something on nothing.

South East

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gas shortage: Nebo tasks marketers on quick supply to power plants Chidi UgwU ABUJA

inister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, has called on oil and gas workers just ending an industrial action to quickly take remedial steps to restore gas supply to the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power stations, in the national interest. Nebo observed that the negative effect of the strike on power supply was inevitable, since up to 70 percent of generation is coming from gas-fired stations, pending completion of work on new hydro and other renewable sources. The minister said the oil workers' action, which cut-off gas supply to power stations on the heels of recent repairs on vandalised gas pipelines, had reduced actual power generation to unprecedented level in the past week. The minister explained that the current power generation capacity of the country stood at 7,000 mw, constrained by transmission infrastructure to about 6,000 mw. Nebo said that with total generation rising to 4,500 megawatts in October 2014, with a potential to get up to 5,500 megawatts from gas-fired and hydro power plants, the current energy crisis which had reduced power generation to about 1,400 mw was avoidable and painful. He commended the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources for measures taken to resolve issues

dennis Agbo ENUGU

he killing of three youths has generated tension among residents of Amechi Awkunanaw in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State, the community of Senators Jim Nwobodo and former Senate President Ken Nnamani. The three young men, who were said to have been assassinated, came from the same family in the community. The victims, simply identified as Nnaemeka Agbo, Sunday Nnamani and

with its labour unions, to prevent the nationwide energy crisis from getting worse. According to Nebo, the responsibility of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources to provide gas for power needs to be consistently fulfilled, to fire the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s power stations. Nebo particularly appealed to oil and gas workers, including staff of the Nigerian Gas Company, to speedily work towards clearing the backlog of gas supplies to power plants, in order to alleviate the excruciating pains on Nigerians, and the overall effect of the just-ended strike action on the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy and other human endeavours. The minister said it had become necessary to draw the attention of Nigerians to the fact that the strike by both senior and junior staff unions of the NNPC, (NUPENG and PENGASSIN) had resulted in the shutdown of major gas plants including Utorogu, Chevron Oredo, and Oben in the western axis, while Ughelli and CNL Escravos are all isolated already.

Nebo

L-R: Chairman, Nigeria Union of Allied Health, Professionals (NUAHP), Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, Comrade Cyprian Orjinta; State Chairman, NUAHP, Comrade Paul Salufu and National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Nwamaka Ezeanochie, during a news conference on their pending industrial strike in Enugu, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

JUSUN strike paralyses judiciary activities in Anambra ChArles okeke AWKA

nambra State judiciary workers under the aegis of Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, yesterday closed all courts in the state and proceeded on indefinite strike over alleged failure of government to implement the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, it signed with the union, which guaranteed financial autonomy to the state judiciary. Already, JUSUN has directed all its members to stay at home; pending when the state government will comply fully with the said MoU. Checks at the various courts in Awka, the state

capital, yesterday, showed that all doors and entrance gates to courts were under lock as workers did not report for duty, while litigants who came for their cases left dejected. Worst hit by the strike action were petitioners whose cases were due to be heard yesterday by the Anambra State Election Petition Tribunal. Before proceeding on the latest strike yesterday, members of JUSUN held a meeting on Saturday in Awka, during which they reviewed the extent to which government has complied with the agreement it signed with them on financial autonomy to Anambra State judiciary, as well as made some resolutions. In the strike notice, cop-

ies of which were pasted on the notice boards of all the courts in Awka, the JUSUN leaders quoting the resolutions they made at the special congress held on Saturday, May 23, 2015, condemned the failure of government to comply fully with the agreement. According to the strike notice signed by both Comrades Blessing Nwosu, Vice Chairman and Tony Ughanze, Financial Secretary, the union gave reason for their strike, saying; "the congress further condemns the inability of the state government to release at the end of April, 2015, the 1/3 (Onethird) of arrears of capital votes for the first quarter to the Anambra State judiciary as contained in paragraph 8 (a) of the Memoran-

dum of Understanding." It will be recalled that members of JUSUN Anambra State chapter, had earlier suspended their 4-monthold nation-wide strike in April when government entered into an agreement with the union on the implementation of the Federal High Court judgement which granted financial autonomy to the judiciary. However, signs that there was a crack in the relationship between the workers and the government, began to emerged, when news filtered that the state government was foot-dragging on the issue of implementing the MoU it signed with JUSUN previously on the financial autonomy granted by the Federal High Court judgement.

Tension in Enugu community over killing of 3 youths Nnamdi Akpa, were reportedly shot and killed by yetto-be identified persons over a disputed piece of land, which lies opposite government-owned Millennium Estate under construction at Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. The Enugu State Police Command, however, said four persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of the three young men. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Ebere Amaraizu, said the arrested persons have already made useful

statements that could help in tracking down the actual person that shot the trio. Close family sources claimed the three young men were part of a delegation of about 15 sent by a faction of those laying claim to ownership of the land to undertake an on-the-spot inspection of the swath of hilly land and report back to the larger family. The two families laying claim to the said land are from the same linage, the Umuaniebos of Isiagu, Amechi Uwani. The traditional ruler of

the community, Igwe Aniebonam Ogbodo who cut short his over-seas trip over the incident, has asked the police to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act, stressing that; "let them fish them out and bring them to book. If they have difficulty, they should get the headship of the affected family to assist them." On his part, a community leader, Chief Oliver Agbo, claimed that events leading to the killings of the three youths, who he said were his first cousins, were triggered when certain elements on

the other side began to clear the vast land in dispute, using caterpillars and bulldozers, claiming they want to build an exclusive estate. He therefore appealed to the police to do the "needful, identify and arrest those who carried out the killing. It is insensitive and impunity for people to pick up arms against unarmed opponents in a civil contest. We don't want to take laws into our hands and then begin to decimate ourselves further". Sir, paragraph 4 is the total generation capacity of the country while 5 is a recol-

lection by the Minister that we were able to hit 4,500MW in 2014. But you can cut off paragraph 4 if you wish sir.

Arase

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Council polls: We are satisfied with outcome —Rivers APC

ublicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Mr Chris Finebone, said on Monday that the party was satisfied with the outcome of council polls in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the APC won the 22 chairman-

ship seats, 297 of the 302 wards in the council election on May 23. The remaining wards were won by ADC in Etche ward 3, PPA in Ahoada West Ward 2, while SDP won in Ahoada East ward 4. Finebone told NAN in Port Harcourt that the elec-

tion was credible, free and fair. “A total of 26 political parties took part in the election and we believe that the people have spoken through their votes,’’ he said. The Publicity Secretary said the turnout of people on election day was an in-

dication that the people wanted a change to elect their representatives at the grassroot level. “The APC is satisfied with the outcome of the council polls in the state and we look forward to getting good governance from the elected officials,’’ he said.

L-R: Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson; Speaker, House of Assembly, Kombowei Benson and Clerk of the House, Mr. Abel Timiye, during Governor Dickson’s signing into law of the Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Law 2015, at Government House, Yenagoa.

Oyo, Osun workers begin strike over unpaid salaries Kemi Olaitan and BOladale BamigBOla

ollowing directive of the national leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, civil servants in Oyo and Osun states yesterday embarked on an indefinite strike. In Oyo State, the union directed workers to proceed on strike from today over accumulated unpaid salary and pension arrears owed workers by the state government. The State's Working Committee under its leader, Comrade Waheed Olojede, had at the weekend called for a meeting to deliberate on last Friday's directive of its National Executive Council. Olojede while speaking with journalists after the meeting of the state executive said the strike action became inevitable after the state government owed months of workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions. According to him, the

state council had being in negotiation with the state government for some months on the issue and that an agreement had yet to be reached when NLC national body directed that the strike should commence. Olojede who expressed optimism that the negotiating with the state would still resolve the issue, called on the state government not to abandon the negotiation, adding that as soon as a resolution is reached, the state council would approach the national headquarters of the NLC with the view to getting the permission for the workers to resume work. Similarly, the Osun State chapter of the union said it has commenced indefinite industrial action over non payment of outstanding salaries. NLC and other affiliate unions in the state had issued 14-days ultimatum within which Osun State Government should pay outstanding salaries of workers in the state on Monday, May 11.

Addressing newsman in Osogbo on Monday, Osun State NLC Chairman, Comrade Jacob Adekomi, told workers to down tools until demands placed before government are met. Apart from the issue of unpaid salaries, Adekomi said workers are also demanding payment of deductions for their contributory pension scheme, payment of pension and gratuities, among others. He said: "I direct that an indefinite strike should commenced by all the workers in the state as from Tuesday May 26, 2015 due to the failure of government to accede to our legitimate demands, as contained in our letter to the government dated May 12, 2015." But reacting, Director of Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of Osun State Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said: "The heart of all these issues being raised is insufficient funds. And regardless of the terrible revenue crisis that has led us to this state as a coun-

try, we must bear in mind the very prudent manner the Aregbesola's government has managed the affairs of the state. "Therefore, workers can be certain that once the revenue complications are solved, all these issues will vanish. And as a responsible government, we would still appeal to workers to show understanding bearing in mind that at times when even other states had started experiencing delays, Osun State ensured it used all it had to ensure workers did not feel the pang of a national revenue crisis."

Wabba, NLC boss

Nigeria learnt from Congo to defeat Ebola, says Iwu marcus FatunmOle ABUJA

he success recorded by Nigeria over the deadly Ebola virus disease, EVD, has been attributed to protocols set by Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, which faced the disease in 1976 and eventually defeated it. A professor of pharmacognosy and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Maurice Iwu, stated this in Abuja yesterday, during a pre-session briefing on the 3rd Annual Clinical Trials Summit organised by the Association for Good Clinical Practice in Nigeria, AGCPN; Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme, in conjunction with the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC. The summit which targets making the country a hub for medical research and clinical trials on the continent holds in Lagos State next week with the theme: “Advancing Global Trials in West Africa. Iwu said when Ebola broke out in Nigeria last year, stakeholders in the country studied how Congo, formerly Zaire, carried out

its strategies to defeat the disease in 1976, and that Nigeria followed the strategies and conquered the virus. His words: “It was the lesson that the Congolese learnt in 1975 that we used. We studied everything that they did meticulously. The method that they used; what happened then, the post-effects. We went through their files, looked at what happened, how patients were handled. That was what transpired to those who handled those cases. And I think they applied them. I think very soon, the people will be talking about us, how in Nigerian doctors handled those cases.” Meanwhile, Iwu’s disposition while fielding questions from journalists suggested the strategies Nigeria used against Ebola are still shrouded in some mysteries as being claimed in some quarters. He said: “250 health personnel from Nigeria went to help Liberia and Sierra Leone to fight Ebola. They have only just come back and they came back alive. And they came back as they were there, I am not an epidemiologist. I am not in the group. But, when you look at the surveillance of the disease, anywhere our Nigerian team went, incidence declined.

Teachers strike paralises FCT public primary, secondary schools marcus FatunmOle ABUJA

ublic primary and secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, were yesterday shut over indefinite strike embarked upon by teachers. Our correspondent, who saw public school pupils and students heading home shortly after arriving schools in the morning, was later informed by Chairman, Nigerian Union of Teachers, in the FCT, Hassan Jibir, that activities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, under the leadership of Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, prompted the action. He said in a telephone interview: “There are three demands on ground. We have been following these demands; we have

been meeting with government. One of them is the increase of rent by El-Rufai (former FCT Minister) because of the cost of rent; he gave a percentage as rent, added to our normal salary. No minister after El -Rufai tampered with that arrangement, which aims to cushion the effects of high rent in the FCT. But, Bala has removed that now. “We are asking him to reinstate that allowance. The other thing is the promotion of teachers. There are many teachers that are due. “We also have another issue: the 27.5 percent which is called teaching allowance. It is meant for professional teachers, but implemented for all the professional teachers in the FCT. But, Bala again made it is only classroom teachers that will take that allowance.

North

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police arrest 6 for stabbing two pupils in Kano

Minister in-Charge of the Living Faith Church, Kwangila, Pastor Jimmy Yakubu (left) praying for Prof. Albert Oyati and his wife, Fola, during a thanksgiving service over the promotion of the Professor of Medicine, Cardiology and honorary consultant to ABU Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Kaduna State, on Sunday. PHOTO: NAN

IBB urges support for Buhari PRISCILLA D ENNIS MINNA

ormer Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), has called on Nigerians to support the incoming government led by General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to enable the nation overcome the challenges confronting it. He also said the tempo of peace enjoyed after the general elections across the country should be sustained. Babangida, who made the call during a fare-

well visit, alongside former Head of State, General Abudulsalami Abubakar, to the Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, yesterday, at his residence in Minna, noted that for any government to succeed the people must give it their total support. The former military President said: “I am concerned just as other Nigerians; whether during transition or not every developing country has its own peculiar problems and there has to be a government to find solution to the

problems confronting it.” Also, Abdulsalami, in his speech harped on the need for peace to be maintained by all, while urging Governor Aliyu to share the experiences he garnered with the incoming administration in the state in order to sustain the relative peace it enjoys currently. Thanking the former heads of state for the visit earlier, Governor Aliyu stated that for eight years as the governor of Niger State, the elder statesmen have contributed so much

to the peace and unity enjoyed not only in the state, but also in the nation as a whole. Said he: “We believe our two elder brothers have the knowledge and vast experience and a lot to offer and do for the country. Their actions are always for the best interest of the country.” He explained that many Nigerians were apprehensive before the general elections, but that the two statesmen went underground to douse the tension to ensure peace and unity in the nation.

olice in Kano State have arrested six suspects in connection with the stabbing of two pupils of Fagge Special Primary School in Kano last Wednesday. Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Magaji Majiya, disclosed this in Kano yesterday while briefing newsmen on their activities. Majiya said the suspects were apprehended last week following a tip-off, adding that they were now assisting police investigation. He said as soon as investigation is concluded, the suspects would be charged to court. The police spokesman said one of the victims was still receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

Jonathan signs Immigration, other bills into laws R OTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday signed the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015, and the Immigration Act 2015 into laws.

Catholic bishops against abortion for pregnant B’Haram victims OMEIZA A JAYI

eeved by reports that some critical stakeholders in the country were advocating that pregnancies of some Boko Haram female victims be terminated, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has raised its voice against such calls. According to the bishops, the Catholic Church would, in conjunction with other agencies, offer supportive care to the victims. National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, had at the weekend said of about 300 people rescued from Sambisa forest by the military, six were pregnant. However, chairman of

the conference’s Health Committee and Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. (Dr.) Anselm Umoren, told journalists in Abuja yesterday that the church would not align with such advocates. He queried how Nigeria would accept to visit such a capital punishment - by way of death sentence, through abortion - on young Nigerians simply because their fathers were misguided religious and ideological bigots. “Specifically, it is not tenable the suggestion that killing the babies conceived through rape by the terrorist is the most humane action to take in this instance. Since the babies are ignorant and innocent of the crimes - aggres-

sion, sexual assault, dehumanisation - against their mothers, it is unethical to punish them for the sins and offences of their erring fathers,” he said. The group said one of its support mechanisms would be the establishment of crisis-pregnancy management centres to help Nigerians who may be in need of similar help anywhere in the country. Consequently, the church said the children rescued from terror and abortion would be presented for adoption to many generous Nigerians who are willing to accept any of such abandoned babies. The conference which said its attention was drawn to the issue by the current flurry of debates over the most ap-

propriate line of action to manage and rehabilitate the rescued victims, said procuring mass abortion for the women would create more problems. While it expressed deep sorrow at the traumatising experiences endured by many Nigerians under the orgy of violence and terror by the Boko Haram sect, the bishops said they could never be persuaded by the shallow arguments being promoted by some individuals and groups which obviously mean repaying violence with an even more vicious violence. While urging the victims to draw comfort from God, the conference stated that the life of every baby is distinct and unique from that of his

Majiya also disclosed that the police have arrested a staff of the state’s Fire Service for allegedly conniving with a colleague to kidnap and rape an eightyear-old girl. “The suspects later called her parents to demand N1 million ransom before she could be released. “ T h e g irl h as sin ce be e n tre ate d at th e h ospital an d re u n ite d w ith h e r pare n ts wh il e e f for t is be in g made to track dow n th e fl e e in g su spe ct,’’ Majiya said. Similarly, he said the police had arrested a woman who stole a baby at the Gwarzo General Hospital on May 20. He said as soon as investigation is completed, the suspect would be charged to court.

parents. “In fact, the baby depends on the love and care of the mother. Therefore, in solidarity, the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria on behalf of the babies urge the mothers to show maternal love for the Nigerian children they now bear,” said Dr. Umoren. The group said the children that are already conceived are not biologically conditioned to be destructive as their fathers, arguing that the environment remains a major determining factor. The fear is that those who are advocating abortion laws in Nigeria want to use this as a template or testing ground for their antics, the bishops submitted.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, confirmed that the President has signed the bills, which have now become Acts of the National Assembly. The Senate passed the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 into law on May 4 and forwarded it to the President for assent. The Act seeks to prohibit female circumcision or genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices. In addition, the Act also prohibits the abandonment of spouse, children and other dependents without sustenance; battery and harmful traditional practices. The President had earlier signed the Administration of Criminal Justice Bill 2015 into law. The bill was initiated to enhance speedy dispensation of justice in criminal trials and improve the justice system as well as address many challenges in the administration of criminal justice.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

SUPER TUESDAY Why N’Delta should not be aggressive towards Buhari –Eradiri

Politics

Know your lawmakers: Incoming senators of the 8th NASS

As Nigerians anxiously await May 29 for history to be made in the country, there is no doubt that many are also eager to know the senators that will occupy the vacuum to be created by the expiration of the 7th National Assembly in June. ADELEKE ADESANYA profiles the returning and incoming senators.

y the first week of June, the lifespan of the 7th National Assembly would have expired, and new federal lawmakers would be inaugurated by the incoming President, Muhammadu Buhari. Many of the incoming senators are coming to the upper legislative chamber for the very first time, while few are returning senators. ABIA Abia North: Mao Ohuabunwa Ohuabunwa is an incoming senator of the 8th National Assembly who vied under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, platform. He will be representing the people of Abia North after being elected in the April 11 election. Abia Central: Theodore Orji Representing Abia Central in the upper legislati9ve chamber is the outgoing twoterm governor of Abia State, Orji. The former administrative secretary of the defunct National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, NECON, was Principal Secretary, Government House, Umuahia and Chief of Staff to former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu. In December 2006, Orji won the gubernatorial primaries of the Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, to contest the 2007 gubernatorial elections in Abia State, which he won with over 200,000 votes. He made history as the first governor in Nigeria to win his election while in detention. Sworn in on as the third executive governor of Abia State on May 29, 2007, Orji contested for and won election to represent Abia central on March 28 and is expected to

Oduah

Orji

Akpabio

Akume

Uba

Bruce

Many of the incoMing senators are coMing to the upper legislative chaMber for the very first

tiMe, while few are returning senators.

Ordia

Mark

bring to bear his wealth experience.

sending his resignation letter to his principal by DHL for proper record. Born March 3, 1955, the state House of Assembly formally voted him out of office several days later, in a move Abaribe called “medicine after death.” Abaribe ran for the governorship of Abia State on the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in 2003, but lost to Kalu. Abaribe was elected to the national Sen-

Abia South: Enyinnaya Abaribe Abaribe will be returning to the Senate for a third term, having being first elected to represent Abia South in 2007. The former deputy governor to former Gorvernor Kalu, but was impeached by the state House of Assembly, twice in 2000 and was up for another impeachment in 2003, but resigned from office on March 7, 2003,

ate in 2007 on a PDP ticket. Abaribe was Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs and also member of Committees on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Senate Services and Works. He was one of the South-Eastern senators who protested against the trial for treason of the leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Ralph Uwazuruike in October 2007, at the Federal High Court in Lagos to demand his release. Abaribe was reelected in 2011 and is currently the chairman Senate Committee on Media and Publicity. AKWA IBOM Akwa Ibom North: Bassey Albert Akpan Akpan is one of the newly elected senators. He will be representing Akwa Ibom North on the platform of the PDP in the incoming 8th National Assembly. CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Politics

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Know your lawmakers: Incoming senators of the 8th NASS CONTINUED FROM PAGE14

Akwa Ibom West: Godswill Akpabio Also making his debut in the upper chamber of the National Assembly is the outgoing governor of Akwa Ibom State. The former Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and then Lands and Housing, during the administration of Victor Attah, successfully ran for governor of Akwa Ibom State in the 2007 gubernatorial election under the platform of the PDP. Re-elected in 2011 for a second term, Akpabio, who many in the state have described as an “uncommon transformer,” contested in the March 28 National Assembly election and won. He is one the many former governors who have found solace in the Senate after serving their terms.

Effiong

Ekwenife

Paulker

Alimikhena

Forster

Bassey

Enoh

Manager

Ohuabunwa

Corporation staff, she founded Sea Petroleum and Gas Company Limited, SPG, an independent marketer of petroleum products in Nigeria. An active campaigner for the election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011, she served as Director of Administration of the Neighbour2Neighbour organization that spearheaded Jonathan’s election in 2011. Married to former Minister of Works, Engr. Chris Ogiemwonyi, Oduah’s tenure as minister was blighted by the infamous purchase of two BMW cars for a whopping N255 million.

was first elected into the Senate in 2007 under the banner of the PDP, for a consecutive third time. A teacher-turned politician, Paulker was a former Commissioner of Lands and Housing between 1999 and 2001. A member of the Senate Committees on Industry, Finance and Downstream Petroleum, is returning to the Senate to represent Bayelsa Central.

the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. While leading the review of the Constitution, Mark reportedly urged his colleagues to set aside personal interests and focus on the interests of the Nigerian people. He dared the UK to “keep her aid” when UK criticised Nigeria’s Prohibition of Same-Sex Marriage Bill, with a threat to withdraw aid to Nigeria. He also referred to the country’s National Football Federation, NFF, as the “centre of corruption in the country,” suggesting that the NFF may be temporarily disbanded to allow for reconstitution.

Akwa Ibom South: Nelson Effiong Effiong is one of the incoming new senators in the 8th National Assembly. He contested and won, flying the banner of the PDP to represent Akwa Ibom South in the Senate. ANAMBRA Anambra Central: Uche Ekwunife Ekwunife, a member of the outgoing House of Representatives, representing Anocha/Njikoka/Dunukofia federal constituency of Anambra State, is also making her debut in the upper legislative chamber of the National Assembly. A two term member of the lower house, Ekwenife’s elevation to the upper chamber is a good omen for Anambra politics. She is an experienced lawmaker whose achievements are well documented. A vocal and highly intelligent politician, Ekwenife is the true definition of that saying: “What a man can do, a woman can do better”. She will represent the Anambra Central senatorial district in the Senate. Anambra South: Andy Uba Recorded in history as the shortest serving governor of a state in Nigeria, Uba contested the 2007 Anambra State gubernatorial election, won and was sworn-in, but was removed 14 days after, following a court ruling which stated that as at the time he contested for the election, there was no vacancy in the Government House, as the then occupant, Peter Obi was sworn-in on march 15, 2006 and was yet to complete the constitutionally prescribed four-year term. He ran for governorship on the platform of Labour Party, LP, in the February 2010 gubernatorial election of Anambra State and came a distant third. Then LP leadership said it “believed that he will deliver on the ideals and objectives of the party.” Uba on his part declared: “Labour is my natural political home.” Uba returned to the PDP and emerged PDP candidate for Anambra South senatorial district in the April 2011 elections. He is also a returning senator representing his people in the 8th National Assembly. Anambra North: Stella Oduah Oduah, a former Minister of Aviation, is coming to the Senate as a green horn and first timer on the PDP platform. A former Nigerian National Petroleum

BAYELSA Bayelsa East: Ben Murray-Bruce Murray-Bruce’s election into the Senate has finally given the Niger Delta region an eloquent voice to tell its story and its challenges. Armed with a degree in Marketing and Business from the University of Southern Carolina, Murray-Bruce, a former director general of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, is going to the Senate as a first timer under the platform of the PDP and would be representing Bayelsa East senatorial district. Bayelsa Central: Emanuel Paulker Paulker, a returning federal lawmaker

Bayelsa West: Ogola Foster Forster, a former chairman of Bayelsa State Scholarship Board, contested for and won election to represent Bayelsa West senatorial district in the upper chamber of the National Assembly under the umbrella of PDP BENUE Benue South: David Mark The outgoing President of the Senate, Mark, made history as the longest serving senator in the annals of Nigeria, returning to the Senate for a record fifth time, to represent Benue South senatorial district. A former military governor of Niger State, Mark also holds the record of the longest serving Senate president, having being elected into the office in 2007. Mark is however returning to the Senate as a minority senator, his party, the PDP having lost its traditional majority to

Benue North-East: Barnabas Gemade Gemade is a former National Chairman of the PDP and is currently representing Benue North-East senatorial district of Benue State in the National Assembly. He won re-election on APC platform, having been denied the PDP ticket in favour of Governor Gabriel Suswam. Gemade was a strong supporter of Joseph Akaagerger when he was elected senator for Benue North-East in 2007. In the 2011 elections, he decided to challenge Akaagerger for the Senate seat. Several incidents occurred in Benue in run-up to the election, culminating in the shooting CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

A PUBLICATION OF NATIONAL MIRROR NEWSPAPERS

Water scarcity hits residents of Calabar metropolis again RichaRd ndOma CALABAR

ust few months after residents of Calabar metropolis in Cross River State recovered from the pains and sad experience of facing dry taps due to scarcity of water caused by the state government ‘s inability to provide the people with portable drinking water. The residents have cried loud accusing the government of not doing enough to ensure normalcy in terms of availability of portable drinking water and cry that water flow from residents` tab become a thing of the past. For some weeks now, water consumers within the state capital had decried the acute water shortage. This water scarcity had hit the residents even before the just concluded general elections. The water scarcity hit harder just before the elections and subsequently the water started to flow in almost all the nooks and crannies of Calabar. Only recently , the situation had moved from bad to worse affecting both residents in Calabar mu-

nicipality, Calabar south as well as the 8miles situated in the outskirt of Calabar. The situation varies, in most areas within Calabar municipality such as Akim Qua town, IBB way, housing estate among others; the scarcity is over 1 week. A resident of Akim Qua town in Calabar municipality , Mr.Pius Idem who reacted to the acute water shortage within the capital condemned the intermittent supply of water at regular intervals by the state water board and made a passionate appeal to the authorities concerned to act fast in restoring water supply in order to avoid the outbreak of epidemic, stressing that water gotten from some boreholes were not properly treated and as such not really fit for human consumption. Bassey also decried the unbearable distance from his house to the nearest borehole where he buys water on daily basis. Another respondent, Etaba Ogar, who is also a resides along Main Avenue, Calabar south area, decried the acute water shortage there had not

been public water supply in his neigbourbood over the past two weeks. He said that residents in the area had since resorted to borehole water which usually cost them between N10 and N20 per gallon of 20/30 liters of water. In a similar develop-

ment, a management staff of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Calabar, who preferred anonymity, said taps in the station suddenly stopped flowing some days ago. Food vendors, car wash dealers and other

artisans whose businesses require regular water supply are not left out in this agony since bore hold , as they have all resorted to borehole water to forge ahead. But almost every consummer in the area said were not indebted to the

management of Cross River State water board limited before the recent development yet they had no water.. But the Cross River state Commissioner, water resources, Engr. Elemi Etowa, could not be reached for reactions.

L-R: Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari; Commissioner for Transport, Mr. George Tolufari; first female commissioner of the Old Rivers State, Mrs. Constance Saronwiya and Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence Onemi, during the inauguration of Rivers State Radio Broadcasting Corporation’s OB van in Port Harcourt, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Another spill reported in AGIP oil field in Bayelsa OsahOn Julius YENAGOA

nvironmental rights group known as Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has reported an oil spill incident at Osiama oil field in Olodiama clan, Southern Ijaw Local government area of Bayelsa state operated by Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).According to a field report signed by Mr Alagoa Morris, Head of Field Operation and issued on Monday in Yena-

goa, the spill site was discovered by field monitors of ERA/FoEN on April 18, 2015 while investigating another spill incident in the area. The report made available to Niger Delta Mirror, reads. “Field monitors of the Environmental Rights Action visited the Ondewari/Okpotuwari environment on Saturday, 18th April, 2015. It was for the purpose of visiting a spill impacted site along Agip’s Tebidabe-Ogboinbiri Flow Line. “However, while in the field, ERA’s guides also informed ERA that there was also

another fresh oil spill in the area and so, soon after concluding with the Tebidaba-Ogboinbiri pipeline, ERA was led to the other spill site, some kilometers away. “This spill under reference occurred at a location opposite the three Oil Wellheads operated by Agip and, across the Ossiama Creek; where the pipeline continued,” ERA/ FoEN stated . The report quoted Omietimi Yeiyei, a local hunter at Ondewari community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area as discovering the spill sometime in April 2015. ’’I do

hunt with dogs and during one of my hunting expeditions, I noticed someone from a neighbouring community scooping what seemed like crude oil into jerrican and taken away from the environment. “So I decided to investigate and that was how we discovered the spill not long ago. I tried to investigate whether there were signs of fresh diggings in the immediate environment but didn’t find any. That is why we thought the spill must have resulted from equipment failure’’, Yeiyei said The NGO regret-

ted that officials of the oil firm were yet to take steps to contain the spill several weeks after the spill was reported to them, just as it urged the management of NAOC to promptly investigate the spill and ensure a properly constituted JIT visit the site of interest to formally document the incident. “Agip should follow up JIV with proper cleanup and, where necessary; compensate victims. The Government should play its protective and supervisory role in the interest of the common good,” ERA/ FoEN stated. Mr Iniruo

Wills, Bayelsa Commissioner for Environment said in a telephone chat on Monday that the ministry has received a report of the incident and dispatched its officials to the spill site. “We got the report and my people are already working on it, they have actually visited the site and are dealing with some issues that surround the spill,” Wills said. However, Eni, Italian energy firm which operates in Nigeria as NAOC have yet to respond email requesting a reaction to the reported spill incident.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Some internally displaced persons working on the N7million Commercial farm established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to give succour to Bakassi returnees at Akpabuyo in Cross River, at the PHOTO: NAN weekend.

CENTREP hails suspension of CSC chairman Theophilus onojeghen WARRI

xecutive Director, Centre for Vulnerable and Underprevileged, Mr. Oghenejabor Ikimi has lauded the Delta State Government following recent suspension of the chairman and members of the state Civil Service Commission over allegation of gross misconduct, abuse of office and most importantly

the sales of job slots in its recent recruitment exercise. Ikimi in a statement on Sunday in Warri, charged the incoming government of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to persecute anyone found culpable when the administrative panel of inquiry set up by out-going Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan summits its report to serve as deterrent to public office holders. CENTREP Executive Direc-

tor said in the statement that “the suspension of the Chairman and members of the Delta State civil service commission over allegation of gross misconduct, abuse of office and the sales of employment in the recent recruitment exercise into the State civil service in a bid to allowing the administrative panel of inquiry set up by the Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to conduct their inquiry without

any hindrance, and we welcome the above decision of the State Government as being consistent with good governance. “We however make bold to say that though the above decision of the State Government while exiting office in a matter of days may look belated considering the protest galore that has trailed the entire exercise several months back.” “We are indeed consoled by

the fact that governance is a continuum, and we call on the incoming Government of Dr. Arthur Okowa to ensure that those found culpable by the report of the above administrative panel of inquiry are prosecuted by the office of the State Attorney General, as same is an antidote to halting the sales of public service jobs by Government officials in our present day polity.”

IGR, panacea for Nigeria’s financial crisis —Gov Dickson osahon julius YENAGOA

ayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has described effective diversification from the monolithic oilbased economy and aggressive Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, drive as the panacea for the financial crisis rocking the country. Speaking against the background of dwindling monthly revenues at the State Government’s monthly transparency briefing in Yenagoa at the weekend, the Governor noted that, sustainable prosperity will remain a far cry, as long as states in the federation solely depend on statutory allocation from the Federal Government. He pointed out that, Bayelsa

was not ranked among the heavily indebted states in a recent survey, because of the deft financial management machinery of the state government, stressing that current economic realities in the country have justified his administration’s policy thrust of diversifying the local economy and expanding the IGR base of the state. While blaming the current lull in projects initiation and execution in the state on depleting revenues, Governor Dickson said his administration would in the meantime give priority attention to the payment of workers’ salaries and for the financial situation to improve before embarking on new projects. His words: “As you can see the pace with which we were embarking on most of the am-

bitious projects we started have slowed down. And that is very painful to us as a government, because we know where we want the state to be, by the time those projects would have been completed. “But unfortunately for more than a year now, all states in the Federation and even the Federal Government have been finding it difficult to embark on and finish projects as well as meet other responsibilities. We foresaw this that was why we initiated the twin policies of diversification of our economy and an aggressive IGR drive. “ I know that the last one (IGR drive) raised a lot of issues but again, I thank Bayelsans for their understanding because whether it is this government or any other government, we will

not be a sustainable state unless we are able to raise revenue here in Bayelsa that can meet at least the cost of running our government and until that is achieved, sustainable prosperity will remain a far cry.” Presenting the statements of accounts for the months of March and April 2015, the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (RTD), disclosed that, the state government recorded an IGR of N841million for February and a negative net balance of N3.04billion as at the end of March, 2015. For April, he announced N9.6billion as total gross inflow from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), which comprises statutory allocation of N1.7b, derivation-

N5.9b; exchange differentialsN998million; value added tax (VAT)-N633million and refunds from NNPC-N282million. Deductions at source, according to the Deputy Governor, amounted to N1.5billion, including bond deductions of N1.2b, foreign loan repaymentN28.4million, refunds to Akwa Ibom State over Ekanga oilfieldN131.5million among others, thereby leaving the state with N8.01billion as net inflow from FAAC. He said outflows for April totalled N8.8billion, comprising First Bank repayment of N3.6billion, civil servants’ salaries-N4.05billion, while that of political appointees was put at N426million, in addition to a N242.5million monthly standing approvals.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2015

On the rescued pregnant Chibok girls DESTINY ISIGUZO

he issue of the rescued Chibok girls, who got pregnant while they were held hostage by the criminal elements and terrorists that brand themselves as Boko Haram, is a major crisis that has generated a lot of controversies. The girls were used by the purported Islamist fundamentalists as sex slaves and the result is that they have left an indelible imprint in the form of pregnancies even as they claim to be fighting a Jihad to establish an Islamic state - probably, an Islamic state where girls would be abducted and indiscriminately raped. The irony of these deeds of fighting to establish a strict Muslim state and abducting and raping girls expose the Boko Haram as clueless criminal elements suffering from ideological confusion, because I know Islam is a religion of peace and preaches against rape. The pregnant rescued Chibok girls are faced with very complex options with so many groups and organizations taking different positions as regarding the situation of these girls. Recently, a coalition of non-governmental organizations took Bristol Palin’s position when they visited NEMA in Abuja. They also condemned United Nations Population Funds and some foreign NGOs that suggested that the girls should be sent to abortion clinics, advocating the

legalization of abortion. It may sound so moralistic, but the circumstance of Bristol Palin’s choice, which is in fact pro-life when it comes to the issue of abortion, is entirely different from the circumstance of those rescued Chibok girls. I am using Bristol Palin’s case as an analogy to buttress the fact that it is over zealousness and self-righteousness for anybody to say that the abortion option for the pregnant girls is inhuman and scandalous to the extent that the pro-choice suggestion was termed “unconscionable”. This stand shows that these people who are determined that these rescued girls should give birth to their unborn babies are basking in selfrighteousness and thus not conversant with the trauma, stigmatization and prejudice they will face in a society that treats rape victims outcasts and single mothers as abominable human species that are unfit for association. These girls circumstance is different from that of Bristol Palin, the daughter of Sarah Palin, formal governor of Alaska who got pregnant as a teenager through an unprotected intercourse with her boyfriend, Levi Johnston. Bristol, unlike the impoverished and traumatized the Chibok girls, was involved in an intercourse she consented to, and above all has the wherewithal to take care of a baby. The man who impregnated Bristol is a handsome hockey star. But the perpetrators in the Chibok

THE BAN ON ABORTION HAS NOT ERADICATED ABORTION, BUT HAS

CREATED ROOM FOR QUACK PRACTICES girls case are faceless terrorists, who forced their ways to the unwilling girls and meted out a heinous crime on them. Bristol lives in a society that is civilized and sympathetic, but the Chibok girls are in an African society were the kids to be born will be constant reminders of the ungodly experiences the girls faced, not to talk of the African orientation of treating single mothers and rape victims as lepers and their kids, in the eyes of the semi illiterate community members, as children of unwanted circumstance. I would have expected anybody who wanted to impress on these girls to keep their babies to consider their kind of society and the difficulties they may face in any decision they may take rather than blackmailing these children into taking decisions they may be forced to regret in the future. It is even ridiculous that some will say that those unborn babies are God’s gifts, but I wonder if they will be willing to receive such gifts or if they will be keeping such babies if they were in the Chibok girls’ shoes. Whatever informed the position of the coalition of self-righteous NGOs have taken,

it carries no conviction why the girls must keep those babies. In Nigeria, abortion maybe unconstitutional or the constitution may be silent on it, but either ways, it is high time we began to re-appraise some of the contents of our constitution so that it will be able to adequately address prevalent human conditions. It is inhuman for our constitution to force those girls to give birth to kids who were conceived in most vicious ways. We must take cognisance of the issue unwanted pregnancies will create for the Chibok girls and are creating even to other girls and women apart from the Chibok girls. The ban on abortion has not eradicated abortion, but has created room for quack practices, which have resulted into loss of lives and damage of the wombs of girls who couldn’t get legal and professional abortion services. There is no need to say that prolife or prochoice is the best for the rescued Chibok girls. Whatever we are hauling on these girls must be remedies we have adequately considered viz-a-viz our social contexts and the girls’ immediate communities. How we treat the issue of their pregnancies may even be worse than the rape acts of the Boko-haram rapists if in our bid to take different ideological positions and assert them, we end up creating piles of hurdles for the already traumatized Chibok girls. Isiguzo is of the Art Desk of this newspaper.

Reforming the unreformable: The unfinished business A KINOLA J OHNSON

ew years ago, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, our Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, wrote a book by this same title. I had the good fortune of reading this book few days ago. What resulted from my reading this book was a light bulb moment, which I will now attempt to document with the hope that people like me, who want nothing more than seeing this nation set on the right path, will get some clarity on certain news hitting the national and international airwaves and digital space, which are our consciousness and raising the tempo of debate in the national domain. Contrary to the news being peddled about and the accusations that have been hurled at the Finance Minister in the last year or so, I have found that from as far back as 2003, Dr OkonjoIweala has been calling for reforms of our Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other government-owned entities. One of the things she quickly observed when she became finance minister under the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration was that entities like Customs Service, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a few others were structured by the military to be opaque so as to enable a deliberate

siphoning of public funds. And these nefarious activities had gone on for so long that she knew fighting that level of corruption would be an uphill task. But she did not relent in changing the old order of things nor has she given up even till now. It is amazing, and even offensive that it took a major scandal such as the allegedly missing $20 billion from the coffers of NNPC as well as the PwC forensic audit report to open the eyes of many to the same issue that Dr. OkonjoIweala has been unrelentingly harping on for years. Of course, NNPC is in dire need of reforms, but let us not be so distracted by all the hype and buzz this news is creating and lead ourselves in the erroneous belief that it is NNPC alone that must be dealt with by the firm hand of reformation. These same people who now clamour for its reform should also speak on the reform of the Customs Service, since it is a huge money generator for government. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala herself mentioned Customs Service reforms in her book under reference, calling it an outright failure. Like many other government-owned entities, when the reform was broached, it was immediately met with a lot of resistance and opposition because the powerful political elites controlling it and other organisations fought hard to crush her efforts. The honourable minister admits that the structural reforms carried out at that

POWERFUL NORTHERN INTERESTS WOULD BESIEGE THE

PRESIDENCY TO HALT ANY REFORMS THAT WOULD AFFECT THEIR POCKETS AND BANK ACCOUNTS time required time; and with the administration winding down its activities, it left behind some unfinished businesses, while some other reforms suffered major setbacks. One major cause of setbacks, apart from lack of continuity, is the ability of the political elites to influence decision-making, to frustrate all efforts made in the direction of reforms and to block any hope of achieving the all important success. It is clear that these people, who did not want their lucrative means of personal enrichment blocked, would stop at nothing to ensure the reforms met with little or no success at all. Powerful northern interests would besiege the Presidency to halt any reforms that would affect their pockets and bank accounts. This happened during the Obasanjo government and continued under Goodluck Jonathan also. In our bid to ensure transparency

and accountability in the management of our national resources through necessary reforms, let us not stop with NNPC and Customs Service alone. There is a call for a complete overhaul of every sector, every ministry, and every parastatal. This is the time for a holistic reformation of the nation. Call Dr Okonjo-Iweala a prophet, and her book a prophecy of sorts. She has foretold too accurately that reformation is not only important, it is the foundation upon which we must build a new Nigeria. The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari would do well to know that if there is any hope of fulfilling his promises to the Nigerian people, then he must use Dr OkonjoIweala’s book as a roadmap. But must we stop at parastatals, MDAs, ministries and other government-controlled organisations? I do not think so. The minds of the people too need a major overhaul; the scales in our mental eyes need to fall off so that we can truly see the issues pervading this nation as they really are. Akinola Johnson writes from Garki, Abuja. 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.

Editorial

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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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

Special courts for corruption cases

he incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration has given hints of setting up of special courts strictly for the purpose of prosecuting public sector and other cases of corruption, including tax evasion, according to recent reports. If eventually established, the courts will no doubt add fillip to the expeditious trial of corruption and related cases that has for long been suffering due to a combination of factors, such as court congestion and the complicity of some unscrupulous members of the bench and the bar to scuttle high profile corruption cases. We recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan, while swearingin former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mariam Aloma Mukhtar, in 2012, did say: “Our citizens complain of delayed trial particularly in cases of corruption, terrorism and other matters of serious concern. These complaints have led to frequent calls for special courts or designation of special judges to handle them with the required experience and speed… the entire country is in agreement that justice delayed is justice denied”. Though Justice Mukhtar courageously saddled herself with the task of cleaning the Aegean’s stable – corruption and related vices – that had greatly

eroded public confidence in the nation’s judiciary, she tactically ignored Jonathan’s suggestion, saying instead, that “there is no need for a special court. A judge, two or three in the states, can be designated to take care of that…” Unfortunately, no special arrangement, to public knowledge, was made to address the intractable problem of delayed prosecution of corruption cases, despite how pervasive and monstrous corruption had become in the land; and government’s avowals of its resoluteness to fight same. Information filtering out from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a body established in 2003 to frontally tackle corruption, points to deliberate and institutional hindrances stalling the diligent prosecution of public officers and prominent individuals docked for corruption. A former boss of the EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, alleged in 2009, for example, that some senior lawyers were frustrating the fight against corruption by stalling the prosecution of their clients docked by EFCC. She lamented the activities of such lawyers, who, according to her, fraudulently obtained money from their clients under the guise of delivering same as bribe to officers of

May 26, 1981 Prime Minister of Italy, Arnaldo Forlani, resigned following a scandal over membership of the pseudo-masonic lodge P2. Forlani is an Italian politician who served as the 44th Prime Minister of Italy from October 18, 1980 to June 28, 1981. During his tenure, the list of members of secret lodge P2 was published. However, the lateness of the publication earned Forlani heavy criticisms, leading to his resignation.

THE 8TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY AND JUDICIARY SHOULD EXTEND ALL THE COOPERATION THEY CAN MUSTER TO THE

BUHARI GOVERNMENT IN THIS REGARD the commission to kill cases under investigation. She said the unpatriotic lawyers exploited the weakness of the nation’s judiciary by filing frivolous applications to frustrate the trial of suspects for corruption and money laundering. It was equally alleged at a time that some unprincipled and morally depraved lawyers acting as counsel to suspects standing trial for corruption turned around to accept briefs from the EFCC. Equally being complained about is the poor funding of the anti-graft agency, a situation that will compound its perceivable impotence. Indeed, it is public knowledge that the EFCC is yet to seek superior court orders to overturn dubious perpetual injunctions against the prosecution of many former governors in power between 1999 and 2007 accused of money laundering and bare-faced frauds running into

ON THIS DAY May 26, 2004 United States’ Army veteran, Terry Nichols, was found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing. Nichols (April 1, 1955) is a convicted accomplice in the Oklahoma City bombing. Prior to his incarceration, he held a variety of short-term jobs, working as a farmer, grain elevator manager, etc. He met his future conspirator, Timothy McVeigh, during a brief stint in the US Army.

billions of naira. Many of them no longer enjoy constitutional immunity; but they freely and arrogantly patrol the streets. Some of them are even running for sensitive political offices, in a country where the law purportedly rules. Quite absurd! Because of weak investigation and prosecution, vehicles and property acquired with looted funds, confiscated and put in the custody of the EFFCC, are said to be rotting away, perhaps forgotten or at the risk of disappearing into thin air. Therefore, the proposed special courts to be established under the Buhari administration to handle corruption and related cases will buttress the seriousness of the government’s resolve to confront corruption, for as long all the encumbrances so far highlighted are taken care of. For, the general lethargy, sabotage and scant commitment of the system presently seem the major reasons many Nigerians believe the anti–graft war is deceptive and not working. The 8th National Assembly and judiciary should extend all the cooperation they can muster to the Buhari government in this regard to make sure cases of corruption and economic sabotage, cetera, are given accelerated hearing in the new dispensation.

May 26, 2010 Severe flooding began in eastern and southern China that ultimately led to 148 deaths and forced the evacuation of 1.3 million people. Four rounds of torrential rains with landslides and flooding lasted for 20 days and affected fifteen provinces in eastern and southern China. The first round of floods affected twelve provinces in the South and killed 93 people as of May 30, while new rounds of floods began on June 6.

Business

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Diversification: Estate developers increase stakes in hospitality industry

Shareholders canvass constitution, mergers for aviation sector growth

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PenCom to sanction defaulting employers 33

AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES Dana Air

Market in Lagos

MSMEs Devt - Pushing bailout measures beyond monetary frontiers Doubtlessly, the Nigerian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs, have over the past five decades enjoyed sustained fiscal and monetary policy initiatives targeted at boosting their capacities and enabling them to optimize their productivity for overall growth of the nation’s economy. But then, analysts believe that beyond the monetary palliatives lie more fundamental challenges that must be addressed before the micro and small enterprises can optimize their performances. TOLA AKINMUTIMI captures their views in this report.

ith an estimated 22 million MSMEs which represent about 96 per cent of real sector enterprises and account for about 70 per cent jobs in the economy, the micro, small and medium enterprises definite occupy a major place in Nigeria’s strive towards achieving sustainable growth and becoming one of the biggest 20 economies globally within the next five years. Quite interestingly , the micro, small and medium enterprises have continued to enjoy domestic and international private-public funding supports, with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, leading the

agenda of providing the needed funding platform for transforming the SMEs into the hub of the current initiatives targeted at achieving inclusive growth in the economy. In the beginning, the strategy was to make institutional arrangements for direct financing intervention, with the establishment of Nigerian Industrial Development Bank (NIDB) in 1962 through the Rural Banking Initiative (RBI) in 1977 to creation of the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund (ACGSF), amongst other measures to stimulate rapid economic transformation of the micro economy.

Other initiatives undertaken by successive governments over the past 20 years and specifically designed to create enabling environment, particularly funding windows, were the National Economic Reconstruction Fund (NERFUND) in the mid-1980s which provided a long- term loan support of 5-10 years to SMEs at concessionary rates, the People’s Bank and the Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) in 2002 and the creation of the Bank of Industry in the same year. The Bank of Industry (BOI), which has been playing key roles in providing credit access to MSMEs

over the last few years, was established with an authorized capital base of N100 billion with the principal objective of providing credit to the industrial sector including the SMEs at an interest rate of 10 per cent. A cursory appraisal of the financial interventions undertaken by various governments, multilateral institutions, the CBN, DMBs, Special Funding Mechanisms, Micro Finance Banks, MFBs, and other agencies indicated that several billions of naira had been disbursed to these MSMEs in the past 20 years. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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

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

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

Business

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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MSMEs Devt - Pushing bailout measures beyond monetary frontiers For instance, while NERFUND’s total interventions to 214 SMEs was USD144.9 million between 1990 and 1998, the ACGSF’s interventions between 1978 and the first quarter of 2011 were a total loan of N43.12 billion for 701,000 beneficiaries, government also secured a US$270 million World Bank- assisted SME 11 loan facility to further complement other SME-financing sources in the country. A number of SME-financing schemes, including the CBN-initiated Refinancing and Rediscounting Facility (RF), Small and Medium Industries Equity Investment Scheme (SMIEIS) which were also initiated and implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in support of SMEs development in Nigeria, were initiated. For instance, as at the end of 2009, the SMIEIS had attracted a total of N42.03 billion with N28.87 equity investment in 336 projects In addition to the Micro Finance Policy from which the Microfinance Banks derived their legality in 2005, the CBN also in 2010 established the N200 billion refinancing and reconstruction fund to refinance and restructure the outstanding credit portfolio of manufacturing SMEs in the country. As at June, 2011, the sum of N197 billion had been disbursed to 539 SME projects. The apex bank again last year created the N220 billion MSME fund, 60 per cent of which was earmarked for providing financial services to women in order to address their peculiar financial exclusion challenges According to the fund’s guidelines each state of the country will be able to access the sum of N2 billion, which will be given to beneficiaries at an interest rate of nine per cent while two per cent of the fund, totaling N4.4 billion, is to be provided to economically active but physically challenged entrepreneurs as credit. To make the fund easily accessible by SMEs, the regulatory banking institution recently slashed the collateral requirements from 75 per cent to 50 per cent for banks to access the N220bn intervention fund for MSMEs. At the private sector end, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Diamond Bank Plc and GroFin of South Africa also partnered to float a $30m fund tagged ASPIRE NIGERIA to serve as a catalyst for the development and growth of Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, the fund is expected to enhance the operations of indigenous small and medium enterprises through the provision of much needed business development assistance and appropriate finance. According to the partners, ASPIRE NIGERIA fund is a joint step in a deliberate effort to address the funding and developmental problems of small and medium scale Nigerian entrepreneurs. The contributions to the fund are, Shell - US$10 million; Diamond Bank, - US$20 million; and GroFin - US$0.6 million. Also, the World Bank last September approved a credit of $500 million about N83 billion for Nigeria to increase access to finance by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with the aim of supporting government’s efforts to promote the growth and job creation potential of the private sector through improved access to

Godwin Emefiele

Okonjo-Iweala

SPECIFICALLY, THE FUND IS EXPECTED TO ENHANCE THE OPERATIONS OF INDIGENOUS SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES THROUGH THE PROVISION OF MUCH NEEDED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AND APPROPRIATE FINANCE

Market in Lagos

financing. The multilateral institution pointed out that limited access to finance was a key obstacle to enterprise growth and entrepreneurship, particularly for young people, and it was also major obstacle faced by the SMEs, the bank said. The World Bank noted that only 6.7 per cent of Nigerian firms reported having a loan or active line of credit in 2014, adding that SME lending made up only around 5 per cent of the total commercial bank lending. To demonstrate its commitment to the micro, SMEs’ development, the Federal Government recently indicated its intention to partner commercial banks with a view to fashioning new funding mechanisms that will enable SMEs have access to cheap funds. The Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, who gave the hint during a meeting with SME Desk Managers of Banks in Abuja, noted that the new initiative was aimed at removing barriers militating against banks’ lending to MSMEs and by so doing enhance their capacity to create jobs, generate wealth and transform the country’s economy. Aganga said: “The rate of unemployment in Nigeria is becoming alarming and staring us in the face. There is no gainsaying the fact

that the best way to checkmate the situation is to have a virile Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises sub-sector. The recent survey conducted by SMEDAN, in conjunction with the National Bureau of Statistics, revealed that we have close to 20 million MSMEs in Nigeria. “The figure represents over 80 per cent of the total number of enterprises in the country and accounts for 75 per cent of Nigeria’s total employment base. If we don’t create an enabling environment for this important sub-sector to thrive, we will all suffer its negative consequences.” “The MSME community has been complaining bitterly of not being able to access cheap funds from the banks. They have also said that where services are available, it takes the banks ‘forever’ to process them. The vision of the Ministry of Trade and Investment is to increase the contribution of SMEs to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product from 10 per cent to 30 per cent and increase export earnings through SMEs from three per cent to 25 per cent within the lifetime of this administration”, the minister projected. While noting that though SMEs are known to be high risk areas, Aganga reiterated that the micro, small and medium enter-

prises also hold the key to sustainable banking if properly understood and funded. He explained that government was prepared to take up the challenge of training and re-training MSMEs to ensure that they become more competitive and attractive to funding, adding that in order to achieve the goal SMEDAN is being refocused to constantly monitor and provide business development support services to MSMEs to ensure that they conform with conditions attached to loans. Investigations have shown that as desirable as the funding support and other capacity-enhancing initiatives of the CBN and other intervention agencies are to sustainable growth of the MSMEs, the challenges of poor infrastructure and lack of access to markets remain big constraints to the enterprises’ survival, improved productivity and better contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. A micro entrepreneur, Salaudeen Lawal, told National Mirror at the weekend that the poor electricity continued to hamper his shoe-making business and called on the government to refocus their strategy on SMEs empowerment by tackling headlong the poor power supply in the country. “I don’t know how to explain it. Power supply is the greatest problem we are facing. Yes, CBN has been a lot to support our businesses and I think we must commend the bank for that. But the big question is, if you have all these funds and you don’t have electricity to do you work, it will become debt on our heads. We are not happy with the terrible power problem of the country. Government should do everything to make electricity available and affordable to small businesses. “Our situation is even made worse in the past one month because of the fuel crisis. This is the most unfortunate thing to hapeen to Nigeria now when government’s revenue from crude oil export is going down. If fuel and electricity are available locally for manufacturing companies, this will help to reduce the problem of government and jobs will be created. So, the funds being provided for SMEs are not everything. The infrastructure challenges are too big for any of us to survive. We need divine intervention”. Lawal added. Another entrepreneur, Ugochukwu, Emeka, who is into bar soap manufacture, lamented the disenabling environment in the country, especially the infrastructure problems but more importantly, the taxes and levies SME owners pay on daily basis to local government officials ‘for just opening their shops when no productivity is going on. Emeka, who disclosed that because of the local government officials’ menace, he was no longer opening his small factory until about 4 pm during week days to avoid paying levies for nothing. “I don’t know how to explain the situation with us as small business owners. I heard about the CBN’s efforts to support SMEs but how do you go and take a loan when you are not in any way sure of electricity to run your plants. That is the challenge we face. “Another terrible experience many of us go through is that when you are not doing anything at all and your business is threatened, you see these local government people coming everyday to trouble you, demanding for one levy or the other.

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Business News

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Importers groan as Customs defies CET implementation order FRANCIS EZEM

mporters and clearing agents have raised the alarm over the decision of the Nigeria Customs Service to impose old duty and charges on imported goods more than one month after the Federal Government approved the implementation of Economic Community of West African States ECOWAS Common External Tariff CET. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, had last month announced Federal Government’s

approval for the implementation of the CET, covering 20152019 which was slated to take effect April 11, 2015 with other fiscal policy measures. However an importer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that more than one month after the effective date, the service collects the old duty rates and fees on imported goods, which he said was in defiance of government’s fiscal directive. According to him, the implication of this is that Nigerian citizens are not benefitting from the ECOWAS tariff regime, which implementation has

taken effect in other member nations of the ECOWAS since January 1, 2015. He explained that there was no difference in the payment of duty between what was obtained last year and what is obtained, an indication that the CET is not yet operational in Nigeria. It was gathered that charges such as Import Assessment Tax IAT, which is supposed to have been eliminated by the new CET are still being charged on imported goods in Nigeria. “The overall implication of all these is that the price of goods in Nigeria will continue to be high

Executive Director, Finance & Strategy, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; winners of the Sterling Bank Gunners Promo, Messrs. Adeyeye Olufemi and Sakariya’u Adeleke and Executive Director, Retail & Consumer Banking, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Grama Narasimhan at the presentation of travelling documents to the winners of the promo at the corporate head office of the Bank, at the weekend..

ICAO audit: NCAA boss charges police on stowaway incidents OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, has charged the Nigeria Police, Airport Command on the incessant stowaway incidents at the nation’s airports. Usman insisted that the consistent stowaways and other dastardly acts, which include overcrowding, touting and touting activities at the nation’s airports, could cost the country the forthcoming International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, security audit, which is billed to commence in June. Usman, while receiving the new Commissioner of Police, Airports Command, Taiwo Lakanu, in his office in Lagos decried the myriads of security challenges inthe nation’s airports and urged the police chief to ensure all hands were on deck and to deploy his entire arsenal to curb this menace.

The NCAA boss explained further that security and safety were the hallmark of the global aviation industry and therefore should not be compromised in any form. To stem the tide of insecurity within the nation’s airports, he advocated for continuous surveillance on the movement of passengers at the ramp. He further promised to ensure the provision of Closed Circuit Television, CCTV, Cameras, patrol vans and other security equipment to assist in exterminating touting and insecurity around the airports. He reiterated the need for NCAA and Airport Police Command to work together to ensure massive security network within and around the airports. He added, “As far as ICAO is concerned, Nigeria is to be audited and we are expected to meet the ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices, SARPs.” The Police chief commended Usman and assured him that the command would carry out

regular patrol and surveillance around the airports to ensure total security of properties and assets.

With the attendant inflationary trends because the importer must pass down such charges on the final consumers”, the importer lamented. He regretted that the service deceived the importing public when it announced that it has imputed the new CET regime into its systems for effective implementation. Meanwhile, National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, confirmed that the service had merely imputed the new tariff into its systems but has not started the implementation. According to him, the service made some observations that would make the new tariff difficult to implement as soon as it imputed it into its system, noting that such observations, which have to do with some tariff headings, have also been communicated to the ministry, which is currently holding some consultations with the management of the service with a view to addressing the issues. “We actually imputed the new CET into our systems in order to commence implementation but such critical observations were made, especially concerning some tariff heads, it became apparent that we cannot continue without resolving these issues and as soon as we do that we will commence implementation without further delay”, he said. But some stakeholders, who took exception to the deceit by the service, said that the most civilized thing to do is to alert the importing public rather than leaving them with the false impression that the CET already operational. The government had in ad-

dition to the ECOWAS CET 2015-2019, also announced the implementation the Supplementary Protection Measures SPM and the 2015 Fiscal Policy Measures, which occurred concurrently and took effect from April 11, after the expiration of the 30 -day notice required under the provisions of the ECOWAS CET. The Minister had while announcing the new tariff regime, said that by this development, as from April 11, 2015, all imports arriving into the country shall be subjected to the rates contained in the CET 2015- 2019 and 2015 Fiscal Measures without recourse to the rates applicable before the coming into effect of the ECOWAS CET 2015 – 2019. She had also said that the approved SPM and Fiscal Policy Measures would comprise an Import Adjustment Tax IAT, list which involves additional taxes on 177 Tariff Lines of the ECOWAS CET, a National List consisting of items whose Import duty rates have been reviewed to encourage more development in strategic sectors of the economy. It was gathered that the SPM and new Fiscal Policy Measures would also include an Import Prohibition List (Trade), applicable only to certain goods originating from non-ECOWAS countries, among other measures. Meanwhile, ComptrollerGeneral of the service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko has directed all the Customs Area Controllers to commence immediate the enforcement of the tariff provisions, which have yet to be complied with nearly two months after

Expert urges financial institutions on stable deposit base DAVID AUDU

financial expert, Professor Esther Adegbite, has tasked financial institutions in the country on the need to develop strong and stable deposit base in order to attract household savings. Adegbite, who made the call during an inaugural lecture at the University of Lagos last Wednesday, said rather than engaging young girls to run after millionaires in search of deposits, the focus of banks should be on how to design financial instruments that will be attractive to households so as to be able to pull household savings. The lecturer also urged government to stop competing with

the private sector in seeking loans from banks, noting that it will result to crowding out the private sector fund, and ultimately a less productive economy. Adegbite said: “When government crowds out the private sector, the credit may not transform to increased investment, given that research has shown that the content of public spending tend to be largely unproductive. A lot of government borrowing from the banking system is usually spent to maintain an over bloated bureaucracy” On tackling the problem of loan defaulters in the financial system, the finance expert canvassed the need to initiate a value reorientation programme, which emphasises the importance of honesty, integrity and

probity; designing appropriate sanctions against dishonest practices both on the part of bank staff and their customers and making sure that such sanctions are executed. Similarly, the academic also said that to ensure stable interest rate, banks should block leakages which make them to raise interest rates, saying higher interest rates become counterproductive in the long run. She also stressed the need for benchmarking by the regulatory authority, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to provide stable interest rate. In addition, she urged the government to stop financial rascality, saying government’s fiscal rascality could be a problem to the system such that it will lead to higher interest rates.

Business News

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Airtel to facilitate network for African business leaders must make decisions that promote devt –Tony Elumelu enterprise customers xxxx

frican businessman and philanthropist, Tony Elumelu, has called on business leaders to make decisions that will increase economic and social wealth, and promote development in the communities and nations in which they operate. Elumelu, the Chairman of Heirs Holdings and the Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, stated this in a closing keynote speech titled, “Africapitalism as a Catalyst for Development in Africa” delivered at the Oxford Africa Conference, Oxford University on May 22, 2015. Prof. Peter Tufano, the Dean of Oxford University’s Said Business School, introduced Tony Elumelu to a packed audience at Oxford. Addressing them, Mr. Elumelu discussed what alreadyestablished businesses could do to advance Africa’s development through an economic philosophy he calls “Africapitalism” – which focuses on the private

sector’s critical role in driving economic and social development across Africa. “Africapitalism means we cannot leave the business of development up to our governments, donor countries and philanthropic organizations alone,” he said. “We in the African private sector must wake up, recognize and embrace our role in driving the economic growth and the social development of Africa, and we must act on that responsibility in tangible ways.” The Oxford Africa Conference is a leading annual African conference organized by members of the Oxford Africa Society and the Oxford Africa Business network of Saïd Business School, Oxford University. The President of the Republic of Ghana delivered the opening keynote of this year’s conference in the morning. Earlier in the week, Elumelu also championed the cause of access to power at the Sustainable Energy For All (SE4ALL) *OREDO $GYLVRU\ %RDUG P HHW

ing in New York. The board is cochaired by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim. “Good governance is good for Africa. Our continent is open for business. There are lots of opportunities and the return on investment is extremely high” Elumelu said Africa’s power deficit is huge and may not be cleared in the next couple of years, Elumelu said. “The power sector is therefore a goldmine for investors.” The Heirs Holdings Chairman also represented Africa’s private sector in France, on May 20, during a global business dialogue on influencing the agenda for the 2015 Conference of the Parties (COP 21), the leading annual negotiating summit on climate issues. Elumelu was invited along with an exclusive group of 40 global business leaders, including Jack Ma, the Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, and Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla.

ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

irtel Nigeria has launched a secure Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network aimed at facilitating superior and cost effective branch connectivity both locally and globally. This unique technology, which combines the intelligence of private Internet Protocol (IP) routing with the added performance of label switching, will enable Enterprise customers with multiple branches to communicate with other employees and branches seamlessly. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Segun Ogunsanya, said “this is another innovative service which clearly defines Airtel’s commitment to provide cutting edge technology to empower Enterprise customers to perform optimally.” According to him, the service is one of the outcomes of the Telco’s investment in technology and capacity building, and will enable the company offer more sophisticated IP based connectivity solutions to corporate organisations in Nigeria. Ogunsanya explained that the paradigm shift in technology has become necessary be-

cause all over the world, there is a move from the use of Traditional TDM based Services to the use of IP based Services. This is in addition to the numerous benefits the MPLS offers to subscribers. ‘The service is aimed at small, mid-size and large corporate organisations that require any to any connectivity, converged voice, data, video and multimedia applications, in addition to the security provided by the dedicated MPLS network,” he said. Other benefits of the service include increased efficiency, superior security, flexibility to accommodate customers, scalability in terms of ability to adapt to growth in complexity and volume in the enterprise network, reliability and connectivity beyond Nigeria, among many others. He noted that the company has created a vista of opportunities for customers by incorporating the values of sustainable growth into all existing products and services. “We design our services with our customers in mind and whatever the size of your business, we will deliver value at every stage. Our values for sustainable growth are based on innovation, flexibility and unparalleled quality of service,” he pointed out.

New police boss lauds Bi-Courtney on security OLUSEGUN KOIKI

T L-R: General Manager, Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria, Martin Mabutho; Marketing Manager, DStv, Chioma Afe and former NBA player, Olumide Oyedeji, during the DStv All Star Game in Lagos on Saturday.

Winners emerge in Promasidor’s 2015 Quill Awards

t was celebration of the best hands in journalism on Friday as journalists from various media houses were honoured at this year Promasidor Quill Awards. The overall award went to a Correspondent of Vintage Press Limited, publishers of the Nation newspapers, Taiwo Alimi, while the award for the Best Report on Children was won by the correspondent of Punch Nigeria Limited; Mr. Toluwani Eniola Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Panel of Judges for this year’s edition of the awards, Ambassador Patrick Dele Cole (OFR) described Alimi’s entry, Where the Blind Dare to Dream, as excep-

tion when compared with the one submitted by the other nominee, Toluwani Eniola of The Punch newspaper. In addition to winning the overall trophy, Alimi also clinched the Category award for the Best Report on Education, thereby making a total of two honours he smiled home with. Meanwhile, Guardian Newspapers Limited, also excelled as one of its correspondents, Gbenga Salau, smiled home with two awards. Salau, whose entry for the Brand Advocate of the Year category was considered best compared to others, won the trophy for the Category to beat other nominees: Olajide Fabamise of Newswatch

Times and Raheem Akingbolu of ThisDay. Salau’s entry for the Best report on Nutrition Category, Nutrition as Tool to Tackle Maternal, Child Mortality, was also adjudged outstanding compared to Uche Akolisa’s How You Can Get the Best Out of Fruits (Hallmark) and Chikodi Anthony Okereocha’sAnti-malnutrition Campaign Moves to Nollywood (The Nation). Other awardees are: Seun Akioye of The Nation, winning the medal for the Best CSR and Industry Report; Gilbert Alasa of The Nation, clinching the trophy for Future Writer of the Year; as well as Ajayi Adekunle Joshua of Daily Independent, Best Photo Story.

he new Commissioner of Police, Airports Command, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu, has commended the management of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, BASL, operators of Murtala Muhammed Airport Two, MMA2, Lagos for its emphasis on security and comfort of travellers using the terminal. The police chief, in a statement by the spokesman, BASL, Mr. Remi Ladigbolu stated that the structures already put in place by the operators of the terminal had made the job of the police and policing very easy. Lakanu made this statement during a familiarisation visit to the MMA2 terminal last weekend. Ladigbolu recalled that the comment by the police chief was coming barely two weeks after the Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka stated that the terminal remained the best in the country. The Police boss, who lauded

the commitment of the management team to providing a safe and secure environment for travellers and other airport users at all times, noted that the open communication channel that had existed amongst all stakeholders was the driving force behind the successes recorded so far. While urging the preservation of the cordial relationship, he appealed for more collaboration as this would go a long way in making the job of policing the airport community effective and efficient. Also commenting, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, vBASL, Mr. Christophe Penninck, maintained that MMA2, though a very sensitive environment, had enjoyed good working relationship with men of the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies. He noted that though, the terminal has not recorded any major security challenge since it commenced operations in 2006, it is only proper and expedient to always build on the current efforts.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Jobs & Career

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wobbling economy harmful to poor human capital development The enormous economic potential Nigeria possess will remain perpetually underutilised, while growth in the real sense may stay elusive, if one of the most vital assets to development, the human capital is getting little or no attention in national planning agenda, writes MESHACK IDEHEN.

n recent times, worries have been expressed in certain quarters and by some interest groups concerning the perennial loss of jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities by Nigerians to nationals of other nations that come into the country to find their fortune. However, many experts are of a different opinion, with some pointing out that it was Nigeria’s poor attitude towards human capital development which has led to dearth of effective skills and professionalism that is responsible for the job loss. Others contend the country’s misfortune (as far as poor human capital development is concerned) was not limited to loss of jobs and opportunities to foreigners alone, noting also that the economy of the country as a whole was taking huge loss and standing on shaky foundation due to the absence of quality human capital development initiatives. “Lack of adequate skills especially in highly technical areas like construction, oil and gas, telecommunications and international business processes is also responsible for job loss by locals to foreigners. No business organisation want to incur unnecessary expenditure by importing workers from far and wide when such talents are locally available”, said Former President of the Nigeria Institute of Training and Development, (NITAD) Mr. Femi Kolajo. With most of the accusing fingers being pointed from groups like the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), the Trade Union Congress, (TUC) and the Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA), he said the recent anxiety expressed by indigenous real sector operators on the same issue linking poor human capital development to the wobbling state of the nation’s economy may have raised the ante for concerned stakeholders. Insisting that the repeated allegations of abuse of expatriate quota by management of middle and large sized local and indigenous companies was mainly due to the absence of skilled, highly trained and professional local manpower, other experts said its time the Federal Government partner with relevant stakeholders to invest heavily in indigenous human resource capacities through the provision of world class training and retraining opportunities. Business Analysts and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, (ICAN), Mr. Emeka Ifezulike, told National Mirror that the place of developed human capital in the economic growth and sustainability of any nation has never been in doubt. He pointed out that access to constant training opportunities for the nation’s economic drivers were hugely limited when compared to their foreign counterparts, wondering at the same time, how the country could achieve its objectives, including the vision 20 20 20,when the human assets that will drive those objectives were not being exposed to effective and

Ifezulike

Onaeko

Lack of adequate skiLLs especiaLLy in

highLy technicaL areas Like construction, oiL and gas, teLecommunications and

internationaL business processes is aLso responsibLe for job Loss by LocaLs to foreigners regular trainings. “What is capable of producing core professionals which is the trained human element is missing in Nigeria’s economic quest. There is also poor execution of developmental plans; declining welfare and social instability in the country which have all contributed to keep economic progress at an unappreciable level. “The near neglect of the human resource profession by those who should ordinarily be driving it has also played a major role in our lack of sustainable progress economically”. According to him, a well-trained and developed human resource base holds the key to the actualisation of Nigeria’s economic goals. A developed human resource based will also help the country consolidate its leadership role on the continent, he added. On his part,Immedaite Past President and Chairman of Council of Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Mr. Victor Famuyibo,said human resource professionals both in the public and private sectors must come together to fashion ways of achieving economic development purposes through the human resource angle. Explaining that for Nigeria to be among the top 20 largest economies in the world and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena, he said the role of human resource must be highlighted with a view to setting agenda on ways to execute the

vision that can grow and sustain the country’s economy through the human capital development. “I believe Nigeria can achieve its dream of reversing job loss and economic growth instability through human resource development. The Federal Government and other relevant key sectors should key into this idea and see how they could be harnessed. As an institute, we are already bringing to government value proposition to achieve the vision and the focus is on human capital development”. Famuyibo explained it is globally recognised that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa, having considerable resource endowment and coastal location with huge potential for growth. However, the potential of the country has not been fully realised due to poor human resource execution and development plans. On her part, The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Industrial Fund, ITF, Dr Juliet Chukkas-Onaeko, said the current workforce in Nigeria must be adequately equipped for the country to experience greater national growth and development. According to her, knowledge based economy is required to keep abreast in areas of specialisation, in order to remain relevant and competitive. She said the call was timely, putting into consideration the need to sustain the momentum for organisational growth and sustainability in Nigeria.

Famuyibo

According to the ITF DG, the need for strategic workforce planning in the nation’s economy cannot be overemphasized, noting studies have shown that most organisations are not very effective in predicting future talent demands. She explained from this standpoint that it is therefore imperative for organisations to adopt an efficient and effective approach to workforce planning. The ITF boss said her organisation is particularly concerned about the continued relevance and success regarding the accomplishment of the mandate. “We recognise that in the pursuit of this, we experience a high attrition rate on our staff by way of retirement, transfer of service and general staff turnover. The vacancies created by these groups need to be adequately filled without creating a gap in performance. This is why strategic workforce planning is inevitable in all proactive establishments. “The choice of ITF as an agency to drive the skill content of the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan attests to these roles. It gladdens my heart even more that the Fund could sustain the tempo of the Human Resource Development and manpower development”, she added. According to her, with a knowledge based economy, there will be the need to keep abreast of happenings in one’s field of specialisation in order to remain relevant and competitive, she added. Speaking in the same vein, Human Resource Expert, Mrs Folusho Samuel, said it was important for stakeholders to continue to initiate actions that will create a perfect workforce capable to driving the nation’s economy forward. She explained to improve build capacities, create opportunities for entrepreneurship and self-development and employment are some of the gains that come with paying adequate attention to human capital development.

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tips for dealing with a difficult boss I n an ideal world, all workers would all have fantastic managers—bosses who helped them succeed, make them feel valued, and who are just all-around great people. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. But, whether the person you work for is a micromanager, has anger management problems, or just isn’t very competent, you still have to make the best of the situation and get your job done. Try one or more of these tips to find some common ground with your boss—or at least stay sane until you find a new gig. Make sure you are dealing with a bad boss-Before trying to fix your bad boss, make sure you really are dealing with one. Is there a reason for her behavior, or are you being too hard on him or her? Observe your boss for a few days and try to notice how many things she does well versus poorly. When she is doing something “bad, try to imagine the most forgiving reason why it could have occurred. Is it truly her fault, or could it be something out of her control? Identify your boss’ motivation-Understanding why your boss does or cares about certain things can give you insight into his

or her management style. If the rules are totally out of control, try to figure out your boss’ motivation. Maybe it’s not that he really cares about how long your lunch break takes; he actually cares about how it looks to other employees and their superiors. Don’t let it affect your work-No matter how bad your boss’ behavior, avoid letting it affect your work. You want to stay on good terms with other leaders in the company (and keep your job!). Don’t try to even the score by working slower, or taking excessive “mental health” days or longer lunches. It will only put you further behind in your workload and build a case for your boss to give you the old heave-ho before you’re ready to go. Stay one step ahead-Especially when you’re dealing with a micromanager, head off your boss’ requests by anticipating them and getting things done before they come to you. A great start to halting micromanagement in its tracks is to anticipate the tasks that your manager expects and get them done well ahead of time. If you reply, “I actually already left a draft of the schedule on your desk for your review,” enough times, you’ll minimize the need for her reminders. She’ll realize that

Workers in office

you have your responsibilities on track—and that she doesn’t need to watch your every move. Document everything-Make sure to document interactions with your boss—be it requests or criticisms—so you can refer back to them if she ever contradicts herself.

PENGASSAN urges Buhari on oil, gas sector devt Meshack Idehen

etroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has said, it is compelled to write an open letter to President elect, Mr Muhammadu Buhari, s how to revamp the oil and gas sector. The association said also that it optimistic that the in-coming regime is determined to bring significant changes on how government businesses are conducted towards achieving effectiveness and curbing wastages of resources and potentials in order to improve accountability and optimisation across the polity and the economy. President of PENGASSAN, Mr Francis Johnson, told National Mirror that Buhari’s achievements during his tenure as federal commissioner for petroleum, and the role he played in the establishment of the nation’s refineries remains a major legacy in the industry till date. The PENGASSAN president said his association have always identify with every well-meaning administration as a strategic stakeholder and partner in all spheres of the oil and gas industry’s

he positions for leading available job vacancies for this week come from the educational sector, with Grange Schools, Lagos. According to the school, vacancies for a vice principal, administration, a head of ICT, a mandarin teacher, a Spanish teacher and a laboratory technology assistant are all on offer. Also, an admission/marketing officer, a secretary/personal assistant, a lifeguard /swimming pool assistant and a plumber, alongside

operations and administration, saying In the same regard, that the association is presenting a road map that will effectively support in confronting the litany of issues besetting the oil and gas Industry in general. Johnson said It is the expectation of PENGASSAN that the PIB, when passed, will clarify the rules and procedures that will entrench good governance, transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector, as well as such operational and fiscal terms that will enable Nigeria to competitively retain equitable proportion of revenue accruing from oil and gas industry operations. However, he noted that reservations and controversies from stakeholders and operators slowed down the efforts to pass the Bill into law, saying the delayed passage of the PIB has opened up the unresolved issues, such as industry’s legal/regulatory framework which is regularly subjected to ministerial discretion and fiat that has significantly caused the suspension and diversion of several investment projects to other African countries. He explained the uncertainty and lack of alignment with the industry’s opera-

tors on the proposed fiscal regime in the PIB is further prolonging the stay of action on the stalled investments, adding existing and prospective investors seriously yearn for basic incentives to stimulate their business interest across industry’s value chain. Growing anxiety within host communities waiting to benefit from the PIB’s provision of 10% Host Community Fund and accept accountability for sabotage of oil installations in their areas, alongside the fears that the issues in the PIB may be compounded further by the irregular funding of JV Budget and the non-payment of cash call obligations, in the face of the dwindling oil price, are also some of the identified challenges. According to him, “There is need for an all-inclusive stakeholder’s summit – of the Industry operators/players, presidency Reps, NASS, Security & Service Chiefs, State Governments, MDAs Reps, NNPC, NEITI, Revenue Offices, NLC/ TUC, NUPENG/PENGASSAN to harmonise the grey areas and ensure accelerated passage of the PIB in a fair and equitable manner”.

Job vacancies

a house parent/data coordinator, a house staff (male and female) are needed. Interested and qualified are to forward their resume to recruitment@ grangeschool.com,or visit www. grangeschool.com From the Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Programme come the vacancies for regional managers that will be in charge of Jos, Maiduguri, Kano and Porthacourt. A research and advocacy manager, to be based in

Abuja, a monitoring and evaluation officer and an economic and natural resource manager that will also be based in Abuja are also required. Candidates who are qualified and interested are to visit www.gridconsulting.net to download and complete the application requirements. The World Bank is in need of an operations officer that will be in charge of climate change. The incoming will be expected to be operational in the field of environment and natural resource

When your boss asks you for something, get it in writing. You need to create a paper trail of all requests as well as everything you produce. If your boss is the type who gives you directions verbally, follow up with an email that outlines the discussion to ensure that you heard everything correctly. Cover yourself at all times and be prepared to pull out your documented proof if your boss questions your outputs. Wait it out-Dealing with a conflict? Make sure to give it some time before reacting. Timing is often everything when managing conflict with a boss. Sometimes it makes more sense to wait it out than confront the situation head on. If your boss has a lot on her plate this month, her stress level may be high and she might not take as kindly to your issues. Act as the leader-When dealing with an incompetent boss, sometimes it’s best to make some leadership decisions on your own. If you know your area well enough, there is no reason to not go ahead creating and pursuing a direction you know will achieve good results for your company. People who do this are naturally followed by their peers as an informal leader. Management, although maybe not your direct boss, will notice your initiative. Of course, you don’t want to do something that undermines the boss, so keep him or her in the loop. Identify triggers-If your boss has anger management problems, identify what triggers her meltdowns and be extra militant about avoiding those. For example, if your editor flips when you misspell a source’s name, be sure to double and triple-check your notes.

management and climate change. The selected candidate will be required to provide substantive technical, operational and knowledge management support to the Nigerian and Zambian projects, amongst other responsibilities. For the full job description and on how to apply, interested and qualified candidates are urged to visit and submit an electronic application at the World Bank careers website at www. worldbank.org/careers.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Diversification: Estate developers increase stakes in hospitality industry Real estate developers have increased their investment stakes in hospitality industry, forecasting impressive growth of the sector in the next three years. SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE reports.

s investors diversify to other sectors of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, real estate developers are also increasing their investment stakes in the hospitality industry. Globally, hospitality is a multi-billion dollar sector, but, in Nigeria, the most economically-active of the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development appears to be accommodations and food services. Operators in the sector say they are engaging in hosting services such as restaurants, hotels, bars, cruise lines as well as other related businesses to stem

The NMRC Awareness Workshop 27

the growing economic tide. According to an estate developer, Segun Oyewale, before the advent of oil in the country, hotel occupancy rate was below 10 percent, but today, it hovers between 45 to 50 percent full. Oyewale, who disclosed that with the current hotels index, the occupancy rate is expected to increase to 65 percent full. He however noted that with the renewed interests of estate developers in the sector, enough cash is expected to flow in. Besides, he said, the new investments

in the sector will also create job opportunities for the teeming youths while contributing more to Gross Domestic Product, GDP. Comparing the past and present hospitality business in the country, he said, earlier investors did not make much impact in the business due to low patronage, noting that such situation improved tremendously, after the discovery of oil, as more expatriates flooded into the country, thereby increasing stakes in hotel business. According to Oyewale, as long as the

NSE tasks Buhari on sustainable development

nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy continues to improve, the fortune of the business will continue to improve. He however called that the oil boom of 1980s brought high demand for hotel business, explaining that the demand dropped considerably after the boom, as Nigerian military government was isolated from the international community. Some analysts traced the advent of Nigerian hotel industry to 1942 with the unveiling of Lagos Airport Hotel. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Expert tasks Nigeria, Ghana, others on property dev. 29

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Diversification: Estate developers increase stakes in hospitality industry CONTINUED FROM 25 This followed the opening of hotels such as Bristol Hotel and Federal Palace in 1950s, where Nigeria’s Declaration of Independence was signed. Experts say more hotels opened across the nation in 1960s and 1970s, including the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt in 1963, Eko Holiday Inn in 1976 and Festac 77 Hotel, Lagos in 1977. Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 saw resurgence in the demand, as improved economic and political stability in business environment encouraged foreign and local investments in hospitality as well as other sectors of the economy. This automatically led to influx of regional and international chains, hence Nigerian hotel industry was not significantly affected by the global economic crisis, hence regional and internationally-branded hotels opened in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. According to industry analyst, Sesan Omowale, the revenue potential of the sector is high as the business cuts across other areas, including higher institutions. Citing University of Lagos, Akoka as one of the institutions, where several student hostels were constructed under private investments, Omowale said smart investors are making cool money from such investments. Omowole said, the sector’s revenue yields cannot be underestimated, considering students’ population growth. Already, many of these higher institutions lack adequate classrooms, studios, laboratories and library as well as hostel facilities. Unavailability of these facilities is the major reason parents prefer some higher institutions to others for academic excellence. Overcrowding of hostels made government to come up with new policies to encourage private investors to own and run hostels in higher institutions. Currently, a lot of the nation’s financial institutions have ventured into hospitality business and they have stakes in some of the nation’s institutions. Investigation shows that these problems are not peculiar to Universities alone, but also Federal and State Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Technical Colleges as well as Teacher Training Institutions among others. Experts say no matter the location, whether rural or urban areas, hotel business can generate more traffic, especially during the peak period. The rush for such investments has made rents to be higher than most urban areas. According to them, return on investment is high, as students pay yearly, thus generating lump sums of money to add to the existing ones, noting that high growth rate associated with student populated areas is very encouraging. ‘’Your contract with students is usually on yearly basis, which terminates at the end of every session. You are paid before new tenants come in, unless the present occupier can afford to pay new rates, which are usually added almost every year. The student sojourn is always short and transitory, which makes

Goodluck

it easy for you to increase your rent, after he must have packed out’’, Omowale stated. For new investors, he said, there are two options through which they can participate- going into partnership arrangement with more tertiary institutions to obtain land under leasehold agreement and managing hostels on agreed terms. Investors should speculate for land around tertiary institutions, obtain necessary titles and approvals from government agencies to build and manage hostels. Hostel does not have to be located within the school premises, but should at least be in town or close to the school, hence the closer it is, the higher the rate. One can start with small rooms, about 4-5 rooms on a half plot of land and grow steadily to build bigger ones in the institutions scattered all over the nation. Reliable hotels produce constant and predictable returns. They represent an alternative to investing in traditional real estate markets, such as the residential and tertiary sectors. The hospitality industry is built on solid fundamentals and is able to weath-

Eyakenyi

HOSTEL DOES NOT HAVE TO BE LOCATED WITHIN THE SCHOOL

PREMISES, BUT SHOULD AT LEAST BE IN TOWN OR CLOSE TO THE

SCHOOL, HENCE

THE CLOSER IT IS, THE HIGHER THE RATE

er economic storms. Profitable, resilient and ensuring excellent return for investors, hospitality industry represents a golden opportunity. Expert say as wider hospitality industry continues to face a slow recovery, savvy hotel owners and managers are

looking inwards to ensure better technology to run their facilities. While some hotel organizations have used the present economic downturn to adequately plan for the future through improved technology and staff investment, many others are shedding costs. Progressive hospitality organizations have currently heeded the warning signs that dynamic markets and changing industry requirements as investor should invest in the right training to effectively conduct business in the market place. In consideration of how investment in hospitality, technology can support business growth and look at the operational efficiencies, including improvements in staff activities and morale to generate more revenues. As hotel industry continues to move towards a more dynamic and interconnected environment, it is vital that correct technology infrastructure is in place to meet this challenges. Importantly, hoteliers also need to realize that the hospitality industry is constantly changing and a lack of upto-date technology and older strategies will not always be applicable to new unique situations.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

7 XHVGD\0 D\ , 2015

MORTGAGE NOTES

Clean Cookstoves: FG released N5bn –Minister FEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

with Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja

Fasanya-Osilaja

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

The NMRC Awareness Workshop

was recently invited by the NMRC to participate in an awareness workshop held in Lagos. I ended up presenting to the attendees, as well as facilitating a closed door session with a mandate to analyze the NMRC underwriting guidelines and come up with suggestions for effective implementation and/or amendments as we saw appropriate. (Full disclosure: I did receive a minor financial benefit for my attendance and facilitation). The event was held at the Southern Sun hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos from the 5th to the 7th of May, 2015. I must first of all pay homage to my colleagues in the Nigerian Mortgage industry. It is truly unfortunate that we only tend to hear the negatives of any financial industry because “Corporate Greed” is a much more attention grabbing headline than “Job Well Done”. I was so impressed with the quality of the workshop attendees. I saw a gathering of serious minded, focused professionals, who came together with the sole purpose of gaining information in the quest of enhancing their professional job performance. There was an air of avid curiosity regarding the NMRC and its mandate, guidelines and future plans. It was wonderful to note the attendance of the NMRC Managing Director and top officers like the Chief Financial Officer, IT Manager, Special Financial Assistant, PRO etc. The Central Bank of Nigeria was represented by its Head of Division directly in charge of the NMRC initiative and his department heads, while the World Bank was represented by the handlers of the Nigerian loan facility (which was the initial funding vehicle for the NMRC through the IFC). The workshop was a three day event packed full with training, presentations, question and answer sessions and discussions. The training sessions were very beneficial to the attendees because it involved training on loan origination, loan processing, loan programs, anti-money laundering etc. I learnt that such training is not easily available to the smaller shops because they

I SAW A GATHERING OF SERIOUS MINDED, FOCUSED PROFESSIONALS, WHO CAME TOGETHER WITH THE SOLE PURPOSE OF GAINING INFORMATION IN THE QUEST OF ENHANCING THEIR PROFESSIONAL JOB PERFORMANCE may not have the capacity to send their staff outside the country for such. (Now, I am sure there is great training available in Nigeria and I am not in any way casting aspersions on the quality of training there, so please don’t start sending me nasty comments…). The essence of the training was to try and marry the Nigerian experience with the standards expected by the IFC as a requirement for the loan facility provided, which more resembled the Fannie Mae experience practiced on a very wide international scale. I was privileged to speak with several of the mortgage industry practitioners, and left with a much greater appreciation for the innovative nature of their job, in a system with no true credit history, income verification/tax verification system, appraisal standards or lien recordation system. In fact, one of the most interesting conversations we had was on how to prequalify a self-employed person in Nigeria for a mortgage, when we still operate a 95% cash economic system. The sheer burden placed on these professionals, who have to make credit decisions with little or no documentary support, was actually scary to me. I would be trembling in my shoes if I had to sign off on the millions of naira being disbursed to homebuyers in some of the scenarios I was told about. I think this is one of the areas in which there is a huge disconnects. We do a disservice to these professionals who wake up every day, put

their clothes on, and go out to serve in this industry. We have to learn some of the statistics that drive this market on a daily basis. There are over 17 million identified potential homebuyers in Nigeria that do not currently have access to mortgage facilities to purchase a home. That is a staggering number, taking into consideration the fact that Nigeria does not have a national id system, so the statistic obviously does not include the citizens that operate “under the radar” by transacting all their business in cash. Anyone brave enough to try and weed through the myriad of prospects in this market, with a hope to making profitable, yet performing loans, is xxxxx pretty much my hero, and I have nothing but respect for them. The benefits of the Nigerian mortgage industry are so myriad, that we often overlook many of them. Home construction is at its highest pace in Nigeria currently. That means the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs in the construction industry as well as its ancillaries. From the cement to the furniture, electrical and even landscaping industries, the mortgage industry supports the creation of jobs on a daily basis. This means that any person in these industries is only limited in their income generating potential, by the limitation of their creativity and work ethic.

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.

inister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam has cleared the air on the controversies trailing the Federal Government’s clean cookstoves scheme, confirming that her ministry got only N5 billion, out of the approved N9.2 billion. It would be recalled that the Federal Government under the National Clean Cookstoves Scheme, had last year, approved N9.2bn for the procurement of 750,000 units of clean cookstoves and 18,000 wonder bags Mallam, who disclosed this while inspecting the first batch of the Cookstoves in Abuja, gave the update on the N9.2bn clean Cookstoves project, confirming that she got only N5bn, explaining that N1.3bn, being 15 per cent of the cost had been released to the contractors handling the project. She explained, “The N5bn has been release to the ministry and we have released 15 per cent to the contractors, which is N1.3bn. We still have N3.7 in the ministry’s account.”

The Minister added that President Goodluck Jonathan approved the fund in order to save the lives of children and women, who die annually as a result of smokes from cooking as well as prevent felling of trees with its attendant negative effect on the environment. On the modalities for the distribution of the 750 clean cookstoves, Mallam explained that distribution would be rooted through state ministries of the environment nationwide. “We shall distribute the stoves through the state ministries of environment who know the importance of what we are doing and then they will be able to sensitize the people in their states and local governments, “she added. Also speaking, the contractor handling the project, Integral Renewable Energy Service Limited, Mr. Boma Young-Harry said that the stoves would be supplied in batches based on the amount received from the ministry. “We have only received the sum of 1.3 billion, which is 15 percent of the total amount of the project cost, which was our initial agreement”, he said,

Estate Surveyors seek inclusion in assets declaration body S

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igerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, NIESV, has urged the incoming administration under General Muhammad Buhari to include members of the institute in assets declaration. Vice Chairman of the Institute, Mr. Kunle Adedeji said, ‘’we have slept so much on our rights; there are certain things that are supposed to be done by NIESV members, which we are not doing, not because we are not forceful, but we should have written to government as what our position is on the issue’’, he stated why noting that lawyers have taken their jobs, adding that they are not doing it well. He noted with dismay, some people involved in assts declaration are not sincere, as they collect form, fill whatever amount they want, so that when they amass wealth from illegal declaration, they will go back to their property to build big mansion to match with what they declared in the past. ‘’What government should do this time around, is to collaborate with us to make sure that anybody declaring assets must have valuation report written by professional estate surveyors and valuers. This

will help in a way and government should take it upon itself this time around to do things accordingly’’, he noted He however urged the incoming government to look into the situation differently, so that assets are valued as it supposed to be valued. ‘’If somebody says this is my property, valued at any amount; government should ask question, who valued those properties’’, he added. The issue of valuation, he noted has been the major face-off between Lagos state government and NIESV on Land Use Charge, where government values property and charge the rate without the inputs of the professionals. On Land Use Act, he said, it vested the appropriate and principle of the management of land on government, saying it has power to revoke and allot land to various individuals in such a way that, for every individual that wants to build, he must have a portion or plot of land that cannot have more than 4000sqm, which is one hectare for an individual. He said, one of the factors working against the Land Use Act is political influence, where government persecutes opponents on land issue.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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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

NSE tasks Buhari on sustainable development FEMI A DEOSUN ABUJA

he Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, has expressed its readiness to work with the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the nation’s quest for sustainable development. The Society also urged the in-coming administration to muster the needed political will to implement the Nigeria Content Policy across the sectors of the nation’s economy. NSE President, Engr. Ademola Olorunfemi gave the charge during the society’s Second Quarterly Dinner in Abuja. At the occasion, twenty two engineers were conferred with the prestigious fellowship of the NSE. Olorunfemi, in his speech, pledged the support of the Nigerian engineers for a rapid infrastructure development. He said,” The Nigerian Society of Engineers, pledges

its traditional partnership to the President-elect, an Honorary Fellow of our esteemed Society. We enjoined him and his government to engage the Nigerian Society of Engineers as partners-in-progress, to deepen the sustainable development of the country. “We urge him to provide the necessary political will for the implementation of the Nigerian Content Policy of government; a precursor to human capital and sustainable development by the deliberate patronage of the services of Nigerian engineers and made-in-Nigeria goods.” The NSE, while lauding the

Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for deploying E-Voting system in the recently-concluded general elections in the country, noted that the e-voting software was developed in Nigeria by engineers attached to the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat). He recalled that the NSE held discussions with the leadership of INEC in planning for a more successful deployment and adoption of e-voting system in subsequent general elections in the country. Meanwhile, the NSE boss while congratulating the new

Fellows urged them to rededicate themselves to uplift the profession as well as being diligent, professional, and honest in the discharge of their duties to clients in particular and the nation at large. “This conferment must not be seen as an end in itself, but an opportunity to be of greater service to the Nigerian Society of Engineers, supporting its projects and programmes and lending voice and muscle to its quests, where possible. I therefore urge you to continue to prove yourselves as worthy ambassadors of the NSE,” he stated.

L-R: Marketing Manager, FrieslandCampina WAMCO N captain, Nwankwo Kanu and Managing Director, Friesl ebration in Lagos on Saturday.

Surveyor-General to raise bar in mapping profession FEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

urveyor-General of the Federation, Sur. Ebinisintei Awudu has promised to raise the bar of mapping profession in the country.

Awudu, who disclosed this in Abuja, also assured Nigerians of quality service delivery. Awudu was a former Surveyor General of Bayelsa State and Director, Planning, Research and Documentation in the Office of the Surveyor General of the Fed-

eration. Nwilo, who left OSGOF early May ended weeks of speculation regarding his tenure, having reached the compulsory retirement age of 60 years in February, 2014. Before his appointment, some

aggrieved employees of OSGOF had called for the exit of the Sur veyor-General on the grounds tha he had attained the mandatory re tirement age of 60. Nwilo was said to have insisted that he was on political appoint ment with four-year tenure; just a

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Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

flooring m fl ooring ideas you like. Apply several coats of polyurethane to protect the finish.

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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

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be laid have a easy to moved

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stay in investred for,

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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.

Expert tasks Nigeria, Ghana, others on property dev. SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

Nigeria Plc, Dolapo Otegbayi; Marketing Director, Tarang Gupta; former Super Eagles andCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Rahul Colaco, during the Peak 60th anniversary cel-

F rat e-

d ts

he reportedly said that as a lecturer, he had a retirement age of 70. The OSGOF is an extraministerial department headed by the Surveyor-General of the Federation with the Federal Ministry of Works as

its supervisory ministry. According to his letter of appointment, he is expected to serve four years in office, renewable at the instance of the President, based on the recommendation by the Minister of Works.

ead, Real Estate Finance, Standard Bank, Gary Garrett has said some key African countries are realising opportunities in real estate investments. They include Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Namibia among others. According to him, rapid urbanisation and growing consumer wealth is providing numerous opportunities for investments in retail and office property developments in the continent. He also noted that the growing middle class are boosting opportunities for investment throughout the continent. Garret said, while considerable opportunities exist in Africa, investors must remember that the continent is not a single and homogenous jurisdiction. According to him, investors often make the mistake of thinking of Africa as a uniform landscape, whereas it’s critical to identify the countries and sectors that offer the best opportunities and match them

with their own expertise. In addition, investors he said need to find the right local partners to help them navigate the risks and complexities of doing business on the continent.

‘’The demand for quality property assets on the continent is especially evident in countries, where natural resource discoveries have recently been made. This increase in wealth coupled with foreign companies establishing operations is driving this demand’’, he stated. Although commodity prices have dropped, resulting in economic growth forecasts being revised downwards in many jurisdictions, there is still demand for quality real estate assets due to the enormous undersupply. Rapid urbanisation in response to sustained population growth and economic growth is also boosting consumer spending in these countries, which is further driving demand for quality real estate assets. ‘’Nigeria’s population of ap-

proximately 170 million people makes it one of the continent’s premier destinations for property developments. While retail and office property dominate much of the interest in Nigeria’s property sector, it is only a matter of time before interest in the country’s industrial property landscape begins to increase, despite the nation’s well-documented power and transport infrastructure constraints as well as the impact of a lower oil price’’, he added. Explaining further, he said, ‘’Nigeria’s commercial hub of Lagos, which has a population of approximately 21 million, has just 54 000m² of high-end retail space in the form of the Palms and Ikeja shopping malls while Abuja has a mere 33 388 m² for its almost 3 million people according Standard Bank estimates’’, he According to Garret, Ghana is beset with similar constraints with the capital city of Accra having just 20 000m² of quality retail space for a population of approximately 4 million people with probably another 12 000m² of smaller centres being operational.

Real Estate & Environment

Asia Driving Spike in Global Shopping Center Development

BRE reports this week that global shopping center development continues to grow with a total of 11.4 million square meters (122.7 million square feet) of new shopping center space opened in 2014, compared with 10.6 million sq. m. (114.1 million sq. ft.) in 2013. Emerging markets, particularly in Asia, have continued to dominate the shopping center development pipeline with over 39 million sq. m. (419.8 million sq. ft.) under construction at the end of last year. China accounted for over 60 percent of the pipeline, with Russia, Turkey and India also possessing significant space under construction, says CBRE’s report. Shanghai tops the ranking for most new space under construction with 4.1 million sq. m. (44.1 million sq. ft.), followed by Shenzhen with 3.4 million sq. m. (36.6 million sq. ft.) and Chengdu in third place with 3 million sq. m. (32.3 million sq. ft.), Chongqing and Guangzhou make up the top five most active

markets with more than 20 projects in the pipeline. However, supply of new development in China and India is at risk of slowing down due to the economy and mounting financial pressures on landlords. Construction of some shopping malls is on hold due to lack of funding or in some cases landlords are considering changing the schemes to other uses. Europe accounted for 20 percent of total completions in 2014 with Russia and Turkey continuing to dominate the new development pipeline. Moscow was the most active European country in 2014 and the only city outside of China in the top five. Notable schemes completed include the Avia Park which is currently Europe’s largest shopping mall totalling 231,000 sq. m. (2.5 million sq. ft.) of gross leasable area (GLA). Istanbul saw the addition of eight new shopping centers totalling 440,253 sq. m. (4.7 million sq. ft.) and also has one of the largest development pipelines

in Europe. This has been led by the easy availability of credit in the Turkish market which has fuelled consumer spending. In the Middle East, Abu Dhabi continues to strengthen its position as a leading retail destination with the completion of four new centers including the Yas Mall located on Yas Island with space for 400 shops, a 20 screen cinema and 10,000 car parking spaces. Paris was once again the most active market in Western Europe, with only one center opening in 2014. Natasha Patel, head of CBRE EMEA Retail Research said, “The factors driving the development pipeline of new space remains largely unchanged compared to last year in terms of location with new construction dominated by Asia and in particular China. Other influences include a growing middle class population in emerging markets, the urbanisation of large cities and a lack of high quality retail space required by cross border retailers.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Global Property Investors’ Focus on Europe Intensifies in 2015

ccording to a new report by Cushman & Wakefield, European real estate is set to stay firmly in the spotlight for global investors with a resulting twoyear window of high activity and attractive relative pricing driven by improved property investment supply, portfolio restructuring, rising prices and the impact of quantitative easing. Their report, Capital Views - The Allure of Europe, says while activity has spread rapidly around all corners of Europe from the core, on to the South and now towards Central Europe, global money has lagged behind, staying close to the biggest hub markets. The UK, Germany and France took three quarters of all global money in Europe in the past year for example. According to Cushman & Wakefield, this is now changing however, Southern Europe in particular coming on to the global radar. Spain for example is now the only country other than UK to draw capital from all global regions. This change is expected to accelerate in 2015 as global investors turn to more new markets across the region. Jan Willem Bastijn, head of EMEA Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield comments, “The overall choice open to investors is increasing as banks deleverage, portfolios are turned and development comes back to the agenda. This heightened availability in a

stabilizing economy will continue to underpin activity for domestic and foreign buyers, with potential for the market to deliver a new peak for trading in excess of the previous UHFRUG RI EQ µ , Q W HUP V of opportunities the Cushman & Wakefield report points to three clear tiers of potential where liquidity, an improving occupier and / or attractive pricing point to better than average gains. In the first tier, core markets of London, Paris and Germany continue to lead the way, followed in the second tier by a focus on the leading cities of smaller countries notably Madrid, Barcelona, Milan and Brussels. In the third tier meanwhile, the focus is shifting East and not just to the main hubs of Poland and the Czech Republic. David Hutchings, head of EMEA Investment Strategy at Cushman & Wakefield says, “Europe has been the global market of choice for some time now and even though risk aversion has eased somewhat and other markets are looking more appealing from a macro perspective, particularly the US, Europe has an edge that has kept it in the spotlight. Quantitative easing has only added to that and with the macro drivers for demand growing more positive and starting to close the gap between the occupier and the capital cycle, the market could have a two-year window of high activity and attractive UHODW LYHSULFLQJµ

Global Investor Confidence Highest for German Hotels

UK property

London Enjoying Strong Commercial Investment Activity

ccording to Cushman & Wakefield, Central London investment activity totaled £4.26 billion ($6.46 billion) in Q1 2015, which is one of the strongest investment starts to a year, only marginally behind record Q1 2014 activity of £4.31 billion ($6.53billion). The City investment market continues to perform very well and investment volumes stood at £3.4 billion ($5.1 billion), which is some 42% ahead of the five-year average. In contrast, West End volumes stood at £864 million ($1.3 billion) only half of the five-year average volume level- and reflects the lack of investment stock

coming forward in the West End. Volumes in City were on a par with Q1 2014, while West End volumes were 7% down, albeit volumes in the West End were supported by a few very large transactions compared to Q1 2014. The number of investment deals completed in Q1 stood at 70, of which just 15 were in the West End. Of these, there were three transactions in excess of £100 million in the West End, compared to none in the equivalent period in 2014. The City investment market was fuelled by transactions between £50-£100 million, but with limited stock coming through at this level, this

was reflected in above asking prices being achieved - approximately 13% ahead of asking. The Clerkenwell & Shoreditch, Aldgate & Whitechapel and Southbank submarkets accounted for 28% of central London transactions by number, which is up from 11% a year ago, while a number of buildings in west London were brought to the market this quarter and are already under offer. The pressure to invest is clearly mounting for many players and the market is growing ever more competitive, with allocations to real estate continuing to increase and new buyers still emerging.

lobal investors are demonstrating more confidence in the amount of hotel transactions in the EMEA region for both the short and medium-term future than they did earlier this year, according to the Global Hotel Investment Sentiment Survey from Jones Lang LaSalle. Of the 31 cities tracked in the survey, 21 are expected to record performance growth over the next six months. The number increases to 28 cities when focused on the medium term (two years). Investor confidence is highest in German cities -- Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg -- which continue to benefit from robust underlying market fundamentals, JLL said. They are followed by London and Paris. “We have already started to

see rising interest from institutional investors keen to tap into the hotel market as they provide higher returns than alternative UHDO HVW DW H RSW LRQVµ - RQ +XE bard, CEO Northern Europe at JLL H&H, said in the report. “Alongside this institutional interest, we continue to see HNWI and Sovereign Wealth Funds looking to acquire trophy assets in key cities throughout ( XURSHµ In the next six months, approximately 50 percent of investors are primarily focusing on acquisitions, and are broadening their search to markets such as Dublin, Manchester and Barcelona, JLL reports. The acquisition focus fell 11.4 percent since the previous survey in April, possibly reflecting investors focusing on managing assets already acquired in 2013

Aviation

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Stakeholders canvass consolidation, mergers for aviation sector growth Analysts in the travel industry say the way forward for travel agents in Nigeria is for them to form partnership with one another. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.

s companies expand their business activities around the world, they are increasingly consolidating their opera-

tions. Consolidation, merger, partnership and codeshare have recorded huge successes in the global aviation industry especially among airlines, but this idea has failed woefully in Nigeria despite all efforts by stakeholders and professionals in the sector to make it happen. Consolidation has given birth to several mega carriers like British Airways forming an alliance with Iberia, Air France teaming up with KLM and several other alliances and partnerships around the globe. But, while the airlines in the country are still dillydallying on the workability of the system and some of the operators have said it openly times without numbers that the idea would not work in the country for several reasons, the scheme is already recording success among travel agents in Nigeria. Although, most of the travel agents just like their airline counterparts are still skeptical about the success of the system despite the call in recent time by the umbrella body of agents in the country; the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, NANTA, for them to consolidate their operations. The idea of consolidation is not novel to South Africa, United Kingdom, United States and some other developed travel industries around the world. In the United States for instance, one of Travel Leaders Group’s largest deals happened recently, when Tzell Travel Group, a Travel Leaders company, purchased Protravel International. The merged operations of the two New York City-based agencies alone created an annual sales volume of over $2.35 billion, according to Travel Leaders Group. The move was not just about two megaagencies coming together; it gave Travel Leaders a foray into the luxury travel advisor scene, fulfilling a goal it had spoken of for well over a year. One of such agencies in Nigeria that has embraced consolidation is Travel Investments Company, TICO, which within 12 months of partnership generated combined revenue figure of over N36 billion and with about 400 workers and offices nationwide. The four leading agents in the country; Quantum Travels, Dees Travels and Tours Ltd, Finchglow Travels Ltd and Touchdown Travels Ltd came together to consolidate their operations. Since the operations were consolidated, other travel agents across the country seem to emulate them. Speaking with journalists recently in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, TICO, Mrs. Irene Uti-Egbeogu said that the consolidated companies now had 20 per cent share of the market in Nigeria. Uti-Egbeogu explained that the objective of

TICO executives during the unveiling of First Trvale Agents Consolidation in Nigeria

It can even get to a sItuatIon where they wIll ground the aIrlInes, but as long as we are lImIted, we can’t bargaIn wIth aIrl 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. 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 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. She explained that the consolidation was set up to offer much more than just commission earning to its members, but works towards enhancing efficiency in operations of its members, which would increase overall profitability that would in turn create opportunities to reinvest in their businesses in areas covering technology, education and training. She added, “I am glad to announce that TICO’s principal companies have exemplified the best of the industry and where they marked the end of this era of insecurity in this industry; there they also marked the beginning of a new dawn in the Nigerian travel industry with the big idea for this consolidation. “In the light of the airlines’ zero commission policy in this market, the Nigerian travel market is gradually evolving to mirror other

mature travel markets like South Africa, United States travel markets, which mainly run a zero commission model to guarantee longterm profitability in these changing climes.” Uti-Egbeogu noted that there are different models of consolidation as seen in other markets, but the core objective usually remained the same, which was to use the strength of more than just number, but skill to broker better fees in other lines of ancillary revenues. She added that consolidation in the Nigerian travel industry was one of the solutions to an evolving industry whether it is bigger agencies buying out smaller agencies or larger agencies coming together to form an alliance. Besides, the Deputy President, NANTA, Mrs. Tinuke Nwakohu in an interview with our correspondent in Lagos said that all over the world, organisations and professionals are coming together and working together. She decried that in Nigeria; some agencies still work separately and individually, but noted that such practice had not encouraged growth, particularly in this era of no commission. Nwakohu, who said that countries like South Africa, United Kingdom and some other countries in the world are consolidating, pointed that smaller agencies could merge with bigger agencies and forming a critical mass and together they talk with the airlines. She added, “But our agencies are scared of merger; you know the Nigerian factor. Some agencies will be asking, ‘can I work with this agency? Not possible; they are bigger than

me; they will swallow me up.’ But luckily, some agencies have come together and they are operating as one. “Some will say that they will lose their identity and that is what we are trying to make them understand; that you will not lose your identity; you are not forfeiting your license, you are just working together for the benefit of the group. “When you are so big, you can actually tell the airlines that they have to listen to you and give you what you want or they won’t work with you. It can even get to a situation where they will ground the airlines, but as long as we are limited, we can’t bargain with airlines.” Besides, an industry analyst, Alhaji Aminu Agoha emphasised that globally, consolidations, business acquisitions and mergers are the orders of the day. Agoha stressed that to be able to face the future challenges, the revolution going on in the airline industry, the agencies felt it was proper to start thinking about consolidation in this country because it had happened in the United States and Europe where some agencies came together and then form one formidable force to be able to enhance their business. He maintained that with the zero commission within the industry, travel agents needed to make a living, which could be realised through consolidation, which would enable agents to have higher purchasing power with the airlines. Also, Mr. Bayo Adebambo, a travel agent stressed that consolidation would help the industry to grow and this would make them stronger. He explained that agencies with no ability to negotiate were at a disadvantage, saying that “they will take whatever you give them. That’s why we want to get bigger and bigger: So we have that balanced relationship with everyone.”

Aviation

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

SAHCOL’s spokesman wins awards

An Airbus

shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

Chairman, Air Peace Airline, Barr. Allen Onyema, (middle) receiving an award as Patron and Global Youth Leader of Independent Pan-African Youth Forum, IPAYF, from President, IPAYF, Comrade Obinna Sixtus Nwoke, (right) and Chief Operating Officer/ Managing Director, Air Peace, Toyin Olajide Ikeja, Lagos recently.

awarded ‘Spokesman of the Year’ at the event. He stated that the award, which was meant to encourage Nigerian professionals to recognise their invaluable contributions to the development of the transport sector, was presented to him during a colourful gala. Agboarumi is a seasoned Public Communications and Public Relations professional who had been practicing for over two decades in his chosen field of expertise.

This award is one of the numerous that he has bagged over the years showcasing his skill of public relations excellence, patriotism and integrity. Agboarumi is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, and an Associate Member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria, ARPA, as well as a member of the Course 13 of the School of Media and Communication’s Strategies for Optimizing Corporate Communication Skills, SOCCS.

Open skies: Emirates, others accuse US carriers of over $71.5bn aid

he “big three” United States airlines have received almost $71.5 billion in government subsidies since 1999, a new study has claimed. Research by the independent Risk Advisory Group and monitored online by our correspondent discovered that the vast majority of the $71.48 billion granted to American Airlines, United and Delta has been paid since 2000. The study according to the report was commissioned by Etihad, which, together with Qatar Airways and Emirates, faces opposition to expansion plans in the US by the three US carriers. The Gulf airlines claimed

Airside

Constant abuse of ‘bloody civilians’ by Air Force

StorieS: o luSegun KoiKi he Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, stated it has been awarded with the ‘Aviation Handling Company of the Year.’ Also, the General Manager Corporate Communications of the ground handling company, Mr. Basil Agboarumi was awarded the ‘Spokesman of the Year.’ The awards according to Agboarumi were given to the company and the spokesman at the third edition of the Nigerian Transport Awards held in Lagos recently. On the awards, Agboarumi stated was to recognise players in the Nigerian Transport and Logistic Industry covering all modes of transportation as well as allied industry in the country, adding that it was meant to encourage Nigerian professionals to put in their best in the development of the transport sector. He added that the award ceremony was attended by the major players in the transport sector, entrepreneurs and others. Besides, Agboarumi was

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their US rivals were granted billions in state aid after the September 11, 2001 attacks and that this counters any argument that they have about the Middle East airlines being state sponsored and receiving beneficial fuel rates. All three US airlines were allowed to reorganise under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after 9/11 multiple attacks. Among the claims in the research are that United benefited from bankruptcy debt relief totalling $26 billion and Delta $4.6 billion, while American received government guarantees worth $6 billion.

In all, Risk Advisory estimated that United benefited by $44.4 billion, Delta by $15 billion and American by $12 billion. The study also pointed out that US carriers benefit from a lower rate of federal jet fuel tax — 4.4 cents per gallon instead of 21.9 cents for non-commercial carriers.

t is unfortunate that some military personnel especially the lowly rated (rank and file) among them still behave as if the nation is in a military regime. Times without number, these set of officers, vent their angers on innocent civilians at any given opportunity. The latest of such assault was the pummeling of a protocol officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos last week by the seemingly looking angry officers of the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, at the departure hall of the terminal The FAAN official, one Mr. Mohammed Shuaibu according to the NAF personnel allegedly parked at a wrong place and obstructed free flow of traffic. Within a twinkle of an eye, an argument ensued between them and what two officials of NAF could do was to show their strengths on a hapless civilian by

beating him to a coma when their counterparts are battling it out with Boko Haram at Sambisa Forest. NAF officials have consistently harassed civilians at the airports. One of such incident earlier in the year was the massive beating received from a ranked officer at the local wing of the airport by another civilian, which eventually led to his death. Airside says it is an open secret that every Nigerian is frustrated with the system and it would be practically wrong for NAF personnel to consistently showcase their powers on armless civilians when they are armed to the teeth. Airside reminds them that the ‘bloody civilians’ did not contribute to their present conditions. If they are tired of the job, Airside advises them to throw in the towel and seek another job elsewhere, rather than inflicting pains on those that pay their salaries through their taxes.

American Open Skies to Fair Skies Policy

he Middle East carriers are undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in airline sub-sector. Wherever the airlines focus their attention on, they ensure they capture the routes and cities with several attractive packages. Air Nigeria, Arik Air and several other domestic carriers cannot forget in a hurry the activities of Emirates and Etihad Airlines and capital flights that happen daily through their combined 35 frequencies to two major routes in Nigeria weekly. But, the cry against the Middle East carrier is not limited to Nigerian airlines alone. At present, British Airways, Lufthansa, Delta Airlines, United Airlines and other American carriers are sweating profusely

through the takeover of their routes. But, Airside thinks American carriers should stop crying wolf. The airlines are today calling for cancellation of Open Skies Policy with Emirates and want it to be replaced with ‘Fair Sky Policies,’ claiming Emirates Etihad and Qatar Airways get subventions from their governments. Airside says America is fond of trying to constantly re-inventing the wheels. The carriers introduced Open Skies Policy when it suited it, but now want Fair Skies Policy against the Gulf carries because they are now beaten to their game. Airside insists let the game continues so that American carriers can feel the pains of others.

Airbus orders checks on A400M engine system

irbus has ordered engine software checks on the A400M following the recent fatal crash of Europe’s new troop and cargo carrier. The request comes after the discovery of a potential anomaly in the system running the plane’s turboprop engines. However, one person familiar with the findings said preliminary evidence gathered so far appeared to suggest a “quality” problem rather than a fundamental design flaw. Four crew members were killed when an A400M crashed in Spain on earlier this month during a pre-delivery flight test. Airbus said it had issued an

alert asking air forces to examine the plane’s ‘Electronic Control Unit.’ The unit controls the engines and is part of a suite of software systems that were partly blamed for earlier delays and cost overruns in building the troop and cargo carrier. “To avoid potential risks in any future flights, Airbus Defence and Space has informed the operators about necessary actions to take,” a statement said. So far, no clues have emerged from the flight recorders and the potential area of concern that led to the checks was discovered by Airbus itself. “It is a precautionary measure which is part of our contin-

ued airworthiness activities,” a spokeswoman said. The Airbus A400M is powered by the West’s largest turboprop engines, designed by Britain’s Rolls-Royce, France’s Safran and MTU Aero Engines of Germany. Problems in developing the engines, and particularly in certifying the engine control software, contributed to three years of delays and a new cash injection by governments in 2010. The Electronic Control Unit is one of two pieces of complex software that make up the engine control system, or FADEC, whose development was led by Munich-based MTU Aero Engines.

Insurance

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

PenCom to sanction defaulting employers StorieS: MeShack idehen

he National Pension Commission, PenCom, has said it will bring the full weight of the law against defaulting employers any moment from now, following the conclusion of jobs by recovery agents to recover unremitted, deducted funds by employers. Speaking with journalists in Lagos, on the level of compliance and sanction against defaulters, PenCom’s Head of Compliance and Enforcement, Mr. Mohammed Bello, said the recovery agents appointed by the commission about four years ago to recover debts from employers has concluded their jobs by the end of March and any employer(s) still in default would face the full weight of the law. “With respect to remittance, yes there are issues with respect to nonremittance of contribution by some employers. But I will not say that all employers are not remitting contributions. But I can tell you that some private sector employers are not remitting as at when due. “As you are probably aware, we

have the report on a monthly basis because we have a way that we get returns every month on remittances made by employers. Now what you have to understand is that there over 200,000 employers and we get information on that. Big time employers in the organised private sector are fully complying. “Where we have problems are mostly small-scale and mediumscale employers. What we normally do when we observe that employers are not remitting contributions is that we engage them. Based on the data we receive, we monitor and see if like one, two or three months an employer has not remitted, then we write a letter formally to the employer and say look, we observe that you have not remitted these contributions for this period and it is against the law, it is a violation of the law. ‘We will quote the sections and also quote the penalty and then ask the employer to remit within a certain period, mostly we give four weeks. After four weeks if the employer fails to comply, we now send

a warning letter. If you go to our website, you will see our sanctions regime spelling out what we normally do as the level of non-compliance escalates. From ordinary letter to caution, to warning then we go as far as litigation”, the commission said. According to PenCom, some of the employers that have not remitted have engaged by consultants or recovery agents to recover the contributions. The commission said the defaulters are being engaged on behalf of 15 thousand employers.

ers, fuel filling stations and shopping malls, among others, outlets to sell insurance. Commissioner for Insurance, Mr Fola Daniel, told journalists that since the potentials of insurance industry remain grossly untapped in Nigeria in spite of the enormous opportunities available in the market, that efforts must be made to address the anomaly. Addressing journalists on the theme: “Transforming the Nigeria Insurance Sector: the Three Years Agenda”, Daniel stressed that efforts must be made to address the challenges facing the insurance industry especially as the federal government is desirous at transforming the industry to make it contribute its expected quota to the nation’s economy. The NAICOM boss added that the commission would issue guide-

lines on how the intermediaries could help take insurance to the unreached and make insurance products easily accessible for the public. He said the insurance transformation initiative is expected to translate into enforcement of public insurance, delivering more job/ skill, building consumers trust and awareness and increasing access to insurance. In the same vein, NAICOM’s Director of Inspectorate, Mr Barineka Thompson, affirmed that the broking sub-sector would be restructured into individual brokers, universal brokers and partnership brokers. Besides, he said the agency business would be restructured into individual agents, corporate agents, insurance company agents, microinsurance agents, web aggregators and referrals.

PenCom DG, Anohu Amazu

NAICOM targets car dealers, fuel stations for insurance

s part efforts to ensure that majority of Nigerians embrace insurance as a way of life, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) said it has resolved to increase channels for distribution of insurance products and is working out modalities to enable vehicle deal-

Daniel

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

How to shrink your car insurance bill

part from zeroing down on the best car loan deal, it is equally important to choose an appropriate auto insurance policy. We all know that auto insurance is a mandatory legal requirement when you purchase your car. And there have been instances where you, as an insured, have been charged high premiums. But there are several ways by which you can lower the premium rates offered to your by your insurers. Earlier, the geographical zone, the engine capacity, the cost, and the age of the vehicle were the four parameters that were taken into consideration for deciding the premium amount that you needed to pay. However, there have been various other requirements that have been taken into consideration so that the insured gets to pay lower premiums and avail maximum benefits in case of an accident. Provide correct information: By providing your insurer the correct information, you can reduce your premiums by 10-30 per cent. Model and make of your car: The decision regarding how much premium needs to be charged depends upon the make and model of your car. If your car’s make/model is more prone to accidents, as in the books of the insurer, you are likely to be entitled to higher discounts than those make/ models of cars which are less prone to accidents. Gender and profession of the driver: The practice of dividing premium considerations on the basis of gender is commonly followed in the West, which is yet to catch up in India. However, some insurers consider female drivers better than male drivers, making the female drivers entitled to higher discounts than their counterparts. The driver’s profession too affects the insurance premium. If an office goer uses a car, it is obvious he uses it to commute between his home and office, rather than a sales person, who will use to commute in various cities on a wider basis. Locality where the vehicle will be driven: Apart from the locality, the place where the vehicle is piled or registered is taken into consideration these days. Insurance companies calculate the claims depending upon the location. In congested cities, where bumper to bumper traffic is observed, claims for scratches and dents are

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

Insurance

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insurance: Brokers playing critical roles in market devt – Shoderu The importance of the services that brokerage firms render to the insurance sector has never been in any doubt. In this interview with MESHACK IDEHEN, President of Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, (NCRIB), Mr Ayodapo Shoderu, said efforts were being made to make insurance brokerage more relevant to the economy. What are you doing to make insurance brokers relevant to the public, having been in office for quite some time? One of the most important things for me has been the sensitisation of the public to the use of insurance brokers. I have managed to present a positive image of the brokerage profession in the insurance industry. In my interaction with the media, I always stress the need for them to give more coverage to insurance. We have taken the relevance of using insurance brokers to the market women and traditional rulers. I am happy to say that we are doing well. People now know a lot more about insurance than before. I think we need to get the public to have trust in us because what Nigerians lack is trust. And we have succeeded in getting that so far. I am happy I have been able to achieve most of the objectives I set during my investiture. How has NCRIB been able to promote Nigerian brokers internationally? There is the determination to expose the brokers internationally so that it will be possible for our members to practice insurance anywhere in the world; as well as to get partners anywhere in the world. We have become an affiliate of the British Insurance Brokers Association. We also recently became an affiliate of LIMRA, a world acclaimed financial service research consultancy. We took our members to Australia where we learnt a lot about the practice of insurance in that part of the world. We discovered a lot of benefits in issues such as mergers and acquisition which we have been enlightening our members about. At the secretariat, we have been able to lift up all cadres of staff by way of promotion and enhancement of their remuneration to motivate them to work harder. What are you doing anything to boost professionalism in the insurance brokerage business? We have been able to uphold very strongly the ethics of insurance brokerage. Now, it is not for all comers; if you are not qualified by being an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London or the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and or the insurance brokers, you will not be admitted as a broker. If you are not registered as a broker, there is no way you can get a license from the National Insurance Commission. Again, you cannot contest for any election in any office unless you are qualified, and this is one of the things which I said I was going to enforce. So far, I have done that. I hope the incoming president will follow the same line to make sure that we bring credibility to the insurance industry. Also, to operate at par with other reputable bodies, the management has set in motion the process of securing a befitting secretariat for the council in Abuja. We are still trying to purchase the land to build our office which will boost the image of the practitioners in the country because we know Abuja is the seat of government. We have our presence there but we need to have our own edifice for people to know that insurance broking has come of age. The National Insurance Commission threatened recently to delist some brokers for non-renewal of their licenses. Have you resolved this problem? It is a big challenge. Recently, one broker came to make an appeal that three months had elapsed before he was able to file his application for license and this was because of the problem he had with the Federal Reporting Council. This is so because you need to be given a number before you can to sign an audited account. By the time he could get that done, the three months given to brokers from the

ment? We want the government to be more serious with insurance. You can see how much Lloyds of England, for example, is contributing to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Nigeria is a country that is buoyant and blessed with human resources. Even if you go to Lloyds, you will see Nigerians among the employees practicing insurance. Nigerians are very knowledgeable people. All we need here is encouragement. Let them also encourage their different parastatals and ministries to take insurance policies and pay for them. Many don’t take insurance. And they even ask our members to come and pay bidding fees. I must use this opportunity to say that no broker should pay a bidding fee for any account. If we all agree not to pay bidding fees, let us see where they want to get brokers. Our role as professional intermediary is very important. One of the things government should do is what I am saying. I am also saying that we should be given due recognition. There was a national constitutional conference held recently where insurance brokers and underwriters were not invited. Even though we made a submission protesting against this, we were never listened to. Let them allow us to regulate our own industry and we don’t want any interference. In other parts of the world, insurance companies are the ones that own banks.

Shoderu

We have to cooperate to fight all the bad practices of insurance companies and brokers time of expiration of license had elapsed making NAICOM to refuse his application. So, the problem is not really over. We need to reach an understanding with NAICOM. What other challenges are brokers’ facing with registration? Of course we are also having a challenge with the FRC about our account, even though we have a template or format agreed with NAICOM as to how brokers account should be prepared. After we have got approval from NAICOM, some of our members still have the problem of approval. Recently, a member was on the verge of being fined N500m on such issue. What we are trying to do is to arrange a meeting once again maybe for a third time and see how we can avoid this hardship looming over the heads of our members. We are still concerned about being over-regulated and we want all the rules and regulations harmonised by NAICOM. How much support do you get from government offices to do insurance? It is tough. The biggest problem we are having now is getting government parastatals to buy insurance and pay premium because government is the driver of the economy and the highest purchasers of insurance policies. We want government not to just look at insurance as something to toy with. I will say insurance is the last hope of humanity. If you don’t have insurance, in the case of disaster, how do you manage? Insurance plays a major role in the economy of western world. Even in South Africa, they take insurance seriously. There, the ordinary people know the value of insurance. We need that kind of recognition in Nigeria. What are the brokers, expecting from the incoming govern-

Has there been any significant improvement in the relationship between the brokers and underwriters? I have always been singing that song that unless there is cooperation between the brokers and underwriters, our profession will never get the respect that it deserves. I started the crusade during my first term and I think we are beginning to get some positive result. I have visited the Nigerian Insurers Association, I have gone to see the President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and I have raised it in the insurance industry consultative committee that underwriters and brokers need to get together. On the issue of rate cutting, we all have to sit down and look at it because it is not doing the industry any good. We have to cooperate to fight all the bad practices of insurance companies and brokers. We have had the first joint meeting for the first time. In subsequent meetings, we need to come to an agreement because we need one another to earn the respect for the insurance industry. I will continue to push for that up until the end of my tenure. What advice do you have for members of the public on insurance? The poverty level in Nigeria is high and the wealth of this country is concentrated in the hands of a few people. Therefore, what can save the rest of us in the lower class is insurance. I live in an estate whereby a house with about six tenants was razed down by fire about three years ago. Up until now, the owner has not been able to rebuild it. The same thing with markets. Look at the number of markets that have been engulfed by fire in the last two years and we have been asking them to come and insure. Government should make it compulsory. For instance, government can say before you get approval for a thing, one of the things you have to submit is an insurance policy. All the money the government spends on the markets could be channeled to something else, and allow the insurance to carry that risk. Gone are the days when people say insurers default. NAICOM has set up a special department where the insuring public can lodge complaints about the malpractices of insurance companies. For insurance brokers, we have an investigation and disciplinary committee to punish brokers found to be unethical in their practice.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Money

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Casualisation, outsourcing unhealthy for banking sector , says labour As the cost of doing business in the country continues to rise, banks rely on engaging causal workers as a major way of cutting over head cost. UDO ONYEKA reports.

ven though many have condemned causalisation in places of work especially banks, yet financial institutions operating in the country continue to engage a large number of casuals in their workforce. Investigations have revealed that many junior and even middle level staff in many banks are employed as casuals and they do not enjoy the welfare package and entitlements normal staff enjoy. According to stakeholders banks are attracted to this form of hiring their workforce to cut cost and at the end reduce over head cost to reasonable level, an argument many have said is inhuman against labour laws. President of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, Comrade SundaySalako, said outsourcing and casualisation are satanic influences. “They are like ill winds that blow us no good. I have always said it. They are alien to this country. Anybody that encourages casualisation and outsourcing in Africa is satanic. The person should be examined, because in Africa, for instance, for every man that works, there are 10 or 12 or thereabout to feed”, he said. He said that casualisation can work in Europe, because of the type of life they live, “it is me and my immediate family, nobody else. You do not have extended families. You can even decide not to greet your brother, adding that in Africa Because of our communal way of living, for every one that works, no fewer than 10 persons feed from that person”. He said that it discriminatory, demoralising and does not even benefit the institution at the long run. “So, if you casualise people and do it the way we do it here, it is satanic. “Here, you have two people working in an environment; they have gone to the same school probably, they have the same qualification, and so on because he/she is a permanent staff and the other unfortunate to be a casual staff, the disparity in their salary is so wide. That is bad”, Salako said. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary casualisation is the practice of employing temporary staff for short periods instead of permanent staff, in order to save costs. Part of the pains casual workers go through is that they never benefit from special packages like others. They don’t have the full entitlements on the job allowances, transportation, leave allowances, medicals, amongst other things. A Lagos based legal practitioner, Kenneth Igwe, said the county’s constitution and the International Labour Organisation, ILO, rules frowns at causualisation. He said Section 7 (1) of the Labour Act, Cap 198, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, provides that, “Not later than three months

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele

Former President CIBN and MD, Maxifund Finance and Securities Limited, Okechukwu Unegbu

It should be noted that the practIce of casualIsatIon Is gradually abatIng

In the bankIng sector, but oIl and gas companIes have remaIned adamant despIte all prevIous conferences and dIalogues between the organIsed labour and the management of the companIes after the beginning of a worker’s period of employment with an employer, the employer shall give to the worker a written statement specifying the terms and conditions of employment, which include the nature of the employment and if the contract is for a fixed term, the date when the contract expires.” According to him causualisation contravenes Seven 7 of the Labour Act, adding that the section is against an employer not fully and adequately communicating employees terms of employment. Many Nigerians especially labour unions and victims of this ugly initiative agree that it is modern day slavery just as it devalues human dignity. Casualisation in the country’s labour market has become a subject of concern as many bank workers continue to groan under this ugly initiative mainly aimed at cutting employees wages and maximising profit at the end of the day. Findings for Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, show that many workers in the banking, telecommunications, oil and gas sectors are casual labourers. Other sectors with large percentage of casual labourers include mining, steel, insurance. In all these sectors, staff outsourcing and casualisation have become the order of the day as workers in these sectors no longer have regularised employment terms. A report by the Campaign for Democratic

and Workers’ Rights in Nigeria, an NGO dealing with labour issues, had said that 45 per cent of Nigeria’s labour force was made up of casual workers. The report expressed the fear that the situation would only worsen as employers seek out ways to reduce cost of doing business in an environment such as Nigeria where the cost of doing is very high due lack of basic infrastructure. Also, a report by the US Solidarity Centre detailed the Nigerian oil industry’s shift from permanent and direct employment towards outsourced and temporary labour. The report which, argues that the casualisation of labour is industry-wide however revealed that the desire to reduce the cost of doing business and also break workers’ strength have continued to lure many employers and companies to this mode of contracting their work force. While the country’s government have remained little concerned about this ugly trend, labour unions who have engage in so many battles to halt causualisation have made little progress. But salako said banks are gradually doing away with Casualisation, an argue manywould hardly support. “It should be noted that the practice of casualisation is gradually abating in the banking sector, but oil and gas companies have remained adamant despite all previous conferences and dialogues between the organised

Diamond, MD, Uzoma Dozie

labour and the management of the companies. In times past, what we had in our country is that you work for a period of two years in the oil and gas industry and then you become a staff, once you are found to be able to discharge your duties very well, you start enjoying the benefits of being a staff,” Salako said. He said casualisation is condemnable because “once you are a casual or contract staff, it means you can wake up in the morning and by four o’ clock, you are out of job. In this country now, there are people who have been casuals and contract workers for up to 15 years and they don’t have any benefits attached to their contract of employment. All these, we must put an end to through policy formulation and adequate engagement with those involved, alongside invoking relevant laws when necessary.” In spite of what it entails many young Nigerians, who have no other option, are still willing to take up jobs as causual workers. Many stakeholders believe that employers and firms that engage part- time or casual workers are just avoiding cost, nothing more and nothing less. But many experts have linked causalisation to the falling quality of bank services. Since this crop of staff are not well catered for they are equally not effectively trained. Often times this class of employees do not benefit from regular capacity building bank staff should be having. Former President Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN and Managing Director, Maxifund Finance and Securities Limited, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, in an exclusive interview with National Mirror agreed that the falling quality of services customers receive from banks these days are a fall out of quality of employees in the banks. Also many whether rightly or wrongly have linked the increasing rate of fraud to the banks to causualistion among other causes. Many bank spokespersons however denied having the knowledge of causualiston in their institutions, yet it exists in many.

Global Business

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Iran says OPEC unlikely to change Yellen tone suggests output ceiling – Mehr news agency choppiness for markets ahead O

.S. stock investors have been enjoying an extended period of low volatility and steady gains, but with the Federal Reserve on track to raise interest rates this year and major indexes near records, the market could get a bit choppier in coming weeks. Fed Chair Janet Yellen on Friday said she expected the U.S. central bank to raise rates in 2015, though the process was expected to be gradual, with the timing of the first hike dependent on the strength of economic data. Yellen’s comments kept the likelihood of a September rate increase high. Currently, most economists expect lift-off in September, though dealers are not especially convinced of it. Market indicators put the first increase

Yellen

closer to the end of the year. Recent data has been mixed. Some weak reports have pushed back the expected lift-off, but Yellen’s words suggest the Fed is still headed to rate increases later this year. “I thought the message was, ‘if things stay like this, like they are today for a few more months, rates are going up.’ And that is probably the correct policy call,” said Stephen Massocca, chief investment officer at Wedbush Equity Management LLC in San Francisco. When the Fed does raise rates, that will mark the first increase since 2006 and end a roughly sixyear stretch of near-zero interest rates that has helped the stock market rally broadly to new records. It has also kept a lid on long-term rates. The expectation that the Fed will raise rates soon, but keep the pace gradual, has been a boon for short-term rates and long-term rates, but less for the middle of the U.S. Treasury yield curve. Five-year notes, which outperformed earlier this year, have lagged lately. “We are of the camp that this rate cycle will be low and slow. The remarks from Yellen confirmed that,” said Collin Martin, director of fixed income at Schwab Center

for Financial Research in New York. Analysts expect the Fed to move slowly and communicate its intentions often to avoid a “taper tantrum” of the variety caused by former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke in mid-2013, when Bernanke surprised markets by suggesting the Fed could soon reduce stimulus. The Fed has let the federal funds rate drift higher, to around 11 to 12 basis points most of this year, from 9 to 10 basis points most of last year. According to Bespoke Investment Group in Harrison, New York, in the three months after the Fed raises rates following a year of keeping them steady, the S&P 500 falls an average of 2.27 per cent. The market reaction this time could be amplified given valuation concerns. The S&P’s forward price-to-earnings ratio is 17.5, well above the long-term average of 14.8, Thomson Reuters data showed. “We are a little overvalued, even with interest rates low,” said Donald Selkin, chief market strategist at National Securities in New York. “There could be some choppy seas ahead, especially if oil prices stay low or the dollar remains strong.”

Greece does not have the money to make June IMF repayment – Interior minister

reece cannot make debt repayments to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) next month unless it achieves a deal with creditors, its interior minister said on Sunday, the most explicit remarks yet from Athens about the likelihood of default if talks fail. Shut out of bond markets and with bailout aid locked, cashstrapped Athens has been scraping state coffers to meet debt obligations and to pay wages and pensions. After four months of talks with its euro zone partners and the IMF, the country’s leftist-led government is still scrambling for a deal that could release up to 7.2 billion euros ($7.9 billion) in remaining aid to avert bankruptcy. “The four installments for the IMF in June are 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion). This money will not be given and is not there to be given,” Interior Minister Nikos Voutsis told Greek Mega TV’s weekend show. Asked about his concern over a credit event if Athens misses a payment, he said: “We are not seeking this, we don’t want it, it is not our strategy. Things have matured for a deal of logic.” “We are discussing, based on our contained optimism, that there will be a strong agreement (with lend-

ers) so that the country will be able to breathe. This is the bet,” Voutsis said. Previously, the Athens government has said it is in danger of running out of money soon without a deal, but has insisted it still plans to make all upcoming payments. The government is under pressure to agree to more cuts and reforms to secure the funding, but opposes measures which it says make the situation worse by preventing recovery from one of the deepest recessions in modern times. Voutsis said the government was determined to fight against the lenders’ strategy of “asphyxiation”. “This policy of extreme austerity and unemployment in Greece must be hit,” he said. “We will not escape from this fight.” In an effort to placate the hard left faction of his Syriza party, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Saturday the government was on a final stretch toward a deal but would not accept “humiliating terms”. Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said Greece had made “enormous strides” at reaching a deal with its lenders to avert bankruptcy but it was now up to the institutions to do their bit. “We have met them three quarters of the way, they need to meet us one

quarter of the way,” he told Britain’s BBC on Sunday. Varoufakis also said it would be “catastrophic” if Greece left the euro, predicting it would be “the beginning of the end of the common currency project”. He said in the last four months Athens managed to pay public sector salaries, pensions and dues to the IMF by extracting 14 per cent of national output, doing “remarkably well” for an economy that doesn’t have access to money markets. “At some point we will not be able to do it and at some point we are going obviously to have to make this choice that no minister of finance should ever have to make,” Varoufakis said.

Tsipras

PEC is unlikely to change its production ceiling when the group meets in June, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Sunday, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. “Lowering OPEC’s production ceiling requires consensus between all members ... under current conditions it seems unlikely that the OPEC production ceiling will change,” Zanganeh was quoted as saying. Last month, Zanganeh said the producing group should cut its target daily crude production by at least five per cent, or approximately 1.5 million barrels per day. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will meet on June 5. At its last meeting in November, OPEC, led by oil kingpin Saudi Arabia, decided against cutting

output to defend its market share, resisting calls by some members such as Iran and Venezuela to reduce production to shore up prices. Brent oil LCOc1 settled down $1.17, or 1.8 per cent, at $65.37 a barrel on Friday. [O/R] Lower oil prices have caused pain for OPEC’s less wealthy producers, including Iran. While the June 5 meeting in Vienna is likely to hear renewed demands from some OPEC members for a reduction in the amount of oil pumped, even officials from countries which favor a curb see it as unlikely. Iran wants other OPEC members to make way for a rise in its exports if it succeeds in reaching a final deal with six world powers over its nuclear program. A deadline for agreement on the nuclear issue falls on June 30.

Oil platform

Bank of England confirms EU exit research after email misfire

he Bank of England plans to assess the implications of a possible British exit from the European Union, it said in a statement, confirming an email it inadvertently sent to a newspaper about the supposedly confidential research project. The Guardian reported that an aide to a senior Bank official said in the email the project should be kept secret from most BoE staff and any journalists asking about it should be told the Bank was looking at a broad range of European economic issues. British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was re-elected on May 7, has pledged to reshape Britain’s ties with the EU before holding an in-out membership referendum by the end of 2017. As with last year’s referendum on Scottish independence, the BoE is keen to avoid any suggestion it is entering a political debate. In a statement on Friday evening, the Bank confirmed its intention to launch the assessment. “It should not come as a surprise that the Bank is undertaking such work about a stated government policy,” it said in the statement posted on its website. “There are a range of economic and financial issues that arise in the context of the renegotiation and national referendum. It is one of the

Cameron

Bank’s responsibilities to assess those that relate to its objectives.” Many British business leaders are worried about the possibility of losing access to their main export markets and there are also concerns about the impact on Britain’s financial services industry. Deutsche Bank, the euro zone’s second-largest bank by assets with large operations in Britain, said on May 19 it had begun initial preparations for a possible British exit from the EU. The BoE said it would not talk about its assessment in advance but would disclose details “at the appropriate time”, adding it had taken a similar approach when it considered the implications of last year’s Scottish referendum.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Holding firms to benefit from pension funds – Experts Johnson okanlawon

hare prices of companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange may begin to appreciate considering the removal of clause that prevent Pension Fund Administrators from investing in listed companies that are less than five years old on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Investigation by National Mirror showed that share prices of some companies with good corporate governance are selling below market value, as pension funds was disallowed in those companies. Companies affected are FBN Holdings, First City Monument Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc and Union Bank of Nigeria. Following the banking crisis occasioned by poor corporate governance and abuse of depositors’ funds for funding investment activities of their subsidiaries, the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN had in 2012 cancelled the universal banking model and replaced it with holding company model. The holding companies list their shares on the Exchange despite the fact that the subsidiaries have been in existence for more than 100 years. Of the new pension Act, Section 73 (c) of the PRA 2004 was modified to expunge the clause for “good track record having declared and paid dividends in the preceding five years” on ordinary shares of public limited companies listed on a Stock Exchange in Section 86 (d) of the PRA 2014. Speaking on the reform Act, the Managing Director of First Bank Limited, Mr. Bisi Onasanya, said that there is need for share price of the bank to appreciate, as the clause that prevented pension funds investment in the bank has been removed. He said, “If you look at the share price, it is selling below market value. The reason is the non-investment of pension fund, which is over N4.5trillion.” The President of Nigeria’s Solidarity Shareholders’ Association, Mr. Timothy Adesinyan noted that the removal will improve investment returns for contributors and commitment of pension fund assets to long-term capital needs in the country. He alluded to the fact that share prices of many companies are selling below market value due to the clause that prevented pension funds in those companies. The Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, had pointed out that the Federal Government is eating the biggest pie out of the N4.5 trillion pension funds while 34 per cent is invested in corporate entities locally. He added that only four per cent is invested in state government bonds and one per cent invested in foreign entity. “Pension funds are instrumental in funding the fiscal programme of the country. While it is important to ensure that savings are deployed in a manner to ensure safety and fair returns to the fund mem-

NSE DG, Oscar Onyema

First Bank GMD/CEO, Bisi Onasanya

Section 73 (c) of the PRA 2004 wAS modified to exPunge the clAuSe foR good tRAck RecoRd hAving declARed And PAid dividendS in the PReceding five yeARS on oRdinARy ShAReS of Public limited

Stock exchAnge in Section 86 (d) of the PRA 2014

comPAnieS liSted on A

bers, it is time to explore better investment outlets for the country, which will offer security and fair returns to the fund members,” he said. On investment of pension funds under the new regime, the Executive Director, Business Development of the Exchange, Mr. Haruna Jalo-Waziri said it’s been observed that PFA portfolios are signifi-

cantly controlled by Federal Government securities, which are mostly traded on the OTC window. According to him, changes in the PRA 2014 showed that the scope of investments was expanded from an asset class point of view in Section 86 (i) of the PRA 2014, allowing for PFAs to invest in specialist funds. Jalo-Waziri said PFA investments in Ni-

geria have been steered only with capital preservation in mind. “The true representation of the value proposition by any pension manager should be based on their ability to not only increase contributions or preserve capital, but as well grow the assets. There is the need to re-evaluate investment of pension funds towards creating long-term value for the entire economy,” he said. The Group Chief Executive Officer, UBA Capital Plc, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Sanni, said the industry has recorded phenomenal growth since the PRA 2004 was enacted, noting that from a meager N265bn pension assets in 2006 when the scheme kicked off, pension assets have grown by an annual average of 58 per cent, reaching about N4.5 trillion as at the end of August, 2014. “Although this growth looks impressive, the relatively low penetration of pension assets given the size of the Nigerian economy leaves much to be desired. “Nigeria has about 60 million workforce populations implying that less than 10 per cent of potential members currently contribute to pension fund. But increasing integration of the informal sector into the mainstream economic sectors will drive greater participation especially, from SMEs while ongoing reforms in key sectors will reduce current level of unemployment, and propel increased contributions,” she said. She explained that there are critical building blocks for promoting the growth of pension schemes in Nigeria, stressing that pension managers must continuously improve technical and technological competence in order to enhance the growth of the industry.

NSE, corporate bodies join fight against cancer Johnson okanlawon

undreds of participants have participated in a 5-kilometre walk, run or jog race through the business district of Lagos in the fight against cancer. The race, which is an annual event, was organised by the Nigerian Stock Exchange in collaboration with the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, CECP, to increase the awareness level of cancer and raise funds towards the purchase of 37 mobile screening units. The units will provide the general Nigerian public with the much needed early detection required to prevent most cancers from degenerating into fatality. Speaking at the occasion, the Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, NSE, Mr. Ade Bajomo, noted that thwere was an increased participation in this year’s edition, a testament to the collective aspiration of corporate Nigeria to raise the awareness level and contribute to this drive

to reduce deaths arising from cancer. Also, Head of Corporate Services Division , Mr. Bola Adeeko, pointed out that everyone knows someone who has been affected by this dreadful disease. “Through this initiative, we want to provide access to early detection and treatment of cancer. The funds we are raising will go toward the purchase of Mobile Cancer Centres across Nigeria as we look to save lives. “This initiative allows us not only to create awareness about cancer but to contribute our own quota towards the reduction of the scourge. The mobile cancer centres that this fundraising will help acquire will provide screening to the medically underserved, which will result in early detection thereby significantly improving their prognosis, treatment and survival rates,” he said. The NSE Corporate Challenge is a professionally organised and volunteer-driven initiative involving over 400 companies listed on the Exchange, broker dealer firms, and

non-listed companies who identify with the initiative. Explaing further, Adeeko said the event was co-sponsors by various media partners and volunteers including Diamond Bank, Lafarge, Caverton, StanbicIBTC Bank, FCMB, First Bank, Guinness Nigeria, GSK, Cadbury, Channels Television, AIT, Nigeria Info FM, TVC, CNBC Africa, Proshare, and Chocolatecity Music Group. According to him, the support of these companies and individuals contributed immensely to the success of the event. More than 550 runners and walkers partook in the race which saw Esther Obiekwe of Diamond Bank Plc emerge as overall winner. The NSE Corporate Challenge is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of the Exchange, aimed at promoting the health and wellbeing of our operating community. The second edition may have come and gone, but the fight against cancer continues.

Features

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Katsina communities relish gains MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

any communities in Katsina state now savour the comfort and improved health they have gotten from ending open defecation. Their joy is also buoyed by the volume of water available for use in their homes. To them, it has been a timely life-changing experience. Years back, it was a taboo in some communities in the state to dig toilet in homes. All human wastes were passed out in the open. So did the people laboured to get water in a land battling with extreme drought in most part of the year. Today, the people do not only dig toilets in their houses, they have become advocates of hygiene and good toilet practices. Water flows around their yards and their cattle have enough to drink from the troughs. They now have many wells and boreholes, dug to ensure they have adequate water. Thanks to the projects executed and rigorous sensitization carried out by the United Nations Children Fund, UNICEF, and the Katsina state government. UNICEF, with the European Union fund, partnered the state government in 2010 to launch the Sanitation, Hygiene and Water in Nigeria, SHAWN, which has practically brought an end to open defecation and acute water shortage in the state. Besides all these, one thing yet makes many Katsina communities distinct: they are very neat and devoid of whatever wastes. They do not have the technology to recycle wastes, but, the people manage them in a more beneficial manner. They take their wastes directly to their farms where they decompose as organic manure. This practice, the people said, has saved them the money hitherto spent on inorganic fertilizer. It is cheaper and has been more durable to increase their farms yields, they told National Mirror. “The project aimed at accelerating service delivery in sanitation, hygiene and water for rural communities in the country,” said Executive Director, Katsina State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA, Alhaji Abubakar Maman Gege, when our correspondent visited the communities recently. His office supervises the programme. Gege added: “100 percent of communities in six LGAs that benefited from the programme in the state have access to adequate

Motorised borehole at Lemu Rade ward Sandamu LGA

supply of safe water; 100 percent of communities in the six LGAs have access to basic sanitation and attain Open Defecation Free (ODF) status. Everyone in the six LGAs is reached with key hygiene messages and do practice effective hand washing always.” Six of the 34 LGAs in the state benefitted from the first and second laps of the programme. The first set are Kaita, Bakori, Mai Addua (2010), while Samdamu, Dusama, and Faskari joined in 2012. The aim is to get 100 percent coverage of water and sanitation in the benefitting LGAs. And, the programme will soon take off in additional five LGAs in the state, with most of the facilities for the project already available in the state. Benefitting local councils were offered a Hilux Van each, and other items such as computers, printer, video camera, digital camera, three-in-one printer, solar power system, stand-by generator among others with the EU fund by UNICEF to boost the effectiveness of the programme. People of the communities spoke with National Mirror. Abdulmumin Magaji is the Ward Chairman, Ruuma community, Damaji Ward B in Samdamu LGA. He said: “The project started two years back in the community. We have since been living in healthy environment, healthy society de-

void of avoidable sickness.” There are motorized and hand pump boreholes put in place for the community by the SHAWN programme. According to him, the whole community has accepted the programme and has taken ownership. “Consequently, the health of mothers and children, including other members of the community has drastically improved. We need more of the projects, especially the motorized boreholes. We also want our health facilities to be expanded. The community has a primary school, health facilities, both of them having toilets and boreholes. All toilets built with gender consideration,” he added. The woman leader in the ward, Hajia Halima Magaji, said the women had triggered their husbands to put pit toilets in their homes. “We encourage our family members to wash hands. We set the example, ourselves. Before this programme came here, our children did open defecation. But, since this programme came, that habit has stopped,” she explained. In Bakori LGA, Ward Head of Unguwar Barmo community, Haruna Ali, said before the projects were brought to the village, “it used to be very difficult for us to get water. But, now, we have potable drinking water.

We have toilets where our children go and defecate safely,” he said. Asked on the changes he had observed in his children and other members of his household, Ali said the people around him were always neat. “Some of us used to have rashes before, but now, no one has rashes again because of the level of sanitation among us. With the SHAWN project, most children around us in the community that used to have abdominal pain and other water-borne diseases are ok. People don’t go to hospital like before,” he stated. Similarly, at Unguwar Bibo community in Girka Ward in Kaita LGA, a primary three, nine years old girl, Karima Malam said she did not defecate in the open like before, and that she had been more punctual in school because of availability of handpump boreholes built around her compound by the SHAWN. “Before, we had only one source of water. All the children would queue for water before they fetched and they would later get to school late. But, now, we get water shortly after returning from school each day. It is very easy,” she noted. Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene,

BEFORE, WE HAD ONLY ONE SOURCE OF

WATER. ALL THE CHILDREN WOULD QUEUE FOR WATER BEFORE THEY FETCHED AND THEY WOULD LATER

GET TO SCHOOL LATE.

BUT, NOW, WE GET WATER SHORTLY AF-

TER RETURNING FROM SCHOOL EACH DAY Hand pump borehole for Kaita Sabuwar Ungwa community Kaita LGA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Features

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

of ending water scarcity WASH Department, Sandamu Local Government, Sanni Adamu Sandamu, said since the project came in 2012, a lot had been achieved in the local government. “110 communities were triggered from the 10 council wards in Sandamu local government. Initially, we have triggered seven councils, comprising 107 communities out of which 99 of the communities claimed ODF. 81 were certified out of these 99. Thereafter, 103 communities were also triggered to make it ten council wards. “At present, there is change of behaviour that having considered the importance of this programme, people are willing to change and ensure ownership of this project. If you look at it from the baseline, we have 178 water facilities. At present, we have benefitted from 152 water projects by SHAWN. The community members are happy that at the time this project started, they had minimal number of water facilities. They have benefitted from 152 to 162

AT PRESENT, THERE IS CHANGE OF BEHAVIOUR THAT HAVING CONSIDERED THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROGRAMME, PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO CHANGE AND ENSURE OWNERSHIP OF THIS PROJECT water projects…UNICEF trained 33 villagelevel maintenance artisans (in the local government alone) so that the water facilities constructed would be maintained by the communities themselves,” he stressed. Over 140,000 out of the 163,928 population in the LGA, he said , benefitted from the projects. Speaking with our correspondent , Director, WASH, Bakori LGA, Hajia Zainab Abubakar, said 428 communities had benefitted from the project in her LGA, and that 30 schools in the LGA were opportune to have toilets through the programme.

“I am opportune to be the first female director, WASH in Bakori Local Government. The people are opportune to know their health problems, how to prevent waterborne diseases. They are opportune to have clean, safe drinking water. And, the sanitation is very good. They know what will happen if they have bad environment. This is as a result of the SHAWN project,” she said. Asked how much the local government had benefitted in monetary terms from the project, Mrs Abubakar screamed “millions, it can be in hundreds of millions naira.” Hassan Maman, is the Director, Water

Supply and Sanitation, Kaita Local Government. He said: “Seriously, in terms of mobilization, people of the local government are fully mobilized, starting from triggering, other communities, about 254 communities were triggered, and most of these communities, we have established the WASH and trained them. Out of 254 communities, we established the WASHCOM in all the communities. And, 174 communities were successfully trained for the WASHCOM. Apart from that mobilization, there is reduction of water-related diseases. There is drastic reduction in the diseases. Apart from the monthly report we used to send to UNICEF and RUWASSA, we also go to those facilities around the wards to check the level of diseases in that month. We compare the occurrence, especially water related diseases. From what we’ve observed, there is rapid reduction in disease burden in the local government.”

Much agonies for a widow over landed property When she lost her husband in 2006, Janet Ayemokogbon had consolation in the property left behind for her by her husband. But troubles have dogged her life over getting the agent entrusted with managing the property to pay what is due to her, thereby putting her in dire strait, reports NICK UWERU.

or Janet Orire Ayekomogbon, these, certainly, are not the best of times to be a widow and an aged woman that also has to cater for the family left to her by her late husband, Shobowale Aiyekomogbon. Some may consider her to be lucky on account of some landed properties left to her by her late husband. Apart from the House she lives at Costain, Lagos, she has another block of shopping complex with 11 available spaces that could fetch her N1 million per annum on the average. But rather than be content with life for little mercies, Aiyekomogbon is currently in anguish over transactions on the property that went awry between 2007 and 2010. It involves proceeds from leasing out the shops which, according to her should have been remitted by the agent in charge but was not, allegedly. According to her, the property agent not only failed to make remittances for the years under review but also went incommunicado ever since until very recently. “I have since given up on ever getting the money from the man. But the problem is that my husband’s relatives must be convinced that I never collected money for rents of the shops for those years,” explained the widow to Saturday Mirror. Mrs Aiyekomogbon says that the property was handed to certain Mr Akintayo Akinpelu, a lawyer. As gathered from the widow, Akinpelu was expected to make remittance of N792, 000, rent money collected for the family on the shops for the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. But disagreement appeared to have ensued between the party over the exact figures to be remitted and the mode of payment. According to Aiyekomogbon, entreaties

were made to the lawyer to pay back what is due to the family without success. The family alleged that Akinpelu put up excuses, refusing to pay the money. Then in 2010, the family decided to renovate the properties and then made representation to Akinpelu to bring what was owed to the family. Explaining her plight, Mrs Ayemokogbon said that Akinpelu managed to rustle up N205, 000 out of N792, 000 of the money he was supposed to pay and brought it to her house. The widow rejected the money. Explaining her reason for turning down the money, the widow said: “I rejected the money because he brought it at night, besides, there was no witness and I suspected that there could be a foul play.” The situation led to a stand-off between the lawyer and Ayemokogbon family. As gathered, Akinpelu took back the money away and never came back to the family, nor remitted what he allegedly owed. When the family waited endlessly, Mr. S.A Akindutire, one of the widow’s late husband’s family members, went to meet him in at the lawyer’s office. The widows bother in law reached an accommodation with the lawyer where Akinpelu was allowed to pay the N405, 000 he claimed was what he owed. Akinpelu then issued a letter of undertaking, stating that he was willing to pay the money in instalments. “In the letter, Akinpelu promised to pay the total sum which he claimed is N405, 000 instead of N792, 000. I am sure the money is more than N405, 000 but I just don’t want to join issues with him that was why I had to agree with that amount,” explained the widow. By the letter of undertaking, a copy of

Mrs Janet Aiyekomogbon

which was made available to National Mirror, Akinpelu was expected to pay the first installment of N205, 000 on or before 20th February 2010, and N200, 000 before March 2010. So far, according to Aiyekomogbon, Akinpelu has failed to pay the money. Not only that, the lawyer has been unreachable. “We have been trying to reach him. He doesn’t pick my calls, and when he picks and recognizes our voices, he cuts the call. If we call him with an unknown number, if he finds out that it is from us, he will cut it. He doesn’t answer anybody from the family including Mr. Akindutire who visited him,” the widow lamented. When National Mirror managed to track down Akinpelu after several attempts on his phone numbers and through facebook, the lawyer obliged the paper an interview and gave insight on his own side of the story.

Akinpelu admitted owing the Aiyekomogbon the said amount. He also admitted that he approached the family to allow him manage their shops. He however stated that what he owed was N405, 000. He said that he made two attempts to pay the widow the said money but got rebuffed. He also introduced another strange dimension to the story. Akinpelu said: “Madam Aiyekomogbon was my client. The husband died so they contracted me to manage the estate; that is to collect money on their behalf. “Eventually as we were doing that we had a disagreement in terms of percentages and stuffs like that. Eventually, I had a sum of money with me and another arm of that family contacted me because the man had two wives. “We sorted that out for like a year. I then told the other side that since Mrs Aiyekomogbon people engaged me I think it’s only fair for me to pay to them. It was even the children that I knew, John, Ola they brought their mother to me. “So by the time we sorted the issue of the two wives, I gave N200, 000 on a particular day through my staff around to six in the evening. “The madam refused to collect it; she said it was not the whole sum. The very next week, I sent N250, 000 through my wife on Sunday around 4 pm and I had papers that I wrote that they should sign, I also indicated the balance, they also refused to collect it. So when she refused the second payment, I held my peace. There was a time one man who said he is the head of the family was calling me. I said there is no issue about the money. I asked him to send a bank account that is agreeable by everybody. I spoke to John, Ola and Moji, they said they were not aware. I told him that I have to pay stratified arrangement, give me an acceptable account, I will not pay to John and the mother will complain. Let all of you say this is the account number you can pay. “The issue here is that I will pay but I don’t want to pay to just an individual,” Akinpelu said.

Global Business

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Chrysler CEO approached GM After bruising safety crisis, U.S. Fiat about a merger, was rebuffed – NYT car watchdog shows its bite A T he U.S. auto safety watchdog, long criticized as toothless and slow, is showing both bark and bite under its new boss - a testimony to his credentials as a safety expert and a hardening of the administration’s policy after a wave of deadly defects. Having taken the helm of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in January, Mark Rosekind has wasted no time in forcing reluctant companies into recalling millions of defective vehicles. In doing so, he has shown greater willingness than some of his predecessors to use the government’s full legal powers over the industry, some for the first time. In the past week alone, the agency announced the biggest recall in history, involving nearly 34 million vehicles with potentially deadly Takata Corp (7312.T) air bags. It also scheduled a rare public hearing to review Fiat Chrysler (FCHA.MI) recalls involving 10 million vehicles and warned of potential multiple penalties that could total $700 million. Rosekind, 60, took over the regulator after a bruising year of criticism from the public and Congress over failures to respond quickly to major safety crises. And he came with clear marching orders from Washington:

take dangerous vehicles off U.S. roads. “We brought him in to bring it,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx told Reuters in an interview. “Having someone who personifies the kind of aggressiveness with which we expect the agency to operate is healthy for external stakeholders as well as our own folks at DOT (Department of Transportation) and NHTSA.” Current and former officials say recalls did not always serve as a top priority for earlier administrators. For instance, David Kelly, who filled the job on an acting basis at the end of the George W. Bush administration, focused on fuel economy. During that administration, the agency’s preferred approach was to address safety issues through voluntary service campaigns, though they were still outnumbered by recalls. Critics say a similar approach continued into President Barack Obama’s administration. “We finally have a NHTSA administrator who wants to be the cop on the beat,” said Joan Claybrook, who led the agency in the

Obama

1970s. Rosekind declined to be interviewed for the story. David Strickland, the last permanent NHTSA administrator who served between 2010 and 2013, told Reuters that Rosekind was looking for new levers to bring change, just as past agency chiefs did. “I used tools that were uncommon when I was administrator,” said Strickland, who pointed to $49 million in civil penalties he levied against Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T). Up to then, he said, the regulator’s biggest ever fine had totaled only $1 million.

G7 finance ministers to address faltering global growth

inance ministers from the world’s largest developed economies meet in Germany this week against a backdrop of faltering global growth, scant inflationary pressures and a bond market in turmoil. High on their agenda -- even if unofficially -- will be Greece and how it can stay in the troubled euro zone. Figures due on Friday from the United States that will almost certainly show the world’s biggest economy contracted last quarter are also likely to feature. “With the negotiations between Greece and the rest of the euro area at an impasse, an impatient German Chancellor Merkel has warned that

Merkel

an agreement must be reached before the end of the month,” said Thomas Costerg, senior economist at Standard Chartered. Greece cannot make a payment to the International Monetary Fund due on June 5 unless foreign lenders disburse more aid, a senior ruling party lawmaker said on Wednesday, the latest warning from Athens it is on the verge of default. Analysts largely agree the country’s cash squeeze is increasingly acute and fresh aid will be needed sooner or later to avoid bankruptcy. Merkel and French President Francois Hollande held talks on Thursday with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the sidelines of a European Union summit in Riga, hoping to speed the resolution of Athens’ debt crisis. With business growth slowing in the euro zone and factory activity contracting again in China, market watchers have been looking to the United States to drive a pick-up in growth. But a preliminary Reuters poll last week predicted that adjusted first quarter U.S. GDP numbers USGDPP=ECI due on Friday would be massively revised down and show

a 0.7 per cent contraction in the first three months of this year. “The poor Q1 2015 performance follows growth of just 2.2 per cent in Q4 2014, so there has been very little growth over the last couple of quarters,” said Joseph LaVorgna, chief U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank. “As a result, market participants have started to wonder again whether the U.S. economy might be in an extended period of secular stagnation.” Revised gross domestic product numbers from Britain on Thursday should say the country’s growth at the start of the year was slightly better than first estimated, at 0.4 per cent. The day before, Prime Minister David Cameron will put forward his government’s legislative plans after his Conservatives won a surprise majority in the May 7 election. India will also publish GDP numbers on Friday, with economists predicting Asia’s third largest economy expanded a relatively modest 7.4 per cent between January and March. Economic activity in Brazil tumbled in the first quarter, its central bank’s IBC-Br index suggested on Thursday, and GDP numbers on Friday are likely to confirm that contraction.

s part of his quest for a mega merger, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne sent an email to General Motors Co Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra in March suggesting combining the automakers but was rebuffed, the New York Times reported on Saturday. Quoting two people with knowledge of the email, the Times said it detailed how global carmakers needed to consolidate to save money and suggested a merged GM and Fiat Chrysler would cut billions of dollars in costs and create an automotive giant. Reuters first reported on April 13 that Marchionne, who leads the world’s seventh-largest carmaker, was contemplating a super merger, possibly in the United States, to plug his company’s weaknesses and ce-

ment his legacy before stepping down in early 2019. The New York Times said the idea of a merger did not interest Barra or any other G.M. executives. “Instead, Mr. Marchionne’s request for a meeting on the subject was flatly turned down,” the Times reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity. At the end of April, Marchionne publicly made a plea for shrinking the number of players in the global auto industry as his company reported lower-than-expected firstquarter results. Barra said on May 4 she had not held talks with Marchionne and that GM would continue to follow its own plan regarding investing in product development.

Fiat truck

ECB’s Draghi urges euro zone to unite for economic reform

uropean Central Bank President Mario Draghi has urged euro zone countries to unite in the task of reforming the bloc’s economies, saying sharing sovereignty was an opportunity and not a threat. Draghi is pushing governments not to waste the time ECB money printing has bought them. Saturday’s appeal to indebted countries to clean up their finances came the day after he warned growth would remain low in the face of unemployment and low investment. In a message read to attendees at a conference in Rome, he said countries should act quickly on recommendations the central bank has made to complete economic and monetary union, many of which have not been carried out. “The current situation in the euro area demonstrates that this delay could be dangerous,” Draghi said, according to a text of the address released by the ECB, while acknowledging progress had been made, for example with banking union. But private risks need to be shared within the euro zone, with financial integration improving

access to credit for companies and leading to a complete capital markets union, Draghi said. Draghi called for stricter and more transparent adherence to existing budgetary rules to help close the gaps among member states in employment, growth and productivity, but said this alone would not be enough. Countries should observe common standards when implementing structural reforms but also take a countryspecific approach, as part of a process of “convergence in the capacity of our economies to resist shocks and grow together”.

Draghi

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

DPR seeks investment in modular refineries Dennis naku

PORT HARCOURT

orried by the persistent fuel scarcity in the country, the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR has called on stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to invest in the building

I will audit Rivers govt accounts –Wike Dennis naku, PORT HARCOURT

of modular refineries. DPR Director, Mr. George Osahon, stated this during a sensitization road show on modular refinery initiative in Port Harcourt on Monday. Osahon explained that such investment had become necessary so as to tackle the lingering shortage in the supply of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS and other Petroleum products to Nigerians. He said investment in modular refineries is the way to go in order to stop the importation of petroleum products, adding that DPR was ready to issue licenses to in-

vestors interested in building modular refineries. Represented at the event by Mr. Alfred Ohiani, the Deputy Director, Engineering and Standard of DPR, he further said that modular refineries were capable of handling refining capacity of between 10,000 to 35,000 barrels of crude or per day. Osahon pointed out that government could leverage on the idea to boost the supply of petroleum products. According to him, “Government has tried many initiatives to see how it can increase

the refining capacity within the country. “So far, we only have about 445,000 barrels thereabouts and we are producing more than 2 million barrels. “So, if we have the refining capacity and we can refine as much as what we need, there would be no reason for issues such as importing to augment what we have and the issue of shortages should not be coming in,” he said. The DPR director recalled that government had tried in the past to grant 18 companies licences to build a refin-

ery, adding that the firms did achieve the objective. Osahon noted that government believed in the modular refinery initiative because of its capability of bringing an end to fuel scarcity and the importation of petroleum products. On the funding of the construction of modular refineries in the country, Osahon pointed out that while investors should be able to fund the project, the Central Bank of Nigeria could also be involved in it.

ivers State Governor-Elect, Mr Nyesom Wike has declared that his administration will carry out a forensic audit of all government accounts. He expressed the hope that the measure will lead to the recovery of all resources stolen by top officials of the out-going administration in the state. He also said that all those who participated in the use of N4.5bllion to conduct ‘illegal’ local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) would be brought to justice and made to account for all the funds. The governor-elect expressed annoyance that RSIEC went ahead to conduct the council election, despite an order by a Federal High Court stopping the poll. Wike stated this on Monday, while receiving the interim report of the Transition Committee led by the State Deputy Governor, Tele Ikuru, he said the days of impunity and massive corruption are over in Rivers State. He further said the state will be a test case in the fight against corruption, noting that a comprehensive approach in fighting corrupt elements in the outgoing administration will be adopted to entrench fiscal discipline in the state. The governor-elect added that all the back-dated appointments and certificates of occupancy being hurriedly issued by outgoing governor Amaechi will be set aside. He said all the top officials of Amaechi administration who have refused to cooperate in the interest of Rivers State during the transition period will soon cooperate whether they like it or not. Earlier, Ikuru recommended that the in-coming administration should carry out forensic audit of all accounts in view of massive looting by officials of the out-going administration. He said that Governor Rotimi Amaechi and top officials of his administration refused to cooperate with the committee for a smooth transition. He urged the governor-elect to work towards restoring basic services in the state.

L-R: Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan; President/Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Management, Dr. U. N. Uwaga and National Treasurer, Mr. Grant Orugbani, during the inauguration of five new chapters in Delta State and conferment of Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management on the governor in Asaba, recently.

Unicem constructs N9bn asphalt road in C’ River RichaRD nDoma, CALABAR

he United Cement Company of Nigeria Limited, UNICEM said it is spending about N9billion for construction of 20-kilometre concrete and asphalt paved road to link two federal roads in Cross River. The project when completed would bring about easy evacuation of cement product in the line II cement plant in the state. Managing Director of the company, Mr. Olivier Lenoir disclosed this while on inspection tour of the line II evacuation road project embarked upon by the company. Lenoir maintained that the roads under construction include the Calabar-Oban road

and the Calabar-Odukpani high way and stressed that what the company added was to provide an excellent opportunity to test and perfect the use of cement in road pavement as a more sustainable alternative to asphalt. The project which consists of two bridges and other adjoining culverts include the Etamkpini bridge and the Great Qua bridge. The Unicem boss averred that, the project, which was initially estimated at a cost of 5bn Naira, began in September 2010 and scheduled for completion in December 2012, but was later reviewed for extension till 2016, with additional cost totaling over N9billion. Lenoir said that this was due to some hitches including the inclement weather and large amount of swamp on

the major areas among others. “The Review in scope of the project, challenging alignment of the road due to vast swamp and limestone rocks deposit on the right of way and Inclement weather due to excessive rainfall experienced in Cross River State have been the major limitations to early completion of this project”, he said. On the current position with respect to the levy charged by government on the Atimbo-Calabar road, the MD added that “Government has been collecting the levy of N12, 800 per truck since 2013 September as you have rightly mentioned. We understand it is meant for road rehabilitation and we expect accordingly that the proceeds from the levy will be utilized in that regard. It is

Government’s responsibility to do so and not UniCem. We were demonstrating goodwill when we did the rehabilitation in the past before 2013. The current repair carried out by FERMA is commendable and should be sustained. The Cement company`s Md maintained that the roads, when completed, would add value to lives in the state, just as he maintained that the project was going to create access to communities that had never witnessed such infrastructural development, adding economic value to the surrounding land, providing employment for the locals during the construction phase and also providing access to farmers and traders to take their products to the market.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Sylva under attack from former aide OsahOn Julius YENAGOA

ormer governor of Bayelsa state and a chieftain of the All Progresive Congress, APC, Chief Timipre Sylva has once again come under attack from his former security aide, Chief Richard Kpodo, who yesterday alleged that the former governor masterminded the stoning of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, in 2011. It will be recalled that General Buhari was stoned by thugs at the Amarata field, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state when he came for the 2011 presidential campaign on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). Kpodo, the former Special Adviser to Sylva who was in charge of security under him, disclosed that the former governor hired the thugs that attacked the retired general with stones and pellets on that fateful day. He said he could not stop Sylva from executing his plot because he only got to know about it after the incident while Sylva defended himself, accusing Buhari of entering the state without observing protocol. Kpodo said his grouse with Sylva was that he betrayed him despite supporting him against a sitting President, said the former governor claimed that Buhari failed to inform him of his visit. He said the former governor lacks the moral rights to accuse Jonathan of betraying him since he (Sylva) is a serial betrayer of his supporters. He said Sylva inherited an empty treasury from Jonathan but failed to disclose

TheOphilus OnOJeghen WARRI

ut-going governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday commissioned 2.5 kilometres dualised Deco/Okumagba avenue road in Warri metropolis, Warri South

it to members of the public because he was playing “a good boy for the President”. According to him there was no reason for Sylva to be crying foul when he failed to do the right thing at the required time. “Sylva said he is close to Buhari. Which Buhari is he close to? The one he sent people to stone in 2011? If he had died, would Sylva have said he is close to Buhari? “Sylva masterminded the plan of stoning Buhari. I can mention names. Why we did not say anything then was because we took oath of office. Sylva has resorted to betray people like us who stood by him when he was fighting the President.

“We were the people who made publications against Mr. President. We came out again to fight for the new PDP. We were fighting the PDP and they declared us wanted. They wanted to assassinate us. “They even went to my village to arrest my family that I am trying to indict people against the government. A lot of criminal claims against me. Where was Sylva in all of these? When we succeeded and joined APC, he brought his stooge to destroy the party; he betrayed us”he said. He said Sylva never campaigned for Buhari and the APC in the state adding that the lack

Residents inspecting spill at Osiama Oil Field in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, recently.

CALABAR

ross River state Gov.Sen. Liyel Imoke on Monday said he has relinquished his position as Chairman for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo and Delta (BRACED) Governors’ Forum. Imoke, made the remark while handing over the position to Gov. Adams Oshiomohle of Edo state and described the forum as a veritable forum for the advancement of the interest of the people of South South Geo-political

when I have abandoned them because of their wickedness. Let them show the minutes of meetings they held so far. There is no record anywhere in Bayelsa state. “People were ready for APC but there was no leader. We gathered a lot of people who really wanted to dump PDP for APC. People were eager to make sure Buhari won the election. All the money they collected for campaign was used in Abuja. Buhari should investigate this”, he said. Kpodo who said he was ready to defend his position asked the former governor to respond to his comments.

PHOTO: NAN

Uduaghan inaugurates 2.5km Okumagba Avenue Road in Warri Local Government Area of the state. Uduaghan while commissioning the project, charged residents and motorists from destroying properties executed in their do-

main, he described as being strategic to the economic growth of the city. He warned traders along the road to desist from shading their product along the walk-way as it

Imoke relinquishes position as chairman of BRACED Govs’ Forum RichaRd ndOma

of visibility of the party in the state led to Buahri’s defeat. He said the few occasions Sylva came to the state during the campaign, he asked people to vote for him for the Senate but that they should vote for their brother, Jonathan, for the Presidency. “How can somebody who claimed he was working for APC come here and say I know Jonathan is your brother,vote for Jonathan and vote for me as a senator. That was his campaign. “Preye Aganaba was also saying vote for Jonathan and vote for me. Is that the way to campaign and you claim you love the man? “They eventually came to me

Zone. Imoke said that BRACED was founded and funded by the governors of the South South States with the aim of championing common economic goals. ``I believe we have done well and I think that the incoming chairman will take BRACED to a greater height, ‘’ he said. Imoke solicits for support for in-coming administrations and called for support for new chairman with the view to achieving the objectives of the forum. Also Speaking at the ceremony Gov.Adams Oshiomohle lauded the governors for the con-

fidence reposed in him as new chairman of the forum assured the governors of doing his best throughout the period that he is going to serve as chairman of the forum. Oshomole lauded Imoke for the leadership qualities he exhibited throughout the period he acted as chairman stressing that BRACED has come to stay. “There was the need for the region to come together under one economic block in view of the present economic and political situation in the country irrespective of political affiliations.

was provided easy movement of people. The governor who also commissioned less than a kilometre Messiah African Church road in the city, expressed appreciation to the residents of the area for their cooperation for the successful completion of the road. He disclosed that as part of the state government drive to evenly develop the city he had awarded the contract for the renovation of the Ighogbadu Primary School and the construction of internal roads. The Delta state governor also commissioned the Adjamimugha link road bridge which collapsed in 2008. Also speaking the state commissioner for work, Mr Solomon Fukekeme noted that the state government decided to embark on the project following public outcry from residents of the area which in turn would boast eco-

nomic activities on the area. Fukekeme explained that the road among other things would easy traffic congestion in the city and as part of the government urban renewal effort in the state, calling on the people to always support government efforts by cooperating with contractors when projects are sited in their areas. Speaking earlier, Chief Wilson Eboh, Otota of Okere-Urhobo kingdom, commended the governor for appointing sons from the kingdom into his cabinet as well as the renovation of Olodi Primary School and Domdomigo Secondary school in the area. He appealed to the governor to also facilitate the construction of inter-city road in the metropolis. The commissioning of the projects is part of governor’s commissioning spree in the state to mark the end of his eight years administration in the state.

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Politics

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Know your lawmakers: Incoming senators of the 8th NASS CONTINUED FROM PAGE14 of General Lawrence Onoja. Gemade was among leaders questioned about the violence by the State Security Services, SSS. On March 28, he was reelected to represent the senatorial district in the 8th National Assembly. Benue West: George Akume A former governor of Benue State on the platform of the PDP, Akume was accused of leaving the state capital, Makurdi and other local government areas of the state worse off than he met them in terms of infrastructural development and state GDP. In 2007, he won elections to represent the people of Benue as a senator for Benue North-West in the Senate. Akume was reelected Senator for Benue North-West in the April 2011 elections, running on the platform of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. He also contested to represent the same senatorial district in the March 28 polls and won and is one of those running for the Senate Presidency in the incoming 8th Senate. CROSS RIVER Cross River North: Rose Oko Oko, a newly elected senator is a member of the outgoing House of Representatives representing Cross Rivers/Ogoja/ Yala federal constituency of Cross River State. She is a PDP senator-elect, but has been indisposed since her nomination as the PDP candidate and election as senatorelect. Cross River South: Gershom Bassey A first time senator, Bassey is one of the great men in Cross Rivers State known as the “three wise men.” He may not be popular as popular as the outgoing governor, Liyel Imoke ot former governor, Donald Duke, but he is unarguably one of the politicians who hols sway in Cross River State. He contested the March 28 national Assembly election under the PDP banner and won to represent Cross River South senatorial district. Cross River Central: John Enoh One of the longest serving lawmakers in the National Assembly from Cross River State, Enoh, who truncated the return bid of outgoing Senate Leader, Victor NdomaEgba, began his legislative career from the Cross River State House of Assembly in 1999 and has since then, moved on to the House of Representatives and has maintained his position. He contested in the senatorial election on March 28 and won to represent the people of Cross Rivers Central senatorial district. DELTA Delta Central: Alfred Joseph Joseph, a newly elected lawmaker will be going to the Senate as a first timer and will be representing Delta Central senatorial district of Delta State. He is 50 years old Delta North: Peter Nwaboshi A former state chairman of the PDP in Delta State, Nwaoboshi won the election to represent Delta North senatorial district, as a first term senator.

Urhoghide

Akpan

Ogba

Oji

Nwaboshi

Egwu

Campaign in Ebonyi State. EDO Edo Central: Clifford Ordia Ordia is the chairman of Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority UBRBDA. In 2007, he lost the senatorial ticket of the PDP to represent Edo Central senatorial district in the Senate to Senator Odion Ugbesia. Ordia having taken another shot at the Senate in March 28 poll was elected as a new senator in the 8th National Assembly.

Abaribe

Gemade

He defeated a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Victor Ochei, who flew the flag of the LP.

other former governor who is finding space in the Senate. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s favoured candidate for the National Chairmanship of PDP at its 2008 National Convention, Egwu withdrew from the race in favour of the compromise candidate, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor. His stint as Minister of Education was characterized by Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other university unions’ strikes. He contested in the March 28 National Assembly elections to represent Ebonyi North.

Delta South: James Manager Manager is a returning is a senator of the PDP, representing Delta South senatorial district of Delta State. He became a Senator in 2007, and has served on the Senate Committees on Works, Niger Delta and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. In May 2009, he raised the issue of the damage caused by the continued military bombardment of communities in the oilrich Gbaramatu clan, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, leading to a Senate resolution urging its Committee on Defence and Army to take action Manager successfully ran for re-election as Delta South senator on the PDP platform in 2011 elections and also did same in the 2015 general elections. EBONYI Ebonyi Central: Ogba Joseph Joseph ran for election under the PDP banner as senator to represent Ebonyi Central in the upper legislative chamber and won. The 54-year old will be going the Senate for the first time. Ebonyi North: Samuel Egwu A former governor of Ebonyi tate and former Minister of Education, Egwu is an-

Ebonyi South: Sunday Oji Oji was elected senator for Ebonyi South senatorial district of Ebonyi State in 2011 on PDP’s platform. He was re-elected again in the 2015 general elections for a second term also on PDP platform. He was a former local government chairman of Afikpo Local Government Area during the military regime before the start of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. He was also a former Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and Poverty Reduction in the government of Martin Elechi, where he supervised the construction and stocking of 35 catfish ponds in an effort to provide youth employment. He also coordinated the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential

Edo South: Mathew Urhoghide A pharmacist turned politician, Urhoghide is the chairman of the Management Board of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, OAUTH, Ile-Ife, Osun State. He contested for the Edo South senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP and won and would be going to the Senate as a first timer. Edo North: Francis Alimikhena Alimikhena, the only senator on the platform of the APC from the entire SouthSouth and South-Eastern geo-political zones of the country, is a first term lawmaker in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, representing Edo North senatorial district. A law graduate from the University of Buckingham United Kingdom, Alimikhena, a man of multiple geniuses has attained immortality as a conservative statesman. He is perhaps the most dazzling personality that his community, Igiode, in Etsako Local government Area of Edo North has produced. Brought up under strict Christian upbringing, his early life draws attention due the exceptional characteristics that surround his upbringing. He joined the Nigerian Army as a commissioned officer in 1972 and retired as a Major in 2000. His victory at the National Assembly polls of March 28 has attracted attention, due to its uniqueness, as the only senator from the Southern part of the country on the platform of the incoming ruling APC.

Politics

he general elections have come and gone with losers and winners, what is your assessment of the exercise? Frankly speaking, very bitterly we lost the election. We lost it not because we didn’t do our home work, but because the President just wanted to be a statesman. Let me put it that way because I don’t want to open can of worms. I don’t want to x-ray the process that we went through but the truth is the elections have come and gone, Nigerians have decided on the kind of leadership they want and I think this country needs to move forward. We all are beginning to adjust to reality and we are waiting and hoping that May 29 comes as quickly as possible so that Nigeria can get back to its feet. This electoral process has affected the economy, business and our way of life. Let us put it behind us so that we can move ahead. So far so good, President Goodluck Jonathan did his best in trying to put Nigeria on the speed lane of progress. Maybe he couldn’t communicate properly some of his works which made Nigerians to express their frustration at the polls. How do you think this will affect South-East and SouthSouth, are you not disturbed of the possibility of their being marginalised? I’m not afraid. In fact, the opposition should know that the outcome of the election especially in the SouthSouth and South-East, tells you that the President-elect, Buhari is not widely accepted as the President of Nigeria. It is the All Progressives Congress, APC, that should be afraid that it had just had a process that showed that it is not widely accepted and must begin to do what it takes to quickly harmonise these two regions into their leadership. Buhari has to win the heart of our people because these are two regions that have a history of agitation for self determination and secession from Nigeria. It is already a time bomb on their own part and so they should not go home and celebrate. They should rather go back to the drawing board and ensure they do whatever it takes to court the two ethnic nationalities and co-opt them into the new administration. I hope they knew. I think that the concern should be on the part of the winners of the election rather than on our part because they know that we own the economy of this country and that we are going to constantly remain on the negotiating table, regardless of whatever leadership that comes into power in Nigeria. They cannot ignore us. They have political power we have economic power. We need to be symbiotic for there to be progress. All the bogus expectations of Nigerians will amount to nothing if the people of the Niger Delta decide to be aggressive towards the incoming leadership. There are insinuations that the incoming government will stop the amnesty programme, what is your reaction? People making such insinuations are trouble makers who want to cause problems for the incoming administration. Buhari must be wary of such individuals, because they don’t mean well. We will not be begging for the amnesty, they are over flogging this matter. No government that has sense, and I know Buhari has something upstairs, will wake up and scrap amnesty, if he does that, he will shoot himself in the foot. Even in this dwindling economic situation in Nigeria, we still need this oil to be flowing in order to have the resources to pay salaries. So, if they go and stop the amnesty programme, and all these over 20,000 trained Niger Delta youths go back to the creek and then sabotage in large scale, it is we that will bear the brunt. The APC can only review the process if it feels that it’s a conduit pipe as some allege. But the truth is that the programme has brought peace to Niger Delta, sustain the economy of this country and it is only common sense that it will be very un-leadership to suspend that programme. How would you assess the government of President Jonathan in terms of performance?

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

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Why N’Delta should not be aggressive towards Buhari –Eradiri Udengs Eradiri is President of Ijaw Youth Congress, IYC. He tells EBERE NDUKWU in this interview that Niger Deltans will support President Muhammadu Buhari if he fulfils his promises to the region, among other issues. Excerpts: ing on in Abuja. In the agricultural sector; we are exporting our own rice today. We are the highest exporters of cassava in Africa today. In education sector, the almajiri schools in the North very soon will mop up all those young people they are using to explode bombs. There are universities here and there, special maritime school set up in Nigeria to train our people in maritime. Oil and gas and polytechnics are being set up for special skills for Nigerians. We can go on and on. To crown it all, his acceptance of the electoral process has opened a new chapter of elections in Nigeria. In terms of election credibility Nigeria is a country to reckon with because of President Jonathan.

Eradiri

First of all, I will be biased in my assessment because I’m an Ijaw man and I have already stood by him. I believe that he has done well. Everybody will say what do you expect from IYC President. In giving him pass mark, we look at the area of economy and the policies that he put in place. In the oil and gas sector, he started the local content policy and I have seen young Nigerians take over the oil sector and today Shell and the rest are divesting, not because they don’t want to do business, but because the competition Nigerians are giving them is so stiff that they can no longer contain it. It shows that Nigeria’s economy moved from nothing to 26 in the world and first in Africa because of the local content policy that stimulated the economy. In the maritime sector, the maritime laws that he put in place have seen Nigerian vessels operate more in Nigeria. Nigerians are taking over the maritime sector. Look at the power sector, Jonathan commissioned virtually all the power plants in Nigeria and work is ongoing in the distribution network. If you look at the railways, 28 years, nobody has seen rail, there are now air-conditioned rails moving around Lagos, rail is moving to Kaduna and of course the light rail project is go-

we expect Buhari to keep his manifesto, all he promised,

he should try and implement them so that the region

will support him strongly.

if north and south-west supported Jonathan when he ran his first election

and was in power, there is nothing wrong in us also

supporting a northerner

As a leader of one of the Niger Delta groups, what roles would you play to ensure your people don’t go back to creeks? As IYC president, we are not going to the creeks. We want to take the administration by its words. While they were campaigning, they said a lot of beautiful things, they talked about the amnesty programme, developing the Niger Delta, rebuilding refineries and coastal roads. We want to hold them to their words. But if the administration comes and does the opposite, then IYC is not the only organisation that is in the region. There are other splinter organisations that don’t believe in non-violent agitation. However, they tend to give respect to IYC and I have remained calm because we are assuring them that this administration will not be vindictive. If the administration comes and does otherwise, I will not be able to guarantee peace in the region because by that time my life will also be in danger because I had already assured them. We expect this administration to keep its words based on its manifesto and so we expect Buhari to keep his manifesto, all he promised, he should try and implement them so that the region will support him strongly. If North and South-West supported Jonathan when he ran his first election and was in power, there is nothing wrong in us also supporting a Northerner, after all they also supported Jonathan. It will be irrational, insensible and unthinkable to say that we will not support an administration when the same people supported our own. Already, some people are already presenting themselves to APC as leaders and spokespersons for Niger Delta youths, what do you say to that? Even, when President Jonathan is still on seat, Niger Delta people who benefited from him, Ijaw people who took all the jobs from him are the ones scrambling now in front of Buhari, claiming to be representative of Ijaw people. These people will begin to create conflicts and faction in leadership organisations in Niger Delta just to show to Buhari and APC that they are the ones in charge. So, when there is a focus leadership they will try everything possible to divide the house. Those are the things that have already started and we will continue to warn the public to look at them because we will resist them. A situation where you cannot stand in one place, all these people all their lives they were in PDP. Some of them are people who were stoning Buhari when he came to campaign, today they are the ones before Buhari claiming to be the best people in the Niger Delta. They are now positioning themselves as speakers on behalf of the Niger Delta people. The Presidentelect and the APC must be wary of these individuals because they have no say in the Niger Delta.

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Ayo EsAn

former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, has challenged Niger Delta people to devise a strategy that would make them less dependent on oil resource to move the region forward. He made this suggestion in his presentation at a seminar organised by the Ijaw Professionals Association, IPA, in Lagos. In a paper entitled: The Place of Ijaw in Nigeria: A Call for Strategic Action,”

Politics

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Orubebe tasks N’Delta on economic diversification he said it had become imperative for the region to look more inward by diversifying its economy in order to make the oil producing communities less reliant on oil, noting: “Oil has been a problem of our people.” Arguing that discovery of oil distracted the Ijaw nation from its traditional economy and consequent-

ly trapped the people in poverty, he said: “Because of oil we have abandoned what God has given us in our environment. Ijaw people naturally are fishermen. But we abandoned what God has given to us and went into oil where we don’t have absolute control about. And that is our dilemma. That is what has trapped us.”

He further lamented years of neglect of the region by successive governments, saying: “Despite being one of the largest sources of oil in this country, Ijaw has suffered marginalisation and infrastructural neglect of our region. More than 90 percent of the communities are yet to be connected with network of roads.

Linkage to the national grid of electricity is still a dream.” Executive Director, Institute of Communication and Corporate Studies, Lagos, who was the Guest Speaker, Dr Austin Tam George, described the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, as cosmetic and a nullity for maintaining the position that resources belong to the Federal Government. He warned that the PIB would further aggravate instability of the country,

if passed into law, saying: “The PIB makes it as a fundamental objective to disentitle oil producing communities of their rights. “These communities will fight for their rights and when they fight for their rights, we are going to have increased regional instability which in a way will affect the instability of the country.” He charged the participants to engage their minds on how to diversify the economy of the Niger Delta region. The seminar with the theme: ‘Translating the Ijaw Vision into Reality: Way Forward,’ drew participants from across all walks of life.

NADECO to Jonathan: Hand over Confab report to Buhari Ayo EsAn

N L-R: Former Vice President and chieftain of APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, and Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, during the pre-inauguration retreat of APC governors in Abuja at the weekend.

INEC, APC frustrating efforts to reclaim my mandate -Adewale EbErE ndukwu

eoples Democratic Party, PDP, Lagos West senatorial district candidate in the last National Assembly election, Segun Adewale, has said that Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is colluding with the All Progressives Congress, APC, to frustrate his efforts to reclaim his stolen mandate in court. Adewale, who stated this in his Lagos office, claimed to have won the Lagos West senatorial election of March 28, in which INEC returned Hon Solomon Olamilekan as winner. He said: “It’s clear, we have 10 local governments in our senatorial district and I won election in eight local governments but Olamilekan was declared paradoxically. As I am talking to you, I have the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the result that shows that I

won. I scored 372,491 votes, Olamilekan scored 294,612 but his original result was altered and he was given above 400,000 votes literally and was returned. “I have gone to tribunal but, I have been frustrated by INEC, it seems it is working hand-in-hand with the APC. The essential result that we need, the CTC copy for all the local governments that we need in court I can’t get it. We have petitioned INEC severally but it refers us to local government and local government EO will say it is the SOD leader that is withholding the document.” Saying he has limited time of 21 days to make the document available to the tribunal or have his case thrown out, he called on INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega to call INEC Lagos to order and to as a matter of urgency instruct them to make the document available for him.

He added; “We are also calling on the incoming President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, whom we know to be a no-nonsense man, who will not condone corruption, if the change he is preaching is genuine, it has to start now. We want him to look into this and call his party in Lagos, the same people that are preaching change to order.” He said APC and INEC are adopting delay tactics to frustrate him and make sure the 21 days expires.

He said: “Imagine Ifako Ijaye Local Government, the EO refused to give us the document, Alimosho is the same, rather they made available, documents in places that I clearly won like Ojo, Amuwo-Odofin, Ajeromi-Ifelodu, Isolo and other local governments. All those areas there results are available. We said ok, since APC said they won me in Mushin and Ifako Ijaye, no problem let me have the document but the document is not available.”

ational Democratic Coalition, NADECO, has urged the outgoing government of President Goodluck Jonathan to, if it has not already done so, compile a special hand over note of the 2014 confab report as it embraces devolution of powers, true federalism, resource control and equality of states in the six zones as already endorsed by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, for presentation to the President-elect Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos yesterday, NADECO chieftain, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu, said the report, upon submission to the Buhari government must be implemented as a matter of urgency and dedicated address of the National Question as the only way to attend to and check the fissiparous and divergent influences now. Kanu said that nothing short of restructuring, beginning with the implementation of the 2014 National Conference Report is the

solution that must be embraced to assuage the loss of hope and faith in Nigeria by the ethnic nationalities now seeking to self determine their fates outside the country Nigeria, albeit within the same geographical space, as a direct consequence of and response to such denial or recant. He said that there is no respite in the horizon for this polity,”unless we do the needful, because, election after election, this edifice called Nigeria deceives no one else but itself, believing it can move itself forward towards nationhood by distilling measures oblivious of the existence of ethnic nationalities and their primordial God-given inalienable rights, who insist upon federalism as the only panacea and solution to the Nigerian national question.” He added: “It is foolhardy to pretend that the ethnic nationalities who own the land mass called Nigeria who insist that their wishes must form the fulcrum of governance in a country that has confiscated their sovereign rights, their lands and their resources, without a say in how they are governed.”

APC lawmakers meet Ekiti gov, insist on return to status quo dEborAh didi

ineteen All Progressives Congress, APC, members of Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday acceded to Governor Ayodele Fayose’s request for a fence-mending meeting to restore peace to Ekiti State. The meeting, a product of the governor’s phone

calls to the Speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, was held in Akure, the Ondo State capital, with both the Ekiti State Director of DSS and Commissioner of Police in attendance. A statement by Omirin’s Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, explained that five APC lawmakers represented their colleagues, insisting on their

demand for a return to the status quo as at November 11, 2014. The statement said: “While the governor emphasised before the lawmakers the offer of their salaries and other entitlements, the lawmakers insisted on the return to the status quo as at November 11, 2014. “That means restoring

all the principal officers to their positions and all aides of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, including those of other principal officers should be restored to their positions.” Olujobi added: “The lawmakers made it clear they were ready to return to their jobs and the governor should provide atmosphere for that possibility.”

Politics

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

APC to Ekiti gov: Explain how hoodlums razed market during curfew AdElEkE AdEsAnyA

kiti State All Progressives Congress, APC, has challenged the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, to explain to Ekiti people how hoodlums could break the security checkpoints in Ado-Ekiti to burn down the largest market in the state the very night a curfew was imposed and hundreds of security agents deployed to the state capital to maintain all-night vigil to ward off criminal activities. APC Publicity Secretary in Ekiti, Taiwo Olatubosun, said in a statement that the puzzle of the night arson on the Oja Oba Market in Ado-Ekiti must be resolved against the backdrop of insinuations that the arson had the imprints of government-sponsored sabotage, now being blamed on the feuding parties earlier engaged in a communal clash. Olatunbosun said: “We want to know how the heart of town where the market is located and which was bombarded by hundreds of armed security agents to maintain law and order, could be attacked at midnight, razing that magnificent market without the security agents raising a finger. “More shocking is the scale of damage done to the market, which suggests that the operation was not carried out in a hurry and could not have been carried out by a single person.” Also suspicious, according to Olatunbosun was that streetlights along major roads leading to the market went off as early as 8pm that night. He said: “We have noticed that whenever streetlights go off early like that,

an untoward event would follow, just as it happened when the APC secretariat at Ajilosun was attacked by suspected hoodlums from the Government House. The inability of the Fayose administration to service the streetlights on major roads in the capital is a deliberate ploy to create a conducive atmosphere for government sponsored hoodlums to operate. Saying that APC was vindicated by the alarm it raised earlier that thugs were being lodged in the Government House to carry out attacks on targets across the state, Olatunbosun explained that linking an Ado-Ekiti jail break escapee with the current kidnappings in the state was a confirmation of the party’s earlier claim that the government was complicit in the jail break, particularly with reports that some of the escapees found their ways to the Government House where they were provided sanctuary. He also wondered about the roles of Egbesu cult groups reportedly imported into the state few days ago, saying the government should pay off the thugs and criminals being harboured in the Government House and ask them to leave the state so that the state could know peace. Sympathising with Hausa community for the loss of their kinsmen, property and discomfort suffered by their forced relocation as a result of the needless crisis, the APC also sympathised with hapless market men and women who lost goods worth millions of naira in the inferno as well as other ethnic groups who lost valuables in the market.

Suswam pleads for forgiveness HEnry iyorkAsE MAKURDI

enue State Governor Gabriel Suswam yesterday urged citizens of the state to forgive him if any way they were hurt in the course his policies while serving them in the last eight years in the state. Governor Suswam made the passionate plea during an interdenominational church service

at the Government House chaplain yesterday in Makurdi, noting that he might have unconsciously offended many with his actions in the governance and sues for forgiveness. He charge the congregation to pray fervently for him and put the past behind them and asked for the same cooperation to be extended to the incoming administration, billed to take over in a matter of few days to come.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Speakership: Group endorses Dogara

•Charges Buhari, APC on internal democracy EzEkiEl TiTus BAUCHI

renowned political group known as Bauchi Generational Leadership Initiative, BGLI, has finally endorsed the candidature of Hon. Yakubu Dogara, the member representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa federal constituency of Bauchi State in the National Assembly, as the best credible and competent option that deserves the position of the Speaker of the 8th National Assembly This was just as the group also charged the President-elect Muhamma-

du Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to institute internal democracy in the business of good governance to facilitate the success of Dogara’s speakership ambition BGLI Publicity secretary, Hon Kabir Gidado, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Bauchi, saying that the speakership position is destined to be in the Noth-East and in favour of Dogara Gidado added that the choice of Dogara become imperative as a unifying force to create balance in power sharing formula among ethno-religious groups in the entire North and the nation in general Saying that there is no

doubt that Dogara will not only promote good governance as Speaker, but will also serve as a stabilising factor between the executive, legislative and the judiciary arms of government as a lawyer with vast experience compared to other contestants, BGLI, under the chairmanship of Hon. Mohammed Alhassan Sadik, urged the newly elected lawmakers in the country not to hesitate in their decision to vote Dogarsa as the next Speaker, saying Nigerians should take a cue from the credible leadership of Dogara while serving as chairman and member of various committee in the House of Representatives. It noted with utter dis-

may the campaign of calumny against Doghara’s integrity, as well as religious and ethnic differences campaigns in a desperate move to pave way for corruptible representative, which is tantamount against Buhari’s ideals It said, “We are informing Nigerians of the impending nemesis that may bedevil the nation’s political, economic and democracy survival, if eventually the APC scuttle Doghara’s ambition to be the next Speaker. “We have seen the hands of detractors busy making frantic efforts to mar Nigerians’ interest and to the detriment of our founding fathers.”

Caretaker Chairman, Port Harcourt City Local Government, Mr. Nnadi Nwuche, voting during the Rivers Local Government Election at 15 Rumoji in Port Harcourt, weekend. Photo: NAN

Mark, a quintessential leader – Abatemi-Usman robErT AwokusE

utgoing Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, has described the award of ‘Man of the year 2014’ bestowed on the Senate President, Senator David Mark, by the board and management of Independent Newspapers Limited, INL, as a well-deserved honour. In a statement issued by Abatemi-Usman’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Michael Jegede, the senator representing Kogi

Central senatorial district in the Red Chamber, maintained that INL made the right choice in settling for the outgoing Senate President as its man of the year. Abatemi-Usman said Mark effectively steered Senate affairs and helped a lot in stabilising the polity under the downright cluelessness and weakness of the administration of the outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan, which rendered the executive arm of government directionless. He said: “Mark rightly deserves the recognition given to him by INL. Mark is a quintessential leader. As the Senate President and Chair-

man of the National Assembly, he has greatly assisted in ensuring stability in the polity under the totally weak and clueless Jonathan’s administration. “He is one man I respect so much for his political sagacity and maturity. His excellent leadership style, no doubt, completely removed the ‘banana peel’ that caused serious unsteadiness in the Senate leadership between 1999 and 2007 before he became the number-one lawmaker in the country. As the youngest senator in the seventh Senate, David Mark has been a great inspiration to me.” Mark was honoured by

the media organization with the award last Thursday in an occasion which took place in Abuja. According to the media outfit, “the award is in recognition of Mark’s mastery of the rules and procedures of the National Assembly and the excellence manner with which he has managed the leadership at the Senate. Since becoming the President of the Senate on June 6, 2007, amidst the volatility that has become the hallmark of the National Assembly, Mark has managed the affairs of the upper chamber with exemplary maturity and historic success.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Amcon recovers 57% of banks’ bad debts

JOHNSON OKANLAWO WITH AGENCY REPORT

sset Management Corporation of Nigeria says it has recovered 57 per cent of bad debts it took on five years ago to rescue banks from collapse. Speaking to Bloomberg in Lagos yesterday, AMCON’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mustafa Chike-Obi said, “We’re a little bit behind, but not too far behind what we expected. The courts are a constraining factor. “As much as we want to carry a hammer, we still have to go through the court system and remain an institution that obeys the laws. That takes time.” According to him, the corporation collects or reorga-

nizes the debts it bought at a rate of 1.07 times for what it paid for them, above its 80 per cent target. Modeled organizations including Ireland’s National Asset Management Agency Limited and Korea Asset Management Corporation. AMCON used bonds to bail out 10 lenders and buy more than 12,000 loans from industries including aviation, gasoline marketing and manufacturing for about N1.8 trillion ($9 billion). Chike-Obi explained that a clean-up of the industry means Nigerian banks are better able to withstand shocks even as non-performing loans rise following the latest oil slump. He said, “It is unlikely that lenders will be offered anoth-

er bailout. If the central bank, whose decision it is mostly, did ask us, we’d have to think very seriously about it. “But there’s not much appetite from the central bank, AMCON or the nation for this. Nobody wants it.” While non-performing loans stood at 2.9 per cent at the end of December, they are rising, the central bank said in April. The ratio will climb to between five per cent and 10 percent by the end of 2015, Fitch Ratings said last year. Brent crude’s 40 per cent drop since June is making it harder for oil companies, which account for about a fifth of lending in Nigeria, to repay loans, Fitch said. Local companies are also battling to pay for imports and service foreign-currency

debt after the naira’s 18 per cent depreciation against the dollar in the last 12 months. Dollar-denominated loans made up 45 per cent of the total in Nigeria last year, according to Exotix Partners LLP. Chike-Obi, a former Goldman Sachs Group Incorporation mortgage-backed bond trader, also wants to sell the last of AMCON’s bank holdings. It owns Keystone Bank Limited and has stakes in Unity Bank Plc and Wema Bank Plc. Keystone, the biggest of three banks nationalized after the 2009 crisis, will probably be sold this year, he said. Amcon’s shares in Unity and Wema will be disposed of “as soon as is practical,” ChikeObi said.

Index dips 0.4% as fuel crisis persists JOHNSON OKANLAWON

enchmark index of equities dropped further on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday despite reduction in Cash Reserve Ration by the Central Bank of Nigeria to ensure liquidity in the economy. Specifically, the All Share Index depreciated 0.35 per cent to close at 34,151.81 points, compared to the decline of 0.54 per cent re-

corded the preceding day to close at 34,272.09 points. Market capitalization shed 41 billion to close at N11.60 trillion, compared to the decrease of 0.54 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 34,272.09 points. Vono Products Plc led the gainers’ table with 12 kobo or 9.84 per cent to close at N1.34 per share, followed by Neimeth International Plc with six kobo or five per cent to close at

N1.26 per share. Beta Glass Plc appreciated N1.70 or 4.67 per cent to close at N38.10 per share, while MC Nicholas Plc rose seven kobo or 4.67 per cent to close at N1.57 per share. Total Nigeria Plc was up N6.57 or 4.50 per cent to close at N152.60 per share. Conversely, ABC Transport Plc shed three kobo or five per cent to close at 57 kobo per share, while Union Bank Plc was down 45 kobo or 4.29 per cent to

close at N10.05 per share. Dangote Flour Mills Plc depreciated 16 kobo or 3.93 per cent to close at N3.91 per share, while Eterna Oil Plc declined 10 kobo or 3.57 per cent to close at N2.70 per share. Costain West Africa Plc fell three kobo or 3.53 per cent to close at 82 kobo per share. A total of 220.5 million shares valued at N2.75 billion were exchanged in 3,612 deals.

Europe stocks stumble, dollar lifted by U.S rate view

uropean shares fell in thin trade yesterday, while the dollar powered ahead after United States Federal Reserve Chair, Janet Yellen, indicated that the central bank was poised to raise interest rates this year. Investor concerns about Greece’s debt problems and a poor regional and local election result by Spain’s ruling People’s Party also weighed on the euro and European shares. The pull-back in European stocks mirrored losses on Wall Street on Friday after Yellen suggested the Fed was ready to act if the economy kept improving as expected, though a raft of recent data has suggested it is growing only modestly in the second quarter. She said delaying a policy tightening until employment

and inflation hit its targets risked overheating the economy. The benchmark French CAC 40 index shed 0.8 percent. Trading volumes were thin as several markets including Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States were shut for holidays. Spain’s IBEX equity index fell 2.3 per cent after voters in regional and local elections on Sunday punished Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s ruling PP for four years of austerity while Greece’s ATG share index fell two per cent. “The Greek debt warning and the Spanish election outcome are weighing on the markets, said Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at AvaTrade. After four months of talks with its euro zone partners and the IMF, Greece’s leftistled Syriza government is

still scrambling for a deal that could release up to 7.2 billion euros ($7.9 billion) in remaining aid to avert bankruptcy. In foreign exchange markets, the dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of other major currencies, rose 0.3 percent to a one-month high of 96.475. Against the yen, the dollar traded near a two-month high of 121.78, jumping from a low of 120.64 after Yellen’s comments and as strongerthan-expected underlying US inflation supported the Fed’s case for an interest rate hike later this year. Data on Friday showed the US Labor Department’s gauge on core consumer goods prices rose by 0.3 per cent last month, bringing the year-onyear rise to 1.8 per cent, the highest since October.

“I would expect rate expectations to continue to rise and for the dollar’s uptrend to continue as a result,” said Marshall Gittler, head of global FX strategy at IronFX Global. Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

Crude oil price

$58.96

Source: NSE

Inter-Bank Rate Naira

US Dollar

N197.00 Market indicators All-Share Index 34,151.81 points Market capitalisation 11.60trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

VONO

1.22

1.34

0.12

9.84

NEIMETH

1.20

1.26

0.06

5.00

BETAGLAS

36.40

38.10

1.70

4.67

MCNICHOLS

1.50

1.57

0.07

4.67

TOTAL

146.03

152.60

6.57

4.50

NAHCO

6.08

6.35

0.27

4.44

CUTIX

1.58

1.65

0.07

4.43

TRANSEXPR

1.15

1.19

0.04

3.48

WEMABANK

0.96

0.99

0.03

3.13

CILEASING

0.69

0.71

0.02

2.90

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

ABCTRANS

0.60

0.57

-0.03

-5.00

UBN

10.50

10.05

-0.45

-4.29

DANGFLOUR

4.07

3.91

-0.16

-3.93

ETERNA

2.80

2.70

-0.10

-3.57

COSTAIN

0.85

0.82

-0.03

-3.53

EVANSMED

1.81

1.75

-0.06

-3.31

NASCON

8.05

7.30

-0.25

-3.31

SEPLAT

350.00

340.00

-10.00

-2.86

FIDELITYBK

1.90

1.85

-0.05

-2.63

MOBIL

154.00

150.00

-4.00

-2.60

FGN Bonds

Bid

Description

Offer

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.23

99.16

13.77

99.31

13.63

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.92

102.08

13.82

102.23

13.73

16.00 29-JUN-2019

4.10

106.28

13.92

106.58

13.83

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.68

111.47

13.70

111.77

13.63

14.20 14-MAR-2024

8.80

102.68

13.66

102.98

13.60

10.00 23-JUL-2030

15.16 68.00

15.54

68.30

15.47

Closing Market Prices of May 25, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

Exchange

Rates (N)

27-Aug-15

11.40

11.74

WAUA

270

03-Dec-15

12.79

13.71

USD

197

05-May-16

13.30

15.21

EURO

214

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

SWISS FRANC

NIBOR Tenor

Rate (%)

202

O/N

10.2750

14.8337

POUNDS STERLING

293

16.2208

SDR

273

17.3392 The Fixings of May 25, 2015

Capital Market

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at May 25, 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)

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Community Mirror The figure of extreme poverty in our society – 110 million by current estimates makes it clear that our biggest national problem is the extreme poverty of the majority. Vice President –elect –Prof. Yemi Osinbajo

Cleric urges Buhari to work with credible Nigerians SAIDAT ALAUSA

P Fuel hawkers in front of a filling station in Gbagada area of Lagos as the scarcity persists, yesterday.

PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Court remands man for chopping off woman’s hand WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lokoja has remanded a 26 years old farmer, Aminu Ige, in prison custody for allegedly chopping off the hand of one Oniyi Musa with a cutlass. The Chief Magistrate, Alhassan Husain, gave the order yesterday upon the arraignment of the suspect by the police. Aminu Ige of Obaroke area of Ihima, in Okehi Local Government of Kogi State, was charged with Criminal Conspiracy, attempted Culpable Homicide and

Causing Grievous hurt contrary to section 97(1), 229 and 247 of the Penal Code law. The Police Prosecutor, C. S. Ayabutu told the court that on May 5, one Shehu Idris of Obaroke area of Ihima reported to the police that on the same date, a group of person numbering eight among who he identified one Aminu Ige attacked his family house. The complainant said the group who criminally conspired, armed themselves with cutlasses, axes, knives and clubs, invaded his family house at Obaroke area of Ihima, violently attacked his grandmother and amputated her left hand with cutlass. “The violent group also injured

one Mukaila Idrisu with cutlass on his head. Investigation led to the arrest of the suspect while others are still at large,” he said. Ayabutu further informed the court that investigation into the case is still in progress and asked the court for another date for hearing while his counsel expressed no objection. While giving his ruling, Chief Magistrate, Alhassan Husain, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and transferred the case to Obangede Chief Magistrate court. “I am inclined in having this case transferred to place of origin for convenience of the parties,” the magistrate said.

NOPRIN tasks IG on police reform DARE AKOGUN

etwork on Police Reform in Nigeria, NOPRIN, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to put an end to what it described as arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention without charge by the force. In a statement made available to newsmen by the national coordinator of the group, Nwanguma Okechukwu, he noted that it was disturbed about reports of human right abuse committed by police officers in different

formations in the country. The statement said: “NOPRIN is seriously concerned about consistent reports it receives on daily basis of gross human rights atrocities committed by police officers, particularly operatives of the Special AntiRobbery Squad (SARS) across the country, which clearly shows that the conduct and operations of the Nigeria Police mostly bear no resemblance to the requirements of the laws governing operations of the Police in Nigeria. “Every arrested person has the right to be presumed inno-

cent until proven guilty according to the law in a public trial at which he/she has had all the guarantees necessary for his or her defence. “It is for the court to decide if a suspect is guilty. This can only be done after all the evidence has been heard and the person has been proven to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt’’. Nwaguma further pointed that the Police must always ensure immediate release or charge and proper trial before a regular court respecting international standards of due process of all those held in detention.

resident of Western Nigeria Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Nigeria, Pastor Oyeleke Owolabi, has urged the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to choose men and women of integrity and ability to deliver as members of his cabinet as he takes over on May 29, 2015. He stated this during an ordination service organised by Lagos Mainland conference of the church for the ordination of Pastor Tunde Kehinde and Pastor Monsuru Akinwande at Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Ogba, Lagos recently. In addition, the cleric said the president-elect should have zero tolerance for corruption, say no to religious discrimination and be totally detribalised in order to move Nigeria forward. He noted that Nigeria’s prob-

lems are numerous and should be handled systematically by the President-elect. He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat which according to the cleric brought peace into the minds of Nigerians. He explained that President Goodluck Jonathan’s acceptance of defeat and congratulating the winner, General Buhari was historic and a demonstration at high level that he loves Nigeria more than himself. He described Goodluck Jonathan as a hero and an outstanding leader above any Head of state in Africa. Also, speaking during the occasion, the President of Lagos Mainland Conference of Seventh-day Adventist church, Pastor Emmanuel Adeniyi advised Nigerians to be patient with the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and his administration when he takes over.

Club honours Alaafin’s aide

oyal Ambassador to the Alaafin of Oyo, Aare Ayandotun Ayanlakin, has been honoured with the award of Knight Commander of the Order of the Peacock (KCOP). The award was conferred on him at the weekend by the Is-

He reiterated that the police must always allow all those held in custody for whatever reason full access to lawyers of their choice, their families and private doctors, and ensure that conditions of detention and imprisonment are in full compliance with international standards. “Police authorities must enforce codes of conduct and ensure discipline and professionalism in the police by ensuring that all police officers responsible for breach of the fundamental human rights and due process guarantees for detainees are appropriately punished.

land Club during the Chairman’s Valedictory Party, at the club’s Peakcock Hall, Marina, Lagos. Chairman of the Club, Prince Ademola Dada, said the honour was conferred on him due to his selfless service to the Island Club, Nigeria and humanity. According to him, Aare Ayanlakin is a committed member of the club and a flag bearer whose contributions to the growth of the club is exemplary. “He is a close aide of Alaafin of Oyo and he has been promoting Yoruba culture and tradition at home and abroad. We are proud of you and we urge you to do more to promote the Island Club”, Dada said Ayanlakin dedicated the award to God and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, whom he described as a promoter of Yoruba culture and traditional heritage. He also thanked the leadership and other members of the club for their love and support, assuring of doing more for the progress of the club.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

World News Massive heatwave kills 500 in India

Paul arhewe

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

uthorities in Burkina Faso began exhuming the remains of former president Thomas Sankara yesterday in a bid to establish responsibility for a murder that has dogged the West African nation since 1987. Sankara’s relatives have for years pressed for his body to be tested, saying they suspect it may not be that of the former president, who died in a coup that brought his former ally Blaise Compaore to power. Witnesses at the Daghnoen cemetery on the outskirts of the capital Ouagadougou said the exhumation of Sankara’s body and those of 12 colleagues had begun with the families of the victims and lawyers present. Compaore faced questions about Sankara’s death throughout his presidency but attempts to mount a judicial investigation stalled. Compaore fled after a popular uprising against his rule in October last year and was replaced by an interim government led by Michel Kafando who promised to authorize an exhumation. Sankara took power in a coup in 1983 and quickly established a reputation as a

“Overall, therefore, the (Japan’s) trade balance will likely remain in the red in coming months”

–Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics.

Burkina Faso exhumes Sankara’s remains

WORLD BULLETIN

Congolese soldiers clash with Rwandan rebels in transit camp Congolese soldiers clashed with Rwandan Hutu rebels being held in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on yesterday, wounding at least six, as an agreement to move the rebels from one transit camp to another fell apart. Congolese troops were moving rebel officers from a camp in Kanyabayonga in North Kivu province, which is run jointly by the country’s United Nation mission and Congo’s army, to a larger camp in the northern city of Kisangani. From there they would be returned to Rwanda, or possibly to a third country. “There was some unrest and the ... soldiers shot in the air,” said Daniel Ruiz, the head of the mission’s North Kivu office. “In principle, there was an agreement. In reality, it turned out differently.” Six people were injured, he said.

Sierra Leone marks grim Ebola anniversary Burkina Faso’s ex-President, Thomas Sankara

visionary nationalist and pan-Africanist, known for his charisma and trademark military red beret. He nationalized land and mineral wealth, moved to improve health and education in the impoverished country,

pressed for debt reduction, promoted women into leadership and changed the country’s name from Upper Volta. Many African intellectuals viewed him as a model, not least because he appeared to eschew the luxury enjoyed by

fellow African leaders. Sankara’s sons Philippe and Auguste have provided DNA samples so experts can confirm whether the remains in the tomb are his. Any definitive attempt at identification may take weeks, experts said.

Africa’s economy to expand in 2015 despite Ebola, oil price frica’s overall economy should advance in 2015, expanding by 4.5 percent, showing resilience despite weak commodity prices and the devastating Ebola epidemic, an annual report published yesterday said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

And future growth could be spurred by the continent’s population doubling to two billion over the next 35 years, repeating in Africa the economic boom seen in Asia’s biggest countries. “Africa’s gross domestic prod-

An African transporting fuel in containers

uct (GDP) growth is expected to strengthen to 4.5 percent in 2015 and 5.0 percent in 2016 after subdued expansion in 2013 (of 3.5 percent) and 2014 (3.9 percent),” said the report, co-authored by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the African Development Bank and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The continent has so far been “relatively resilient to the sharp fall in international commodity prices,” said the report, such as crude prices which dropped more than 50 percent between June and January. And if the commodity prices remain low, the report warned that the economies of resourcerich countries, such as leading oil exporters Nigeria and Angola, may slow down as their governments will inevitably have to trim spending.

The latest forecast is a downward revision from projections made in 2014 which suggested Africa’s economy was going to expand by 5.7 percent this year. At the same time, economists noted that Africa’s increasing population could boost growth in much the same way that population booms fuelled development in China and India. “This phenomenon may be helpful as was the case with India and China because the demographic dividends usually help growth,” OECD Development Centre director Mario Pezzini told a news agency. But, if Africa fails to absorb the enormous youth bulge in the labour market, “then you may have very strong tensions,” he added. An estimated 23 million youths are expected to enter the African labour market this year alone, according to the report.

On May 24 last year a pregnant woman and an older housewife staggered into Kenema hospital in eastern Sierra Leone and were diagnosed within a day as the country’s first Ebola cases. The younger patient lost her baby but both were lucky to survive a virulent tropical virus which over the following 12 months laid waste to the country, leaving nearly 4,000 people dead. Both women had attended the funeral of a widely-respected faith healer known as Mendinor, whose “powers” were renowned on both sides of Sierra Leone’s border with Guinea. The grandmother, whose real name was Finda Nyuma, had been treating sick patients in her home village, a diamond-mining town just a few hours’ walk from Gueckedou in Guinea, where the outbreak began in December 2013.

Activists criticise Mozambique agriculture plan Mozambique is mulling a plan to lease 240,000 hectares of prime farmland to investors to grow crops for export, threatening to displace more than 100,000 local residents, activists and academics said, citing a leaked document. The Lurio River Valley Development Project in the country’s northeast aims to produce cotton, corn, sugar, ethanol and livestock, said Clemente Ntauazi, a researcher with advocacy group Academic Action for the Development of Rural Communities.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

WORLD BULLETIN

Obama pays tribute to fallen service members President Barack Obama is paying tribute to the nation’s fallen service members at Arlington National Cemetery, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns and saying Americans “can never fully repay the debt” to those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Speaking to military officers, families of the fallen and a crowd of roughly 5,000 gathered under sunny skies, he notes this is the first Memorial Day in 14 years that has been observed without U.S. forces engaged in a major ground war. The president says most Americans still don’t fully understand the sacrifice of the 1 percent serving in the nation’s all-volunteer military. He describes Arlington Cemetery as more than a resting place for heroes, but also a reflection of America itself, including its history and diversity.

Putin wants ties with Poland after Duda presidential win Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called for “constructive ties” with Poland as he congratulated conservative challenger Andrzej Duda on his surprise victory at presidential polls. The Russian leader expressed hope that “the building of constructive ties between Russia and Poland, based on the principles of good neighbourly relations and a mutual respect for each other’s interests, would help strengthen security and stability in Europe”, the Kremlin said. Relations between Moscow and Warsaw -- historically complicated -- are in the doldrums as Poland has been one of the fiercest critics of Russia over its alleged meddling in Ukraine. The European Union -- of which Poland is a member -- and the United States have slapped sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, with Moscow hitting back with embargoes on Western agricultural produce. An MEP and lawyer with a populist streak, Duda scored a stunning turnaround to oust incumbent centrist leader Bronislaw Komorowski with 53 percent of the vote, according to exit polls. The devout Catholic was close to the late president Lech Kaczynski, who died in a 2010 plane crash in Russia, and calls himself his “spiritual heir”.

Putin

World News

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Massive heatwave kills 500 in India

t least 500 people are reported to have died in a heatwave sweeping India, with temperatures reaching 48C (118F) in some areas. Most deaths have taken place in the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where more than 140 people have died since Saturday. Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh recorded 48C while temperatures rose to above 44C (111F) in the capital, Delhi. Authorities have urged people to stay indoors and drink plenty of fluids. Heatwave conditions have been prevailing in the two worstaffected southern Indian states since mid-April, but most of the deaths have happened in the past week. The worst-hit state has been Andhra Pradesh where 246 peo-

Sweltering conditions likely to continue for a few more days

ple have died from the high temperatures in the past week. State officials said 62 people died of sunstroke on Sunday. “The majority of the victims are people who have been exposed

to the sun directly, usually aged 50 and above and from the working classes,” news agency AFP quoted P Tulsi Rani, special commissioner of Andhra Pradesh’s disaster management department,

Quake: Nepal needs more aid, says UN

ne month after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Nepal, the United Nations has said the world needs to provide more food aid and shelter for those left homeless. A UN official said there was still a need to focus on providing relief rather than reconstruction. More than 8,000 people died

in the disaster and many remain homeless. Nepal’s government, which has been criticised for being slow to respond, has called for more direct aid funding. Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat told the BBC less than 10% of the money spent on relief by his government came from overseas.

Many are still living in makeshift shelters as heavy monsoon rains approach

Dr Mahat said he hoped future international donations would be managed directly by his government. On Monday evening, hundreds of Nepalis joined a candlelit vigil at the Brikutimandap grounds in Kathmandu to remember the dead and mark a month since the earthquake hit. The earthquake that hit on 25 April, and a second major tremor on 12 May, killed more than 8,600 people and brought down buildings in Kathmandu and the country’s central districts. Shelter materials and food aid have been slow to reach some areas, and many Nepalese have complained that the government is not doing enough to help those affected. As aftershocks continue to be felt, thousands of people are still living in make-shift tents and there are fears these will not survive the summer monsoon, which is due to start next month. There are also fears the rainy season will bring further landslides and the threat of disease.

Twister kills ten in Mexico border city, 12 missing in Texas

tornado raged through a city on the U.S.-Mexico border yesterday, destroying homes, flinging cars like matchsticks and ripping an infant from its mother’s arms. At least 10 people were killed, authorities said. In Texas, 12 people were reported missing in flash flooding from a line of storms that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The baby was also missing after the twister that hit Ciudad Acuna, a city of 125,000 across from Del Rio, Texas, sent its

infant carrier flying. Rescue workers began digging through the rubble of damaged homes in a race to find more victims. “It hit an area of about seven blocks,” said Victor Zamora, interior secretary of the northern state of Coahuila, describing the neighbourhood as “devastated.” Officials confirmed 10 dead, but that number could climb, Zamora said. Photos from the scene showed cars with their hoods ripped off, resting upended against singlestory houses. One car’s frame

was bent around the gate of a house. A bus was seen flipped and crumpled on a roadway. The twister struck not long after daybreak, around the time buses were preparing to take children to school, Zamora said. In the U.S., the system dumped record rainfall on parts of the Plains and Midwest, spawning tornadoes and causing major flooding that forced at least 2,000 Texans from their homes. A vacation house in Texas was swept away by a rainswollen river.

as saying. “We are asking them to take precautions like using an umbrella, using a cap, taking a huge quantity of liquids like water and buttermilk, and wearing cotton clothing,” he added. Media caption A massive heatwave has swept across India killing at least 500 people. As temperatures rise to 48 Celsius, Darren Bett explains why this is not unusual. The Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said the heatwave had killed 186 people in 10 districts in neighbouring Telangana state, with 58 people dying since Saturday. The north-western desert state of Rajasthan has also recorded several deaths due to the heat, the PTI reported, including a woman who collapsed and died on a roadside in Bundi city. The meteorological department said the sweltering conditions were likely to continue for a few more days. “No relief ” is expected in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi and other northern states for the next four days, and the “heatwave will continue,” an official said. Reports said at least 10 people had died of the heat in the eastern state of West Bengal. Non air-conditioned taxis will be taken off the road for five hours during the day in the main city in the state capital, Kolkata, after two drivers died from heat stroke. Meteorological officials said the heatwave was due to a lack of rain. Residents of Nalgonda in India’s newly-formed state of Telangana are used to high temperatures during the summer months. But the intensity of this heatwave has left businessman Ravinder Reddy confined to his house for a full week. “Two of my employees are in hospital due to heat strokes,” he told the BBC. Ahmed Pasha, who cultivates 12 acres of land, says there is no water in the well or in the bore-hole.

North

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Inmates of special camp for Sambisa returnees now 308 INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

NYSC members marching during closing ceremony of 2015 ‘Batch A’ orientation course in Dutse, Jigawa State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Gunmen kidnap high court judge, kill police orderly WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

High Court judge, Justice Olutimehin Samuel Obayomi, has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen, killing the police orderly at his residence in Okene in the early hours of yesterday. The incident occurred about 8.45am when the judge was heading for his office in Okene, Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State. National Mirror gath-

ered that the kidnappers shot the police orderly, Cpl. Usman Musa, who died on the spot before the judge was whisked away to an unknown place. The official driver of the judge, Mr. Ajayi Kolawole, who witnessed the incident, stated that the heavily armed three gunmen, who were not masked but wore dark glasses, stopped the judge’s car in front of the Executive Guest Villa, GRA, Okene. Kolawole explained that the gunmen had or-

dered the judge and his aides to lay face down, adding that they complied but the hoodlums, sensing that the armed orderly might cause problem by opening fire on them, decided to gun him down. It was gathered that the judge had earlier survived a ghastly accident and only resumed work last Monday after three months on admission at the hospital. Commander of the Okene Area Command, Mr. Kehinde Kolawole, disclosed that the police

have arrested the driver so that he could help in their investigation, noting that the driver being an eyewitness, was likely to give them useful information. Meanwhile, the Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajanah, who later visited the family of the kidnapped judge told his wife to let him know as soon as the kidnappers contacted any member of the family. Ajanah assured that every effort would be made to ensure the release of Justice Obayomi.

nmates at a special camp created for women and children freed from the Sambisa forest have risen to 308, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, disclosed on Monday. Speaking with journalists in Maiduguri, zonal coordinator of the agency in the North East, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar, said of the 40 people freed by the military from Sambisa forest, 20 were children while 13 were women. He said the women and children totalling 33 were transported to the Molkohi camp in Yola where psycho-social activities

Kwara radio stations shut as fuel scarcity bites harder WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

adio stations in Ilorin, Kwara State, went off air before noon yesterday, while banks gave notices to customers that they would henceforth close early as fuel scarcity bites harder in the state. Petrol marketers had last Fridaysuddenly shut their stations and those

6 injured as soldiers disrupt women’s peace rally in Plateau JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

hat women intended as a peace rally to awaken the consciousness of Nigeria and the global community to the crises bedeviling Wase over the past decade, turned violent in southern Plateau town yesterday. A Special Task Force, STF, stationed in the town tried to stop the women and school children that formed membership of the rally, thereby preventing the advance of the procession to their scheduled destination - the Wase Divisional Police Headquarters. The women, numbering over 2,000, durıng the rally, which was organised by Wase Women De-

velopment Association (WAWODA) had headed for the STF base from the nearby Wase Local Government Area Guest House when the soldiers started whipping the participants, and headed them off, thus creating tension in the ancient town. “We told them we were holding this peace rally and the sector commander assured us of our safety; we can’t understand why they did this,” interim coordinator of WAWODA, Hajia Safiya Adamu said during a press interview after the incident. She added: “We can’t continue this peace rally now because we don’t know what these people mean. This is the kind of treatment we get from these men who were deployed to protect us.” Five school children

and a woman were injured, some directly from the soldiers’ whips, and some from a fall in the course of the stampede that ensued. The women held placards complaining that conflicts had made them widows; while the children projected their own placards, grieving that they had been orphaned and their education imperiled. Wase, has been faced with violent conflicts for more than 10 years, as noted by WAWODA which arranged the peace rally with participants made up of Muslim and Christian women and school children from Wase Local Government Area’s four districts of Wase, Kadarko, Lamba and Bashar. “Because this is not a protest, we asked women to dress in white to sig-

nify peace, as our goal is to restore lasting peace,” one of the coordinators of the rally, Mrs. Lantana Abdullahi, said during a pre-rally interview. The rally was held in Wase town, with the Central Field being the meeting point, from where the participants walked to the Emir’s palace, and then to the Wase Local Government Guest House. It was when they headed to the STF base - about 300 metres from the guest house - that trouble started, with the soldiers brandishing their whips and the rally organisers striving to pacify some Wase youths who were attracted to the scene and were protesting the action of the soldiers. Earlier at the Emir’s palace, the Emir of Wase, Alhaji Mohammed Haruna Sambo, had appealed

and counselling were being undertaken for them. Kanar said the latest addition would raise the number to 308 as 275 persons had been quartered in the facilities for some time. Meanwhile, the agency has deployed more staff to the troubled Borno State. The deployment, according to Kanar, is to boost the management of the camps in the state which continue to have daily influx of internally displaced persons. He disclosed that the agency has started a weekly distribution of relief materials to the victims in the Maiduguri camps.

to government at all levels to take decisive steps against those causing conflicts around Wase. At the Wase Local Government Area Guest House, the caretaker chairman of the Wase Local Government Area, Haruna Abdul Zakare, who spoke through the Councillor for Education, Umar Jibrin, said the conflicts in Wase were being ignited by people from outside as all tribes around Wase dwell together peacefully, calling on all authorities to close ranks and restore lasting peace in the community. Attempts to get the STF to speak on the Wase incident failed as a text message and calls to the force’s spokesman, Capt Ihedichi Iweha, were not answered as at the time this report was filed about 3.30 pm yesterday.

that opened for business later on Saturday jerked up their pump prices from N125 per litre to between N180 and N230. The development became worse as few stations even at exorbitant prices were not selling fuel, leading to chaotic situation in the town. School children and civil servants were the worst hit. They were stranded at major spots like the Post Office, Station, CBN, Taiwo road, Maraba, Sango, Akerebiata and Tanke/University road. Many business offices, particularly those which operate on electricity generators to function, pure and bottled water factories as well as cyber cafes could not open, or where they do, they shut off early. However, reports filtered in late in the afternoon that trucks of fuel might arrive Ilorin late in the night as the striking oil workers were said to have called off the strike.

Gov. Hamed

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

If Usain Bolt intends to talk about doping, I think he should look first to Jamaica before other countries –USA athletics legend, Carl Lewis

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Toure makes City exit U-turn

Bernard Bulbwa of Flying Eagles

U-20 W/Cup:

F/Eagles land in N’Zealand today EvErEst OnyEwuchi

igeria’s Flying Eagles delegation will land in New Zealand today for the 19th FIFA U-20 World Cup kicking-off in the country next Saturday. The team coached by Manu Garba will land in New Plymouth, and will be received by members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and FIFA officials.

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced yesterday that the team flew out of Germany (where they had a threeweek final camping programme) on Sunday, on the first leg of a 25 –hour journey across three continents. Led by the vice chairman of the NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Yusuf Ahmed Fresh, Flying Eagles flew aboard Emirates Airline to Dubai on Sunday, and connected a long haul flight to Melbourne from Dubai yesterday morning, before another flight

to Auckland (New Zealand’s commercial and economic capital), followed by a 40-minute domestic flight from Auckland to New Plymouth, where they will play all Group E matches against Brazil, North Korea and Hungary. Since first playing at the biennial global championship in Mexico 32 years ago, the Flying Eagles have finished in third place once and won the silver medals twice. But the NFF and millions of Nigeria ball fans expect that with illustrious tal-

ent in the present squad, the team could go all the way. Manu Garba’s squad is bolstered by a number of players involved in the glorious run to an unprecedented fourth U-17 World Cup title for Nigeria in 2013. It includes such names like Musa Muhammed (the captain), Taiwo Awoniyi, Izu Omego, Zaharaddeen Bello, Mustapha Abdullahi, Kelechi Ihenacho, Akinjide Idowu, Bernard Bulbwa, Chidera Ezeh, Success Isaac, Chidiebere Nwakali and Musa Yahaya.

FIFA official challenges Nigerian refs

IFA Referees Development Officer, Carlos Manuel Neves Henriques, has challenged Nigeria’s elite referees to start performing at the same level as the national teams of Nigeria. The South African spoke at the opening ceremony of the FIFA Member Association Elite Referees Course in Abuja yesterday. He was referring to the fact that the U-20 National Team, Flying Eagles, will play at the 2015 FIFA U-20

World Cup finals in New Zealand, while the Falcons are also in Canada for the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals. Henriques spoke on behalf of Lim Kee Chong from Mauritius, a former FIFA referee of high pedigree who is serving as technical instructor at the programme, and Mark Ephraim Nzengo from Malawi, who is the physical instructor. “We are convinced that Nigeria has the calibre of

referees who can perform at the highest level as the Nigeria national teams, and with your energy, commitment and enthusiasm, I believe you will get to the top,” remarked Henriques. NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme, who represented the NFF President, Mr. Amaju Pinnick, harped on the commitment of the new NFF administration to seeing Nigerian referees take their place at the top table of the international game.

Sports

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Toure

makes City exit U-turn T

he agent of Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, Dimitri Seluk, says the player will stay at the club next season. Seluk said yesterday that Inter Milan and other clubs made offers but City said Toure was still in their plans. “The truth is that I have been pushing for a new, im-

proved contract for Yaya,” Seluk disclosed. Toure, who signed a fouryear contract with City in April 2013, is reportedly City’s highest earner on around £220, 000 per week. The Ivorien international caused a stir last year after his agent said he felt disrespected by the club, who failed to acknowledge his

Toure

Pique

31st birthday. But City made amends this year, in addition to handing the midfielder a cheque for £720, 000 as bonus for qualifying for Champions League next season. There had been rumours of an exit from the club and a reunion with former City manager Roberto Mancini at Inter, but Toure is tied to the Etihad side till 2017.

Beijing 2015: Amata’s form delights AFN Mercy Jacob

he Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has expressed satisfaction with the performance of national record-holder in high jump, Doreen Amata, at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Dakar, Senegal last weekend. Amata’s leap of 1.94 m was

Amata

her best in four years after being plagued by injuries. President of the AFN, Evangelist Solomon Ogba, believes Amata will do better this season. “She is in good shape and form at the right time and this is good news to the federation,” Ogba said yesterday. “I foresee Doreen jumping above 2m a few weeks before the World Championships and from

there, anything can happen. “Of course, this is not saying she will win a medal. But she has very good chance of getting to the final and fight for a medal with her experience. “I think that the young athletes need learn the secret of resilience, commitment, patience and hard work from Doreen because all these qualities have stood well for progress.”

Lagos sports can surpass expectations –Oshodi afolabi GaMbari

utgoing Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Barrister Wahid Oshodi, believes there is still room for sports to thrive in the state. Oshodi is reputed to have taken sports in Lagos to Olympian height in the past eight years, a beneficiary of the continuity policy articulated by the equally outgoing Babatunde Raji administration. “I think I would have focused more on school sports because going to the foundation is the only way we will succeed as a nation,” Oshodi told National Mirror. “Get the children playing different sports from primary school, which was the case 40 years ago and we have done a lot in this area but there is a lot to be done,” he added. Oshodi, who is a board member of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation (CTTF), attributed the success recorded by Lagos State to what he called enormous support from Governor Fashola. “It has been very easy working with the Governor Fashola,” the commissioner remarked. “When you have a boss who

Oshodi

not only supports you, but also has vast knowledge and intelligence, it helps to keep you sharp and motivated and ultimately brings out the best in you. “It gives me great pride to have led such an excellent team leading to Lagos now being the centre of sports tourism in Africa.” On the contentious use of professional athletes for the National Sports Festival, Oshodi said: “The participation of our elite athletes in the NSF serves no purpose. I think this is just a concoction for those states who judge their development only by the medals they win. We will continue to develop our young athletes and they will continue to represent us in the NSF.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Flying Eagles posing before a recent friendly in Nuremberg, Germany. Inset: Coach Manu Garba

Countdown to New Zealand 2015...

Brazil no threat to Nigeria –Garba

Paul ErEwuba

igeria’s Flying Eagles will face five-time champions Brazil, Hungary and Korea DPR in Group E of the preliminary round of the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand. To qualify for the biennial football event, the Flying Eagles defeated Senegal 1-0 to emerge as African champions in a keenly contested African Youth Championship (AYC) final held in Senegal. The Nigerian team will take on Brazil at the Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth on June 1. Coach Manu Garba has since demonstrated his desire to steer his charges to ultimate success after downplaying the perceived threat posed by Brazil. The 21-man list has captain Musa Muhammed, who led the U-17 squad that won for Nigeria a record fourth FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in 2013. He is joined by fans’ favourite Taiwo Awoniyi, 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup MVP Kelechi Ihenacho, Spain -based Success Isaac and Enyimba FC midfielder Kingsley Sokari. Garba also included nimble-footed midfielder Musa Yahaya, defence stalwarts Wilfred Ndidi and Izu Omego, and the exciting Belgium-based forward Moses Simon. Attack-minded midfielder, Chidiebere Nwakali, who shone at the U-17 World Cup, as well as surging defender, Akinjide Idowu, and inspiring goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo are also ready for the showdown in New Zealand. To adequately prepare for this championship, the Flying Eagles took their camp to Germany where they engaged in some friendly matches, beating Hoffenheim

U-23, Nurnberg U-19 and SC Freiburg U-23 to announce their arrival unto the world stage once again. Yet, Garba was modest about the feats of his players. “I would only say I was impressed with the way the boys played as they were playing together after a long time,” the gaffer said. “We had a few mistakes especially in our recovery and failing to convert some chances. But we have resolved to address the challenges before the game against Brazil.” Nigeria has never won the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the best results being second placing at the 1989 and 2005 editions. The current team seems to have lots of promise, especially after the Senegal AYC feat. However, there are fears of a repeat of the Chile ’87 disaster when Nigeria was rated but failed to deliver, despite having one of the best squads of the tournament. Bookmakers are quick to point at new inclusion in the Flying Eagles like Ihenacho, Isaac, Moses Simon, Wilfred Ndidi and Chidiebere Nwakali as not being in Senegal, but who are now among the team to New Zealnd. But Garba has dismissed the fears, the new intakes would not affect his plan. “I don’t have any fear because these players have been with us,” he said. “Even Moses Simon was with us in the early part of the U-17 team before he went on to play for the U-20 team. He may not yet understand our philosophy. But Kelechi and Success know how we play right from the U-17 days. Kelechi even played the qualifiers. “We will have a few training sessions together in New Zealand and they will again know how we play and what we want them to contribute to the team. On the Germany friendly games, Garba

said: “We got our rhythm right and I think we now have a compact side. I believe we are ready to take on the world because we have had such a good preparation for the competition.” Asked of how much he knows about the Group E opponents, the coach also said:

“Honestly we know very little about our opponents, but then everyone knows the Brazilian philosophy and I think their style is good for our own pattern of play. “The Hungarians will play a more direct game, while the Koreans are very fast and they like moving the ball. “As a team, we do not want to be diverted from the way we play and so we want the opponents to play the way we want.”

Ihenacho ahead in Auckland

Ihenacho

anchester City starlet, Kelechi Iheanacho, became the first Flying Eagles player to arrive in New Zealand yesterday ahead of the U-20 World Cup beginning on May 30. Injury stopped the MVP of the 2013 FIFA U-17 from the recent African Youth Championship in Senegal. Team Secretary, Aliyu Auwal Ibra-

him, confirmed Iheanacho’s arrival in Auckland. “Kelechi is already in Auckland and waiting for us,” Ibrahim said. The main squad of 18 players is due in Auckland today before the contingent takes a connecting flight to the New Plymouth match venue. Nigeria is drawn against Brazil, North Korea and Hungary in Group E.

WORLD RECORD

Longest-running laboratory experiment Fastest marathon dribbling two basketballs

N150

Vol. 05 No. 1120 Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The Pitch Drop Experiment has been running since 1927 at the University of Queensland, Australia.

Nigeria 2050: Challenge of youth empowerment

igeria has a large youthful population. The National Youth Policy defines a ‘youth’ as citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 years. However, the reality of the growing capacity of the citizens between the ages of 15 and 17, which interestingly dominate the youth population, cannot be overlooked in the nation’s economy. Conceptually, therefore, this piece shall consider Nigeria’s youthful population as those between the ages of 15 and 35. More so, the 2012 National Baseline of Youth Survey Report has stated that the population of youth (15-35 years) in Nigeria is estimated to be 64.1 million, 69 percent of whom are in the rural areas. The Nigerian youthful population is cur-

Guest Columnist

Olusola Akinyemi

rently contending with myriads of limiting factors, which include but not limited to, unemployment, unemployability, brain drain, hostile business environment in the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) sector, involvement in electoral violence and public chaos, and crimes among others. This is, however, not to deny the fact that there is a percentage that is still thriving in business, career and the professional settings. It should be noted that this percentage is dominated by children of the rich and the fading middle class. But true solution to enhancing youths’ contribution to national economic development rests essentially on creating the needed public infrastructure to substantially drive them with or without parental support. The seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, had once said that “young people should be at the forefront of global change and innovation. Empowered, they can be key agents for development and peace. If, however, they are left on society’s margin, all of us will be impoverished. Let us ensure that all young people have every opportunity to participate fully in the lives of their society.” This is what the introduction in the first article on Nigeria in 2050 culled from Ventures-Africa magazine: “Now one of the top 20 economies, Nigeria experienced consistent and rapid growth due to its youthful working population…” seeks to substantiate. The crucial demand now is how to empower the youth to drive the growth and development needed for Nigeria in 2050. As usually noted, a complete overhaul of the education sector is quintessential to repositioning the Nigerian youth. While it is uni-

A FUNCTIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM IS HIGHLY CONGENIAL TO

NIGERIA IN 2050.

versal knowledge that everyone has a right to education, which is also to be free at the elementary and fundamental level, the provision of Article 26(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Right (UDHR) is instructive. It states that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The full development of the personality of every individual that attends schools in Nigeria is the essence of education and it must be so realised. A functional education system is highly congenial to Nigeria in 2050. The reorganization of the school curriculum should be done to reflect the functional theory which should be aimed at stimulating and encouraging educational innovations designed to salvage Nigeria from the problems of national development. Simply put, education should be aimed at the full development of the students to be useful to themselves and also to be able to participate in the work of national development in Nigeria in their different fields. As such, the secondary and tertiary education should be re-designed to produce skilled labour force. Information Technology (IT) education should be compulsory in the process. An overview of the courses offered at polytechnics and technical

institutes will reveal organised institutions which can produce Small and Medium Scale entrepreneurs. But the disparity between the university and the polytechnic certificates has not helped matters - they are different platforms for producing different participants in the national labour force. The re-orientation for people to prioritise their need of education for skill acquisition over certificate(s) possession is pertinent. The higher level of education, even to the post-graduate level, should count for higher problem solving skills. The overhaul of the education sector should include review of the academic personnel competencies with compulsory continuing education in the various fields as the needed facilities and equipment are provided by the government to produce skilled youthful population. While the foregoing is in the process, vocational education with entrepreneurship skills should continue on a national scale. The campaign promise of General Buhari of the All Progressive Congress towards the 2015 Presidential election to train the members of the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC) for additional one year is a step in the right direction. While not all of the participants may start up their own businesses, a substantial part of them will be readily skilled and employable. The need for public infrastructures and programs for the creation of auspicious environment such as power, access to road and world class transportation system, laws, institutions, policies and regulations cannot be over stated. These extend to discouragement of importation of goods and services than can be locally produced or provided respectively. The youthful age is the age of strength required for any nation’s economic development. It is upon this that the global economy has gained its status. How will Nigeria reorganise her youth-centred policies and programmes to promote the realisation of becoming one of the top 20 economies? Akinyemi is President, Joseph Initiative Ltd’Gte, Lagos.

Sport Extra

anagement of Real Madrid yesterday terminated the appointment of Coach Carlo Ancelotti after two seasons in charge of the Spanish club. The Italian, 55, led Madrid to victory in the Span-

Madrid sacks Ancelotti, appoints new coach ‘soon’ ish Cup before claiming the club’s 10th European Cup last season. But this year the club was knocked out by Juventus in the Champions League semifinals, in ad-

dition to losing the La Liga title to rival Barcelona. Madrid President, Florentino Perez, told a news conference that sacking Ancelotti was hard decision, even as he thanked

the Italian gaffer while announcing that new coach would be appointed in the coming weeks. Ancelotti left Madrid having failed to claim the Spanish title since joining

from Paris St-Germain in July 2013. Interestingly, he said in an interview yesterday that he would take a year off and have back surgery if he parted ways with Madrid.

Ancelotti

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