Tuesday, December 18, 2012 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

New metering: FG to save N474bn in telecoms, oil sectors –Aganga

LASTMA sacks 174 officials for corruption, indisciplineP.4

National Mirror MD tasks journalists on FOI

OLUFEMI ADEOSUN AND STANLEY IHEDIGBO

Vol. 21 N0. 515 115

he Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, yesterday said that the Federal Government would save over

N474bn through the implementation of new policy on weight and measures. The minister, who spoke in Abuja during the second CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Fashola

Tuesday, Tuesday,June December 7, 2011 18, 2012

N150 N150

Oil marketers behind my mother’s abduction ...says Okonjo-Iweala

‘For five days my mum stayed without food and water’

TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday spoke on the circum-

stances surrounding the abduction of her 83-yearold mother, Prof. Keneme Okonjo, accusing the indicted oil marketers of being behind the dastardly act. The minister also CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

N32.8bn pension fund: EFCC re-arrests Dangabar P.8

L-R: Dame Patience Jonathan sympathising with Alero, the widow of former National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi, during her condolence visit to the family in Lagos, yesterday. More on pages 2, 6,7 and 52. PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

Ajimobi, Aregbesola, lawyers pay tribute to Eso P.10

Jonathan’s wife weeps over Yakowa, Azazi’s death Govs to engage independent investigators

Okorocha orders security agents to rescue kidnapped actress

FEC postpones emergency meeting

P.2

P.11

Lamorde

Jonathan

President cancels official engagement P.7

News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jonathan’s wife weeps over Yakowa, Azazi’s death OBIORA IFOH AND A ZA MSUE

he First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday broke down in tears at the Kaduna State Government House over the death of the late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. She said the governor was a man of honour and integrity. Mrs. Jonathan also visited the family of the former National Security Adviser, NSA, Gen. Andrew Azazi in Lagos where she again shed tears while consoling Alero, the deceased’s wife. This is even as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, yesterday said they would engage the services of independent consultant to investigate the helicopter crash. Governor Yakowa, the immediate past National Security Adviser, NSA, Gen. Andrew Azazi (rtd); their aides, Dauda Tsoho and Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal and the pilots, Commander Muritala Mohammed Daba and Lt. Adeyemi O. Sowole died in a military helicopter crash last Saturday in Bayelsa State after attending the burial ceremony of the father of an aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Oronto Douglas. Mrs. Jonathan in her condolence message said: “Our dearly beloved Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, we received with rude shock news of your sudden and painful departure. “We, however, give God praise that you lived a worthy life full of honour and integrity. “We are also gladdened that you were a true patriot who was devoted to the welfare of your people without respect for the divides and differences. “Our prayer is that God Almighty will receive you into His peace and grant you sweet repose.” The First Lady also condoled with Yakowa’s wife and the people of Kaduna State, saying the late governor was a true patriot who devoted his time to the welfare of his people. “I am sorry that am cry-

ing. I cry because I’m a woman. “I know what she’s passing through. We came here to console her, with the good people of Kaduna State. Yakowa, a peaceful man, a man who is everything, a strong hard working man, my sister, we are together in sorrow. “I want you to know that you are the mother/father of your children now; we would continue to remember you in our prayers. “It is only God that can comfort you because man cannot comfort you enough. May the Almighty God comfort you. It is quite unfortunate because this is the time we need Yakowa most but God has called him,” she said. Similarly, the Nigerian Navy has constituted a board to unravel the remote and immediate causes of the helicopter crash. The Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor, announced the constitution of the board at a news conference in Abuja yesterday. He said that the members, who are aircraft investigation specialists, were drawn from Agusta Westland, the manufacturer of the ill-fated aircraft and other aviation regulatory agencies as provided by extant regulations. Ogbor said that some components of the helicopter that could assist the board to carry out its investigation had been recovered. “It is expected that the board will come out with the remote and immediate causes of the accident with far-reaching recommendations that will forestall future occurrence,’’ he said. Ogbor explained that the Navy’s helicopters, including the NN07, which crashed on Saturday, were properly maintained and serviced regularly, in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification. He said that the ill-fated helicopter’s routine maintenance was concluded on November 10 and was cleared for operations on Nov. 20 by certified technical support engineers. “At the time of the incident, the helicopter had flown 1,704 flight hours

and had more than 80 flight hours before the next scheduled routine maintenance. “The Nigerian Navy pilots are very experienced. In fact, the captain in command has flown over 800 hours, while the co-pilot had flown over 300 hours. “All our pilots are trained in the best aviation institutions all over the world. “Additionally, spare parts for the helicopters are obtained directly from the manufacturers (Agusta Westland) and or its approved maintenance centre worldwide,’’ he said. On the age of the ill-fated aircraft, Ogbor said that it was inducted into the Navy in 2004 directly from the manufacturer. All six people on board the helicopter, including Yakowa and Azazi, died in the accident. In the same vein, the Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Olusola Obada, has said that no stone would be left unturned in the bid to ascertain the cause of the crash. This is contained in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by Mr. Shehu Maikai, the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry. Obada condoled with the families of the victims, and gave assurance that the ministry would continue to work toward the protection of lives and property. “May God, the Almighty give the families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and may the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace,’’ it said. Others, who died in the crash are Dudas Tsoho, a top politician from Kaduna; Azazi’s orderly, the pilot and the co-pilot. The NGF expressed support for the directives of the President for a thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the helicopter crash and calls for transparency and openness in the process. A communiqué signed by the NGF Chairman and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, stated that “the forum also resolved to engage a consultant to participate in the investigation process or serve as an observer.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, signing the condolence register during his visit to the family of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: New Kaduna State Governor, Mukhtar Yero; Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido and VicePresident Namadi Sambo, during their condolence visit to the deceased’s family. PHOTO: NAN

Relatives of the former National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi (rtd) in Lagos yesterday. PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

Wife of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa, Mrs. Amina Yakowa and wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience (right), during a condolence visit to Mrs. Amina Yakowa in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO STATE HOUSE.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (left) condoling with the son of the deceased, Mr. Pecede Azazi, during a condolence visit to the family of the late former National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi in Lagos, yesterday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Photo News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, National Mirror Newspapers, Mr. Steve Ayorinde (right) and Regional Manager, North, Bank of Industry, Mr. Sunny Ekedayen, during the 2nd annual Seminar for Trade and Investment Correspondents and Business Editors in Abuja, yesterday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Prof. Sola Adeyeye; Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and his wife, Folake, during the launch of Micro-Credit Scheme in Osogbo, yesterday.

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: House of Representatives Leader, Hon. Mulikat Adeola; Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Osita Chidoka; representative of the Minister of Transport, Alhaji Dikko Bala and President, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Najeem Yasin, during the launch of commercial drivers’ licence in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

L-R: Publisher/CEO, BusinessDay Newspaper, Mr. Frank Aigbogun; Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, Tony Ojobo; Minister of Communications and Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson; Director, Regulatory Affairs and Government Relations, Etisalat Nigeria, Ibrahim Dikko and Director, Policy, Competition & International Affairs, Lolia Emakpore, during the BusinessDay Broadband Summit in Lagos, yesterday.

National News

Inflation rises to 12.3%, says CPI report TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he composite Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, rose to 12.3 per cent year-on-year in November compared with the 11.7 per cent of the preceding month. When analysed on monthly basis, the composite CPI was higher by 0.60 per cent when compared with the preceding month’s index. The official CPI report released yesterday on the CPI by the National Bureau of Statistics attributed the relative increase in the headline index to general higher prices of food and core indices. The headline inflation is made up of Core Index and Farm Produce Items. The Bureau pointed out that unlike previous months, the core sub-index deviated from its trend, increasing to 13.1 per cent while food index continued to show lagged effects of the floods which impact was heavily felt in several farmlands in October as well as

other demand and supply factors. A further decomposition of the CPI on urban and rural basis showed that the urban inflation rate was recorded at 15.8 percent year-on-year, an increase of 0.5 percentage points from the 15.3 percent increase recorded in October, increased by 0.7 percentage points to 9.8 percent on a year-on-year basis from October. Analysing the trend further, the agency reported that on a month-on-month basis, the ‘Urban All’ index increased by 0.6 percent from October, while the ‘Rural All Items’ index increased by 0.63 when compared with the previous month, adding that the percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12-month period ending in November 2012 over the average of the CPI for the previous 12-month period was recorded at 12.1 percent, while the corresponding 12-month year-on-year average percentage change for the Urban and Rural indices was 14.2 percent and 10.5 percent respectively. On the Composite Food

Index, it was disclosed that the index “increased yearon-year by 11.6 percent to 139.8 points, indicating 0.5 percentage points higher than 11.1 percent recorded in October compared to the 0.7 per cent month-onmonth increase from October to November. “The rise in the Food Index was as a result of higher food prices in various classes within the index lead by bread and cereals due to higher rice prices. Also within this class, gari processing slowed resulting

in higher gari prices. There were also increased prices in vegetables due to the dry season, higher potato, yams and other tubers, and higher fish prices. “The higher food prices continue to reflect the impact of recent floods on the production of farm produce, the resulting difficulty of moving food products to markets across the country, coupled with other processing and seasonal costs. The average annual rate of rise of the index for the twelve-month period

ending in November 2012 was 11.4 percent when compared to the same period in 2011”, the Bureau added. It was also reported that the “All items less Farm Produce” index which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural products rose by 13.1 percent year-on-year. This was 0.7 percentage points higher than the 12.4 percent recorded in October. “Increases in the Core index was as a result of increases in the Housing, Electricity, Gas and other Fuel division, in particular

LASTMA sacks 174 officials MUIRITALA AYINLA

bout 174 Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials have been sacked in recent days for offences ranging from indiscipline, corruption, fraud, overzealousness and others, National Mirror learnt yesterday. Piqued by the floods of allegations of corruption and overzealousness against the officials, LAST-

MA General Manager, Babatunde Edu, vowed to deal with offenders, saying the state government is spending enormous resources on capacity building of its enforcement officers. He added that the government would leave no stone unturned to wield off the bad eggs and reposition the establishment for robust service delivery and traffic management. National Mirror gathered that in the last one week, 140 LASTMA offi-

cials have been sacked for corrupt practices. The state government also published the picture and names of 34 LASTMA officials sacked two months ago in its newsletter, Alausa Alert. The officials were reported to have breached the civil service codes, hence they were relieved of their duty. A source, who did not want his name mentioned, told National Mirror that most of the affected offi-

rental and imputed rent prices, increased liquid fuel prices (such as kerosene due to the prevailing supply - demand gaps), increased air transportation costs, and clothing prices. “On month-on-month basis, the Core index increased by 0.4 percent in November, unchanged from October. The average 12 month annual rate of rise of the index was recorded at 13.6 percent (year-onyear) for the twelve-month period ending November 2012” NBS reported.

cers were junior officers who had received queries for acts of indiscipline, dereliction of duty and extortion of money from motorists, among others. According to the source, the state government said that contrary to the belief that Lagos Traffic Law would empower the LASTMA officials to victimize motorists, the government would rather use the law to checkmate indiscipline among the officeials.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

New metering: FG to save N474bn in telecoms, oil sectors –Aganga CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

annual seminar for Trade and Investment and Group Business Editors, also noted that the policy was already operational in the country’s oil and gas and telecoms sectors. He also said that capacity utilisation of the industrial sector which was 29.1 per cent in 2010 had gone up to 52 per cent, stressing that this was an indication that government policies to support the growth and development of the sector were yielding good results. The minister said the latest Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative report revealed a lot of leakages occasioned by incorrect metres or failure to install metres at the right places. To forestall these leakages and save money, Aganga noted that President Goodluck Jonathan had approved that the ministry commence operation across all sectors of the

economy. He said: “All over the world, there is legal meteorology. This ensures that what you buy is accurate and legal. “If you look at the Nigerian Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative report, there is a lot of leakages either because the metres are not working or they are not installed at the right places. “For the first time, the President has given us approval to commence that operation across all sectors of the economy. “We are starting with the oil and gas, telecoms and power sector. When the process is completed, we expect to save the country about $3bn and also generate revenue of about N17.4bn for the government in 2013.” The minister also reviewed the activities of the ministry in the last 12 months, stressing that while the volume of export in the country had gone up

17.23 per cent, the value had risen by 23.5 per cent. In order to ensure that Nigerian farmers get value for their products, Aganga stated the ministry had begun restructuring the Abuja Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC. The minister explained that when the process was completed, the values farmers got on their products would increase from N35 per cent to about 50 per cent. He said: “In terms of export, the volume has gone up by 17.23 per cent while the value has gone up by 23.5 per cent. “We are restructuring the Abuja SEC and when that is completed, it will increase the price the farmers get for their goods from 35 per cent to about close to over 50 per cent as it is done in Ethiopia. “This process will help to create more jobs in terms of the warehouse receipt system that we are trying to introduce.”

Workers on the Abuja mass transit rail lines in Garki, Abuja, yesterday.

The minister also explained that government had provided programmes aimed at creating enabling environment for the growth of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, MSMEs. On the MSMEs, he said: “Every Nigerian has the ability to establish and run his or her own business. All they need is a good investment climate, funding, and the business support. “We are working with them to make sure that we have both the right investment climate, funding to create about 3.6 million jobs within the next four years. “For the first time, we have completed the database of all MSMEs in the country which we never had before. This database revealed that there are 17.28 million MSMEs in the country employing close to 33 million people. However, most of them are microbusinesses. “In terms of overall GDP

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ductors, said: “I can’t give all the details because we don’t want to compromise ongoing investigations. “But I can tell you one thing: My mother suffered a great deal during this ordeal. It was only the Almighty God that rescued her from a situation that could very easily have ended tragically. “Apart from the emotional trauma of being violently taken away from her family and kept incommunicado for five days in a strange environment, a woman of 83 years was left without food for five days. “We give glory to God that she is alive today to tell

the tale. “While she was in their custody, the kidnappers spent much of the time harassing her. They told her that I must get on the radio and television and announce my resignation. “When she asked why, they told her it was because I did not pay oil subsidy money. They also said I had blocked payment of money to certain components of the SURE-P programme. “These statements are, of course, not true. In the case of subsidy payments, we have been paying all marketers whose claims have been verified by the Aig-Imoukhuede Commit-

the power of the pen” at the second annual seminar. He noted that testing the FOI Act would provide opportunities for journalists to balance their reporting to the development of the Nigerian economy. “Journalists have the responsibility and the opportunity to promote the society with objective, accurate and timely information,” he said. The Managing Director of the fastest growing newspapers in the country urged journalists to analyse the economy’s trend and event for the development of the nation. “There is a growing demand for journalists with the knowledge in the fields of economy and finance to accurately interpret information in order to present its implications,” he said.

Jonathan’s wife weeps over Yakowa, Azazi’s death CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

The governors also condoled with President Jonathan, Vice-President Namadi Sambo, who was the late Yakowa’s immediate boss when he was governor of Kaduna State and the government and the people of Bayelsa State. The Governors’ Forum also expressed its condolence to the families of Yakowa, Azazi, their aides and the two pilots that died in the ill-fated helicopter flight. Also, Amaechi led 10 other governors on a condolence visit to Governor Mukhtar Yero in Kaduna yesterday. He said the visit was to PHOTO: NAN condole with the family and the people of the state over the “tragic death” of the tee after going through the former governor. “The first thing is to supnecessary processes. “For marketers whose port the President in his transactions are proven to call for investigation, and be fraudulent, the position we also agreed to come here of the Jonathan govern- to pay our condolences to ment is also clear: we can- you, the people of Kaduna not and we will not pay. We State, his wife and the imwill not back down on this. mediate family of Yakowa.” He expressed the forum’s We will continue to stand support to the new goverfirm. “For those transactions nor, urging him to strive that are not verified, the hard towards accomplishgovernment position is that ing the set goals of his preif they are not verified then decessor. “We pray that the same we will not be able to pay and that position continues. wisdom God gave him to I think this is what Nigeri- carry out programmes for ans want. Nigerians want Kaduna people, that same only honest people who wisdom be bestowed on you have been doing transac- to be able to continue and CONTINUED ON PAGE 52>> complete his programmes

Oil marketers behind my mother’s abduction, says Okonjo-Iweala thanked Nigerians, particularly President Goodluck Jonathan’s family, diplomats, governors, security agencies and Nigerians, who showed deep love and sympathy by telephone calls, prayers and personal sense of grief during the family’s trying period. She said that her mother’s survival for five days without water and food and subsequent release by her abductors was nothing but an act of God. Okonjo-Iweala, who recounted what her mother told the family after her ‘miraculous’ escape from the den of the dare-devil ab-

contribution, MSMEs contribute about 45 per cent of the country’s GDP. This shows that this is the sector that we need to support due to their capacity for employment generation.” Meanwhile, the Managing Director, National Mirror Newspapers, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, has charged business and finance journalists in the country to test the applicability of the Freedom of Information, FOI, Act. The FOI was passed into law early this year to enable Nigerians, particularly the media, to access information that was of public interest to ensure free and unbiased reporting of the events and issues in the country. Ayorinde gave the advice in his lecture entitled, “Lifting Nigeria economy with

and those things that will impact on the lives of people.” Responding, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero assured the governors that he would carry on with the projects embarked by the late governor. “Whatever he has put in place as a foundation for the development of the state, being part of the system, being part of the government, I assure you we will continue with the good work he started. “We would try to consolidate on it and improve on all the things he started.” He expressed appreciation to the forum for commiserating with the family and the entire people of the state, adding that nobody envisaged’ the death of the late governor. “Our governor has left a big vacuum and we are trying to see how we can accommodate it. And by the grace of God, we will do our best to improve the lives of the people in Kaduna State.’’ The governor also reiterated his commitment towards ensuring peace, unity and development in the state. Governors Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Kashim Shetima (Borno), Idris Wada (Kogi), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) and Peter Obi (Anambra) were on the delegation.

News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

BAYELSA CRASH

We’re diminished by Yakowa, Azazi’s death –Ex-NDDC boss SOLA ADEBAYO WARRI

ormer Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Pastor Power Aginighan, has commiserated with the families of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Owoye Azazi and Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa, who died in the crashed helicopter in Nembe area of Bayelsa State on Saturday. Aginighan, in a statement yesterday, condoled

with the families of the four others, who also died in the crash. Azazi and Yakowa as well as two of their aides and two navy pilots on board of the Nigerian Navy Augusta Helicopter died in a crash while returning from the funeral of the father of the Special Adviser to the President on Research and Documentation, Mr. Oronto Douglas, on Saturday. The former acting NDDC managing director, who is also the immediate past executive director, finance and administration of the organisation, in the

statement said Nigeria has been diminished by the passage of Yakowa and Azazi. He said the fate of the former NSA and Kaduna chief executive bore eloquent testimony to the transient nature of human existence. “There is no controversy that we are all diminished by the exit of these rare patriots. I commiserate with the families of Gen. Azazi, Governor Yakowa and oth-

er victims of the ill-fated helicopter and wish and pray God to send the Holy Spirit to comfort them in particular and Nigerians in general,” Aginighan said. He added; “The tragic death of General Andrew Owoye Azazi and Governor Patrick Yakowa has underscored the need for us all to understand what life is. What is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then van-

ishes away (James 4:14b). “The gruesome manner of their exit reminds us of a theme in Wole Soyinka’s poem Death in the Dawn, that man is a victim of his invention. Soyinka wrote: “Brother silenced in the startled hug of your own invention. Is this mock grimace? This close contortion,?” “I saw General Azazi few days ago at Yenagoa during the service of

songs for late Pa Newton Igali and at Otuoke during the commendation service for late Chief Meni Jonathan. He was full of life. Governor Yakowa left his amiable wife for Bayelsa State with words of assurance that both of them would meet at Abuja to attend the planned thanksgiving service for the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, on Sunday.”

Lawmakers call for thorough investigation

wo members of the House of Representatives and a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly have called for thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the crash of the navy helicopter which claimed the lives of Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa; the former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Andrew Owoye Azazi and four others on Saturday. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke from Ikeja Federal Constituency; his counterpart from Oshodi-Isolo Federal Constituency 2, Hon. Hakeem Abiodun Muniru and a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly for Lagos Island Constituency 2, Hon. Wahab Alawiye-King, while condoling with the families of the deceased, said only a thorough investigation into the sad event would prevent future occurrence. The former Chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) stated that there is the urgent need for adequate measures to be put in place by the Federal Government to ensure that the Nigerian airspace is safe. “There is need for thorough and urgent investigation into this crash. Not only that, the report of such investigation must be acted upon with urgency by the Federal Government, if we are to prevent future occurrence. This is a matter that must not be toyed with,” he said. Faleke described the event as a national calamity

which will affect the country negatively. The lawmaker called on the Federal Government to act fast and put in place measures that will make the Nigerian airspace safer. “I pray to God to grant the deceased persons eternal rest and give their families the fortitude to bear the great and monumental loss,” Muniru said. Alawiye-King wondered why reports of previous air crashes have not been released. “There have been the police helicopter crash in March which killed late DIG John Ahmadu and others; the Dana crash is still there and now the navy helicopter crash killing Yakowa, Azazi and others. Where are the reports of the other crashes? We need to investigate and act on reports of crashes in the country to prevent future occurrences,” he said.

L-R: Niger State Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu; Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, his Plateau State counterpart, Jonah Jang and Adamawa State Governor, Alhaji Muritala Nyako, during the emergency meeting of Nigeria Governors’Forum on the death of Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa, in Abuja, yesterday.

NSA commiserates with Azazi, Yakowa’s families

•Denies involvement in ill-fated plane crash

he National Security Adviser (NSA), Mr. Sambo Dasuki, yesterday expressed his deep condolences to the family of his immediate predecessor, General Andrew Owoye Azazi

Yakowa, a peace loving, dedicated administrator –Mailafia

inister of Environment, Mrs. Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, has expressed shock at the news of the sudden death of Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, the late governor of Kaduna State, who died in Saturday’s helicopter crash in Bayelsa State. In a statement by the spokesperson of the ministry, Mr. Lawrence Ojabo, the minister recalled that the late governor was a peace loving, patient, tolerant and dedicated administrator, who devoted his lifetime to offering sincere and selfless service to the

people. The minister said she had known and worked very closely with the late Sir Patrick Yakowa for over 19 years and had enjoyed a very cordial working relationship with him since she became minister. She prayed the Almighty God to grant the souls of the departed eternal rest. She also prayed that God should grant their families the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. The minister urged them to take solace in the knowledge that the departed persons lived impactful and accomplished lives while on earth.

and that of the for mer Gover nor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa, who lost their lives along with their aides in an helicopter crash in Bayelsa State last weekend. A statement from the

office of the NSA said Dasuki had already called and spoken with Mrs. Alero Azazi, over the death of her husband and his friend/ regular 12 course mate. The statement described as falsehood

some media reports indicating that the NSA was involved in the crash. “We wish to state that the NSA, Mr. Sambo Dasuki, was not part of that flight that crashed because he has been out of the country on national assignment.”

Okotie mourns victims of crash

eader of the recently deregistered Fresh Party, Rev. Chris Okotie, has expressed shock at the tragic death in last Saturday’s helicopter crash of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and the former National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi and four others. In a condolence message sent to the media yesterday, Okotie said; “My heart goes out to the families of the deceased; I also pray that God will grant them eternal rest. It is particularly sad that the tragic in-

cidents of air crashes have continued despite repeated assurances from the aviation authorities that our airspace is now safe.” The pastor-politician questioned the air worthiness of our military aircrafts and called for proper checks to forestall future occurrence. He also recalled that the late Governor Yakowa was the special guest of honour at the Grace 2012 programme hosted by his church, the Household of God in Oregun, Lagos, on Sunday, December 9, 2012. “Although, the late gov-

ernor did not attend the event, he sent one of his commissioners to represent him. So, for us at the Household of God Church, we identify with this sad loss”, the pastor-politician added.

Okotie

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News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

BAYELSA CRASH

FEC postpones emergency meeting

Bayelsa holds valedictory session today •President shuns official engagements

he administration of Governor Seriake Dickson has said that the Bayelsa State Executive Council would hold a special valedictory session in honour of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State today. The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Markson Fefegha, disclosed this in a statement issued in Yenagoa yesterday. Fefegha said the session would hold at the Government House, Yenagoa. He said: “The state government will, thereafter, send a delegation of top government functionaries to accompany the casket of the governor to Kaduna where it will be formally handed over to Kaduna State.” The commissioner said an enlarged Bayelsa State Government delegation, to be led by Dickson, would visit Kaduna tomorrow. He said the delegation would participate in the funeral activities scheduled to take place on Thursday.

Yakowa

ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

he emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, scheduled to hold today may have been postponed following the death of former Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and former National Security Adviser, NSA, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi, last Saturday in a helicopter crash. A source in the Presidential Villa told our correspondent yesterday that the meeting earlier fixed for this afternoon may not hold. “The emergency meet-

JOS

socio-political group, Association of Northern Youths for the Advancement of Peace, Harmony and Development, has warned politicians to stop playing politics with the death of former Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa. The group expressed shock over the former governor’s death in a statement yesterday in Jos. It frowned at the “celebratory comments in parts of Zaria, Tudun Wada, Rigasa area of Kaduna State and Marara-

the council on the performance of their ministries. Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of FEC meeting last Wednesday, Information Minister, Labaran Maku, said Oduah through powerpoint presentation to the council, showed the progress of work done in the reconstruction of local terminal of 11 airports across the country. He said that the sector witnessed significant improvement in the installation of highest safety standard equipment comparable to those in any developed countries in the world while automation of the airports would reduc-

Chief of Training and Operation, Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor (left) and Director of Naval Information, Commodore Kabir Aliyu, at a news conference on the crashed Naval helicopter in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Don’t politicise Yakowa’s death, group warns JAMES ABRAHA

ing has been postponed. Maybe the meeting would now hold on Wednesday as usual,” the source said. President Goodluck Jonathan had summoned an emergency/extra-ordinary meeting for today to provide opportunity for the appraisal of the performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, as well as address other pressing national issues, especially as the year is about to come to an end. During FEC meeting last Wednesday, the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, and her counterpart in the Ministry of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, briefed

tion flight time. Meanwhile, there was lull in activities at the State House yesterday as President Jonathan did not entertain any official engagement because of the tragic loss. The President had expressed shock and sadness over the incident and ordered a probe into the disaster. The Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, was at the State House about noon yesterday to see the President, apparently to commiserate with him on the incident. Oshiomhole refused to entertain questions from journalists when he was approached for comments and the purpose of his visit.

ban part of Jos by those who foolishly rejoiced over the tragic death of the Kaduna State governor just because he is a Christian and was replaced by a Muslim.’’ The statement, signed by the association’s President, Comrade Melvin Ejeh, said there was not a single Quránic verse or Hadith that encouraged a Muslim to celebrate even the unjustified death of an animal let alone a human being. “We condemn this act of shame in the strongest term and call on both Christian and Muslim leaders to call their followers to order,’’ Ejeh said.

Yakowa, Azazi’s death shocking –Clerics

lerics in Lagos yesterday described the death of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa, and former National Security Adviser, NSA, Gen. Owoye Azazi, as “shocking”. Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the Director of Communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, described their death as shocking, unfortunate and devastating. He said: “It’s a clarion call for us all that we are on a pilgrimage back to God. As far as human judgement can go, they have done their best and they have gone back to the Lord. May the Lord save us from unprepared death.” The National President, NASRUL-LAHI-FATIH Society of Nigeria, NASFAT, Alhaji Sherif Yussuf, called on the Federal Government to investigate the cause of the crash and always ensure that all aircraft in the country were airworthy. He said: “The level of air disaster in the country is becoming worrisome and all fingers are pointing toward inefficiency. “It is sad; we commiserate with the people of Kaduna and Bayelsa states for the loss. It is also calling on everyone of us to be upright in whatever we are doing.”

Tambuwal, Tukur, Lamido pay tribute •Gov's corpse arrives Kaduna today AZA MSUE KADUNA

ational Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, yesterday paid tribute to the late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa of Kaduna State. However, the arrival of the former governor’s corpse was postponed till today. In his condolence message, Tukur described the late Yakowa as a man of peace and unity. The PDP chairman also

called on the new governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, not to deviate from Yakowa’s foundation. He said: “A man of peace, unity that sets out to pursue development and progress of the state irrespective of the area that needed development.” On his part, Lamido said Yakowa’s death was sacrifice for Nigeria’s peace and unity. He said: “His death was sacrifice for peace and unity in the country. Nigerians should forget their differences and work for Nigeria.” Meanwhile, the Chairman, Senate Committee on

Investment, Nenadi Esther Usman, has described Yakowa’s death as the “end of a bridge-builder in Kaduna State.” Yakowa died in a military chopper on his return from the burial of the father of presidential aide, Oronto Douglas, which held in Bayelsa State last Saturday. Usman, who represents Kaduna South Senatorial District, said in a statement that with Yakowa’s death, Kaduna State had lost “an illustrious son who cared deeply for the people and was passionate about the socio-economic re-engineering of the state. “The death of Yakowa is a great loss because he was

passionate about Kaduna State and worked assiduously towards making the state a safe haven for all regardless of creed or religion. “I am particularly saddened because I worked closely with him and knew his vision for Kaduna State but who are we to question God? Death is an inevitable end but we thank God for the time he was able to work for the people.” Usman also condoled with the government of Bayelsa State over the death of former National Security Adviser, NSA, General Andrew Owoye Azazi, who died alongside Yakowa in the crash.

News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

First Lady to light first National Christmas Tree O MEIZA A JAYI ABUJA

he First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, will tomorrow light the first Nigerian National Christmas Tree, an initiative of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA. The Christmas Tree, which is about 20.9 metres high, is strategical-

ly located at the Unity Fountain Park besides the Millennium Park, Abuja and adorned in the national colours of green, white and green. The Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of State for FCT, Oluyinka Akintunde, said among the dignitaries expected at the ceremony scheduled for 5pm tomorrow were members of the National Assem-

bly, wives of governors, members of the Federal Executive Council, chairmen of Area Councils in the FCT and their wives. Others, according to him, are heads of ministries, departments and agencies of government, heads of secretariats, departments and agencies of the FCTA, diplomatic corps, and the media, among oth-

ers. He quoted the Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, as describing the event as part of the efforts to showcase Nigeria and the FCT to the world as a tourism brand and preferred tourism destination. The minister said: “The Christmas time is traditionally recognised and celebrated as

L-R: Executive Secretary, National Institute for Culture Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma; Head of Department, Theatre and Film Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Emeka Nwabueze and guest speaker, Prof. Shamsudeen Omali, at the NICO 3rd Annual Public Lecture in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

a season of peace, goodwill and hope across national boundaries. “It also offers us a unique opportunity to reinforce this same message of love, unity, reconciliation and peaceful

FG raises 24-man panel on electric networks standard CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

etermined to raise the standard in the electricity industry, the Federal Government yesterday inaugurated a 24-man technical working group on the electric networks construction standards. Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, said the committee was saddled with the responsibility of reviewing the regulations which had been in existence since 1996 with a view to recommending regulations that would move the sector forward. Amadi, who spoke through the Commissioner for Legal and

N32.8bn fraud: EFCC re-arrests Dangabar ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has rearrested one of the six accused persons facing trial before an Abuja High Court for alleged involvement in fraudulent diversion of N32.8 billion police pension fund, Esai Dangabar. He was picked up for interfering with the properties which the court had ordered forfeited to the Federal Government. The anti-graft agency said its decision was to protect the res (subject-matter) of the criminal case relating to the forfeited pending before the court. Although EFCC did not give details about the forfeited properties the accused attempted to tamper with, it catalogued attempts Dangabar made to vacate the said order. Following investigation

by the EFCC into allegation of fraud preferred against the accused person and others, it was established that Dangabar used some of the alleged proceeds of the fraud to acquire a number of properties which he could not explain how he came about. The said properties were consequently forfeited, in the interim, on the order of the court pending when a final pronouncement would be made on his innocence or otherwise. Among the properties belonging to Dangabar, which the court ordered forfeited to the Federal Government are: A block of three-bedroom flats at Gwarinpa (six units) along EFAB Estate, Life Camp; a block of three-bedroom flats (six units) at Mabushi District, beside Ministry of Works; Estate of four-bedroom duplexes (16 units) behind Wuye Modern Market, Abuja; a mini estate

at No. 19, Ukpabi Asika Street, Asokoro, Abuja; 12 units of two-bedroom flats at 1, Waziri Ibrahim Crescent, Gudu District, Abuja; five-bedroom duplexes at 1, Waziri Ibrahim Crescent, Gudu District, Abuja; fourbedroom bungalows at 1, Waziri Ibrahim Crescent, Gudu District, Abuja and a two-bedroom flat at Zone C, Apo Resettlement layout. Others are: five blocks of one-bedroom flats at Zone C, Apo Resettlement layout, Abuja; Twin duplex of fivebedroom and three rooms, 33, ML Wushishi BQ 1 Crescent, Utako, Abuja; two blocks of three-bedroom flats, Area 3, former NYSC office, Abuja; two-bedroom, Area 2, Abuja, Behind Shopping Complex; threebedroom flats, 2 Goran village, along Adi Farms Limited, Abuja-Keffi Road; 180,000-litre storage facility on about 5,000sqm of land, with office building, workshop and 20 loading bays at

1 Suleja, Niger State. Vehicles belonging to Dangabar, which have been ordered forfeited to the government, are seven trucks with registration numbers XH 909 RSH; XH 910 RSH; XH 912 RSH; XH 908 RSH; XH 911; XH 913 RSH and XH 460 KUJ. Dangabar’s bank accounts forfeited to the government are two Damule Nigeria Limited accounts with FCMB; Damule Nigeria Limited account with Main Street Bank; E. D. Laumara with Access Bank; three accounts of Essai Dangabar Laumara’s with Access Bank; Laumara E. Taure account with Skye Bank; three AMD Global Logistics accounts with Skye Bank; two accounts of Future Logistics Limited with Skye Bank, three accounts of Marine Logistics & Leisure Integrated with Skye Bank; two Damule Nig Ltd accounts with Skye Bank.

coexistence. “It is consequently our anticipation that an annual lighting of the Nigerian National Christmas Tree will play a similar unifying role for our people.”

Companies belonging to Dangabar and five others, forfeited to the EFCC are Halas Investment Limited; A T. Homes; Sy-A Global Services Limited; Jidag Technical Services Limited; Damule Nigeria Limited; Marine Logistics; AMD Global Logistics; Future Logistics Ltd; Jenago Services Limited; H. Takano Nigeria Limited; Noni Anthony System Limited; Saudauna Enterprise Limited; Ulover International Resources Limited; Somadok Express; Kechis Water Bottling Company; Kechis Events Managers; Kechis Straw; Kechis Plastic Extrusion Company; Geopet Petroleum Services Limited; Aina Farms: Otega Farms; Bannachi Global Links and Comm. Co. Limited. Dangabar approached the Court of Appeal, Abuja division to challenge the order of the High Court to have his properties forfeited.

Licensing, Dr. Steven Andzenge, said members of the committee were drawn from relevant agencies including Ministry of Power, generating companies, GENCOs, NERC, Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, the academia, among others. He said: “On the basis of the development in the industry, we have considered it necessary to review the existing regulations, and NERC decided we should do it involving all the relevant stakeholders. “On that basis we carefully selected 24 members drawn from all various aspects of the electricity industry, to sit down to review the existing regulations and come out with regulations that would move the sector forward.” The committee is headed by the Foluseke Somolu as chairman while Taiu Wudil is the Secretary. However, the chairman is presently on medical trip to Germany. During the inauguration, Prof. Usman Aliu of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University was appointed the acting chairman until Somolu returns. Andzenge said the committee became necessary as the country’s electricity industry was on the path of deregulation and privatisation. According to him, it calls for prompt and proactive measures by the regulators to keep pace with change and achieve the set objectives of the power sector reform. He said: “There have always been standards but no nation is static. We are trying to improve on the standards.” On his part, Aliu assured of the commitment of members to work hard to actualise the set objectives of the committee.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

FG, Lagos sign agreement on Lekki Deep Sea Port MURITALA AYINLA

etermined to boost the nation’s economy through the expansion of the country’s ports’ capacity, the Federal Government and the Lagos State government yesterday signed an agreement for the construction of a deep sea port in Lekki area of the state. Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Habib Abdullahi, who

signed the agreement, said the project was conceived to complement the Tin Can and Apapa ports and to further enhance the economy of the country. The NPA boss, who noted that the two existing ports had been overstretched, said the project when completed, would significantly decongest the existing ports. His words: “The partnership is such that, there is one foreign investor, and it’s on 60-20-20 basis; 60 per cent for the foreign investors, 20 for the Federal Government through the NPA and 20 per

cent equity for the state government. “That is how it is going to work. The driving force will be the foreign partners, who have already started work there, they have already invested some amount and we are expected also to put in our equities,” he explained. While assuring the provision of technical support by the NPA for the project to ensure it complied with the required standard, Abdullahi said the NPA planned the construction of more ports for the state as well as other parts in the country, saying a lot of

investors had shown interest in the proposed port. Signing the agreement on behalf of the state government, Olusola Oworu, the state commissioner for commerce and industry, said the IPP project was conceived out of the need to have a modern and a truly deep sea port that could take large vessels in the country, adding that the existing ports in the country were full and could no longer had the capacity to handle the traffic needed for the expansion of the nation’s economy. Her words: “The first

phase is what we are commencing now and God willing, in the next three years, the first phase would be completed. The former Central Bank Governor, Mr. Joseph Sanusi, on his part, said the project, when completed would not only impact positively on the state’s economy, but also the national economy. Speaking on behalf of the private investors, Mr. John Mastroudes, said he was excited with the signing of the agreement, adding that lots of work had been done at the project site.

Jos strike: 10 injured as police disperse protesters JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

olicemen and striking local government workers in Plateau State yesterday clashed in Jos, the state capital, with about 10 of the workers sustaining injuries. National Mirror gathered that the workers who were protesting over the non-payment of their salaries had earlier converged at the state secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress for a procession from where they planned to move round the city but were blocked on the way by the police. Chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Jos North, Comrade James Nyam, who confirmed the incident told National Mirror that; “We were just heading to Tafawa Belewa Street when the police blocked our way and started firing teargas. People started running helter-skelter and in the process many sustained injuries. “It is unfortunate that the police could fire teargas at people who were on a peaceful procession to demand for their rights.” Spokesman of the state police command, Abuh Emmanuel, when contacted, said he was yet to get details of the incident and promised to get back which he never did until the time of filing this report.

L-R: Assistant Director, Monitoring and Evaluation, National Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Mr. Festus Okoh; Director, Technical Services, Society for Family Health, Dr. Jennifer Anyanti and lecturer, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Akin Sowunmi, at the launch and dissemination of the Malaria Indicator Survey Report in the South-West Zone in Lagos, yesterday.

Court accepts bank records against Lagos Speaker K AYODE KETEFE

he documents of some commercial banks were yesterday admitted by a judge of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Justice Okechukwu Okeke, against the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and his personal assistant, Oyebode Alade Atoyebi. Both Ikuforiji and Atoyebi had been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged offences of en-

gagement in financial transactions above a specified level without using a financial institution. At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, a prosecution witness, Adebayo Adeniyi, an operative of the EFCC, while being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Godwin Obla, made some revelations. Adeniyi, an operative of the EFCC, told the court that the commission recovered some vital registers from the Accounts Department of the Lagos State House of Assembly. These vital documents, he said were documents of

some banks which recorded transactions relevant for the commission to establish its case. The documents, according to Obla, were WEMA register, ETB register, Bulk Register and Chico Registers. The registers, he explained, were used for financial transactions by the Accounts Department of the State House of Assembly. These registers he further told the court showed the signatures, names of recipients, date, amount and mode of payments - cash or cheques. Adeniyi added that his team discovered that cash

payments above the approved limit were made to or given to the first accused through the second accused person. He told the court that the second accused person admitted collecting cash payments on behalf of the 1st accused. Justice Okechukwu Okeke admitted the documents as exhibits. However the case could not continue when the court confirmed that keys to three of the documents earlier admitted as exhibits could not be found. The judge consequently adjourned the case till February 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2013 for continuation of trial.

FG declares Christmas, New Year holidays OMEIZA AJAYI

he Federal Government has declared Tuesday, December 25 and Wednesday, December 26 as public holi-

days to commemorate the Christmas and Boxing Day celebrations. A statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Interior, Mrs. Daniel Nwaobia, said the government has also

declared Tuesday, January 1, 2013 as public holiday to mark the New Year. In the statement, Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, enjoined all Nigerians “irrespective of their religious beliefs

to imbibe and emulate the spirit of the season which is love, joy, peace, justice, kindness and a resolve to continue to promote the unity of the country in its progressive march towards nationhood.”

Ondo tribunal: CPC gets nod to inspect INEC documents OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

he Ondo State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, the state capital, yesterday granted the application of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to inspect, examine and make copies of the documents used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the conduct of the October 20, governorship election in the state. Chairman of the tribunal, Justice A. Kaka’n ordered INEC to permit the petitioner, acting through its agent and counsel, to make copies and receive from the electoral body, certified true copies and or counterparts of INEC documents and forms. Justice Kaka’n gave the ruling in the absence of the two other members of the three-man panel. The justice ruled that the document inspection should take place at the INEC office at Alagbaka, Akure, directing the police to provide security at the period of the exercise. Justice Kaka’n also ordered that the inspection process should commence a day after the service of the tribunal’s order on the 3rd respondent (INEC). Counsel to Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the first respondent, Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and his counterpart for the second respondent, Labour Party, Yusuf Ali (SAN), had earlier prayed the tribunal to grant both the first and second respondents to also inspect and examine the said INEC materials. The tribunal chairman ruled that the inspection and examination should be carried out concurrently by the petitioner and the first and second respondents. The pre-hearing session for both cases of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Accord Party (AP) has been adjourned till January 10, 2013 when it will matur for hearing. The lead counsel to the Accord Party, Micheal Lana, said the process of court service on the respondents was not yet completed. The same thing was applicable to the ACN as presented by the ACN-led counsel, Oluwole Aina.

South West

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Amosun promises prompt payment of gratuities, pension FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

gun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday promised to do everything possible to ensure that retirees from the state civil service do not suffer before accessing their gratuities and pensions. Amosun gave the assurance while declaring open a three-day workshop for

the first batch of over 500 civil servants who would be retiring from the state workforce by the end of this month. The governor, who spoke through the Head of Service, HOS, Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, explained that the state had studied the necessary details of the contributory pensions fund to ensure that those retiring this month were not subjected

to avoidable hardship. Speaking at the event held at Oba’s complex in the state secretariat, the governor disclosed that the retirees would be settled before April 2013 in all matters relating to their pensions and gratuities. He said: “Before the extension of the old contributive pension was granted in December, we had looked into what it entailed. Whether it would

be possible to pay all what their entitlements are. And when that was confirmed, that was why the extension was granted. So I am sure that they will be paid.” Amosun also explained that the state government, through the Bureau of Establishment and Training, organised the entrepreneurship programme for the retirees as a symbolic demonstration of his administration’s commit-

ment towards ensuring a better life for all segments of Ogun State population. The governor also said that his administration was committed to providing the necessary ambience and comfort within available means for the people in active service to their fatherland. He urged the retiring workers to take maximum advantage provided by the workshop as it would af-

ford them the opportunity to overcome the physical and psychological anxieties and concerns of life after service. In her address, Adekunle, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Establishment and Training, Mrs. Yetunde Kujore, said the workshop would enlighten the retirees on ways of enhancing their living after retirement.

Ajimobi, Aregbesola, lawyers pay tribute to Eso KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

t was encomium galore yesterday for the late first Chief Judge of Oyo State and retired Supreme Court justice, Kayode Eso, at the special court session organised by the Oyo State judiciary. The first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Folake Solanke, described Eso as “our own Lord Denning”. Eso, who died on November 16 at the age of 87 years, was described as an exceptionally brave judge on the Bench, who would be missed in Nigeria and the world for his brilliant performance in the legal profession. The special court session, which was presided over by the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Badejoko Adeniji, was attended by many dignitaries from the South-West zone including Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, his wife, Florence, Osun State Governor Rauf

Aregbesola (represented by his deputy, Titi Tomori), retired and serving judges as well as SANs. Others include Eso’s widow, Aina, and children, Mrs. Funmilayo EsoWilliams and Olumide. Adeniji, who extolled Eso’s virtues, told the judiciary that “the virtues of boldness, fair play, zeal, industry, scholarship, honesty and incorruptibility left by his Lordship should not die”. The Oyo State AttorneyGeneral and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adebayo Ojo, speaking on Eso’s active years on the Bench before he bowed out of the Supreme Court on September 18, 1990, said “it showed sound knowledge of law and good character.” Ojo also said that “in appointing judges as heads of courts, merit, good knowledge of law and qualitative exposure should be considered over and above length of service on the Bench.”

Ekiti honours Aluko, Omoboriowo, others

wenty indigenes of Ekiti State with outstanding records of performance in various fields will on Thursday be honoured at the 2012 Ekiti State Merit Award ceremony in Ado-Ekiti. The event comes up at Jibowu Hall of the Government House by 5pm. Those to be honoured include Mr. Rotimi Babatunde, winner of the 2012 Caine Prize for African Writing and Capt. Bolaji Agbelusi, first female pilot to fly an aircraft in the country. The list also includes former Deputy Governor of the old Ondo State, the late Chief Akin Omoboriowo and renowned economist, the late Prof. Sam Aluko, who would be

given posthumous award in recognition of their contributions to the state. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said in a statement that the event with the theme: “Rewarding Excellence,” would be hosted by Governor Kayode Fayemi. The first military Administrator of the state, Col. Inua Bawa (rtd); the first Head of Service, Mr. J. A. Ibidunmoye, wife of the first civilian governor of the state, Erelu Angela Adebayo, and Mr. Johnson Ologunde, the composer of the Ekiti State anthem, are also billed to be honoured in the different categories of the award, instituted to recognise and reward excellence.

L-R: Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi; Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; wife of the late Justice Kayode Eso, Helena and younger brother of the deceased, Rev. Ladipo, at the special session for the late Eso held at the state High Court in Ibadan, yesterday.

EFCC arraigns Vanguard’s ex-accountant, sales rep for N29m theft KENNY ODUNUKAN

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned former Chief Accountant of Vanguard newspaper, Mr. Badmus Abiodun, and the newspaper’s sale representative in Benin, Joseph Ejike, before an Ikeja High Court for alleged conspiracy, forgery, stealing of property worth over

N29.320 million. They were arraigned before Justice Lateefat Okunnu on a 26-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and forgery. The accused were said to have committed the crime between February 2006 and January 2009. One of the charges reads: “That you Badmus Abiodun and Joseph Ejike, between August 1 and September 27, 2007, did fraudulently convert the sum of

N4.550 million, property of Vanguard Media Limited, to your personal use.” The EFCC, through its counsel, Abba Muhammed, accused the defendants of forging a Wema Bank Plc deposit slip No. 2333059 to steal N930,000 on November 10, 2008. The commission alleged that on November 14, 2008, the accused also forged a Wema Bank Plc deposit slip No. 2333064 to steal the sum of N930,000.

However, when the charges were read to them, Abiodun and Ejike pleaded not guilty to the charges. Ruling on the application filed by the second defendant, Okunnu granted him bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum. The judge also ordered Ejike to report to the office of the commissioner of police in Edo State, on the first working day of every month.

Osun ACN passes vote of confidence in governor WALE FOLARIN OSOGBO

sun State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has passed a vote of confidence in the financial management skill of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, said in a statement issued yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, that the governor’s financial management skill had been demonstrated by the oversubscription by 100 per cent of the N22 billion

first tranche of the N30 billion bond on demand raised at the Security and Exchange Commission, SEC.

Congratulating the governor on the remarkable success achieved in the oversubscribed bond, the state ACN Chairman,

Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, said the party was not surprised that investors practically scrambled for the bond.

Soyinka’s book’s presentation holds today

he presentation of Prof. Wole Soyinka’s latest book, Harmattan Haze on an African Spring, will hold in Lagos today by 4.00 p.m., The event takes place at the Terra Kulture Plot 1376, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island. The programme takes the form of a conversation with Wole Soyinka on the issues raised in

the book in which the Nobel Laureate seeks to understand how the continent’s history is entwined with that of others, while exploring Africa’s truest assets. With eloquence, Soyinka analyses problems ranging from the meaning of the past to the threat of theocracy. His exploration of Africa relocates the continent

in the reader’s imagination and maps a course toward an African future of peace and affirmation. At the presentation, Soyinka’s interlocutors will include Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; publisher, Thisday newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena; former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili; and Chairman, Heirs Foundation, Tony Elumelu.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South East

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Nkiruka Sylvanus: Okorocha orders security agents to the rescue • Says abduction is politically-motivated

CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

mo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has ordered security operatives in the state to rescue the kidnapped Nollywood star, Nkiru Sylvanus, who is also his senior special assistant on public affairs, without further delay. Governor Okorocha, who said that the abduction of the Abia State born

thespian was politically motivated, assured Nigerians, especially the fans of the actress, that the state government is doing everything possible to rescue her unhurt from the kidnappers’ den. State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Chinedu Offor, said the “the kidnapping was politically motivated and was not only to portray the state in bad light but also to embarrass

the government and to create panic in the minds of the people. “People will believe that if such a popular actress and a governor’s aide could be kidnapped, then nobody is safe, but the state government is committed to the provision of adequate security in the state, especially

during this festive period.” The commissioner said the government and security agencies are doing everything possible to get the kidnapped aide back safely, adding that anyone with useful information that will assist in her rescue bid would be substantially rewarded. Speaking also yesterday in Owerri, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),

Mr. Vitalis Onugu, said that the police “is on top of the situation and are doing everything possible to rescue the actress. “We are working round the clock to ensure that the governor’s aide is rescued safely, but we need the assistance of the public who can volunteer useful information that will assist the police,” he stated.

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha

Robbery: MASSOB arrests two, recovers arms NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

he Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) at the weekend arrested two robbery suspects, recovered their arms and ammunition and handed them over to the police. The arrest took place at about 12 midnight along the Umusiome Road, Nkpor in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. According to a MASSOB source, the robbers, armed with locally-made pistols, had operated on a motorbike along the road attacking late returnees, until a detachment of MASSOB security confronted them headlong. The source said while the MASSOB men were interrogating the suspects, each of them had his own pistol hidden until when one of the suspects became irritated, pulled his pistol and allegedly shot at one of the MASSOB men. But when the bullet could not penetrate his tar-

geted chest, the MASSOB men gripped them, overpowered them and recovered the arms from them. The source said the suspects were tied and held till the morning when they were handed over to policemen at Ogidi Police Station, with their pistols. However, reports said the robbers were battered by the MASSOB men before they were taken to Ogidi police station because of their refusal to hand over their arms after they were apprehended. MASSOB team leader in the area and the organisations Director of Special Duties, Region Four, Anyanwu Chimaobi, confirmed the arrest to journalists shortly before handing them over to the police. On interrogation, the suspects, who gave their names to the police as Awunobi Chukwunonso, from Awka, residing at Ogidi and Odogwu Chukwuebuka, from Nenwe in Enugu State, residing at Nkpor, said they were coming back from an initiation by members of a certain confraternity group.

Xmas: FRSC deploys 400 marshals

he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Abia State has deployed 400 marshals and undisclosed special marshals to ensure free flow of traffic during the Christmas festivities. The state FRSC Commander, Mr. John Meheux, made this known at Osisioma Motor Park in Aba, yesterday at the commencement of the final phase of the “Ember months” campaign. He said the campaign was aimed at reducing ac-

cidents to its barest level during the festive period. Meheux said the commission met with the leadership of the drivers’ union across the state and addressed them about the dangers associated with drunk driving. “We chose to meet with the leaders of the drivers’ union at their various parks because they are the ones on ground who should know when a driver is drunk and should be replaced him by another man for a journey,” he said.

L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lee Engineering and Construction Company Ltd; Mr. Leemon Ikpea; former Secretary to Edo State Government, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu and President, Benson Idahosa University, Rt. Rev. Faith Emmanuel Benson Idahosa, at the conferment of a honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration on Ikpea during the school’s eighth convocation ceremony in Benin, at the weekend.

Imo procures 50 new buses for Yuletide operations CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

mo State government has procured 50 new 30-seater coaster buses to boost the operation of the Imo Transport Company (ITC) during the yuletide. This was in spite of the protracted industrial dispute going on between the management of the organisation and its workers. Managing Director of the company, Mr. Emeka Duru, said the additional buses were procured to ensure that Imo citizens and Nigerians travel to their destinations safely and with maximum comfort, which he said has become the hallmark of the company.

He added that the management of the company has designed an operational frame-work that now offers Imo people returning to the state from different parts of the country options as the company has in its fleet brand new small, coaster and luxury buses. Duru also said that ITC, under the concession agreement with Global Ginikana Services Limited that is aimed at driving the Private Public Partnership (PPP) initiative of Governor Rochas Okorocha, has expanded its operations within the country and Ghana by procuring over 200 new Hiace buses, 50 coaster buses as well as opened additional 70 loading bays in the country. Duru further said that

the expansion witnessed in the company has generated job opportunities, leading to the employment of over 1,000 new workers. He said certain safety measures introduced by the management have so far placed ITC as the best government-owned transport company in the country. The ITC boss reiterated the commitment of the company to always offer quality services to its customers as drivers are routinely trained to acquaint them with safety measures in line with the policy of the company. He, however, reassured the preparedness of the company to sustain its accident-free record especially during the yuletide.

Meanwhile, Governor Okorocha has commended the management Global Ginika Services under the managing director for reviving the transport company into a profitable venture. He said the state government has generated over N200 million from ITC under the new concession agreement that transferred its management to Global Ginikana Services Limited with over 1,000 job opportunities created for the people. The governor said with over N3billion investment flow into the ITC by the current management, the company has no doubt ranked the best government-owned road transport companies in the country.

FERMA embarks on road maintenance in Abia GEORGE OPARA ABIA

he Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has embarked on aggressive maintenance and patching of potholes on all federal roads in Abia State. Inspecting some maintenance work at the Umuahia

portion of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, the agency’s Assistant General Manager, Direct Labour, Aina Babatunde, said FERMA has procured the Bergkamp pothole patcher for the project. He said the machines have been distributed to all the states, to ensure adequate maintenance

of roads in the country, especially at this period. The multipurpose machine, which has a jack hammer that cuts off the bad portion of the road, bitumen sprayer, among others, is a modern technology that ensures speedy excavation and filling of potholes. Babatunde assured

that the agency is set for a timely intervention where there are potholes on the highways. On the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, he said the Federal Government is ready to make the road motorable before the Christmas celebration.

South-South

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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Dissolution: Appeal Court orders A’ Ibom will always reward excellence Edo CJ to reassign suit –Akpabio T he Court of Appeal sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, yesterday ordered the state Chief Judge to reassign the case of unlawful dissolution of the House of Assembly Service Commission to another judge. Delivering the ruling in the suit in Benin, Justice George Shoremi held that the lower court erred in law

by striking out the case. “It was an error to have reached such a conclusion,’’ Justice Shoremi said, and ordered that the case be reassigned and retried by another judge. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the former Chairman of the House of Assembly Commission and other members had approached

the court for a reinstatement of the dissolved board. The commission was dissolved in 2010 by the then Bright Omokhodionled Edo House of Assembly through a resolution of the House. The lower court had struck out the case on the premise that the matter was wrongly filed through

an originating summons. Members of the sacked commission had urged the court to determine whether by resolution of the House could dissolve a statutory board. They also urged the appeal court to also determine whether the House could exercise executive powers to remove them through the manner it did.

L-R: National Chairman of Urhobo Political Congress (UPC), Chief Ighoyota Amori; Delta State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Benin, Prof. Andrew Onokerorhaye and Chief Gabriel Sefia, during the general meeting/ end of the year party of the UPC held in Ughelli, at the weekend.

Oboh advocates review of NDDC Act SAM OLUWALANA

he Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Christian Oboh, has advocated the review of NDDC Act to grant the commission leverage in addressing the developmental challenges in the region. Dr. Oboh spoke during a courtesy call on him by the National Executive of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital. The Managing Director told the Okey Wali-led executive that the call was hinged on the desire to create flexibility and enhance the commission’s interventionist status. He said: “Some sections of the Act are cumbersome; it should be

proactive and tailored towards strengthening our interventionist status to ensure quick response to challenges.” Dr. Oboh said that the commission had begun the review of the Niger Delta Development Master Plan in line with current development realities in the Niger Delta region. The NDDC boss said the commission would partner other agencies and organisations, especially the NBA in view of its key role in economic reform, governance and development process. He said: “Law is a very important tool in development and social engineering; we want to play by the rules and ensure that all we do here have the backing of the law”. NBA President, Okey Wali, assured the Managing Director that the association would support

the commission’s quest for a review of the NDDC Act as well as the Niger Delta Development Master Plan.

He, however, sought the support of the commission for a summit on peace and security scheduled for next year.

TONY ANICHEBE UYO

he Akwa Ibom State Government is always obligated to reward excellence so as to enhance productivity. Governor Godswill Akpabio stated this yesterday in his remarks at the 2012 Akwa Ibom Productivity Week organised by the State Bureau of Labour, Productivity and Public Service Matters held at the Civil Service Auditorium in Uyo, the state capital. Represented by his deputy, Mrs. Valerie Ebe, Governor Akpabio said the achievements recorded so far in the state were as a result of the unflinching support and cooperation of workers. He commended the Bureau for shunning sentiment in the selection of the awardees and for painstakingly putting this year’s event together, saying the theme: “Transforming Akwa Ibom State through Improved Productivity” would not have been possible, but for the uncommon transformation that is permeating through the state.

The governor, himself a recipient of an excellence and productivity award, urged all the recipients to see the award as a call to serve humanity and also work harder to reciprocate the gesture and honour bestowed on them by the Bureau. He assured public servants that provision of good and serene working environment in all ministries, departments and agencies, with staff training and retraining, would remain a top priority of his administration. The Special Adviser of the Bureau, Mr. Godwin Udom, explained that the celebration was an annual event where excellence was recognised so as to cultivate the culture of oneness among Akwa Ibom workers. He thanked Governor Akpabio for his worker-friendly policies and for creating the enabling atmosphere for the workers. Speaking on behalf of the awardees, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Governor, Elder Etekamba Umoren, thanked the Merit Award Committee for recognising them while alive.

FG asked to overhaul aviation industry TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

ollowing last Saturday helicopter crash in Bayelsa State that led to the death of Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa, former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Andrew Azazi and four others, rights activist and Executive Director of Hope for Niger Delta Campaign (HNDC), Mr. Sunny Ofehe, has called on the Federal Government to overhaul the aviation industry. In a statement made available to National Mirror, Mr. Ofehe attrib-

uted over reliance on air travel by Nigerians to lack of maintenance of the nation’s roads. He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to maintain and construct all major inter states highways. The statement reads: “The nation has lost yet again great citizens and as we mourn their death, we must stand up as a united people to end the air crash disasters that have made our nation’s airspace to be unsafe. “We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of this tragic accident and also to the families of all other past

victims of air disasters in the country. We pray that God Almighty will grant them the fortitude to bear these irreparable losses. “HNDC, therefore, calls on the Federal Government to revamp the aviation industry with a view to ensuring that a proper policy and monitory process is instituted to ensure that all planes flying our airspace are truly airworthy. “We will all agree that the over reliance on air travel is clearly as a result of the lack of maintenance on our roads and major highways. We therefore call on the Federal Government to

maintain and construct our major inter states highways. This will enable the larger majority of Nigerians to also choose road as an alternative to air transport.” Ofehe also appealed to Nigerians to put aside their ethnic and cultural differences and join hands in praying for the peace of the country. He said: “As the nation prepares for the Christmas celebration, we all must put our ethnic and cultural differences apart and join hands using our various religions to pray for the peace and prosperity of our great country.”

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

SUPER TUESDAY

Politics

People in government today are not capable of fixing Nigeria – Musa

14&44

Subsidy: Of executive blackmail and legislative laziness

42&43

PDP in search of sure-footed democracy A retreat on capacity building for zonal/state publicity and organising secretaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was held last week in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State where issues concerning the future of the party was discussed. OBIORA IFOH was at the retreat and captures the proceedings.

or the first time since the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1998, the party organised a retreat for the capacity building of two key units of the party: the organising and publicity units, being the engine room and the face of the party respectively. However, the retreat brought to the fore key salient issues that may reshape the future and attempt to help in the image laundering of the party, which has seen its worst times in the last decade. The retreat was put together by the PDP National Publicity Secretary and National Organising Secretary, Olisa Metuh and Abubarkar Mustapha respectively. In his keynote address, the national chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, worried by post-primaries crises, declared that the national leadership of the party will no longer take cognisance of list of candidates and officers that emerge from parallel congresses, adding that anything that compromises internal democracy and promotes imposition of candidates is now a thing of the past. His words: “We intend to make two emphatic statements. One is that we are not ready to compromise our stake on internal democracy and secondly, we are not going to yield any ground in our determination to ensure that fairness guides our internal democracy practices. I have said at other occasions that the era of imposition is over; the era of parallel list of congresses is also over. I wish to state further that the era where the wishes of the people are whimsically annulled as far as our leadership of the PDP is concerned is gone forever.” Tukur challenged the PDP publicity secretaries to re-strategise on how to counter the ceaseless attacks on the party by the opposition as there are a lot of misinformation and distortions of facts against the PDP and its public office holders. He said: “Our publicity secretaries should therefore be educated to face this challenge. There are many good aspects of our party and our governments at all levels that need to be highlighted, but news reports dwell more on the negative. We need to work hard to achieve a balance.”

L-R: Former National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Okweslieze Nwodo; National Vice Chairman, South-South, Steve Oru; Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio and PDP National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, during the retreat on capacity building for zonal/state publicity secretaries in Uyo.

TOP STORY While reminding Nigerians that the PDP administration gave Nigerians the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, Tukur maintained that despite the unwarranted attacks on the party, it will not encroach on the fundamental rights of the people to express its opinions, saying: “The opposition wake up at the slightest opportunity to haul lies and destructively criticise our President and our party. For us, it is a market place of ideas and the PDP government will not molest anyone.” In his welcome address, the National Organizing Secretary, Mustapha said the retreat was organised “to build the capacities and capabilities required at all levels of our party to drive the vision of the 3Rs agenda of the present National Working Committee (NWC).” Mustapha added that the retreat is to ensure uniformity in party organisation and communication process, aimed at intimating the zonal/state organising and publicity secretaries with the new policy direction concerning party administration and communication strategies.

The chief host and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, said the event was long overdue in order to reposition the party to adequately address emerging challenges. His words: “This retreat is an uncommon retreat because this is the first time since 1999 that this type of retreat is organised by the PDP.” Noting with regret that for a very long time the PDP has taken things for granted and allowed the opposition to have domination over the use of the mass media to undermine the achievement of the PDP elected officers, Akpabio said that the achievements of PDP governors and other office holders at the state and local government levels are greatly under-reported by the party at the national level and advised for review of communication strategies. He said: “For a while, we left communication to the opposition. Strategically speaking we need to communicate and at the same time strategise to deepen democracy.” The governor declared that the debate on onshore, offshore dichotomy is unpatriotic and unnecessary, as it is capable of not only bringing back militancy in the oil producing states but fresh agitations and hatred among the diverse people of the nation. Akpabio used the opportunity to con-

ONE IS THAT WE ARE NOT READY TO COMPROMISE OUR STAKE ON INTERNAL

DEMOCRACY AND SECONDLY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO YIELD ANY GROUND IN OUR DETERMINATION TO ENSURE THAT FAIRNESS GUIDES OUR INTERNAL DEMOCRACY PRACTICES

demn the raging debate on the onshore, offshore dichotomy, warning that it will only engender hatred among Nigerians. According to the governor, those who are championing the debate are ignorant of the fact that the oil producing states are actually getting only stipends from the Federation Account when what they put into the common national purse is taken into cognisance. He maintained that natural resources abound in every state of the federation but unfortunately, most of the solid minerals are either not explored or where they are being explored, the proceeds go into private pockets rather that the Federation Account. “Every state has something embedded in the soil, it is time for us to look inwards. People are illegally mining our gold and other resources in Zamfara and other states and some of them are not even Nigerians,” he concluded. Seven papers were presented at the event.

Okwesilieze Nwodo Former national chairman of the party, Okwesilieze Nwodo, warned against violating the electoral wishes of the people as it remained the primary source of political upheavals in the country while also stressing that the respect leaders command all over the world depend on the level of credibility of their elections. In a paper entitled “Deepening Democracy through Internal Party Democracy: Strategies for Conducting Credible, Free, Fair Party Congresses and Primaries,” Nwodo stressed the need for party leaders to respect the sanctity of internal democracy. CONTINUED ON PAGE 41

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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People in government today are not capable of fixing Nigeria – Musa Alhaji Balarabe Musa, a Second Republic governor of old Kaduna State and Chairman, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), an umbrella organisation of all registered parties in Nigeria, tells AZA MSUE, in this interview, that the de-registration of 28 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to silence other parties ahead of 2015 polls. He also averred that with the death of Governor Patrick Yakowa and Gen. Andrew Azazi (rtd) in a naval helicopter crash, more danger awaits Nigeria unless drastic actions are taken to arrest the rot in the system. Excerpts:

Musa

Recently, some political parties were deregistered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). What is your reaction to this development? Electoral commissions in Nigeria, both under military and civilian regimes, have adopted government policies of registering and deregistering of political parties for political reasons, just as the military started the process after the First Republic for the purpose of deciding whom to hand over political power to. Let us remember that during the colonial era up to the First Republic, there was no registration and deregistration of political parties. Political parties were freely formed and they sponsor candidates without any restriction. But after the First Republic, when the military was planning to hand over power to civilians for the Second Republic, because the military itself got involved in corruption and was scared of what will happen when they hand over power and also because they have tasted self enrichment and were in power, they therefore, for the first time introduced the idea of registration of political parties and determination of which candidate will contest for elections. The idea was introduced in 1978 and through it they were able to limit the number of political parties to be formed and contest election to five. I remember when Murtala Muhammed took over as military Head of State; he instituted a probe committee which discovered that all the governors during the Gen. Yakubu Gowon regime were guilty of stolen money except one governor from Lagos. Now, the military has also been afraid of this kind of exposure or even worse. Now, the civilian regime that followed after the Second Republic was also afraid of this kind of exposure and the consequences of it. The worse threat to them was multi-party system. They tried to reduce the number of political parties but in the real sense, political parties should not be limited by fiat. Political parties should be freely formed without undue restriction on their activities and should be allowed to decide the political faith of a party and the candidates of a political party. In fact, there should be independent candidates if you don’t have free formation of political parties and you don’t have the right of the electorate to decide on the fate of political parties and the candidates sponsored by political parties. If you don’t provide for independent candidate, you cannot be talking of a transparent elections leading to a legitimate government and you cannot be talking of democracy, you can still talk of democratic aspirations, because they can always exist, whether dictatorship or whatever form of government that exist, there would still be democratic aspirations by the people even if it is being denied them, the aspirations would and must continue.

TUESDAY INTERVIEW

THE ONLY WAY FORWARD FOR NIGERIANS IS TO CHANGE THE LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS

FOR THE FUTURE GENERATION, IF NOT WE SHOULD EXPECT MORE DANGER THAN BEFORE Are you satisfied with the deregistration of your party, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) by INEC? I cannot be satisfied with that kind of decision. First, it denies us our rights and secondly, it is unconstitutional, it is aimed at elections in 2015. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government is afraid of the 2015 elections, because if they don’t adopt dictatorial measures, the opposition may come to their senses and unite against the PDP and they know the consequences of the defeat particularly with this high level of corruption and criminal wastes and the consequences of it, which are poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity

and wastages in all forms. Do you think Nigeria needs this huge number of political parties? If Nigeria is aspiring for democracy, there should be no limitation to the number of political parties that can exist. Candidates for elections must also be decided by political parties. There should also be independent candidates It is only in backward countries where political parties are restricted and do not have right to decide the fate of political parties and their candidates that this can take place. Even in our history, there is no evidence that the number of political parties have been a problem. As I said earlier, even in the colonial times and the First Republic, there were no restriction of political parties and even independent candidates were also allowed to participate in the election process. Look at this nonsense by INEC today, INEC believes that the number of political parties is large and makes it difficult for it to control, but the same INEC is again registering political parties, which is stupid, and which shows that the process is just a political manoeuvre without any reasonable considerations. But INEC has said that the deregistered parties either did not present candidates for election and or where they do, they failed to win at least a seat in a state House Assembly? Wining election should not under democracy or under CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

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Politics

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Rotimi ASO ROCK FILE

President’s warning on return of unspent funds

with

Rotimi FADEYI

Governors and demand for $1b from excess crude account

or state governors, the legal action over the Excess Crude Account (ECA) which has stalled the release of funds from the account is really taking a toll on their finances and other financial obligations. The governors initiated the court case challenging the disbursement of the fund by the Federal Government to finance the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), but they are now the ones that are most affected by the pendency of the action, though they are now exploiting possibility of settling the dispute out-of-court. It became clear that the non-release of the fund was affecting the governors when they asked for $1 billion from the ECA at the meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) last week, despite that the matter was in court. They argued that they need the money to settle financial and contractual obligations in their states. Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, Muktar Shagari, disclosed that the council discussed the possibility of releasing the money to the states, but would need to seek the advice of the Attorney General of the Federation first. Shagari added that negotiation should continue pending the court decision on the matter, saying: “One of the important issue discussed at the NEC meeting was the issue of ECA between the Federal Government and the state governors, because as you know, the two tiers of government normally share this including the local government.”

While speaking on the issue of payment of fuel subsidy, the governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo, said that the issue was also discussed at the NEC meeting. The governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, disclosed that the council directed that the Federal Ministry of Works should pay states for all the works done on federal roads. He stressed that the council has directed state commissioners to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Finance on the guideline and borrowing facilities in earnest.

ederal Government ministries, departments and agencies are expected to return unspent funds to the coffers of the government but many of these government institutions still flout this directive. But this would no longer be tolerated as President Goodluck Jonathan has warned MDAs to avoid breaking regulations guiding fiscal discipline including refusal to retire accounts or doing so late in the year. Jonathan noted that his administration would no longer condone withholding of funds meant for agency operation that were not spent, stressing that anybody caught flouting the laid down provisions would face the full wrath of the law. Jonathan gave the warning when commissioners of the National Population Commission (NPC) took oath office just as he also sworn in two members of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC).

His words: “Let me also use this occasion to warn government agencies that henceforth, none or late rendition of accounts or non-remittance of operating surpluses will attract the full weight of actions as prescribed by law.” Reiterating that the administration is committed to “building strong institutions,” the president urged all tiers of government to work closely with the FRC, particularly the states and local governments which “control over 50 per cent of federally collectible revenue.” “It is also important to remind you and indeed all the other members of the commission, that our nation’s economic future is directly linked to effective management of our resources. Indeed there is an inexplicable linkage between fiscal responsibility and prudent financial management and the future of every nation,” he said. He urged the new NPC commissioners to be diligent and patriotic in the discharge of their responsibilities, saying: “We must ensure that all citizens are properly documented as it will help in our planning of citizens’ defence, protection and projection agenda.”

Presidential Villa’s visitors

L-R: Elected incumbent President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama with Vice President Namadi Sambo and President Goodluck Jonathan during Mahama’s visit to the State House.

Bakassi Peninsula on the front burners again he decision was taken at a meeting of Committee on Bakassi and Plights of the displaced people presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo at the State House last week. Even with the lost of the oil rich Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon following the International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgement, the issue still came to the fore last week as the Federal Government took action to resettle displaced people of Bakassi with the setting up of a committee by the vice president. It was not surprising that the Acting Governor of Cross River state, Effiok Essien Cobham, is the head of the committee since it was the state that lost the Bakassi Peninsula area to Cameroon. Cobham and his committee members are expected to look into all the modalities necessary for the resettlement process and submit comprehensive report to the government. They are also to take a holistic view of the problems which would involve the development of an entirely new settlement so as to find a lasting solution to the plight of the displaced people and settle them permanently. For Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, the setting up of the committee by Sambo is a wel-

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come development which would help restore the dignity of the people of Bakassi. The Committee on Bakassi and Plights of the displaced people was set up by President Goodluck Jonathan at the height of the agitation for the government in October to appeal the 2002 International Court of Justice judgement which ceded the oil

rich peninsula to Cameroon. This followed allegation that after the judgment of the ICJ, Cameroun neglected its pledge to protect Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsula and in the Lake Chad area while those who opted to remain in Nigeria were left unsettled, these led to the influx of refugees into other communities.

1. Commander, United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), General Carter Ham 2. President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana 3. Senegalese Special Envoy, Mr. Mor Ngom 4. Former chairman, Kaduna State PDP, Alhaji Na’u Usman Sa’in 5. NPC Commissioner for Niger State, Aliu Datti 6. President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Mohammed Garba 7. NPC Commissioner for Bauchi State, Mallam Ismailia Hassan 8. Senate President David Mark 9. Speaker Aminu Tambuwal 10. Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Emeka Eze 11. Acting Governor of Cross River State, Effiok Essien Cobham 12. Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar 13. National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki

Jonathan, Mahama: Like Nigeria, like Ghana

lected incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana last week met with President Goodluck Jonathan, calling for stronger bi-lateral ties between the two countries. “After election, it is significant that this is the first country I should visit just to cement the relations between our two great countries,” Mahama said The two African leaders have many things in common; they were both at one time or the other vice presidents of their countries. They both took over the reign of power when the Presidents of both countries died in office as a result of ill health. Just like Jonathan, Mahama later contested for the presidency of Ghana and like Jonathan, he won. After his meeting with Jonathan last week, Mahama said he used the opportunity of the visit to appeal

to Jonathan to use his influence to ensure the repair of the West Africa Gas Pipeline so that Ghana can continue to receive Nigerian gas to power electricity generation. “As you are aware, it (West Africa Gas Pipeline) got broken and there was an accident when they were trying to activate it. So, I want President Jonathan to use his influence to get the pipeline back into operation as soon as possible so that Ghana can continue to receive Nigerian gas to power our electricity generation,” Mahama stated. The Ghanaian president who said his visit was a short one told journalists that he was on his way to Equatorial Guinea for the African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) conference, disclosing that Ghana has been the chair since 2008 and it is expected that Equatorial Guinea would take over the

leadership of the conference. Mahama also disclosed that the visit was also to pay respect to Jonathan and express condolences on the loss of his younger brother, saying that he was not able to attend the funeral because of the election in Ghana as at that time. Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the presidential election in Ghana defeating opposition leader, Nana Akufo-Addo and six others to earn a four-year term. But Ghana’s main opposition, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) which fielded 68 yearold Akufo-Addo has said it would challenge the election results that declared 54 yearold Mahama the winner.

MORE POLITICS STORIES ON PAGES 41-44

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Anambra 2014: A case for Anambra North EJIKE ANYADUBA

s the eight year tenure of Governor Peter Obi gradually winds down, those jostling to take over from him have started inching gingerly towards the political arena. As a possible way of gaining some head start, a good number of them, apart from sponsoring publications in the newspapers and granting interviews, have upped the ante by visiting flood victims in the state with relief materials. However, in no distant time, the margins of acceptability will be crossed, and those in the race would be made public. Regardless, it is tempting to presume upon a successor coming from Anambra North - a senatorial zone that has not produced a governor since the creation of the state. This perception, even at the risk of spiteful condemnation, is premised upon two reasons. One is the justness of the idea, and two, the promised support of the incumbent state governor for the cause. Governor Obi has insisted it is only fair and equitable to do so. However, there are those who think it should be jettisoned. One of such persons, even if he may not be from the state, is one Martins Nwamadi. Writing at the back page of Daily Independent of 6th November, 2012, Nwamadi called the idea an insult on the intelligence of Anambra people. According to him, “neither the leaders nor the followers in Anambra State

POWER IS NOT THRUST ON PEOPLE OR ZONE, BUT EARNED THROUGH HARD WORK have set out as a body to adopt the principle of zoning in the distribution of political offices since the present Anambra State was created on August 27, 1991”. So, why will Governor Obi talk about zoning the office to Anambra North, he questioned? Though well said, I think he got it wrong here. Apart from expressing personal opinion, Obi never talked of zoning the office. What he said was that he would support any credible candidate from Anambra North, which in my view, is not a call to zoning. Zoning is worth more than that. Parroting the idea and using same to impugn an opinion as benign as this is unfortunate. It is not enough to ask what Obi’s beefs are or to make political capital out of an innocuous statement. Obi has no beefs, what he has is a mind that seeks to redress noticeable lapses. Calling him undemocratic, clannish, or pinning the APGA crisis on this are spurious claims. The APGA crisis is well beyond where the next candidate of the party comes from. Nwamadi continued: “The governor resorted to cheap political propaganda to win the sympathy of Anambra North people, especially those from Onitsha who are aware of his investment port-

folios in the commercial city”. To think that Obi’s promised support for a credible candidate from this zone will be misconstrued as a clever way of safe guarding his business interests in Onitsha, is to say the least, unfortunate. If the writer believes sincerely that Obi’s re-election was essentially about Ojukwu persona or that the state is primarily PDP’s, one should expect him not to belabor the issue of where a successor will emerge. First, Ikemba is no more to replicate the 2010 magic in 2014. Two, the PDP will surely field a candidate in 2014 and will not indulge Obi by conceding the office to his candidate of choice. I personally do not subscribe to the idea of propping up candidates for elections, or narrowing the political space. Power is not thrust on people or zone, but earned through hard work. Anambra is in no way different. To wrest power from the zones where it resides over time will mean either of two possibilities. Fight the opponent, using its most potent weapon, or seek concession through negotiation. The latter option has its limitation since Nicollo Machiavelli made the eternal but often inadmissible assertion: “Whoever is responsible for another becoming powerful ruins himself because this power is brought into being either by ingenuity or by force, and both of these are suspect to the one who has become powerful”. Governor Peter Obi is neither advocating zoning in the state nor is he na-

ïve enough to want to pitchfork a candidate to the office as his successor. Not being a beneficiary of zoning or that of a godfather makes the claim more difficult to believe. Beyond expressing an opinion in support of fairness, why will he advocate zoning or the imposition of a candidate, being privy to the Anambra experience? Apart from Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and one or two other governors, are all the other governors who emerged at the instance of a benefactor/godfather not drawn up today in battle against such ones? There is enough evidence in the South East zone already. What should concern this writer and others who have continued to dissipate energy on the unfounded allegation of zoning is to ensure that a credible person take office come 2014. Yes, one who would dispel the nagging fear of possible relapse into past political blunders, which the Obi government has labored so much to prevent its resurgence. It is not enough to warn Obi that the people of the state will reject him and his alleged candidate when the chips are down. That may not be necessary. What is important is for the people to elect a governor who will consolidate on the existing gains of democracy in the state. Even if every credit is taken away from Obi administration history will be kind enough to remember that he held the State in one piece throughout his stewardship. Anyaduba wrote Anambra State

from

Abatete,

Nigerian entertainment industry in perspective EKENE U. EDWIN

t is only a die-hard cynic that will discredit the impactful role our local entertainment industry has played and is still playing in the country. Looking at where the industry was at the beginning and how it has evolved from the use of celluloid to the current use of high definition video camera, even an unrepentant optimist would have doubted the sector’s ability to gain its current global recognition. Some of the popular performing arts in Nigeria are musical theatre, comedy, film and music. There is no doubt that the industry has come of age, and like every adult who must fairly and squarely face up to the constant responsibilities and challenges life will throw at him, the sector apart from contributing to our GDP and creating jobs for Nigerians, must also be a strong partner in laundering the image of the country abroad. Though, there is no agreement among the players in the movie industry on the date motion picture actually began in the country, credit must go to early pioneers like Herbert Ogunde, Ola Balogun, Eddie Ugboma etc. It was their courageous adventures that paved the way for Kenneth Nnebue’s Living in Bondage, the first block buster movie made for commercial purpos-

es in Nigeria in 1992. Ever since then, the industry has become a money spinner for all manner of persons, ranging from producers, directors, actors/actresses, script writers, costume designers/artists, studio mangers and studio engineers, camera men, editors to other persons whose services were employed from the pre-production stage, production and post production stage. As we acknowledged and celebrate this breakthrough, the challenges that confront the players must not be ignored. The average cost of producing a Nigerian film is between $17,000 and $30,000; and it takes between one to three weeks to produce a home video. Sometimes, the quality of the movies is questioned, and many believe this is due to funding problem. Investors cannot confidently finance movie production in the country because of piracy and absence of well structured distribution network. These highlighted problems were parts of the reasons President Goodluck Jonathan gave a life line of $200 million to the sector in 2010. However, according to recent statistics made public by the managing director of the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, Mr. Robert Orya, the Nigerian film industry is ranked third in the world in terms of revenue generation. In the last three years, Nollywood, as the Nigerian movie industry is popu-

THE GLOBAL MARKET VALUE OF THE FILM AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY IS ABOUT

$90.6 BILLION ACCORDING TO 2010 REPORTS larly known, generated about N126.4 billion ($800 million) in revenue. The industry’s regulatory body, National Films and Videos Census Board (NFVCB), approves the films Nigerians should watch. Between 2008 and 2010, about 7,543 titles were produced - 2,408 in 2008; 2,514 in 2009 and 2,621 in 2010. Local movies are majorly done in Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and English and are shared in this order: English (44%); Yoruba (31%); Hausa (1%), and Igbo (24%). The global market value of the film and entertainment industry is about $90.6 billion according to 2010 reports, and it has been projected that by the end of this year, it will rise to about $102.7 billion. On the whole, North America has the largest market share of 40 percent, followed by Europe, Middle East and Africa which account for 24 percent of the global market share index. The next on the line is Latin

America with 20 percent market share, while Asia Pacific accounted for just three percent. Nonetheless, it is not enough for our movies to project our lifestyles, cultures, fashions, diverse religions and other trendy issues in the country, it should also be proactive by using positive imaginations in unveiling some innate opportunities lying fallow in the country. It should also fight against the moral decadence in the society. Above all, our entertainment industry should correct the negative impression held about Nigerians by foreigners, while at the same time, Nigerians whether in Diaspora or at home should conduct themselves in the most ethical manner, because laws are ethics codified. Besides that, there is no image maker that can project what is not on ground, and as such, any attempt to do otherwise would be a waste of time, energy and precious resources. Comrade Edwin, National President of Young Nigerians for Change, wrote from Enugu 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, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

STEVE AYORINDE

MD/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

YELE AKINROLABU

ED OPERATIONS

SEYI FASUGBA

DAILY EDITOR

BOLAJI TUNJI

SUNDAY EDITOR

GBEMI OLUJOBI

SATURDAY EDITOR

DOZIE OKEBALAMA

COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD

ADESOYE ADEKOYA

CONTROLLER, PRODUCTION

CALLISTUS OKE

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

ISE-OLUWA IGE

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

KAYODE BALOGUN JNR

SM, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

FRANK OBOH

HEAD, GRAPHICS

AGF’s pontification on extra-judicial killings S T …

he Federal Government recently identified the rot in the nation’s criminal justice system as the principal reason the recourse to self-help and terrorism are escalating in the country. Speaking a couple of days back at a forum organised by the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) in Abuja, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, said the police carried out extra-judicial killings involving over 7,195 people, mostly detainees, in the last four years. He said the police relied on “Police Force Order 237”, which permits them to shoot any suspect or detainee trying to escape or avoid arrest, to perpetrate the killings. Adoke complained that some police officers took the law into their hands, stressing in addition that plans were afoot to make his office take over the prosecutorial powers of the police in criminal matters. The police, according to him, parade mostly laymen that lack the requisite knowledge needed to tackle the counsel of defendants in court. He also berated the slow pace of the nation’s criminal justice system, which he dismissed as corrupt and in need of a holistic reform. It is public knowledge that the justice minister merely belaboured himself drawing

attention to the mournful state of the nation’s criminal justice system. Indeed, it does seem the country has descended to the Hobbesian state of nature, where living is characterized by continuous and total war, with every man against every man. The country is under the siege of heartlessly corrupt managers, while violence and insecurity are rife. But the law is docile and virtually toothless in punishing high profile crimes. Ours seems a country not governed by law, but by the persistent fear of the unknown, danger, violence and death; a nation where life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” Indeed, all cannot be said to be well with a nation where the police summarily executed up to 7, 195 in just four years. It is callous! This ‘convenient approach’ of the Nigeria Police Force to curbing crime contributes in no small measure to the nation’s plummeting international image and odious human rights records. The International Human Rights Report for 2012, for instance, gave a damning verdict on human rights violations in the country. This incorrigible trend dated back to the military era. That the nation has woefully failed to improve on the leprous record even under democratic governance buttresses very clearly,

PECIAL COURTS

MANNED BY WELL

GROOMED JUDGES

MAY BE THE PANACEA FOR

NIGERIA’S

SLUGGISH AND BRIBERIDDLED CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM the crude and military mentality of the nation’s security operatives and law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force. It goes even without saying so; that the nation’s judiciary is likewise a major culprit in the recourse to self help, violence and sundry crimes by citizens, owing to its ridiculously slow pace of dispensing justice. Perhaps more puzzling is the fact that nothing concrete has been done over the years to remedy this situation by the exalted offices of both the justice minister, who doubles as the Attorney-General of the Federation; and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Indeed, Adoke’s seeming crocodile tears about extra judicial killings in the country is suspect and deserves a closer scrutiny, since stripping the police of prosecutorial

powers and vesting same on the justice ministry cannot guarantee the speedy trial of criminal cases. President Goodluck Jonathan, while swearing-in the current CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, few months ago, called for the creation of special courts to expedite the trial of high profile criminal and corruption cases. The president’s call was, however, ignored by the CJN, from all indications. Just recently, the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), more or less mounted a special campaign against the establishment of special courts. It is, however, our candid opinion that special courts manned by well groomed judges, as against judges tainted by politics and corruption, may be the panacea for Nigeria’s sluggish and bribe-riddled criminal justice system. It may also be hoped that Adoke will follow up his observations by putting the necessary mechanisms in motion for the review of the nation’s outdated criminal justice system, that has been very friendly to criminals, instead of punishing crime; as well as press for the true reform of the Nigeria Police. Countless past panel reports on what needed to be done are there, rotting away. They should be dusted and put to work.

ON THIS DAY December 18, 2010 Governmental protests began in Tunisia, beginning the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations, protests and wars occurring in the Arab world that began on December 18, 2010. To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen; civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria; major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, and Sudan; etc.

December 18, 2006 United Arab Emirates, having Abu Dhabi as its capital, held its first-ever elections. The United Arab Emirates, sometimes simply called the Emirates or the UAE, is an Arab country in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south, as well as sharing sea borders with Qatar and Iran. The UAE is a federation of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain.

December 18, 2005 The civil war in Chad began when rebel groups, allegedly backed by neighbouring Sudan, launch an attack in Adre. Since its independence from France in 1960, Chad has been swamped by the civil war between the Arab-Muslims of the north and the Sub-Saharan-Christians of the south. As a result, leadership and presidency in Chad drifted back and forth between the Christian souther ners and Muslim norther ners.

Mixed reactions trail N13.9bn Bayelsa Int’l Airport project

Insurance industry unable to achieve N1trillion premium income

SUPER TUESDAY

www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Weak regulation, lack of expertise responsible for insurance stocks’ woes

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

The insurance industry has been in existence for more than 90 years in Nigeria, but the industry only contributes 0.7 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for less than two per cent of equity market capitalisation on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. JOHNSON OKANLAWON reports.

Los-Abj: 07:15, 09:15, 10:20, 15:20, 16:20, 16:50, 18:45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) Abj-Los: 07:15, 09:40, 10:20, 12:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:10, (Mon-Fri/Sat); 12:15, 15:15, 16:15 (Sun) Los-PH: 07:15, 11:40, 14:00, 16:10, 17:15, (Mon-Fri) 07:30, 11:40, 15:50 (Sat) 11:50, 3:50, 17:05 (Sun) Abj-PH: 07:15, 11:20, 15:30 (Mon-Fri) 07:15, 16:00 (Sat) 13:10, 16:00, (Sun) PH-Abj: 08:45, 12:50, 17:00 (Mon-Fri) 08:45, 17:30 (Sat) 14:40, 17:30 (Sun) Abj-Ben: 08:00, 12:10 (Mon-Fri/Sat) 08:55, 12:10 (Sun) Ben-Abj: 09:55, 13:30 (Mon-Fri/Sat) 10:50, 13:30 (Sun)

Arik Air

Aero Contractors

The Nigerian Stock Exchange

mong the companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, insurance firms constitute the largest despite the low value of the market share of insurance companies, as most of them are trading at nominal value of 50 kobo per share. Investigation showed that with over 150 million people, Nigeria has an insurance density of just about five to 10 per cent, whereas in some other developing countries, insurance density is 40 to 50 per cent; in the developed economies, it is as high as 90 to 98 per cent. According to 2012 survey by

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Enhancing Financial Innovation and Access (EFInA), a research outfit, out of over 150 million Nigerians only 2.25 million of them currently have access to the various products and services offered by insurance companies in the country. Market analysts pointed out that the volatility in the financial sector, fuelled mostly by the excesses in banking, have frightened mostly local investors off from any kind of financial stocks, including those of insurance companies. As at Friday, November 30, this year, the Insurance Index does not have direct impact on the direction of the All Share Index, which appreciated by 27.8 per cent on the Nigerian Stock Exchange to close at 26,494.44 points, from the open-

ing figure of 20,730.63 points on January 3, 2012, when the bourse opened trading in the equities segment for the year, while market capitalisation rose by N2.13trn to close at N8.47trn, from N6.53trn at which it opened the year. The Insurance Index dropped 20.5 per cent to close at 114.07 points, from the opening figure of 143.54 points on the commencement of trading, this year, despite the rise of the twin benchmark indices. The Banking Index gained 11.2 per cent to close at 304.95 points, while the Consumer Goods Index rose by 33.7 per cent to close at 788.20 points. The NSE 30-Index, which tracks the performance of blue chips companies on the Exchange, appreciated by 36.2 per cent to close at 1,258.55 points, the Oil and Gas

Index lost 29.3 per cent to close at 155.58 points, though the dismal performance of the subsector was attributed to the ongoing reform in the oil sector and the probe of the subsidy claims by the oil dealers. Out of the 18 insurance companies that recorded activities in their shares prices, Nove,ber 30 13 of them remained flat at the nominal value, AIICO Insurance Plc, Continental Reinsurance Plc and Custodian and Allied Insurance Plc closed at 54 kobo, 67 kobo and N1.20 per share respectively. Mansard Insurance Plc closed at N1.89 per share, while Prestige Insurance Plc closed at 51 kobo per share. Investment analysts attributed the poor performance, which is also reflecting negatively on their results, to the country’s untapped CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Los-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) Los-Ben: 07:45, 11:00, 15:30, (Mon-Fri/Sat/ Sun) 12:30 (Sun) 15:30 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) Ben-Los: 09:15, 12:30, 17:00 (Mon-Fri/ Sat/Sun) 17:00 (Sat), 14:00 (Sun)

EXCHANGE RATES WAUA

234.6271

USD

155.84

CHF

159.2642

SDR

235.0535

CFA

0.2924

GBP

244.1701

EURO

191.3715

OIL / GAS FUTURES ICE BRENT

$123.39

-0.78

NYMEX

$108.45

-0.11

OPEC BASKET

$122.86

+1.16

NATURAL GAS

$2.83

-0.03

NNPC cautions IOCs over allegations of stalling projects

‘Government’s grants encouraging proliferation of professional bodies’

Professionals unite to end building collapse

Business & Finance

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Weak regulation, lack of expertise responsible for insurance stocks’ woes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 potentials in the sector, self insurance and poor service delivery. The Managing Director of Trust Yields Securities Limited, Alhaji Rashidi Yussuff, remarked that the insurance sector is a sector that is disappointing the bourse operators. “It disappointed us in the market because we thought it should be the leading player. All over the world, it is the insurance stocks that make the capital market thick. Just like the pension fund, it’s for long term investment. “The principle of insurance is very clear, out of 100 people you insured, you are hoping that 10 per cent of them will make a claim. Then, the 90 per cent premium being contributed annually should be used wisely on a long term investment. So, by the time the 10 per cent would make a claim, there will be enough funds to settle the claims,” he said. Further investigation by National Mirror revealed that the major drawback in the growth of the industry is lack of financial expertise to optimally manage the premiums, even though the industry is said to have abundant managers with technical knowhow. Besides, it was revealed that the opaqueness of the financial statements of insurance companies makes it difficult to place an appropriate value on insurance stocks. Yussuff noted that the operators in the insurance sector have not gotten it right, saying that they need a kind of surgical operation in the sector. “Nigeria insurance market operators are deficient in the financial side. If you interview most of the Chief Executive Officers of the companies, they are not very sound when it comes to money management. “But if you interview them on the technical side, whether in the oil and gas, life insurance or whatever, they are at home. On finance, they depend solely on their finance directors. In abroad, finance department of insurance companies play vital roles and the CEOs are conversant with the activities in the department,” he said. According to him, the insurance operators’ syllabus is not as deep to prepare them for the kind of the job they are doing and they need to look at their structure just like the Exchange has done in the architecture. He added that the insurance companies cannot do well if the insurance broker continues to be the driver of the industry. “Under the present arrangement, the brokers are being allowed to keep the premium for some days, which they may not even return to the company. Presently, it is the insurance broker, dictated the processes. Also, a lead analyst in an insurance broking firm who pleaded anonymity told National Mirror that the insurance companies cannot checkmate the excesses of the brokers because under the present structure, the businesses go to the insurance brokers first. He said, “The insurance companies are at the mercy of the brokers and why the regulators haven’t reversed that I don’t know. It has been on for years. During the former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure, for instance, the Nigeria Airways case, certain brokers were suspended and the reason was very simple. It was the broker that collected the money and the law then allowed the broker to hold

CEO, Nigeria Stock Exchange, Oscar Onyeama

Yussuf

THE PRINCIPLE OF INSURANCE IS VERY CLEAR, OUT OF 100 PEOPLE YOU INSURED, YOU ARE HOPING THAT 10 PER CENT OF THEM WILL MAKE A CLAIM. THEN, THE 90 PER CENT PREMIUM BEING CONTRIBUTED ANNUALLY SHOULD BE USED WISELY ON LONG TERM INVESTMENTS the money for three months, in some cases they held the premium that the insurance company ought to have been used to generate fund. “That is not the way it is all over the world. When the insurance companies approached the capital market in the 2007, 2008 and 2009, to raise money, we thought they were going to be run properly, we invested heavily in their shares, but they turned back to their way of doing things.” Yussuff added. He said that there is no country that its economy is doing well without having a strong insurance sector in their capital market, noting that apart from the pension fund; the sector is a source of capital for long term investment in the economy. Senior Investment Research Analyst at Meristem Securities Limited, Mr. Taiwo Yussuff, argued that the industry has done a good job of garnering long-term savings, but there is needs to be more focus on the protection element. “When one looks at insurance as a combined product, people will be willing to take bigger calls and, hence, it can enhance the potential of the industry. “Investors will also need to educate themselves much more. Unlike most industries where you value a company on the basis of cash flow, the insurance industry is quite complex. In addition to actual premium growth, the valuation of an insurance company depends on many assumptions-those of interest rates, equity market performance, expenses, persistency, etc.,” he said. On the non remittance of premium to the insurance companies, the Managing Director of LASACO Assurance Plc, Mr. Olusola Ladipo-Ajayi, pointed out that the situation as it is presently is unfair to underwriters. “Right now, we don’t know when premium are paid to the brokers and we cannot run

after it. As underwriters we are not expected to go behind our brokers to ask questions. But the world is changing and NIACOM needs to amend the laws,” he said. On the allegation by the brokers that some insurers hide behind outstanding premium in order to hide losses in their account, he said that there should not be controversy about whether they remitted premium when they ought to or not because it is a commercial transaction about two parties. “You owe me or you don’t owe me should not be an issue. What it means is that I show you the instruction you gave me and I show you my debt note, I show you the cover I granted you neither by the way of solicit document or endorsement. The law said whoever allege must prove, if I am going to challenge you that you are owing me, I have to produce substantial documents to show that you owe me. If I provide the substantial documents and you are not able to counter it, then who is lying,” he asked. According to him, the company has not had any reason to argue with brokers over premium remitted or premium not remitted, saying that all the cases it had against people were substantiated. He said, “If NAICOM is making effort to ensure that outstanding premium reduce to the barest minimum, I don’t think it is to the benefit of the underwriter only but of the brokers because anybody who does business, without being paid, is doing so at the expense of its balance sheet. So, I do not see the reason why anybody will complain about that, but all of us know where pendulum swings and what has happened in the past. “There is simple procedures that can make this problem goes away and I am telling you this on my own experience in the international practice. In all the oil and gas

DG NAICOM, Fola Daniel

business we did in abroad, the brokers stated how much they are going to charge and the underwriters stated theirs, too. The insured paid underwriter their premium and the brokers got their commission. But here in Nigeria, the brokers will say they do not want us to know how much brokers earn, while the brokers will not want the insured knows much they earn.” He stressed that in advanced countries, everybody who has access to the insurance companies know how much a broker earns in every transaction. “In United Kingdom, when we went for oil and gas, everybody openly disclosed how much they were going to charge for the risk and how much that is going to NIACOM. At the end, brokers negotiated and computed the whole thing and everybody were paid directly,” said LadipoAjayi. The National Coordinator of Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Mr. Sunny Nwosu, said the bane in the insurance sector reform is the penetration of many unlicensed insurance brokers that are still taking premium from the insured. “I have seen an insurance broker taking N2, 000 from an insured instead of N5, 000 official rates,” he said. The President of Nigeria Shareholders Solidarity Association, Mr. Timothew Adesiyan, accused the regulators for not exposing erring companies or brokers that engage in illegal businesses. “We expect the regulators to expose any company or broker that contravene the rules and regulations of insurance operation in the country, just like the Central Bank Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, did to the bank’s executives that mismanaged the public funds,” he said. The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) put the insurance gap in the country at 94 per cent, which implies that six percent of Nigerians have one form of insurance cover or the other. The commission’s Deputy Director, Authorisation and Policy, Mr. Leo Akah, blamed the low level of insurance penetration in the country on public apathy towards insurance. He regretted that the insurance density also remains abysmally low as Nigerians on the average spend less than N1, 000 annually on insurance.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

NNPC cautions IOCs over allegations of stalling projects CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

he Management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC has raised eyebrows on media reports credited to some International Oil and Gas Companies, IOC’s accusing it of deliberating stalling the execution of some multibillion dollar projects in the sector. The NNPC held that it will not be stampeded or browbeaten into abandoning its firmly established process of contract award by what it termed calculated media blackmail ostensibly by the IOCs and other interested parties. The statement which was signed by the Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Fidel Pepple noted that while the Industry concern is normally expected in the process leading to the award of major Oil and Gas Projects, ``NNPC has an established procedure of contract and project approval which includes conduct of economic analysis to establish

L-R: Plant Manager Ikeja, Cadbury Nigeria, Mr. Robert Ogiri; Consultant, Alexander Forbes, Ms. Lola Akinla and Marketing Manager, Food Drinks, Mrs. Chioma Afe, during the 6th Bournvita Yummy promo in Lagos at the weekend.

project viability and Federal Government’ stake from investments in the upstream’’. NNPC explained that this procedure must be followed and IOC’s cannot stampede the Corporation into taking decisions that may be inimical to the nation because of their pecuniary interests. On the claim that the NNPC has not held its periodic Group

Executive Committee meetings to discuss some major projects like the TOTAL Egina deep offshore project and endorse same to NNPC Board for approval, the NNPC stated thus: ``This claim is untrue as GEC meetings are being held weekly or fortnightly. However, Erha North Phase 2 and Egina Project contracts have not been

discussed yet at these meetings because NNPC Management is critically reviewing the overall economics of the project in view of their high cost estimates in order to establish their validity, maximize Federal Government’s take and ensure comparative price competitiveness vis-a-vis benchmarks.’’ On the allegation that the

Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the NNPC, Engr. Abiye Membere was behind a phantom contract splitting attempt of the Egina Project just as he allegedly did with the previous Bonga Southwest project, the Corporation stated that such allegation is totally misplaced and untrue. The NNPC informed that the alleged contract splitting of Bonga Southwest was never in the cards as there was never a time that SNEPCO proposed three Floating Production Storage Production offloading facility (FPSOs) for Bonga Field Development. ``Engr. Membere also did not scuttle Bonga Southwest/Aparo Project six years ago. He was the GM, PSC Division of NAPIMS in 2006 and helped to move forward the strategy for a leased FPSO project for Bonga Southwest / Aparo project. He was deployed from this position to another position in NNPC’s Engineering& Technical Directorate in 2007 during a routine Management reorganisation exercise’’.

Capital Oil: AMCON disobeys court order Stakeholders seek effective framework for agricultural revolution

lmost a week after an Abuja High Court vacated the order it had earlier made in November, granting the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, (AMCON) immediate possession of properties belonging to Capital Oil, the former has disobeyed the order choosing instead, to hold tight to the properties of the company. In a release by Capital Oil signed by its Spokesperson, Mr. Nick Hayes said that even as at yesterday the policemen deployed at the instance of AMCON to take over the premises of Capital Oil and Gas, have refused to allow staff of the company access into the premises. Hayes said that even though the court order is obviously pasted at the gates of the massive premises, the policemen there claim they have not been de-briefed by AMCON. “They simply told inquisitive staff who are eager to go into the depot and resume work that; somebody sent us here and that person is the one that can ask us to leave this place. “AMCON’s action is a clear indication that the masked people bent on taking over Capital Oil and Gas Industries are still at work, doing everything they can, to perfect their plans -court order, or no court order.” Further, he said, “It is paradoxical that the same AMCON who did not waste time in taking over the premises and properties of Capital Oil and Gas when

it got an order to do so, is now foot-dragging as the same court has vacated the initial order”. On the statement credited to the Managing Director of AMCON, Mr. Chike Obi, that AMCON has appealed the order given by Justice Abdu Kafarati as probably the reason for their disobedience of the court order, Hayes said that AMCON should first obey the subsisting order, vacate the premises as well as hands-off the properties of the company and then, pursue the matter in court. He insists that anything to the contrary, remains a clear case of irresponsibility on the side of AMCON’S management as well as an indication that AMCON is running a hidden agenda for some highly placed people. The statement recalled the comments made by Justice Kafarati in his ruling; “AMCON should allow the business to go on while the company negotiates how to pay the debt. To stop the company from operating, might have adverse effect on the economy of the country”, and noted that the statement is unambiguous to warrant further interpretations”. “Federal Government has continued to promise Nigerians that they will have enough fuel to travel to their various destinations for the yuletide celebration. The same authorities should call AMCON to order, so that their promises to the masses of Nigerians will not become unfulfilled”, Hayes said.

STANLEY IHEDIGBO

takeholders in the financial and agricultural sectors have called for a more effective and articulate framework for the financing of agricultural sector, adding that this would contribute to the economy growth of the country. At the workshop on financing Nigeria’s agricultural revolution, jointly hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, at the weekend, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said that there

is need to overhaul the financial lending system to expand lending to the agricultural sector in the country. He added that the government must create an enabling environment by working with the private sector to develop programs and services that reduce the perceived and real risk associated with agricultural lending in order to encourage the financial sector to lend. Describing the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of his ministry, the Minister said the onus should not be on the government alone. Investing in the Nigeria agricultural sector, he said, “Our ag-

ricultural sector is a worthwhile investment opportunity. Today, the Nigerian population is approximately 167 million, and the agricultural sector contributes over 40 per cent of GDP. This large market represents a high and fast growing demand for agricultural goods and services. Although not fully harnessed, Nigeria also has the capacity to meet, and potentially exceed, this domestic demand”. According to him, the nation has abundant labour and natural resources necessary to improve productivity. Arable land, perhaps the most critical natural resource, is abundant in Nigeria.

FG’s rice production initiative gets FAO’s recognition TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

ederal Government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda’s rice production value-chain aimed at achieving self sufficiency in rice production by 2015 has received recognition from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which has projected that the increased rice output in Nigeria and Ghana will make global rice production for 2012 to outpace consumption in 2012/13 year, resulting in an upward revision of 5 million tonnes in 2013 closing inventories. The FAO in its recent report on global rice production

outlook, noted that when “compared to last year, world rice carryover stocks are expected to rise by 7 per cent, or 10 million tonnes, to a new high of almost 170 tonnes, marking the eighth consecutive year of stock accumulation”, adding that consequently “the world rice stock-touse ratio is forecast to rise from 33.6 per cent in 2012 to 35.5 per cent in 2013” A statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, on the report described the recognition by the global food and agriculture body as the result of the remarkable efforts by the Minister, Dr. Akinwumi

Adesina, to radically transform rice production approach in the country. It stated: “A significant achievement of the Rice Transformation Agenda is the creation of awareness of the investment opportunities in the rice sub-sector. Large rice farms are springing up across the Federation with many having their own mills and clusters of outgrowers. “Today, we have 14 integrated mills operating fully by the private sector. Another 11 large mills are under installation or rehabilitation and are expected to come under full operation by March 2013”, the statement added.

Business & Finance

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Dearth of seafarers: Nigeria loses N20bn annually to foreign liners FRANCIS EZEM

he Federal Government has said that Nigeria loses in excess of N20billion to foreign shipping lines due to the inability of the successive maritime administrations in the country to train the required manpower for the nation’s maritime industry, especially seafarers. Senior special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on maritime services, Mr. Leke Oyewole made this disclosure at the send forth ceremony for 550 Nigerian cadet trainees billed to travel to India, Philippines and some other countries for training on seafaring, which took place in Lagos at the weekend. These cadet trainees, who constitute the first batch out of a total of I, 500 trainees, who are to undertake courses in Marine Engineering, Nautical Sciences and Naval Architecture are being funded by the Nigerian Maritime

Administration and Safety Agency under its National Seafarers’ Development Programme. The NSDP is a strategic intervention designed to address the short and medium term manpower requirements of the Nigeria’s maritime industry by creating a large pool of e indigenous seafarers by 2014. This, apart from creating a niche for Nigeria as a leading supplier of seafarers in Africa, is with a view to meeting the short in the local market and also contribute to global manpower needs of the international shipping industry.. Oyewole noted that in the course of carriage of Nigeria’s in and outward bourne cargoes both in terms of the freight and manning of the vessels, Nigeria loses over N20bn annually, especially due to the lack of seafarers on Nigeria’s pool. According to him, in terms of the insurance components, Nigerian insurance firms do not play active roles both in insur-

ing the vessels, the cargo and the crew on board, a development that has made the country loose on all sides and so need to be reversed. He noted that the decision of the government to give its no to the programme was borne out of the strong belief that the exercise is not a frivolity; rather a conscious effort at building capacity, which he insisted was needful. He also argued that seafarers have remained the drivers of any economy, especially for a country like Nigeria, which depends on income from crude oil export to feed and sustain her over 160 million population, in addition to depending on imported goods both consumer and industrial. “Over 95 percent of world trade is carried by the sea. Tell me what volume exports can be carried through air transport, so the shipping industry remains the mainstay of the economy without which Nigeria’s crude oil will remain in the country”, he further argued.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Group wants military aircraft, helicopters supervised by Aviation Ministry OLUSEGUN KOIKI

Non-governmental Oragnisation (NGO), Civil Society Aviation Coalition (CSAC) yesterday canvasses for military aircraft and helicopters to be under the supervision of the Ministry of Aviation for proper monitoring and supervision. The group also joined millions of Nigerians to mourn the unfortunate demise in the ill-fated Navy Augusta Helicopter that crashed at Nembe -Okoroba Area of Bayelsa State at the weekend, which resulted in the killing of the Governor of Kaduna State Mr. Patrick Yakowa, former National Security Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan General Andrew Owei Azazi (rtd). Others involved in the crash are an aide to the late governor of Kaduna state Mr. Dauda Tsoho;

NSE warns investors not to misconstrue IPF for insurance scheme JOHNSON OKANLAWON

L-R: National Key Account Manager, Nigeria Bottling Company [NBC], Mr.Femi Oshilaja; Chairman, Board of Directors, Dreamwold Africana Amusement Park, Chief Willie Belonwu and Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Atoh Jude, during a facility tour and introductory briefing between NBC and Dreamworld, in Lagos yesterday. PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

Nigeria’s economy average compared to Ghana, South Africa- Survey

recent nationwide survey conducted by NOI Polls to gauge the opinions of the Nigerians on progress on the economy has put Nigeria far behind Ghana and South Africa. The survey however shown that 93 per cent of Nigerians are proud to be Nigerian for the most popular reason that Nigeria is their fatherland. The survey conducted between October 15th – 18th2012 sampled a total of One Thousand and Nine (1,009) phoneowning Nigerians aged 18 years and above, across the six geopolitical zones of the country. Also 40 per cent are of the opinion that the Nigerian economy has performed averagely since independence when compared to the Ghana-

ian and South African economies. However when asked if the Vision of our founding fathers (Unity & Faith, Peace & Progress) remains the same at this present time, a majority of Nigerians (88 per cent) responded negatively citing reasons for the failing of the vision as mismanagement of resources, the absence of peace & unity and corruption amongst others. A majority (44 per cent) also were of the opinion that our founding fathers would be disappointed at where we were as a Nation. The survey results highlighted the top national issue Nigerians wanted the current administration to work on; improving electricity (18 per cent), this replaces tackling insecurity down from 37

per cent to 13 per cent from a similar poll done by NOI Polls in May 2012 to gauge Nigerian’s perception on the current administration on Democracy Day. The other top two national issues were Creating Job opportunities (15 per cent) and eradicating corruption (15 per cent; up from 3per cent in May. Also, the need to boost agriculture has risen from 3 per cent in May to 10 per cent in October, and this may not be unconnected to concerns regarding the recent flooding in parts of Nigeria, which has triggered concerns about a looming food crisis. Furthermore, when asked for the meaning of Federalism, almost 1 in 2 Nigerians say they do not know the meaning of the term, when linked to a similar poll done in April 2012 on the awareness of the call for a Sovereign National Conference, 9 in 10 Nigerians have never heard about a call for such a conference.

the pilots Commander Murtala Mohammed Daba and Lietenant Adeyemi O. Sowole and a military aide to the late National Security Adviser Warrant Officer Mohammed Kamal. A statement signed by the Special Assistant, Media to the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, Mr. Joe Obi stated that the coalition wanted the Federal Government and National Assembly to introduce a legal framework, which would compel all aircraft, helicopters in use in Nigeria whether belonging to the military or for civilian use to come under the purview of the ministry. The coalition believed this was necessary for Nigeria to maintain common national aviation safety standards in compliance with global best practices and to save Nigeria from the embarrassment of incessant helicopter crashes.

he Nigerian Stock Exchange has warned investors not to miscomprehend the Investors Protection Fund (IPF), for insurance scheme. The warning is coming after the Federal Government granted forbearance package to the stockbrokers following the margin saga with banks. The shareholders argued that the government, via Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) took over their investment without compensating them while stockbro-

kers were considered for debt forgiveness. The Executive Director, Market Operation and Technology of the NSE, Mr. Adeolu Bajomo, explained that the IPF is not insurance policy where investors can make claim for, adding, “The IPF is meant for investors who genuinely made transaction with stockbrokers but such deal was not executed or was somehow defrauded by the stockbrokers.” Bajomo, noted that margin transaction between stockbrokers and banks were genuine transactions but were not previously regulated.

Remodelling: MMIA capacity to increase to 6,000 passengers daily OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he ongoing remodeling of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos will increase the passenger traffic capacity to 6, 000 from its present 1, 000 passengers daily. The Regional Manager, South-West of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Edward Olarerin said last weekend in Lagos in an interview with aviation journalists. Olalerin, who described the ongoing remodeling of 11 airports in the first phase by the Minister of Aviation, princess Stella Oduah as the best to happen to the industry since the MMIA was constructed over 30

years ago, added that with the present facility created passengers would feel more comfortable within the airport environment. Olarerin noted that passenger and cargo movements increased in October compared to October 2011 while there was a decline in aircraft movements during the period due to ban of some airlines after Dana Air crash. He said, “As for passenger movements in October 2012 in relation to last year, we have 640, 845 which happen to be about 11 per cent increase over October last year. We equally have the cargo figure as follows 16,0160542 kg of cargo that entered and left the country in October 2012 and this happen to be about 25 per cent increase over 2011.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Government grants encouraging proliferation of professional bodies T

With the criteria for becoming a professional body or institute in Nigeria getting less stringent

he struggle for recognition and supremacy among various bod- by the day, coupled with the fierce scramble for government’s largesse by institutes and ies of the accounting profession professional bodies, the effective control and regulation of professional institutes needed for in Nigeria as represented by the Insti- Nigeria not to become a nation of quack professionals is gradually being lost, writes tute of Chartered Accountants of NigeMESHACK IDEHEN. ria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of due to issues that range from infightManagement Accountants (CIMA) and ing amongst members and internally the Association of National Accouninitiated crisis, to allegation and countants of Nigeria, (ANAN), according to ter accusations of corruption; a situaanalysts, best capture the decline and tions that knowledgeable stakeholders inherent challenges that professional explained should not be heard or menbodies and institutes in Nigeria are tioned as far as ethics of professional grappling with. bodies are concerned. To many observers, ANAN and On his part, the former President CIMA whose arrival on the professionof the Association of professional al accounting scene combined is less Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Mr. Segun than a decade and half in the country, Ajanlekoko,told our correspondent have given good account of themselves that the APBN is worried and has in terms of meeting the expectations raised alarm severally over the proof their “sponsoring founders”; an liferation of professional bodies, addexpectation they explained is primaring the trend has attained a worrisome ily the breaking of the monopoly that level in the country presently. ICAN holds over the profession and its He said APBN has appealed to Corpractitioners in the country. porate Affairs Commission (CAC), and Though these views have consisthe National Assembly to ensure that in tently remained a matter of arguments ICAN President, Owolabi Adedoyin Ajanlekoko carrying out the duty of incorporation between the various bodies and their NLESS SOMETHING IS URGENTLY DONE TO RESOLVE THE and passing of laws affecting profesfollowers, stakeholders insists that sional bodies, to do proper evaluation professional and academic objectives STRIFE THAT IS FAST TEARING THE ATIONAL NSTITUTE by contacting APBN and existing prohave been relegated completely to the fessional bodies for input and presentabackground, while the emphasis is now OF ARKETING OF IGERIA WE MAY SOON HAVE A tion of informed opinion before their on how the bodies and institutes can reNEW BODY THAT WILL BEGIN TO LAY CLAIMS AS THE accreditation and incorporation in the main sustainance by means of funding larger interest of the country. it can generate, and the funding from AUTHENTIC PROFESSIONAL MARKETING INSTITUTE SEEK Disclosing that many of the institutes government should it (bodies or instiand bodies are not known to APBN or tutes) achieve a “chartered status.” TO BECOME CHARTERED AND ENJOY THE LARGESSE the laws of the country, Ajanlekoko said Human Resource Practitioner, and OF GOVERNMENT AND MEMBERS THAT GO WITH SUCH that APBN is the umbrella body and auManaging Director of Prot Consultthoritative voice of institutes, instituing Limited, Mr. Sunny Agboju, told AUTONOMY tions and societies, which is recognised National Mirror that, “the root cause and chartered to regulate the profesof the friction that existed among List of recognised bodies and institutes in Nigeria sions by the law of the Federal Republic CIMA,ANAN and ICAN was the saAssociation of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) of Nigeria. lient, though unspoken fears still Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria (AMLSN) Challenging the Federal Government nursed by ICAN till date, that the arChartered Institute of Administration (CIA) to cease giving grants and subventions rival of ANAN and CIMA on the acto professional bodies, institutes and counting scene will not only reduce the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) organisation, chartered or not, Managesubvention to ICAN from the Federal Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) ment Expert, Mr. Tope Awosegba, said it Government, but that potential and Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPMN) was mainly pride, ego and the quest to present accountants who are not able Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) acquire wealth that has driven many to to meet ICAN’s criteria standards will break away and start their own bodies. settle for less in any of the other bodies Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) Citing the National Institute of Maror institute”. Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) keting of Nigeria (NIMN), as another Decrying the present situation, a Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON) case of proliferation of professional member of the Governing Council of Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) institutes and bodies, Awosegba said ICAN Mr. Ismaila Zakari, said it was NIMN was almost torn by internal unnecessary to establish other profesInstitute of Management Consultants of Nigeria (IMCON) strife, and that Nigerians should expect sional body to oversee the activities Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) to see another body from that profesof accountants in Nigeria when there Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) sion soon. were existing bodies carrying out the “Unless something is urgently done Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) same function, adding that it would to resolve the strife that is fast tearing amount to a proliferation of the profesNigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) the National Institute of Marketing of sion and a dilution of the standards of Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) Nigeria, we may soon have a new body the profession, while the President of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) that will begin to lay claims as the auANAN, Dr. Samuel Izekwe, on the oththentic professional marketing instier hand said the association was not Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) tute; seek to become chartered, and against the establishment of another Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) enjoy the largesse of government and professional body for the accounting Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) members that go with such autonomy”. practice, provided that it has someNigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) According to him, APBN it would thing new to offer. also be recalled, recently claimed that However, while hostilities among the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) less than 30 out of the over 100 profesICAN, CIMA and ANAN may have simNigerian Medical Association (NMA) sional bodies and institutes operating mered down gradually, the same canNigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in the country are recognised, “what not be said of other professional bodPharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) then happens to the others”, Awosegba ies and institutes, many of whom are Source: APBN wondered. gradually fading away into oblivion,

;

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NITEL privatisation must be taken seriously, union urges FG MESHACK IDEHEN

he Senior Staff Association of Communication, Transport and Corporation (SSACTAC) said it is asking the Federal Government to urgently commence payment to workers of Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) who are owed 11-month salaries. President and General Secretary of the association, Mr Adetunji Adesunkanmi and Mr Chile Ekeke, said on Monday in a statement, that many associated with telecoms firm are unimpressed with government’s attempt to privatise NITEL which has suffered series of setback. The association said also that the privatisation had not impacted positively on NITEL’s

Minister of Communications, Mrs. Omobola Johnson

operations, adding it is appealing to the Federal Government to conclude NITEL’s privatisation by taking the exercise more seriously.

President, TUC, Peter Esele

Besides, the communiqué expressed worries over fuel shortage, insecurity and the state of the nation. It condemned the continued fuel

TUC calls for action against corruption MESHACK IDEHEN

he Rivers State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Hyginus Chika Onuegbu has urged Nigerians to stand up for their future by speaking against corruption The Rivers TUC chairman said also that the congress will continue to point at the dangers that corruption poses to the development of any country, saying also that the dangers of corruption in a developing economy

such as Nigeria’s cannot be over emphasised Speaking with National Mirror over the weekend, Onuegbu said corruption undermines democratic institutions, denies the citizens benefits of economic growth, feeds insecurity and terrorism and contributes to governmental instability. Calling for concrete action against corruption in the country, he added that corruption also attacks the foundation of democratic institutions by dis-

Onuegbu

n job vacancies this week, the Marketing Executives (www. jobsvangaurdng.com) available from Cornerstone Insurance Plc. The company which is offering the positions said some of the responsibilities that comes with the post are marketing of both life and non life insurance policies, communicating with target audiences and managing client relationships, and doing house to house door to door delivery services. For qualifications and requirements,

torting electoral processes, perverting the rule of law and creating bureaucratic quagmires, whose only reason for existing is the soliciting of bribes. “Economic development is stunted because foreign direct investment is discouraged and small businesses within the country often find it impossible to overcome the start-up costs required because of corruption. Corruption is a major cause of poverty, insecurity and unemployment. It is a monster that knows no colour, creed or religion”, he said. He explained that all must join hands to challenge the scourge, saying that TUC the Federal Government to sincerely prosecute all those who have been implicated in the various probes at the National Assembly, especially the fuel subsidy probes. According to him, by reporting incidences of corruption around us, by refusing to participate in activities that are not transparent, and by refusing to pay or accept bribes, facilitation fees, all would have contributed to the fight to end corruption in the country.

scarcity in the country, saying it affects the movement of people, goods and services, as well as, increasing cost of living and making inflation to go up.

It pointed out the need to address the challenges of insecurity. “The session notes with great concern the high level of insecurity in the country, which discourages investment, growth and development. “We, therefore, urge the Federal Government to brace by nipping in the bud these senseless killings, kidnapping, armed robbery and political assassination being perpetrated against innocent Nigerians.” It commended the prompt interventionist strategies used by the government and some relief agencies to address the flood disaster in the country. It recommended the establishment of an environmental impact assessment committee at all tiers of government to guard against future occurrence.

Career development tips for fresh graduates

or those of you who have just entered the job market, here are some tips that will help you survive and realise your jobs and career goals Make sure you keep learning- Learning does not stop with the end of college. In fact, if you are serious about taking your career to new heights, make sure you keep learning and adding skills to your profile. As your skills grow, so will your career. Adopt a professional attitude- Making the transition from care free days of college to the corporate world can be difficult. However, the transition is essential. Make sure you adopt a professional attitude from day 1. It will keep you in good stead. Have goals for 2 years, 5 years and 10 years- When you are driving without a destination in mind, you end up reaching nowhere. It is important to have goals in mind in order to streamline your career path. Don’t be rigid about these goals though, as it could lead to undue stress. Do not be afraid to take risks- the best time to take risks is when you are still new in the job market. You do not have a reputation and you do not have many responsibilities either.

Take risks and explore new avenues. You never know what you might stumble across. Have an investment strategy- It is possible that in the future, you may decide to switch careers. It is also entirely possible that there is a slow-down in the economy which leads to layoffs and job cuts. It is important to have an investment strategy in place to tide over these tough times. Learn a new language- The business world is getting increasingly globalized. In order to increase your chances of flying abroad on an official trip, learn a new language. While French and German are the usual bets, try learning something offbeat if you can, like Chinese, Japanese, or even Spanish. Always develop connections- No matter where you are working; always be in the habit of developing connections. Even after you leave the job, stay in touch with your seniors. It will help you get ahead in life. Do not take life too seriously- Sometimes, when we take life too seriously, we are prone to anxiety attacks and stress. Work hard and leave the rest to destiny. Sometimes, you just need to learn to go with the flow.

Job vacancies a minimum of an HND or B.Sc. in any discipline, with at least 1-3 years experience as a marketer are needed. Also available from (www.findjobafrica.com) is the post of Head of Sales in a Lagos based firm. The Head of Sales, according to the recruiting firm, will be responsible for identifying new commercial opportunities and driving growth through active management of the sales team across all business activities. Other duties and responsibilities for

the position are developing and implementing strategic marketing and sales plans, and forecasting to achieve corporate objectives for products and services. The qualifications and skills required are strong competence in sales and business development preferably in the FMCG industry, excellent leadership skills and ability to provide clear and authoritative direction to team members, alongside relevant degrees. The post of a Group Human Resource Head (www.jobsvangaurdng.

com) also available this week. The primary purpose of this role, according to the recruiters, is to act as key Human Resource business partner to the Head of the supported customer group (s) and the corresponding senior management team with the Group. Other responsibilities are to help formulate and implement HR strategies, objectives and processes which are fully aligned to the overall business strategy in conjunction with the relevant function Heads and the Cluster HR Head.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Real Estate & Environment dayoayeyemi@yahoo.com 08033312578

Professionals unite to end building collapse Demonstration by concreting managers on how to mix quality concrete.

Stakeholders at the weekend, during a one-day seminar organised for concrete managers and artisans in Lagos State by concerned professionals in the fold of Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), spoke with one voice on the need for mutual cooperation and change of attitude among the public to end building collapse. DAYO AYEYEMI, reports.

takeholders in the built environment industry comprising builders, architects, engineers, surveyors, town planners and concrete managers/artisans have been reminded of the need for co-operation and adoption of change of attitude in order to nip in the bud the incessant collapse of buildings in the country, especially Lagos State where the incident is rampant. This advice was given by experts who spoke at a one-day workshop organised by the Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), for concrete managers/ artisans in Lagos State. The workshop was in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development at the weekend. The highpoint of the event was the practical demonstration by experts to artisans the standard mixing of sand, granite, cement and water ratio for concrete works for various building types and columns. Some of the concrete managers and artisans who spoke said the workshop has enlightened them on the need to do things right to prevent structural failures. Commending the efforts of BCPG at organising the workshop, the Lagos Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Toyin Ay-

OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE, THERE IS NEED FOR THE CONTINUED CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT AND

INVOLVEMENT OF ALL PROFESSIONALS, TECHNICAL EXPERTS AND ARTISANS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. ALL HANDS MUST BE ON DECK

inde, said there was need for continuous enlightenment of the public on the building process in other to tackle the incidence of collapse., adding that professionals and concrete workers including artisans must cultivate the right construction culture. He called for the strengthening of the Standards Organisation of Nigerian (SON), to monitor the standard of building materials in the country. He said, “In order to tackle the incidence of collapse, there must be prosecution of professionals/developers who move to site without Development Permit and engage in other sharp practices, and redefining of roles of professionals in the building process to mention a few. There is need for continued constructive engagement and involvement of all professionals, technical experts and artisans in the construction industry. All hands must be on deck.

“The state would readily welcome and accept constructive criticism and appreciate the coming into being of the BCPG. We identify with your aim and objectives and see you as partners in progress in the state,” Ayinde said. The commissioner reeled out some of the processes the Lagos State government has put in place to check collapse of building especially the establishment of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), to combat the monster. He said, “Collapse of building is an ill wind that blows no one any good. It is in the light of this that the Building Control Agency was created to combat collapse of buildings. The agency has since a couple of months swung into action.” Ayinde disclosed that the state government has also structured the monitoring of the physical development of the state into 57 sectors, adding that

there are officers in charge of each sector. Having lamented the recent collapse of building within the government’s estate at Isolo and others in the past in Lagos State, Chairman of BCPG, Mr Kunle Awobodu said professionals in the built environment were the most affected as the incidence questions their professional competence in the eye of outside world. Rather than accept defeat in the magnitude of the scourge, he urged them to rise to the challenge and embark on a mass movement that is needed to curtail collapse. He said, “The expanding scope of building collapse in a grim situation where words are not being matched with action gave birth to BCPG, an emergence of a body that should be piloted by construction professionals, who understand the intricacies of building construction process and the lapses.” Justifying the essence of the workshop, Awobodu said bringing together concrete workers and managers was a major step at promoting standard construction, pointing out that concreting is a vital sector in construction. He noted that in the recent times, brittleness of concrete debris recovered at some sites of collapsed buildings has underscored the need to pay proper attention to the concrete sector. “Discipline needs to be instilled in that sector and improvement in the concrete production process will enhance standard in the sector. And this is the essence of this workshop,” he said. Also speaking, President of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), Alhaji Bala Kaoje, lauded BCPG for the initiative and also commended the Lagos State government CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Kogi to partner FHA on housing delivery DAYO AYEYEMI

ogi State Government has concluded plans to partner the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), towards accelerated mass housing delivery in the state. Kogi State Governor Idris Wada announced this in Lokoja at the weekend while receiving the Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority, Mr. Terver Gemade, an architect, who paid him a visit in Lokoja. He said his administration was eager to fast-track the amelioration of the housing challenges facing the people of the state. Wada said the state was determined to leverage its strategic position as a gateway to the Federal Capital Territory to boost the economy of the state. He said the state envisaged a time when some of those working in Abuja would decide to reside in Lokoja and commute to and from Abuja daily. With the dualisation of the LokojaAbuja road nearing completion and the proposed Ajaokuta-Abuja standard gauge rail line, he said it would not be too long for that to become a reality. Wada said his administration would create a safe and conducive environment that would make the state attractive to Nigerians from all parts of the country. He said housing delivery was a key component of his administration’s development and transformation agenda, adding that already the state government was building 350 housing units in Lokoja. The governor said he was willing to take full advantage of the strength, com-

Kogi State Governor, Captain Idris Wada (left) welcoming the Managing Director, Federal Housing Authority, Mr. Terver Gemade to Government House, Lokoja.

petence and experience of FHA in housing delivery. He directed that the title for the 100 hectares of land allocated to FHA a Kungbani village along the Abuja-Lokoja road be released to the authority immediately while efforts would be made to allocate more land to it in suitable parts of the state. Earlier, Gemade who led an eight member team of his management to Government House told his host that lack of title for land had constrained the authority in its bid to commence the development of

UNDP, FG vow to tackle indiscriminate chemical disposal OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

AND

IJEOMA EZEIKE

orried by the environmental hazard chemicals pose to Nigerians, the Federal Government in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has vowed to checkmate excesses involved in chemical disposal as well as address issues relating to waste through the establishment of programmes needed to bring about proper chemical management. This was made known last Thursday, in a one day National Inception Workshop on Mainstreaming Sound Management of Chemicals into Millennium Development Goals (MDG) - Based Development Plans and Policies. The Project Coordinator, Mr. Bello Hakeem Adediran said that the workshop is aimed at knowing the situation of chemical management in Nigeria, so that there will be need for assessment as well as filling the gaps that have been identified in the situation report with a view to developing them. Hakeem said that the Federal Government is looking at the national planning to see that issues that has to do with chemical management is mainstreamed so that funds can be leverage for them. “We are going to ensure that chemical

is used in such a way that it will help to enhance sustainable development, this workshop will help us to know the steps we are going to take in order to achieve our objectives,” he added. Cyrille Lazare Siewe from the United Nations Environment Programmes (UNEP), in his remarks, said that the organisation is making efforts at ensuring that the repetitive chemical accident is curbed to restrict the adverse effects. “Mainstreaming programme is aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity, evaluate the role of institutions that are involved in curbing the menace and to know whether they are able to check or tackle excesses in chemicals,” he said.

Jonathan

the estate. He said the authority requested for 300 hectares but was given 100 hectares and appealed to the governor to expedite the release of the allocation paper for the remaining 200 hectares. He said the FHA’s new housing estates in Kaduna, Calabar, Gombe, Makurdi, Lagos and Yenagoa were nearing completion and would be commissioned soon. Gemade said the authority wished to be a key player in the development of the state and urged the governor to accord priority attention to housing because of

its huge potential to energize the economy. He urged the governor to also take advantage of the FHA’s public-public partnership delivery model which he said would relieve the government of the stress of housing delivery. In that regard, he said the government would be required to bear the cost of infrastructure at any site provided for the FHA which would be redeemed with the allocation of a commensurate number of houses to the state government on the completion of the estate.

Professionals unite to end building collapse CONTINUED FROM 25 for the creation of Building Control Agency. He bemoaned the spate of building collapse in the country, adding that by the coming up of BCPG, whosoever wants to construct would know the need follow the rules. He, however, urged other states in the country to emulate what Lagos State is doing by creating their own Building Control Agency to prevent building collapse. President of the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Alhaji Haruna Ibrahim, said there was need to scrutinise the source of cement to prevent collapse, urging government to punish culprits of building collapse to serve as deterrent to others. He also canvassed the need for structural integrity test on buildings to determine their fitness for human habitation. General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun-Odunayo, urged people to construct properly by contacting the agency for guidelines, necessary documents and permit before commencing building construction project people for building collapse. In the past six years, Lagos authority had carried out integrity test on some

high rise buildings above five floors in Lagos Island when the 6 top floors of the 19- storey building belonging to Bank of Industry collapsed in 2006. During the exercise, 115 high rise buildings out of 145 audited were found to have failed the integrity test. Owners of such buildings were advised by government to carry out demolition of the houses by themselves. Only few responded, while few were demolished by government. Many of such buildings, which experts have described as awaiting disasters, are still standing in Lagos Island Central Business District as at today. Before now, a three storey building had collapsed in Ebute Metta, Lagos in 2005, where more than 20 people were feared dead and many with different degrees of injury. In 2006, three cases of collapsed buildings were reported on March 22, 2006, the top nine floors of the 21-storey’s Bank of Industry building on Broad Street, Lagos, collapsed. This happened after a fire had gutted two stories in the building earlier that month. Heavy winds during a thunderstorm caused the building to cave in from the structural weakness after the inferno. On July 18, 2006, another disaster occurred when a four-storey block of flats collapsed in Lagos.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Behold Olowora, Nigeria’s long distance queen! 30

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

“It’s been tough to be away for this while. But it has also toughened my resolve to come back strong -Tennis star, Rafael Nadal

Onigbinde not on NFF’s AFCON list AFOLABI GAMBARI

Some of the home-based players called to the Super Eagles’ AFCON camp. Inset: Keshi

I want to take 10 NPL players to SA – Keshi EVEREST ONYEWUCHI

head of the 29th Africa Cup of Nations, the first phase of the Super Eagles’ camp opened in Abuja yesterday, with Coach Stephen Keshi telling the home-based players that he is willing to take about 10 of them to South Africa next month. Keshi assured the players that if they prove worthy of a place in the team more than their foreign-based compatriots, he would give them shirts in the final 23-man squad to the South Africa 2013. “It will be my delight if 10 players prove good enough to make the championship roster and I will be happy if at all times four of such players start every game, but you have to prove it on the pitch that you are ready for the challenge,” Keshi charged yesterday before training commenced. Media Officer of the Eagles, Ben Alaiya, told National Mirror yesterday that 22 players were in training on Monday. Those not present are Bassey Ekpeyong of Akwa United and Norway-based Fengor Ogude, who was excused because his wife delivered a baby girl last Friday. The players were later drilled on

fitness, fitness tactics and general conditioning for a championship of the magnitude of the Nations Cup. Kano Pillars duo of Gabriel Reuben and Papa Idris received more attention because there had been fears that following injury lay-off, they might not be fit for the challenges ahead, but they sparkled in training at the Practice Pitch of the Abuja National Stadium. Team doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran, who later spoke on the state of health of the two players passed them fit for

hostilities in the run-up to the championship. “The only fear I have is that since they have not played competitive football for sometime they will still experience some mind jitters. But that is only a thing of the mind and the team psychologist, Dr. Robinson Okosun and the coaching crew are already working on that aspect,” Gyaran declared. The 24-man squad will train once a day for the time being and is due to depart for Portugal on December 27.

… May unveil foreign pros list Friday

uper Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, is expected to announce later this week the 17 foreign-based professionals for the AFCON training camp in Faro, Portugal. Un-named officials informed MTNFootball.com yesterday that there would be a few notable omissions in the list, while several other players could well be placed on standby to cover for injury and other unforeseen circumstances. “The invitation letters have been sent out to the players and their clubs, but they have also been told to keep it quiet until the list is made public probably by Friday,” a top official dis-

closed. “There will be a few shocks, otherwise it will be the usual suspects on the list with some players probably placed on standby.” Holland-based defender, Kenneth Omeruo, is already one of the surprise call-ups as he has yet to be capped at full international level and was not involved in the qualifiers for the 2013 AFCON. He had played at central defence for both the U-17 and U-20 teams but could well be considered for the problematic right fullback position which is where he plays for his Dutch club, ADO Den Haag.

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) may have inadvertently omitted a member of the federation’s Technical Committee, Chief Adegboye Onigbinde, in the list submitted to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for onward transmission to the Local Organising Committee for the 29th Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted by South Africa next month. National Mirror learnt yesterday that CAF had acknowledged receipt of the NFF list but expressed curiosity over the omission of Onigbinde, who is a retired CAF and FIFA technical instructor. It was learnt that the NFF list comprised all the hierarchy of the football body, in addition to chairmen of the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory. Checks, however, re-

vealed that Onigbinde, who was a former Super Eagles coach, had been excluded from meetings convened by the NFF’s technical committee in recent months, ostensibly due to his somewhat constant criticism of the committee’s policy at moving Nigeria’s football forward. It is not unlikely that the exclusion of the respected football strategist from the AFCON list resulted from his perceived action against the committee tentatively chaired by Barrister Chris Green after the committee was dissolved last month along other committees. Onigbinde has serially advanced his opinion on the country’s football, which interestingly always differed with the authority, even as he has declared his unwavering commitment to the country’s football development.

SAFA boss, 4 others suspended

outh Africa Football Association (SAFA) has suspended its President, Kirsten Nematandani and four other officials in the wake of a report into a pre-World Cup match fixing scandal. SAFA president, Nematandani plus four staff members, including the organisation’s newly-promoted chief executive officer, Dennis Mumble, have been suspended from duty following the fixing of the results of four warm-up matches that South Africa played in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. The others are head of national teams, Ace Kika; head of referees, Adeel Carelse and team manager, Barney Ku-

jane. A FIFA investigation into the activity of convicted Singapore match fixer, Wilson Perumal and his Football 4U organisation fingered the five South African officials, a press briefing was told. The results of matches against Thailand, Bulgaria, Colombia and Guatemala in the weeks leading up the 2010 World Cup were found to have been pre-arranged to benefit an Asian betting syndicate. National U-13 Tourney Results Sokoto

Edo

Kaduna

Imo

FCT

Ogun

Niger

Ekiti

Sport

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Tit bits...

Ferguson

Manchester United Manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, insists he will buy any player in January transfer f window. Ferguson, who rarely takes advantage of the mid-season opportunity to augment his first-team squad, believes he has enough resources to cope with challenging for the Premier League title and the European and FA Cups. “I will not be bringing anybody in, definitely not,” he confirmed.

Torres

Chelsea players contemplating their loss to Corinthians in Yokohama on Sunday

Blues rue Tokyo blues P

layers of Chelsea have expressed regret over losing the FIFA Club World Cup final to Corinthians in Yokohama on Sunday. Striker Fernando Torres had looked sadder than usual as he trudged through the corridors of the stadium, defender David Luiz’s eyes were puffy and red while Branislav Ivanovic wore a mixed look of anger and confusion. “We had chances on the night,” Victor Moses told FIFA. com yesterday. “But it’s just one of those nights when the other team’s keeper had a blinder,” the Nigeria international said. Moses, on from the start to give Rafael Benitez’s side a

little more muscle and pace up front, had one of Chelsea’s best chances of the night. In the dying moments of the first half, he broke through the Brazilian defence and curled a shot toward the top corner. Much to his surprise, Corinthians’ goalkeeper Cassio sprawled like a cat to dive it away. “I was ready to celebrate but that’s football and we have to get on with it,” he added. Chelsea plays again tonight in the League Cup against Leeds United before resuming Premier League action on Sunday against Aston Villa. “We’ll get ourselves back to where we need to be mentally. We had a bad day on Sunday but we have put it behind us,”

Moses further said. Brazilian workhorse Ramires, however, took the Yokohama loss philosophically: “We didn’t expect to lose, but that’s football. We can’t complain about what happened. If we do that, we’ll keep losing until the end of the season.” David Luiz, who was voted second-best player of the competition in Japan, said: “I am a player who has ambition, pride and personality. If you ask me if I like to lose, I will answer that I don’t.” Just inches away from being crowned world champion for the first time, Chelsea must move on to attain domestic and continental targets during its 2012/13 season.

Crash update: Ndlovu stable, still hospitalised AFOLABI GAMBARI

WITH AGENCY REPORT

Z Balotelli & Mancini

Mancini bemoans Balotelli’s antics

anchester City Manager, Roberto Mancini, has admitted that the great quality of recalcitrant striker Mario Balotelli is frustrating his efforts as the club boss. The Italian firebrand is continually defended by his boss who feels he has so much to offer to the City line-up but after leaving him out of his match day squad for Saturday’s 3-1 win at Newcastle United, Mancini admits there is an element of annoyance as to what Balotelli can and cannot produce. “Mario is not in good form so he is at home,” Mancini said

regarding the St James’ Park absence. “To get back into the team he needs to work in training and when he plays. He needs to play well. I have to talk about him every day and I am not frustrated about that. “But I am frustrated in that I would like Mario to play well because he has great quality. “He still has a big part to play this season – absolutely – because he is a good player and a huge talent with good quality and a good technique, but it is important that he puts all these things on the pitch.”

imbabwe legend, Peter Ndlovu, was airlifted to a Bulawayo hospital from Victoria Falls yesterday after a horror crash killed his brother, Adam, in his a car the former drove on Sunday morning. Reports said that Peter, who is regarded as Zimbabwe’s best player in history, was out of danger after he slid to a critical stage shortly after the accident which also claimed the life of a yet to be identified woman. “Peter is now conscious and is communicating. He has internal injuries, head injuries, broken ribs and a broken leg,” a friend, Winston Makamure, said yesterday. The 39-year-old former Warriors’ captain is said to have slept off on the wheel as the car veered off the road before coming to a stop just after 1a.m. on Sunday. Meanwhile, tributes have poured in for the late Adam as friends and colleagues as well as football officials who extolled the former national team player as “a great personality”.

Chelsea striker, Fernando Torres, is convinced fans will soon begin singing the name of manager Rafa Benitez. Torres acknowledges the past rivalry with Liverpool is a sore point for Blues fans, but is confident they will warm to Benitez. “The rivalry may have created an animosity that is understandable, but it is just a matter of time before everything changes and the fans will be happier.”

Wenger

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

AFCON 2013 Traore hold a

AFOLABI GAMBARI

WITH AGENCY REPORT

fter losing the first leg of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier 1-0 at Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, elimination stared the Stallions in the face. With five minutes of second-half injury-time already on the clock, they were leading only 2-1, which would have seen the visitors through on the away goal rule. But when all seemed lost, rising young forward Alain Traore, who had earlier found the equaliser in the 18th minute, scored his second in the sixth minute of stoppage time for a 3-1 victory, which saw his side dramatically through 3-2 on aggregate. Now, the 23-year-old, who plays his club football in France for Lorient, is confident that the team can do well in South Africa next month, although he is aware that it will not be an easy undertaking as Burkina Faso is drawn into a strong Group C that comprises two-time champion Nigeria, Ethiopia and the defending champion Zambia. “It’s been quite a long time since Nigeria have achieved great results and we

Arsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger, admits there’s been little movement over the signing of club legend Thierry Henry. Arsenal’s second-largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov has called for Henry to take a “more important role” back at the club, with another loan move from the New York Red Bulls in the pipeline. “I cannot tell you anything about it because nothing has happened,” Wenger said.

Niang

M’Baye Niang is thrilled to have scored his first goal for AC Milan in the side’s Coppa Italia 3-0 win over Reggina last weekend. “I must first of all thank the fans and I dedicate the goal to them,” Niang said yesterday. “Last week, President Silvio Berlusconi took me to one side and encouraged me, saying the club really believed in me. It really made an impact and I will repay Milan with action,” he added.

Low Germany coach, Joachim Low, isn’t interested in rumours linking him with Real Madrid. Reports in Spain suggested that Jose Mourinho would leave Los Blancos after an indifferent campaign to date, with Low one of the favourites to be his successor. “It is just speculation, Jose Mourinho has a contract until 2016. I have a contract until 2014,” Low said yesterday, adding, however: “I may return to coaching at the club level but it is not the time.”

Alain Traore

Nwaokolo makes equ YEMI OLUS

ational weightlifter, Augustina Nwaokolo, has called for provision of quality equipment to aid the lifters’ quest for medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The duo of Felix Ekpo and Mariam Usman competed at the London Olympics but failed to win a medal, a situation that many believed derived from the athletes’ ill-preparation for the games. “We need equipment here in Nigeria and a promise has been made that we will get it after the Olympics,” Nwaokolo said. “We are still waiting and praying that the authorities get us the right equipment that will motivate us to do your best,” she added. Nwaokolo, who has retained her place in the national team ever since and also won medals in the 48kg category at the African Championships earlier this year, said she would target good perfor-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

3: Stallions’ aces

have to be cautious; as I am sure they want to make up the lost time,” Traore told FIFA.com. “Zambia is the 2012 champion who caused a big surprise and are quite unpredictable. Ethiopia is quite unknown for us, but we know they did not qualify just by chance,” he added. The striker, who joined Auxerre from the Planete Champion football academy and stayed with the French club for seven seasons before moving to Lorient after Auxerre was relegated, has sometimes been labelled inconsistent, sometimes moving from great highs to periods of anonymity on the pitch. “The labelling gets on my nerves and it is as if it was my fault each time Lorient did not win a game,” Traore charged. “Only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can win a game ‘on their own’,” he lectured while warning his critics to spare their time to see him Afcon 2013 finals. “I can’t wait to confirm my class in South Africa,” the young forward said, as though warning Super Eagles, Chipolopolo and Walya Antelopes to be wary of his predatory instinct when hostilities commences at the continental showpiece.

NSF outing displeases Omotayo YEMI OLUS

Former Nigeria international Sam Okpodu (m) is flanked by Team Manager Victor Ikpeba (l) and Coach Tijani Babangida during Okpodu’s visit to the Glo Soccer Academy in Lagos at the weeekend

Okpodu hails Glo Academy F ormer coach of Super Falcons, Sam Okpodu, has described the Glo Soccer Academy as the best form of identifying future stars for Nigerian clubs and the national teams. Okpodu, who made the remark during his visit to the Glo Soccer Academy camp in Lagos at the weekend, said the atmosphere at the academy was the most suitable for teaching youngsters techniques of modern football. The former Nigeria international, who is currently a football consultant and UEFA ‘A’ licensed coach prac-

tising in the United States of America, enjoined the academy’s coaches to inculcate game reading in the players. “This is a very critical aspect which will help the kids as they progress to higher level in their career,” Okpodu remarked while commending Globacom for establishing the academy which he believed would fast track football development in Nigeria. “I think other corporate should emulate Globacom with a view to helping to promote the development of football in the country. After weeks of rigorous

screening exercise in Nigeria, Ghana and Benin Republic, 33 boys were selected to go into the Academy House where they have been tutored by a technical team led by former Nigeria international Victor Ikpeba and UEFA-graded coaches from Manchester United. Sixteen finalists will emerge as the most valuable will win N5m while others will get N1m each as all the finalists will travel to Manchester United Football School in addition each getting Globacom G-Bam Scholarship worth N750, 000.

Emenike ready for AFCON action IKENWA NNABUOGOR

uipment appeal mance at the Rio games. “The Olympics is a big competition so you can’t just go there without being prepared. Usually we are camped for a few weeks before major competitions but I will need a longer period for the Olympics. “If this can be done, it will yield a good result. Earlier this year we went for a three week training tour in Germany and the difference was very clear.”

Augustina Nwaokolo

partak Moscow striker, Emmanuel Emenike, has arrived in Nigeria and expressed his desire to lift the Africa Cup of Nations title next year in South Africa. The Russian Premier League went on break last week, enabling the forward look ahead to the continental competition. The former Karabukspor striker is expected to be named in the list of the foreign-based players to be released by Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi this week for the final preparation in Faro, Portugal. Emenike told National Mirror that it would be great to return to the country where he started his professional career, to be part of the biggest soccer showpiece in Africa, which interestingly will be his first major tournament for Nigeria. “It will be a huge challenge for me personally but I will be equal to the task. I love challenges and the AFCON in South Africa will only bring out the best in me,” he said, adding,“I will do my best and put smiles on the faces of millions of fans back home rooting for us.” Emenike, who earned a recall by Keshi and played the last two games of the 2013 AFCON qualifiers, is expected to lead Eagles’ attack alongside Spain-based Ikechukwu Uche

and will also face stiff test for spots with other strikers like Obafemi Martins, Ahmed Musa, Brown Ideye and returnee Osaze Odemwingie.

Emenike (left)

agos State table tennis player, Olajide Omotayo, has expressed disappointment over his inability to clinch more gold medals at the recent National Sports Festival in Lagos State. The 16-year-old made his debut at the festival and set a target of four gold medals in the men’s singles, mixed doubles, men’s team event and the men’s doubles. However he was only able to win gold in the team event, although he lost 3-0 in the quarterfinals mixed doubles alongside Funke Hassan to Rivers State duo of Idowu Onifade and Onyinyechi Mba and was beaten by team mate, Ayo Omotara, in the quarterfinal of the men’s singles. “It was quite tough for me, although this is my first time. But I am not really pleased with my performance in the men’s singles,” the player told National Mirror yesterday. “However I am very happy that I represented Lagos State to the best of my ability and I must say that the training tour to China also helped us a lot,” he added. Lagos State won five of the seven table tennis events including the men’s singles, men’s doubles, men’s team events, mixed doubles and the women’s doubles. Omotayo, who was recently employed by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps after his rise from the juniors, got to the semifinals of the Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championship in 2010 and the quarterfinals in 2011 and 2012.

YSFON boss pledges Lagos support IFEANYI EDUZOR

ational President of Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, has tasked the new executive of the Lagos State chapter of the federation to re-position the body, even as he promised the support of the national association. Gawuna, who spoke at the inauguration of the chapter in Lagos last weekend, said the federation would invest in the new board to re-establish it as a veritable grassroots development agency. “The National Executive Committee of YSFON took into cognizance the contributions of all the new board members towards grassroots sport development in the country before appointing them as new executives of Lagos YSFON,” Gawuna explained. Lagos YSFON Chairman, Taiwo Afinnih, thanked the national body for the confidence reposed in his team, promising to use available resources to re-position the new Lagos YSFON into a brand that would relate well with corporate Nigeria. “I intend running an open door policy and I believe I will achieve success with the personalities in my team,” Afinnih said. Other members of the board include Olagunji Olumide, vice chairman; Emmanuel Akapo, secretary; Prince Adeagbo Adesola, technical director; Shina Olumuyiwa, organising secretary; Femi Atoyebi, media officer; and Ifeanyi Eduzor, cultural officer.

Sport

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

On the track with

YEMI OLUS danyella172003@yahoo.com

Behold Olowora, Nigeria’s long distance queen!

he was discovered while playing football on the streets of Lagos Island and had even tried her luck in table tennis. But it was in Track and Field that Aminat Olowora eventually found the fame and recognition that had eluded her sporting career previously. The 18-year-old star was unveiled at the recent 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Lagos after she won three gold medals, a feat which was accomplished by no other athlete. What made her performance scintillating was her dominance in events considered to be some of the most difficult. She won the 5, 000m, 10, 000m as well as the 1, 500m; all in less than four days. It turned out that the three gold medals she won for Lagos State were the only gold the state won in the athletics event. Not even Olowora could believe the good fortune that trailed her outing at the festival. She had collapsed on the track immediately after winning the 10, 000m but while the medical team surged towards her, a new burst of energy suddenly erupted in the young athlete, perhaps after the reality of her victory dawned on her, and she sped off across the track of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, screaming and chanting verses from the Koran. Olowora is a product of the Adopt-ATalent initiative introduced by the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, to ensure that young athletes cutting across various sports are trained and supported financially by individuals and corporate organisations. On her foray into sports, the 2010 graduate of Aunty Ayo Girls Comprehensive Secondary School said: “I was once a table tennis player and played for about five years; I even travelled to Egypt to represent Nigeria. My coach discovered me in 2009. Then I was playing football on my street. He told me that I had the capacity to run but I told him I couldn’t do it because I knew my body. “Even if I run a short distance, my stomach would pain me so I told him that I prefer table tennis but he told me that I could do it. There was a day when we went for a marathon competition, Guinness Water of Life, in 2009 and I placed fourth. He said, ‘you started running not up to two months and you’re beating some athletes; which means you can run.’ After that time, I combined table tennis with athletics. “My coach told me that I couldn’t do two things and that it was either I left athletics for table tennis or table tennis for athletics. I discovered that there is encouragement in athletics because we long distance runners have an advantage as there are particular competitions we usually go to attend. In a year we could have about six competitions but that does not obtain in table tennis. So, it made me to easily choose athletics.”

Aminat Olowora.

The third of four children, Olowora built on her previous performance at the 17th edition of the NSF held in Port Harcourt where she won bronze in the 5, 000m. However, she scarcely expected to win as many as three gold medals at Eko 2012. “I expected to win some medals because I prepared hard for the festival. There was an event we had three weeks before where I participated in the 5, 000m which I won; that was when my coach discovered some problems I had like the way I used my hand; it didn’t synchronise with my legs so we started working on it. “However, I didn’t expect to win three gold medals because last year in Port Harcourt, I only won a bronze medal. When I won the 5, 000m at the Eko festival, I discovered something in me that will make me do better. The person I beat to second place (Deborah Pam) is a national athlete who won this year’s edition of the Obudu Mountain Race. So, by beating her, I knew that I could go a step

PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

Coach Saheed Alabi

further. “When I wanted to run the 10, 000m, I had the confidence that I was going to win and I just needed to maintain my pace. I didn’t run at my pace in all three races that I won even though I knew I had the strength to do so. I didn’t have any Personal Bests because I didn’t run at my pace. Since we needed gold, I only

ran to win the medal because it has been long that Lagos won a gold medal in athletics.” Despite making a statement at the NSF, Olowora’s challenges are far from being over. But nonetheless, she is confident about surmounting the obstacles on her way. “I still encounter the stomach pain. Sometimes as I run, I feel it but I think that is normal. The thing that always comes to my mind is ‘you can do it’. Sometimes my body would feel like stopping but I tell myself, ‘No I won’t stop because I can do it’. “My coach also told me that anytime I feel that pain, I should remember that more gain comes with more pain. So, ever since I have learnt how to endure, to do what I can do. It is better for me to finish the race and then faint afterwards but I just want to do the right thing on the tracks.” Olowora’s coach, Saheed Alabi, says a special programme needs to be prepared for her ward if she should rank among the likes of Tirunesh Dibaba and Vivian Cheruiyot who have taken the world by storm. “When I discovered Aminat, we used to spend three hours at the Bar Beach or three hours on a hill. She has been involved in serious programmes,” Alabi enthuses. “I have taken her to a number of competitions organised by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and I am not surprised that she has achieved this feat because this year, she broke the 14-year old national record in the 5, 000m at the ECOWAS Games in Ghana where she came second behind a Togolese. “She set a time of 15:57:28 but the former record was 16 seconds. What we intend to do now is to look for a programme for her and allow her to get international exposure so that we will be able to do more. I am a grassroots coach and I have discovered a lot of athletes but Aminat is the most fantastic of all. “She will be able to work on her personal bests. Within a short time she will be able to lower her time in the 1, 500m. She needs to go on a training tour to Kenya because of the high altitude. She needs to also run in the grand prix so that she would be able to compete with the top runners in her events.” The coach says his ward, who aspires to be a lawyer after securing admission to the University of Lagos, needs comprehensive scholarship award to enable her to maximize her potential. “I believe Aminat needs a scholarship, especially to an American University, because her education is of paramount interest to me. She will end up using that certificate to uplift herself in future. She also needs to be allowed to compete in international meets. With a lot of training, I strongly believe she can beat the Kenyans and Ethiopians.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Real Estate & Environment

Dangote cement glut’s claim: An attempt to frustrate affordable housing delivery –Experts STORIES: DAYO AYEYEMI

bout two weeks after Dangote Cement Plc announced the temporary shutdown of its Gboko plant over cement glut claim, built environment experts have not stopped to condemn the claim they described as a deliberate action to create artificial scarcity of the product and frustrate government’s efforts on affordable mass housing delivery. The management of Dangote Cement had announced last week its plan to temporarily close down its four million metric tons per annum’s Gboko Plant, as a result of glut in the cement market. Rebuffing the cement glut claim, President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Mr Chucks Omeife, said the obvious reason for the firm’s claim is based on its monopolistic supply of the product to the Nigerian market. In other climes where the economic forces are at play, Omeife said what people expect is reduction in the price of cement to sustain production or supply level “but that is not happening because Dangote has total control of cement to the economic detriment of Nigerians.” If such claim by Dangote is allowed to stay, the NIOB boss said the problem of affordability of mass housing in the country would remain a mirage. He said, “The problem of affordability of proposed mass housing would remain a mirage except government put in place a deliberate policy to peg the price of cement which should not be more than N1.000.” Omeife pointed out that all over the world, such practices are common and “one is at a loss why the government has refused to intervene in the price of this important product that is very critical to provision of mass housing for Nigerians for which stood at over 16million deficit!.”

Bags of cement

Other built environment experts described Dangote’s claim as political; noting that price of cement is still high in the market and as such, the claim of glut does not hold water. Cement is a major component of building production in Nigeria. Currently, a bag of cement is selling between N1,750 and N1,900 in the market depending on locations. Former Chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Architects, Lagos State Chapter, Mrs. Abimbola Ajayi, said surplus cement by Dangote should be exported abroad so that Nigeria could earn foreign exchange if the claim is genuine. She said it would be difficult for Nigerians to believe that there is glut in cement market when the product is still selling for N1, 800 per 50 kilogramme bag, warning the company not to create artificial scar-

Onolomemen suggests alternative ways of funding highway infrastructure …Says N500bn is required annually to fix nation’s roads

he Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolomemen has recommended alternative ways of funding highway infrastructure in order to bring the nation’s ailing roads to the standard known with road infrastructure development in other thriving nations in the world. These, he said include the adoption of annuity contracts for key arterial routes; borrowing from multilateral agencies and pension fund for the key highway infrastructure; floating of road Bonds for highway projects; and viability gap funding. Other alternative funding arrangements he suggested are the implementation of the 5 per cent fuel surcharges; user-related charges and conventional Public Private Partnership finance for road infrastructure. The minister reeled out these alternating funding for road infrastructure while speaking at a Public Hearing by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Works on the “Need to Address the Near Total Collapse of Federal Roads Across the Country”.

The minister gave details of efforts to reinvigorate and make the management of the nation’s federal roads and on-going projects more effective which include restructuring of the two highways departments into twelve departments, the decentralisation of the management of the nation’s existing road networks and the development of the recovery of new and deteriorated routes. To fix Nigerian ailing roads and bring them to international standards, Onolememen stated that about N500 billion would be required annually for the next four years. The minister who said the average annual budget of about N100 billion for road development is grossly inadequate for the nation’s 35,000 kilometre of federal roads, mentioned that from past experience, budget provisions were not fully released, adding that in 2012, only N110 billion was released out of a total budgetary provision of N143 billion.

city of the product. Also, former Chairman of Lagos branch of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Mr. Jide Oke, described claim by Dangote as a political statement, raising posers about high price of cement in the market despite claim of glut by the manufacturer. He said, “If there is glut in cement market, why is the product still selling at N1,800 instead of N1,000 per 50 kilogramme?” The Group Head, Corporate Communication, Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, who confirmed this in Lagos 10 days ago, said the move was necessitated by the glut

in the market arising from the success presently being recorded with the exponential increase in local production of cement and further compounded by continued importation of subsidised cement into the country. He disclosed that the production figure for the first 11months of the year shows increased local production level with supply now surpassing demand. Total supply of cement to the market at the end of November, according to him, when compared to the same period last year, has shown a record increase of 11.4 per cent, the highest ever.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Decorating your home for Christmas There are many things that you can do in decorating your home for the Christmas. One of the rooms that you need to pay more attention to is the living room. This is because living room is an area where you will have your guests served. This room may also be the room where you, your family, even your guests spend most time together in, during Christmas to celebrate.

Plan It You should plan your home Christmas decorations in advance to get the look you want, and you should start your plans with the inside of your home and move to the outside, according to the online decorating resource Home-Decorating-Reviews.com. Take pictures of the rooms and outside areas of your home that you intend to decorate, and start planning what kind of decorations you will want to use and where they will go. Take the pictures with you when you set out to buy new decorations. That will help you buy the decorations you will need for the schemes you plan on creating. Use your Christmas tree clippings When you buy your real Christmas tree, it is common to clip off branches from the tree before you start decorating it to make tree look more uniform and fit better in your home. Do not throw those branches out. Instead you can use them as natural garland to decorate your interior stairways, doorways, fireplace mantle and the centerpiece on your Christmas dinner table. You also can use your Christmas tree clippings to make your own homemade wreath for the front door or window. Choose a colour theme Decorating your house for Christmas using a variety of colours and if you are going to plan out your house decorating, try to create colour themes that will make your decorations stand out. You can use the same theme for the entire house, use different themes for different rooms or create a colour theme for each major decorating part of your home. For example, you may want to use a red and gold theme for your Christmas tree but you may decide to use a silver and green

Culled from www.ehow.com

theme for the fireplace mantle. You also could decide on a red, silver and gold theme throughout the entire house. LED Lights If you plan on putting up lights on the outside of your home this holiday season, consider using programmable LED lights. You can create a dynamic outdoor display by programming LED lights to change colours, execute chase patterns or strobe at different times. LED lights use less electricity than standard Christmas lights, which means you can decorate more of the outside of your home without increasing your energy bill substantially.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

OLUFEMI ADEOSUN

n furtherance of its anti-littering programme, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has begun its compliance monitoring campaign in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The anti-littering programme is initiated by NESREA with a view to ridding the city and its environs of filth and waste, particularly during the Yuletide period. The compliance monitoring exercise is coming on the heels of an earlier two weeks sensitisation exercise which took place in Bwari and Kuje Area Councils to create awareness and raise the consciousness of the residents on proper waste disposal methods. The campaign, which is expected to be replicated in other area councils and states of the Federation, according to the agency, is in line with enforcing the national environmental (sanitation and waste) Regulations, 2011. Addressing residents in Kuje including Traditional rulers, Landlords, Shop owners and tenants during the kick-off of the exercise in Abuja last week, the DirectorGeneral Dr Ngeri Benebo, represented by the Deputy Director, Environmental Education Awareness, Mrs. Florence Oti, stated that there was need to follow-up appraisal to ascertain the level of compliance in the two area councils. In order to achieve this, she said, “The chiefs and council officials should also join NESREA monitor residents to ensure compliance to proper waste disposal methods and stop littering.” The director-general enjoined the residents to learn to cultivate the habit of cleanliness and desist from habitual littering. Benebo encouraged area council chiefs

Concrete workers

Littering: NESREA steps up compliance campaigns in FCT to make proper use of cleaning implements earlier donated to them by NESREA, to assist their cleaning exercise. Apart from that, she urged landlords to

Ekiti commissioner stresses importance of ongoing urban renewal projects

kiti State Commissioner for Physical, Urban and Regional Planning, Mr. Ebunlomo Awoyemi, said the aggressive urban renewal project of the state by Governor Kayode Fayemi was to fully realise the economic benefits that accompany standard planning and development control. Awoyemi who made the assertion at an interactive section organised by the ministry for property developers in the state noted that considerable success was already being recorded in the execution of projects. The commissioner noted that successive past administrations had paid little or no attention to planning in the state hence the need for the state to develop a master plan for the state capital and other urban areas of the state. He explained that lack of the master plan had led to construction of building in a haphazard manner in towns and villages. The commissioner disclosed that in order to find a lasting solution to the problem, the state government invited a senior urban planning specialist from the World Bank, Mr Pedro Ortiz to interact with property developers at

make provision of toilets a priority and cautioned tenants to abide by all environmental best practices. “We have to complement each other because we cannot do it alone”, she added. She said,” NESREA is collaborating with the Bwari and Kuje Area Councils to ensure a cleaner and healthier envi-

Rivebond to launch new housing estate in Epe SINA FADARE

Fayemi

the forum. Ebunlomo therefore enjoined participants to pay rapt attention to the Resource Person and make useful contributions at the forum. Earlier, the World Bank ‘s urban planning specialist, Mr. Pedro Ortiz said he was in the state to deliver lectures on the way forward in developing the state. Ortiz added that to avoid future demolition of houses, efforts should be made towards planning ahead.

ronment for residents. This is the time to encourage Nigerians to be more conscious about their environment”. The agency had penultimate week donated wheel barrows, cutlasses, hand gloves, shovels and rakes as part of efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the exercise.

community leader and a philanthropist, Chief Lanre Razak has said that a private housing estate is about to spring up in the ancient city of Epe, in Epe Local Government Area Lagos State. The project, to be known as First Class Housing Estate, according to him is the developmental efforts of a private company, Rivebond Nigeria Limited under his able leadership. A document available to National Mirror revealed that the project site at Epe ‘T’ junction was acquired legitimately 34 years ago while the necessary processes for its Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) commenced in 2009 after payment of over N24milion. Rasak informed that the project which is anchored on the Public Private Participation (PPP) when completed will go a long way to ease the problem of accommodation in the state However, Razak, who was a councillor and later the Chairman of Epe Local Government before becoming a Commissioner in Lagos State ex-

pressed delight that “we have eventually succeeded in getting another suitable site of about 12.5 hectares for the PHCN’s 132 KVA sub –station transmission centre not far away from the estate’s site. He explained that “Three top officials of the PHCN had visited the site and they confirmed that the site is suitable for their use and need,” The Federal Ministry of Environment had completed the Environmental Impact Assessment report on the site and necessary plans are ongoing on the site. And we did not only provide the new site for the PHCN, we will go further to clear the land and make it readily available for them,” In a letter of appeal, appreciation and commendation written to Governor Fashola on his noble role in the matter, the company assured him of its commitment to the realization of the PHCN project, “ just as we also assure the governor that it would be a mutual benefits to all concerned if neither of the two projects dies because of the other since both can grow and provide employment to not less than 2000 Lagosians if they both survive.”

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fashola states reasons behind Title Document Registration DAYO AYEYEMI

Fashola

agos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, last week gave insight into reasons behind the promulgation of the State’s Land Use Act (Title Document Registration) 2012, saying the purpose was to improve service in the administration of land in the state. Fashola, who spoke at the venue of the Stakeholders’ Meeting on Land Use Act (Title Documentation) 2012, said the process of land administration in the state would be greatly enhanced by the Act, pointing out that it would also empower citizens of the state. He said with the conversion of all land documents into an electronic format by his predecessor and the geographic mapping of all the land in the state by the present administration as well as the automation of the process, the stage has been set to fast track all land transactions in the state for the prosperity of the residents. The governor noted that as a legal practitioner, he has been on the side of providing service in land cases and now serves as

a regulator by virtue of his office, hence his good knowledge of the subject. He said, “I have heard people say that the Land Use Act should be repealed. But my answer has always been that if there is any piece of legislation that has drawn a measure of clarity to a particular subject, it is the Land Use Act. “Before the Land Use Act, there was the Land Tenure System in the North which was the precursor to the Land Use Act. In those days, many land cases dominated the attention of the courts. People engaged in all manners of violence over land. Government at a time, saw the need for action and that was the precursor of the Land Use Act.” Noting that all the sections of the Act have been interpreted by the Supreme Court, the governor said the decision to retain or dump such a wealth of documentation would be a choice to be made by all Nigerians adding, “The problem is not the Land Use Act but the method of implementation”. He said the state government has embarked on series of reforms, including the present Act, to eliminate the problem of im-

NEMA links Nigeria’s flood to climate change OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has attributed climate change to the spate of flood disaster that engulfed the nation in recent time to the manifestation of the effect of climate change. No fewer than 365 people were reportedly killed and over 2.1million displaced in the flooding which ravaged some states in the country. A statement by the agency’s Spokesman, Mr. Yushau Shuaib said NEMA DG, Muhammad Sani-Sidi disclosed this at the end of the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Doha, Qatar. According to the statement, Sani-Sidi explained that the climatic condition and drastic change to whether pattern

Nigeria’s worst flood

contributed to massive flooding witnessed in most states in Nigeria where lives were lost and sources of livelihood worth billions of naira were destroyed. Sani-Sidi said: “We are now living witnesses to the reality of climate change and global warming where areas considered as dryland in the Northern part of the country witnessed excessive and torrential rainfall while some communities in the South were also submerged. “NEMA has received tremendous support from all stakeholders during the recent flooding in many parts of the country; this is the first time we would have good collaboration with stakeholders during emergency response period. However, the law establishing NEMA states that there shall be state and local government emergency management agencies; but unfortunately, not many states have functional and effective institutional framework to manage disasters.” He disclosed that within the limits

of its resources, the agency had responded well to the recent flood disaster, which affected about 25 percent of the country by mobilising its personnel to provide rescues and relief services to victims. On what should be done to mitigate the impact of flooding in the country, Sani-Sidi said, “We must be environmentally conscious, where we need to build buffer dams, we must build; and people in flood plains should move to higher grounds. “State governments must be serious about emergency management and local government authorities must also be serious; we need to create awareness and build capacity so that we can reduce our people’s vulnerability.” On NEMA’s participation at COP 18, the director-general said that as disaster managers, the agency finds the conference relevant, especially with the recent experience of natural disasters attributed to climate change.

plementation adding, “Many years ago, the only way to conduct research on land issues was to go to the land registry and open records and begin to search and that led to so many anomalies including mutilation and destruction of documents. My predecessor took a bold step by scanning all the documents and putting them in an electronic format”. Other innovations being undertaken by the government by way of reforms on land administration, Fashola said, include Electronic Certificate of Occupancy which, according to him, would replace the Yellow paper “because the yellow paper is not as secure as we would like. So we are introducing a format that is more difficult to forge. “We are also looking at the land rate. We see that there is a disconnect between the market realities and what we see with people. People are reluctant to disclose the cost of their land transactions because they want to do an all inclusive cost; 13 percent, 10 percent government charge and all that; we intend to bring all that down, but in doing so, you also have a responsibility to disclose the cost of your property”, he told the gathering.”

How to fix Nigeria’s infrastructure, by Accenture STANLEY IHEDIGBO

management consulting and technology services company, Accenture Nigeria, has called on government to embark on articulated public-private investment initiative that could take the country out of the woods of infrastructure deficit. The Director of the company in charge of real sector, Ms.Juliet Anammah, gave this advice at the just concluded Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) in Abuja. She said an integrated plan by the government and building of capacity for government officials to enable them handle such projects was critical to meeting the expected results. Anammah said, “Sometimes the problem with private sector participation in project is that government is not in position to monitor the projects. Government needs to know precisely what the required rate of return for investors would be and how much it would cost to deliver those projects. They can’t just rely on the private sector to provide this information.” The director further called for the employment of alternative sources of funding for critical infrastructure. She said, “We need to look at alternative forms of funding for infrastructure projects; clearly, it has been very difficult for our government to engage either funding from development finance institutions or multilateral agencies without having internal funding available or the enabling environment.” She called on the Federal Government to consider such alternative as floating bonds specifically for road projects in order to fast-track road construction across the country.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Aviation

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Mixed reactions trail N13.9bn Bayelsa Int’l Airport project The recent approval of N13.9bn for the construction of Bayelsa International Airport is pitching aviation stakeholders and professionals in different tents. While a section supports the construction, others say it is uneconomical. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.

n 2011, a total of 844 passengers passed through Minna airport, 3,233 passengers used Akure Airport while total passengers traffic volume for Katsina Airport stood at 5, 066. Sokoto Airport’s passengers’ traffic was 3, 823 while Makurdi Airport had total passenger traffic of 808 for the year under review. These and more are the situations in most Nigerian airports toady. Apart from Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, Aminu Kano International Airport , Kano and Port Harcourt Airport in Port Harcourt and a few others with high passengers traffic annually, most other Federal Government owned airports hardly record one million passengers’ traffic yearly. In fact, most Nigerian airports are not viable and consistently act as drainpipe for the Government and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Information at the disposal of National Mirror indicated that FAAN generates an average of N40bn as its annual revenue, which is principally generated by the Lagos airport and three other viable airports in Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt. The princely sums are being used to service other 18 airports. FAAN records indicated that while the authority made about N1m revenue from the Makurdi Airport in 2004, it spent over N70m on the development of the airport same year. It also in 2004 spent N90m on the development of the Kaduna airport, which according to FAAN records contributed less than N10m to the coffers of the agency the same year. In the midst of all these unviable airports, the Federal Government is bent on constructing more airports in different states for Nigerians starting with the recent approval of N13.9bn for the construction of Bayelsa International Airport, Bayelsa State. Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, the Special Assistant, media to the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, Mr. Joe Obi said that the Federal Ministry of Aviation plans to collaborate with Bayelsa State Government on the construction of the airport in the state. He explained that the role of the ministry was to provide technical expertise to the state government and assured that with the feasibility studies carried out by the government, the airport unlike some in the country would be viable. He hinged his argument on the crude oil exploration in the state, adding that the construction of the airport would further reduce man-hour loss by businessmen in the area. He said, “Most of the states in the country lack the technical expertise that go into international airports like the ones they are planning for Bayelsa. So, we are collaborating with the state to providing technical expertise, but in terms of funding I don’t know what the structure is for now. ”I don’t know where the location is going to be, but what I know is that the

Oduah

Ohunayo

IN FACT, IF NIGERIA HAS THE FUNDING, EVERY STATE IN THE COUNTRY SHOULD HAVE AN

AIRPORT.

THAT IS THE WAY IT IS IN THE US, UK AND OTHER COUNTRIES

feasibility studies have shown that the airport will be viable no matter the closeness of other airports to it. Those airports in those areas still don’t serve the needs of the people in that area in terms of air transportation. “Also, note that there is oil activities in that part of the country and all these chopper operations are very high in that area and some of them operate from Owerri or even Port Harcourt going to Bayelsa. So, if you have an airport there, it facilitates movement and reduces man-hour loss. It is going to be viable from the research that has been carried out.” However, information gathered by National Mirror revealed that the Federal Government is the sole sponsor of the airport in Bayelsa with the approval of N13.9bn for the project in one of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings recently. Besides, the planned construction of more airports in the country by the Federal Government has put professionals and stakeholders in the country’s aviation sector at loggerheads. While a section of professionals and stakeholders feel it is a step in the right direction and even want government to construct airports in each state as is the situation in United States of America and some other few developed aviation countries, others insist it is a waste of inadequate resources by the government and challenged the government to use the resources to develop the existing airports to acceptable standards. The Managing Director, Afrijet Airline, Mr. Vitalis Ibe described the planned con-

struction of more airports across the country as a step that will not only improve the aviation sector, but economic activities across the country. He explained that the more the population of the country grows, the more available resources would be overstretched and the income level will continue to grow, adding that the purchasing power will continue to rise. Ibe said for a government that is proactive, this is the right time for it to commence development of infrastructure even if such infrastructure is not required now, maintaining that if the government has the funding, it should be allowed to go ahead with the planned construction of the airport in the state. He said, “My concern would be whether the Federal Government has the funding, but if they have the funding, there is nothing stopping them in constructing more airports around the states. They can’t wait till when the airports would be viable. It is Nigerians that will make them viable. If the airport is not built, nobody can say it is viable or not. “In fact, if Nigeria has the funding, every state in the country should have an airport. That is the way it is in the US, UK and other countries, but because there are funds constraints in this country, the Federal Government doesn’t have inexhaustible funds. I believe the government must have its own parameters from building airports wherever they felt like building them. “For instance, some states may just be viable, but they have no airports while some states circumstantially at present are

not viable, may be viable in the future. So, I like the idea of building more airports, it’s like building more infrastructure in the country. It’s like building more highways, dams, canals to take care of floods. So, I don’t have anything against that. I think it’s a good idea. Viability will depend on the volume of activities and there is no state in Nigeria if their resources are well managed that will not be viable.” Also, the Chairman of ART, Capt. Dele Ore believed opening of airports in some states would open them up to investors. According to Ore, every airport could be viable inasmuch as it is handled by private companies and government provided enabling environment for such company to succeed. Ore said provision of airport in the states would create jobs for the locals and open up such state for investors. He maintained that airports worldwide are handled by private companies, wondering why it is not so in Nigeria. But the Head, Research, Zenith Travels, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo sees it differently. He queried the rationale behind the construction of Bayelsa International Airport by the government. He emphasised that the distance between Port Harcourt Airport and the site where the airport would be located is just 40 minutes drive while the distance between the airport and Owerri Airport is about one hour drive. He likened the airport to Akure Airport, which many years after construction is yet to record 5, 000 passengers per annum due to its closeness to Ibadan Airport. He insisted that construction of airports in Nigeria over the years is based on political decisions rather than economic decisions, which would make them active and productive. Her said, “I’ve seen where the airport is going to be located in Bayelsa, it’s barely 40 minutes drive from Port Harcourt Airport. How many minutes is it from that Airport to Owerri Airport, again, you are looking at below one hour. It’s going to be the case of Akure and Ibadan airports that have remained unviable because of their closeness. Somebody will wake up tomorrow and say he wants to put an airport at Ekiti State. “One thing for you is to say it and another thing is for them to listen to you. I really don’t have the power to tell them not to do it. If I have the power, I wouldn’t even have allowed them to touch the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) fund to remodel the airports because airports are supposed to be revenue generating environment. “If you do not have the funds, you go to people who can fund it just like we are doing with the Chinese now at the new terminals. We ought to look for organisations that will fund the remodelling and recoup their money later.” To the Secretary General of Aviation Round Table (ART), Mr. Sam Akerele, the only viable airport in Nigeria is Lagos Airport. He said others are only struggling to survive. He decried at a situation whereby a state government spends about N20bn on the construction of an airport only for the government to generate less than about N1bn from the airport in a year and warned that most of the airports might be diverted for other purpose in the future.

Aviation

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

SAHCOL emerges ‘Best Air Cargo Handling Company of 2012’

kyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL), has emerged the “Best Air Cargo Handling Company of the year 2012.” An online statement signed by the ground handling company’s Head Corporate Communications, Mr. Basil Agboarumi that the award was presented to the company in Lagos by the Transport and Society Weekly Magazine at its 2012 Transport Stakeholders Excellence Award. According to the statement, SAHCOL was selected for the award as a result of its outstanding high quality performance and operational excellence, track records and value creation in Air Transport industry. He observed that since the present management led by its Managing Director, Mr. Oluropo Owolabi, business modules has been developed, which has ushered into the performance of the company efficient and speedy service delivery, while also investing in personnel development, state-of-the-art equipment, fleet replacement and massive infrastructural development. The statement reads in part,

Airside shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

Egypt Air and snake onboard aircraft

Director-General, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Dr. Anthony Anuforum being presented with a Memento by the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Professor Chigozie Cyril Asiabaka. Flanked by their wives: to the left is DG’s wife: Mrs. Eunice Anuforom and to the VC’s wife, Mrs. I.P. Asiabaka.

“The Managing Director, Olu Owolabi has brought his experience to bear in the day-to-day performance of the duties of SAHCOL, which includes passenger handling, ramp handling, cargo handling/warehousing, Aviation Security, baggage reconciliation, crew bus and executive lounge services, and other related ground handling services. “The management also ensures that ground handling services to all clientele is executed

in an efficient, speedy and safe manner, while also ensuring that the right tools are deployed. Some of the promises made by the Owolabi led management at the beginning of the year, with the support of the Chairman and Board is being fulfilled, which to a large extent has helped tailored SAHCOL to meet the needs and expectations of its growing list of clientele, and by extension contributing to the Air Transport needs of the economy of Nigeria.”

Hainan Airlines shifts gulf hub to Abu Dhabi tihad Airways’ codeshare partner, Hainan Airlines has reportedly shifted its Gulf flight operations from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. The Skytrax five-star rated airline now operates its twice weekly Beijing to Luanda service via Etihad Airways’ hub in Abu Dhabi. The new services are timed to offer Hainan Airlines’ guests seamless connectivity from Beijing to Berlin and London Heathrow and from Cairo, the Maldives and Casablanca to Beijing on the return. A statement signed by the media consultant to Etihad Airways in Nigeria stated that the move to Abu Dhabi expands the scope of cooperation between the airline partners beyond the original agreement, signed in

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

December 2011, to code-share on flights and offer guests reciprocal frequent flyer program benefits. Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, Mr. James Hogan, welcomed the Chinese carrier’s decision to move its operations to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. “When Etihad Airways signed its historic code-share agreement with Hainan Airlines last year – its first ever with a Chinese airline, it marked the beginning of a new era of cooperation between the two airlines. “The partnership has developed in a positive, mutually beneficial way and relocating Hainan’s Gulf operations to Abu Dhabi International Airport is a natural next step.”

Hogan according to the statement noted that Hainan Airlines was the second airline partner from the Asia Pacific region to shift its Gulf operations to Abu Dhabi in recent times. Garuda Indonesia also consolidated its operations in Abu Dhabi from December 2. This followed the signing in October of a comprehensive code-share agreement with the Indonesian carrier. Also commenting, President, Hainan Airlines Mr Liu Lu said the move to Abu Dhabi International Airport would optimise its Beijing to Luanda operation, adding that a deeper partnership with Etihad Airways would also enable its customers to connect in Abu Dhabi to multiple destinations throughout the Middle East, Africa and Europe.”

L-R: Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren presenting the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to the President of Barbedos Group and Chairman of Skyjet Aviation Services Limited, Alhaji Kashim Bukar Shettima in Lagos recently. With them is the Director of Air Worthiness and Standard, NCAA, Mr. Ammanuel Usifo.

t was amazing last week when Airside read an online report in which an Egypt Air pilot made an emergency landing at Hurghada airport after a snake bit a Jordanian passenger onboard. The snake was apparently concealed in his luggage. Crew were shocked by the passenger’s screams, being unaware of the snake’s presence on the plane. The accident was reported to the pilot, who requested permission for emergency landing in Hurghada. The passenger was immediately taken off the plane for medical treatment, and local authorities

confiscated the snake. Airside feels such an experience may happen in Nigeria where contraband goods find their ways out and into the airport with the assistance and connivance of security officials attached to the airport to monitor activities. In order to avoid this, Airside advises various security officials attached to the airports especially the international ones to intensify their vigilance and adhere strictly to the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Who says this can’t happen in Nigeria?

BA stocks up extra gifts for Christmas

s thousands prepare to go abroad for Christmas, with an estimated 30,000 people flying with British Airways on Christmas Day alone, the airline is stocking extra gifts for its busiest shopping month on board. This includes the launch of an exclusive charity donation card, created by Turner Prize nominated artist Tracey Emin. It seems that last minute Christmas shopping is not just resigned to the high street – research found that nearly a third (32 per cent) of people would consider buying their Christmas gifts on board flights. While a further 17 per cent of those travelling will forget to pack a present accidentally leaving it at home, with the hard-done by brother-in-law being the person we are most likely to forget!

British Airways on-board retail executive, Peter O’Shea, said: “December is our busiest month for on board shopping. Customers like to choose from our carefully selected gifts and benefit from a wide range of travel exclusives and tax-free purchases. Many also like the convenience of buying on board, as it means less to carry in their luggage.” In time for the festive season, British Airways is launching a charity donation card. Designed by Tracey Emin, the monoprint entitled ‘Feeling Safe’ features a pair of Doves entwined on a branch, with a third bird watching over them. It is available on board flights and online at www. highlifeshop.com from Monday 3 December. Retailing at just £5, all money goes towards Flying Start – the airline’s charity partnership with Comic Relief.

South African Airways, Air Canada sign code-share agreement

outh African Airways (SAA), last week announced a code-share agreement with Air Canada, which will make it substantially easier for customers to travel between South Africa and Canada. With immediate effect, customers connecting between the carriers in London will be able to book a single itinerary and make seamless connections. A statement signed by the airline’s media consultant in Lagos stated that in addition, the two airlines are members of Star Alliance, thus enabling customers to benefit from reciprocal frequent flyer miles accumulation or redemption and lounge access for eligible customers. Speaking on the agreement, SAA’s acting General Manager, Commercial, Mr. Manoi Papa stated that SAA looks forward to introducing Air Canada’s customers to its service and extensive route network, stressing

that this agreement represents new and seamless travel options between two world-class airlines with a deep knowledge of their respective markets. SAA will code-share on Air Canada-operated flights between London and Vancouver, London and Toronto, and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Toronto. Air Canada will in turn codeshare on SAA-operated services between London and Johannesburg, New York and Johannesburg, and Johannesburg and Cape Town. “Air Canada is extremely pleased to offer customers travelling between Canada and South Africa the added convenience of code sharing with our preferred partner SAA. With flights coordinated to minimise connection times, plus the simplicity of a single itinerary, it will be easier than ever to fly between Canada and South Africa.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insurance

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Insurance industry unable to achieve N1trn premium income

lans by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), to achieve N1 trillion Gross Premium Income (GPI), by end of this year through the Market Development and Restructuring Initiative has not yielded the desired result. The MDRI project is a medium term plan-20092012 of installing the first phase of the necessary reforms in the areas of Industry capacity, market efficiency and consumer protection in the Nigerian insurance market. Basically, the initiative on MDRI was in a bid to create public awareness on the relevance of insurance in everyday life of an average Nigerian. The commission used the MDRI initiative as a vehicle to take crusade on insurance to the streets of Nigeria in the six geopolitical zones inclusive of Lagos and Abuja. The MDRI project focuses on enforcement of Compulsory Insurance Products in Nigeria; Sanitisation and Modernisation of Insurance Agency System; Wiping-out of Fake Insurance Institutions and Introduction of Risk-based Supervision. Consequently, six insurance products were made compulsory by the Insurance Act 2003 and other legislations. These are group life Insurance in line with the Pencom Act 2004; employers liability in line with the workmen’s compensation Act 1987; buildings under construction-Section 64 of the Insurance Act 2003; occupiers liability insurance –section 65 of the Insurance Act 2003; motor third party Insurance –section 68 of the Insurance Act 2003; health care professional indemnity insurance-under section 45 of the NHIS Act 1999 and the sanitization and modernization of insurance agency system. In all, the commission expects to spend substantial sums in implementing this project, but at the end of the day the gains derivable to the country, industry and NAICOM would be enormous. Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel said it is expected to deepen and grow the insurance market and move the industry gross premium from N164billion in 2008 to NI.0 trillion 2012. He stated that other benefits include direct project revenue of N800 million to NAICOM from implementing the project; Indirect project revenue to NAICOM from increase in ISS levy to N12 billion; Revenue to fire service by way of Fire Service Maintenance Fund; Creation of about 250,000 jobs in the insurance industry; Lowering of insurance gap from 94percent to 70percent; Increase in insurance contribution to GDP from 0.72 percent to over 4 percent and Building consumer trust and confidence in the Nigerian insurance Market. Presently, NAICOM and industry operators including insurers, brokers, agents among others are silent on the project and not much is heard about implementation and adoption. Owing to the fact that the industry recorded N200 billion as at 2010 financial year end, expectations are that the figure would be hit at least N250 billion. This is a far cry from the N1 trillion predicted to be achieved by the regulator by end of this year. Subsequently, just last week, the commission disclosed its plans to review the project which was designed to enhance the industry’s growth. NAICOM’s director on MDRI, Mr. Adamu Balenti in a telephone conversation with National Mirror said the commission has a new strategy that will align it for better performance. While the new strategy to be adopted by the commission is not clear yet, Balenti revealed that the commission is doing a review. He said, “We have another strategy for next year on MDRI and we are presently doing a review. Everything may seem quite now but we have our

Twelve days to the end of the year, the insurance industry is yet to become a trillion naira market as speculated by the industry regulator, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM). OMOBOLA TOLU-KUSIMO reports that NAICOM is set to re-strategise for better result.

Soladoye Daniel

WE HAVE ANOTHER STRATEGY FOR NEXT YEAR ON MDRI AND WE ARE PRESENTLY DOING A REVIEW.

EVERYTHING MAY SEEM QUIET NOW, BUT WE HAVE OUR PLANS

plans”. NAICOM’s consultant on MDRI and Managing Director Riskguard-Africa Nigeria Limited, Yemi Soladoye, said delay in the implementation of the initiative affected the projections set to be achieved, adding that the programme was meant to commenced in 2009, but never took-off until 2011. He noted that to recover the lost period, there should be a shift in the deliverables to make-up for the difference between the time of the strategy crafting and implementation. He said the N1 trillion premium income projection for this year was to be achieved with a four-year strategic plan, adding that there is no way the target will be achieved, with the commencement of implementation of the initiative a year to the set deadline. He said: “Most people are reading the strategy document and not relating it to when implementation took off. If there is a projection that in year four, we will get N1 trillion and as we could see from the paper, we were to start in 2009; we had what we were to achieve in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. So, N1 trillion is in year four which is 2012. If implementation started

Osipitan

in 2011, it will be a case of shifting the deliverables forward base on the difference on the ground between the strategy crafting and the implementation. The initiative is remarkable in the history of the industry and it is also an evergreen thing.” He noted that the initiative cannot be put aside, as it has brought about many developments, adding that efforts by NAICOM to reposition the industry through micro-insurance, takaful and more are strategic plans stated in the MDRI document.

Insurance

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Aiico Insurance assures travellers of up to 30,000 euros on medical treatment OMOBOLA TOLU-KUSIMO

iico Insurance Plc has assured its travel insurance policy holders of payment of up to 30,000 euro for medical treatment should they fall ill while outside the country. Managing Director, Aiico Insurance, Mr. David Sobanjo, declared this while speaking with journalists recently in Lagos. He stated that the underwriting firm desires to always meet and surpass the expectation of its customers. He said, “Aiico Travel Insurance is designed to cover such inconveniences caused by emergency medical expenses, repatriation and other losses incurred during international travel”. Sobanjo enjoined Nigerians to ensure that they have arranged the policy whether they are going outside the country for schooling, two-day conference or on several weeks’ vacation with their family. “For people who intends travelling to any of the Schengen countries, they need to purchase Aiico Travel Insurance especially as this is a compulsory requirement at Schengen embassies. “To arrange the insurance cover, a traveller only has to select a plan,

complete a proposal form and pay the required premium online on the company’s website or pay cash at any of the company’s offices located across the country. As the cover is being offered in partnership with Chartis, South Africa, he explained that if someone purchased a six day cover and falls ill, the policyholder can call Chartis for assistance. With travel insurance through Travel Guard the policyholder will have valuable coverage for him and his family 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Aiico is a financial services company supported by a team of experienced professionals and risk management specialists who design bespoke solutions that cater to the versatility of its client individual needs. Aiico commenced operations in 1963, and became a public liability company in 1989. In 1990, the company got listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. With 49 years of existence, 33 branch offices and 4000 agents, Aiico is a household name in Nigeria and at present, the largest Life Insurer in the country. While Aiico’s stability, strength, security and trust over the years have placed the organisation at a better advantage in all classes of life assurance,

Don’t let other people drive your car

Sobanjo

its global affiliation have also enable the company to provide the widest range of non-life insurance solutions to its clients. To ensure that its customers are not only adequately compensated but to also ensure that claims are paid as promptly as possible, Aiico maintains a first class pool of reinsurers, partners and associate companies such as: Chartis Group, Healthcare International, Multishield Limited, Zurich Insurance, Munich Reinsurance, Swiss Reinsurance, Africa Reinsurance and Continental Reinsurance. The company’s success has been the result of its ability to evaluate its potentials, by setting realistic goals and taking necessary actions to achieve them.

Crusader restructures Esusu shield plan

anaging Director of Crusader Life Insurance Limited, a subsidiary of Crusader (Nigeria) Plc, Mr. Larry Ademeso has said the company’s Esusu shield plan insurance policy has been structured to give more benefits to policy holders. Ademosu in a statement on Friday said this was part of efforts at providing more value adding services to the insuring public. He noted that the Esusu shield plan had been made available on Crusader e-business platform to make it more accessible. He noted that Crusader e-business platform is a retail marketing strategy to deepen insurance penetration based on the interpretation of the real insurance needs of the Nigerian populace along the lines of their exposure to harm at home or even outside the country. While explaining some of the benefits of the policy, he said, “Esusu shield uniquely combines features of Ajo, Esusu, thrift and mutual financing to meet

Ademeso

the savings and financing and the life assurance and personal accident benefits of policyholders.” Some of the features, he added include the provision of life assurance benefit and personal accident benefit. According to him, the policyholder is allowed to pay his premium either on daily, weekly or monthly basis as

deemed convenient for him. For the contributions made, he said that he receives interest rate that is two per cent above the Central Bank of Nigeria’s average savings rate of deposit money banks. The policy duration, he added, is a minimum of one year to a maximum of five years. The managing director said that the terms of the policy allow the policyholder to have part or full withdrawal after one year without penalty. According to him, the withdrawal benefit equals total contributions plus interest, while also offering policy loan of 75 per cent of member’s contribution, He also said that it provides policy loan based on other member’s contribution if the members are willing to guarantee the loan. “It provides flexibility of payment, which means that premium can be paid daily, weekly, monthly and annually and you can have all these benefits for a minimum of N2,000,” Ademeso said.

NSE congratulates Niger Insurance on 50th anniversary

he Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has congratulated the management of Niger Insurance Plc on the 50th Anniversary of the insurance company, assuring that the Exchange will continue to support the firm to wax stronger in the market. In commemoration of this golden jubilee celebration, the NSE invited the Managing Director of Niger Insurance, Mr. Justus Uranta, to close the day’s

trading in Lagos recently, by ringing the closing bell on the floor of the Exchange. NSE’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oscar Onyema stated that, “The Nigerian Stock Exchange congratulates you on the 50th Anniversary of Niger Insurance Plc, we like to commend your Board, management and staff for working assiduously over the years towards building your company to its current level. At the Exchange, we are keen to

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

support you in achieving even greater success. He explained that the event was aimed at giving the Chief Executive Officer of Niger Insurance the opportunity of ringing the closing bell on the trading floors of the NSE, thereby giving more visibility to the insurance firm. In his remarks, Uranta, said having weathered the storm successfully in the difficult business environment pre-

ou may have a problem when your no-good, beer-swilling brother-in-law swipes your car keys without your permission. Or your 14-year-old goes for a joyride. Or your neighbor borrows your car with your blessing and then lets his goofy nephew drive it. Hope and pray these people don’t get in accidents, because car insurance coverage can be tricky at best and nonexistent at worst in cases like these. You could be on the hook not only for the damage to your own car but the damage the driver causes others. And if you live in a no-fault state, personal injury protection for the driver could be in jeopardy. Car insurance policies generally cover you and the licensed drivers in your household who are listed on the policy and any other licensed driver to whom you give occasional permission to drive the car. Details can vary by policy or state law, but in general, when someone drives your car without your permission, coverage “depends on whether it’s going to be classified as a theft or unauthorized use,” says CarInsurance. com consumer analyst Penny Gusner. If your car is stolen, then any damage to your vehicle would be covered under comprehensive insurance, an optional form of coverage. If you carry only liability insurance, the damage to your car isn’t covered at all. Even if the thief has his own car insurance coverage, it will not cover his criminal actions. Meanwhile, your insurance will not cover the thief’s liability. The thief could be sued for any damage or injuries he causes. Stolen or taken without permission? The distinction between theft and unauthorized use is murky. You might tell your insurer that the car was stolen, Gusner says, but that becomes questionable if the person who took the car was a family member or friend who had ready access to the keys. “It’s a gray area,” she says. Say, for instance, your brother-in-law, who has a criminal record, gets drunk, takes the keys off the counter and crashes the car, injuring others. Generally, your car insurance would not provide coverage if you say you didn’t give him permission to drive the car. Saying the car was stolen doesn’t get you completely off the hook, either, even if you go so far as to press charges against him. “Potentially someone could sue you for negligence for leaving the keys out,” says Benny Agosto Jr., a partner at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend, a personal injury law firm in Houston. In cases like these involving family members, car owners typically say the borrowers had their permission to drive, Agosto says. Your insurance company then has a duty to defend you in a lawsuit, but it reserves the right not to pay the damages if it finds you were negligent. However, Agosto says, insurance companies often agree to pay a claims settlement in order to avoid getting sued by policyholders for bad faith.

vailing in Nigeria for the past 50 years, Niger Insurance has evolved over time to be one of the most sought after insurance providers in the country. He stated that 50 years is a milestone that needs to be celebrated considering the fact that many of the companies which commenced business in the country 50 years ago are no longer in operation. Niger Insurance, he maintained has not only remain afloat over the years, but has also carved a niche for itself in its area of business.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Minister lists opportunities for agric companies in capital market JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he Minister of Agricultre and Rural Development, Prof. Akinwumi Adesina, said that agricultural companies have the potentials to be a big player in the equity market. Adesina, who spoke on the topic, “Financing Nigeria’s Agricultural Revolution,” at a workshop jointly hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Lagos on Friday, pointed out that equity markets can enable agricultural companies to source the much needed capital. According to him, agriculture has not been a big player in the Nigerian equity markets, but has the potential to be.

He said that emerging companies like PRESCO Plc and Okomu Oil Plc are charting the way for others to follow, as agricultural stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange have outperformed the rest of the market. “Companies like PRESCO and Okomu Oil Palm (who are represented on our distinguished panel today) reported an annual revenue growth between full year 2010 and 2011 of 58 per cent and 31.7 per cent respectively, with dividend yields of eight per cent and 15 per cent respectively. “This performance is several times better than those of the companies in the consumer goods industry. I am excited that Notore will soon be joining the ranks of publicly listed agricultural companies early next year,” he said. He, however, advised the

Asset Management Company of Nigeria and the National Pension Commission to invest part of their funds in agricultural bonds in order to boost financing of the agric sector. Adesina said, “Pencom can invest in agricultural bonds to further diversify their portfolios and provide access to lower interest and long term financing for the sector. Development Finance institutions can also finance long term bonds for agriculture. “We must also use private capital markets. Private equity funds are increasingly playing a critical role in channelling financing to Nigeria’s agriculture sector. According to the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association, currently there are more funds focused on agribusiness than on any other sector.”

Equities slide 0.7% on profit taking

he bullish trends in equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange lost momentum yesterday, as profit taking by some investors halted the nine days uptrend. Market analysts attributed the decline to the profit taking from the previous gains by some investors. The All Share Index dropped 0.69 per cent to close at 27,492.89 points, as against the increase

Capital Market

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

of 0.08 per cent recorded on Friday to close at 27,685.54 points. Market capitalisation shed N62bn to close at N8.78trn, in contrast to the rise of N7bn recorded on Friday to close at N8.85trn. International Breweries Plc led the gainers’ table with N1.42 or 10 per cent to close at N15.62 per share, followed by PZ Cussons Plc with N1.54 or 5.69 per cent to close at

N28.59 per share. Mansard Insurance Plc gained nine kobo or 4.95 per cent to close at N1.91 per share, while Livestock Plc appreciated by six kobo or 4.51 per cent to close at N1.39 per share. May and Baker Plc rose by seven kobo or 4.46 per cent to close at N1.64 per share. On the flip side, DN Meyer Plc dropped by 20 kobo or 9.76 per cent to close at N1.85 per share,

He explained that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is in discussions with a number of reputable organisations in the financing and structuring of funds that are specifically targeted at private equity opportunities in agriculture, across all value chain activities. “We will soon be launching a Seed Venture Capital Fund that will be run by private equity managers to invest in existing and new seed companies. We are also in the closing stage of receiving investments from KfW, the German Development Bank, for the establishment of a fund for agricultural financing. This is the first time KfW will engage in bi-lateral financing activities in Nigeria,” he added. Adesina stressed that despite the strong performance of agriculture stocks, the sector still represents less than one per cent of the over N7trillion market capitalisation on the Exchange.

while Red Star Express Plc dipped by 17 kobo or 5.69 per cent to close at N2.82 per share. Oando Nigeria Plc declined by 70 kobo or 4.99 per cent to close at N13.33 per share, while Morison Plc lost 19 kobo or 4.95 per cent to close at N3.65 per share. University Press Limited shed 23 kobo or 4.89 per cent to close at N4.47 per share. A total of 277 million shares valued at N3.29bn were exchanged in 4,310 deals.

U.S SEC charges Nigeria on regulatory framework JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he Securities and Exchange Commission in the United State of America has said that the Nigeria’ SEC should be encouraged to adopt strong regulatory framework. This, the commission said would further enhance Nigeria economy and make her relevant in the comity of the world. Head of Enforcement, U.S SEC, Mr. Diott Bedwell, who led a team of other stakeholders in the commission to the

maiden edition of the Nigeria SEC Journalists’ Academy 2012 in Abuja stated that strong economic development can be achieved if the Nigeria SEC should enforce laws and ensure strict compliance on the listed companies. He said, “Strong regulator like SEC in Nigeria is essential to economic growth, so the Nigerian Stock Exchange is the powerful tool that should the guided against any abnormality” Bedwell, who has acquired over sixty year’s experience in training

and regulation, added that Nigeria’s SEC has capability to deal with any erring company and publish it in the national dailies. In her remarks, the Director General of SEC, Ms. Arunma Oteh noted that the training of journalists becomes imperative because of the need to broaden their knowledge in this crucial time. She added that it’s through right information that can grow the market and attract both local and foreign investors. Oteh stressed that

many shareholders lost thier investment during the financial crisis due to lack of knowledge of how the market works. “In order to strengthen the regulatory frame work of the commission, a partnership arrangement between the United State Securities and Exchange Commission has started. She explained that the partnership which does not attracts any fee is as a result of the multi lateral relationship between Nigeria SEC and that of U.S SEC,” she added.

Source: NSE NIBOR QUOTES 14 DECEMBER & 17 DECEMBER 2012 20.00 19.00 18.00 17.00 16.00 15.00 14.00 13.00 12.00 11.00 10.00 9.00 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00

1 4 -De c -1 2

1 7 -De c -1 2

Source: FMDA

Market indicators Market indicators

All-Share Index 8,570,286,627 points All-Share Index 22,191.14 points Market capitalisation 26,822.09trillion Market capitalisation 7,084 trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

INTBREW

14.20

15.62

0.21

10.00

27.05

28.59

0.71

5.69

MANSARD

1.82

1.91

0.20

4.95

LIVESTOCK

1.33

1.39

1.30

4.51

MAYBAKER

1.57

1.64

0.20

4.46

ETERNA

1.92

2.00

0.07

4.17

WAPIC

0.58

0.60

0.20

3.45

UTC

0.59

0.61

0.19

3.39

CUSTODYINS

1.26

1.30

0.05

3.17

FCMB

3.21

3.30

0.05

2.80

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

DNMEYER

2.05

CLOSING 1.85

0.28

-9.76

REDSTAREX

2.99

2.82

0.06

-5.69

OANDO

14.03

13.33

0.20

-4.99

MORISON

3.84

3.65

0.04

-4.95

UPL

4.70

4.47

0.02

-4.89

JOHNHOLT

4.57

4.35

0.03

-4.81

NEIMETH

0.87

0.83

0.15

-4.60

IKEJAHOTEL

0.88

0.84

0.14

-4.55

CONTINSURE

0.72

0.69

0.02

-4.17

NSLTECH

0.73

0.70

0.01

-4.11

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Day

37,489.76

14.34

20-Dec-12

182-Day

63,135.14

14.05

20-Dec-12

364 -Day

47,029.27

14.02

20-Dec-12

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

237 Days

30,000.00

14.34

20-Dec-12

79-Day

42,326.60

14.08

20-Dec-12

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$200m

N/A

$200m

17-Dec-12

$180m

N/A

$180m

12-Dec-12

Capital Market

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at December 17, 2012 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

Politics

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

PDP in search of a sure-footed democracy CONTINUED FROM 13 He emphasised that the public would accord respect to a political party only when such a party adheres to internal democracy in selecting its candidates at elections. Stressing the importance of honesty in the process, Nwodo stated that for a party to be taken seriously, the practice of internal democracy is a sine qua non and the only way by which credible and respected leaders can emerge. Providing methods, through which such could be achieved, the former PDP national chairman called on the party leadership to adopt his stand on e-registration of members, which he stressed is bereft of manipulation. According to him, if a political party adopts e-registration parameters, no aspiring member would be denied membership rights while the party gets the membership dues without inhibitions. “By this module, nobody is disenfranchised from registering in the party. The registration fees and annual dues go straight to the coffers of the party. It gives members the dignity of ownership of their party and the audacity of their participation in party activities,” he noted. He further stated that the practice would guarantee constant and consistent funding for the party, party discipline as well as commitment to party ideology among ordinary members and elected political office holders. He also charged the PDP leadership to champion this cause, warning that infighting and rancour noticed in the party were a result of revolt and disenchantment on certain practices that denied members the right to freely chose who they wanted at any point. He reminded the party leaders that when the rights of members are fragrantly denied them, such members would go to any length to fight back by either campaigning against the party at elections or decamping to opposition political parties to challenge their own parties. He equally urged the party leadership to clearly define the rules of engagement and abide by the party constitution, the Electoral Act and directives of the National Working Committee (NWC) in conducting party primaries.

cians should at all times be accessible and cooperative with journalists, as well as to be helpful with information that can assist the reporters in the discharge of their duties. He also advised politicians to always stick to specifics and avoid hypothetical questions as answering lots of question could distort the original course of the interaction. Politicians, he said, should not lie, take journalists unserious as well as avoid remonstrating with reporters because politicians must “recognise that there are hostile reporters and you also have the aggressive one. If you think a story is misleading, inaccurate or unfair, call the reporter and say so calmly, yet firmly.”

Akilu Indabawa

Jonathan

Babatope

THE PARTY WILL ONLY GROW WHEN INTERNAL DEMOCRACY,

INCLUSIVENESS AND FAIR SPREAD OF BENEFITS OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES ARE PUT IN PLACE BY THE PARTY ture must embrace this new social media trend as a formidable force in their transformation and should as well make adequate investment in publicity to enable the party match the existing opposition strategies. While warning the party to depart from the conventional ways of doing things, he said that “rebranding the party is inevitable to give the new media generation a sense of inclusion and belonging... We are living in an information age where revolutionary technology has made the media more readily available than ever before.”

Colet Odenigbo

Ebenezer Babatope.

In his own paper - “Managing New Media Perception in Emerging World: Lessons for the PDP,” Odenigbo, a former United States of America-based marine and social media expert, said that the new media emerged as a result of frustration with the traditional media as primarily a propaganda tool for governments in power all over the world. He said that the world has grown from the initial perception of new media users as a group of non-conformists, who are trying to subvert the powers of government to such that are capable of reshaping international politics. He gave the examples of the first term election of U.S. President Barak Obama as well as the recent Arab Spring, which include the uprising in Egypt, Tunisia and the ongoing Syria and Iranian crisis. He also said that even in Nigeria, the success of the January nationwide strike was as a result of the use of new media as a mobilising tool for protesters. He, however, advised that the PDP struc-

The die-hard Awoist and former Minister of Transport presented a paper titled “Motivational Method for Membership Recruitment, Retention and Loyalty,” where he pontificated on the need to restrategise on the marketing policies of the party, insisting that a party must always work out a strategy to retain the confidence and loyalty of its members. He noted that before now, parties were relying on popular and charismatic personalities to woo members to the parties and to equally win election, but all that has changed now as “modern political parties are now using marketing strategies of big business organisations in reaching the people.” Babatope also used the opportunity to call on the party to ensure that the instrument of waiver is used appropriately and that no joiner is being refused to exercise his franchise to elect and be elected into offices. He also canvassed for the grassroots approach to party organisation while also

Metuh

saying that “since the party wants to win elections and make itself very popular, loyal candidates must be supported for elective positions.” While pointing out the limitation of mass media in effective political communication, Babatope called for the development of very strong propaganda apparatus for the party at all levels of government and party organisation. Finally, the former minister said that the party will only grow when internal democracy, inclusiveness and fair spread of benefits of government policies are put in place by the party, adding that “while the government must cater for the interests of the entire people of the country, the party must ensure that its active members benefit from its programmes.”

Olusegun Adeniyi The Chairman of the Editorial Board of Thisday newspapers, Adeniyi presented a paper titled “Connecting with the Public: the Ten Media Commandments,” where he dispelled the assumption that the media are all out to witch-hunt politicians and also that the media practitioners are susceptible to compromises. Some of the Ten Commandments, according to Adeniyi, include: the fact politi-

In his paper titled “Building Strong Party Chapters and Raising Political Consciousness of Party Members,” the university don regretted the near absence of ideological parties in the present dispensation, as it seems that all parties unlike in the first and second republics are agreeable on a common vision for the economic and political development of the country. He said that though the PDP is evenly spread across the nation, yet its structures are internally weak and lacking the capacity to withstand the test of changing times which explains why the party is witnessing a “revolution of falling expectation.” He also identified as limitations the diversity of foundation interests and consensus building, party supremacy and godfather syndrome, problems of internal democracy, emerging political forces and politics of relevance and elevation of factions over the party. Indabawa also noted the roles of unilateralism and disregard for the party constitution, corruption among critical ad-hoc party workers, knowledge deficit of party constitution, lack of capacity to manage the party, deficit in political reward system as well as financial dependence on powerful interests have played in weakening the party. He, however, suggested as way forward, that the party must address the internal contradictions that pose challenges to the party’s strength which includes restoring the party to the values of the founding fathers, mass political education, active party organs, in-house training of party cadre as well as active engagement of women and youth.

Aniete Okon A founding member of the party and former National Publicity Secretary and National Organising Secretary of the PDP and a distinguished senator of the Federal Republic, Aniete Okon, could be said to have been the most qualified to treat the topic: “Advancing Party Goals and Objectives through Strategic Communications.” He called on information managers of the party to always ensure the clarity of purpose of information and to ensure that such is in tandem with the goals and objectives of the party. His words: “For a political party like the PDP, this may seem obvious enough at least on the general level, to mobilise popular electoral support, including membership, contest elections and procure victory for its CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

Politics THE

PARLIAMENT

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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Subsidy: Of executive blackmail

Majority of members of the House of Representatives last week accused President Goodluck Jonathan of trying to blackmail them, by bringing a supplementary budget to pay off oil marketers at a time the House was preparing to close for its Christmas break. But while pointing fingers, the House also paused to look at the reality that, like the executive, they may have also failed in their duties to protect the Nigerian people, writes TORDUE SALEM.

he decision of the House of Representatives to sit on a Sunday in January was unprecedented in the legislative history of Nigeria. To back up that epochal decision for the masses, the Green Chamber set up an ad hoc committee on claims by a horde of grumpy marketers that the Federal Government owed them trillions of naira in subsidies on petroleum products. The committee was empanelled to expose claims that were bogus and to possibly recommend for prosecution those who were milking the country in the name of subsidy. The inquest took the committee of more than eight lawmakers led by Farouk Lawan, more than four months to finish. When they did around May-June this year, it was a can of worms that opened on the country. The report alleged that what government actually owed marketers who were bringing into the country refined crude at ‘subsidised’ rates, was lower than N2.3 trillion, which was what government megaphones told Nigerians had already been paid to them through middlemen who in turn may have helped themselves with some cheese out of the untidy deal. The report also indicted more than 18 oil marketing firms including those of business mogul, Femi Otedola and other top politicians or their relations, like the incumbent chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur and his predecessor, Ahmadu Ali. But as soon as the report was read on the floor of the House, fire came pouring down on the Green Chamber. An avalanche of groups started to emerge in support of the indicted and the high-voltage drama that accompanied, climaxed in an alleged ‘Sting Operation’ that Nigerians were told got the chairman of the subsidy probe committee nailed in a bribe offer from Otedola of US$500,000 for his company’s name to be removed from the list of indicted oil marketing firms. Otedola, who claimed he involved the State Security Service (SSS), also testified that Boniface Emenalo, the clerk of the ad hoc committee got US$120,000 The House, already faced with earlier integrity challenges, swung into action and relieved Lawan of his positions both as the chairman of the ad hoc committee

Jonathan

Tambuwal

Lawan

and the Education Committee. He was after the sack, referred to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for scrutiny, with a view to ascertaining the truth or otherwise of the allegations levelled against him by Otedola. Lawan, who had acquired a near-solid reputation as Mr. Integrity in the ignoble years of Nigeria’s first female Speaker, Patricia Etteh, now faced a nerve-racking challenge to preserve that reputation. The Speaker of the House, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, shortly after the sordid turnaround, said the House would not shield any of its members involved in a case of corruption. The helmsman of the lower House, recalled the bruises and poor reputation the hallowed chamber suffered in the past Assemblies, vowing that his House would not continue on that path. The House would later, in what appeared like revenge, put Otedola’s company’s name back on the list of the indicted oil marketing firms (it was earlier removed), provoking the businessman who is also on the Economic Management Team of the president to go to court. The Privileges’ Committee invited the rampaging Otedola to appear before it. He did, but instead of testifying in-camera, he bolted and turned the tables against the House, insisting that his allegations were made in public, therefore his testimony before the Committee must be heard in the full glare of cameras. While the Presidential Committee set up to monitor the application of the Federal Government’s share of the subsidy accruals was at work plundering the resources of

the country in the name of patching roads and building hospitals, the House was busy staging jamborees in the name of oversight on the implementation of the money while the Presidency was busy doling out money, in the name of paying marketers for “a subsidy regime that never was”, according Abike Dabiri-Erewa (ACN-Lagos). But after the whole show was played and done, the President brought a fresh request for an additional N161,617,364,911 billion besides an earlier N888.1 billion approved for payment of fuel subsidy in 2012. The request was referred to the House Committees on Finance and the Upstream and Downstream Petroleum Committees for scrutiny, before eventual passage. Before the budget was approved for referral, the lawmakers had accused President Jonathan of attempting to blackmail them in assenting the proposed supplementary budget, which if approved will bring the total fuel subsidy budget for 2012 to N1,041,881,608,594 trillion, 18 days to the end of the 2012 fiscal year. Deliberating on Jonathan’s request at Thursday’s plenary, the Chairmen of House Committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Dakuku Peterside (River/PDP), Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Ajibola Muraina (Oyo/PDP) and Appropriation, John Enoh (Cross River/PDP) chorused that an attempt to reach a decision at yesterday’s plenary will be rushed as the matter will be better handled at committee level. Peterside and the House Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila insisted that forensic audit must be presented before the House for scrutiny. Gbajabiamila said the underestimation of the 2012 fuel subsidy budget was an indictment on the budget office. The duo demanded from the Federal Government the actual consumption figures of subsidised petroleum products. “The government needs to block leakages in the system (subsidy fraud). We agree that subsidy is not in our best interest, but in the interim we have to live with it and make good it work,” Peterside said. But in putting the blame squarely on the president’s shoulders, Dakuku forgot to tell Nigerians that the failure of the committees to carry out a thorough oversight on the administration of subsidy funds and the payment of marketers, made lawmak-

ers to raise doubts on what was actually spent so far in both regards. The Speaker of the House, Tambuwal, who was visibly miffed by the lackadaisical attitude of the lawmakers, demanded for better budget tracking by House Standing Committees. His words: “Throughout this debate issues around forensic report, actual subsidy figure, actual requirements have been raised, we can only know this if we allow this Bill to get to the committee for them to work on it and come back with all these details that we require either for us to pass it or to justify why the request should not be passed. “Because, as at now, we are not sure whether government truly needs these funds. So, the committee should be able to come up with justification for approving it or disapproving it. “The gamut of the entire debates serves as a wake-up call to our committees. On oversight, we need to do more of budget tracking and ensure that we are not been taken for a ride by our executive counterpart. “So, I believe that at this point, fundamental issues have been raised, we need to be more discerning in whatever position we take, we have the window of opportunity, we have the expectations of the public and in any case all of us are aware that those in the executive never wanted this fuel subsidy, that is however not to say we should allow Nigerians or our country to be drained by those who believed that they can use the opportunity of fuel subsidy to be carting away money.” Earlier, the Speaker regretted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was yet to act on the House report on subsidy, insisting that the House would stand by the contents of the report, adding that it was detailed enough for EFCC to act on. “Since EFCC can act on petitions from ordinary individuals, the agency should prosecute whoever is found wanting in the report without further delay,” he advised. Lamenting the delay in operations of the nation’s anti-graft agencies, Tambuwal warned the lawmakers that the issue is running out of time and the lawmakers may be forced to take the next step necessary on the issue currently pending before

THE LAWMAKERS HAD ACCUSED

PRESIDENT

JONATHAN OF

ATTEMPTING TO BLACKMAIL THEM IN ASSENTING THE PROPOSED SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET

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Politics

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

and legislative laziness

Okonjo-Iweala

Otedola

the anti-graft agencies. His words: “As a House we are here to ensure that issues of corruption are addressed but then our efforts are not being supported by some agencies of government, even though some of them have sole responsibility of fighting corruption. Some of these issues we read on pages of newspapers are issues that some of these agencies are having petitions on, this we are very much aware but they are not acting on them. “Some of these issues being raised on the floor of the House are before these agencies that are supposedly to be fighting corruption, but they are not doing anything on them. We have passed on to all other relevant agencies of government the House Subsidy Report. However, we have received communication from the EFCC requesting that some members of the House should come and shed light on some grey areas; and I said no. No member of the House will go and shed light. You (EFCC) normally receive petitions from individuals and you act on petitions from individuals, how much more of a report that has been processed and passed by the House of Representatives.” He also said the lawmakers would now

be conducting its oversight on MDAs on quarterly basis and not annually to check the poor implementation of budgets. The House had earlier shelved debate on the request by President Jonathan for additional N161 billion, because the committees concerned had decided in a curious coincidence not to appear. But before the botched session, House Leader, Mulikat Adeola-Akande moved for the second reading of the proposal which was to be taken as a bill with the title “a bill for a supplementary appropriation to authorise the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the additional sum of N161,617,864,911 only to provide for a supplementary subsidy provision for the rest of 2012.” In her lead debate, Adeola-Akande pleaded with her colleagues to support the approval, saying that the president acted in good faith by writing the National Assembly to request for the approval of more money to fund fuel subsidy payment. She then charged the lawmakers to be on the side of the people, noting that the yuletide period was just around the corner and that there was the need for the Federal Government to pay subsidy claims to oil marketers in order to have fuel in the fill-

ing stations. But as the session progressed, Tambuwal called on the four chairmen but none was on their seat, forcing him to rule that further debates on the bill be shifted to Thursday. Earlier, some of the lawmakers argued that there was need for the House to approve President Jonathan’s request, while few others called for the need for House to question how the previous N880 billion was expended. President Jonathan’s N161,617,364,911 billion request, which came as a money bill was passed for second reading and subsequently referred to joint committees on Petroleum Resources (Upstream and Downstream); Finance and Appropriation for further legislative inputs. Jonathan in his request letter to the National Assembly said the extra fuel subsidy cash is needed to settle accumulated fuel subsidy arrears owed oil marketers and will assist to “maintain a steady flow of petroleum products, especially to the run-up to the festive season.” Many lawmakers had taken turns to lambast the President for trying to blackmail them by bringing his request on subsidy a few days to the end of the last quarter and pegging his request on the claimed need to avert a scarcity of fuel as the Christmas season approaches. On the same subsidy issue, the House threatened to arrest the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Chairman of the Presidential Committee

THE EXTRA FUEL SUBSIDY CASH IS NEEDED TO SETTLE ACCUMULATED FUEL SUBSIDY ARREARS...

AND WILL ASSIST TO MAINTAIN A STEADY FLOW OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS

on Verification and Reconciliation of Subsidy Payments, Aigboje Imoukhuede for refusing to appear before the House Committee on Public Petitions. Chairman of the House Committee, Uzo Azubuike, issued the threat at the continuation of hearing of a petition to it by the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Ifeanyi Ubah. Azubuike had said that the two personalities had shunned the invitation of the committee twice and their absence was frustrating the investigative work of his committee. In spite of the absence of the two personalities, the public hearing went on last week with the appearance of the two gladiators, the Chairman of Coscharis Group, Cosmas Maduka and Uba. In response to the excuse that OkonjoIweala was absent because of the kidnap of her mother, Azubuike said the invitation was not for the minister as a person but for the Federal Ministry of Finance to put up an appearance and supply the information requested by the committee. He warned that if the ministry was not represented at the next sitting, the committee would be left with no other option but to issue a warrant of arrest on the head of the ministry. Aig-Imokhuede had, through his lawyers, informed the committee of his absence on legal grounds. In the letter, he pleaded that whereas the committee invited him as Chairman, Presidential Committee on Verification of Subsidy Payments, he had since discharged his role in that committee and submitted a report to the government. According to him, there were therefore no more legal grounds for him to function in that capacity. Imoukhuede also pleaded that the issues for which he was being invited were already before different courts in Nigeria and abroad, hence discussing them would amount to contempt of the courts. In his initial petition to the House, Ubah, whose company had been indicted as one of the beneficiaries of false subsidy claims had accused Access Bank Nigeria Limited and Coscharis Motors Limited of conspiring to drive him out of business. But all said, and as the Speaker in his speech admitted, the House should rise up for its integrity and show readiness in thoroughly going about its business of forensic oversight on the executive.

PDP in search of a sure-footed democracy

CONTINUED FROM 41 candidates, form and run governments and legislatures at various levels, etc., a more nuanced level, clarity of goals and objectives cannot always be presumed.” He specifically recalled that the PDP, being a neoliberal political party has failed to convince even its own rank and file of its philosophy of national economic management, which explains why a PDP-led Federal Government can repeatedly propose the withdrawal of fuel subsidy only for an equally PDP-dominated legislature to take a different and opposite track.

Abba Dabo Dabo is the Special Adviser (Political) to Vice-President Namadi Sambo and was also the Director of Publicity of the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2011. His paper, “The Role of

Communication in Mobilising for Effective Grassroots Penetration in a Democracy’” addressed the role of political parties in grassroots mobilisation and the tools of communication that are most effective in grassroots mobilisation. Dabo noted that all political parties in Nigeria, the PDP inclusive suffer from the problems associated with internal democracy as well as the tendency to transform into cartels and caucuses which exclude not only the majority in the polity, but the bulk of its members from participation in critical decision making. He said that parties have the obligation to sensitise and mobilise the people for effective participation in a democracy, provide leadership, particularly in areas such as ideology, intellectual, organisational, mobilising, monitoring, education and regulatory through the means of economic

empowerment, mass communication and organisational structure of the party.

Resolutions After the three-day seminar, attended by about 130 participants, the resolutions adopted include: the observation that Nigeria is at a critical development curve and to move to the next level, the PDP must continuously improve on the workings of its processes and practices. The retreat urges members to show more interest in the management of the media. The party must engage in wide publicity and propagation of its policies, programmes and achievements to enhance greater understanding by the citizenry. The retreat also urged party leaders and all members to tap the full advantage of the social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc, to combat negative perception as well as

sell the agenda of the party. It was also noted that there is no alternative to internal party democracy. To enhance this therefore, it was recommended, as a matter of urgency, the introduction of e-registration and computerisation of party membership. This will ensure transparency in party electoral processes. The retreat notes the strategic importance of the offices of organisation and publicity secretaries at all levels as vital for the progress and success of party and government policies and programmes. It challenges them to rise up to the serial distortion of the achievements of the PDP-led governments by the opposition. The retreat advocates less turnover of party officials to make for continuity and stability in the system and that the party must encourage loyalty and hard work through incentives and patronages.

Politics

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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INEC de-registration plot to rig 2015 polls â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Musa CONTINUED FROM 14 any free system of government be the basis for the existence or non-existence of a political party. A party can exist without the intension of contesting for elections immediately. It may either exist on the basis of advocating for a relevant policy by government just like the civil society organisations can exist to campaign for democracy. And when the time comes for election they can contest. A political party must not exist for the purpose of contesting election at the national level or even at the state level; it can just exist for the purpose of contesting for councillorship. So, this issue of winning election is not a criterion for the existence of a political party, that is one. Secondly, let us be honest with ourselves, under this type of politics, where stolen money is the deciding factor, you cannot honestly judge the relevance of any political party. Elections today are decided in favour of the richest political party. Take for example; as it is today, in spite of the bankruptcy and lack of performance by the PDP, it controls the Federal Government as well as 26 out of the 36 states. Every Nigerian knows, even the PDP knows that, today, if there is free, fair and transparent elections leading to a legitimate government, it will not even win up to six states in the country. Secondly, no opposition party in power can really win the election without the use of incumbency. The system now is that, elections are declared in favour of the government in power and not by the results of votes cast. So, where you have the leading role of money powers, where you have the leading role of terror, where you have all the benefits of incumbency and the misuse of public funds, how can you honestly decide which party is relevant. For a political party to be relevant there must be free, fair and credible elections leading to legitimate government. This practice has been in progress since the colonial rule and we can only change it after a revolution. What are your plans, now that the PRP has been deregistered? First of all, unlike other political parties, the PRP is the oldest party. The party was formed in the 1950 under the name Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU). It was the NEPU that change its name to PRP in 1978; PRP still exists. Throughout these periods, we have suffered deregistration on a number of times by military regimes and by civilian governments but we still survive them and we are still going to survive this latest attempt to kill the PRP and what it stands for. We have a number of alternatives, the thing is that those who claimed to have deregistered PRP rely on the provision of the constitution and we are also going to rely on the same provision of the constitution as before to survive. We can register under another party in the same name and we can continue as both a movement like Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), like the Campaign for Democracy, like the CNPP which are not even registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission but are free to advocate. We will continue whether we are registered or not .We are consulting among ourselves and we are also consulting with other political parties particularly the 28 affected by this deregistration. What will be your next line of action, if the court rules against your party? All the political parties are considering a variety of actions. Those who are considering the option of the court have confidence in the judiciary, we also have confidence in the court; there is the believe of the contradiction, even if the electoral body is under the control of the Federal Government and even if the electoral body is incompetent, there is the possibility of the contradiction that an opening may exist. So, it is possible to succeed in the court, just as we did the other time when the government wanted one-party system, but the contradiction forced the Federal Government to two-party system and it continue to even six political parties in 2002.We still used the contradiction to go to court

Musa

and we got a liberal form of formation and registration of political parties and we ended up with 63 political parties out of which 35 have now been deregistered. So, we can still have confidence in the judiciary either because of the quality of their judgement or because of the contradiction that can even affect the judiciary. Some of us have seen that the deregistration is aimed at diverting our attention from campaigning for 2015, to struggling to survive .So if we rely on the court case, the court may dragged the case to 2015 when we will no longer have the time to campaign. Why did your party fail in all the recent elections? Well, the PRP is distinct from all the registered political parties. This is because the PRP is the only party that believes in the power of the proletariat, and also believes in the leading role of state economy, believes in the peace, security of the nation and human dignity, and also believes in the progressive even development of the country. No other existing political party believes in that. The PRP is unique, now the PRP also has the problem of financial support. Where money power is the deciding factor of politics, a party like the PRP can be easily defaulted. For example, election means a lot of money need to be spent on campaigns; secondly, this election at the local level is not free. Like the recent elections in Kaduna State where candidates for local government chairmen were made to pay N200,000 and councillors, N50,000. Now, at the polling station, there were freely four venues; one, where you go and collect your voting card, second where you go and stamp your ballot paper, thirdly, where you go and vote and fourth, where you go and collect the fee for voting for a political party in the eyes of everybody including electoral officials. Some were given N500, some, N1000 and some N5000, while in some other places; it was as high as N10,000.

INEC BELIEVES THAT THE NUMBER OF POLITICAL PARTIES IS LARGE AND MAKES IT

DIFFICULT FOR IT TO CONTROL, BUT THE SAME

INEC IS

AGAIN REGISTERING POLITICAL PARTIES

Am not saying this took place in all the places, but mostly in some selected areas. How can PRP afford that? Do you think it was right for INEC to request for more powers? Let me warn all Nigerians, especially the elite and some who are patriotic to stand up and reject this request by INEC. We know the amount of money the Federal Government has given to INEC to conduct credible elections, it is unbelievable. When you look at the state of the Electoral Act, INEC also have enough power. We must remember what happened in the past when electoral bodies, during the regimes of Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, disqualified some candidates even after winning primaries. They went to court and the judgement came out after their elections. It is also regretful that some elites in Nigeria made it possible for Attahiru Jega and Olusegun Obasanjo to represent Nigeria in Ghana for their elections. After the elections, the opposition party in Ghana accused them of exporting rigging mechanism to Ghana. This allegation is credible and has added to the dented image of the country. How would you react to the death of late Governor Patrick Yakowa and Gen Patrick Azazi (rtd) in a naval helicopter crash in Bayelsa State last weekend? I told you before that nothing in this country will work, whether in the private or public sectors, because of the present negative state of the nation. Whether civilians or military, every sector has collapsed. The helicopter that crashed in Bayelsa State was a Naval helicopter yet it happened. The death of Governor Yakowa and Gen. Azazi is very painful but there is nothing we can do. President Goodluck Jonathan had said it before that the public sector has collapsed and yet he is doing nothing to restore it. The massive corruption, stealing and waste of public funds is on the high with the money we supposed to use to fix the aviation industry, military planes, roads, water, and transport system among others. The only way forward for Nigerians is to change the leadership at all levels for the future generation, if not we should expect more danger than before, because the people we have now are not capable of fixing Nigeria. Year in, year out, we present federal budgets of trillions, billions in state and millions in local governments, but no development, people are dying of poverty and insecurity has taken over. Where are we going? Things that are happening in this country are quite different from other countries, especially the United Kingdom from whom Nigeria even got independence.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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Community Mirror Traders call for aid over fire incident

“If the country is insecure, nobody will bring his money to invest and you spend all the money either fighting the militants or arming the police.”

FORMER MILITARY HEAD OF STATE; GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI

Fulani herdsmen remanded for murder, robbery DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

n Oji River Magistrate’s Court, has remanded two Fulani herdsmen for armed robbery and murder of a sergeant, attached to Oji River Police Division Police in Enugu state. The accused, one Mohammed Shehu and Abu Abubakar were arraigned before the trial Magistrate, A. N. Edeani, on a three count charge of conspiracy,

armed robbery and killing of F/ NO 198100 Sgt. Obla Eni, attached to Oji River Police Division, Enugu. The three counts charge was read and interpreted in Hausa language to the accused. The police prosecutor, P. C. Madu, handed over three case files: CR KBX/414/2012; CR/845/2012; CR/701/2012 and CR/145/2012 to the court as exhibits. The court, in its ruling, admitted the case files as exhibits, say-

ing that the accused persons have right for bail at the High Court, but remanded them in Enugu prison while adjourning the case sine-die. In the Charge NO: MEN/783c/2012, the three counts read in part: “That you Mohammed Shehu, Abu Abubaka and others now at large, on the 23rd May, 2012 at Okwe junction, Oji River Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to committee felony to wit: Armed robbery and thereby committed an offence contrary to section

6(b) of the armed robbery and firearms (special provision), Act Cap R11 and punishable under section 1(2) (a)(b) of the armed robbery and firearm laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004. “That you Mohammed Shehu, Abu Abubaka and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, while armed yourselves with guns did rob motorists of their GSM phones and monies (N187, 500.00), and thereby committed an offence

punishable under section 1 (2) (a)(b) of the armed robbery and firearm laws of the federation of Nigeria 2004. “That you Mohammed Shehu, Abu Abubakar and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid, while robbing did kill F/NO198100 Sgt. Obla Eni attached to Oji River Police Division Enugu and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 274 (1) of thecriminal code Cap 30 Vol. 11 laws of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.”

Protesters hold Bayelsa chiefs hostage EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

ore than 200 women and youths from Nembe communities in Bayelsa State, have held scores of chiefs hostage, over their alleged lack of support for the implementation of the Global Memorandum of Understanding(GMoU), signed with the Shell Petroleum Development Company(SPDC). The protesters stormed the meeting venue, where the chiefs were discussing issues affecting the communities and disrupted it, even as they locked all the doors leading into the hall to bar anyone from leaving. They alleged that the chiefs were frustrating their efforts, especially on the non-implementation of the memorandum signed with

the Anglo-Dutch oil company. The women lamented that the nonchalant treatment meted to Nembe by the SPDC, would continue until the chiefs face the challenges of protecting the interest of Nembe Kingdom. On December 6, 2012, women and youths staged a peaceful protest against SPDC over alleged neglect of their communities, leading to shutting down of one of the oil flow stations, which was later reopened by soldiers guarding the facility. It was gathered that the chiefs stayed away during the protest, as information filtered out that a peace meeting between the communities and SPDC, had agreed that the latter provide two CAT 200 KVA generating sets before December 25, 2012, pending when it would procure a gas turbine to generate electricity in the locality.

Nomadic pupils receiving lesson at a pastoral school at Ugwuachara in Ebonyi State.

Lawmaker awards scholarships, cash to constituents TONY ANICHEBE UYO

t was a day of merriment for PDP party faithful in Ikono State Constituency as their representative, Hon. Victor Udofia empowered them, even as he said it was to thank them for electing him as their representative in the state House of Assembly. “It is no longer news that people attests to the fact that my representation has been anchored on quality and effectiveness. My participation and contribution in the House has attracted many projects to our people,” he said. The lawmaker also enumerated his contributions in the House, which, he said, had played a ma-

jor role in attracting many projects which include construction of an ultra-modern civic centre at Ibiaku Ntok Okpo, a four class room block with store/office at Government Primary School Ediene/Itak Ward IX, a four classroom block with store/office at Lutheran Primary School, Ibakachi Ukpom, ward V and Ibiaku Okpo, Ibiaku Ntok Okpo. He has also built a borehole with an overhead tank and generator house at Nkwot Edem Edet, ward VII, facilitated the donation/installation of 500 KVA transformer by NDDC at Ibiaku, even as he presented nine cars, 30 motorcycles, cash gifts and scholarship to constituents. Also speaking, Speaker of

the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Samuel Ikon, said he was deeply touched by the level of solidarity and support being given to Udofia, and maintained that it was not unconnected with the type of robust relationship existing between them. Hon. Ikon who was represented by his deputy, Hon. Udo Keirian Akpan, maintained that Udofia had bridged the gap that existed between the leaders and the people, which according to him, created a great lacuna in the past and urged other lawmakers to emulate him for quality representation. He said: “I will say I was deeply touched by the level of solidarity I have seen here. It further goes to say

that, Udofia is at home and at peace with his people. It all attests to the fact that he is also doing well and that is why they have stood behind him. This event should serve as a pointer to all lawmakers to always remember they are coming from somewhere and that they are enjoying people’s mandate and are expected to deliver the dividends of democracy back to them”. Chairman of the event, Iboro Ekanem, lauded the achievements of Hon. Victor Udofia, whom he described as the new face of “Representative democracy”. According to Ekanem, Udofia is not just the member of AKHA, but has also made very big impact in the stability of Ikono politics.

PHOTO: NAN

Katsina offers medicare to the aged JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

eginning from next year, the Katsina State Government will be giving free medical care to the elderly over 60 years of age at selected hospitals. The policy was introduced by the state government after its last Executive Council Meeting, where the decision was taken for modalities to begin its implementation. Speaking on the issue, the state’s Head of Service, Aliyu Daura said beneficiaries would enjoy free drugs for ailments, even as he stated that the government had set up a committee to oversee the new programme to ensure its sustainability.

Community Mirror

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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Flood victims commend Cross River, FG OKAY OSUJI

ictims of natural disasters in Yala Local Government of Cross River have commended the state and Federal Government for the donation of relief items. They stated this during the flag-off of the distribution of grains from the 25,000-metric-tonne Strategic Grains Reserve Silos at Okuku, Yala to victims of the recent flooding. Speaking at the ceremony, coordinator of the relief items, Mrs Philomena Ihieje, said although the community had in the past witnessed natural disasters, none was as severe as the recent one. She said that six people lost their lives, while more than one thousand households were affected by flood caused by the three major rivers: Onwu, Aya and Okpoku. ``Aside flood, we have had windstorms at the onset of the rains, but no one came to the rescue in such a manner like is being done by the state and Federal Government. ``We thank Governor Liyel Imoke, President Goodluck Jonathan for their concern. In Yala, we are setting up a commit-

tee that will include all councilors in the various communities affected by flooding. The committee to distribute the relief food items will also include the paramount ruler, and Divisional Police Officer in the affected areas,’’ she said. Expressing enthusiasm, an indigene, Chief Anthony Oluohu, said the community was happy for the relief materials. “However, we expect more because the flood disaster has destroyed farms and crops such as yams, cassava and livestock. “I am 65 years old and the flood as witnessed this year, has never happened before. We will appreciate if government would provide financial assistance to mitigate the losses,’’ he said. Also speaking, the Paramount ruler of Okuku Kingdom, Ogamode Patrick Ipuole, urged the Federal, state and local governments to rehabilitate dilapidated roads across the country to aid in the transportation of food items,even as he urged those charged with distributing the items to ensure they get to intended beneficiaries.

Bachama traditional dancers at a reception in the palace of new Bachama ruler in Numan, Adamawa at the weekend. PHOTO:NAN

Traders call for aid over fire incident KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

raders at the Mayegun-Araromi, Agodi Gate, Ibadan, who lost goods worth more than N500m in a recent fire disaster, have pleaded with the Oyo State Governor, Senator

Abiola Ajimobi , to come to their aid. Community Mirror learnt that more than 20 shops stocking items including building materials and motor spare parts were razed by the fire. This brings to four, incidences of fire outbreaks at markets in the past two

LG praised on development projects DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

he Enugu State Projects Inspection Team inaugurated to inspect projects carried out by LGs, has expressed appreciation on the quality of developmental projects in Igboeze-North. Leader of the team and Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Mr Okey Ani, made the commendation shortly after inspecting some projects carried out by LG Chairman, Mr. Bonaventure Onu. “I want to tell you that we are satisfied with projects we have seen and inspected. I am happy on the quality of job, spread of projects among communities that make up the LG. We are also happy that some projects have been completed while others

are ongoing,” he said. Some projects inspected include; rural electrification in Umuogbo-ekpeshe, Ukwuynyi, Uda, health centre at Ogrute, Ufode, Ikpamode and primary school classroom blocks at Amaeze and Orukpa. Others were, street lights at major roads in Ogrute town, rehabilitation of roads in Umuidoka, Agu lbeji as well as poultry farm with 700 birds that generate revenue for the LG. Ani, urged the chairman to sustain the level of commitment on the projects in order to complete them. “I am optimistic that if the commitment is sustained, ongoing projects would be completed on time. It is developmental projects that will transform our rural communities and curb rural- urban migration.” he said

He explained that the aim of the inspection team was to find out if LGs were keying in into the state government’s 4 -point agenda aimed at ensuring rural development and empowering residents. “The 4-point agenda is aimed at transforming, reducing poverty as well as empowering residents especially youths. The state will not move forward if funds allocated to LGs for development were not judiciously used,” he charged. Responding, council chairman,Mr Bonaventure Onu, said his administration would always ensure that projects cited in communities serve their purpose. “We will first know what the community needs before approving projects. It would amount to waste of funds, if they do not meet

the needs of the community. The LG is happy with communities for protecting projects cited in their areas, as well as cooperating with contractors,” he said. He said his inspiration in embarking on people oriented projects was to fulfill his campaign promises. “I promise to leave the council better than I met it. I know the length breadth of the LG, because I did my primary and secondary school in Igboeze-North. “I have no other LG than Igboeze-North. I am one of the chairmen who is living at the council headquarters. I dedicate all projects to the people for their support and encouragement. “Without them all the projects could not have been possible”.

months. It was the Labaowo market that was first gutted by fire, followed by Old Gbagi and Ifeleye. During a visit to scenes of the incident, huge smoke fire balls were still visible, even as many of the traders said they could not say what led to the fire. Items such as paints, thinner, chemicals, cement, roofing sheets, machines, cartons of assorted drinks were lost to the fire. One of the traders, Mr. Taiwo Oyedotun , said the fire started at 11pm on Wednesday and burned

till Thursday morning. He said, “I got a call at 11pm that the market was on fire. When I got there, the fire fighters were battling to put out the inferno. I could not retrieve any of the goods from my shops due to intensity of the fire”. Some of the traders, Bunmi Ogunlade, Adegbola Mojeed, Abiodun Alao, Tajudeen Adeleke and Maryam Dupe Oyedotun, said they lost items worth more than N100 million, even as they called on the state government to help mitigate their losses.

Monarch commends plan to develop grove ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

he Onire of Ire Ekiti, Oba Victor Adeleke Bobade, has expressed happiness over plans by the Ekiti State Government to develop Ogunnire grove in the community. The monarch said developing the grove to UNESCO standards would boost the development potentials of the community. Already, the state government has assigned a surveyor to carry out a

comprehensive survey of the grove. Ogunnire, is the grove of the Ogun deity (god of iron), described as “symbol of creativity and technology”. The Commissioner for Culture, Arts and Tourism, Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu, said that the legendary grove would witness tremendous change in terms of culture and art development, even as he stated that the gesture should not be seen as worshipping of idols, but as a way of promoting the people’s rich cultural heritage.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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World News

North Korea displays Kim Jong Il, one year after death

PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

outh African police have arrested four people, amid reports that they planned to bomb the national conference of the governing African National Congress. The four white suspected right-wing extremists were arrested in raids across the country, a policeman said. President Jacob Zuma and other top officials are at the heavily-guarded conference in Mangaung, where the ANC is due to start electing its leaders. The ANC has governed South Africa since white minority rule ended in 1994. Its leader will be overwhelming favourite to win elections due in 2014. Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe is challenging Zuma for the leadership of the ANC. President Jacob Zuma has suffered a psychological blow following Kgalema Motlanthe’s decision to go head-to-head with him in the battle to lead the ANC. It means that Zuma’s righthand man in the ANC and more crucially the government has turned against him. But Zuma has been rescued by Cyril Ramaphosa, the most loved South African politician of the post-Nelson Mandela generation who is returning to the political front-line after a career in business. He has given his support to Zuma by standing for the deputy leadership of the ANC - a contest he is likely to win.

“As with many cases, issues arise with countries that share borders, and what is important is how each nation keeps these issues under control.” - Japan’s main opposition Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leader, Shinzo Abe

South Africa foils bomb plot at ANC conference

18 drown in Benin Republic boat accident At least 18 people, most of them children, drowned after the overloaded boat carrying them sank in a river north of Benin’s commercial capital, Cotonou, officials said yesterday. The boat was taking passengers across the HÃCÃClou River to a market in the town of Togba when it capsized late on Saturday night. “The boat that capsized had capacity for eight passengers but was transporting 27, their baggage and four motorcycles,” the mayor of the nearby AbomeyCalavi district, Patrice HounsouGuede, told Reuters. Benin’s Interior Minister Benoit Degla suspended non-motorised traffic on the river pending an investigation into the tragedy.

Guinea’s civil servants to get 50 percent pay raise President Jacob Zuma (L) speaking with Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe at start of the 53rd National Conference of the ruling ANC in Bloemfontein, on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Motlanthe has withdrawn from the deputy’s race to signal his determination to become the ANC leader. But Zuma is expected to stave off the challenge - and Motlanthe’s position as South Africa’s deputy president will become increasingly untenable. So, it will not be surprising if Mr Zuma shakes up the cabinet early in the new year by appointing Mr Ramaphosa, who is highly regarded by businessmen and foreign diplomats, to the second most powerful position in the government. The two leaders

would be a formidable combination in the 2014 national election. However, Motlanthe has withdrawn his candidature for reelection as ANC deputy leader, putting one of South Africa’s richest businessman, Cyril Ramaphosa, in pole position to take the post, reports the BBC’s Milton Nkosi from Mangaung. This is a move by Motlanthe to bolster his chances of unseating Zuma, as it avoids diluting his support by running for two positions, our correspondent says. After months of prevarica-

tion, the gloves are now off, he says. Some 4,000 delegates are to vote for their party’s leader. Police spokesman Billy Jones said the four men were arrested for “suspected of acts of terrorism”. “Their acts are widespread. We arrested them in different provinces,” he told Reuters news agency. Earlier, another police spokesman was quoted as linking the alleged plot to the ANC meeting.

Angry crowd hurls stones at Tunisian leaders

ngry protesters have hurled rocks at the Tunisian president and parliamentary speaker in Sidi Bouzid, the cradle of the revolution that erupted in the north African country two years ago. The incident began after a speech by President Moncef Marzouki in the central Tunisian town, where celebrations are taking place yesterday to mark the anniversary of the revolution. Mustapha Ben Jaafar, the parliamentary speaker, was about to address the crowd when the violence began. Security forces swiftly evacuated the two men to the regional

WORLD BULLETIN

government headquarters, the AFP news agency reported. The protesters invaded the square where the head of state had been addressing the crowd, shouting “the people want the fall of the government”. The police held back, after violent clashes over the past few months, which have often followed attempts to disperse protesters angry over the government’s failure to improve living conditions in the poor region. Clashes and strikes have multiplied across Tunisia in the runup to the second anniversary of the start of Tunisia’s revolution. When the president took to

Protesters say they are unhappy with the pace of change since the revolution in the North African country Photo: Getty Images

the podium on Monday, many in the crowd of around 5,000 started shouting “Get out! Get out!” - one of the rallying cries of the revolution that toppled the regime of former dictator Zine El Abedine Ben Ali. Marzouki promised economic

progress within six months to the people of Sidi Bouzid, where poverty and unemployment were key factors behind the uprising that began there on December 17, 2010, after Muhammad Bouazizi a street vendor set himself on fire in protest at police harassment.

A labour inspector says that Guinean authorities will give civil servants a pay raise of 50 percent over the next year. Inspector Mariama Djogo Barry yesterday announced the decision that was agreed upon last Friday between the government and Guinea’s main trade unions. She said the raises would be applied in three phases of 10, 15 and 25 percent before the end of 2013. In September, when Guinea was named to the IMF and World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the unions threatened to go on strike if the government did not give civil servants a 200 percent raise. Guinean President Alpha Conde then asked for time to respond to the request.

Cameroon upholds three-year sentence for gay conduct A court in Cameroun has upheld a conviction against a man found guilty of homosexual conduct last year for sending a text message to another man saying: “I’m very much in love with you.” The Court of Appeal ruled early yesterday that Jean-Claude Roger Mbede, 32, must serve out his three-year jail term. He was provisionally released on bail in July after spending a year and a half behind bars. Mbede told The Associated Press he’s not sure he can put up with the anti-gay attacks and harassment he faced from fellow inmates and prison authorities. Gay rights activists say the upheld sentence marks yet another setback for gays and lesbians in Cameroun, widely viewed as the most repressive in Africa when it comes to prosecuting same-sex couples.

World News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Court fines woman in Berlusconi’s case

War: Syrian VP says army can’t win

yria’s longtime vice president said the army cannot defeat the rebels fighting to topple the regime, the first admission by a top government official that a victory by President Bashar Assad is unlikely. In an interview with Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar published yesterday, Farouk al-Sharaa offered the unusually bleak public assessment of the civil war. “All these opposition forces can only conclude the battle to topple the regime if their goal is to push the country into chaos a cycle of violence that has no end,” al-Sharaa said in the interview. “I don’t see that what the security forces and army units are doing will lead to a definitive victory.” Syrian rebels have made significant tactical advances in the past weeks, capturing air bases and military installations near Syria’s largest city of Aleppo and in the capital Damascus. On Sunday, an Islamist faction took an infantry base in Aleppo, a second army base that was captured from the troops in the northern city in a week.

North Koreans bowing before the statues of late leaders Kim Il Sung, left, and Kim Jong Il, right, at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, North Korea, yesterday. Photo: AP

North Korea displays Kim Jong Il, one year after death

orth Korea unveiled the embalmed body of Kim Jong Il, still in his trademark khaki jumpsuit, on the anniversary of his death Monday as mourning mixed with pride over a recent satellite launch that was a long-held goal of the late authoritarian leader. Kim lies in state a few floors below his father, national founder Kim Il

US shooting: Funerals for victims hold

he first funerals were held for victims of Friday’s shootings at a school in the US state of Connecticut, BBC has reported. Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto, both aged six, were buried yesterday after ceremonies at 13:00 local time (7 p.m. Nigerian time). Twenty children and six women died in the assault on Sandy Hook school by a lone gunman who then took his own life. He had earlier killed

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his mother. On Sunday President Barack Obama told residents at a vigil in Newtown the US must do more to protect its children. He said he would use the powers of his office to prevent a repeat of the tragedy, adding that the nation shared the townspeople’s grief. “We can’t tolerate this anymore,” Obama said. “These tragedies must end and to end them we must change.”

Sung, in the Kumsusan mausoleum, the cavernous former presidential palace. Kim Jong Il is presented lying beneath a red blanket, a spotlight shining on his face in a room suffused in red. Wails echoed through the chilly hall as a group of North Korean women sobbed into the sashes of their traditional Korean dresses as they bowed before his body. The hall bearing the glass coffin was opened to select visitors — including The Associated Press — for the first time since his death. North Korea also unveiled Kim’s yacht and his armoured train carriage, where he is said to have died. Among the personal belongings featured in the mausoleum are the parka, sunglasses and pointy platform shoes he famously wore in the last decades of his life. A MacBook Pro lay open on his desk. North Koreans paid homage to Kim and basked in the success of last week’s launch of a long-range

rocket that sent a satellite named after him to space. The launch, condemned in many other capitals as a violation of bans against developing its missile technology, was portrayed not only as a gift to Kim Jong Il but also as proof that his young son, Kim Jong Un, has the strength and vision to lead the country. The elder Kim died last Dec. 17 from a heart attack while travelling on his train. His death was followed by scenes of North Koreans dramatically wailing in the streets of Pyongyang, and of the 20-something son leading ranks of uniformed and gray-haired officials through funeral and mourning rites. The mood in the capital was decidedly more upbeat a year later, with some of the euphoria carrying over from last Wednesday’s launch. The satellite bears one of Kim Jong Il’s nicknames, Kwangmyongsong, or “Lode Star,” a moniker given to him at birth according to the official lore.

Milan court fined a Moroccan woman at the center of Silvio Berlusconi’s sex-forhire scandal ₤500 ($650) yesterday for failing to appear as a witness twice at the former premier’s trial. It ordered her to testify in January. Karima el-Mahroug, also known as Ruby, is the last witness to be called in the sensational trial that accuses Berlusconi of having paid for sex with elMahroug when she was 17, and then trying to cover it up. Both deny having had sex. The court ordered elMahroug, who is in Mexico on vacation, to testify on Jan. 14, confirming the necessity of her testimony. Prosecutors have accused the defence, which called el-Mahroug as a witness, of engaging in a strategy to delay a verdict — which has included calling witnesses who have

failed to show. Italian law does not carry particularly strict penalties against witnesses who fail to appear, and in some cases the court may decide their participation is not essential. Prosecutors are scheduled to give their closing arguments on Jan. 28, followed by the defence on February 4. That leaves room for the verdict to be delivered in February, just as Italy is headed toward a national election. The 76-year-old Berlusconi has flirted with running again, but most recently has said he would step aside if Premier Mario Monti, who runs a technical government that replaced Berlusconi’s, decides to run as a moderate.

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World News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

mother of three girls had a hysterectomy only to be told by doctors afterwards that while she slept they had also aborted the son she had always wanted but did not know she was carrying. Suzanne Doherty had an operation in Cornwall for a gynaecological condition completely unaware she was 14 weeks pregnant. Medical staff also failed to spot the unborn foetus and she was sent for a hysterectomy to remove her uterus. The procedure meant the unborn baby died and when she woke up doctors were forced to explain a foetus had been found and terminated. The horrified 42-year-old has now been awarded a £62,000 payout after the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro admitted liability and a ‘catalogue of errors’. Mrs Doherty, of St Mabyn, Cornwall, says the ordeal left her suffering depression which caused her to lose her job following the blunder in 2007. She said: ‘I was told the operation had been success but unfortunately a foetus had been discovered and that the foetus had been terminated. ‘I was told with just the curtains pulled, so there were other people in the bay that heard what had happened. ‘It shouldn’t happen in this day and age. There are so many checks. It shouldn’t get to the point where a pregnancy was missed.’ She says following the operation she was physically well but had suffered mentally leading to ‘long bouts of quite bad depression’.

Devastated: Suzanne Doherty, 42, had an operation for a gynaecological condition, but was unaware she was 14 weeks pregnant Photo: BBC

Doctors abort son mother of three girls always wanted She said: ‘I would go back to work and then I wouldn’t be able to handle it and I would be off again, which ended with me having to lose my job. ‘Knowing the fact that we’ve got three girls and we could have had a son, that was absolutely devastating. ‘It has taken me a long time to get to the point where I have accepted what has happened, but it has taken five years.

‘The money we can use for the children. But that’s never going to bring my son back.’ Suzanne said she had woken in hospital to be told the operation was a success but that ‘a foetus was discovered and that the foetus was terminated’. It later emerged that a consultant noted her uterus was abnormally large prior to it being removed.

Suzanne’s solicitor Charlotte Skouby said the trust had admitted the pregnancy ‘could and should have been diagnosed at the point when it was still viable’. She said: ‘This would have enabled our client to go on to term and deliver a much wanted baby boy.’ Alison Millar, a partner at the firm, added: ‘This was a very unusual and obviously devastating case which has caused great distress to our client. ‘We are very glad to have secured a settlement for them which recognises their injuries and enables them now to close this most unhappy chapter of their lives’. Mrs Doherty was given her pay-out after the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust said it would ‘not tolerate poor clinical practice’. Lezli Boswell, the trust’s chief executive, wrote a personal letter of apology. She said: ‘I am deeply sorry to hear about any anxiety, pain or distress caused to our patients.’ Mrs Doherty added: ‘The apology from the chief executive has made us feel they’ve acknowledged they’ve made serious errors.’ The case follows revelations that 1,500 patients of the hospital’s gynaecology consultant, Rob Jones, are having their cases reviewed. The consultant, who delivered Prime Minister David Cameron’s daughter Florence in 2010, has since resigned and removed his name from the medical register. A review ordered by the hospital’s trust is due to report back by the end of the year. It is not known if Rob was involved with Suzanne’s care.

Series of bombings kill 19 in Iraq

wave of bombings across Iraq yesterday targeted residents of ethnically disputed areas and Shiite pilgrims, killing 19 people and wounding dozens. The attacks deepen fears that militants are seeking to reignite ethnic and sectarian violence in the country, where tensions remain high over areas contested between Iraq’s central government and the Kurdish minority. The deadliest of yesterday’s attacks took place in al-Mouafaqiyah, a village inhabited by families from the Shabak ethnic group. Seven people were killed and 11 were wounded in the bombing, according to police officials. The village lies near the city of Mosul, 360 kilometres (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, and is claimed by Arabs, Turkomen and Kurds. The Shabak have its distinct language and religious beliefs. Elsewhere in the north, two car bombs went off in a majority Turkomen neighbourhood in the city of Tuz Khormato, killing five people and wounding 26, said Mohammed al-Asi, a spokesman for Salahuddin provincial council. Like the area near the other attack, Tuz Khormato, about 210 kilometres (130 miles) north of Baghdad, has a mix of Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen competing for control of the city. Tuz Khormato borders the autonomous Kurdish region. Last month, it was the scene of a deadly shootout between Kurdish guards and Iraqi police that killed one civilian. The Iraqi military and Kurdish fighters responded by moving additional troops into disputed areas, raising the possibility of

further clashes. Elsewhere yesterday, police said a roadside bomb hit a bus carrying Lebanese Shiite pilgrims near Samarra, killing one Lebanese national plus the Iraqi driver and wounding eight others, including five Lebanese. Also, a car bomb went off on a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims heading to Samarra, killing two, including an Iranian national. Another car bomb went off in a commercial area in downtown Baghdad in the afternoon, killing three people and wounding ten, police and health officials said.

Judge, family beheaded in Ukraine

krainian law enforcement agencies are investigating the grisly murder of a judge and three family members, who were beheaded in the city of Kharkiv. Kharkiv Judge Volodymyr Trofimov, 58, his wife, son and the son’s girlfriend were found dead in Trofimov’s apartment on Saturday. All the bodies had been decapitated and the heads were missing, according to prosecutors and the police. A prosecutor’s spokesman said Monday that investigators believe Trofimov’s killing could be connected to his job, because the murder took place on Dec. 15, which is Judge’s Day in Ukraine. Investigators also think the killing could have been the result of a robbery, because some belongings are missing from the apartment, or a contract murder. No further details were available yesterday.

The train was built in 1898 and withdrawn from the tracks in 1963

Photo: Getty Images

Steam train returns to London first time in a century

etting foot on the platform, you could be forgiven for thinking you had travelled back in time and arrived in the golden age of steam. It’s all there - the smell of burning coal, the hissing of the steam and the clanking of the wheels as an engine is shunted back and forth. But this is no 1930s fantasy. It’s Baker Street station - and it’s all happening in the here and now. For the first time in more than 100 years, a steam train was carrying passengers on the Tube on Sunday. In a test run for London Underground’s 150-year anniversary celebrations, a restored original locomotive hauled a Victorian first-class carriage from Earl’s Court to Moorgate. Billowing clouds through the capital’s oldest tunnels, the weekend’s recreation followed some of the route of the world’s first underground railway journey in 1863.

Shortly after 1pm on January 9 in 1863 the inaugural train pulled out of Paddington station to begin a 3.5mile journey under the capital’s streets and into the history books. It was a novelty that thousands of Londoners were eager to experience for themselves and to admire what one newspaper called ‘the most stupendous engineering undertaking yet achieved in the railway world’. And as on the very first journey in the 19th century, railwaymen, enthusiasts and a few dignitaries were aboard the train and riding inside the restored Metropolitan 353 carriage in the small hours of Sunday morning. The train was built in 1898 and withdrawn from the tracks in 1963. The return of steam to the London Underground and the first steam passenger journey on the original stretch of the Metropolitan line since 1905.

Cocktail

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

FOR YOUR SUCCESS

WITH DR. DEJI FOLUTILE

Today's Tonic (65)

“No one loses anything doing good, thinking good, and talking good.” –Oke U Maduekwe *** MY THOUGHTS Doing, thinking and talking good are interrelated. You cannot consistently talk good without consistently thinking good. You cannot consistently do good without consistently talking good. Our thoughts, words and deeds are seeds that will ultimately bring harvest to us whether we like it or not. They are the materials we can use to demonstrate mastery on the earth. Conscious constructive thinking, controlled positive talking and deliberate positive actions are the weavers of a shinning destiny. TEL 08104942999 E-MAIL deji.folutile@gmail.com Follow me @TwitterOWOTIDE

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Oddities

Circus claims vodka saves elephants in Siberia

ircus trainers claim two of their elephants were saved from the deadly Siberian cold by vodka. Emergency ministry spokesman Alexander Davydov said Friday that the elephants were in a trailer that caught fire Thursday outside the city of Novosibirsk, forcing trainers to take them out into the bitter cold before another truck arrived to deliver them to a warm gym at a local community college.

The Komsomolskaya Pravda daily reported that trainer Leonid Labo had the animals, aged 45 and 48, drink 10 litres (2.6 gallons) of vodka diluted in warm water — and a veterinarian

said later that only the tips of their ears were frostbitten. Although scientists say that alcohol can make humans feel warmer but actually lowers their core body

temperature, Novosibisk zoo director Rostislav Shilo told the daily that the vodka saved the animals from frostbite and pneumonia, without harming or even intoxicating them.

Deadly spiders mistakenly shipped to UK

shipping container that arrived in Norfolk, England, was infested with deadly black widow spiders, shocking workers unloading it. The container, which was infested with hundreds of the spiders, originated in Arizona, where the spiders are more common, The Mirror reported Saturday.

The container firm called in local pest control experts to get rid of the spiders. “It is not something you expect to see, especially in the outback of Norfolk. Our guys are used to checking for wildlife, so when they spotted the spiders they shut the doors to keep them trapped in,” said firm spokesman Mark Cook.

Black widows are the most poisonous spiders in North America, with venom 15 times more potent than a rattlesnake’s. Their bites can be fatal. “The little creatures have a bad reputation with people thinking their bite is immediately fatal, but generally people are just fairly sick,” Cooke said.

Forest officials riding tame elephants as they try to free an injured elephant from a mud pit in Goalpara district in the eastern Indian state of Assam, recently. Photo: Reuters

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North

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Gunmen kill trader, injure others in Maiduguri INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

unmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram terrorist sect attacked the Gambouru market yesterday in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, and killed a trader.

They also injured two others. The incident occurred barely 24 hours after some gunmen killed two policemen and a ward head in the city. According to an eye witness, Audu Isa, who is also a trader, the gunmen walked into the market through the main gate and shot their

victim dead in his shop before firing gunshots to scare other traders. Isa said: “We had to run for our safety, as we did not know the motives behind the attack. Two of our colleagues were also injured by the attackers.” Confirming the incident, the police spokes-

man, Mr. Gideon Jibrin, said there was an attack on the Gambouru market where a trader was shot dead. Two others were also injured at about 11am. He added that immediately after the incident, security forces condoned off the area to prevent further attacks and killings.

Senator decries insecurity in North JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

enator Solomon Ewuga representing Nasarawa North in the Senate has described the insecurity confronting some parts of the North as unacceptable. Speaking when members of the Association of Northern Youths for the Advancement of Peace, Harmony and Development paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, Ewuga said the insecurity in the North had caused leaders and other residents of the region sleepless night and should not be allowed to continue. The senator, who blamed the situation on rising poverty, unemployment and religious intolerance in the North, said government alone could not tackle the problem and as such all hands must be

on deck to address it. He called on stakeholders, particularly the private sector to team up with the government in its efforts to nib the situation in the bud. While expressing his readiness to partner with the group in finding lasting peace in the region, Senator Ewuga urged members of the association, who are mostly youths, to shun violence and other social vices, noting that no meaningful development could take place in a violent-ravaged environment. Speaking earlier, President of the association, Mr. Melvin Ejeh, commended the senator for his robust representation at the National Assembly. He said the purpose of the visit was to seek advice from the senator on how to tackle insecurity in the North.

Ahmed extols Buhari’s virtues WOLE ADEDEJJI ILORIN

F Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mohammed Pate, immunising a child in Jega Local Government Area of Kebbi State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

2012 budget: HYPPADEC wants its N220m released CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

arely 12 days to the end of the year, member states of the Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) have demanded the immediate release of N220 million as 2012 budget. The request, they said, is to ensure a smooth takeoff of activities of the commission. The technical and implementation committee of HYPPADEC made the demand yesterday during a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Power, Mrs. Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, in Abuja. The group, led by the Secretary to the Niger State Government, Mr. Daniel Sheshere, also urged the Federal Government to fast track the take of the commission in

order to improve the quality of lives of the common people. Sheshere said: “With the recent passage of the HYPPADEC Bill and subsequent assent by President Goodluck Jonathan, the task now is to ensure the immediate take-off of the commission in accordance with the law establishing it. “There is the need to ensure that funds allocated to it in the Federal Government 2012 budget is made available for the activities of the commission.” Shashere said the immediate take-off of the commission would also help to effectively salvage the victims of the recent flood across the country. He noted that during the maiden meeting of the commission at Minna, Niger State, it made some salient observations which in the need for critical study of the content of the law to

ensure strict compliance in terms of application, and the need to fast track the constitution of the Federal Management Committee on the commission. The group also noted that there was need to set the ball rolling by effective collection of revenues that are due to the commission as enshrined in the law, stressing the need for collective decision among member states on the issues concerning the

establishment of the commission. In her remark, the Minister of State for Power Mrs. Zainab Ibrahim Kuchi, said: “The issue of HYPPADEC is already a done deal, as the ministry will not go outside the laws of the land. “Whatever is not yet given, we will carefully table it that it is not yet given because the issues of social responsibilities are key to the HYPPADEC states.”

ormer military Head of State and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has been described as a fine democrat. “Gen. Buhari is a gentleman per excellent who is committed to the entrenchment of democratic values in a manner that is unparallel in the country,” Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said in a congratulatory message he sent to General Buhari, who turns 70 years yesterday. The governor noted that since 1999 when the current democratic experience began, Gen. Buhari has remained one of the strident voices whose views on national issues could not be overlooked. Governor Ahmed re-

Gombe CNPP gets caretaker committee DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

ollowing the deregistration of 28 political parties by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), the Gombe State chapter of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has constituted a caretaker committee to

run its affairs. In a press statement made available to journalists yesterday in Gombe, members of the caretaker committee are to oversee the CNPP pending the election of substantive officials. In view of this development, the Gombe State Chairman of the ACD, Alhaji Adau Yahaya Nafada, is now the caretaker

chairman, while Hon. Yusuf Haruna, chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP), is to serve as secretary. The statement, which was signed by the General Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Hon. Yusuf Haruna, stated that members of the five-man caretaker committee include Hon. Jack Gumpy of the Peoples

called that “Gen. Buhari’s regime as Head of State was remarkable in the annals of our national history as it fostered a culture of discipline, moral rectitude and patriotism among Nigerians”. “As chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF),” the Kwara State governor added: “Gen. Buhari epitomised prudent, transparency and excellence in project management.” Ahmed prayed that God grants Gen. Buhari good health and more wisdom as he enters the septuagenarian club of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Buhari

Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Sale Lawal of the Labour Party and Adamu Garba of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It said also that the remaining parties that scaled the huddles met last weekend and reviewed the leadership of the CNPP, which came up with the constitution of the caretaker committee.

News

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

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Oil marketers behind my mother’s abduction, says Okonjo-Iweala CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

tions are paid and we have been doing that. “Those transactions that have not been verified or where it is showing that the marketers are owing government money, the government position is that we would not be able to pay.” Okonjo-Iweala also praised the courage of her mother while the travail lasted. She said: “I can tell you one thing that my mother, Prof. Keneme Okonjo is a very courageous woman and God was with her because she suffered a great deal. “So when I say that God has performed a miracle you can understand what I mean. She was taken away and kept for five days without food or water and for an 83-year old woman it’s a

miracle. “She came back to us and she is alive and doing well. My father, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, Prof. Okonjo and my mother want to use this medium to express their sincere thanks to Nigerians and gratitude to Almighty God that she came out of this ordeal.” On the SURE-Programme, she explained that there was a totally different process which had nothing to do with the Ministry of Finance. “In the case of SURE-P, there is a totally different process that I have no control over. With the special committee that was set up, they do not come via the normal Ministry of Finance. It goes through other processes over which I do not have control. This is the right thing to do. And this, I

believe is what the Nigerian people want,” she said. She, however, appreciated the support and encouragement of President Jonathan and his wife; the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, the President of the World Bank, ministers, the British Prime Minister, the United States envoy and security agencies. Okonjo-Iweala also thanked governors Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, Peter Obi of Anambra, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and other friends and well wishers within and outside government for their prayers and encouragement during a very difficult period. She also gave grace to God for the miracle of returning her mother, saying it was the prayer of many Nigerians that came

Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal (left) condoling with the family of the late Governor Patrick Yakowa in Kaduna, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Abia State Governor Theodore Orji (left) and his Anambra State counterpart, Peter Obi on their arrival in Kaduna to commiserate with the state government on the death of Governor Patrick Yakowa, yesterday.

Six die in Delta road crash

t least seven persons were feared on the Sapele/Warri axis of the East West highway in Delta State on Monday morning in a ghastly commercial bus accident. Eyewitnesses said the remains of at least nine victims, including that of a baby, were recovered from the scene, but the Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed seven deaths.

The bus owned by the Delta State Government transport company, was a heap of metal scraps when our reporter visited the scene at 12pm. It was marked DT 497 B28. It was gathered that the bus driver had barely overtaken a Toyota Hilux van, when he lost control and plunged into a ditch before ramming into the opposite tracks of the dual carriage highway.

Mrs. Susan Ajenge, State Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Corps, confirmed the report. She said the accident was caused by overspeeding on the part of the driver. She said seven persons, comprising three male and female and a child, lost their lives. “Those injured were taken to the hospital, the dead were taken to the mortuary in Warri.”

through for them. The minister said the experience of her mother’s kidnap had strengthened her. “This experience has strengthened my faith in the country. The outpouring of love from all over the country has been simply overwhelming. “Friends, neighbours, colleagues, acquaintances offered help and encouragement in a myriad ways; even total strangers mobilised prayer groups for the safe return of my mother. We pray that God will reward their selflessness abundantly. “I want to start by thanking Almighty God for the miracle of the release of my mother, Prof. Kamene Okonjo. “The Almighty has, once again, come through brilliantly for me and my family. Even during the bleakest part of this terrible experience, we believed that he would give us a testimony to his goodness and He did not fail us. “As terrible as the experience was, the love and sympathy of Nigerians was constant and overwhelming. “It helped us get through the dark moments of this five-day ordeal. God heard the prayers of the millions of Nigerians who prayed for the safe return of my mother. “From the bottom of my heart, I thank all those who sent messages of support and encouragement by phone, by e-mail and in person. “To those who prayed in their homes and organised prayer circles in their churches and mosques and offices, I say: Thank you. Your prayers were heard. “The security agencies also did a good job. They were very professional and enthusiastic in the discharge of their duties. I am hopeful that they will complete the job which they started so well. “Even as we thank God, we cannot forget so many Nigerians who have gone through the same terrible experience either as victims or families or friends of victims. “Words are not enough to describe the sheer horror of the experience. The best way to honour the victims and families is to ensure that there is greater focus

on kidnapping and progress in combating it. Working with the relevant agencies under the leadership of the President, I intend to contribute my quota to helping achieve this. “We also thank Mr. President and the First Lady who were absolutely wonderful and first rate in their support and encouragement to me and my family throughout this terrible ordeal. “The President took a daily interest in the case and gave directives for appropriate action by the security agencies.” Okonjo-Iweala, who appeared grief-stricken all through her briefings, also said she was deeply pained by the death of the late Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa and the former National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi. She expressed her condolence to the bereaved families and described their deaths as a great loss to the country. The minister said: “My heart is heavy with the news of the passing of my brothers, Governor Patrick Yakowa; Gen. Andrew Aziza and the others who were on that last flight with them. “It is indeed a great tragedy. Our sympathy and prayers go to their families. We pray for divine comfort for them in this very difficult time.” It will be recalled that the Aigboje AigImokhuede-led Presidential Committee had indicted 21 oil marketers based on evidence that they might have engaged in fraudulent activities under the fuel subsidy regime. The indicted companies are Alminnur Resources Limited; Brilla Energy Limited; Caades Oil And Gas Limited; Capital Oil and Gas Industry Limited; Connoil Plc; Downstream Energy Source Limited; Eterna Plc; Euraafric Oil and Gas Limited; and Lumen Skies Limited. Others are, Majope Investment Limited; Matrix Energy Limited; Menon Oil And Gas Limited; Mob International Services; MRS Oil and Gas Limited; Nasaman Oil Services Limited; Natacel Petroleum Limited; Ocean Energy Trading and Services; Pinnacle Contractors Limited; Sifax Oil and Gas Company; Tonique Oil Services Limited; and Top

Oil And Gas Development Company Limited. Okonjo-Iweala, had expressed government’s readiness to take appropriate action against the 21 companies, saying that any of the companies indicted in the investigations would be appropriately sanctioned. The minister had said that as much as government would be willing to dialogue with marketers with genuine and verified claims, it would not treat any fraudulent act with kid gloves since the money involved belonged to Nigerians. The minister said that for the oil marketers under investigation for possible refunds to the government, payments would only be made to them after their investigations, based on the condition that their 2012 outstanding claims. She added that their claims would be netted out against their expected refunds to government and those with a positive net balance. Government added that oil marketers with a negative balance with government, that is, those that owe government more in refunds than government owes them, the Aig-Imoukhuede Committee will accelerate review of their documents without further delay. Similarly, the minister disclosed that there is a second group of companies with infractions which are relatively minor which are currently discussing with government for a quick resolution of their issues, adding that for these categories of marketers, government is prepared to settle their claims as soon as issues of their minor infractions are resolved. The minister said government will fully investigate their activities and if found guilty, bring them to book and recover all public funds fraudulently obtained, in the guise of fuel subsidy claims, adding that “no degree of blackmail will stop the overnment from doing its work. Government will, therefore, pursue justice and ensure that those who are found guilty are appropriately sanctioned” Some of the indicted oil marketing chieftains are already facing prosecution in courts following their alleged fraudulent subsidy claims for which no fuel was supplied to the market.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Insight

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Unbelievable! Chinese, Indian firms enslave It’s unbelievable, but true that Chinese, Indian and Lebanese companies operating in Nigeria rely more on casual workers who they treat live slaves. In the best of undercover reporting, MESHACK IDEHEN worked at one of the Asian firms for a week and narrates how Nigerian women are abused in their bid to eke out a living.

here are two gates that serve as entrances to the Indian/Chinese owned group of companies located on Ladipo Oluwole Road, Ikeja, Lagos. At the first gate, the struggle to gain access to be hired as a daily paid casual worker is usually fierce because the gate is used by the company’s vehicles, mainly trucks and trailers to move materials and in some cases, workers, in and out of the company. Most factories in the area have many things in common. There are no signboards to show that companies that engage in production activities are located there. Only the sudden bust of workers moving in or out of the factories at dawn and dusk or the programmed movement of trucks to bring in raw materials or evacuate finished goods indicate that such high volume of businesses goes on within the high walls of the secured premises. The second gate, though less busy and used by pedestrian visitors to the company also has its own sizeable crowd of people milling around. It is the gate this reporter used to approach the company in search of day job.

Applying as casual worker National Mirror found out that to be hired as a casual worker in the company, or any firm run by Chinese, Lebanese or Indian expatriates, requires more than just the willingness and ability to work hard and carry out physically exerting jobs. First, the scramble for available openings every morning while it’s better seen than described is more harrowing for young female job seekers, who wear all manner of work and non work clothes and mix freely with the young men, however contend from dawn to dusk with challenges that differ from those of the men. Feminine decorum and decency are flung to the winds in their quest to secure and retain their jobs for some period. Unaware of how challenging and competitive it is to get picked for the N650 a day loading job that was said by the two men and a lady at the company’s Gate 2 to be available that morning, our reporter with high hopes walked in at 7.30am, believing that he was early to be hired to earn a day’s pay and also carry out his undercover reporting. The reporter narrates, “Ready and willing to grab whatever job at hand as disclosed in a vacancy notice pasted on the company’s wall and from gossips buzzing through our crowd of anxious job seekers like machine operators (despite little or no training provided), at N800 per day, conveying production materials from store to production area at N700 daily were also on offer. I stepped forward to indicate interest in a loader’s job, elbowing and shoving those beside and around me to the front of the milling crowd. “One observation that did arouse my curiosity while all the efforts to get reg-

WE LATER FOUND OUT THAT MOST OF THE SUPERVISORS CONNIVE WITH THE

ASIAN MANAGERS TO ENSURE THAT

THERE ARE ALWAYS SPURIOUS REASONS TO HAVE SOME MONEY DEDUCTED

FROM THE WORKERS’ LOW WAGES

Applicants waiting outside one of the factories in Lagos.

istered and picked for the day’s job were going on was that I never saw a single expatriate Asian or European, though talks abound of us being watched through Close Circuit Television (CCTV) whose cameras are placed in strategic points within the company. The harsh and tasking job of haranguing the surging crowd of young job seekers into orderliness falls squarely on the shoulders of other fellow Nigerians.

A first timer “That first day, my efforts were futile as all the shoving, pushing and brawling yielded no positive result. Reason: At 7.30 am that morning the crowd of about 1000 youths that were still milling around were the ‘rejects’ and who for reasons that varies from having no home or house to go back to; to lack of money to take them back to their destinations, choose to hang around the vicinity, hoping for some sort of miracle. 7.30am is considered very late from hindsight for any pleadings to the security personnel at the gates to have a change of heart about our status from that of ‘no work today, come tomorrow’, to ‘come inside, have you worked here before?’ “I resolved to return the next day before the unspoken and unwritten, yet agreed time of 5.30am (a quality information prised from a new friend who is a veteran casual worker by any standard), to commence the day’s ‘hustling,’ another word very popular with casual workers. Early the next day, I was at the company’s Gate 2 where, at some minutes before 6am, I alongside over 800 other early birds were shepherded into the company’s premises. Before then, it had taken over one hour of patiently standing outside the gate for the night shift workers to close and make way for the morning shift.

Getting started “Another 30 minutes was spent on documentation i.e. compiling our names in a sheet of paper. There is no provision for or information on health, safety or environment, just names and sections (e.g. loaders,

A protester carrying placard at one of the factories

machine operators, grading etc). The list is the pay roll and forms the basis of payment of wages at the end of the day or week, depending on one’s preference, and if he does not damage any company property or isn’t involved in theft. The issue of theft and reaction of the Asians is a pill that most casual workers, especially the females are struggling to swallow, but I digress. “Few minutes before 6.20am, we were shared into work groups of 10s, 20s and 30s, depending on the aspect of the production process we were involved in. Since the company is involved in the production of all forms of plastic products, and has plants in other parts of Nigeria like Kano and Ibadan, the constant feeding of the production section with raw material through the open space that leads to the shed/warehouse takes a major part of the workers’ daily schedule. I was among the hired hands to feed the production line. “Each group has a supervisor whose duty is to ensure that every minute of the day is fully accounted for and we later found out that most of the supervisors connive with the Asian managers to ensure that there are

always spurious reasons to have some money deducted from the workers’ low wages.

Hard work, small pay “There is no resting once the machines come alive and work gets started. The commencement of work also marked my first time to set eyes on the one everyone calls ‘Jackson’ (his last name unknown). He is a young Chinese who operates like a general manager and whose lust for local girls, I was informed, is legendary. ‘Old casual workers’ gossip that Jackson had put some of their female colleagues in the family way without assuming paternity. “With Jackson’s presence, other expatriate managers showed up and my new friends told me they came out after having breakfast, a complete opposite to the toiling young Nigerians in workhouses, who will have to wait till about noon to have their first meal of the day, usually rice and beans or beans and bread supplied by food vendors in makeshift canteens in the area. “We worked, and worked. Machines creaked endlessly. Equipment of various types clanked to no end. Smoke and extreme heat pervaded the production hall. Yet we

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Insight

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Nigerian workers on N650 daily pay

Some factory workers protesting over low wages.

AHANNA SAID THE EXPATRIATES LOOKED FORWARD TO THOSE PERIODS BECAUSE THEY WATCHED FROM THE COMFORT OF THEIR OFFICES LIVE VIDEO OF THE NAKED

NIGERIAN WOMEN

Workers locked out of their factory by expartriate bosses.

scurried around and about lifting different sizes and types of bags of chemicals from the store to the machines and because the machines are timed, we would dare not slow down for a few seconds to catch our breath in order not be surcharged or accused of contributing to not meeting the production target for the day. The scene is some sort of organised confusion. Machine operators shout for more chemicals and materials and young women run into one another, with some missing their footsteps while trying to meet up with their task as Jackson and some of the other Asians bellow orders to supervisors. “After every one hour or thereabout, a break of 10 to 15 minutes is observed to allow us catch our breath, drink satchet water bought from across the fence and prepare for the next hour of labour. I chat with my new friends during the intervals, but my back and hands hurt and ache.

Theft and video cameras “I had thought that the CCTV cameras placed in strategic places in the premises are for general security and to detect workers who steal company’s property and

products. But on my third day, I learnt that the cameras do much more for management. I can’t confirm what one of the rejects like me on my first day, Chukwugozie Ahanna, confided in me as reason why we don’t get to see our expatriate Chinese, Lebanese and Indians managers in the mornings when female casual workers are about to change into work clothes or in the evenings when they wash in the bathrooms and change clothes to go home. Ahanna said the expatriates looked forward to those periods because they watched from the comfort of their offices live video of the naked Nigerian women. A veteran casual worker, he added that whenever the Asian managers were angry or had cause to quarrel with the workers, they pinpointed details about the ladies’ bodies while hauling abuses on them, a situation that convinced them that the workers were being monitored while in the bathrooms.

Brutality and suspicion “These factory owners live and dwell on suspicion: they don’t even trust their kith and kin, and as such can’t trust the

Nigerians. Although the production hall is not locked against the casuals during work time, I learnt that workers in other companies have harsh experience. “I could barely wait till the end of the week to pick up my accumulated one week wages of N4, 700 (four thousand, seven hundred naira only) overtime inclusive, that was paid to me in cash on our last day at work. However, as I stepped out of the premises, the thought of what I had witnessed, coupled with the boast of the Asians of being untouchable since they are providing employment and contributing to Nigeria’s economy could not stop going through my mind. National Mirror recalls that in 2002 at a Chinese owned rubber factory at Ikorodu, Lagos, a midnight fire razed the production line and scores of workers who were locked in by their Asian managers, who went to sleep in their highly secured quarters with the keys, were roasted to death. It was later discovered by members of the National Assembly, Lagos State House of Assembly and officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour who visited the firm that the plastic factory was an illegal addition to a registered firm called West African Engineering Company, a case that remains unresolved and the victims uncompensated. Another incident of brutality against

Nigerian workers was the 2011 case of a contract worker with the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, (CCECC), Mr. Maaji Meriga, who testicles were almost kicked out following an attack by a Chinese supervisor who accused him of insubordination. Meriga, it is still said, has practically lost the use of his manhood, after the 62-year-old and bread winner of a family of six children was left potentially impotent. Michael Francis, another casual staff for over a year, who will not forget in a hurry the brutality meted out to him by a Chinese boss, who had accused him of wasting resources (water) during the execution of one of the company’s functions. “He held my shirt, slapped and kicked me in the penis when I refused to give my wages card for him to cut some hours from the work I had done that day,” said the 29-year-old. “The pay is N600 a day and we can work from 7am to 5pm. I refused since it wasn’t my fault, because they can cut your money by half, then how much do I have left?” Michael wailed. Till date, the families of Odion and Dada, two former workers of a Chinese company are at a loss over the challenge fate has dealt them through the Asians. Late Odion’s brother, Matthew told journalists that the corpse of his 21-year-old brother was found inside the swimming pool, with blood dripping out of his ears, nostrils and mouth in a Chinese national’s residence where he worked as a cook, despite the insistence of the Asians that both Odion and another worker, Dada, drowned in the pool. “My brother’s corpse didn’t look like that of a drowned person. Something just looks suspicious because how can two full grown men just drown at the same time in a pool that is not deep?” the late casual worker’s brother wondered. More curious though, is the offer to both families of the sum of N500, 000 each even before investigations were concluded. ZTE Nigeria Limited, another Chinese company was also recently sealed by the workers over allegation of ill-treatment of Nigerian labourers.

Going forward President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Peter Esele, said the congress had battled Chinese, Indian and Lebanese engaged in slavery and maltreatment of Nigerian workers over the years, adding the government need to make a policy statement in that direction. He confirmed that the congress had once taken the decision to close some of the companies where workers are going through hell. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Abdulwaheed Omar, spoke in the same vein that the preponderance of slave labour, dehumanising workers’ condition and unacceptable racism in work places is traceable to Asian companies. He added that many of these companies should brace up for the battles the NLC would bring to them in 2013. Labour and Industrial Relations Expert, Mr. Kunle Rotimi, who said that casual workers are not peculiar to Nigeria, however added that even if the economy is slow and employment is limited every worker, including casuals, must be protected by the extant laws.

WORLD RECORD

Thickest book published Vol. 02 No. 515

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

N150

The thickest published book measures 322 mm (12.67 in) in width and was unveiled by HarperCollins in London, UK, on 20 May 2009. All Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories - 12 novels and 20 short stories - are collected and published in this volume.

Terrorism and culture of buck passing

he Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Mohammed Adoke, stirred the hornets’ nest recently at a public function in Abuja when he blamed the rot in the judiciary for the escalating state of insecurity that has defied human logic and now a virus eating deep into the very foundation of our society. As the number one law officer Mr. Adoke, who should know better in this circumstance, stated the obvious thing widely known as the major cause of social instability and blatant disregard for the rule of law. This has enhanced the confidence and recourge to other means of securing justice and possibly safeguard themselves from being cheated. The AGF, whose views represent that of the Federal Government, did not stop at the rot that has been the lot of the judiciary thus far, but also revealed the apparent weak-

ambia captain, Christopher Katongo, was yesterday announced as the 2012 BBC African Footballer of the Year award winner. The 30-year-old forward beat off competition from Demba Ba, Didier Drogba, Younes Belhanda and Yaya Toure to become the first winner from southern Africa in

TALKINGPOINT Seyi Fasugba

seyifasugba@yahoo.com 08053069514 (sms only)

ness of the police who he said have fallen short of executing the powers to prosecute criminal cases in court. The AGF further released incriminating facts on the number of people that have died through extra judicial killings in the hands of police. The figures released by his office, which has not been disputed since, though not frightening, but further confirms the excesses of the police over the years which runs counter to the popular slogan that “the police is your friend”. To the average Nigerian, with police as a friend, one needs no enemy. And, as admitted in his submissions at that forum, the urge to resort to self-help in dealing with obvious bias and unresolved cases of miscarriage of justice have given rise to cases of terrorism and that of direct attack of men in police uniform and officers even while on legitimate duties. Reasons for the failure of the force to rely on the society to gather information on criminal activities that could help in intelligence gathering efforts are also traceable not only to discontent of the people against them, but also lack of confidence in their sincerity to objectively investigate and prosecute matters. The totality of Adoke’s submission are issues already known and which, to some extent, solutions have been advanced through various reforms at the disposal of government and its agencies and even bodies given the specific assignment by government. It is

PERHAPS THE IMBALANCE IN THE SOCIETY THAT HAS GIVEN BIRTH TO A LIFE OF DESPERATION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN on record the number of serving policemen that have been convicted for armed robbery or for being an accomplice to crime. Changing the police should have gone beyond rhet-

oric, but deliberate effort to bring about the needed. This can only be made possible by government’s readiness to demonstrate the political will to get things done, no matter the interests at stake. And the reforms must be all encompassing for them to be effective. The operators of the system, in this case the police, must be protected and be encouraged to work as professionals. Without any doubt, it is the fear of the unknown that has compounded the level of greed and corruption among the police operatives. As the leading law officer, appraising the problem and apportioning blames is not what will bring solutions and advance the course of the society, but a commitment to bring about the desired change or, at least, lay the foundation for others to build on. And even beyond this is the lack of focus on the part of elected officials and our leaders to provide the electorate the reason to celebrate the dividends of democracy with adequate provision of amenities that will make life worth a living for those who had voted in anticipation of improved condition of living. If government had played its expected role perfectly well, perhaps the imbalance in the society that has given birth to a life of desperation would not have been.

Tragedy too painful to bear

he death last weekend of the Kaduna State governor, Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser, General Owoye Azazi while returning from the burial of the father of a special aide to Predsident Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Oronto Douglas, in Bayelsa State, is one tragedy too heavy and painful for us to bear as a nation. Coming at a time the country was yet to get over the Dana plane crash where some of the best talents perished, made it even more tragic. If our honourable citizens will die the way the incident happened, then it means we have a long way

to go in our consciousness to ensure the sanctity of life wherever and whenever Nigerians choose to travel to. This is the time more than ever before to cleanse the Augean stable in the aviation sector and restore the confidence of the people in believing that travelling remains the safest. What had happened is also a reflection of the neglect our roads have suffered thus far. While wishing the bereaved family the fortitude to bear the loss, this should afford us the reason to leave no stone unturned until the real cause of the crash must be uncovered in order to safeguard against the future. This was, indeed, one crash too many.

Sport Extra

Katongo scoops BBC African Player award the history of the award. “This is a fantastic moment for me. I thank the people who voted for me. It is something I will never forget in my career, China-based Katongo, who is a soldier in his home country, said.

“This means a lot for the young people and the young players who look up to me. I could not have achieved this without the support of my team mates.” The shortlist for the award was drawn up by football experts

from every country in Africa, who based their choices on players’ skill, technical ability, teamwork, consistency and fair play. Katongo hopes to propel Zambia to another AFCON glory in South Africa next year.

Katongo

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