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70% tariff on imported vehicles takes off, prices to skyrocket FRANCIS EZEM

trong indications emerged yesterday that prices of vehicles imported into the

Dikko

Vol. 5 N0. 1146

country may hit the roof as the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, begins full implementation of 70 per cent tariff imposed on all imported fully built unit, FBU, vehicles with effect

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Saraki assures of quick attention to ministerial nominees, bills P.48

from July 1, 2015. National Automotive Council, NAC, had on December 31, 2014, announced extension of the take-off date for the new CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

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N150

Relief, as CBN extends BVN enrolment deadline ...now to end October 31 Police not broke, says IGP P.50

UDO ONYEKA, CHIDI UGWU AND JAMES DANJUMA

entral Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday extended the

deadline for Bank Verification Number, BVN, registration by three months. The extension came as relief for millions of bank customers, who had been thronging the banking CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

30 days in office: APC praises Buhari

...says President tackling insecurity, corruption P.4

...party’s meddling will worsen Senate crisis –Na’Allah P.50

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President Muhammadu Buhari (middle) with Board of Directors of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), after a meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Yesterday.

Jega bows out as INEC chairman, Zakari takes over Four more commissioners to leave in July, August

Osun commences salary payment for civil servants

P.6 P.8

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Relief, as CBN extends BVN enrolment deadline CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

halls across the country in last minute rush to beat the June 30 deadline for registration. The CBN, through a circular signed by its Director, Banking and Payments Systems Department, Dipo Fatokun, shifted the deadline to October 31, 2015. According to the bank, the extension was to accommodate many who were yet to enroll on the

scheme. The circular stated: “It has come to our notice that the BVN registration has elicited tremendous interest from Nigerian banks customers, who crowded the banking halls, in order to beat the deadline.” It said there was the need to give bank customers in Diaspora, ample time to enroll on the programme, adding that the guideline for their enrolment is being finalised

and will be released soon. The bank added that the extension was expected to facilitate a smooth completion of the registration exercise. Investigation by National Mirror on the exercise in major cities across the country showed that if the extension had not be announced, over 30 per cent of customers would not have been able to continue with banking transactions for failing to meet

the deadline. Even before yesterday, visits by our correspondents to most banking halls over the past week, showed clearly that many banks were under serious pressure as the surge in customers’ traffic for the exercise appeared to surpass their manpower capacity. A bank customer in Lagos, Mr. Paulinus Ezeh, who spoke to our correspondent, said the huge

crowd in the banking halls across the country was because many had expected the CBN to announce an extension of the registration last week. According to him, when the expected announcement was not forthcoming, people trooped out to register. Before yesterday’s circular, which came in afternoon, customers in large numbers had very early in the morning besieged banks in Lagos in order to

Customers at a branch of First Bank in Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos, to beat the June 30 deadline on Bank Verifications Number (BVN), in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

70% tariff on imported vehicle takes off, prices to skyrocket CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

policy from January 1, 2015, to June 30. The first phase of the policy implementation commenced in April last year. It entailed a 35 per cent import duty on all FBUs. Public Relations Officer of NCS, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, who confirmed the development during a telephone interview, disclosed that the last directive on the new auto policy issued by former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was that the service should suspend implementation of the second leg of the policy, which is collection of the 35 per cent levy till June 30, 2015. He noted that the Federal Government had not issued any counter directive on the new policy, thereby indicating that the collection of the 35 per cent levy

would go on as scheduled. Adeniyi said: “As an agency of the government, we only implement policies; we do not make them and so if we are asked to commence implementation of a policy, we do; and if we are asked to stop, we comply appropriately. “So, as regards the auto policy, we were given a directive before now on which no reversal has been made and so naturally we will go ahead with it.” Investigations showed that many NCS commands, especially those handling Roll-On-RollOff, RORO, cargo such as Ports and Terminal Multi-services Limited PTML, which handle over 60 per cent of the nation’s RORO traffic, Tin Can Island Ports Complex and the Lagos Ports Complex, Apapa, have all imputed the new tariff into their

system to reflect the new tariff regime. It was gathered that the direct implication of the new tariff is that used vehicles such as Toyota Camry 2000 model, also called Pencil Light, which before now attracted a duty of between N270,000 and N340,000, and which sold at N1.2m or slightly above will now attract a total of between N470, 000 and N520, 000 and would sell for above N1.5m. National Mirror also reliably gathered that the Volkswagen ‘Danfo’ bus, used as commercial bus service in Lagos, which before the new tariff sold for about N700,000 will now sell for over N1m, among several other vehicle prices, which portend an increase in cost of transportation and by extension, of goods and services across the country. A freight forwarder, who commented on the

commencement of the new policy, said there is no need complaining since the negative effects of the policy would be felt by most Nigerians, especially the poor masses. Director General of NAC, Mr. Aminu Jalal had, while announcing the extension of the new tariff, said arrangements for the establishment of affordable vehicle finance scheme was delayed for about four months following the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease. According to him, some staff of the collaborating bank, Wesbank of South Africa, were compelled to delay their planned trip to Nigeria to set up operations for the financing scheme from September 2014 to January 2015. This development, it was gathered caused postponement in the commencement of operations of the financ-

ing scheme to April 2015, which also left the government with no other option than to also extend the take off date of the new tariff. It was also gathered that government’s earlier decision to change the effective date of the 70 per cent levy from July 1, 2014, when the 35 per cent duty officially took effect to December 31, 2014, was to give local assembly plants time to produce enough affordable vehicles as alternative to the imported, used ones. Statistics by the council showed that some of the local assembly plants had already started rolling out vehicles, especially Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited, IVM, Nnewi, which launched two passenger vehicles, IVM Fox and IVM Umuin in November last year.

enroll. In many banks, the crowd almost paralysed other banking activities, which made some to invite security personnel to manage the situation. National Mirror gathered that the desperation was sequel to alleged moves by banks to close accounts of customers that fail to secure their BVNs by today. Customers also besieged banks in FCT, overwhelming workers as they scramble to complete the exercise Our correspondent, who monitored the activities in Abuja, reported that banks workers were overwhelmed by the deluge of customers who feared that they would not be able to complete the exercise before the deadline. For instance, there were noticeable crowd as early as 8.30am in all the banks located in Mararaba, AYA, Wuse, Area 10 and Central Business District, CBD. Some of the customers, who spoke to National Mirror, expressed the fear that many would not be able to complete the exercise. A visibly agitated customer, who identified himself as Ejike Omekanaya, said the whole exercise was frustrating, adding that unlike some who are in a last minute rush, he had been to the bank several times without success. Also in the most Northern states the same experiences occurred as thousands of customers in Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Minna, Benue and Zaria, amongst others were observed by our correspondents, struggling to enter the banking halls. For instance, in Katsina, thousands of customers stormed the premises of commercial banks in the state capital to beat yesterday’s deadline. A visit to some of banks showed long queues outside, while banking halls were congested even as relevant employees struggled to attend to the large crowd. As early as 7.25am, customers who had come from far and near had stationed themselves outside banks’ premises; they CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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L-R: Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, UNDP; Justice Victoria Okobi (Nigeria); Mrs. Salima Salifu, (Ghana); Mrs. Nana Konadu Rawling (Ghana); Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia; Dr. Juliette Tuakli (Ghana); Her Excellency, Dr. Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi; Representative of Her Excellency Mama Ngina Kenyatta, at the African Union/Diaspora African Forum Women of Excellence Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa, recently.

L-R: Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and President Muhammadu Buhari, during the National Economic Council meeting on Monday in Abuja.

L-R: Manager, Customer Loyalty, Etisalat Nigeria, Temitope Omole; Account Manager, Etihad Airways, Ademola Adeyemo; Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Angelone Francesco and Marketing Manager, Etihad Airways, Folasade Akinboro, during the launch of Etisalat/Etihad Airways High Flyer Reward in Lagos, yesterday.

Director-General, Small and Medium Scale Enterprise Development Agency (SMEDAN), Alhaji Bature Masari (left), receiving Financial System Strategy 2020 Award from Head of Financial Service Strategy, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Oluwatoyin Jokesenumi, during a courtesy visit to Masari in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

National News

30 days in office: APC thumbs up Buhari Olajide Omojolomoju

ll Progressives Congress, APC, has said that contrary to insinuations in some quarters that President Muhammadu Buhari’s 30 days in office has not achieved much, the party said such position can only be far from truth.

The APC said the present administration has been working hard to tackle the insecurity bedeviling the nation, endemic corruption that has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation and restoring the nation’s respect in the comity of nations. Speaking through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, at a press briefing in Lagos yesterday, APC said in the last one month of Buhari’s administration, “there has been motion, and there has been movement, contrary to what is being peddled in some quarters.” APC said: “Let me say straight away that APC un-

…says President tackling insecurity, corruption, restoring hope

derstands and appreciates the concerns of Nigerians as far as the perceived pace of the administration is concerned. We understand that they repose so much confidence in us and the government to act quickly to stamp out insecurity, tackle corruption, revive moribund economy, provide jobs and generally restore hope.” It added that as the expectations are high, so has the Buhari administration started addressing them, “despite the enormous challenges that it faces, including an empty treasury and an economy that has virtually collapsed. The statement said that while Nigerians are right to demand quick and sustained action in addressing these challenges, it, without making any excuses believed that “it is important for us to put things in perspective for a better understanding.” Mohammed revealed that the Buhari administration only got the handover notes from the former government just four days to the inaugura-

tion, thereby hampering its efforts to have a clear understanding of the situation on ground before taking the necessary measures to address them. He said: “If any disease is not appropriately diagnosed, it cannot be effectively treated. Any government that is truly desirous to bring about real change will not act hastily and without the necessary understanding of what is on ground. Coupled with the delay in getting the much-needed information, that takes time. “Recall that when we raised the alarm over the delay in getting the handover notes, the former government even accused us of seeking to form a parallel government!” The APC spokesman said that Nigeria has never before witnessed this kind of transition, adding, that what has always been the norm was transition from one government to the other under the same ruling party and not from a ruling party to an opposition party, as the case is now, which comes with its attendant hiccups.

He also added that to compound the problem, “never before has the ship of the Nigerian state been steered aground as we have it now. Never before has Nigerians been this expectant from any leader or any government. These are the more reasons to get things right, once and for all, so we won’t need to continue with the vicious cycle of hopes raised and dashed!” APC said that despite all the daunting challenges inherited, the Buhari administration has availed itself creditably within its one month in office. The party said one area where the Buhari administration has hit the ground running was in tackling the insecurity challenge and fighting against terrorism, which it said had culminated in the decision “to deploy the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF,” headquartered in N’Djamena, Chad. It added: “This is the same force that the past administration could not get off the ground in six years! That’s what we meant when we said

what the Goodluck Jonathan administration could not do in six years, the Buhari administration has done in three weeks, not minding that some people decided to quote us out of context.” Mohammed also disclosed that President Buhari has also rallied the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and the Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS, to work with Nigeria in battling the Boko Haram insurgency, with a joint summit of both bodies to be held shortly to concretise efforts by Nigeria and her neighbours in the fight against terror. He also mentioned the President’s trip to the G7 summit in Germany, which he said, had culminated in the United States of America announcing $5 million dollar assistance to fight terrorists ravaging not only Nigeria, but the sub-region. On the fight against corruption, which he said ranked very high on the Buhari administra-

tion’s priority list, Mohammed said: “Nothing, not even the fight against terror, can succeed without putting an end to the kind of prodigious and sickening corruption being witnessed in this clime.” Towards this end, APC said that many Western nations have assured of relevant assistance to the new administration in recovering billions of dollars stolen from the nation’s commonwealth by public officers who abused their office during the immediate past administration. Mohammed said: “Only yesterday (Monday), the President has ordered revenuegenerating agencies, including the Nigerian National petroleum Corporation, NNPC; Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS; Customs among others to close all illegal revenue accounts and to also remit all funds generated to the Federation Account, a momentous step considering that those illegal accounts are being used to siphon public funds.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Jega bows out as INEC chairman, Zakari takes over OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

resident Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari as the Acting Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. This followed the conclusion of the term of office of Prof. Attahiru Jega. Her appointment, which took effect from yesterday, was conveyed in a letter

signed by the Head of Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi. A statement issued in Abuja yesterday and signed by the Director of Communications in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service, Haruna Rasheed Imrana, said the appointment is with immediate effect. Mrs. Zakari was before her appointment a national commissioner at INEC. Meanwhile, after five years of holding sway, Prof.

Jega yesterday bowed out of office. His date of retirement had been a subject of controversy before the conduct of the last general elections, with some political actors asking him to proceed on terminal leave. Jega, who retired alongside six other national commissioners, was appointed in June 2010 by former President Goodluck Jonathan. He had hinted of his desire to turn down any at-

tempt to renew his tenure. The commissioners that retired along with Jega are Col. M.K. Hammanga (rtd) (Adamawa), Dr. Ishmael Igbani (Rivers), Prof. Lai Olurode (Osun), Dame Gladys Nwafor (Abia), Mrs. Thelma Iremiren (Delta) and Dr. Nuru Yakubu (Yobe). Jega had earlier handed over to one of the national commissioners, Ambassador Mohammad Ahmad Wali, from Sokoto State, before Zakari’s name was

announced. Wali, according to a daily bulletin published by the commission, would end his tenure on August 11. Four other national commissioners were also expected to leave the commission in July and August. Jega is famed for being the only electoral umpire to have conducted two general elections in the country, 2011 and 2015. Speaking with newsmen shortly after he bowed out,

the former INEC boss predicted brighter future for Nigeria and the commission. He expressed appreciation for the opportunity given to him and other INEC management staff to serve the country. “We feel great; we thank God Almighty for the opportunity to serve the country. “The future is bright for the commission and the country,” he said.

Terrorism: Court grants Ndume leave to travel for lesser Hajj

n Abuja Federal High Court yesterday granted an application by Senator Ali Ndume, who is charged with terrorism to enable him travel to Saudi Arabia for the lesser Hajj. Ndume was arraigned after he was implicated by a suspected member of the Boko Haram sect, Ali Konduga, who has since been convicted and sentenced for the offence Delivering a short ruling on the senator’s application, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, ordered the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar, DCR, Litigation, to release Ndume’s

Ndume

passport and other travel documents to him. Justice Kolawole also ordered Ndume to return the travel documents to the DCR within 72 hours of his return to the country. Ndume’s application, which was dated June 23, 2015, and moved by his counsel, Miss Rose OkotieEboh, was not opposed by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Muslim Hassan. The senator, who had been granted such applications in the past, will embark on the trip to Mecca on July 3. He had deposited his passport and other travel documents with the court registry in fulfilment of the bail conditions given him by the court since he was arraigned on December 3, 2013. It would be recalled that Ndume, representing Borno South Senatorial District, now Senate Leader, had also pleaded not guilty to the charges following which he was granted bail.

Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode (middle) with Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin (3rd left) and his subordinates during his visit to the Naval boss at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, on Monday.

Relief, as CBN extends BVN enrolment deadline CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

made a dash for the doors soon as gates were opened for business. It was reliably gathered that several of the customers had travelled long distances from their local government areas for the registration, as most banks had little or no presence in the council areas.

A senior bank official, who declined to give his name, blamed the last minute rush on the attitude of Nigerians who, he pointed out, do not always do what they are supposed to do until it becomes very late. He said the enlightenment for the exercise started a long time ago, but many people chose

to ignore it until the last minute. “If we as Nigerians should learn to do things as at when due it would be a lot better for all of us,” he said. It would be recalled that CBN, through the Bankers’ Committee, Deposit Money Banks and NIBSS, launched the centralised biometric

identification system, re-christened as BVN, in February 14, 2014. The BVN registration is compulsory for all account holders. BVN enables for unique identification of each bank customer to make it possible to build and track customers’ financial history and activity.

DAPPMA, Mr. Olufemi Adewole disclosed in a telephone interview that fuel stocks had been depleted as marketers lack the resources to import the product. He said the Federal Government was yet to pay the over N300bn owed the marketers, thus affecting the capacity to import. “There is no product because marketers are not importing anymore. “If government had paid the outstanding subsidy claim, marketers could have been empowered to import the product like they used to

do in the past. “The situation is also worsens because banks are not willing to provide funds because they are not sure they would get their monies back in record time,” he said. However, the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said it had stepped up efforts to ensure product availability nationwide. In a statement, the Corporation’s spokesman, Mr. Ohi Alegbe claimed that there is enough stock of petrol to service the country for 25

days at a national consumption rate of 40 million litres per day. “While calling on members of the public to refrain from panic buying, the NNPC said it has sufficient stock of petrol at its coastal depots in Port Harcourt, Warri, and Calabar, besides the stock it holds in the national strategic reserves,” he maintained. The shortage has become a recurring problem over the last six months, mainly because of the inability of local refineries to meet domestic demand.

Fuel scarcity resurfaces in Lagos, Abuja UDEME AKPAN AND CHIDI UGWU

uel scarcity resurfaced again yesterday, after about three weeks of adequate supplies to markets nationwide. A market survey in Lagos and environs showed that many oil marketers did not have the product to sell, thereby creating opportunities for black marketers to exploit motorists. The situation, it was gathered remained the same in other cities, especially Abu-

ja, Kano and Kaduna, even though a refinery is located there. Investigations in Abuja showed that queues, which were noticed at about 11a.m in the city centre, quickly spread to satellite towns creating panic among motorists. Our correspondent, who monitored the development, reports that only few filling stations opened for business. As at 6p.m, virtually all the filling stations still dispensing were besieged by anxious motorists strug-

gling to fill their tank. “Government should not let this fuel scarcity happen again because we lose so much each time there is such shortage,” a customer lamented. Unlike filling stations where the product was still selling at N87 per litter, black market operators again took advantage of the supply shortfall to hike prices to between N150 and N300 per liter, depending on location. Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association,

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South West

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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‘Big men’ shield vandals in Osun, IBEDC alleges Angry youths chase out BEDC workers in Ondo

OJO OYEWAMIDE AND BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA

anagement of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, yesterday alleged that some influential people in Osun

region have been shielding suspected vandals apprehended in the state. IBEDC in a statement signed by Osun Regional Communication Officer of the company, Kikelomo Owoeye, said reports have revealed that suspected vandals caught by resi-

dents were later released because of intervention of some influential members of the public. It added that the spate of vandalism of transformers and cables in Osun region was on the increase, a development the company said was inhibiting it from

providing 24-hour electricity for customers. It therefore, appealed to security agencies to assist IBEDC in apprehending and ensuring diligent prosecution of anyone caught vandalising electrical installations in the state. Meanwhile, angry

Osun commences salary payment …announces pay cut for political office holders

BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

sun State government has announced a 50 per cent cut in salaries and allowances of all political office holders in the state, just as it commenced the process of paying salaries of civil servants. In a statement issued by the Governor’s Office, the government said it was paying the balance of November and full December salary arrears. It assured that serious efforts were on to ensure the remaining months are also cleared. The statement added that the government, while saddened and troubled by the turn of events in the financial status of the state and the country at large, is taking responsibility for the unfortunate problem and that it is prepared to meet the challenge head-on. It continued: “Since inception of this government, we have treated the resources under our control with utmost respect and disbursed them diligently for the greater benefits of our people. Our mandate had always been to use our God-given wealth to bridge the gap between the downtrodden and government. “It is very unfortunate that we find ourselves unable to pay our workers their due wages for several months when, in the past, we stood for paying on or before the 25th of every month. We thank the ever-gracious and understanding workers of our state for their patience as we go through this most trying time. “However, we are glad

to announce that we have commenced the process of paying the balance of November and full December salary arrears to all our workers across the state and the process should be concluded by Friday, July 3, 2015. We are able to do this because our partners and creditors have faith in us and we have proven to be responsible and trustworthy. “We must emphasise at this point that we are not out of the woods yet! Our finances took a dive be-

cause we were hit by the shock of the sudden and massive drop in global oil prices while Nigeria also has a Federal Government that failed in its primary responsibility to secure our people and our commonwealth. “Therefore, we hereby announce a 50 per cent cut in the salaries and allowances of all political office holders and appointees. This is one of the many steps we are taking to ensure the sustenance of our collective destiny. We are

Waterways security: Lagos to collaborate with Navy FRANCIS SUBERU

agos State government has indicated interest to partner the Nigerian Navy to be better positioned to fight crime and make its waterways safer. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who made this known on Monday when he paid a courtesy visit to Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin, in Abuja, harped on the need for the Navy to assist the state in the fight against crime. Speaking at the Defence Headquarters, Ambode expressed displeasure at the unfortunate and current spate of robbery in Lagos State within few weeks into his administration, which informed his urgent audience with the Chief of Naval Staff. The governor said Lagos being the foremost commercial hub of the country was strategic and could not be a breeding ground for criminals. It would be recalled that bandits struck at two

different financial institutions within Ikorodu community last Wednesday and carted away undisclosed amount of money before fleeing via the waterways. According to the governor, his administration has resolved to evolve strategies that would frontally confront insecurity through collaborative efforts of the state government, the private sector and security agencies, lamenting the increase in armed robbery. In his response, Vice Admiral Jibrin congratulated the governor on his election and inauguration. According to him, Lagos State, being the major operational hub of the Nigerian Navy as a coastal state with vast maritime potentials, could not be allowed to be a haven for criminals. The Naval boss said there is need for combined use of the security forces in the air, on water and ground for effective control of crimes in the state.

also calling on our people to join us and do their part in carrying the weight of change. “Austerity stares us right in the face. We must embrace it. We are going to intensify our efforts at prudence and frugality. We will practise self-denial in every way possible. “As we proceed on this journey of self-discovery, we hope to put more and more of our people to work by attracting productive investments into our state.

youths yesterday stormed the office of Benin Electricity Distribution Company, BEDC, in Ondo town and chased away its officials, including its Business Manager, Auta Yohanna. The demonstrators said they took the action to protest epileptic supply of electricity to some parts of the town in the past three months. They pulled down part of the fence of the office building located at Brigadier Ademulegun Road. Chanting various solidarity songs and carrying fresh leaves in their hands, they drove away customers who came to transact business with the company. The protest disrupted free flow of traffic for several hours on the popular Brigadier Ademulegun Road. President of Ondo Youth Forum, OYF, Lawrence Omolayo, said the youth, who were from the affected streets in the community, decided to embark on the protest to show their

displeasure over the activities of BEDC officials. Omolayo, who described the situation as unfortunate, said it has brought untold hardship to the people of the affected areas. He expressed concern that several entreaties and passionate appeals made by the youths in the area fell on deaf ears. Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Enuowa Division, Adekunle Omisakin, commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct during the exercise. Omisakin advised them to engage in dialogue with officials of BEDC, urging them not to take the law into their hands in order not to give hoodlums room to hijack the protest. Auta described the poor supply of electricity to the affected areas as unfortunate. He ascribed the problem which affected some neighbouring towns to a misunderstanding between the people and the management of the company.

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South West

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Tinubu’s N150bn libel suit adjourned till Sept 30 MATTHEW IRINOYE

Lagos State High Court presided over by Justice Iyabode Akinkungbe yesterday adjourned the N150 billion libel suit filed by former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, against Africa Independent Television, AIT, till September 30. The judge adjourned the suit for further direction

on court processes served by counsel to both parties in the suit. It would be recalled that Tinubu had instituted the suit against Daar Communications Plc, owners of AIT, for airing a documentary titled “Lion of Bourdilion”. Tinubu in the suit alleged that the documentary aired on the television station was libelous and aimed at tarnishing his im-

age. During yesterday’s hearing, counsel to AIT, Mr Jeffery Kadiri, told the court that he had filed all the necessary pleadings in the matter. Responding, Tinubu’s counsel, Mr Ademola Adesiyun, asked the court in a motion dated June 26 for extension of time to file a reply to AIT’s statement of defence and counter claim. In the counter-claim,

AIT listed its Chairman emeritus, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, and seven others as witnesses to testify against Tinubu. Others listed to testify were Namure Edoimioya, Chief Medan Tenke, Ajibola Adewusi, Olumide Idowu, Chief Stanley Odidi, Engr Nwabueze and Dr Stanley Bassey. The broadcast outfit also denied each and every allegation of facts as contained

in the claimant’s amended statement of claim. Dokpesi in his statement on oath averred that Tinubu’s claim was founded on non-existent ground because the said documentary was not titled “The Lion of Bourdilon”, but “Unmasking the Real Tinubu”. He also averred that the documentary, in his honest opinion, was not false and was not aired out of malice to the person of the claim-

ant. Dokpesi said AIT, as a member of the fourth estate of the realm, was empowered by Section 22 of the Constitution to at all times, hold those in government accountable and responsible to the people of Nigeria. He further averred that the content of the documentary were facts which had been in the public domain for over two decades.

N125bn fraud: Court adjourns Atuche, Ojo’s trial WALE IGBINTADE

L-R: Deputy President General (FCT President), Omo Oodua Community) , Abuja, Prince Adewale Adelabu; Deputy President 1 (Kano President), Dr. Adesokan Suara; Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Lasun; President of the Association, Chief Toye Ogunshuyi and General Secretary, Mr. Abdul Azeez Oyeniyi, during a courtesy visit to the Deputy Speaker at the National Assembly, yesterday.

FRSC creates 30 special centres to check truck accidents PATIENCE OGBO

n a bid to check the growing carnage on roads by trailers and tanker drivers, the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has set up 30 special centres to screen drivers of such vehicles. This move was disclosed by Lagos State Sector Commander, Mr. Hyginus Omeje, during a one-day sensitisation rally for corporate and commercial drivers in Anthony area of Lagos State and environs on Tuesday. Omeje, who was represented at the event by Ojota Unit Commander of the Lagos Sector Command, Assistant Corps Commander, Hamzat Ganiyu, stated that the need to

establish the special centres became necessary following growing cases of ghastly accidents caused by articulated vehicle drivers in the country in recent times. He said: ““The menace of tanker drivers and other articulated vehicle drivers is being taken care of by the corps. We are collaborating with owners/ operators of these vehicles to ensure this menace is halted and to this end, the corps is establishing 30 special centres across the country strictly for drivers of articulated vehicles so that they can be screened. “We have posted our officers to the terminals to conduct pre-shipping screening. The drivers will be made to undergo

training and retraining on safety tips. We want them to have the safety tips on their finger tips; Safety on the road is the responsibility of everybody. “The law will come down hard on the drivers and the operators of these vehicles will not be spared if we found out that they have not done what they should do to stop accident on the road. As a way of stopping road accident, Omeje also advised drivers to attend accredited driving schools. He said: “Somebody who has gone through the routine of driving school will definitely be a careful driver. Somebody who uses fake licence has not gone through driving school and they are men-

ace on the road; the Corp will continue to clamp down on issuers of fake driver’s licence to serve as deterrent to others. “The excuse that people give for patronising touts who issue fake driver’s licence is that the process is tedious, but this is not true. The application online is not difficult and getting your biometric capturing does not take long. We will continue to clamp down on the issuers of fake licences and any driver caught using fake licence will be made to pay a fine while his or her vehicle will be impounded”. Mrs Bunmi Shoneye the Anthony Unit Head, DLC stated that the Corp will continue to conduct regular sensitisation workshop to curb road accidents.

Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday adjourned till October 28 and 29 the ongoing trial of former Managing Director of Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank Plc), Mr. Francis Atuche, and former Managing Director of defunct Spring Bank Plc, Mr. Charles Ojo, over alleged N125 billion fraud. The two former managing directors are standing trial before Justice Saidu Saliu on an amended 45-count charge bordering on alleged N125 billion frauds, conspiracy, reckless granting and approval of loans and money laundry between September 1, 2006, and 2009. Atuche and some of his aides were recently discharged on another alleged fraud brought

against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at an Ikeja High Court of Lagos State. But they had pleaded not guilty to all the amended 45-count charge and they are currently on bail. The alleged offences, according to the anti-graft agency, contravened Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. While the alleged offence of reckless granting of loans contravened Section 7(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act and punishable under section 7(2)(b). At the resumed trial of the matter yesterday, counsel to EFCC, Mr. Kemi Pinheiro (SAN), asked the court for a date for trial of the two accused persons.

Osun NLC to continue strike BOLADALE BAMIGBOLA OSOGBO

igeria Labour Congress, NLC, Osun State chapter, yesterday said it will continue with its 5-weekold strike despite payment of December salaries and November pensions to workers and pensioners in the state. Disclosing this while briefing newsmen after meeting with government team led by the Chief of Staff, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, Osun NLC Chairman, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, said government was only ready to pay those on levels 15 and above that have

not been paid November salaries. He added that government also approved payment of December net salaries to workers in civil service. Adekomi, however, declared that NLC has resolved to continue with the industrial action until government pays them five months salaries and pensions. He said: “Efforts of government to see that our salaries and pensions are paid is appreciated. But our stand is that out of the eight months government owes, the minimum workers will take is five months to resume work.

South East

FG’ll introduce free education at all levels —Okorocha Chris Njoku OWERRI

overnor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has said the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, government at the centre will introduce free education at all levels in the country. Okorocha spoke at a dinner organised for visiting team from the National University Commission, NUC, Abuja. Noting that there was no alternative to education because of its importance to development, the governor stressed the preparedness of his administration to turn around the sector for effective service delivery. He maintained that the era of leaving buildings and cars as legacies were over, stressing that he was poised to leave a legacy of education in the state. The governor was optimistic that such efforts would help even the poorest in the state to access education. He called on the people to support the call for free education from primary to tertiary level. Okorocha, who regretted that Imo State University, IMSU, was yet to boast infrastructural development worthy of a university, was

however, optimistic that in the next two years the statute of the institution would be raised to international standard. He commended acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adaobi Obasi, for her doggedness in ensuring the institution received accreditation. Chairman of the accreditation team, Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran, thanked the governor for investing in human resources of the institution, noting that he was inadvertently investing in future generations. Ojediran, while commending the humble disposition of the governor, promised that the accreditation would ensure objectivity in carrying out its assignments in the school. Earlier, Acting VC, Prof. Obasi, thanked Okorocha for his investment in IMSU, assuring that the school would not fail to actualise its mandate. She thanked the governor for ensuring that 16 departments of the university were upgraded and accredited. The accreditation team comprised Prof. Jeremiah Ojediran for Engineering Department, Prof. Anjorin Albert - Medicine Dept; and Prof. Ogoh A. Ofuani for Social Science and Humanities.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Two feared killed in Imo community clash …18 houses burnt Chris Njoku OWERRI

t least, two persons were feared killed and over 18 houses burnt at the weekend following a bloody clash in Awara community, OhajiEgbema Local Government Area of Imo State, over sharing of royalty from an oil prospecting company. One community source told National Mirror that the fight started from a beer parlour between one Mr Abacha from Umuodibe village in Ochia community, Awara, and one Mr Emeka Obia from Umuobi village in Igwerede community. The duo reportedly engaged in fisticuffs following

an argument at Solo Spot Bar when Obia mistakenly poured some beer on Abacha. Abacha reacted angrily by hitting Obia in the face with a beer bottle. In retaliation, Obia broke a bottle he used to stab Abacha on the neck and throat, resulting in the latter bleeding to death. The situation, however, escalated later that fateful Sunday as youths from Umuodibe Ochia village invaded Umuobi village, destroying and setting ablaze every house in sight. Another source told National Mirror that the brawl started over an argument on how to share the royalty paid to Awara com-

munity by an oil prospecting company in the area. According to the report, some section of the community had cornered the money worth over N20 million, but the other section insisted on its share through the formula long adopted by the community. This, it was learnt, resulted in open confrontation that led to one of the groups killing a young man, an action that ignited a reprisal that left the community in flames with about 18 houses burnt in the process. However, it was gathered that soldiers and policemen were immediately drafted in to quell the crisis, but property worth

hundreds of millions of naira, including houses and cars, were already destroyed before the situation came under control. Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Andrew Enwerem, who was away on official duty to Abuja yesterday, told our correspondent on phone that he was yet to be updated on the event. But a source close to the Police Command Headquarters, Owerri, confirmed the incident, saying police intervention saved further destruction that would have resulted from the crisis. He disclosed that investigation was on to ascertain the actual cause of the crisis.

Ebonyi Assembly screens guber aspirant, 3 others Aliuna Godwin ABAKALIKI

bonyi State House of Assembly yesterday screened former governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Hyacinth Ikpor, for the post of secondary education board chairman, alongside three others for various positions. The Assembly also screened former deputy governor’s wife, Catherine Ogbu, for the position of chairman, civil service commission; former AttorneyGeneral and commissioner for Justice, Jessy Eze, for the post of chairman, Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSIEC; and former state chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the post of chairman, internally generated revenue, IGR. The House, after questioning the nominees, con-

firmed their appointments and charged the Clerk to issue a memo informing the governor that it had granted his request to appoint new chairmen of boards and commissions. Meanwhile, the Speaker, Francis Nwifuru, further constituted a 12-man committee headed by Humphrey Nwuruku, representing Ikwo North constituency, among others, to probe ongoing road constructions and other activities in the Works Ministry.

Chris Njoku OWERRI

overnor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has promised steady power supply in the state soon. Okorocha gave the assurance shortly after his arrival from Abuja. The governor noted that efforts were being intensified to bring the epileptic

L-R: Wife of General overseer of Deeper Life Bible Church, Easter Kumuyi; Pastor Williams Kumuyi; Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu; his Deputy, Udeh Okechukwu, and Speaker, Abia State House of Assembly, Matins Azubuike, during a courtesy visit by Pastor Kumuyi to the governor in Umuahia, yesterday.

AfDB approves $200m for Abia George Opara ABIA

frican Development Bank, AfDB, has approved $200 million facility for Abia State to deal with issues of water, sanitation and roads. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu disclosed this while

receiving General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, at the state’s banquet hall, Umuahia. The governor said the focal area to be handled decisively would be Port Harcourt and Ohanko roads in Aba. However, Ikpeazu

pledged to provide a piece of land for the ministry to build its university in the state and promised to construct a 5km road there. He appreciated Kumuyi for the visit, which he said would spur the state into positive actions. He said it was his belief that God would use his visit to turn

Imo govt assures of steady power supply electricity supply in the state to an end. The governor, while recounting his trip to Turkey and Moscow, noted that he was in those countries to ensure that he delivers his campaign promises of creating jobs, establishing industries in the state for the people. He disclosed plans to im-

prove aesthetics and create conducive environment to attract investors to the state to boost internally generated revenue. He stressed that artisans in the state would be properly organised to kickstart the job creation programme of the Rescue administration. According to him, there will be a training

programme to enable them perform optimally, adding that the gesture would go a long way to ensure artisans contribute towards the growth of the economy. He equally assured of regular payment of workers’ salaries and urged them to be committed to their jobs to justify their salaries.

things around in the Abia State, adding that he sees Kumuyi as the father of Pentecostal movement in Nigeria, as many have been converted to Christ because of his ministry. Ikpeazu, however, said he was aware of the challenges confronting the state and believes that God was bigger than those challenges. Pastor Kumuyi, who said he was in the state for the annual gospel crusade of the ministry, used the forum to appreciate Ikpeazu for the road construction efforts of his government in Aba. He further commended the governor for cutting his salary to aid payment of workers and called on other politicians and political appointees to emulate him.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South south

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Cross River, state with great potential -Ayade Richard Ndoma CALABAR

overnor Ben Ayade of Cross River State on Monday evening promised to execute all his administration’s signature projects, noting that he inherited a state with great potential and not an empty treasury from his predecessor, Liyel Imoke. Ayade disclosed this at a media parley with journalists to mark the 29th

of June, 2015, stressing that he would undertake the construction of a state seaport, a super highway from Calabar to Obudu, among other projects. The governor promised to effect payment of three months salaries owed primary school teachers, salaries of local government workers before the week runs out. Reacting to a question, the governor cautioned that no one should mea-

sure the wealth of a nation by naira and kobo in its account, but rather by its economic potential. “I inherited a state with great potential; I did not inherit an empty treasury. Never measure the wealth of a nation by naira and kobo in its account,” Ayade stated. Following agitations by local government workers in the state over delay in the payment of their salaries; with apology, the

governor has ordered the payment of their salaries within the week. “All the times I gave standing orders for salaries to be paid, I thought all the salaries had been paid. There is no way on earth that you would pay the state civil servants and leave the local government staff to suffer, first month, second month going; that’s unfair. I never knew.

“Today, as I speak, I have concluded all arrangement for their salaries to be paid this week. To be able to pay, we also did some documentation. There were so many issues that called for concern, so we needed to show some bid of ecclesiastical caution”. Meanwhile, Ayade has also expressed his administration’s readiness to establish a food bank across the state in order to create jobs and add value to farmers’ products. “When I served as a senator, I created the Ayade food bank in my senatorial area. The food bank was an institution that served

as an off taker, to buy directly from farmers and distribute to those who no longer can fish. Ayade pointed out that that programme was designed to create jobs and to create value for farmers’ products, stressing that the programme was intended to bring and cascade in the state level. Ayade, added that one of his administrative policy thrust is to have a state food banks in all the local government areas. “It’s going to come by way of an executive policy or a motion approved by the state House of Assembly,” the governor maintained.

Bayelsa elders dump Dickson, may defect to APC Obiora Ifoh ABUJA

A Residents of Agip/Eagle Island waterfront in Port Harcourt protesting at Aba Road, Port Harcourt, yesterday.

$3.5bn Brass fertilizer, petrochemical firm to employ 30, 000

ayelsa State Development and Investment Corporation, BSDIC, on Tuesday said the $3.5 billion Brass Fertilizer and Petrochemical project to be sited at Odioma in Brass Local Government Area is expected to generate a turnover of $1.5 billion and employ about 30, 000 workers, especially indigenes. The company therefore, predicted a prosperous future for people of the state, as the corporation intensifies action on restructuring the state’s economy and expanding economic opportunities. Deputy Managing Director of BSDIC, Tam Alazigha, in an interview with journalists in Yenagoa, said the new offices that were opened in South Africa, United Kingdom and Atlanta, United States, would “take Bayelsa to the world and bring the world to Bay-

elsa” by opening outposts in strategic locations in various key markets in order to leverage on opportunities the markets offer to drive restoration of Bayelsa’s economy. Other achievements include the $300 million Liquefied Petrochemical Gas project at Agge, with a projected turnover of $100 million, which will produce butane or cooking gas. Alazigha also stated that the corporation was into serious negotiation with Microsoft and Google to facilitate deployment of the much vaunted white space technology in the state to make internet available in rural areas and build businesses. The small and medium scale businesses are also key areas of interest in which, he said, much had been done by BSDIC to change the state from being a civil service state to a

modern economy with a lot of enterprises. According to him, Bayelsa State with a Gross State Product, GSP, of $18.5 billion (N2.4 trillion) and vast resources in oil and gas is a rich state, adding however, that such status was yet to fully benefit the people as it should be. Alazigha said that it was clear to the state government on getting into office in 2012 that public funds accruing from the consolidated revenue were grossly inadequate to address the huge challenges of infrastructure deficit. Based on this, he said, the government consequently came up with BDIC as a special purpose vehicle and strategic enabler of marketdriven development which could also be a fall back option in times of national or global financial crisis and emergency. The BDIC, which now has an asset base of over

$1.2 billion, he said, leverages on private sector funds and expertise to grow wealth for Bayelsans and insulate the economy from oil price volatility. Alazigha, who came to the job with vast experience having worked with JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas as investment banker, said the BDIC idea, as a global best practice, was playing similar roles as we have in such investment institutions like the Qatar Investment Authority, Malaysia Development Berhad, and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa. The BDIC Deputy GM disclosed that, plans were in top gear for the management and board to hold a media parley, where it intends to reel out the modest achievements of the corporation in the last one year as well as projections for the future.

head of the governorship election in Bayelsa State, some elders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under the aegis of Bayelsa Consultative Forum, BCF, have parted ways with Governor Seriake Dickson, even as they are making moves to join the All Progressives Congress, APC. The elders led by Senator John Kofo Brambaifa, revealed this yesterday when he led other nine members of the group to visit Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC, Comrade Timi Frank, saying that all well-meaning Bayelsans have agreed to ensure that the second term ambition of incumbent governor does not see the light of the day. He said the group believed the state is currently drifting, adding that it has become a one man affair being control by an emperor. “Bayelsa has become a one man state, controlled by emperor-like leadership. We have taken a position and the result is no to emperor leadership in the state. “We held our inaugural meeting on the 8th of June and the good people of Bayelsa have resolved that the second term am-

bition of the current government in the state must not be allowed to succeed. “Two is that we want to join the APC and they must come in their number to Bayelsa State to receive us, so as to send a signal to the emperor that we have been properly received,” he said. He, however, revealed that the forum is ready to join APC as soon as plan is concluded with the national leaders of the party. He added that their coming to Abuja was to see the national leadership of the APC and all the prominent members from Bayelsa, saying whenever the the political history of Bayelsa state is to be written; the visit to Timi Frank would not be forgotten. In his response, Comrade Frank, advised the PDP leaders not to waste time any longer by ensuring they join the APC at the state level. He also assured that the national leaders of APC will appreciate them and willing to receive them any time they deem it fit to join the party. Other PDP leaders in attendance include: Chief Alex Ekiotene, Chief Ivory Fekoru, Dr. Ebenezer Iqwe, Honourable Stev Erebo, Honourable Tobi Femone, Dr. Timi Agara, Dr Douiye Aganaba, Benjamin Youdiowe and Mrs. Irene Opuene.

North

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fear grips KRPC over NNPC probe AZA MSUE KADUNA

anagement of Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, KRPC, is said to be deeply worried by the decision of President Muhammadu

Buhari to probe the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, over the missing N3.8trn. A cross-section of KRPC staff, who spoke with National Mirror in Kaduna under strict confidence, said the Federal Government’s probe must

be extended to KRPC and the Turn Around Maintenance, TAM, claimed to be done under former President Goodluck Jonathan. The staff explained that KRPC management engaged in shortchanging the Federal Government during allocations of fuel

after refining the crude in Kaduna, adding that millions of naira budgeted for corporate social responsibility, among other sums, for host communities were shortchanged and pocketed. A staff in the know of its operations revealed

that equipment claimed to be purchased by Federal Government for TAM was a sham, as old machines were being sprayed and refurbished since establishment of the refinery. “Today (yesterday), our KRPC management held an emergency meeting over Federal Government’s decision to probe NNPC. They are all afraid because of their atrocities in the plant in Kaduna. Time has come for all of them to vomit their illegal wealth. “What we are saying is this; the Federal Government must extend the probe to KRPC. There is massive corruption in KRPC under previous and present managing directors; they have killed KRPC,” he said. Another KRPC staff said: "The present govern-

ment must clean up KRPC for the good of Nigerians; if not, hundred years to come this refinery will remain idle. See the sharp practices in kerosene and fuel allocation and distributions." Although KRPC workers were unable to state the amount used in turnaround maintenance, but NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Department, Ohi Alegbe, had once in a statement issued in Abuja, refuted a report credited to some civil society organisations, alleging that NNPC had committed N152 billion to execute TAM of four refineries between 2011 and 2013. Meanwhile, KRPC manager, public affairs, Ibrahim Idris, did not pick his telephone calls to react over the probe.

NERC blames DISCOs over metering scheme execution

Catholic Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama (second left) coming out from Jos Central Mosque after a peace talk with Muslim leaders in Jos, yesterday.

Lalong wades into Plateau council crisis …asks DPM to stand-in for impeached LG boss JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

overnor Sımon Lalong of Plateau State yesterday directed Director of Personnel Management, DPM, in Shendam local council of the state to take over its affairs pending resolution of the crisis between the

council leadership and councillors. Following the crisis, the councillors had on Monday impeached the council chairman, Kemı Nshe, and his deputy, Noel Nkup, for financial impropriety. But the governor in a statement signed by his Director of Press and

Public Affairs, Emmanuel Nanle, said the intervention recognised that suspension was a legislative process guided by the constitution and that a vacuum cannot be allowed in the leadership of the local council. The governor also further directed Commissioner of Police to do the

needful in ensuring there is no breakdown of law and order in the area. He equally called on all citizens, particularly residents of Shendam Local Government Area to remain calm while government explores all avenues in resolving amicably the contending issues surrounding the suspension.

B’Haram: Abdulsalami solicits support for military UBONG UKPONG ABUJA

ormer Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has appealed for support from the public to enable the military win the ongoing war against Boko Haram. Abubakar, who was represented by former Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt-Gen. Abdullrahman Dambazzau, yesterday at the presentation of two books written by Director of Defence Information, DDI, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, in Abuja, said the cooperation of the public

was essential to record success in the fight by the military. He commended the books titled, ‘Issues in Mobilisation of Public Support for Military Operation in Nigeria,’ and ‘The Voice and Battles of the Nigerian Military', as very timely for the country's war against terror. According to him, "I am very highly impressed by the efforts of the author. Public support is very important, which is tied to popular support. To be able to conduct successful counter-terrorism operations, you need public

support and you need somebody to communicate your actions to members of the public, and that's the role Olukolade has played. "You also need to manage the public relations, which relates with excellent media management, and this Olukolade has done well." Also, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Aliyu Ismaila, at the ceremony said it is imperative military has civilian support in times of war, adding that Olukolade through his books was playing this role. "Many military leaders

have come to the conclusion that media also has the side benefit of enhancing military morale. This book is a good attestation of his love not just for the military but for the nation. I have always said that the fight we are fighting is for all of us, whether north or south, Christians or Muslim," he said. Equally, former Information minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, noted that the book was geared towards national security and development through "physical and psychological support that boosts military confidence."

igerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, yesterday in Abuja blamed some Distribution Companies, DISCOs, for poor implementation of the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation, CAPMI. The CAPMI provides a platform for willing customers to pay the cost of the meter into a dedicated account jointly managed by the DISCOs and meter Vendor/Installer. Chairman of NERC, Dr Sam Amadi, who disclosed this at a news conference, said the scheme had suffered in spite of willingness of consumers to cue in. “The CAPMI scheme has suffered poor implementation in spite of customers’ willingness to make advance payment for meters. “Although some customers paid for meters, some DISCOs did not provide meters as expected to those who paid,” he said. He said other distribution companies failed to make adjustments in their billing software to make the mandatory refunds six months after installation of CAPMI meters. Amadi said the commission was proposing to exempt unmetered customers from paying electricity bills

due to alleged reluctance of distribution companies to fully carry out their metering plans. He explained that the proposal followed a recent decision to cap the maximum charges that an electricity distribution company can levy on its unmetered customers. Amadi said the decision was aimed at making the Discos engage in widespread metering of electricity consumers in their networks. He, however, said the proposal would be subjected to scrutiny by industry operators. According to him, after a 16-month grace, any Disco that failed to exercise full metering plans would lose revenues from consumers. “There are three-prong approaches to this; one is that there is a moratorium between now and the next four months for the capping of estimated revenue to start. “After four months, you have an extra 12 months within which to meter all customers who are on your network. “After the 12 months and four months which is 16 months, every unmetered customer will no longer pay electricity bills until he is metered.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Saraki, Dogara’s emergence, good checkmate to godfatherism in Nigerian politics – Shettima

Buhari urged to intervene in arms build-up in Ilaje Ayo Esan

resident Mohammadu Buhari has been asked to order a full scale investigation into alleged violent killings, rape and arms build-up in Ugho, an Ilaje oil-producing area of Ondo State. Nigerian Human Rights Community, NHRC, at a press briefing in Lagos yesterday linked the arms proliferation to dispute between traditional rulers, mainly the Olugbo of Ugboland, His Royal Majesty Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan and other traditional rulers in Ilaje communities, adding that the dispute also reflect the fallout of the last presidential election. NHRC alleged that the proliferation of arms in the area is a fall out of the last elections when Federal Government institutions were suspected to have backed a prominent Oba and crony of the ousted Peoples Democratic Party,

PDP, at gun point to repress and humiliate perceived enemy individuals and communities. NHRC, coalition of several civil society groups, speaking through its Director of Publicity, Dr Duro Oluwayemi, said that hundreds of armed thugs currently lay siege on Igbokoda, preventing the legitimate traditional ruler of the ancient domain, His Royal Majesty, Oba Afolabi Oladimeji Odidiomo from entering his ancestral home. Oluwayemi said that in the past few months, at least six people have been killed in clearly orchestrated cases of murder linked to bitter tussle over lordship in the area. The group said it took its research officers 21 days to conduct extensive investigation on the crisis, saying that if not nipped in the bud, it could lead to a major arms conflict in the area.

I won Lagos West senatorial election, Adewale tells tribunal Matthew Irinoye

eoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate in the April 28 Lagos-West senatorial election, Mr. Segun Adewale yesterday, told the Lagos State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, headed by Justice Sylvanus Oriji, that he won the election. Adewale, who is contesting the declaration

of All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, as the winner of the election, made the statement while testifying before the three-man panel. He had in his petition prayed the tribunal to nullify the declaration of Senator Adeola as winner of the March 28, 2015 election. Under cross-examination by counsel to Adeola, APC and Independent

National Electoral Commission, INEC, Adewale insisted that he won the election, adding that the result got from his agents clearly showed that he won the election. Adewale insisted that there were irregularities in the conduct of the election, adding that the results submitted by wards did not correspond with the card readers, alleging that election did not hold in some wards among oth-

ers irregularities. Asked whether he monitored the election in all the local governments where he alleged irregularities, Adewale said he did not leave his polling unit but monitored other areas through his agents deployed to all the local governments. The tribunal consequently adjourned till today for Adeola to open his defence.

APC blames Ekiti gov for abandoning inherited projects Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

kiti State All Progressives Congress, APC, has criticised the state for abandoning his predecessor’s legacy projects, saying he is doing so in bad faith. APC state Publicity Secretary, Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun, said: “It is a disservice to the people of Ekiti State for Governor Ayo Fayose to abandon legacy projects of the Dr Kayode Fayemi administration simply because he wants to rubbish the achievements of his predecessor”. Wondering why a development-oriented governor would abandon an edifice like the Oba Adejugbe Hospital which was already completed by the Fayemi administration such that overgrown weeds now adorned the once beautiful edifice, Olatunbosun said: “Oba Adejugbe Hospital

was completed and commissioned by the Fayemi administration while contract for equipping the hospital was already awarded but the governor, on assumption of office cancelled the contract and has abandoned the hospital to be overgrown with weeds”. He regretted that the governor had also abandoned Funmi Olayinka Civic Centre comprising of event centre, modern elibrary, art gallery, cinema, archives and research centre, which was 70 per cent completed before Fayemi left office, saying that the governor stopped work on the project after contractors allegedly refused to pay gratification of 10 percent of the money already paid. Other projects which he said the governor had abandoned included Ikogosi Warm Springs Resort, which he alleged had been left into ruins.

Acting Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Dr Ahmed Wali (left) with outgoing chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, during the handover ceremony at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, yesterday: PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Lagos Assembly to mediate in Ikorodu kingship dispute Adeleke Adesanya

agos State House of Assembly has promised to wade into the tussle currently ravaging in Ikorodu, a suburb of the state, as to who becomes the next paramount ruler of the ancient town. Members representing Ikeja II, Surulere II, and Epe II state constituencies, Hons Adedamola Kasumu, Desmond Elliot and Segun Olulade, respectively, gave this assurance when some Ikorodu indigenes, under the aegis of The Concerned Indigenes, protested the purported installation

of High Chief Adewale Kabiru Shotobi as the new Ayangburen of Ikorodu. The lawmakers, however, promised to look into the matter when they seat this week, commending the group for its orderliness and comportment during the peaceful protest. They also advised the protesters, who were chanting solidarity songs, to maintain decorum when they returned to the town, and ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order. The protesters noted that indigenes and other family members of Lasunwon Ruling House are law abiding people dedicated to the

cause of unity and progress. Leader of the group, Prince Oluowo Adeyeri, stated that justice should be allowed to prevail as to who becomes the authentic Ayangburen of Ikorodu. He said: “ Shotobi is not our king; there’s no king yet in Ikorodu, and the present governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode should reverse the illegal installation and staff of office handed over to Shotobi because he can’t be a judge in his own case.” “The crown given to him is ‘Ibo made’; he is not our king, and in the interest of peace, government

should do something drastic about it.” Lending his voice, Prince Sakiru Oluwafemi Shodipo, also added that the whole process of selecting Shotobi and his installation was a sham. He said: “We have submitted our petitions to the governor and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, trusting that something will be done to uphold justice. “Shotobi is already receiving salary from the government as Odofin of Ikorodu, and he just got a new car from government, he should maintain the position and allow us have an Ayangburen of repute.”

Politics

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Saraki, Dogara’s emergence, good checkmate to godfatherism in Nigerian politics – Shettima W

hat can you say about the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari with his 30 days in office? For now it would be too early to talk about the present administration in a situation where it has not even started, meaning it has not even nominated the ministers. So for now I think he is just taking time to look at the best team he is going to work with, because Nigeria is an institution where it involves every interest. I am sure he is working on the best team that he can work with to ensure that the change we are praying for goes down well, so that people would begin to feel the impact of the government. It would be too early to say anything about the government now. The ruling party seems to be in chaos over power management. What is your take on what recently happened at the National Assembly? To me, and to an extent, I think what happened at the National Assembly is a welcome development, because it has actually proven that we have come of age, Nigeria has come of age democratically. To some of us who are students of struggle that were into advocacy of true democracy, that has been in existence since the dark days of military, that fought the dictatorship of the then military government, we encourage such actions. I see Nigeria as a country, not a banana republic where single handedly, somebody will hold the country to ransom because of his selfish interest. The demonstration in the National Assembly clearly indicated that people have come of age. People are beginning to take their destinies into their hands. They can do without any godfather, and that was what prompted the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives. If you look at the event, it is clear that somebody is not happy, it is clear that somebody wanted the result of the election as he wanted. But the question I will ask is: is party constitution supreme to the constitution of a country? And if the constitution of the country is supreme, then what is the need for looking at what transcends in the National Assembly with party constitution. I think the country is bigger than any political party, so, to me it was a welcome development. People have decided and that is exactly what has happened in the National Assembly. President Buhari, shortly after the NASS election, said he maintains his stand to work with whoever emerges the Senate and House of Representatives leader. What is your take on this? I think the President is courageous and brave enough with his statement. When the President knows that there are other arms of government to operate with what do you expect him to do? Perhaps, I think his stand is right and I hope he sustains it so those situations whereby Obasanjo was having interest in National Assembly and he felt it must be a rubberstamp will not occur during this administration. If Muhammadu Buhari will maintain his stand I think it will go a long way to help him to succeed in his administration. President Buhari recently said age may hinder his performance in office. What do you have to say about this? Well without politicising the whole story and without attaching any motive, to me, Buhari said the truth. A man at the age of 72 cannot be expected to be agile to do everything expected like when he was the Head of State in his 30s. Buhari of 35 is not the same man you have now. So, it was clear that he may not deliver as expected. Let’s not deceive ourselves, there is a limit to what he can do, and to that extent, if he has chosen to be the president, he needs a lot of machineries who are young and vibrant around him to succeed. All he needs to do is to ensure good performance of those people, and when he needs to take a decisive action, he should take it quickly, because he is the President. If we will not mince words, Buhari does not have the power to do some physical assignment again.

Alhaji Yerima Shetima Usman, is President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF. He tells ADELEKE ADESANYA that the trick that threw up Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively should be encouraged in Nigerian politics to erode the era of godfatherism, among other salient national issues. Excerpts: vising and guiding the people piloting the affairs of the country, not that he should be at the forefront as President as we have today.

Shettima

So let us not fool ourselves, seeing the whole thing as politics is a different thing entirely. The truth of the matter is that globally, if you look at the people at the helm of affairs of governance, you will find out that people of Buhari’s caliber are rear. Look at the likes of Barrack Obama of United States, David Cameron of Britain and others; they are all young men, apart from the people with Africa mentality who want to die in power like Robert Mugabe. Though I am not comparing Buhari to Mugabe, but we cannot dispute age factor, it cannot be underestimated in human beings life. When someone attains age of 70 and above, he begins to think like a kid, his manner of thinking, his mindset, attitude, begins to change and that is exactly what is wrong with the man in Zimbabwe. My own take is that if someone is old, he cannot be all that active in some areas, and for this, we must listen to stakeholders. Someone like Buhari in this country should have instead be seen as an adviser and elder statesman that will be ad-

if the constitution of the country is supreme, then what is the need for looking at what transcends in the

National Assembly

with party constitution.

I think the country is bigger than any political party

So, are you calling on the youths to take over the governance of the country? Of course yes. And as a youth in the country, youths like me have all it takes to pilot the affairs of this nation. For instance, as youth leader, I contested in the last elections under Young Democratic Party, but I was later robbed off by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. People like me as a young leader have a lot to offer this country. If I could spend like two decades in the struggle advocating for democracy, even when the military was in power, then in believe I am competent. I was a PRONACO leader, during NADECO struggle against the military, I participated as a young student and I have also led an organisation with four million members. I believe that with all these experiences, I am well equipped with leadership character to help this country. Most of the people that paraded themselves as leaders in this country today have nothing like leadership characteristics, and that is the reason Nigeria as a country is in a lot of mess. Most of the people who found themselves in politics today lack the needed knowledge unlike some of us who have made sacrifices at all level. I can’t imagine a country like Nigeria which is at all time blessed with enough resources to survive, will be run by people who are ignorant. And when you look at the antecedents of most of them, they found their ways into politics through godfatherism having served as political thugs to the godfathers in order to achieve their ambitions. Today nothing good is coming from them because the right leaders are not given opportunity to pilot the country. We are in a country where the just is not given the space to lead, but I know that one day, the table will turn for good in this country. How will you encourage the youths in governance? It has to do with determination and acceptance of realities of things that we have come of age as youths, and that we can do better. We must be determined and ensure that through true democratic process, we take over the ruling of the country. The era of the old people who have nothing good to offer this country must be swept away for the vibrant youths who are well updated with current trends to help the situation of this country. Though it is a strong challenge, but certainly some day, we will overcome. Do you think true democratic process can overpower godfatherism in Nigeria polity? You can hardly take godfatherism out of our system of government until some of us accept the responsibility and fight it. And if I will comment on that, I will say things like that that helps impunity will never be checkmated until the ‘decree’ that is called constitution which is used to govern us is changed to real constitution. If you could recall, before Abdulsalami Abubarkar handed over to democratic government in 1999, there was no time that we sat down to have a constitutional conference. What happened was that the General forced decreed constitution on Nigeria and since then, that is what we have been using, and this has bought us a lot of problems as a country. If you do your findings well, you will see that there is nowhere in the world where a democratic government is run by decree, except Nigeria. Until we do something about it, Nigeria will always be retrogressing, and the same set of people will keep ruling us for their selfish interest.

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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From The Civil Service VIO commissions ICT training Centre for staff P.42

National Identification Number mandatory from September 1 –NIMC ADEOLA TUKURU ABUJA

N L-R: Chairman, Steering Committee, National Code of Corporate Governance, Mr. Victor Odiase; Chairman, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), Hajiya Maryam Ladi Ibrahim; Executive Secretary/CEO, FRC, Mr. Jim Obazee and Chairman Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Sir Sunny Nwosu, during “A day of Public Hearing on The National Code for Corporate Governance for PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN Public and Private Entities” in Lagos, yesterday.

NDLEA arrest drug kingpin, 3,000 others for trafficking REGINA OTOKPA ABUJA

ational Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has said within the last five months, over three thousand suspects and a kingpin have been arrested in relation to drug offenses. The Chairman NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, speaking during the launch of the National Drug Control Master Plan(NDCMP) 20152019, said this was in addition to the discovery of cannabis farms measuring about 126.721 hectares and three laboratories, bringing the total number of laboratories uncovered in Lagos and Anambra states from 2011 till date to ten. Giving the breakdown, he said: “between January and May 2015, the agency arrested 3,478 drug suspects and seized 170,341.704

kg of narcotic drugs. The drugs are cannabis 167,461.826 kg, cocaine 103,848 kg, heroin 17.976 kg and psycho tropic substances 2,619.195 kg. The agency also discovered cannabis farms measuring 126.721 hectares. A total of 783 cases have so far been won in court.” “The agency just apprehended a suspected drug kingpin after thirteen months of high level surveillance. The suspect, Mr Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu, aka Blessed, was found to be the brain behind three clandestine laboratories and leader of an international drug trafficking organization that recruits and sponsors drug couriers to China, Malaysia, Turkey and Italy,” Giade added. According to him, this was in addition to the success recorded in 2014 where a total of 4,529.15 hectares

UNESCO names Victoria Okojie IAC member P.41

of cannabis farmland representing 53,719,342.32 kilogrammes of cannabis were destroyed, about 166,697 kg of illicit drugs were seized, no fewer than 8,826 persons arrested and 2,054 out of the 2,070 cases in court were convicted. While noting the dangers drug trafficking portends to public health, peace, safety, socioeconomic and political stability of the country, he noted that about 3,403 drug dependent persons had accessed drug counselling at the NDLEA centers nationwide. He further stressed the commitment of the agency towards ensuring all drug cartels in the country were financial incapacitated and dislodged, he added that the drugs and cannabis plants seized and destroyed last year which was valued at N542 billion, played a huge role in contributing to the peaceful

conduct of the last general elections in the country. Lamenting the location of uncovered laboratories within residential areas, the NDLEA boss urged relevant stakeholders to join in the campaign against illicit drug projection, trafficking abuse and in executing drug control programme for people faced with the problem of drug abuse. While speaking on the NDCMP 2015-2019 and the 2015 World Drug report as well as the 2014 international Narcotics Control Board INCB report, the Director-General of the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration Control NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii said these is to ensure availability of controlled substances exclusively for medical and scientific purposes while preventing their diversion, trafficking and abuse.

Police, NOUN renew pact on training of personnel P.42

ational Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has put September, 1st, 2015 for all transactions involving the identification of all Nigerians with the National Identification Number (NIN), the General Manager, Inspectorate, Regulatory & Compliance Services, Mrs. Hadiza Dagabana has said. The Commission further called on all Nigerians to avail themselves the opportunity of enrolment into the National Identity Database and be issued a National Identification Number (NIN), which is the single version of truth and the foundation identity. In a press statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, Abdulhamid Umar, explained that these transactions, pursuant to section 27 (1) and (2) of the NIMC Act, 2007 include: application for, and issuance of an International Passport; opening of individual and/ or group bank accounts, all consumer credits; purchase of insurance policies; the purchase, transfer and registration of land by any individual; National Health Insurance Scheme, such transactions that have social security implications, registration of voters, payment of taxes, and pensions, etc. Consequently, “Any government agency/institution, bank, insurance company and all other institutions offering services and/or involved in transactions requiring the identity of an individual must first

demand for the NIN. Any individual, institutions/body who fails to comply with the above has committed an offence under the punishable under section 28 of the NIMC Act.” “Nigerians are urged to appreciate the full import of the NIMC mandate, and understand that the three decades old problem of identity management in Nigeria has been fixed since 2012 by the provision by NIMC of a Unique Identification Infrastructure for Nigeria and the subsequent launch of the National e-ID Card scheme in 2014. “Clearly, most people are unable to appreciate the shift in paradigm from ‘Card Issuance’, their familiar turf, to ‘Identity Management’, the current global trend, which explains the reason why they insist on getting the physical card even after they have been enrolled and issued their NIN. “NIMC is focused on establishing ‘Foundation Identity’ (who you are) as the issuing authority for Nigeria, all other institutions, including the Banks and INEC are focused on ‘Functional Identity’ (whether you are eligible for a specific service). “Functional Identities established pursuant to various organisations’ databases such as the Bank Verification Number (BVN), the Taxpayer Identification Number, etc., are not substitute for the NIN. Therefore, citizens must ensure that they are enrolled into the National Identity Database (NIDB) by 1st September, 2015, the effective date of commencement of the mandatory use of NIN.”

Buhari names Ahmed Idris new Accountant General P.16

Buhari

Civil Service

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Buhari names Ahmed Idris new Accountant General OMEIZA AJAYI

resident Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Alhaji Ahmed Idris as the Accountant General of the Federation. Until his appointment, Idris was the Director of Finance and Accounts in the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development. Announcing this in Abuja yesterday, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Barr. Danladi Kifasi said the appointment is with effect from June 25, 2015. Signed by the Director of Communications in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Haruna Rasheed Imrana, the statement added that the appointee who hails from Kano State was born on the 25th November 1960. In another development, the Directorate of Road Traffic Services DRTS in the Federal Capital Territory is seeking approval to limit the influx of vehicles into the nation’s capital. Consequently, the DRTS has requested the FCT Ad-

ministration to help it recruit more personnel to to execute such mandate. Director of the DRTS, Danjuma Garba stated this yesterday while commissioning the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) ICT Training Centre in Mabushi District, Abuja. He announced that the Directorate in its efforts to improve service delivery through seamless vehicle registration system, has established six additional driver’s licensing centres in the Territory. Deputy Director, Press in the FCTA, Muhammad Hazat Sule quoted the DRTS boss as pleading “with the FCT Administration to provide the Directorate with additional manpower to help curb the influx of vehicles in the FCT”. Commissioning the centre, Permanent Secretary in the FCTA, Engr. John Obinna Chukwu directed that all revenue-generating agencies in the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA have been directed to ensure that revenues accruable to the Administration are properly paid into designated banks.

FG assures of well-equipped civil service OMEIZA AJAYI AND REGINA OTOKPA

n order to realize the electioneering campaign promises made by the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration, the federal government as assured of its resolve to develop a well-equipped civil service. Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Danladi Kifasi disclosed yesterday during a session with civil servants in commemoration of the Civil Service Week in Abuja. According to him, a Structured Mandatory Assessment-Based Training Programme (SMAT-P) has been put in place to equip civil servants with basic skills and knowledge needed to discharge their duties in a more professional, knowledgeable, competent and effective manner. He said his office having identified the need to build the capacity of the civil service across the board, developed the SMAT-P in

partnership with reputable international training organizations and world-class experts. He said, “The curriculum and training material for the scheme have been fully developed in partnership with the Management Development Institutes, both local and international training experts. The OHCSF is currently receiving nominations from MDAs for the commencement of the programme in July 2015.” Kifasi further noted that given the dwindling economic resources in Nigeria, and the need to encourage the incountry capacity building, a circular had been issued restricting foreign trainings and trips by public servants. “Specifically, the circular stated that most training activities should now take place in Nigeria and that attendance at the foreign events should now be at no cost to government. The effect of the circular is that there has been a drastic reduction on the number of requests for permission to travel abroad.

...as FCT seeks ban on vehicle purchases

While saying that it is no longer business as usual, the Permanent Secretary emphasized that bank accounts records would be verified for transparency and accountability. He stressed that all infractions against service fi-

nancial and administrative due processes; rules and regulations would attract strict sanctions and possible prosecution. He said, “All revenues generated should be properly accounted for, and paid to only approved bank ac-

counts as records would be verified”. Chukwu also instructed that all officers and men of the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services should adhere to the change mantra of the Federal Government under the leader-

ship of President Muhammadu Buhari. Thus, the Permanent Secretary implored the management and staff of the DRTS, to intensify efforts to continue to enforce the regulations on the ban of motorcycle, restriction of tricycles, un-painted taxes, illegal mechanic workshops and illegal car marts.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike inspecting Azikiwe Road Project in Diobu, in line with ‘operation Zero Pothole’ Programme in Rivers, yesterday.

Osun govt advocates stiff measures against violators of safety standards CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

he Governor of Osun state, Abdulrauf Aregbesola has said that for the campaign against road carnage to succeed in the country, there is the need for those that violate road safety standards to be appropriately punished. According to a statement by the Media Assistant to the Corps Marshal, Sani Abdullahi, the governor gave the hint while receiving the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi at the Government House Osogbo. Aregbesola, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Tomore, commended the leadership of the FRSC for the commitment it has shown towards creating safer road environment in the country, stating that the state government is in full support of the moves being made to restore sanity on the roads. According to her, collab-

oration between the FRSC and Osun state government on issues of road safety is germane because protection of lives and property of the people of the state was the central campaign promise made by Governor Aregbesola during his electioneering campaigns, adding that since his assumption of office, he has not reneged on that. “That was what informed the massive investment the state government has continued to make in road construction, security and ambulance services,” she stated. “The state government under the administration of Governor Aregbesola has remained committed to issues of road safety, security and social development. Everyone knows that the Governor’s convoy adheres strictly to road traffic lights whenever he is moving around in the town. “He has also directed members of his executive council to do the same. I assure you that FRSC will find a veritable partner in Osun state government in

the campaign for the safety of lives and property on the roads,” she further stated. Speaking on the frequent cases of tanker crashes in the country, Mrs Tomore expressed concern at the development, calling on the FRSC to take adequate measures against those that violate safety standards. She advocated due process in the issuance of driver’s licences and registration of the drivers, stressing that do so could make their identification easy. The Deputy Governor further pointed out that even though no tanker crash has occurred in the state, the government has taken adequate measures to ensure that all vehicles operating in the state met the required safety standards. While commending the FRSC for its contributions to the socio-economic development of the state, she stated that the commitment being shown by the personnel of the FRSC to effective traffic management, safety of lives and property and general development of the state is quite impressive.

Mrs Tomore assured the Corps Marshal that the state government will continue to explore areas of mutual benefits between it and the FRSC, vowing to sustain actions that could make the state crash-free. Corps Marshal Oyeyemi, in his remarks thanked the Osun state government for its sustained support to the FRSC and enumerated areas where it has supported the Corps in the past, disclosing that it was the first in the country to donate a heavy duty tow truck to the FRSC, which assisted greatly in creating obstructionfree road. Oyeyemi commended Governor Aregbesola for putting in place various measures targeted at achieving safer road environment in the state, pointing out that the enactment of the law on the operations of tanker operations in the state is a commendable initiative, saying that if other states could embrace the same consciousness, the campaign against road carnage would be a huge success.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Child marriage and Day of the African Child BILKIS BAKARE

y international conventions, 18 years has been established as the legal age of consent to marriage. In Nigeria, the Child Rights Act passed in 2003 raises the minimum age of marriage to 18 for girls, but in the northern part of the country, which has some of the highest rate of early marriage in the world, 48 percent of girls are married out as early as 15 years and below. This is due to the fact that since federal law may be implemented differently at the state level, only few states have begun developing provisions to execute the law. Also, due to the operation of three different legal systems running simultaneously in the country - civil, customary and Islamic – and both the federal and state governments have control only over marriages that take place within the civil system, it becomes very difficult for the provisions of this law to be implemented. Although the apologists of child marriage are quick to point out the religious provisions attached to this act, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. They range from health, educational, social to psychological and economical. Health wise, girls younger than 15 years are five times more likely to die during child birth or pregnancy than older women. They also have elevated risks of

THE IMPACT OF CHILD MARRIAGE IS INDEED APPARENT IN THE AREAS WHERE THIS PRACTICE IS PREVALENT IN NIGERIA

developing Vesico Vagina Fistula due to the immaturity of the reproductive system and their babies are especially vulnerable to poor health outcome as mortality rate for babies born to adolescent mothers are almost 75 percent higher than for children born to older mothers. And the children that survive usually have low birth weight or are premature. The health challenges, particularly Vesico Vagina Vistula- formation of opening between the bladder and the vagina- result in these child brides being rejected and abandoned by their spouses due to the stench oozing from their bodies as a result of continuous leakage of urine. This leads to both mental and emotional torture for these girls. Child brides depend on their spouses for all their needs as they are not economically empowered to provide for themselves. Therefore, often times, they lack the basic amenities needed for comfortable living, and therefore, will not be able to break away from the shackles of poverty.

Virtually, no young married girls are in school as they are mostly denied access to good education, which could have otherwise earned them a good future and make them financially independent and also avail them the opportunity to mingle with people. This is one of the reasons for the prevalence of poverty and economic backwardness in places where child marriage is practised. This may even lead to their children being illiterates as the mothers lack the educational wherewithal to guide the children to the right path in terms of modernization and civilisation. Psychologically, due to the fact that the young girls are married to polygamists, the girls are exposed to violence and abuse by their husbands as well as co-wives who are often older and more experienced. Furthermore, the marriages mark an abrupt transition to sexual relations with men they are not familiar with. And this often leads to an initial form of resistance from the girls concern, which culminates in battery and verbal abuses by their spouses. It is in view of the enormity of this problem that the committee on the Day of the African Child identified and adopted the theme: “25 years after the adoption of the African children’s charter: Accelerating our collective efforts to end child marriage in Africa”. The memoriam has been celebrated on June 16 every year since 1991, when it was first

initiated by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now the African Union (AU) to honour those who participated in the Soweto Uprising in 1976. On that day, about ten thousand black school children marched in a column more than half a mile long, protesting the poor quality of their education and demanding their right to be taught in their own language. Hundreds of young students were shot and more than a hundred people were killed in the protests that ensued for two weeks. This year’s celebration was aimed at raising awareness on the dangers inherent in child marriage and served as avenue of bringing together those affected by and working to end the menace such as community leaders, traditional and religious leaders as well as the major stakeholders, the girl child and the parents. This forum was used to drum up support for states to domesticate the federal law that establishes 18 as the legal age of marriage for girls. The need to comprehensively address the plight of all categories of Nigerian children and particularly end the ugly trend of child marriage cannot be over emphasized. The impact of child marriage is indeed apparent in the areas where this practice is prevalent in Nigeria. Bakare is of the Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja

Niger Delta and imperative of intellectual militancy BOBSON GBINIJE

n Urhobo adage says that “when a hunter of antelopes, rabbits and porcupines, fortuitously comes across an elephant in the forest, he must change his gait and bullets.” What this exudes is the imperative of strategic repositioning, reorientation of logistics and reorchestration of formulas when there is a change of order in the social and political ambience in any collectivity. Can this happen with Niger Delta militants in their struggle for justice? The Niger Delta is the area around the southern tributaries of the River Niger which is diverse in ethnic composition, full of natural environmental hazards, rich natural resources, but suffused in abject poverty, the result of neglect by successive governments in Nigeria. The mono-cultural economy of the country has been sustained by Niger Delta’s oil, especially in post independence Nigeria. Oil was discovered at Oloibiri in present day Bayelsa State in 1956, but was commercialized in 1958. Ever since then, the people of the region have been treated with scorn by the powers-that-be. In response, the people of the Niger Delta have adopted multidimensional strategies aimed at drawing successive governments’ attention to its deplorable plight. The successive Federal Government as it were, made the economic strangulation of the Niger Delta the fundamental objective and the directive principle of

state policy. It has refused to recognize the universally acknowledge principles of sharing in oil producing nations which is, “quid, quid protanto loso loso cedit” (the man who owns the land owns what is on it, beneath it and above it). We are allocated, suffocated and spoon-fed with the laughable miniscule 13 percent, or the hanging but laughable 25 percent derivation formula. Is this fair? Why is Niger Delta region being hounded and hectored by the Nigerian state? Why are the genuine efforts of the Niger Delta martyrs like Isaac Adaka Jasper Boro, Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni nine, Monday Obotaire, Raymond Pemu, Victor Atiri and the submissions of the Niger Delta representatives to the National Confab not reflected in the Federal Government’s oil policies on the Niger Delta? Is pipeline vandalism the way out? Is this divide and rule being adopted and finetuned by the Federal Government the way forward? And is the Niger Delta Master Plan the roadmap for our long sort after El Dorado? Are kidnappings, hostage taking, pipeline vandalism and the weird violence being carried out by our youths and militant groups the way forward? Recently, a group of Urhobo youths under the aegis of Urhobo Gbagbako claimed responsibility for the March 22 bombing of Nigeria Petroleum Development Company’s (NPDC) oil pipelines in Ekiugbo, Ughelli Local Government Area. It said that the aim was to give vent to their demand for pipeline surveillance contract. The affected pipeline was a trunk line which conveyed the product from Eriemu,

THE MONO-CULTURAL ECONOMY OF THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN

SUSTAINED BY NIGER

DELTA’S OIL, ESPECIALLY IN POST INDEPENDENCE

NIGERIA

Kokori, Afiesere, Uzere, West-End at Kwale, Ogini, Olomoro and Owhe to the Ughelli Quality Control Centre. The English playwright Alexander Pope in his Essay on Man said: “Let the ends of things disjoin, it is the whole world that suffers.” We admonish our Niger Delta militants that President Muhammadu Buhari has just come on board. We ask and pray that he should be given a short while to spell out and actualize his roadmap on the Niger Delta plight. If Niger Delta militants continue to bomb oil installations, it might be misconstrued as a deliberate and clandestine ploy by former President Jonathan, hiws Ijaw tribesmen and his PDP to frustrate his government. We, therefore, call for ‘intellectual militancy’, which is the civilized and coordinated presentation of our complains and grouse through discussions, peaceful protest, court actions, non-violent diplomatic and political channels, like the United Nations, African Union, ECOWAS, OPEC, ASEAN, European Union, ICC and other such-like bodies. Intellectual militancy also entails the avoidance of bombings, kidnappings, suicidal missions, social brouhaha, politi-

cal hara-kiri, kamikaze actions and sanguinary bloodletting. Former President J.F Kennedy, in his inaugural address in January 1961 said: “The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe.” It is, therefore, advisable for the Niger Delta militants to adopt the strategy of intellectual militancy. In conclusion, the Buhari administration must be given some time to carry out its projected plans for Niger Delta and Nigeria in its entirety. This calls for a civilized and democratic approach - a civilized approach that will take into cognizance the nuts and bolts of the Niger Delta problems. The author and writer Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) said: “A civilization which develops only on its material side and not in corresponding measure on its mental and spiritual side, is like a vessel with a defective steering gear.” We hope Niger Delta militants and other militants in Nigeria will heed the voice of reason. Chief Gbinije is founder of Mandate against Poverty, Warri, Delta State and can be reached through 08023250378 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

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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

SUNDAY OLAJIDE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR BRINGS

ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

N9bn jumbo pay for 8th NASS

he lingering public angst and protests aimed at the jugular of the 8th National Assembly (NASS) members over recent reports that they, alongside in-coming ministers that would serve under the President Muhammadu Buhari government, would share N9 billion annually from the moment they step into office, can be interpreted from varying standpoints. Among them is the utter contempt with which the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC), the government agency that fixes the wages and allowances of political office occupants and hikes same as it pleases, holds Nigerians. It also buttresses the gross insensitivity of not just RMFAC, a body more reputed for its unflattering, generous award of questionable pay package to political office holders than mobilizing funds; but that of the beneficiaries themselves, to the plights of ordinary Nigerians, though they may grovel before the electorate, most times dishonestly, to get elected into office. More pathetic perhaps, is the impression created that even in grinding austere times, the federal and state governments and the majority of Nigerians now find themselves, most public office holders still want to stick to their blissful and profligate lifestyles, circulating themselves

WE BELIEVE THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF CHANGE PRESIDENT

BUHARI, WELL-MEANING MEMBERS OF THE

NASS… ENVISAGED from one public office to the other possibly unto death; and being buried at the expense of the state, no matter how much they contributed to the growth or retrogression of the nation throughout their public callings. This is without prejudice to the platitudes of a downward review of the perks of office, or the counter-claims by some lawmakers who felt embarrassed by reports concerning the N9bn largesse. The hint of the extent of perfidy ascribable to the NASS as an arm of government came in 1999, shortly after it was convened when the nation embraced democracy. Reports yet undisputed had it that in 1999, senators and members of the House of Representatives initially proposed N5 million and N4 million respectively, as furniture allowances for themselves. Following public outcry, however, former President Olusegun Obasanjo forced them to reduce the bills to N3.5m and N2.5m, respectively, for the upper and lower chambers. But they allegedly passed

through the back door to pocket the N5m and N4m they originally aimed at. Indeed, on what moral pedigree can a NASS, whose members are allergic to making public the exact amount they earn monthly, quarterly or annually; a NASS described as one of the highest paid globally, stand to discredit the N9bn largesse report? Can anything be fingered between 1999 and the present day concerning what anyone can rightly and sincerely adjudge as a significant change in the moral orientation and perfidies of NASS, except the relative stability of its leadership in recent years under Senator David Mark as Senate President? It was by sheer providence that Rep Aminu Tambuwal, now Sokoto State governor, completed his term as the Speaker of the just rested 7th House of Representatives. Reports say each of the nation’s 109 senators would, this time around, stroll away with N21.5m; and each of the 360 House of Representatives’ members with N17.5m. Housing allowance for political office holders is 200 percent of their annual salaries; furniture allowance 300 percent; motor vehicle loan 400 percent; et cetera; all running into millions of naira, many of them on annual basis for a term of four years. What a nation! Not to be forgotten is the fact

that many of the beneficiaries are not just coming onboard. A great number of them have been sustained by the political system for years. Indeed, which nation on earth that preaches equity and justice would be accommodative of the level of injustice and public suffering amidst partying by elected public officers that has been festering in Nigeria since 1999? Ours is a country where millions of citizens are mired in abject poverty and starvation; where most of the 36 state governments cannot afford to pay N18, 000 as minimum wage to workers, and where workers are being owed several months backlog of unpaid salaries, purportedly occasioned by dipping crude oil prices? Infrastructure provisioning remains a distant wish, while the economy stagnates. Capital expenditure has never exceeded 25 percent of annual budgets; and even the 25 percent target is hardly met, year-in-year-out. We believe this is not the kind of change President Buhari, well-meaning members of the NASS and even some state governors envisaged. Hopefully too, they understand the nation’s mood and would move swiftly to douse public rage. The courage of civil society organizations to rise up and protest against the grave injustice also deserves high commendation.

ON THIS DAY July 1, 2002 The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. However, jurisdiction for the crime of aggression will not be awakened until 2017 at the earliest

July 1, 2008 Rioting erupted in Mongolia in response to allegations of fraud surrounding the 2008 legislative elections. The riot occurred in Ulan Bator, the nation’s capital and claimed five lives, resulting in Mongolia’s first state of emergency which lasted four days. The headquarters of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party which won the election was set on fire; while military presence lasting two days was used to quell the riot.

July 1, 2013 Neptune’s moon S/2004 N 1, a small moon of Neptune, about 18 km (11 mi) in diameter, which orbits the planet in just under one Earth day was discovered. It increased Neptune’s retinue of known satellites to 14. The moon is so dim that it was not observed when ‘Voyager 2’ flew by in 1989. Mark Showalter of the SETI Institute, California, United States, found it by analyzing archived Neptune photographs captured between 2004 and 2009.w

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Health & Wellbeing New health minister must be knowledgeable on sector’s challenges

Africans move to demystify treatments for NTDs, malaria, others

Many cases of hypentension are misdiagnosed, experts say FRANKA OSAKWE

r Ossy, 56 year old banker went to his General Practitioner (GP) to have his usual general checkup. This year he felt something must be wrong with him, considering the persistent headache he has been having. With sweaty palm and a beating heart, he waited for the reading of the blood pressure monitor. Just like he thought, the doctor announced, after a repeat check, that the reading (140/90mmhg) indicates that he has high blood pressure (Hypertension) and has to be placed on hypertensive treatment immediately. At home that day, Mr. Ossy decided to check his BP again just to confirm to his nagging wife that alas, he now has hypertension so there should be no more nagging. But the reading showed a normal blood pressure reading less than (120/80). He repeated the test throughout the night but the BP remained normal. Mr. Ossy went back to the doctor who then realized that the hypertension was just “White Coat,” a false form of hypertension that some patients experience due to anxiety when at the doctor’s office. According to Dr Ademola Aderibigbe, former president of the Nigerian Society of Nephrology, anxiety can cause a blood pressure to go very high leading to false diagnosis of hypertension. Dr. Aderibigbe who spoke at a workshop on management of hypertension, by Sanofi Nigeria in Lagos, explained that millions of people have been misdiagnosed with hypertension due to anxiety-induced high blood pressure reading. “This is one of the reasons why the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria has continued to increase”, he added. Although Nigeria has no official statistics for the rate of hypertension in Nigeria, some recent report has placed its occurrence at a very staggering rate. For instance, cardiologists during the seventh edition of cardiovascular summit tagged, “Managing High Risk Cardiovascular Patients Anchored on EvidencedBased Guidelines” organised by Pfizer Nigeria and East African Region in Lagos, have said that the rate of Nigerians living with hypertension have jumped from 11 per cent in 1997 to 40 per cent in 2013. According to the experts, over 50 million Nigerians are said to have hypertension and 60% are not aware they have the

A SINGLE HIGH READING DOE DOES NOT NECESSARILY ECESSARILY MEAN THE PATIENT HAS HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE disease. However, going by the rate of misdiagnosed hypertension cases, this figure may have been grossly exaggerated, explained Dr. Aderibigbe. But this is not limited to Nigeria alone. New guidance published by Britain’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) in collaboration with British Hypertension Society says that about 25 per cent of the population diagnosed with hypertension have White coat syndrome. “As many as one in four people experience a surging pulse rate due to anxiety on entering a GP’s surgery. White coat hypertension is reported to occur in as many as 25 per cent of the hypertensive population. It is more common in pregnancy and with increasing age. “Assumed to have real hypertension, these Patients are often put on drugs to lower their blood pressure, such as betablockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors which can have serious side effects. For example, ACE inhibitors can cause blood pressure to drop to dangerously low levels and result

in kidney problems”, it says. Lamenting the misdiagnosis of hypertension, Dr. Aderibigbe said elevated blood pressure readings are often mistaken for high blood pressure. “The

problem with high blood pressure is you can’t know the difference between high blood pressure (hypertension) and elevated blood pressure. “This is because physicians sometimes do not have enough time to interact with patients and find out if they actually have a problem that is making their blood pressure to increase at that point. A single high reading does not necessarily mean that the patient has high blood pressure. However, if readings stay at 140/90 mm Hg or above (systolic 140 or above OR diastolic 90 or above) over time, this is now time to commence treatment”, he said. Experts don’t know the exact cause of high blood pressure. But they all agree that some things can make blood pressure to go up. Some of these, listed by Dr. Aderibigbe include; not getting enough exercise, being overweight, eating foods that have too much salt and drinking too much alcohol. Again, when a blood pressure is higher than normal but not high enough to be high blood pressure, it is called prehypertension, according to a report by the American Hearts Association (AHA). AHA lists possible conditions that can lead to pre-hypertension or high blood pressure to include: Atherosclerosis, Obstructive sleep apnea, Kidney disease, Adrenal disease, Thyroid disease and certain medications such as birth control pills, cold remedies, decongestants, over-the-counter pain relievers and some prescription drugs. “If your blood pressure reading is higher than normal, your doctor may take several readings over time and/ or have you monitor your blood pressure at home before diagnosing you with high blood pressure. An ideal blood pressure for an adult is less than 120/80. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. Prehypertension is between 120/80 and 140/90”, it said.

This chart reflects blood pressure categories defined by the American Heart Association Blood Pressure Systolic Category mm Hg (upper #) Normal Prehypertension High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 1 High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) Stage 2 Hypertensive Crisis (Emergency care needed)

Diastolic mm Hg (lower #)

less than 120 120 – 139 140 – 159

and less than 80 or 80 – 89 or 90 – 99

160 or higher

100 or higher

Higher than 180

Higher than 110

Health & Wellbeing

Nutrition for Health chizobanwobu@yahoo.com 08120807588 (sms only)

arlic, is a strongly aromatic perennial spice that has been cultivated for many decades. It belongs to the family of vegetables called Alliaceae, related to the onions family. It is made up of cloves which are enclosed in a white or purple tinged covering with swollen leaves. It is believed to have originated from Central Asia, with emphasis on early civilization, as recorded in the Holy Bible (Numbers 11:5), “We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic...” Today, it is widely grown in all parts of the world. Garlic has been associated with superstitious beliefs and worn for protection and luck, love and lust, charm against evil, to enhance sensual feelings, oath-taking and as part of burial rituals. Herbalists considered the garlic as poisoning antidote and a cure for intestinal worms, stings of venomous beasts, and a remedy for all diseases or

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The healing power of garlic

hurts. It has been reputed to promote abortion and contractions of the uterus. Garlic is known for its odor and flavor, but it is actually odorless until it’s ruptured by being bruised, cut or crushed. When a garlic clove is cut, allicin, an odourless-sulphur is produced and this is responsible for garlic’s odour. Its distinctive taste and smell is thus, used for food preparations, flavoring and seasoning in the preparation of soups, sauces, vinegars, breads, meats, salad and practically in any dish. This herb and spice is encumbered with nutritional value and health benefits. It contains carbohydrates, proteins, water, vitamins and minerals with traces of iodine, sulphur and chlorine. This powerful combination of nutrients gives garlic its nutritional and healing properties. Garlic has been known as a natural “wonder drug” for thousands of years in chinese medicine and was reportedly used to treat dental cavities, bronchitis and respiratory problems, gastrointestinal problems, leprosy, deafness, menstrual cramps, high blood pressure, diabetes and externally for arthritis,

Chizoba Benson

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

muscular pains and serves as food for the hair. Recently, clinical experiments have begun to confirm many of garlic’s ancient medicinal uses. It has been shown to have powerful antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal properties. It is used in preventing colds and flus, lowers blood cholesterol and scavenges harmful free radicals. It has been known to even reverse high blood pressure, heart diseases and cancer notably stomach, colon and prostate cancers, reduces fat levels in the liver, lowers blood sugar and used as post-stroke therapy. It has also demonstrated anti-inflammatory property in treating arthritis and rheumatism. It could be used to boost our immune system and overcome fatigue. Robinson, an eminent American sexologist, touts garlic as a tonic that is excellent as a cure for sexual disabilities, impotence and nervous exhaustion. He recommends garlic for older men who may be experiencing diminished sexual drive. Garlic could be applied externally on wounds and ulcers, skin disorders such as removal of spots, pimples, acnes, eczema, insect bites

and stings. Garlic could be used in garlic oil preparations, ear drops, poultices, syrups, ointments, and other garlic treatments. Reports indicate that pain can be relieved by robbing the affected part with the cloves of the cut or meshed garlic. Researchers at the National Cancer Institute said that: “garlic should be chopped and allowed to sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking to stabilize beneficial compounds and maximize garlic’s anti-cancer properties”. There are many folk remedies for garlic breath. Many recommend chewing chlorophyll-rich plants like mints and other possible remedies include bathing in warm water, eating milk, yogurt or honey, and drinking red wine. One source sug-

gests rubbing peppermint oil on the feet to remove the scent. Susan Belsinger, a researcher in Herb Society of America recommends that: “although some of these remedies may help, none will eliminate the odor completely. She is of the opinion that eating garlic everyday and encouraging everyone else around you to do the same. Then no one will notice, she exclaimed”. Regular consumption of small amounts of garlic may also reduce the odor. To remove garlic odor from hands after peeling, rubbing hands with salt and lemon juice and then rinsing with water would help. Although garlic is loaded with nutritional value and health promoting effects, it should be given only with caution to children since it can irritate their sensitive digestive tracts. Some sources also caution the use while breastfeeding since garlic is excreted into breast milk. It is important to note that large doses of garlic may cause gastrointestinal distress in some individuals, and those allergic to garlic may need to avoid it altogether.

Sexual solutions and love products for adults I feel insecure because I don’t know what my wife thinks about our sex life. The only thing I have ever heard her say is that she has dated many people in the past and had some really wild times. I cannot help but feel that she compares me with her ex-lovers and that she is not impressed with me –James James I understand exactly how you feel. It is possible that she is comparing you with her past boyfriends. Or maybe she isn’t. We can’t be too sure. But most importantly, she chose to marry you instead of them. That simply means that when you consider the total package, you were the best choice in her eyes. Married people will always feel the way you feel. However, rather than worrying too much about what she may be thinking, give her new memories to focus on. I don’t know what your sex life is like. Maybe it is not very good. But the wonderful thing about great sex is that it can be learned. You can go from being an average performer to a bedroom legend in one week, if you learn to do the right things. Foreplay is important to set the tone for whatever sexual activity that comes afterwards but when it comes to sex proper, clitoral devotion is ultimate. The clitoris is that part of the female genitalia that serves no other purpose except to pleasure women. It consists of over 8,000 nerve endings which makes it very sensitive and incredibly responsive to touch. If you want to give a woman an orgasm, clitoral stimulation is the surest way to get you there. Men often focus on penetration and how long they last in bed. The truth however is that for all your efforts to be meaningful, you must devote adequate time to stimulating her clitoris before and during intercourse. It is easy. You

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or any other number here to order or they can order online at www.zeevirtualmedia. com. Zee Virtual Media delivers to you wherever you are in Nigeria. For enquiries, send your emails to custserv@zeevirtualmedia.com - Uche Edochie, MD, Zee Virtual Media.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Africans move to demystify treatments for NTDs, malaria, others MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

ealth academics in West-Africa are currently making bold attempt to defeat infectious diseases and other pervasive ailments such as malaria across the sub-region. The initiative, being implemented through the Institute of Infectious Diseases of Poverty, IIDP, in a number of universities in the sub-region engages sea-

soned health academics to train health researchers. The trainees are post-graduate students who will in turn share their knowledge with other research institutions working on health, including students of institutions of higher learning on the continent. The project has one goal – to tackle common diseases associated with poverty in Africa through solutions initiated by Africans! Funded by Wellcome Trust, IIDP comprises insti-

tutions and students from Francophone and Anglophone countries in West Africa. The universities used for the programmes are the University of Ibadan; Modibbo Adama University of Technology, MAUTECH, Yola; University of Science, Techniques and Technology, Bamako, Mali; and the University Ghana. Some of the diseases targeted by the project include non-tropical diseases, NTDs, namely yaws, lymphatic

filariasis, onchorcerciasis, trachoma, schistosomiasis, and STH. It also intends to defeat malaria scourge and TB which are currently prevalent on the continent. The project has researched into malaria and tuberculosis in its closing first phase, and the two diseases are expected to receive new methods of treatment soon in the sub-region. For instance, Akinola Olugbenga is one of the IIDP scholars already trained by the programme. He has

worked on “Development and Validation of Anti Malaria Target Gene” for five years through the programme, moving round the participating universities as his contemporaries. Olugbenga identified malaria as one of the most difficult health problems to solve, globally. “And, it is so, it is even worse, now because there are reports of resistance to the new artemisinin combination therapy. We all trust this therapy, unfortunately, there are reports they are failing,” he said. He then began to work on a new model for tackling malaria. He said: “There are challenges with conducting research into new drugs. One of the most important approaches that have been left behind is to do what we call a target-based approach. This approach has a lot of benefits. One, if you take a target within a cognitive organism and you develop a drug against such a target, you save cost; rather than taking different drugs, mak-

ing a thousand drugs and keep looking for which of the drugs takes care of your cognitive organism. Secondly, if you discover your target, and you develop a drug against such a target, you are saving the host. When you are through with this drug, you have limited side effect because this target is specific for your organism and less specific for the host. In thinking ahead of the time, we will always look out for a target that is essential, essential in the sense that I will not look for a parasite that the parasite does not need to survive. If somebody cuts off my hands, I will survive, but if somebody shoots through my heart, then I am gone. Those are the kind of target we look for in some of these cognitive organisms. When you identify a target in a parasite and you validate it that it is essential for drug development, that you can develop a drug against this target, then, you begin to see a decline in activity of the parasite,” he added.

One in three drug users is a woman –UNODC Dignitaries displaying the new National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) document at the official launch in Abuja, last week.

LUTH resident doctors begin indefinite strike

he Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) chapter, on Monday commenced an indefinite strike over their working conditions at the hospital. The President of the association, Dr Ramon Moronkola, said that this was sequel to a 21-day ultimatum and three-day warning strike which ended on Wednesday, June 17. He spoke at a rally organised by the ARD at the hospital on Monday in Lagos. According to him, the association was compelled to embark on strike after several appeals to the management of the institution yielded no positive response. He said that the purpose of the strike is not to punish the patients, but to press home some legitimate demands. “Consultants and some health workers are still attending to patients, but we, as an association, need to send out a message because we are tired of giving haphazard services to the public. “Some individuals are

running this institution any how they like; they would not do this were it to be their private practices. We have bent backwards severally to ensure that we continue service delivery, however, when the person at the helm of affairs thinks that we are wasting our time, then the public should task them. “We are demanding for good working conditions which include making the environment conducive, as well as the implementation of the ‘skipping’ structure as directed by the Federal Government’’, he said. According to him, there have been several instances where doctors have been harassed by patients’ relatives for non-delivery or delayed delivery of some services without knowing it is an institutional problem. “Doctors have been stagnated for years; and on the skipping, since the 2013 directives by the FG, the management of LUTH has refused to obey. I am calling on the government to look into the situation in the hospital. “They should come and

investigate, we cannot allow a public institution like this to be at the mercy of just some individuals; in places where there are industrial disharmony, questions should be asked. There is no constant water supply in LUTH; this is dangerous because diseases, especially communicable ones, can further spread from both patients and doctors. The light situation is epileptic and the wards are in a sorry state; these need to be addressed urgently,’’ Moronkola said. Also speaking, another resident doctor, Dr Ayodele Renner, said the reason for the strike was to avoid further degenerate of the situation. “There is a serious challenge in LUTH and we want the public and FG to step in, LUTH needs to be restructured. There is a great unavailability of consumables and a lot of times, we are not able to do investigations here, so they are outsourced. “Doctors have had to buy consumables and writing materials on several occasions; Drip stands are not

even available. The clearing process is also ridiculously long as people can be on the queue for as long as four hours to get a payment done’’, he added. Renner said that the ‘skipping’ as approved by the Federal Government had not been paid to resident doctors. He expressed concern that after the 21-day ultimatum and three day warning strike, the management was yet to do anything to bridge the situation. In his reaction, LUTH’s acting Chief Medical Director, Prof. Chris Bode, said that every industrial action had its pros and cons. He, however, noted that strikes were not the best ways to resolve challenges, especially when they had become incessant. According to him, the management met and pleaded with the association many times to show understanding on their demands. Bode appealed to the resident doctors to be patient as the new administration would sort out many issues once they are fully settled.

MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

ne out of three drug users around the world is a woman, the United Nations on Drugs and Crimes, UNODC, has said. The organization stated this in Abuja at an event commemorating International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Abuja recently. This is even as the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said it had arraigned 5,148 persons who either deal in, or consume illicit drugs in the country. Chairman of NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, who made the disclosure, said the institution was strengthening efforts to bring activities of illicit drugs to an end in the country. Executive Director of UNODC, Mr. Yury Fedotov, said despite the population of women among drug users worldwide, only one out of five drug users who are on treatment is a woman. Represented by Country Representative, Koli Kouame, Fedotov said Africa, particularly West and East Africa, remained vulnerable to the trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs.

He explained that the trends “are part of organized crime’s attack on the security, health and development of an already-fragile region.” Fedotov argued that robust action was needed to strengthen criminal justice systems “and break-up the criminal networks who deal in misery and suffering, and to nurture health and human rights-based responses.” At the event, which also witnessed the launch of the National Drug Control Master Plan, 2015 – 2019, UNODC informed that people endure “unbelievable pain due to a lack of controlled medications for medical purposes. Measures must be taken to ensure that people across the globe can access pain relief where necessary. We must also do everything to promote greater understanding of drug use as a social and health condition that calls for, like HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, sustained prevention, treatment and care.” In his remarks, DirectorGeneral, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Dr Paul Orhii said if the current situation in Nigeria was left unchecked, the mental health disease incidence in Nigeria would escalate.

Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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New health minister must be knowledgeable on sector’s challenges Tackling diseases affecting the masses, rather than those of the few rich, should be prioritized in government’s health agenda, says immediate past Commissioner for Health in Rivers State, Dr. Samson Parker, in this interview with Health Reporter, MARCUS FATUNMOLE. Parker also advised President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint an administrator that understands health challenges facing the nation to help drive his government’s health plans. Excerpts: How will you review the current state of health in Nigeria? We thank God for our country Nigeria, after all the panics of late 2014 and 2015. Don’t forget the panic of Ebola; it was probably more than the panic of political violence thereafter. If you put the two of them together, I wonder which one is an epidemic; either it is Ebola or it is the political violence that was epidemic. Today, we thank God that everywhere somehow is calm, calmer than what we saw last time. And, I also thank God that I have served my state for eight years as Commissioner of Health; and also as member of the National Council on Health. For the situation of health care in the country: it appeared wonderful at the beginning of the eight years but we can’t say that much at the end because of the common thing people say that health is like food, if you don’t fund it, if you don’t give your wife money to go to the market, there will be no food on the table. With the dwindling economic resources in the country, health care dwindles as well. We should be thinking about how we can prevent such recurrence if we bounce back from this economic doldrums and revive healthcare the way it should be. How do we prevent it? How do we get sustainable health care in Nigeria? That should be what we all, including the media, should be thinking about. In Rivers State, you would remember, we went head on, talking about primary health care, we didn’t just wake up to say we want to do primary health care because

–Former Rivers Health commissioner

Parker

we want to go to every local government area, build primary health centres. No. We wanted to deliver first-level health care to our people. We tried the much we could to take primary health care to nooks and crannies of Rivers State by building wonderful health care centres first, which also was a prescription. Why was that a prescription, if you have seen our health care centres? You know that good things are attractive and we wanted our people to be attracted by even the building. We wanted them to own the buildings and by that patronize our health care centres. When they get into the building, they see services, they receive good services. We were wooing them to come and receive and buy our market; howbeit free of charge. That is why you go to communities in the state and the primary health centres stand as the most beautiful edifices you see. Today, in summary of it, what do we get? We try to reduce infant and maternal mortality. We try to reduce mortality from malaria and the likes. And, the one that is most popular, with the help of the services and the primary health care system that was on ground, we were able to quickly contain Ebola. What kind of personality will you want President Buhari to appoint to head the nation’s health sector, given its present diverse problems? I expect him to appoint somebody that is simple-minded. It is very easy to say ‘oh, there is this person that is professor or the likes.’ The trends are different today. He must get somebody that is

with the people; that understands what is on the ground. A person that is able to sacrifice, a simpleminded person that understands 95 percent of health issues, not the five percent. It is very easy for people to be attracted. People may say he was working in a Cancer Centre. Oh, this one is working in this particular field, or he has been in that particular field for long. No. These ones have been away from the issues for a long time. But, we expect that he would get somebody that will understand primary health care; that will understand the disease pattern in the country. I expect him to appoint a person that will understand sustainability of health care. How health care can be sustained. Health centres in the past years before I left were crippled because of strikes; JOHESU strike, health workers strike. Primary health care is too serious to be left for leastfunded tier of government. And, if we put the whole thing together as I have said, patronage guaranteed, not waiting for federal allocation before they pay salary and do other government works. By the time health care is controlled by the people through health insurance, even those persons will begin to wonder whether it is better for them to remain in public institutions or in private institutions. So, that will break the strike habit in our system. I did something in Rivers State under the Governor Amaechi’s administration. We outsourced our new hospitals that we built. That saved us during the strike period. Those

hospitals were functioning because they were privately-run. They wouldn’t go on strike. If they go on strike in those centres, they won’t be paid. Nobody will listen to them. But, it is also important that government has a hold on these hospitals before the private sector takes the government for granted. There must be a balance, which is that get a sustainable pool of finance and take care of the vulnerable group, the child-bearing woman, the women and the children. That is why I said any person that is at the age of voting should have not just the voter’s card, but be covered by health insurance; should have their own health insurance card. If you are appointed Minister of Health, what will be your priority? It wouldn’t be different from what I did in Rivers State. All I’ll do is just to extrapolate and duplicate these for the rest of the states. There is no big deal in that. Yes, we have issues; let us say for example cancer. We need to set up a cancer centre. To set up a cancer centre will cost you billions of naira probably. But, what is the percentage of population suffering from this cancer we are talking about? Probably, one percent; and we’ll break heads with that one percent and leave the 99 percent uncared for? So, we would concentrate on sustainability of our essential health care needs. We will encourage the states and the local government areas to buy into health insurance. And, by so doing, you are gradually taking health care from complete control of the government to a dual

control of the government and the private sector. The government must be there to make sure that standards are met and there is no hanky-panky in the system. The qualifications would be kept and no quackery would come in. It is supposed to be a simple thing. All it needs is dedication and pursuing your goal and be focused on what you need to do. Will you like to share your experience as Health Commissioner in Rivers State? In Rivers state, we learnt to bring up what we called the Rivers State Health Protection Programme. Some people call it Health Maintenance Programme; starting from health education, health care delivery, providing resources, human and material resources. And, again, the sustenance and affordability of the health financing, which is what we call the health insurance scheme. Hitherto, you know that health insurance is something you will say whether you like it or not, it must be mandatory. My own lesson from there is that in this country, we must find a way of making health insurance mandatory, if we want to stop complaining and take control of our health care delivery and services. We tried it in Rivers State to pool resources. Nobody told us that in 2013 and 2014, our internally-generated revenue and allocation from government would drop by almost 50 percent. How do you see the nation’s secondary and tertiary health care? My thinking about them is that if you look at them critically, that is what we call the (handlers of) five percent disease burden. Those are the people that may have to travel abroad for care. The amount of money that those five percent are taking from our resources is more than what will apply to our 95 percent of healthcare in the country. We’ve heard the talk over and over that over one billion dollar naira is flown abroad for health care, for one reason or the other. Government doesn’t have any business going into such thing. Allow the private sector to handle that. And, the private sector will only come in and handle that when they have patronage guaranteed. Guaranteed patronage can come in from health insurance; because there will be pool of money from which all of them will be scrambling. Then, we will stop all the brain drain, capital flight. Instead, we will have brain gain. Those are some of the things we learnt from our eight years in government.

Mirror Wednesday, July 1, 2015 National www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arts Lounge

Invasion 1897: Imasuen recounts landmarks

I communicate with my attires on stage–Indian Princess

Refining the art of photography in Nigeria The art of taking pictures seem to have expanded into different sectors of the economy, thus making it a much sought after profession. Could it be Nigeria’s next oil boom? Olawale Oluwadahunsi

picture they say is worth more than a thousand words and the memorabilia of the special moments like birthdays, weddings and child dedications are priceless so people will always want to record it for posterity. And there is no other art form that does this better than photography! Perhaps, this is one of the major reasons why photography as a business has thrived over the years, right from the days of Analog to the Digital era in which we are now. Indeed, Photography in Nigeria has really grown from the backwaters of the commercial photographer in the last couple of years to become one of the most recognized artistic professions. Photographers like Tam Fiofori, Don Barber, Sunmi SmartCole and JD Okhai Ojekere amongst others are to thank for this, as they were able to carry on even during the lean years of Photography as a profession in Nigeria. Today, photography business has become a multi million naira business, as some practitioners now charge as much as N10 million for high profile projects and take part in exhibitions and auctions in different parts of the world. One of such people is Kelechi Amadi-Obi, one of Nigeria’s leading new age photographers, who, in 2012, had his works auctioned at the reopening of Didi Museaum in Lagos. In 2013, about ten Nigerian photographers featured in a photo exhibition at the New York, Skoto Gallery. During the exhibition, they were described as “Nigerian artistes who are among a new generation of African photographers that explore unique visions, with strong emotional and aesthetic perspectives, to tell their own stories and challenge assumptions about the African continent.” In an interview, Amadi-Obi pointed out that photography business started blossoming and gaining grounds in the country as a result of the influx of foreign investment, telecommunication, banking industry consolidation and the springing up of more multinational businesses. “These companies, wanting the same quality of pictures their brands are known for globally, started looking for talented people who can deliver quality pictures to them,” he said, adding that this apparent need provided an opportunity for photography business to boom.

Amadi-Obi

This new boom has made it possible for many, even those who studied nothing related to the art to switch to photography as a full time business. “All of a sudden, we have doctors, lawyers, and all sorts of people carrying a camera nowadays, and it’s beautiful; the only tragedy is that there is no institution to train them. He tells his story further. “It was atop my aunt’s balcony I started making art-works. The first time I went to shop for frames for the artworks the owner of the frame shop asked, ‘’Are these works for sale?’’ I answered, ‘oh, they are N10,000 each” and he bought all five of them! A friend of mine, who was also a fellow artist, came around and found what I was doing interesting. So he said he knew a few people who are collectors. He packed all the works I had that morning and in the evening he came back with N100,000 cash after collecting his commission. Incredible! It became clear I could make a living in Lagos as an artist. Eventually I had an exhibition, followed by another, and the rest is history.” Ogheneworo Akara, the founder of Ogheneworo Photography is someone with a science background. At first, one would think that making headway in another terrain would be a big challenge, but Akara attributed his success over the years to his knowledge of science. “Even though I had a B.sc in microbiology, knowing that I wanted to be in business, I had a Masters in business administration. The challenges of undertaking a sciencebased course really prepared me well. “I had a stint in banking, oil and gas and technology where I learnt how to build an organisation and brand it. When I decided to become a photographer, I was working for Nigeria’s best bank. I had earned two promotions in two years. So it was not a

Omoboriowo

Ogheneworo

matter of financial hardship or lack of satisfactory employment,” he said, adding; “I was gainfully employed, but life was more than employment to me. It was clear to me that I must make my mark and express myself and not tie my living down to making money alone.” “My initial capital was about a million naira for lenses and cameras but I have since spent millions of naira on this business. I was able to raise the funds, having worked in two separate banks in Nigeria, Guaranty Trust Bank and First City Monument Bank (FCMB).” Another young photographer, Bayo Omoboriowo, An Applied Chemistry graduate, who is currently the official photographer to President Buhari said it wasn’t in his dream to be what he is today. “When I started photography too, I knew I would become successful with it; though many people had gone through this path and they’ve been frustrated out of the profession. “Some used more than 20 to 30 years in the profession before they were noticed, but I told myself that at the shortest time I wanted to become one of the most celebrated Nigerian photographers. I never thought it would be this recent, however. In the history of the world, it will take a lot of time to research on whether someone as young as him, at age 28, has ever become a presidential photographer. What is his secret? He has this to say. “I always think of how to make my picture world class. I started as a wedding photographer, but I told myself that I wanted more than that. I want to document history, pictures that can outlived themselves. I

People don’t know how much I run around to take pictures without food in my belly. “I could go one day without eating because you don’t want to take a break. People also don’t know that sometimes finance is still a problem even as the president photographer; the mindset is that he is getting a lot of money from the job. “Did I mention the fact that I broke my camera at a point and everything seemed to be over for me? I thought of leaving photography to pick up a lecturer in UNILAG because I finished as one the best students in my set and I was invited to be an assistant lecturer.” According to Don Barber, one of the pioneers of photography in Nigeria, the art has always been a lucrative one in the country right from time; it’s just a change of dynamics. The photographer, however, lamented the inability of major universities in the country to have faculties specially dedicated to offering Photography as a course. To Amadi-Obi, Photography is lucrative, but is still coming up in Nigeria. “It is happening gradually, and we will get there. I mean, I have been able to buy myself a house, pay my children’s school fees and live a middle income life style, but that is still very low compared to what is obtainable in developed countries,” he reasoned. Presently, in recognition of this dynamic profession, an annual award called the Nigeria Photography Awards has been instituted, an event which recognizes and encourages the skill of outstanding Nigerian photographers. In addition, in 2010, LagosPhoto, the first and only international arts festival of photography in Nigeria was introduced. The Festival is aimed at uniting local and international artists through images that encapsulate individual experiences and identities from across all of Africa. Since its inception, the festival has been featuring over 50 photographers from different parts of the world every year.S

Today, photography business has become a multimillion naira business, as some practitioners now charge as much as N10 million for high profile projects

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

VOICES

Piracy in Nigerian entertainment industry Sola Fajobi

iracy in the creative arts industry is rendering the practitioners bankrupt and the pirates are smiling to the bank. Prior to 2014, it was generally believed that the absence of major distribution networks and models gave room to the pirates to operate fully, hence, two major companies namely G-Media led by Gab Okoye [Gabosky] and E-Force led by Sola Fajobi opened shop. E-Force launched with 12 major hubs in key towns in the Southwest and Lagos regions serving as regional distribution units, 2,800 sales outlets/partners, several trucks, buses, mini vans and motorcycles and experienced sales personnel and activation teams. However, after two months of launch, we got the following feedbacks: The sales outlets were evenly distributed between existing video shops and regular outlets like hair parlours, restaurants, provision stores, Supermarkets, Lounges. However, most Video Stores are doing 200% volume than nontraditional video stores. Consumer education is seriously required as most consumers will still buy VCD Part 1 & 2 for N200 each against a single DVD containing the two parts and even more at N400. • The Pirates version most times comprises of 4 – 7 different movies and still sells for N100 vis a vis each new Original title going for N400 or more. • Most consumers do not mind waiting for 2 weeks after release so as to buy the same original title at rock bottom price of sometimes N100 or less. • Activation teams usually face challenges of Area Boys and government agencies disturbing their sales. • Most film shops still believe they have to go to Alaba to buy their movies to resell. • The distributors in Alaba usually pay the pirate leaders some money to give them one month before they pirate the movies. • Sales on Return is the order of the day in the industry and re-couping your money from resellers is another major challenge. • Throughout the sales chain, all the practitioners prefer to be informal and are stuck to their conventional practices such that they resist any attempt at improving the processes. Despite all our plans to build a strong process with them such as the regu-

Sola Fajobi

lar FMCG’s Style. They seem to think their existing un-organised system is better for them. • Largely, the E-FORCE direction is very similar to the G-MEDIA approach. There has been a lot of other feedback largely based on the fact that physical DVD distribution will soon go out of circulation; however, we strongly believe that it will still be relevant for the next 5 to 10 years for two reasons; 1. Required infrastructure to make it go into extinction is still largely unavailable in this country such as Speed of Internet, Cost of Data Sharing, Fibre Optic e.t.c.

2. The technology that will make CD and DVD go into full extinction has not yet been promoted if it is designed; it is not yet in commercial production. E-FORCE: In December 2014, just two months after launch, it was discovered that the sales of movies released within the last month has drastically reduced, upon interrogation, we found out that the pirates have put six of our movie titles in one single DVD and they are selling for N100. These DVDs were all over the place and when we engaged the resellers, they confronted our people violently. When we traced it to Alaba, they told us that they have given us one

These DVDs were all over the place and when we engaged the resellers, they confronted our people violently. When we traced it to Alaba, they told us that they have given us one month to sell

Memorable Reads How did you get introduced to reading? My second book, A Love Rekindled. My parents had a lot of books lying around the house, and also ensured we went to the best schools where reading was promoted. There were always school libraries and the students themselves also shared books from their book-loving homes among each other.

Who is your favourite author of all time? I will feel too bad if I had to choose, but Cyprain Ekwensi comes close as does Khaled Hosseini. What is your favourite book?

Myne Whitman Writer and publisher

How big is your library? Relatively large, but I have moved four times over the past ten years and in the process, lost or given away a lot of books. I have been collecting again, but with the advent of Kindles and eBooks, almost half of my book buys are on my reading device.

What is your annual budget on books? On my own books, I usually spend no less than $500.

month to sell, so why are we bothering them. G-MEDIA: while G-MEDIA was still putting touches to the launch of October 1, movie by Kunle Afolayan, the pirates flooded the market, streets and every corner with their version of the movie. It is on record that they are giving very high margins to the resellers and the movie is a strong one hence, the demand has been very high. Yoruba marketers: As at December 2014, Most of the main Yoruba marketers were releasing only 8,000 copies of VCD of any new movie divided into 4,000 for Part 1 & 2 apiece. Before then, the minimum release figure is 10,000 copies and sometimes it gets to 100,000 copies depending on the movie. But as at February this year, they were releasing 4000 copies with 2,000 for each part. Each week, the sales figures from key distributors and marketers are dwindling and this is largely due to the serious gap in the market mostly caused by the pirates, other reasons include DSTV, other Cable stations, terrestrial TV broadcast of movies, Internet broadcast and downloads and other data transfer gadgets. How do Pirates get the movies? • Cinema: During cinema screenings, the producer supplies the movie via hard drives and it is sent to all the cinema houses, in each cinema house, while there are some form of control, it’s largely poor. The boys in the control are the regular lower cadre staff that earns salaries of around N60,000 – N100,000. These guys can be tempted with as much as N1million to make copies of the original versions. • Online: Most online portals will tell you that the content is encoded and it cannot be downloaded, that’s not completely true, Middle Level I.T. personnel can download good quality movie without stress. • DSTV and DSTV Box Office: There are so many ways you can download content from DSTV. • The Post Production Gap: Editors, and other Post Production crew members can also gain access to original copy of works. • DVD Release: The content can be ripped off the original DVD and still maintain an almost same level of quality. --to be continued. • *Fajobi, a renowned stakeholder in Nigerian entertainment industry, is the founder of E-Force, a distribution platform for movies.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

ARTISTE UNCENSORED

I communicate with my attires on stage–Indian Princess In a bid to carve a niche for herself, Abolaji Adetoun, decided to marry Indian lifestyle and her Yoruba heritage. Olayiwola Awakan

here is a Nigerian female artiste who has been promoting the culture of India through dance. She is Princess Abolaji Adetoun, a native of Kwara State. She is a graduate of Accountancy from Lagos State Polytechnic. She went to Distinction Gate College where she was Coca Cola FA player between 2006 2007. Indian Princess as she is fondly called started her career in the dance realm with X- Plicit dance group, and a former dancer in Tempo Art Center, National Art Theater in Lagos. A lady of many talents and skills, Indian Princess is an award-winning artiste in 2014 in Alimosho area of Lagos and also the most outstanding dancer of the year 2015. The need to be unique in the entertainment industry sprouted the idea of her kind of dance. “When I look deeply into the entertainment industry, I discovered we all are doing the same thing. I thought of what is not in the system that I could bring in to entertain my fans better, so I came up with the concept of Indian style as a princess. Although, I do not understand the language but I intend to learn soon. I communicate with my attires on stage, through my demonstration; my fans are already entertained and understood my communication. My performance is direct in terms of communication and that is why I have my own songs in Indian style but in Yoruba and English” When asked why she chose to promote the culture of another country, she responded that she also promotes the culture of her land. “I promote Nigerian culture as well. I dance and train dancers in Nigerian cultural dances but I do Indian dance on stage for entertainment sake. All I am interested in is to get my fans

entertained. Why I do the Indian dance is to make sure people are given the best entertainment they could ever imagine since the concept is unique in Africa”, she said. Considering the various challenges that befall entertainers, Indian Princess’s story is the reverse as she admitted that she has never encountered any. “Sincerely speaking I have never had any challenge because I understood the fact that no matter how unique your product is, it will never be accepted by everybody and in my own case the concept has been accepted by majority going by comments everywhere” If she is not dancing, she is often seen doing decoration for events, training schools, craft works, wire works, cake and other vocational skills. As regards those who inspire her creativity, she sees Mard and Krishna as role models in India while in Nigeria Vekaffi, Tiwa Savage, Obesere, 9ice and Yemi Alade are cool for their uniqueness. “It was like a dream when a fan met me in a show and invited me to the Cave in Ikeja where I performed for the Indians. They were surprised and doubted if I was really a Nigerian, they were excited screaming at my performance on stage. They love it so well that I became their permanent performing artiste every Saturday called Indian nite” Indian Princess said she is working on some projects to keep her flourishing in the industry. “I am working on a music video album soonest to be launched later this year. I have also done some collaboration with artistes like Papa Obesere, Small Dr and many others. I should be doing some of my songs and videos in India and featuring some Indian stars and by then I should be a mega super star making Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos proud”.

I promote Nigerian culture as well. I dance and train dancers in Nigerian cultural dances but I do Indian dance on stage for entertainment.

MIDWEEK JUMP

iRep honours Oladele as he’s buried

ioneer Nigerian filmmaker,FrancisAdetunji Oladele, who passed on in the early hours of June 22, 2015 at an Ibadan hospital, after a brave battle with prostate cancer, will be buried today Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at his residence – Lapiti Estate, ‘The Forest’ (Opposite First Baptist Church), OkeIsokun, Iseyin Byepass, Oyo Township, Oyo State. Two days after his internment, iREP Documentary Film Forum in conjunction with his associates and friends, will celebrate his life and times on July 3 at the Freedom Park in Lagos. He would have been 83 on August 30.

Oladele

Boju Boju art exhibition continues at Osh Gallery

nfluenced by the Yoruba Oro festival, Ayo Akinwande explores the concepts of perception, duality, and the multifaceted layers of the human reality in Boju Boju (meaning ‘hide and seek’ in Yoruba). In an attempt to engage the audience in a game of hide and seek, the entire exhibition is stretched on a 100 meter canvas. Akinwande employs nude models and some selected West African masks to highlight maladies which seem to have attained normalcy, urging the viewer to ask important questions about these issues. Time for the event is 6pm and the opening reception is on Saturday June 27th 2015 at Osh Gallery, 381 Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, Lagos. Ticket is Free. The exhibition will run till the July 4th 2015 Boju Boju

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FAR AND NEAR

Invasion 1897: Imasuen recounts landmarks

ancelot Imasuen has already started counting his blessings six months after the film, Invasion 1897, premièred on the world stage. The film premiered on December 5, 2014 in the country, and subsequently across the globe. The producer-director who has been busy touring the world with the film, said, he was satisfied with the recognition that Invasion 1897 has enjoyed so far at the international scene. “I feel very satisfied with the positive reaction I have has gotten so far for producing the film. Invasion 1897 has blessed me immensely as an individual. It has also given me global recognition beyond the shores of this country and opening doors for greater businesses,” Lancelot said, shortly after returning to the country last week after touring some major cities in America for the third time with the film. According to him, the historical movie is not only breaking new grounds at the international market but also, leading the way for the rebranding of the Nige-

rian movie industry. Sharing his excitement with the media he said: “I just concluded the third round of Invasion 1897 global tour that has taken us to about 15 different cities around the world. We are also excited that the fire is catching on and the rebranding of Nollywood has come. The appraisal for the movie has been overwhelming. It’s not just a one off showing in these cities, but they are calling for more screening of the film.” Lancelot said, due to popular demand, Invasion 1897 will be showing again in cities like Dallas, Austin and Houston. “Once the audience left the hall satisfied they are telling others and the demand is really very high. Like a businessman, I am not in a hurry to release the film on DVD. It’s quite thrilling and bigger opportunities are opening up for collaborations especially in a city like Austin where the first Austin-Nollywood Incorporated as a company has been registered resulting from this movement with great Nigerians in Diaspora supporting

INVASION 1897

this project where we will see he berthing of Nollywood in major cities like the state of Texas. We are looking forward to the Nollywood film festival that is going to be taking place there soon as a result of this. It has been quite satisfying for me as a film maker because when I started

World Music Day 2015 at Abuja which has evolved to what we have today. I love the turnout of guests in Abuja, we didn’t expect this much turn up and they made this World Music Day more fun and beautiful,’’ he said. Oluwakemi Famugbode (Irawo Drumline), speaking to journalists after a wonderful night of performance noted that “the programme was not a walk in the park, as we encountered numerous problems such as financial restrictions and lack of electricity amongst others.” The idea of the World Music Day was born in France, where the first all-night music celebration to mark the beginning of the summer solstice took place in 1982 in Paris.

World Music Day

Regina Otokpa

t was another fun night for music lovers in Abuja as they worked different dance steps in tune to the ceaseless rhythms flowing out of the wheels of steel at the Institute Français Du Nigeria in celebration of this year’s edition of World Music Day. Taking turns, six DeeJays who were recently trained in a 5-day electronic music workshop, labeled “Electronic Soundscapes” facilitated by three internationally-renowned producers, DJ R-Ash (France), Marko Fürstenberg (Germany) and DJ Afrologic (Nigeria), thrilled the crowd to an electronic music dance all through the night The electronic soundscapes was inspired by the 10 cities Project, which presented an intersection of club and electronic music between different European and African cities. Speaking at the event, the Cultural Programme Officer of the Institute, Alice O’Reilly, said the festival has become an international phenomenon celebrated on the same day World-wide. Commenting on this year’s theme: ‘Live Music Together’, she noted that it was aimed at working to popularize musical practice for both young and old people from all social backgrounds. She said: “It gives an opportunity to

communicate and share a very special moment through music “Electronic Sounds capes Workshop’. “In 2015, the Alliance Française Lagos, the Institut Français du Nigeria and the Goethe-Institut Nigeria organised a workshop in electronic music aimed at expanding the artistic range of Nigeria’s already booming music scene, the traditional music forms and percussionbased style found in its diverse cultural regions. “The Nigerian music scene has over time, been shaped by Western influences from the 50s and 60s (Highlife and Afrobeats) through the 80s and 90s (Hip hop and R & B). At the turn of the millennium, electronic elements increasingly came into the various music styles, which nonetheless retained the traditional rhythmic structures in the society. “La Fete de la Musique” is above all a free popular music celebration that allows the expression of the styles of music in a cheerful atmosphere,’’ O’Reilly added. One of the DJ’s, Adedolapo Aina-Marshall, Dj Sketch, said the event allows Africans to enjoy dance with a fusion of both African music and the European electronic music. “Dance as you know it came out of Africa, our ancestors started dancing and this brought about the dance culture

the production of Invasion1897, I told people that I was making a film for global audience. I have seen the dream come through.” According to him, the Benin Club of Houston is the brain behind this movement. He said, there is no better way to give relevance to the culture of your people than what the motion picture will do. So, you see the movie getting so much excitement first among the Benins, Nigerians and Africans at large. The global black race is identifying with the story and relating with the story. In the month of August, we are going to be showing the movie in Chicago, in a big museum. From Chicago, we move to Boston, which is another very important city to the Benin story. From there, we will move to Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Houston and rounding off in California as part of the Edo National Assembly globally, where they will be meeting. “ On what happens after touring with the movie, Lancelot said he will not only release the movie globally on DVD, but would also sell Video on Demand and Internet Rights.

Mixed reactions from BET Awards Imoleayo Fatunase

he 2015 BET Awards marks the 15th year anniversary that the event has been televised. The event took place live on Sunday 28th June 2015 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. The event left remarkable memories on artistes who attended the event. The evening was characterised by amazing performances from great stars around the world. During the evening 22 awards were given out to the best in sports, acting and music. Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj led the nominations with six nods each while Beyonce and Lil Wayne followed with four each. The Best International Act Africa category featured artists like Stonebwoy (Ghana), AKA (South Africa), Fally Ipupa (DR Congo), Sauti Sol (Kenya), The Soil (South Africa), Wizkid and Yemi Alade from Nigeria. Ghana beat Nigeria’s Wizkid and Yemi Alade in this category, as Stonebwoy from Ghana won for this category.

Meanwhile African artistes who were nominated for the award have been reacting to the

Wizkid and Yemi Alade humiliation they face as the organisers fix the African category hours before the main event and the artistes were urged to collect their awards backstage. The BET Award red carpet started at 6pm with glitz and glamour while the show properly kicked off by 8pm EST. The night was so exciting as various artists like Nicky Minaj, The Weeknd, Big Sean, Chris Brown, Robin Thicke, Fetty Wap, Kendrick Lamar, Tyga, Tori Kelly, Jason Derulo, Meek Mill, and the cast of “Empire,” among other hit the stage with amazing performances. Some other notable Africans present at the event included: Tolu Toolz Oniru, Majid Michel and Fally Ipupa MTV Base executive, Colette Otusheso, Yvonne Nelson, Sarkodie and John Dumelo

Business

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Complete dependence on foreign seafarers is risky for Nigeria –Mike Igbokwe 28

Nigeria records 59,233 aircraft movement in Q1, 2015

Consumers task FG, GENCOs on sustainable electricity as supply 33 picks

Customs to rake in N10bn from detained Kano textiles

he Nigeria Customs Service yesterday hinted that it had commenced assessment of Customs duty and other charges on Textile materials currently in detention in Kano. A statement by the Public Relations Officer, Mr Wale Adeniyi, issued on behalf of the Comptroller General of Customs, Dikko Inde Abdullahi, indicated that the exercise, being coordinated by a Special Task Force comprising operatives of the Service and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, was expected to rake in N10 billion revenue into government coffers when concluded. According to the spokesman, the directive to collect duty on the textile products was given by the Comptroller-General following consultations with the Federal Government and importers of the items. The imported items are currently discharged in warehouses sealed by the Nigeria Customs Service in various areas of Kano metropolis. Giving a full description of the items and accruable revenues from them, Adeniyi stated that in the first warehouse opened for the exercise, 14 importers turned up for assessment and duty payment for their textile items valued at about N1.5billion in the first week. He explained that the importers

were expected to pay a combined import duty of N373, 307, 242.16, adding that the assessment also showed that the goods were liable to the following additional charges namely, N26,569,253.73 for 7 per cent surcharge; N14,243,212.64 for 1 per cent CISS levy; N6,767,022.49 for 0.5 per cent ETLS levy; N59,154,231.65 for Textile levy; and N95,527,905.15 for Value Added Tax (VAT). He stated: “Total revenue payable on the first set of assessment stands at N576,161,369.17 (five hundred and seventy-six million, one hundred and sixty -one thou-

sand, three hundred and sixtynine Naira, Seventeen kobo only. Another set of assessment worth over N600m (Six hundred million naira ) is pending on the outstanding textiles in the same warehouse. “The assessed items include 20,878 bales of printed African fabrics, 21,980 bales of high grade brocade materials, 6,127 bales of Lace materials , 554 bales of polyester materials and 30 rolls of curtail materials. “The Comptroller-General of Customs’ decision to allow the importers of the detained goods pay

duty is based on recent fiscal policy review removing textile fabrics from import prohibition list . The move is also expected to shore up Government revenue, which has witnessed a downturn in recent times”, Adeniyi added. He recalled that last month, 75 warehouses of assorted textile materials operated by foreign nationals, using a handful of Nigerians as their guarantors, were sealed up in Kano by anti-smuggling operatives of the Service, following months of undercover operations and activation of local and international intelligence networks.

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

Aero Contractors

L-R: Chief Medical Director, LASUTH, Prof. Adewale Oke; Business Unit Head- Ethical Sanofi, Mrs. Folake Odediran; Head, Public Affairs, Sanofi Mr. Oladimeji Agbolade, and General Manager, Sanofi Nigeria-Ghana, Abderrahmane Chakibiat at the launch of a new blood pressure control drug, Aprovasc by Sanofi Aventis, in Lagos, recently.

Dissolution of NNPC Board, step in right direction –CISLAC

he Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC has described the dissolution of the Board of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, by the Federal Government as desirable for the nation’s economy. The group, in a statement issued by its Executive Director, Comrade Auwal Ibrahin Musa, on Monday, indicated that it was convinced that the decision was not only long overdue and very timely but also represented a step in the right direction. It stated further that no meaningful reforms of the oil and gas

sector can take place with the same Board under which most of the breaches occurred, including frauds in fuel subsidy management, non remittance of monies due to the Federation Account, and controversial crude for oil swaps and collapse or sabotage of our refineries occurred definitely does not deserve to remain. “Indeed, the scandal that trailed the notorious forensic Audit by PriceWatersHouseCoopers can largely be traced to having conducted that expensive audit with this Board in place. CISLAC places on record that

the NNPC and its subsidiary, DPR remain today major brick walls in the implementation of the NEITI process in Nigeria, especially on matters of remediation and implementation of recommendation of the independent auditors such that about 10 years after, we have recorded very limited progress. “We call on the President not to stop at the dissolution of the Board but to make this the beginning of sweeping reforms to restructure and overhaul not just the NNPC but the entire extractive resources and revenue managing architecture of the

nation”, CISLAC added. While recalling the President’s promises to Nigerians during the electioneering campaigns of his determination to rid the nation of corruption, the group stated there was no better sector to start the war on corruption than in the Corporation which generates over “85 per cent of our revenues and 95 per cent of our foreign exchange earnings”. The CSO also called on the administration to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, into law to give a robust legal framework to regulate the petroleum sector.

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

Med-View Airline Lagos- Abuja (Mon-Fri): 07.00, 08.50, 12.00, 16.30. Abuja- Lagos (Mon-Fri): 09.00, 14.00, 15.00, 18.30. Lagos-Yola (Mon-Fri): 8.50am. Yola-Lagos (Mon-Fri): 13.00. Lagos- PHC (Mon-Fri): 17.00. PHC-Lagos: 19.00. Abuja-Yola: 11.00. Yola-Abuja: 13.00. Lagos-Abuja (Sat): 08.00, 08.50. Abuja-Lagos (Sat): 10.00, 15.00. Lagos-PHC (Sat): 17.00. PHC-Lagos (Sat): 19.00. Lagos-Yola (Sat): 08.50. Yola-Lagos (Sat): 13.00

Executive Discourse

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Complete dependence on foreign seafa

The collapse of the Nigerian National Shipping Line, NNSL, has continued to pose challenges for practical training of Nigerian seafarers 20 years after. In this interview with FRANCIS EZEM, a maritime lawyer, Mr. Mike Igbokwe, SAN, while noting the modest efforts by government to train Nig rian seafarers, he insists that it would be too risky to rely on foreign seafarers to drive the human capital needs of the nation’s maritime industry.

A new government has just taken over in Nigeria amid high expectations, what do you think this government can do to improve the maritime industry? There are so many things that can be done. You will agree with me that President Goodluck Jonathan did his best and likewise all the agencies in the transport sector that are responsible for the execution of government policies that relate to the maritime industry. Government is a continuum and so what the new government led by President Muhammandu Buhari should do is to improve on the policies and programmes of the immediate past administration because it is not like there was a vacuum or that nothing was done especially in the transport sector. So he needs to fine tune them where there is need for improvement and also come up with new policies and programmes that he believes could enhance the development of the maritime industry so that at the end of the day, the nation’s economy and the citizenry would be the ultimate beneficiaries. Additionally, there are some bills pending at the National Assembly such as the Ports and Harbours Bill, the Nigerian Transport Commissions Bill, the Piracy Control Bill and the Cabotage Review Bill as well as some other trade treaties which needed to be domesticated by the National Assembly should be passed without further delay. More than 12 years after the enactment of the Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage Act 2003, stakeholders believe that the objectives in respect of indigenous ownership, manning and building of ships are yet to be achieved. What do you think could be done in terms of structure and implementation of the Act? You know I happened to be one of those, who advocated for the enactment of the Act. You also know I wrote a book, which

Igbokwe

is a compilation of all my papers on the issue, which was published in 2007. What I think about the stakeholders’ belief that their expectations on the Act have not been

met is that though I do not work in any of the agencies charged with the responsibility of enforcing the Act, and also given that I am not a seafarer, ship owner or builder but a legal practitioner, but I can say that people had expected a lot of boom in the maritime industry with the passage of the Act such as increase in tonnage in Cabotage vessels, so that Nigerians will invest in Cabotage vessels and register them in

Nigeria’s ship register so that indigenous operators would take over Cabotage trade and dominate it, there after dominate in West Africa and later in Africa and on the long run become strong to compete internationally in deep sea shipping. This would have come with reduction of capital flight because rather than have the Cabotage vessels built and maintained abroad, they would now be constructed and re-

THERE ARE SOME BILLS PENDING AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SUCH AS THE PORTS AND HARBOURS BILL, THE NIGERIAN TRANSPORT COMMISSIONS BILL, THE PIRACY CONTROL BILL AND THE CABOTAGE REVIEW BILL AS WELL AS SOME OTHER TRADE TREATIES WHICH NEEDED TO BE DOMESTICATED BY THE

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

SHOULD BE PASSED WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Executive Discourse

arers is risky for Nigeria –Mike Igbokwe

s ge-

paired in Nigeria and with that jobs will it might serve as a disincentive to those be created and there would be soft loans to that might want to invest in the Cabotage enable indigenous operators acquire ships regime. We used to hear reports of how so that the interest rate will not be too high these pirates attack trawler fishing operabecause shipping requires a long term in- tors, injure and kill them in some cases vestment so that the operators do not go and steal their money and other assets. So out of business. That was why the Act cre- it is necessary one recognizes the essence ated the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund, of that MOU between NIMASA and the CVFF, a special fund derived from two per Navy and what they have been able to do. cent deductions from any contract awardSo the new government should find ed under the scheme managed by the Nige- out the cause of the poor performance rian Maritime Administration and Safety of the Cabotage regime because you still Agency NIMASA. hear the indigenous ship owners still laThe idea is that when these ship own- ment that their expectations have yet to ers begin to acquire vessels, people will be met. Come to look at it, the Cabotage be willing to invest in ship building and Act is a good law and many West African repair yards so that the economy would countries have been copying it to develop boom. Coming to what could be respon- their indigenous shipping. We also have sible, perhaps I would tell you that the instances where the law has been used to implementation agencies would be in a develop the local shipping industry such better position to know. But it may be due as the United States under the Jones Act to lack of political will and political in- and even Malaysia. terference. I have been one of those advoHere in Nigeria, we adopted a liberal cating that apart from implementing the Cabotage policy because the country still law to the later, we also have to monitor lacks the capacity, especially in terms of implementation and in monitoring imple- infrastructure and manpower to enforce mentation, we should block leakages and a strict Cabotage policy. This is because improve on areas that need improvement Nigeria lacks the required infrastructure and the agencies must also be given a free to enforce a strict Cabotage policy, which hand to enforce the Act in line with the would insist that all the vessels must be provisions of the relevant legislations. So, built and owned by Nigerians, built in there should not be political interference Nigeria and manned by Nigerian seafaror a situation whereby some one would ers. That was going to cause a lot of probcall them from Aso Rock or the Ministry lem because it was going to affect the oil for instance to say we are interested in so, and gas industry, which is the mainstay so and so and therefore, do not proceed. If of the national economy. That was also there are such things, nobody would want why we introduced waivers into the Act. to comply and the agency itself would lose Waivers are not supposed to be a permasteam. nent or indefinite thing, that was why we The danger in this is that the CEO of the agency is an employee of the government and so when he receives such directive and he fails to comply it would be interpreted to mean that he does not want the job anymore and so he would go and so some of these CEOs may not want to be seen as being confrontational and so they comply and the system continues to suffer. So we need to eliminate political interference and allow these institutions that have been created for that purpose be given a free hand to operate within the provision of the enabling laws and if you see anyone going contrary to the provisions of the law, you can then call them to order, which is a different thing. So you do not begin to derive the benefits when you do not implement the provisions of the Act to the later because it is only when you do that you can now derive the benefits. Then again, the agencies should also be empowered in terms of well-trained human resource and proper funding to enable them acquire the necessary equipment. I must tell you that NIMASA has tried in terms of patrolling the nation’s territorial waters and you cannot do this without the required platforms. That is why we supported the Memorandum of Understanding the agency entered with the Nigerian Navy, having provided the platforms with which the nation’s waters are being patrolled. Of course, they have been making arrests, especially of those who steal oil and pirates and sea robbers. It also has to be said here that if the nation’s waters are not effectively patrolled, Igbokwe

introduced one-year renewable waiver so that after one year, if you are going to ask for extension of the waver, you show evidence of what you have been able to do with the first one you were first granted. That was the intention but I cannot tell you that those requirements are being met in the granting of waivers in terms of vessels and the seafarers. That is why the Nigerian Seafarers Development Progammes NSDP, under which I heard has been taking cadets abroad to train them so that they will come back and man these ships. You recall that the Nigerian National Shipping Line NNSL before its liquidation was helping in providing training

HERE IN NIGERIA, WE ADOPTED A

LIBERAL CABOTAGE POLICY BECAUSE THE COUNTRY STILL

LACKS THE CAPACITY, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND MANPOWER TO ENFORCE A STRICT

CABOTAGE POLICY

berths for Nigerian cadets to acquire their Certificate of Competency, so Nigerian cadets are having difficulty doing their sea time training because foreign ship owners would not want to take them on board their vessels. In times of emergency, you will not see any of these foreign seafarers, a development that requires that the government should properly fund seafarers’ training, especially the mandatory sea time training. A lot of stakeholders still believe that part of the problem is the waiver clause. What is your reaction to this? I told you that there was a rational behind the waiver clause there would be a vacuum if ask foreigners to leave and Nigerians do not have the capacity and capability to render certain services in terms of ship building, ship ownership and manning of the kind of ships required and so this will adversely affect the national economy. So the wisdom behind it was in order not to create a vacuum, given the level of infrastructure and capacity of the indigenous operators. But I also told you that waiver is not supposed to be a permanent thing, it was something to bridge the gap while Nigerians acquire the capacity and capability to handle these three key areas. That is why the Act talks about restriction, not exclusion because the foreigners were to be restricted not excluded. Based on the provisions of the waiver clause, you dare not grant a waiver where there are Nigerians that have the capability to render such services and the discretionary powers of the Minister should be exercised in such a way that before waiver is granted, the kind of vessels required is such that no Nigerian owns and that before a waiver is granted, it has to be invested may be through NIMASA or the Ship owners association to ensure that Nigerian has the vessel required and in terms of manning, no Nigerian seafarer has the expertise to handle such vessels. These are some of the things that should drive the entire process and if they are not followed, it would be too bad. There has also been argued that the discretion to administer the waiver should reside with the CEO of NIMASA, who is more on ground and not the Minister in Abuja. Yes, this argument also came up when the Act was being drafted and the majority believed that the Minister whose office is higher should handle such responsibility with the recommendation of the CEO of NIMASA. Again, if they work together, there would be no problem but the issue is the bottlenecks associated with the running of government and you know bottleneck is not good for shipping because if you delay a ship for one day, that means a lot of cost in terms of paying port dues, running the generators and paying the seafarers on board because the light must not go off. That was also why many of us wanted the discretionary powers on the waiver to reside with the DG of NIMASA but the majority then thought otherwise and so they had the day.

Business News

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria records 59,233 aircraft movement in Q1, 2015 OLUSEGUN KOIKI

total of 59,233 aircraft landed in all airports across the country in the first quarter of 2015 according to the data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS. Expectedly, the Murtala Mohammed Airport (domestic) recorded the highest number of aircraft flying the domestic routes. The figure is however lowered by 17.06 per cent or 12,181 when compared to the last quarter of 2014, which recorded 71, 414 aircraft movement. NBS however said that a quarterly decline was also observed in the opening quarter of 2014, and year-on-year, which was actually an increase of 6,049 aircraft or 11.37 per cent when compared with the latest statistics. The bureau stated that the portion of domestic and international aircraft traffic has remained relatively constant, with domestic aircraft holding 82.78 per cent of the total in Q4 of 2014 and 82.43 per cent in the opening quarter of the current review. It emphasized that in the cor-

responding quarters of the previous year, the ratios were 79.05 per cent and 79.55 per cent in quarters four and one respectively, which showed a marginal increase in the number of domestic aircraft traveling. According to the statistics, a total of 59,115 aircraft travelling domestically passed through Nigeria’s airports in quarter four of 2014, but the number declined in the opening quarter of 2015 by 10,292 aircraft or 17.41 per cent. MMA with 21,330 aircraft in

quarter of 2014, held 36.08 per cent of all domestic aircraft traffic, but the figure still dropped by 2,577 aircraft or 12.08 per cent in the quarter under review. Its share, however rose by 2.33 per cent points, representing 38.41 per cent of the quarterly total. Year-on-year, the airport showed higher values in both quarters, with quarter four of 2014 having 4,991 or 30.55 per cent more aircraft, and quarter one of 2015 up by 1,724 aircraft or 10.12 per cent. The bureau added, “Abuja was

the airport with the second greatest aircraft traffic; also peaking in quarter four of 2014 at 16,562 aircraft, it declined by 1,459 aircraft or 8.81 per cent in quarter one of 2015 to reach 15,103 aircraft. Its share of the total increased however, from 28.02 per cent in quarter four of 2014, to 30.93 per cent the following quarter. Port Harcourt Airport ranked third again for domestic travel, with 10.44 per cent of the total in quarter four of 2014, increasing to 11.58 per cent in 2014.

For Port Harcourt, the quarterly, decline in aircraft numbers was similar to MMA and Abuja; from 6,170 in quarter four of 2014, the quarter one 2015 value was lower by just 517 aircraft or 8.38 per cent. On the international scene, a total of 10,410 aircraft travelled from Nigeria’s airports, representing a decline of 1,889 aircraft or 15.36 per cent from the preceding quarter and 465 aircraft or 4.28 per cent from the corresponding quarter of 2014.

Novartis buys pain drug firm Spinifex

wiss drug-maker, Novartis AG boosted its presence in pain management on Monday by agreeing to buy U.S.Australian biotech firm, Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, the companies said in separate statements. Spinifex said Novartis was paying $200 million upfront and Spinifex shareholders could get further payments based on clinical development and regulatory milestones. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of

this year, pending regulatory approval. The deal gives Novartis access to Spinifex’s experimental neuropathic pain drug EMA401, which showed positive mid-stage Phase II clinical trial results in the treating post-herpetic neuralgia. Post-herpetic neuralgia is a painful condition some people get after shingles. Chronic neuropathic pain, caused by nerve problems, is a relatively common condition, af-

flicting up to 7-8 per cent of the adult population, but current treatment options are limited and can be problematic. Because EMA401 acts outside the blood-brain barrier it can avoid common side effects such as dizziness or confusion seen with painkillers affecting the central nervous system. Novartis plans to continue the development of EMA401 and intends to start Phase IIb clinical trials in patients with PHN or another condition called pain-

ful diabetic neuropathy, which is caused by diabetes. “Neuropathic pain is a chronic and debilitating condition with high unmet need. EMA401 could provide a novel, differentiated treatment approach,” said David Epstein, head of Novartis Pharmaceuticals. The acquisition is small by the standards of Novartis but it highlights the Swiss group’s drive to expand its pipeline of new medicines.

Operator advocates mergers, acquisitions in advertising industry DAVID AUDU

anaging Director of MediaShare, a media agency, Mr. Dele Odugbemi, has canvassed mergers and acquisitions in the nation’s advertising industry in order to have a formidable and efficient industry that would make meaningful impact on the economy. Odugbemi, who spoke in Lagos recently said the industry had come of age such that it could compete with its counterparts around the world, adding however that for such a feat to be achievable, it is necessary for some agencies to merge. He said the merger should be like what obtained during the reform of the banking industry which availed the bigger and financially stable banks to acquire small and less financially stable ones. “I think it is about time we do what Charles Soludo did in the banking industry to consolidate in order to have meaning. Merger and acquisition is what we really need; it makes a whole lot of sense, it would make the industry bigger and stronger, and we would be better for it”, Odugbemi said. According to him, despite the fact that there are many ad companies in the industry, the resources are so concentrated

in such a way that none is really having meaningful impact in the industry, which according to him is the reason why the agencies are not able to compete with each other. He pointed out that the little fragments the industry parades now do not make any meaning, saying that “if there are N40 billion business, the top 10 will manage twenty percent, which means that they will now have a sum of N20billion, while the remaining percentage will now go to hire the best hands that can deliver the best jobs for them – it doesn’t matter where they get the resources from in any part of the world, they can afford such.”

L-R: GM Finnace and investment, Odu’a Investment company limited, Mrs Yinka Tunji-Ojo Olawale; GMD/ CEO, Mr. Adewale Raji, and Company Secretary/ Head of Legal, Mrs. Abiola Ajayi during a press conference in commemoration of the first year anniversary of the Group Managing Director/CEO Odu’a Investment company limited in Ibadan, recently.

Tunisia officials evade customs tariff, says World Bank SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

orld Bank report has indicted some politically-connected entrepreneurs in Tunisia for evading customs tariffs, leading to huge losses to state revenues. The report is on the Bank’s Export Development Project targeted at supporting customs reforms by simplifying import policy as well as improving IT system for recruitment of human resources. The World Bank said the move

would reduce the amount of individual discretions involved in customs procedures while increasing the competiveness of Tunisian exports through improved logistics. Some of the officials were accused of under-reporting the prices of individual items, running into about $1.2 billion in the last 13 years. According to the report, while the ‘Jasmine Revolution’ drastically diminished such privileges enjoyed by those highly-connected to the regime of President Ben

Ali, the tariff evasion has escalated. Some Tunisian authorities were said to have used their clout to defraud the government by bending the rules in their favour. ‘’First, we learned that companies linked to the President, his relatives and in-laws deviously cornered a disproportionate share of the country’s private sector profits. Now, we learn that in pursuit of not just more profits, but higher profits, they evaded high customs duties too, a Customs official said.

Investigations revealed that almost one third of the 662 firms owned by Ben Ali’s clan were import–export firms, and were likely to have been among the largest, most economically relevant of his companies. Researchers also looked at the ‘evasion gap’ between the value of goods exported to Tunisia, and the value firms had received. Resulting sample comprised 1,386 products and 16 countries, and covered of 69.75 percent of all the exports and 61.03 percent of all imports declared in Tunisia.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business News

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

PENGASSAN urges govt, NLNG on Trains 7, 8 projects’ completion

il workers under the aegis of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has urged the shareholders and Board of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) to approve the restart and completion of the Train 7 project to adequately position the company and Nigeria in the competitive gas global market. The workers noted that the completion of the Train 7 project would also enable Nigeria to end

gas flare by harnessing the flared gas for domestic use and for export. Speaking at the 4th Triennial Delegates Conference of the PENGASSAN Branch of the NLNG in Bonny, Rivers State, the Association’s President, Comrade Francis Olabode Johnson, noted that Train 7 project was established to further exploit the emerging global market demand for LNG and to remain competitive. This is just as he hinted that in 2017, there would be the likelihood

of drop in global LNG price due to competition from new number of suppliers. He said: “We expect that in the face of drop in crude oil price and glut in global crude oil market, LNG would have been another veritable source of revenue and foreign reserve for the government and the company. “Train 7 completion will definitely increase the company’s share of global market, enhance flare reduction or total flare out, and attract $10 billion Foreign

Direct Investment (FDI) with zero cash out from the Government. “Other benefits of Train 7 completion are job creation through the construction of the plant in Bonny and construction of gas pipelines in other communities, increase capacity to meet domestic market demand, and maximisation of the Nigeria Content Development Act through local capacity building”, Johnson added. He called on the government to give priority to domestic gas uti-

lization over export, enhance gas utilization with full re-appraisal of the Gas Master Plan, and adequately fund the NLNG’s operations. Similarly, he canvassed the need to extract commitment on gas flare-down to a nearest predictable timeline from the oil and gas companies operating in the country, urging government to as well find a lasting solution to the incessant vandalism of gas pipelines.

BOI to support Catholic group on SMEs’ capacity building SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

ank of Industry, BOI, has said it would support the Catholic Brothers United, CBU, a socio-spiritual organization, in its programme aimed at empowering Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, in the country. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the BOI, Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa, who accepted to be a guest speaker at the CBU’s empowerment programme in August, reiterated the bank’s commitment towards enhancing the productivity of the SMEs. Indicating his intention to attend the occasion, Olaoluwa highlighted the importance of the sector to nation’s development, urging Nigerians to key such initiatives to boost the nation’s economy. The group in a statement signed by the Public Relation Officer of the CBU, Mr. Chika Izuora, the planned one-day forum, entitled, ‘Enhancing Small and Medium Scale Businesses: A Viable Tool for Poverty Eradication, is one of its contributions toward creating job opportunities for the growing population. Being the 16th in its series, the initiative is expected to generate national discourse on the challenges faced by the SMEs as well as proffering solutions on those problems.

The President of the CBU, Mr Emmanuel Uwukhor, who dropped the hint in Lagos, was quoted as clarifying further that the initiative was aimed at providing the platform for the SMEs to understand the operations of the bank. The CBU boss decried unawareness of the bank’s operations by some SMEs, saying this prompted the association to create such platform to exchange ideas, aimed at growing and sustaining their businesses. According to him, the SMEs are critical to the development of the nation’s economy as they possess great potential for employment generation, improved technology and output diversification while improving indigenous entrepreneurship as well as integration with large scale enterprises. Uwukhor noted with displeasure, the under performance of the SMEs sub-sector, which undermines its contribution to the nation’s growth. Uwukhor recalled that the importance of the SMEs, prompted the IHS Towers to sponsor a report entitled, “Enabling a more productive Nigeria: Powering SMEs”. He however expressed delight that the report recognized the efforts of government institutions, particularly the BOI in supporting the SMEs.

L-R: Lead Facilitator, Mr. Lawrence Ayigiba; Senior Manager, Performance Audit, Africa Organization of Supreme Audit Institution, Mr. Lars Florin; Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura and a participant, Mr. Muheise Dennys, during the performance audit graduation ceremony in Abuja, at the weekend. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

IATA predicts passenger growth in Africa’s aviation industry SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

nternational Air Transport Association, IATA, has disclosed that in the next 20 years, passenger growth in Africa would be the world’s fastest based on the continent’s current moves to grow its infrastructure capacity. The Chief Executive Officer of IATA, Tony Tyler said that the continent’s aviation industry was on the resurgence driven by among other factors, positive economic growth in various countries, growing urbanization and a growing

middle class. Tyler, who disclosed this during Aviation Day for Africa and Middle East held in Nairobi, Kenya, under the theme, “Connecting Africa: The Linkage of Regulation, Capacity and Infrastructure” called on African countries to improve connectivity across the continent to reduce the cost of doing business while facilitating air travel. He urged African governments to implement the Yamoussoukro Declaration, YD, which is the basis for creating a single airspace market for the continent. As regional integration ar-

DPR seals two petrol stations in Ilorin, cautions marketers

he Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has shut two petrol stations in Ilorin, Kwara State, for alleged under-dispensing of product to motorists. The DPR Operation Controller in the state, Mr Amos Jokodola, who was represented by the Acting Deputy Manager, Retails Outlets, Mr Ishola Joshua, an-

nounced the closure at the weekend during inspection of filling stations in Ilorin. According to reports by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the stations are, NIPCO located on Ajase-Ipo road and Success and Regards operating on New Yidi road. The stations were found by the Department’s monitoring team to have adjusted their

meter downward, thereby cheating motorists. The managements of the affected stations were summoned by the Operation Controller to appear before it and give explanation for the alleged sharp practice. He also warned three other petrol stations to adhere to the rules and regulations of the department or be sanctioned, adding

that the Department would not hesitate to close down any petrol station found cheating motorists in the state, especially by selling petrol above the official price. Investigations in the state still indicated that some independent marketers were still selling fuel at N100 per litre instead of the approved pump price of N87.

rangements, deepened with creation of larger trade zones, Africa should be linked to Global Value Chains, GVCs and Regional Value Chains, RVCs, as there is high potential for growth in freight traffic across the continent. Regional Director, African Development Bank, AfDB, Gabriel Negatu, said that the Bank invested in energy, transport and ICT all of which, he noted, had positive impacts on aviation industry by ensuring stable and reliable power supply. He cited some Bank projects in the aviation sector to include, the $8.7 million grant for Eastern and Southern Africa, COMESA, to define regional legal and institutional frameworks for a unified airspace in COMESA region and the new Greenfield Terminal Project, GFT, at Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, JKIA, one the busiest airports in Africa to upgrade and modernize facilities. Negatu noted this initiative, among others, would facilitate efficient handling of passengers and increase overall handling capacity to 20 million passengers per annum from the current 9 million.

Business News

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

BA launches capacity building initiative in aviation industry DAVID AUDU

n its efforts to deepen British Airways commitment to meeting the manpower needs in the Nigerian Aviation industry, the airline has announced the launch of a capacity building initiative tagged, ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ targeted at students from Nigeria College of Aviation Technology College (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna, According to the Country Commercial Manager, West Africa, British Airways, Mr. Kola Olayinka, the idea was also part of a larger plan by the airline to contribute to the development of the country’s aviation sector. Olayinka explained that the initiative was designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and the actual work environment, noting that the international airline is passionate about supporting talents by providing them with veritable platform on which they can learn and gain experience in their chosen fields. He said: “Through Leaders of Tomorrow’, BA has impacted the lives of six young Nigerians from

the Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria who eventually emerged winners of the project”. The winners are, Abimbola Caulcrick, a student of Abridged Airframe and Power plant (AAP8); Fajemisin Peter Adebola; Adachie Gabriel Eneojo, both Post Graduate students in Aviation Management; Banigo Michael; Ubong George Itok, both studying Standard Airframe & Power plant (AP-27) and Ogunranti Olaluwa, a student of Abridged Avionics (AAVO-13). The six of them were given an opportunity to undergo a twoweek internship at British Airways head office in Nigeria as well as pay a week visit to the company’s global office at London Heathrow, where they met with Keith Williams, the Chief Executive Officer of British Airways. Recounting his experience in London, one of the winners, Eneojo, now a Business Development Manager with Wakanow.com, said that meeting the Chief Executive Officer of British Airways was an experience he cannot forget. He added, “The thrill for me

was visiting the headquarters and seeing the level of organization and structure British Airways possesses. The high point was meeting the CEO and being able to present Nigerian Aviation industry from the perspective of a student as well as a fast learning and growing professional. He remarked that the international training has exposed him to the rudimentary requirements of the Aviation industry globally. Peter Fajemisin, an employee of the airline, said that the internship gave him an insight into the cross-cultural dimensions of global business operations. Fajemisin stressed that the “internship at British Airways gave me an opportunity to grow professionally. The comprehensive training and hands on experience during the internship also gave me an edge over my peers in the industry.” Aside the visit to the London head office, the winners also visited the Airlines Engineering base, the world class Training centreCrane bank in London and even flew the 747 on the BA simulator.

L-R: YouTube content creators/Comedian, Frank Donga; Television presenter and talk show host, Ariyike Akinbobola and Media/Broadcast veteran, Olisa Adibua at the YouTube at 10 event to celebrate Nigerian content creators. in Lagos, recently.

e-Commerce: MOBOfree, launches ID verification programme in Nigeria

OBOfree, one of Africa’s social marketplace, on Monday announced the launch of the first-of-a-kind ID verification programme in Nigeria and Uganda. The ID verification process, which is the latest addition to a range of security measures aimed at protecting the African consumer, is expected to further strengthen its position as one of Africa’s safest social marketplace for both buyers and sellers. The user simply takes a photo of his/her identity document and

uploads it onto MOBOfree’s platform along with their e-mail and mobile phone number. The entire procedure takes 2 minutes and the user is confirmed or rejected within 48 working hours. According to the company in a publication by African Press Organisation, APO, one of the main benefits of members who opt in to the verification programme is that their classifieds will be displayed in a more prominent position and enjoy much better exposure. The company’s CEO, Cristobal

Alonso, explained: “By preventing fraud rather than simply dealing with the issue after fraud has been identified, MOBOfree is highlighting its commitment to a safer environment for e-commerce in Africa,” As part of its general policy, the company says it does disclose members’ personal information to third parties unless they have consented to such sharing, adding that any data acquired from MOBOfree’s visual identification programme will not be shared with other free users.

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U.S. repo rate rises on Greece debt jitters

he borrowing cost on a key source of overnight loans for Wall Street rose on Monday as a breakdown in talks between Greece and its creditors caused a mad dash for cash to fund trades in advance of the end of the second quarter. The impasse between Athens, and European officials and international lenders nearly sealed the chance the Greek government would miss its $1.77 billion repayment to the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday. Such a move has raised concerns it would hasten the debtladen nation’s exit from the euro zone economic bloc, which some traders fear would roil financial markets worldwide. Greece’s debt mess has complicated the typical quarter-end move among banks and dealers

to fund their balance sheets and money market funds and other investors to conserve cash to meet reporting and regulatory requirements. In anticipation that Greece’s problems won’t be resolved anytime soon, some banks and dealers locked down longer-term financing earlier than usual in the $5 trillion repurchase agreement market, where they pledge Treasuries and other securities as collateral in exchange for cash from investors, analysts said. “There’s definitely a scramble. It’s all dependent on Greece,” said Gennadiy Goldberg, interest rate strategist at TD Securities in New York. Still, he said, the rise in the overnight repo rate was not as acute as what was seen toward the end of the first quarter. “A lot of people tried to lock in as much funding as possible.”

Greece in shock as banks shut after snap referendum call

tunned Greeks faced shuttered banks, long supermarket lines and overwhelming uncertainty on Monday as a breakdown in talks with international lenders plunged their country deep into crisis. With Greece’s bailout expiring on June 30 and an IMF payment falling due at the same time, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras pleaded in vain by phone with European officials to extend the program until a referendum on July 5 on its future terms. The frantic efforts to secure Greece’s place within the euro zone followed a dramatic weekend. Tsipras’s decision, early on Saturday, to put the aid package to a popular vote took the lenders by surprise and sent Greeks rushing

to cash machines. It also pushed Greece toward defaulting on 1.6 billion euros ($1.77 billion) due to the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday, which would take it closer to an exit from the euro zone. A Greek official confirmed to Reuters that the payment would not be made. Greeks - used to seeing lengthy talks with creditors end with an 11th-hour deal - were shocked by the turn of events. Queues snaked outside ATMs and inside supermarkets while fears of disruptions to fuel and medicine supplies grew. Drugmakers said they would continue to ship medicines to Greece in coming weeks despite unpaid bills, but warned that supplies could soon be in jeopardy without emergency action.

Facebook pledges to focus on Nigeria ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

acebook has said that it will focus on growing its business Nigeria as it finally opens an office in Africa. Facebook promised to partner with governments, telecom operators, agencies and other stakeholders to deliver localised solutions to advertisers and users continent-wide saying that it will continue to focus on tailoring solutions, metrics and ad formats to the needs of customers and advertisers in the mobile-first, mobileonly African environment. Other countries it is targeting are in the major regions of Sub Saharan Africa are Kenya, South

Africa ,Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique and Ethiopia. The leading social media website said in a press statement said that it has decided to open its first office in Africa and will be located in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg adding that the move is part of the company’s commitment to help businesses connect with people and grow locally and regionally in Africa. The Facebook’s newest business office will be headed by Ogilvy veteran, Nunu Ntshingila, the company’s new Head of Africa. Facebook is already an important part of how people and business connect in Africa.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

EnergyWeek Seven Energy secures $52m facility

NERC issues new guidelines for DISCOs 37

Kaombo, Egina promote content â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Total

Consumers task FG, GENCOs on sustainable electricity as supply picks With the recent system collapse which resulted in a drastic drop in power supply, many consumers did not expect improved supply soon. But UDEME AKPAN reports that power generation has risen from about 800 megawatts, mw to over 3700mw, thus resulting in increased supply as a result heavy rainfall and improved utilization of hydro plants.

Power plant

n early June, this year, electricity supply dropped to about 800 megawatts, mw because of system collapse in the nation. Thereafter, the Electricity Generation Companies, GENCOs started building up their capacities to generate over 2,800mw for transmission and distribution. They did not stop there. Authoritative report of the Presidential Task Force on Power, PTFP showed that generation has currently risen to 3,729.39mw. Of the megawatts generated, 3,640.84mw is supplied while the balance is conserved to

stabilise the system. Although the total supply is still below the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 12,800mw estimated peak demand, there are strong

indications that many parts of the nation have experienced improved supply of electricity.

YUSUF WHO EXPLAINED THAT INCREASED RAINFALL HAS CULMINATED IN INCREASED USE OF HYDRO STATIONS TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY ADDED THAT

WHENEVER IT RAINS HEAVILY, THE NATION ALWAYS WITNESS AN IMPROVEMENT IN POWER BECAUSE OF IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF HYDRO PLANTS

All classes of consumers, including individuals, households and commercial users indicated that they have experienced an improved electricity supply in the nation. Take Mr. Bayo Ogun who operates a tailoring outlet in Ketu, Lagos as an example. Ogun maintained that power supply was, to a great extent unstable in the early part of the second quarter (April-June, 2015). He disclosed that the supply has been more stable in the past few weeks apparently as a result of inCONTINUED ON PAGE 34

Energy Week

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Consumers task FG, GENCOs on sustainable electricity as supply picks CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 creased generation and distribution. The Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Muda Yusuf attributed the development to increased rainfall. Yusuf who explained that increased rainfall has culminated in increased use of hydro stations to generate electricity added that whenever it rains heavily, the nation always witness an improvement in power because of improved performance of hydro plants. “There are indications that the coming of the rainy season has swelled the dams to generate more power than in the past. Consequently, the nation’s hydro stations have done better than they used to do in the early part of the year when there was not much rainfall.” The Director General tasked stakeholders to ensure they sustain the relatively high level of supply, and even increase it further in order to meet the great expectations of consumers in the coming months. This may be an uphill task as investigations showed that the sector is threatened by many challenges, including lack of funds, low gas supply, poor facilities, vandalism and inadequate meters. Already, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC has indicated before the recent improvement, it had noticed with concern the acute shortage in power supply and the attendant hardship Nigerians experienced. It maintained that in the last couple of months, electricity supply had been generally poor on account of increase in vandalism in the run up to the April 2015 elections. But this bad supply condition has worsened in the last few days. “At present, 18 out of the 23 power plants in the country are unable to generate electricity due shortage of gas supply to the thermal plants with one of the hydro stations faced with water management issue. This has led to loss of over 2,000megawatts in the national grid. This situation is further compounded by the recent industrial actions embarked upon by workers in the oil and gas industry, a development which is taking toll on other sectors of the economy. Gas supplies to the thermal plants have been further constrained by the industrial actions of workers in the oil and gas industry.” “The Commission had proactively engaged the gas supply companies and its licencees when two weeks ago discussion was held on how to firm up gas supply in order to increase power supply. Unfortunately, not much progress was made through this meeting as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiary Nigeria Gas Company, disclosed of high incidence of vandalism in some areas that were relatively peaceful along its pipeline networks.” “The situation was worsened by the damaged done to Trans-Forcados pipeline in the western axis and ELPS gas pipeline in the eastern axis. NNPC had explained at the meeting that repair works are being intensified even as it expressed worry on the integrity of the pipelines on account of incessant damage it has sustained. In essence, what has brought about this de-

NIGERIANS AND THE ENTIRE WORLD ARE WAITING TO SEE THE MEASURES THE

PRESIDENT BUHARILED ADMINISTRATION WOULD DEPLOY TO

TACKLE THE NATION’S PROLONGED POWER

DILEMMA, ESPECIALLY Buhari

Amadi

AS BUHARI HAS

ALREADY PROMISED TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION TO IT

Yusuf

Obasi

velopment is the increased incidence of vandalism which is beyond the control of the regulator and the industry operators. This situation is further compounded by the industrial actions declared by the oil and gas workers,” it disclosed. It maintained that the Commission would continue to engage with relevant authorities on how fast we can address shortage of gas supply to the thermal plants. The Commission said it would continue to engage with industry operators on how to improve electricity supply. The Commission promised to ensure that consumers are protected from undue exploitation. Already, NERC that had ordered the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC to make refunds to consumers who were over-billed in Abuja. “AEDC shall with immediate effect from the date of this Order commence refund through energy credit of all excess charges billed its customers as a direct consequence of the adjustments,” it maintained. However, hope is not completely lost as observers said the stakeholders; especially the government and operators have the capacity to rescue the important sector from stagnation. For instance, the Director General of LCCI tasked the President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out a proper audit of the sector in order to understand its major challenges before initiating various initiatives targeted at

taking it to another level. He called on the government to focus on the real issues that affect the sector in order to ensure adequate power is generated, transmitted and distributed nationwide. The National President of Oil and Gas Service Providers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Colman Obasi also called on the International Oil Companies, IOCs and indigenous operators to boost their investments in the gas sector in order to ensure that adequate gas is supplied to investors in the power sector. He maintained that that with 187 trillion standard cubic feet of gas reserves, the nation has sufficient capacity to sustain supply to power stations. “We are blessed with commercial reserves and should not be searching for gas to generate electricity after all we are the nation supplying to other nations. As a matter of policy, we should meet our domestic demand for power generation before supplying to other nations because domestic power generation is key to our national economic development.” A top official of Energy Institute, Nigeria who preferred not to be named further said emphasis should be given to improved transmission. He who noted that there are a lot of leakages in the system said: “The Federal Government should monitor transmission activities because there are indications that the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN has not

been able to reduce of completely eliminate transmission loses in the system.” “This is not a secret because the Chairman of NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi had also made the same observation. We need to build the capacity of TCN to transmit adequate power. We also need to ensure that the agency is operated by competent professionals, capable of adding value to power supply in the nation,” he emphasised. The official remarked that increased transmission would amount to nothing if the Electricity Distribution Companies, DISCOs failed to expand and deepen their capacities to distribute commercial electricity to consumers nationwide. As he puts it, “At present, the operations of almost all the DISCOs are limited because of inadequate facilities. They need to invest much funds required to build new infrastructure such as transformers, cables and meters to enable consumers enjoy adequate power in all parts of the nation, including the rural areas.” These and other tasks would certainly not be possible without the support and cooperation of financial institutions. Investigations showed that the banks have been very cautious in granting loans to investors in the sector, probably because of the warning of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The Executive Director (OIL&GAS), Access Bank Plc Mr. Elias Igbinakenzua had recently maintained in an interview that, “In terms of governance; we have the right framework to access the risks, dimension them and know the extent to go. We have also been able to help our players to understand the risks and know how to perch against them. So, we are a core player and we think that as a key Nigerian stakeholder, we must play big in the sector,” he said. Despite these and other challenges, Nigerians and the entire world are waiting to see the measures the President Buhariled administration would deploy to tackle the nation’s prolonged power dilemma, especially as Buhari has already promised to find a lasting solution to it.

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Energy Week

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Forte Oil Siemens signs $83m contract to upgrade plant UDEME AKPAN

With Agency Report

orte Oil has signed an $83 million contract with Siemens to upgrade its 414 megawatt gas-fired power plant and that the work would be completed next year. Forte Oil was one of several firms to buy government power assets two years ago, sold as part of a privatisation meant to end decades of blackouts in Africa’s biggest economy. Forte Oil is an indigenous petroleum marketing company with structured operations and strategic policies to continuously improve product delivery to its customers. Forte Oil is renowned for her ability to offer her consumers a wide range of products from the oil value chain; PMS, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, commercial gas and a wide range of lubricants for various automobiles and machines. A major player in the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil and gas sector, Forte Oil said its prides itself on delivering prompt, quality and effective services to customers nationwide. Siemens indicated that that its activities in Africa date back to 1857, only ten years after the company was established in Berlin, Germany, when Werner von Siemens participated in the first pan-oceanic telegraph cable installation between Europe and Africa. “152 years later, in 2009, Siemens expressed its commitment to another ambitious project connecting the continents of the world. The company is participating in the Desertec Industrial Initiative to provide sustainable power to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.” “We invite you to take a fascinating trip through time over 150 years of Siemens history in Africa. Please click on the images to read about the pictured event. The Power and Gas Division is the trusted partner for world-class

Transmitter

products and solutions. We help our customers worldwide to successfully operate fossil power plants and to meet their specific economic and ecological challenges in their market environment,” it maintained. “The Power and Gas Division offers a broad spectrum of products and solutions for environmentally-compatible and resource-saving power generation, using fossil or renewable fuels for efficient energy production and the reliable transport of oil and gas. Customers are utilities, independent power producers, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPCs) companies and industrial customers e.g. the oil and gas industry.” The company maintained that its gas turbines offer high efficiency, reliability, and environmental sustainability, qualities that in turn deliver low lifecycle costs and make power plants highly profitable. It stated that steam turbines in the performance range from 45 kW to 1,900 mw with a long tradition in manufacturing process and as ongo-

ing development. The company has it that generators in the power range from 25 to 2,235 MVA. Our expertise is based on more than 100 years of experience in the development and production of generators on an installed fleet of more than 3,500 machines. “Our compressor portfolio offers long-term efficiency, availability, and reliability. Our compressors fulfill industry-specific customer requirements in the oil and gas segment, onshore gas production, or gas transport through pipelines as well as in industrial applications including air separation, etc.” “Our integrated power plant solutions offer concepts for gas- fired plants at highest quality from extended power train to full turnkey power plants. Our Power & Process Automation family completes the Division’s portfolio with comprehensive solutions for power plant I&C, electrical systems, and IT solutions,” it added.

Regulator rejects Eskom’s tariff hike plan

outh Africa’s energy regulator rejected a tariff hike request by cash-strapped utility Eskom because crucial information was missing in the firm’s application. Eskom asked for power prices to be raised by 9.58 percent to help it run gas turbines and pay for power provided by independent electricity producers. Jacob Modise, the chairman of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) chairman said crucial information was missing in the application and that Eskom could submit a new application for a tariff increase. Reuters said the hike Eskom requested from the regulator would have brought the total increase this year to over 22 percent after prices also rose in April in Africa’s most advanced economy. The public enterprises minister has said the

state-owned utility would have to tap debt markets if it failed to get the tariff increase it was seeking. A source maintained that, “Eskom, which imposes blackouts on an almost daily basis due to inadequate electricity capacity, is facing a funding gap to 2018 of up to 200 billion rand ($16 billion).” “The government has pledged to provide Eskom with a 23 billion rand capital injection and a 60 billion rand loan from the state will be converted into equity to improve the utility’s liquidity and boost its borrowing capacity.” “Eskom generates approximately 95per cent of the electricity used in South Africa and approximately 45per cent of the electricity used in Africa. Eskom generates, transmits and distributes electricity to industrial, mining, commer-

cial, agricultural and residential customers and redistributors,” it added. It maintained that additional power stations and major power lines are being built to meet rising electricity demand in South Africa. The source said, Eskom will continue to focus on improving and strengthening its core business of electricity generation, transmission, trading and distribution. It maintained that Eskom buys electricity from and sells electricity to the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). “The future involvement in African markets outside South Africa (that is the SADC countries connected to the South African grid and the rest of Africa) is limited to those projects that have a direct impact on ensuring security of supply for South Africa.”

Commodity

Units

Price

Change

% Change

Time(ET)

Crude Oil (WTI)

USD/bbl.

58.36

-1.27

-2.13%

13:33:14

Crude Oil (Brent)

USD/bbl.

61.91

-1.35

-2.13%

13:32:39

TOCOM Crude Oil

JPY/kl

47,330.00

-310.00

-0.65%

13:23:23

NYMEX Natural Gas

USD/MMBtu

2.82

+0.05

+1.95%

13:33:21

Source: Bloomberg as at June 28, 2015

FG appoints Ladan,DPR director

he Federal Government has appointed Mordecai Danteni Baba Ladan, as the Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, to take over from George Osahon whose tenure elapsed June 19, 2015. According to a statement on the website of the DPR, yesterday, the memorandum dated June 19, 2015 stated that the appointment was with immediate effect. Ladan, according to the statement, is a Petrochemist by profession, who joined DPR on November 23, 1987 as a Senior Analytical Chemist and was deployed to the Safety & Environment Branch under the then Technical Services Division. The DPR is involved in the issuance of liceses and permits to operators in the oil and gas industry. It is also involved in regulating the activities of operators as well as ensuring that they operate according to set standards and principles.

Energy Week

Independents sign seismic agreement with Baker

ndependent Oil and Gas PLC (IOG) is extending its seismic remapping agreement with Baker Hughes’ Reservoir Development Services (RDS) group to better understand resource potential for its Blythe and Cronx/Elgood projects in the Southern North Sea (SNS), with an expected delivery date of late July 2015. “We are pleased to strengthen our relationship with RDS as the initial results from the seismic remapping work are positive,” said Mark Routh, IOG’s Chief Executive Officer. “We expect that the resource plays beneath the Blythe and Cronx/Elgood fields are larger than first anticipated, and with additional reservoir understanding we can more than double our proven reserves, which are currently 3.0 MMBOE.” “We believe that the added field remapping will help to better predict resource potential and accessibility,” said Scott Reeves, President of Reservoir Development Services. “By understanding the critical reservoir properties we’ll be able to recommend and engineer a development plan to help maximize profitable recovery.” RDS will also evaluate IOG’s future prospects and discoveries in the SNS including, Truman, Harvey, Hambleton, Tetley and Rebellion. The companies intend to expand the relationship beyond the evaluation phase to other services that Baker Hughes could provide for field planning and development. The extended agreement comes after IOG commissioned RDS to complete a remapping project on 3D seismic data it purchased in 2014. RDS provided a set of maps showing the Rotliegendes, Carboniferous and Hauptdolomit hydrocarbon bearing zones in the SNS. This work helped remove uncertainties relating to commercial volumes in both discoveries and will now be further enhanced with new data purchased by IOG. Baker Hughes’ RDS group maximizes profitability for E&P operations by providing the expertise to improve reservoir understanding, engineer value-added solutions, and efficiently manage a field. Independent Oil & Gas PLC is an oil and gas company with established assets focused on the UK North Sea. The company’s strategy is to deliver near term development and production assets in North West Europe, through its extensive technical and commercial expertise, whilst maintaining some exposure to exploration upside. The company is looking to grow both organically and through acquisition.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Seven Energy secures $52m facility UDEME AKPAN

even Energy International Limited and its whollyowned subsidiaries have entered into two separate debt facilities, each with a sole lender, both of whom are prominent European institutions, for a combined $52 million, with up to a six year tenor. These facilities will rank pari passu for security with, and have substantially the same covenants as, the Senior Secured Loan Notes issued in October 2014. The facilities will be used to fund the Group’s ongoing development projects and working capital requirements. Seven Energy International Limited is an independent Nigerian integrated oil and gas exploration, development, production and gas distribution company founded in 2004. With the backing of strategic long-term investors and main offices in Lagos and London, the Group has a unique focus on the emerging Nigerian domestic gas market. The Group’s upstream assets include licence interests in the Uquo Field and the Stubb Creek

Field (south east Niger Delta), an indirect interest in OMLs 4, 38 & 41 through a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (north west Niger Delta) and licence interests in OPL 905, 907 and 917 (Anambra basin). Its midstream infrastructure assets, focused in south east Niger Delta, include the 200 MMcfpd Uquo gas processing facility and a gas pipeline network of 227 km with distribution capacity of 600 MMcfpd. The company has also announced that they have entered into a senior debt facility totaling up to US$445m lent to Seven Energy’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Accugas Limited. The facility, arranged by FBN Capital and FCMB Capital Markets, will be used to refinance Accugas’ existing project-finance and acquisition-finance senior debt facilities as well as to support additional mediumterm capital requirements. Seven Energy International Limited is an independent Nigerian integrated oil and gas exploration, development, production and gas distribution company founded in 2004. With the backing of strategic long-term investors and main

Oil rig

offices in Lagos and London, the Group has a unique focus on the emerging Nigerian domestic gas market. The Group’s upstream assets include licence interests in the Uquo Field and the Stubb Creek Field (south east Niger Delta), an indirect interest in OMLs 4, 38 & 41 through a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (north west Niger Delta) and licence interests in OPL 905, 907

and 917 (Anambra basin). Its midstream infrastructure assets, focused in south east Niger Delta, include the 200 MMcfpd Uquo gas processing facility and a gas pipeline network of 227 km with distribution capacity of 600 MMcfpd. Accugas Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven Energy, the independent Nigerian integrated oil and gas exploration, development and Production Company.

Stakeholders task FG on estimated N50trn natural resources CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

takeholders in the solid minerals industry have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to provide adequate funds for the Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) to ensure its development. The President, Miners Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Sanni Shehu said this would culminate in the unlocking of the solid minerals potentials and help the country recover the huge sums being lost annually. Shehu opined that for Nigeria to re-

Shehu

gain its former glory on the global mining arena, the sector must be adequately funded through SMDF, which is yet to begin operations, three years after its inauguration. He said that the mining industry had, in the past, contributed significantly to the growth of the Nigerian economy, adding that Nigeria was a major producer of tin, columbite and coal. “The industry also provides massive employment and was one of the sources of revenue for infrastructure development before it suffered a major setback. “For decades afterwards, small scale operators and artisanal miners took over the sector. “It is not appropriate to leave a sector with such huge potential to be dominated by artisanal and small scale miners. “The sector still remains virgin and needs to be properly developed to actualise its full benefits to the nation,” he said. Shehu also urged government to continue to generate credible geosciences data, extend the local content law to the mining sector, encourage mining cooperatives into clusters and facilitate human capacity development programmes.

Nigeria is estimated to be losing about N8 trillion annually from untapped gold. The estimates are monies that should have accrued to the federation account from royalties, taxes, charges and other fees from companies and individuals operating in the solid mineral sector if the Federal Government had paid enough attention to the development of solid minerals in the country. Going by this, Nigeria should not have had any financial crisis any time crude oil prices face southward. In fact, states in the country would have been well off financially and would not have been talking about bail out. The Director-General of the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, Mohammed Amate, said the seven mining firms were at the moment mobilising the required financing from the capital market to undertake full-scale gold, coal, iron-ore and lead/zinc mining this year. Apart from Dangote Group, the other six firms include Kogi Mines Limited, Segilola Nigeria Limited, Mines Geotechniques Nigeria Limited, Northern Numero Resources Limited, West African Polaris Investment Limited and Tongyi Allied and Mineral Services Limited. Kogi Mines, which is an an Aus-

tralian mining firm, would mine iron ore at Agbaja area of Kogi State, while Segilola Nigeria Limited would mine gold at the Iperindo axis of the IIesha gold schist belt in Osun State. Similarly, Geotechniques Nigeria Limited and Northern Numero Resources Limited, which are both Australian companies, would mine gold in Kebbi State, while Dangote Group would mine coal in Kogi and Benue states. However, the Mining and Mineral Act of 2007 which puts the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the exclusive list has hindered state from developing mineral deposit in their jurisdiction. Nigerians put the blame at the feet of federal politicians that have paid lip service to fiscal federalism. The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, NEITI, audit report of 2012 suggests that there are about 40 different kinds of solid minerals and precious metals buried in Nigeria soil waiting to be exploited. The commercial value of Nigeria’s solid minerals has been estimated to run into hundreds of trillions of dollars, with 70 per cent of these buried in the bowel of Northern Nigeria.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Energy Week

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

NERC issues new guidelines for DISCOs UDEME AKPAN

he Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC has issued guidelines for consultation by operators that want to review the cost of generation, transmission and supply of electricity, the prices of electricity services and classification of customers. The guidelines are designed to ensure that such consultations are comprehensive, rigorous open to all relevant stakeholders, meaningful and effective. “NERC will not accept and consider the application of any distribution company for Revenue Requirement (RA), Rate Design (RD) and Customer Classification (CR) if it has not completed customer consultation in line with these guidelines.” “These guidelines set out the principles and steps the Distribution Companies should adopt for engaging stakeholders before submitting tariff review applications to the Commission. It aims to assist Discos make the right decisions about when, with whom and how to consult. The Consultation process is expected to achieve real engagement rather than merely following

a routine or bureaucratic process,” NERC maintained. It indicated that the consultation will create accountability in the electricity market as customers will know how the operators are serving them and the various costs of service that justify the rates they are paying The Commission stated that consultation will engender trust between operators and customers and help to avert the various conflicts that arise mainly from lack of deep understanding of the operations of the electricity market It maintained that consultation will discourage the quick resort to unnecessary application for review of tariff as operator know that they will confront strong opposition from customer groups if they intend to unfairly and unnecessarily review tariff. The Commission said consultation will be an opportunity for operators to disclose what investments they intend to make to enhance availability and reliability of electricity in the months and years ahead It stated that the steps and timelines stated in the guidelines are not exhaustive. They are the minimum required to ensure that there is a ro-

Meter

bust consultation between operators and customers The Commission maintained that nn effective consultation process requires engagement with members of different customer classes within the operator’s franchise areas. In the case of distribution companies (DISCOs), they should consult with residential, industrial and commercial customers, associations of customers, civil society groups that advocate for consumer interests. Professional groups

like Manufactures Association of Nigeria-MAN, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), etc., should be engaged during the consultation process. It maintained that during the hearing of their application by the Commission, the Discos would be required to demonstrate that they have effectively engaged various classes of customer representative and ensure that the consultation process captures the full range of stakeholders in an effective manner.

Genesis Energy, SHP Malthe Winje seal MOU

major energy group, Genesis Energy Corporation and a Norwegian Group, SHP Malthe Winje, have provided a pioneering platform for multiple deployment on fast track basis of Modular Mini Hydro Power solutions that could efficiently and effectively service Nigeria and the entire African continent energy needs within a reasonable short period of time. The Chief Executive Officer of Genesis Energy Corporation, Akinwole Omoboriowo said the modular units of this hydro power engines can be deployed on fasttrack basis within just six months without the prohibitive operating costs of diesel oil or natural gas

Transmission plant

Omoboriowo explained that the modular units can be connected to small mini grid at 415V levels for direct consumption by targeted communities and or connected to the distribution network within the area of the modular hydro unit installation, adding that the units also have advantages of increased generated Kilo Watt per hour and in addition have zero negative environmental impact, given the Pass-through water from streams or rivers used to feed the modular hydro units. “In line with the vision of Genesis to light up Africa one community at a time, we have embarked on innovative means

of generating Power using alternative and renewable sources of Fuel with particular interest in Mini Hydro and Off-grid Solar Power Solutions. SHP Malthe Winje(SHP) are technology market leaders in the manufacturing and supply of prefabricated and standardised Mini Hydro Plants, and the group being one of global technical specialist in this field has brought on board significant positive upside in collaborating with Genesis to light up Africa one community at a time, and starting from Nigeria. This strategic initiative to provide fast track sustainable mini hydro solutions to African countries will engender realistic optimism that stronger more enlightened renewable policies will emerge in and throughout Africa”. Mr Marc Eeckhout, Executive Director of Genesis who led the Genesis team to the signing ceremony of the Strategic Partnership contract at the SHP headquarters in Norway said that the mini hydro plants can be set up in virtually all parts of Nigeria where qualifying streams and or rivers exist, stressing that their sustainability for stand-alone utilisation in several States, local governments and in the rural parts of Nigeria where most Nigerian

resides can be justified while noting that many viable mini hydro scale plants are actually ‘’run-offriver’’ schemes based on water wheels that require significantly small amount of civil works. According to him, several rivers, waterfalls, qualifying streams in Nigeria such as Kaduna, Niger, Benue, Cross Rivers and their tributaries provide an enviable potential for the exploitation of hydro energy. This is a visible alternative to the conventional buying of transformers and waiting for power from the national grid. Currently SHP are approaching the Norwegian Export Credit Agency for a financing Solution for the deployment of this Mini Hydro Power to Nigeria and Africa. Norwegian Credit provides for 85% of the total project costs and the Norwegian Export Credit Agency being the largest in the World with tenure of 20 years and with a very low interest rate. It is believed that this Norwegian Funding would ensure a low competitive tariff due to the long period of amortization of the fund and this would ensure the Government counterpart funding of 15% by Federal or State agencies is easily affordable.

Students commend OPEC for seminar experience

group of students that attended the 6th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna on June 3-4 has written to the Organization, thanking it for providing them with a “unique” experience and for “promoting the youth of our countries”. In a personal letter of gratitude to the OPEC Secretariat in the Austrian capital, the students spoke of their “profound appreciation” for the invitation. They also thanked OPEC Secretary General, Abdalla Salem El-Badri, for giving them the opportunity to take part in an event that “gathers major actors from around the world to present their perspectives on the international oil market.” The 12 students were nominated to take part in the Seminar by selected OPEC Member Countries and the host country, Austria. In doing so, they were able to gain first-hand experience of the Organization’s affairs, as well as broaden their knowledge of the international energy industry in general. In the letter signed by them all, they stressed that the OPEC Seminar represented “an appointment with no comparison”, in which the Organization’s efforts towards stability and sustainability were fully shown. “For this reason, we want to make a special mention of His Excellency, the OPEC Secretary General, because under his leadership this unique initiative has taken place as an incentive towards securing a future that needs professionals with worldclass skills, but also people with a strong commitment,” read the letter. The students added: “The OPEC International Seminar is a concrete example of the Organization’s undertaking towards dialogue and cooperation. The presence of youth is a beneficial addition that heightens the scope of the initiative as it stands at the forefront of efforts to face tomorrow’s challenges.” OPEC has long recognized the importance of students and young people for the future of the oil and gas industry, which is today facing a shortage of skilled manpower. During their three-day stay in Vienna, the students were able to attend all Seminar sessions, which featured some 30 presentations from energy stakeholders covering many industry subjects, such as global energy outlooks, oil market stability, production capacity and investment, technology and the environment, and prospects for the world economy.

Energy Week

FMC wins $297m contract for production systems

MC Technologies announced that it has received an order from BP Exploration (Shah Deniz) Ltd. to supply subsea production systems for Well Clusters 3-5 of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project in the Caspian Sea. The order has an estimated value of $297 million in revenue and is in addition to the initial order for Well Clusters 1-2 received in 2014 from BP, the operator of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project. The Shah Deniz field is located offshore in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea, approximately 100km south of Baku. “This award continues our multi-year support for BP on this project,” said Tore Halvorsen, FMC Technologies’ Senior Vice President, Subsea Technologies. “Our close cooperation on this project has accelerated the transition to the manufacturing stage and enabled us to reduce the lead time delivering the project.” FMC Technologies is the global market leader in subsea systems and a leading provider of technologies and services to the oil and gas industry. We help our customers overcome their most difficult challenges, such as improving shale and subsea infrastructures and operations to reduce cost, maintain uptime, and maximize oil and gas recovery. Also, FMC Technologies, Inc. and Technip have announced that Forsys Subsea, a 50/50 joint venture, has received all regulatory approvals. The parties closed the transaction making Forsys Subsea operational on June 1, 2015. Forsys Subsea is a joint venture formed as part of a broader alliance between FMC Technologies and Technip that unites the skills and capabilities of two subsea leaders to redefine the way subsea fields are designed, delivered and maintained. By combining the industry-leading technologies of the parent companies, Forsys Subsea will reduce the interfaces of the subsea umbilical, riser and flowline systems (SURF) and subsea production and processing systems (SPS). It will also simplify the seabed layout, thereby reducing complexity, accelerating time to first oil, and enabling higher sustainable field production. This unique combination will drive a new, step-change approach to how equipment designs and installation methods converge in a new generation of subsea architecture. Forsys Subsea CEO, Rasmus Sunde said, “With Forsys Subsea we are launching an exciting and compelling business proposition by providing front-end engineering and life-of-field decision support to our customers.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Kaombo, Egina promote local content – Total UDEME AKPAN

wo major projects - Kaombo and Egna – have assisted Total to promote the development of local content in Angola and Nigeria. The company which confirmed the development in its report maintained that execution of the flagship schemes has gone a long way to stimulate local content in the two nations. “The challenge is to extract oil from six separate fields located in water depths of 1,400 to 1,900 meters and spread out over an area of more than 800 square kilometers, via two FPSOs with a capacity of 115,000 barrels per day each.” “Without ever compromising safety, Kaombo was an opportunity to optimize the design of a major project to rein in rising costs. The project illustrates our financial discipline, tightened even before oil prices fell,” it maintained. The company indicated that

after all stakeholders were consulted — the Angolan authorities and international contractors in particular — prices were adjusted and the design reworked. For example, the FPSOs will be two repurposed very large crude carriers (VLCCs). It disclosed that the rethink generated $4 billion in savings, while still representing 14 million hours of work for Angolan yards. Total hinted that first oil from the field, which lies in 1,600 meters of water, is scheduled for late 2017 and will consolidate Nigeria’s oil potential. It maintained that the 200,000-barrel-per-day project — the first on this scale since the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act came into force — is stimulating the local economy, with plans for 21 million hours to be worked locally. The company has it that

Oil men at work

works out to more than 2,000 jobs a year, or around 75 per cent of project jobs, and some 60,000 tons of equipment fabricated locally, or more than a third of the total. It maintained that six of the 18 FPSO modules will be fabricated and installed in Nigeria, requiring the unprecedented construction of a 400-meterlong jetty.

“Egina is also the first project for which all engineering design is being performed locally and to have the entire project management team based in Nigeria.” “The complex development also meets the challenge of creating local value and is striving to bring international and Nigerian companies closer together to accelerate technology transfer and training,” it added.

emony. The Pinnacle Award, she said, was a celebration of his meteoric rise in his chosen career. “His commitment to the cause is clearly evident through his social activities and dazzling strides in his chosen field of endeavor.” Adebawo who thanked the organisers for the recognition used the occasion to speak on Chevron’s commitment to the values of integrity, trust, partnership and high performance among others. Speaking on “Impact of Oil and Gas on Livelihood in Africa,” he gave an insight into the contributions and impact of the oil and gas industry on the African Economy. He harped on the various opportunities the industry has provided Africa with and urged the youths present to take advantage of these opportunities to develop themselves and the continent at large. Adebawo used the occasion to highlight Chevron’s social investments in Nigeria in the areas of education, health and economic development. He highlighted the importance of the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) process in promoting sustainable development com-

munities around its areas of operation. The GMoU, he said, was designed to create participatory development processes to address needs of the communities. According to him, the GMoU has not only cultivated transparency and accountability into the governance of projects and programmes by encouraging stakeholders to operate within designed frameworks; the GMoU has also given community leaders the platform to enhance their visibility. “Active Regional Development Committee (RDC) members are being appointed into key government roles as a result of their demonstrated leadership and measurable contributions to community. We are very proud of what our various RDCs are doing in ensuring sustainable development in their communities. The participatory, capacity building approach of the GMoU is visibly changing our communities. The GMoU process has yielded positive results for the communities and has gained credibility as an innovative community engagement model,” he said.

Adebawo wins integrity award

hevron Nigeria Limited’s, CNL, Communications Manager, Mr. Sola Adebawo, CNL’s Communications Manager has won the Emerging African Leaders Pinnacle Award on account of what the organizers described as his “impeccable achievements towards the development of Africa as a people and continent”. Stephanie Afolabi, CEO/ Founder, Emerging African Leaders Academy, said the award is aimed at inspiring and training African youths and emerging African leaders in programs that promote the

Adebawo

values of integrity, and entrepreneurial spirit. “This is a Pan African initiative to discover and showcase some of our shining stars on the continent. Our emphasis is on leadership because we have realized that Africa can only fulfil its potentials if we are able to build effective leaders. We have come to understand that leadership can only be developed by strengthening the connection between, and alignment of the efforts of individual leaders and the systems through which they influence organizational and social operations,” she said. She said the adjudicating panel nominated Mr. Adebawo for the award having monitored his career in the workplace and the role he has played in the society especially in the area mentorship and leadership training for young people. “He is a mentor and inspiration to many young people. We also monitored his activities on social media and identified him as someone many young people can learn from. It was for this reason that he was also slated to be one of the Guest Speakers at the Award Cer-

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Industry & SMEs

Tony Elumelu Foundation: Building Africa’s future entrepreneurs through funding, training Conscious of the roles of entrepreneurs in socio-economic transformation of societies globally, the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) has initiated a $100 million capacity building programme intended to equip over 10,000 Africa’s entrepreneurs with seed-funding and training to empower them as champions of Africa’s industrial transformation in the near future. ABOLAJI ADEBAYO reports.

ne of the factors identified as major constraints to the Nigeria’s development is lack of proper entrepreneurship skill, especially at the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’, MSMEs’, sub sector of the nation’s economy. In their efforts to curtail the monster, stakeholders have been putting in place various trainings and skill acquisition programmes for the would-be entrepreneurs across the country. They believed that with proper training, entrepreneurship would be brought back on the growth path; hence, economic growth would shoot off. Identifying the need to bridge this critical gap in Africa’s entrepreneurship drive, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, TEF, last December launched the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP), a $100 million initiative, to discover and support 10,000 African entrepreneurs over the next decade. The programme targets the creation of one million new jobs and $10 billion additional annual GDP contribution to African economies during the first 10-year implementation period. The programme, the first initiative of its kind to be launched by African philanthropic organisation, is the largest African sourced philanthropic gift, targeting the entrepreneurial space. This multi-year programme of training, funding and mentoring is designed to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurship programme is inspired by three guiding principles namely, the inclusive economic philosophy of Africapitalism, based on the believe that a vibrant African-led private sector is the key to unlocking Africa’s economic and social potential; commitment to drive African economic growth through the empowering of African entrepreneurship; and a mission to institutionalise luck by creating an environment where African en-

Tailoring shop

ITF DG, Chukkas Onaeko

Founder Tony Elumelu Foundation, Tony Elumelu

IN EMPOWERING THESE EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS, WE ARE PROVIDING THE CAPITAL, THE NETWORKS, THE TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR THEM TO DRIVE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH AFRICA, PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO ITS PROBLEMS AS WELL AS SECURING THEIR FUTURE AND THAT OF GENERATIONS TO COME trepreneurs can get critical element of support in the early stages of their business life. Elumelu, the founder of the Foundation expressed the confidence that the about the 1,000 African entrepreneurs who will be arriving in Nigeria early next month for a two-day boot camp will be ‘Africa’s hope for the future,’. The boot camp, which is a major milestone of the flagship programmes of the Foundation,

will see an interaction between established entrepreneurs from different sectors of industry, and the 1,000 selectees of TEEP. Elumelu, who has been vocal about entrepreneurship-led development and the push for a private-driven turnaround of Africa, said that “in empowering these emerging entrepreneurs, we are providing the capital, the networks, the training and support for them to drive economic and social transformation through Africa, providing solutions to its problems as well as securing their future and that of generations to come.” In the build-up to the boot camp, TEEP, had engaged the emerging entrepreneurs in a 12week online training programme that culminated in this thrilling two-day session from speakers with proven track record in business and leadership. On the ideals of the programme and the need for the training, the CEO of the Foundation, Parminder Vir said: “We are excited to be pushing the envelope and providing a springboard for this set of emerging African entrepreneurs to take over the world with their innovative ideas, beginning from their local communities. “At the end of this boot camp, we want them to have come, seen and be transformed into fullfledged entrepreneurs and ambassadors for Africapitalism”, Vir added. It would be recalled that the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, in collaboration with the

Industrial Training Fund, ITF, early this year, initiated a capacity building programme for Nigerian entrepreneurs where about 6,000 entrepreneurs were trained on various aspects of economy. The ITF trained people on some vocational skills while SMEDAN trained them on entrepreneurship skills with a lot of emphasis. The South-West Coordinator, SMEDAN, Gbenga Ogundeji, the Agency had also started training based on One Local Government, One Product, OLOP, Initiative aimed at creating five million jobs at the end of 2015. He said that nine local governments in Oyo State had been captured and the agency had been giving business support and loans to farmers and food processors in the council areas. He said that SMEDAN had also organised trainings under the OLOP initiative, which included the ongoing training for dealers of the products recognised in each state. “Within this scheme, we are presently training 120 entrepreneurs on our own in the southwest zone, making 720 entrepreneurs, being trained in the zone. “We also had collaboration with the National Automobile Council, NAC, to train 40 automobile technicians, in preparation for the new Automobile Policy,” he said. He said that if the agency had more funds, it could train and equip more business owners to expand their businesses and fulfill the mandate of employment generation through entrepreneurship. Earlier, ITF had planned to establish 37 Industrial Skills Training Centers, one in each State and the Federal Capital Territory, with six Centers of Advanced Skills Training for Employment, CASTE, for skills broadening and up-grading. It also envisioned the establishment of three Specialised Centers for Culinary Skills, SCCS, to develop skilled personnel for the hospitality and tourism sectors. In addition, Sector-Specific Skills Training Centers will be established to cater for skills need of Manufacturing, AgricAgro Allied, Construction, and other critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. Other training efforts in the country include the one organised by the ITF for the youths in the building sector, which was to be funded by Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria, CTIN. At the signing of Memorandum of understanding between ITF and CTIN, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of CTIN, Alhaji Aliko Dangote disclosed that CTIN would support the training with N15 billion. However, these various trainings, unlike the TEEP, are domesticated and are yet to be yielding the desired results due to what analysts termed the missing component of start-up funds. This funding component of the TEEP, an Africa-wide programme which got applications from entrepreneurs in 51 countries, is what makes a distinct adventure with good promises for the continent in the years ahead.

Cocktail

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Oddities

Police: Man in stolen car gets lost, runs out of gas

ol i ce s ay a New Yo rk Ci t y m a n dr ivi n g a s t o le n car t oo k t he w ro n g road a n d ende d u p lost a n d w i t h ou t g a s i n Penns yl va n i a . S t at e po l i ce s ay 26-yea r- o l d Cri s t i a n Oso r i o l e ft Q u e e n s early F r i day a n d w a s heade d t o S yr a c u s e, N ew Yo rk . O so r i o go t l o s t a n d

e n d e d u p o n t h e s ide o f Ro u t e 3 3 i n Plain f i e ld , Pe n n s y lvania, o n S at u rd ay. T hat’s wh e n a s t at e t ro oper a r r ive d t o h e lp and d i s c ove re d t h e c ar wa s s t o le n . Os o r i o i s h e ld on $ 1 5 , 0 0 0 b a i l, ch a rg ed wi t h re c e iv i n g s tolen p ro p e r t y a n d u naut h o r i z e d u s e o f a mot o r ve h i cle.

Egg throwing contest claims centuries-old tradition

rawing hundreds of competitors and cheering spectators, it’s a messy game claiming a 700-year history and eggstreme puns. Teams of two align on the grass to try to throw and catch eggs without breaking the shell. Starting at 10 meters (11 yards) apart, the

“tosser” throws an egg to a teammate, the “catcher”. After each successful catch they spread further apart. The winning team is the one that completes a catch with no breakage over the furthest distance. This year it’s Richard Gutsell and Michael Speakman. “It was tough ... We had a

Black bear crashes college party, gets collared

college party got a little wild when a black bear showed

up. The black bear, weighing between 300 and 400 pounds, crashed the party early Saturday near the campus of Lehigh University. Emergency officials received a flood of 911 calls after the bear was spotted around 2 a.m. in south Bethlehem, about 50 miles north of Philadelphia. The bear “lumbered

close to the party and scared the living daylights out of people,” police Chief Mark DiLuzio said. Lehigh University said in a “Bear Update” on its website that the animal was captured, tranquilized and removed from the area a couple hours later. DiLuzio said the same bear was seen Friday near an arena and the university’s athletic facilities, but it ran away into a swampy

area. Tyler Krieder, district officer of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said a tattoo on the bear’s inner lip indicates that it was from New Jersey. Noting that bears are good swimmers, he theorized that the animal swam across the Delaware River to find a new home. “The bear wasn’t any threat to anybody,” he said. “It was just looking for somewhere to eat, take a break.”

The contest

downward wind so it helped an awful lot, but it’s mainly down to him because if you can’t throw it that far you can’t catch it,” Speakman said of thrower Gutsell. The World Egg Throwing Federation, set up in 2004, believes the game originated around 1322 when an abbot in the Lincolnshire village, the

only person who had chickens, encouraged church attendance by giving locals alms of one egg. When the river flooded and prevented parishioners from attending church, monks are said to have thrown the eggs over to them, according to the Federation. There are several disciplines at the contest -- Egg Throwing, Russian Egg Roulette, Egg Static Relay, Egg Trebuchet and Egg Target Throwing. For the Russian Egg Roulette, two players sit facing each other, taking it in turn to pick from six eggs, five boiled and one raw, and smash them on their foreheads. Whoever avoids the raw egg is declared winner. “At first people don’t really know what to make of it ... but as they take part, listen in (and) see people’s reactions they really buy in,” event compere John Deptford said.

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Civil Service 41

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

UNESCO names Victoria Okojie IAC member MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

he United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has appointed the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria, Dr Victoria Okojie as a member of the International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Programme. Okojie received news of her appointment via

electronic mail dated 22nd June, 2015. The mail was signed by UNESCO Memory of the World Knowledge Societies Division, Communications and Information Sector, Iskra Panevska. “UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme is an international initiative launched to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, the ravages of time and climatic conditions, and wilful and deliberate destruction.

“The programme is administered by a body known as the International Advisory Committee (IAC) whose 14 members are appointed by the UNESCO Director-General. Any member to be selected into IAC should be an authority in the field of safeguarding of the documentary heritage, taking into account a fair geographical representation,” said a statement made available to National Mirror by the Librarian’s Registration Council of Nigeria. Okojie’s appoint-

ment note reads in part: “The Director General of UNESCO proceeds with the renewal of International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Programme whose objectives are to facilitate preservation of and access to the world’s documentary heritage as well as increase awareness worldwide of the existence and significance of documentary heritage. “Based on your in-depth expertise, Mrs Irina Bokova would like to invite you to become part of this

highly prestigious advisory body.” Okojie however said it was a “great honour and privilege to be recognized and appointed to serve in such capacity by a United Nations agency, the UNESCO.” “It is a clear signal that our efforts are gradually gaining global recognition. The task sounds interesting and being a Nigerian, I am optimistic that some of our national monuments and cultural heritage will qualify to be listed in the Memory of

the World International Register,” she said. Dr Okojie has served as the President of Nigerian Library Association; Advisor in Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Library Committee and is a Fellow of the United States of America International Visitor Leadership Programme. She is the Chair, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Africa Section and an Associate of IFLA International Leaders Programme.

Civil servants urge EFCC to probe govs owing salaries OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

L-R: Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development, Mr. Yunusa Yau; Country Director, Plan International, Dr. Hussaini Abdul; Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Mrs. Ojobo Atuluku and Deputy Director, Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences, Mr. Akeem Lawal, during 2015 National Dialogue on Poverty, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

igeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), urging it to swing into action by investigating governors owing workers salaries. The union stated that the probe should also be extended to ousted governors. In a communiqué issued at the end of a one day meeting of the Union held in Abuja and jointly signed by the President Comrade Kiri Mohammed and Ag. General Secretary, comrade Felix C. Ifoh, the union described as unfortunate a situation where some state and Local Governments cannot pay workers salaries, allowances and other mandatory deductions due to corruption.

NUC denies halting funds for staff schools MARCUS FATUNMOLE AND JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

he National Universities Commission NUC, has debunked claims by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, that it was responsible for suspension of fund for Staff Schools across the country. Reacting to this allegation recently in Abuja, Director, Information and Public Relations of the NUC, Ibrahim Usman Yakassai, noted that staff schools were established as private enterprises

which he said could only be funded from the internally generated revenues of the affected universities. Yakassai emphasized that the decision to stop funding for the schools was not a decision of the NUC but of federal government. He said on 28th August 2014, NUC received a circular with reference NO: SWC/S/S446/T2/85 addressed to the three arms of the federal government titled “funding of staff schools established by federal government institutions for immediate conveyance to all federal universities on government decisions on funding of

staff school.” The circular reads in part: “Some MDAs which have staff schools are funding the salaries and the allowances of the staff of such schools from federal budget. This action has led to further increase in the wages bill of federal government at this time when the nation is thinking on how to maximize recurrent expenditure in favour of capital. “Staff schools are established by MDAs as a private enterprise and should therefore be funded by the institutions that established them without transferring the burden of their

wage bill to the federal government.” Yakassai informed that the circular also noted that all enquiries on the matter should be directed to the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission which he said the NUC circulated to all federal universities as directed by the FG. He added: “Recently, the leaderships of SSANU, has in last few months issued several statements and published articles deliberately distorting facts and misleading the public on the truth of the matter for ulterior motives. “However, SSANU had threated to paralyze activi-

ties at the universities to protest the alleged plan by the Federal Government to lay off teachers teaching in staff schools owned by its universities. “The Commission, therefore, unhappy with the action of the union, and surprised that leadership of SSANU having full details on the matter at their disposal fail to seek clarification from relevant authority. It instead resorted to a campaign of calumny against the NUC.” Yakassai advised SSANU to “stop misleading the general public but seek the truth and desist from falsehood.”

The union added that the need for the anti graft agency to beam its search light into the activities of the affected governors became necessary considering how state resources were used in paying for inflated contracts and other personal expenses including chartered flights, sponsoring of political campaigns, bogus security votes and payment of severance allowances. According to the union there is no reason why state and local governments should fail in its mandatory responsibility, describing the situation as not only unfortunate but also criminal. The group also described a situation where workers could no longer discharge their obligations to their loved ones for lack of money, as greatly unfortunate. The civil servants however commended the Federal Government for averting serious industrial disputes capable of crippling poor states by promising bail out for them. It also hailed the doggedness of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, for putting in place a task force on unpaid salaries of workers in states and local governments. The union, which said the inability of state governments to pay salaries was not as a result of paucity of funds, due to high level of corruption, misappropriation of resources and flagrant disregard for the fulfilment of contractual agreement, however urged workers in the states yet to commence actions that would make them wake up to their responsibility.

Civil Service

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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How we cope with insurgency –MAUTECH VC MARCUSFATUNMOLE ABUJA

Newly promoted officers of Nigeria Immigration Service in Adamawa State Command, shortly after decoration at the command’s headquarters in Yola, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

he Vice-Chancellor, Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola, MAUTECH, Adamawa State, has said the institution was never shut down following incessant attacks by Boko Haram insurgents in the region.Mohammad stated this recently in Abuja at a meeting of high-ranking academics and students working with the Institute of Infectious Diseases of Poverty, IIDP.Mohammad

Police, NOUN renew pact on training of personnel OMEIZA AJAYI

n order to impact positively on their personnel, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Open University of Nigeria NOUN, have renewed their mutual assistance agreement which will see staff of the university trained by the police in security studies. NOUN, on its part, will continue to admit more police personnel and their families to undertake her degree and post-graduate programmes while working. The Inspector General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase announced this when he received a delegation from the National Open University of Nigeria NOUN, led by its Vice Chancellor, Prof. Vincent Ado Tenebe. Urging universities to invest more on security and intelligence studies, the IGP said the police cannot operate effectively without knowledge, thanking NOUN for helping the force to fill its educational gaps. “Here at NPF, our focus is on intelligence and reassurance placing, that is, visible policing. By the time you see us here and there, then the tendency to commit crime will be reduced”, he said. “Insecurity or crime has gone scientific and the response to it has to be scientific and sophisticated especially as we even now have cyber-crime. If the police are not knowledgeable enough, they cannot

excel because contemporary issues require contemporary solutions”, he said. According to him, the Nigeria Police of the future cannot encourage mediocrity, saying the force needs officers that are mentally mobile.

JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

group, Izu Ndigbo have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to consider South East in the appointment of government key officials in his administration. The group noted that since the inception of the new administration, a south easterner have not been appoint into any key government post.

On his part, Prof. Tenebe said due to the nature of police job, the NOUN curricula has been designed in a way that would encourage them to work and learn. He requested for a section of the building at the former Force Headquar-

ters in Maloney Street, Lagos for the varsity to use in training police personnel. “NOUN is ready to collaborate with the force and to utilize the Study Centre to ensure that all police personnel and their families can advance their

educational interests while fighting crime”, he assured. The VC lauded the police boss for also taking 32 staff of the university on “spy police” training, saying other universities have now indicated interest in the programme.

Group wants Buhari to appoint key officials from South East This is contained in a statement issued and jointly signed by the National Coordinator and the National Secretary of the group, Sir Paschal Ahizih and Benjamin Anyanwu respectively. The statement noted that currently, the south east have lost out at the post of the President, Vice President, Senate Presi-

dent, Speaker House of Representatives, President of the Court of Appeal, Accountant General of the Federation and other key positions. According to the statement, “Call it Federal Character, balance of power, being your brother’s keeper, equality among the federating units or no victor no vanquish all

is aimed at trusting each other through fair allocation, of engagement and allocation of means of governance and administration in the Nigerian nation state”. The group however said that it was pertinent for the present administration to look into their request and effect it in its subsequent appointments.

VIO commissions ICT training centre for staff CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

he Department of Road Traffic Services otherwise known as Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) in the Federal Capital Territory has commissioned an ultra modern Information and Technology Centre to train workers on the modern use of computers. The Director of VIO in the FCT, Deputy Corps Marshal, Danjuma Garba said the move is aimed at improving working environment for effective service delivery through seamless vehicle registration system,

establishment of six additional driver’s licensing centres, rebranding of the DRTS through an in-house lecture series and building of DRTS Computer Training Centre. He appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCDA) improve our funding for training, increased remuneration and adequate infrastructure to support its operational activities in the city. He also noted that the organisation’s manpower remained inadequate to curb the influx of vehicle in the FCT. “We therefore require additional personnel to strengthen our work force

and to replace those who have been permanently disabled and were lost in the course of the duty, among others. Finally, we request the authority to continue to support the DRTS and provide a legal frame work that would take care of our new innovations like the computerized vehicle inspection and other traffic enforcement duties” he said. The Permanent Secretary, of FCT, Engr. John Chukwu expressed delight at the new modern ICT centre, stressing that it almost impossible to imagine a task or life without the impact of ICT.

“You will agree with me that the whole world has been turned into a small global village as a result of ICT technology. You will agree with me when I say that ICT has revolutionized every facet and fabric of our socio-economic lives. Even religion and the quest for knowledge is not spared by ICT. In this time and age, it is almost impossible to imagine a task or the very life we live without the impact of ICT” he said. He said the administration has placed priority on the use of cutting edge technology in traffic enforcement and motor vehicles administration generally.

who was represented at the event by a Professor from Environmental Science Department in the school, Abdullahi Tukur, said attacks on the state had resulted in people deserting their homes and places of work, hence making them vulnerable to infectious diseases. He told National Mirror: “We have seen the worst of it. Even when they were as close as to Gombi, about 120 kilometers to Yola, our university was at the front line; we didn’t close. Even when three aircrafts crash-landed behind the universities, each time the Vice-Chancellor would move round and say ‘I am also within the campus.’“For four months after his appointment, he could not relocate to the official resident of the ViceChancellor; just to remain with the staff and students. It gave everyone the confidence it was going to be well. And, it has been well so far.“I would have loved that you see it at first hands with all the displacements caused by the insurgency. The collateral damage of it on the human security aspect is that food has gotten very scarce because people are no more on the farm to farm again. Water is a challenge; most of the settlements have been burnt down; so you can understand the situation we are in terms of poverty, and the associated aspect of it which has to do with diseases.“…The only time we closed not according to our own calendar was when elections were to be held on 14th of February, when elections were shifted after we had closed and for them to come back after 28th. When they resumed, we never closed; not even for the elections again because we wouldn’t want our calendar to be disrupted again,” he explained further.He revealed that the institution was planning to establish a Medical College to enable it train students in various medical programmes. “Of course we do run a lot of programmes that are related to infectious diseases, in parasitology, ophthalmology, tropical disease control and things like that. But, most importantly, we are contemplating and planning very strongly towards establishing a medical college. With that, we felt that (the IIDP) was a good platform,” he stated.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Theophilus Onojeghen WARRI

former deputy chairman of Delta State All Progressives Congress, Dr Cyril Ogodo, has called on Governor Ifeanyi to probe the administration of his predecessor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan in the face of the recent revelation that the previous government left huge debt amounting to over N636 billion. Accusing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of mismanaging Delta State treasury, Ogodo told Okowa to commence im-

Politics

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

APC chieftain, group challenge Okowa to probe Uduaghan mediate probe into the awards of contracts by the Uduaghan administration and publish without further delay full extract of his transition committee report as the treasury of the state should not be traded for politics. He described as very unfortunate the mismanagement of Delta’s commonwealth, saying that Deltans should consider

themselves lucky that the debt is not higher than the N636 billion declared by Governor Okowa, who he said was a major beneficiary of the loots. Ogodo told National Mirror: “It’s unfortunate that the same rat that ate the fish; is coming out in the public to complain that the fish has been eaten by rat. Who is Uduaghan, who is Okowa, are they not

apostles of James Ibori political dynasty? “Okowa was a Secretary to the State Government, SSG, under the Uduaghan administration, so what is he trying to tell Deltans? Is he saying that he was not part of those who borrow this money without utilising it for the development of Delta State? Or is he trying to tell us that we don’t know that the state was in

Members of All Progressives Congress, APC, in FCT during a procession in honour of Comrade Emma Ezeazu, a chieftain of the party who died recently, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

PDP receives 1,000 memo on post-2015 election Adeola Tukuru ABUJA

eoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday disclosed that it has received over 1,000 memoranda from its members across the country over the recently concluded general elections. Consequently, PDP national leadership yesterday set up three task teams to hold public hearings in the different geo-political zones of the country for the postgeneral elections. Chairman of the Post2015 General Election Committee, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, told newsmen in Abuja that over 1,000 memoranda were forwarded by party members from the six geo-political zones, adding that each of the task teams would cover two geo-political zones. He further assured of collecting and collating more information from members across the geo-political zones. He pleaded with PDP members nationwide to avail the committee of information and facts which

would assist it perform its duties, assuring that the parent committee will take all their submissions into consideration while writing the final report. He said the party will send three teams round the country to find out what happened in the various parts of the country before, during and after the party primaries and the election. He said: “We urge all our members to avail these committees of credible information which will help them arrive at the way forward. “We are aware that some of our members are not happy with what happened then. We assure you that we shall take all your input into consideration in the final report and annex them to the report.” Former governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi is to head the committee for the South-South and SouthEast zones; Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun is for the NorthEast and North-West zones while Hon. Emeka Ihedioha is to head the committee to cover the North-Central and South-West zones. Ekweremadu added: “We expect that the committees

will round off their assignment by July 10. In this respect, people who still have some input to make, should also make use of the zonal visitations and do so. “We want to see what we can do to move forward. We are going to put the template on the PDP website: issues of primary, post

primary issues; election issues, post election issues. “We have members in the National Assembly and a lot of members in states Houses of Assembly. We appeal to our members to remain calm and be patient because we are working hard to reposition our party.”

shamble? “Does Okowa want to tell us that the N100 billion loan that Uduaghan took and the N20 billion Mr. Sam Obi borrowed we don’t know that he was part of those who initiated it and it went into the drain? Or is he telling us that billions meant for DESOPADEC that never get to the agency, we don’t know that it went into the drain? “Governor Okowa has nothing new to tell Deltans, he is only trying to make fool of Deltans, by playing the ostrich, because Deltans are aware of the level of rot that the PDP-led government, which he is a part brought to the state.” While calling for a probe, he submitted that it is only an APC led government that would bring about the needed change which will pull Delta State out of the rot the PDP has brought upon the state. Meanwhile, a rights group in the state, Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged, CENTREP, while frown at the debts, challenged the Okowaled government to purge itself of all sentiments by constituting a probing panel to probe the former governor. CENTREP, in a statement by its Executive Director, Mr Oghenejabor Ikimi, accused Uduaghan of mortgaging the future of the state.

Ikimi said: “Governor Okowa’s recent claim on the floor of the Delta State House of Assembly that his administration inherited a whopping N636 billion debt burden from the previous administration of Uduaghan,” was nothing but an “act of pure evil against the downtrodden masses of the state by Uduaghan, who himself was a major contractor in the state.” He said: “Though we are not oblivious of the fact that the actual debt burden of the state is well over a trillion naira as revealed in the transition committee report submitted to Okowa, we wonder why he has settled for the sum of N636 billion. We therefore call on Okowa, for the avoidance of doubt to immediately publish the full extract of his transition committee report.” CENTREP said that it was glaring that Uduaghan had mortgaged the future of Delta and her people before he handed over the reins of governance to Governor Okowa, adding: “We call for an inquest or a probe by the state government to investigate all the debts owed contractors in the state under the watch of the immediate past governor which figure Governor Okowa has liberally put at N539 billion excluding the principal sum of N98 billion owned commercial banks.”

NASS leadership crisis: Oyo APC threatens to deal with lawmakers Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

he crisis in the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the leadership of the National Assembly may take a long time to be abate as Oyo State APC yesterday vowed to sanction any of its members found to have worked against the emergence of consensus candidates nominated for principal offices in both chambers of the 8th National Assembly, inaugurated amidst controversies on June 9. It will be recalled that both the House of Representatives and the Senate

have been enmeshed in an apparent intractable war of attrition over the choice of members to man various principal offices, a development which predated the inauguration and which ensuing horse trading have not abated weeks after. Oyo APC, in a statement issued by its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Olawale Sadare, regretted the development which it said is the handiwork of some over-zealous people within and outside the APC who were aversed to the change project as programmed by President Muhammadu Buhari and the national leadership of the party. He said: “As patriotic citizens and committed

change agents, Oyo APC leadership and its members are embarrassed by the current situation in both chambers of the National Assembly. And as a responsible and loyal chapter which appreciates the fundamental of party supremacy, we identify with the position of the national headquarters of our great party which revolves around decency, discipline and national interest. “We are very much aware of the inglorious roles played by some of our members elected as federal lawmakers, who conspired with Peoples Democratic Party, PDP elements to truncate the painstaking efforts of APC to guide the majority members on the

choice of leadership that could work with Mr. President to deliver on his promises and move the country to an unprecedented height in no time. “Specifically, we watched on television how a particular member of the House of Representatives from the state was manhandled by his colleagues before he was rescued in his torn clothes. This development caused the good people of the Pacesetter State a monumental embarrassment as the said victim got the disgraceful treatment in his attempt to safeguard his personal interest, following his earlier disregard of the directive on the party’s choice candidates for the principal offices.”

Politics

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

hy is your agenda for your constituency different from your predecessor’s? My predecessors had really done well and performed creditably well during his time in the House, the main reason he was picked and elected as the candidate to represent the constituency at the National Assembly. You will quite agree with me that governance is a continuous process that can’t be finished at a go. In view of this, I am assuring my constituets that I will start from where he stopped, by the special grace of God and as time goes by the programme I have outlined for my constituency will start to manifest. It may interest you to know that on the day we were inaugurated, I opened my constituency office in Mushin. As I am talking to you I have approved GCE forms to be distributed freely to 200 students in my constituency, consolidation on the free computer programme I initiated in Mushin since 2002 and giving stipends to the needy and widows of the constituency. Within the first three months of my representation, all the programmes I have earmarked for the constituency would have fully manifested.

Age won’t be barrier to Buhari’s performance –Olayemi Hon Abdul-Sobur Olawale Olayemi represents Mushin state constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly. He bares his mind to DARE AKOGUN on his plans for his constituency, allowances of legislators, corruption and other topical issues. Excerpts: if

little bit patient with him till when the cabinet is formed and proper

governance kick started.

He has been tested before and everybody can attest to what he did, so he is

Aside the constituency office do you have any plans of periodic meeting with the people of your constituency? I have a programme designed to be a form of feedback mechanisms to our people on what we are doing and what they want us to improve upon. I have it in mind through the constituency office to reach out to the people of my constituency. There will be a quarterly briefing that will be organised to interface directly with them. The public have been talking about the pay of legislators and cost of governance as a whole, which has led to the clamour for its downward review, what is your take on this? For me, this is nothing new to me as I have in time past practiced this; it may interest you to know that when I was the Special Adviser on Transport to former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, I made a lot of sacrifice for the people of Mushin from my personal emolument. In fact I can boldly say this is one of the reasons, I was chosen by my people to represent them at the House of Assembly. I am in total support of those clamouring for the reduction in the cost of governance and pay cuts for legislators provided it is beneficial to our people. I see it as a way of contributing our quota to the development of this country, and I don’t think any elected official will want the same people that engineered his/her victory at the polls be allowed to suffer at the expense of taking care of them. Do you believe the age of the president will hinder his

Nigerians were a

just like an old wine in a new bottle.

Olayemi

fight against corruption compared to his days as a military head of state? Our people should understand that corruption has been part of this country from inception which can’t be defeated with just a wave of the hand, but rather it will be dealt with gradually with programmes and the will power of the people in authority. Unlike the military days when the style of governance was with fiats and decrees, where any pronouncement by the Head of State is law and its enforcement will be with immediate effect, in a democratic government, there is no way the President will take any decision without extant approval of the National Assembly, and if you say he is aged and weak, and that the rigours of governance will weigh him down you will agree with me that such assertions are just mere thinking of some people. You will agree with me that a weak president won’t move military command centre to the heart of the insurgents; a weak old man wouldn’t have been able to endure

the rigors of travelling to Chad, Niger and attending the G7 summit just for the sole purpose of finding a lasting solution to the security issues bedeviling the country. So in essence it won’t be out of place if Nigerians were a little bit patient with him till when the cabinet is formed and proper governance kick started. He has been tested before and everybody can attest to what he did, so he is just like an old wine in a new bottle. What should the people of Lagos State expect from this current Assembly? They should expect vibrant and robust activities with good representation by each and every member of the House to their constituencies. Let me give you a scenario, when the principal officers of the House were to be constituted, members that expressed interest in different positions were seasoned administrators and professionals in their own rights, so the House was spilt for choices in choosing the principal officers, before we later settled for the choice of Hon. Mudashiru Obasa as the speaker. So with the crop of honourable members in this present Assembly, who are from different professional background, we will definitely perform our best in making people oriented legislation that will be beneficial to all.

Delta guber: Okowa preliminary objection to stop APC, LP petitions struck out Amour Udemude ASABA

elta State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Asaba yesterday struck out the preliminary objection by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial candidate in the April 11 election Ifeanyi Okowa, to stop petitions filed by the gubernatorial candidates of the Labour Party, LP and All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Great Ogboru and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor respectively, challenging his victory. Ogboru and Emerhor had in their separate petitions challenged the declaration of Okowa as

winner of the April 11 gubernatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Lead counsel to Okowa, Mr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, prayed the tribunal through a preliminary objection to terminate the APC and LP petitions over lack of merits and having failed to apply for pre-hearing notice

as provided for under paragraph 18 (1) of the Electoral Act 2014 as amended. Iziyon further prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petitions having been deemed abandoned following the failure of the petitioners to apply for hearing notice. But in his objection, lead counsel to Emerhor, Mr. Thomson Okpoko, SAN, ar-

gued and prayed the court not to allow the tribunal to go through the pre-hearing as that will waste the time of the court. Okpoko cited section 12(5) of the Electoral Act and told the court that election petition has time limits, adding that at the rate at which motions are been filed to terminate the

petition, it could prevent the court from hearing the case on its merits if allowed. On his part, lead counsel to Ogboru, Mr. Dele Adesina, SAN, told the court that section 285(6) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria limits the tribunal to 180 days, arguing that time is

Lagos LG management: Court fixes October 9 for judgement Wale Igbintade

Lagos High Court presided over by the Justice Abdulfattah Lawal yesterday fixed October 9 to deliver judgment in a suit challenging the management of local government administration in Lagos State.

The applicant, National Conscience Party, NCP, through its National Secretary, Comrade Ayodele Akele, had filed an action for a declaration that the local governments in Lagos State can only be run and managed by a democratically elected administration. The party is also seeking for an order directing Independent National Electoral

Commission, INEC, to supply voters’ register to Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC. Besides, the applicant is seeking for an order of mandamus compelling LAISEC to forthwith conduct local government elections in Lagos State and to declare the caretaker committees as illegal. Responding, Lagos State

government and LAISEC stated that upon the expiration of the tenure of the last local government administration in October 2014, Lagos State governor, by executive order appointed interim caretaker committees headed by executive secretaries, to run the affairs of all the local governments, in order to avoid a vacuum.

of essence to the hearing and determination of the case, which if not considered will amount to fundamental injustice to the petitioners and prayed the court to hear the motions along with the substantive petitions to save time. In his ruling after listening to both parties’ arguments, the three-man tribunal led by Justice Nasir Gunmi struck out Okowa’s preliminary objections to hear the APC and LP petitions. The tribunal said all applications would be entertained along with the substantive petitions, saying respondents incorporated all their motions in their reply to the petitions, maintaining that “the motions will be heard alongside the substantive petitions.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

CBN adjusts exchange rate peg, now N196.95 to dollar STORIES: JOHNSON OKANLAWON with agency report

entral Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday adjusted its exchange rate peg to N196.95 against the dollar from the N196.90 set last week, data on the bank’s website showed. The naira fell to N228 to the dollar on the parallel market, down 0.88 per cent from the preceding

day, continuing a decline seen since the CBN introduced new foreign exchange rules last Wednesday to conserve dwindling reserves, traders said However, Naira responded to the CBN foreign exchange measures, as it lost N2 or 0.89 per cent against the US dollar at the parallel market yesterday The nation’s currency also weakened by the same amount against the dollar at the Bureau De Change

segment of the foreign exchange market. The CBN had, a few days ago, excluded importers of some goods and services from accessing foreign exchange at the Nigerian foreign exchange markets. After yesterday’s trading , the naira closed at N227 to the dollar and N225 to the dollar at the parallel and BDC respectively, compared with N225 to the dollar and

N223 to the dollar traded on Friday last week. Meanwhile, the 10year benchmark Federal Government bond yield inched up 40 basis points as domestic pension funds switched to short dated papers yesterday. The 2024 bond, listed on the JP Morgan Government Bond Index (GBEM), rose to 14.74 per cent, from its previous close of 14.34 per cent on Monday.

Market indices up 0.6%, Dangote Cement leads gainers

enchmark indices of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) yesterday ended on a bullish note, as buy decision outweighed selling pressure, leading the indicators to grow by 0.63 per cent. One of the blue chips, Dangote Cement Plc led the gainers’ pack with N6 to close at N180 per share. The Nigerian Breweries trailed with N2.78 to close at N149.98, while Guinness grew by N1.64 to close at

N162.81 per share. Presco garnered N1.50 to close at N35 and Lafarge Africa appreciated by 99k to close at N101.99 per share. Consequently, the AllShare Index rose by 207.64 points to close at 33,456.83 against 33,249.19 recorded on Monday. Similarly, the Market Capitalisation, which opened at N11.350 trillion increased by N71 billion to close at N11.421 trillion. Conversely, Nestle re-

corded a loss of N32.20 to close at N857 per share. Forte Oil came second, dipping by N2.88 to close at N188.22 while PZ lost N1.55 to close at N30.45 per share. Cadbury dropped N1.47 to close at N35.03 while Transcorp declined by 93k to close at N8.70 per share. Further checks on the market data showed that Zenith Bank Plc emerged the most traded equity, accounting for 90.38 million shares worth N1.78 billion. Sterling Bank followed

with 36.57 million shares valued N72.98 million, while Unilever sold 19 million shares worth N864.72 million. UBA accounted for 17.67 million shares valued N88. 21 million, while Access Bank exchanged 16.94 million shares worth N96.23 million. In all, investors’ staked N4.29 billion on 268.57 million shares exchanged in 4,808 deals.

Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund gets Aa(f) rating

tanbic IBTC Money Market Fund, one of the six mutual funds managed by Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited and regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, has been assigned a fund rating of Aa(f) for the fourth consecutive year. A statement by the company indicated that the evaluation by the rating agency, Agusto & Co., was based on the quality of the prudent investment guidelines and risk management approach adopted in the management of the Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund with respect to interest rates and credit risks. It stated further that the rating was the highest rating so far conferred on a mutual fund managed in Nigeria by Agusto & Co., adding that the fund is currently the largest open-ended mutual fund managed by Stanbic IBTC Asset Management.

“The fund invests its assets in low risk money market securities with financial institutions in Nigeria rated “A” and above by a local rating agency recognized by the SEC,” the statement added. According to Agusto & Co., the rating denotes a fund with minimal exposure to downside risk, adding that the rating for the fund, which was established in 2009, was also supported by the good quality of the underlying assets which are in line with SEC guidelines for money market funds. The chairman of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Mr. Yinka Sanni, said the company would continually leverage its robust risk management framework to safeguard its investments and ensure optimal return for investors in the company’s mutual funds. He said this was

anchored on strict adherence to global best practices by the fund manager. “We are excited at Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited that the Stanbic IBTC Money Market Fund has been rated Aa(f) for the fourth consecutive year by Nigeria’s leading credit rating firm. “It is a clear recognition that validates the robustness of our risk management framework and dedication to deliver exceptional customer service. We remain steadfast in offering investment options that guarantee respectable returns to unit holders,” Sanni said. The Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Mr. Olumide Oyetan, explained that the fund was a collective investment scheme that invested in a wide range of very liquid short-term money market instruments such as Guaran-

teed Commercial Papers, Bankers’ Acceptance, Term Deposits and Certificates of Deposit, among others, with domestic banks in Nigeria. He said that the fund invested 100 per cent of its assets in low risk money market securities (including treasury bills) with financial institutions in Nigeria rated “A” and above by credit rating agencies recognized by SEC. Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

Crude oil price

$58.96

Source: NSE

Inter-Bank Rate Naira

US Dollar

N196.95 Market indicators All-Share Index 33,456.83points Market capitalisation 11.42trn

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

FIDSON

3.30

3.57

0.27

8.18

MAYBAKER

1.49

1.57

0.08

5.37

CCNN

10.20

10.71

0.51

5.00

UPL

5.61

5.89

0.28

4.99

LIVESTOCK

2.06

2.16

0.10

4.85

UBN

9.35

9.79

0.44

4.71

NAHCO

4.77

4.99

0.22

4.61

DIAMONDBNK

4.20

4.39

0.19

4.52

PRESCO

33.50

35.00

1.50

4.48

NEM

0.72

0.75

0.03

4.17

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

TRANSCOHOT

9.63

8.70

-0.93

-9.66

CUTIX

1.65

1.57

-0.08

-4.85

32.00

30.45

-1.55

-4.84

COSTAIN

0.84

0.80

-0.04

-4.76

EVANSMED

1.27

1.21

-0.06

-4.72

MANSARD

2.96

2.83

-0.13

-4.39

VONO

1.14

1.09

-0.05

-4.39

CADBURY

36.50

35.03

-1.47

-4.03

NESTLE

889.20

857.00

-32.20

-3.62

TRANSCORP

2.80

2.71

-0.09

-3.21

FGN Bonds

Offer

Bid

Description

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.13

98.49

14.50

98.64

14.35

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.83

100.44

14.78

100.59

14.68

16.00 29-JUN-2019

4.00

102.99

14.98

103.29

14.88

15.54 13-FEB-2020

4.62

101.77

14.98

102.07

14.89

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.58

106.33

14.84

106.63

14.77

14.20 14-MAR-2024

8.71

97.52

14.70

97.82

14.64

Closing Market Prices of June 30, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

Exchange

Rates (N)

01-Oct-15

13.42

13.89

WAUA

270

24-Dec-15

13.55

14.50

USD

197

EURO

214

02-Jun-16

12.61

14.28

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

Tenor

Rate (%)

SWISS FRANC

202

O/N

8.0833

14.6278

POUNDS STERLING

293

15.9834

SDR

273

16.7887

NIBOR

The Fixings of June 30, 2015

Capital Market

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015 Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042

Equities as at June 30, 2015 Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015 Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042

Daily Summary (Bonds)

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Debt Trading Activity

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

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

Symbol FTNCOCOA OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 1 13 23 37

Current Price 0.50 28.76 35.00

Quantity Traded 10,000 149,396 148,809 308,205

Value Traded 5,000.00 4,303,097.00 5,211,250.63 9,519,347.63

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 45 45

Current Price 2.16

Quantity Traded 1,546,166 1,546,166

Value Traded 3,218,160.66 3,218,160.66

1,854,371

12,737,508.29

Current Price 1.47 4.44 2.71 42.50

Quantity Traded 5,000 5,320 6,475,251 957,921 7,443,492

Value Traded 7,000.00 22,450.40 17,756,161.11 40,728,275.92 58,513,887.43

AGRICULTURE Totals

Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015 CONGLOMERATES

Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 Diversified Industries

A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. S C O A NIG. PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC U A C N PLC. Diversified Industries Totals

Symbol AGLEVENT SCOA TRANSCORP Daily Summary UACN

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

CONGLOMERATES Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Structure/Completion/Other Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals

No. of Deals 1 2 141 (Equities) 60 204 204

7,443,492

58,513,887.43

Symbol COSTAIN

No. of Deals 12 12

Current Price 0.80

Quantity Traded Page 228,405 228,405

Value Traded 11 1 of 184,343.05 184,343.05

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

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 14 14

Current Price 48.50

Quantity Traded 27,612 27,612

Value Traded 1,336,322.56 1,336,322.56

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

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 21 21

Current Price 10.50

Quantity Traded 117,802 117,802

Value Traded 1,217,292.82 1,217,292.82

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

Symbol UPDCREIT

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 10.00

Quantity Traded 15,050 15,050

Value Traded 150,500.00 150,500.00

388,869

2,888,458.43

Value Traded 3,081,816.08 45,514,454.33 1,975,893.00 241,669,114.12 4,650.00 292,245,927.53

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals

Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015

Symbol CHAMPION GUINNESS Daily Summary INTBREW NB PREMBREW

No. of Deals 22 58 (Equities) 7 123 1 211

Current Price 6.25 162.81 19.01 149.98 3.26

Quantity Traded 498,863 276,161 101,400 1,633,703 1,500 2,511,627

Symbol 7UP

No. of Deals 36 36

Current Price 179.10

Quantity Traded Page 39,926

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR MANDRID MULTITREX NASCON NNFM UTC

No. of Deals 32 52 68 26 1 1 19 1 1 201

Current Price 3.99 6.90 34.00 3.50 5.35 0.50 8.00 18.05 0.50

Quantity Traded 156,870 2,297,355 1,151,538 823,191 1,250 100 381,650 2,000 2,000 4,815,954

Value Traded 620,949.36 15,945,537.28 39,057,685.91 2,877,704.50 6,362.50 50.00 3,037,498.46 34,300.00 1,000.00 61,581,088.01

No. of Deals 34 65 99

Current Price 35.03 857.00

Quantity Traded 207,233 99,782 307,015

Value Traded 7,265,788.05 85,679,879.67 92,945,667.72 Value Traded 8,301,335.00 474,279.22 8,775,614.22

Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC P S MANDRIDES & CO PLC. MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. U T C NIG. PLC. Food Products Totals

Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015

Food Products--Diversified Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. Food Products--Diversified Totals Household Durables VITAFOAM NIG PLC. Activity Summary on Board VONO PRODUCTS PLC. EQTY Household Durables Totals CONSUMER GOODS Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products Totals

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol VITAFOAM VONO

No. of Deals 29 10 39

Current Price 5.66 1.09

Quantity Traded 1,470,607 413,846 1,884,453

Symbol PZ UNILEVER

No. of Deals 50 37 87

Current Price 30.45 45.50

Quantity Traded 1,259,635 Page 19,004,493 20,264,128

CONSUMER GOODS Totals

Daily Summary as ofSERVICES 30/06/2015 FINANCIAL Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. ActivitySKYE Summary on Board EQTY BANK PLC STERLING BANK PLC. FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services AIICO INSURANCE PLC. REINSURANCE Published byCONTINENTAL The Nigerian Stock Exchange © PLC LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC MANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. NIGER Daily Summary as ofINSURANCE 30/06/2015 CO. PLC. UNIC INSURANCE PLC. Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Micro-Finance Banks NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals

673

Symbol No. of Deals ACCESS 224 DIAMONDBNK 30 ETI 49 Daily Summary (Equities) FIDELITYBK 58 GUARANTY 205 SKYEBANK 76 STERLNBANK 1,232

Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Value Traded 96,231,454.21 7,362,944.02 35,672,341.37 2,045,513.82 198,146,726.72 3,900,043.72 72,976,609.37

Value Traded 88,205,684.44 3,157,019.85 2,128,498.78 4,504,685.53 1,768,525,361.11 2,282,856,882.94

11 42,584,747.02 of 198,500.00 1,392,420.88 1,000.00 1,312,084.78 31,370.00 1,633.00 534,945.50 8,172,107.07

Quantity Traded 48,409 48,409

Value Traded 50,701.09 50,701.09

Quantity Traded 1,146,681 Quantity Traded 68,669 Page 8,573,763 929,278 5,000 203,388 2,377,179 13,303,958

Value Traded 3,204,322.54 Value Traded 11 5 274,110.86 of 68,467,661.61 2,777,100.51 2,500.00 5,486,909.38 3,334,837.83 83,547,442.73

Symbol AFRIPRUD Symbol CUSTODYINS FBNH FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

No. of Deals 48 No. of Deals 8 357 42 2 16 71 544

Current Price 2.80 Current Price 4.00 7.94 3.00 0.50 27.00 1.40

3,050

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH PHARMDEKO

No. of Deals 11 20 20 21 20 4 96

203,029,727

Current Price 1.21 3.57 44.00 1.57 1.39 2.20

Symbol CWG

No. of Deals 1

Current Price 3.98

2,374,627,133.83

Value Traded 154,779.66 1,986,143.60 42,046,666.50 1,184,704.11 901,500.00 669,500.00 46,943,293.87

3,433,082

46,943,293.87

Quantity Traded 200

Value Traded 758.00

Page

No. of Deals 1 2

Quantity Traded

Current Price 11.02

Value of Shares(N)

Quantity Traded 190 390

Value Traded 1,989.30 2,747.30

390

2,747.30

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP CCNN DANGCEM DNMEYER PORTPAINT WAPCO

No. of Deals 12 27 8 14 64 2 6 33 166

Current Price 22.60 11.24 41.00 10.71 180.00 0.76 4.45 101.99

Quantity Traded 31,062 135,491 6,969 187,898 1,088,292 1,150 20,700 382,900 1,854,462

Value Traded 691,219.06 1,466,572.69 271,442.55 2,005,822.58 192,249,415.26 889.50 91,885.00 38,450,221.17 235,227,467.81

Symbol

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 1.57

Quantity Traded 300,000 300,000

Value Traded 471,000.00 471,000.00

Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 6

Current Price 35.50

Quantity Traded 4,518

Value Traded 161,345.70

Symbol VANLEER

No. of Deals 1 7

Current Price 11.48

Quantity Traded 100 4,618 Page 2,159,080

Daily Summary (Equities) CUTIX

174

Value Traded 1,200.00 162,545.70 11 7 of 235,861,013.51

Symbol ALUMACO

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 7.75

Quantity Traded 12,000 12,000

Value Traded 88,440.00 88,440.00

Symbol THOMASWY

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.67

Quantity Traded 4,950 4,950

Value Traded 3,465.00 3,465.00

16,950

91,905.00

Symbol JAPAULOIL

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 100 100

Value Traded 50.00 50.00

Symbol OANDO

No. of Deals 248 248

Current Price 15.70

Quantity Traded 8,279,989 8,279,989

Value Traded 131,862,428.36 131,862,428.36

Symbol BECOPETRO CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals 1 25 8 66 11 2 11 124

Current Price 0.50 40.85 2.45 188.22 155.00 50.54 165.00

Quantity Traded 9,665,461 57,046 Page 422,692 200,609 9,670 1,100 2,247 10,358,825

Value Traded 4,832,730.50 2,280,870.70 8 of 11 1,041,287.72 37,983,344.52 1,452,287.42 52,822.00 369,190.37 48,012,533.23

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 16 16

Current Price 340.06

Quantity Traded 16,588 16,588

Value Traded 5,625,184.37 5,625,184.37

18,655,502

185,500,195.96

Daily Summary (Equities)

389

Symbol RTBRISCOE

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.77

Quantity Traded 25,293 25,293

Value Traded 18,157.69 18,157.69

Symbol Symbol BECOPETRO REDSTAREX CONOIL TRANSEXPR ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

No. of Deals No. of Deals 1 12 25 3 8 15 66 11 2 11 124

Current Price Current Price 0.50 5.02 40.85 1.27 2.45 188.22 155.00 50.54 165.00

Quantity Traded Quantity Traded 9,665,461 156,760 57,046 3,600 422,692 160,360 200,609 9,670 1,100 Page 2,247 10,358,825

Value Traded Value Traded 4,832,730.50 793,018.40 2,280,870.70 4,356.00 1,041,287.72 797,374.40 37,983,344.52 1,452,287.42 52,822.00 9 of 11 369,190.37 48,012,533.23

Symbol SEPLAT

No. of Deals 16 16

Current Price 340.06

Quantity Traded 16,588 16,588

Value Traded 5,625,184.37 5,625,184.37

18,655,502

185,500,195.96

389

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.77

Quantity Traded 25,293 25,293

Value Traded 18,157.69 18,157.69

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 12 3 15

Current Price 5.02 1.27

Quantity Traded 156,760 3,600 160,360

Value Traded 793,018.40 4,356.00 797,374.40

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 16 16

Current Price 0.54

Quantity Traded 489,791 Page 489,791

Value Traded 265,160.95 11 9 265,160.95 of

Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL TRANSCOHOT

No. of Deals 4 2 6

Current Price 3.65 8.70

Quantity Traded 314,400 51,000 365,400

Value Traded 1,148,730.00 444,150.00 1,592,880.00

Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC Media/Entertainment Totals

Symbol DAARCOMM

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 5,000 5,000

Value Traded 2,500.00 2,500.00

Symbol LEARNAFRCA UPL

No. of Deals 2 11 13

Current Price 1.26 5.89

Quantity Traded 35,000 202,500 237,500

Value Traded 43,750.00 1,191,402.00 1,235,152.00

Symbol ABCTRANS

No. of Deals 9 9

Current Price 0.52

Quantity Traded 161,497 161,497

Value Traded 82,376.90 82,376.90

Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

No. of Deals 5 17 22

Current Price 2.08 4.99

Quantity Traded 4,819 315,458 320,277

Value Traded 9,638.00 1,572,721.21 1,582,359.21

Symbol CAVERTON

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 3.42

Quantity Traded Page 150 150

Value Traded 2,115,405.89

Quantity Traded 125,396 586,859 956,174 772,653 690,000 302,000 3,433,082

Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Exploration and Production Totals

Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals SERVICES

Quantity Traded 2,270,437 2,672,500 Page 397,000 489,078 2,000 1,759,260 62,740 3,266 1,069,891 8,726,172

1.05

Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Courier/Freight/Delivery BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC RED STAR EXPRESS PLC CONOIL PLC TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. ETERNA PLC. Courier/Freight/Delivery Totals FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. Published by The Nigerian StockPLC. Exchange © TOTAL NIGERIA Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Current Price 0.94 1.00 0.50 2.83 0.50 0.75 0.50 0.50 0.50

6 6

Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC OILIntegrated AND GAS Oil and Gas Services Totals Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC CONOIL PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © ETERNA PLC. FORTE OIL PLC. MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. Petroleum and Petroleum Products Distributors Totals

OIL AND GAS Totals Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015 SERVICES15:15:42.042 Printed 30/06/2015 Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

No. of Deals 22 20 3 10 1 34 4 1 10 105

NPFMCRFBK

Packaging/Containers BETA GLASS CO PLC. INDUSTRIAL GOODS Packaging/Containers GREIF NIGERIA PLC Packaging/Containers Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

SERVICES Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Activity Summary on Board EQTY R T BRISCOE PLC. Part Retailers Totals OILAutomobile/Auto AND GAS

Symbol AIICO CONTINSURE LINKASSURE MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM NIGERINS UNIC WAPIC

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

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

OIL AND GAS Totals

Quantity Traded 17,668,243 338,839 868,380 4,743,162 90,382,822 180,951,188

Quotation(N)

Exploration and Production Totals

Current Price 4.99 9.79 2.50 0.94 19.25

HEALTHCARE Totals ICT IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC

Quantity Traded 16,939,697 1,727,059 1,588,136 1,197,339 7,268,690 1,653,822 36,574,999

Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015 Exploration and Production Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD

No. of Deals 138 45 26 13 299 2,395

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

Current Price 5.65 4.39 22.50 1.72 27.01 2.39 2.00

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC DANGOTE CEMENT PLC DN MEYER PLC. Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015 PORTLAND PAINTS & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. Building Materials Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Value Traded 11 339,654,730.04 of 864,715,336.30 904,370,066.34 1,367,374,369.53

No Of Deals Symbol NCR

ICT Totals

Daily Summary asRESOURCES of 30/06/2015 Totals NATURAL Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Value Traded 11 2 7,456,005.71 of 7,456,005.71

29,823,103

Company name

ICT IT Services NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. IT Services Totals

Paper/Forest Products THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC. Paper/Forest Products Totals

Symbol UBA UBN UNITYBNK WEMABANK ZENITHBANK

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Other Financial Institutions FINANCIAL AFRICASERVICES PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC Other Financial Institutions CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © FBN HOLDINGS PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

39,926

Sector

NATURAL RESOURCES Metals ALUMINIUM MANUFACTURING COMPANY PLC Metals Totals

Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. Activity Summary on BoardPLC EQTY PREMIER BREWERIES Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Published by The StockCOMP. Exchange 7-UPNigerian BOTTLING PLC.©

1st Tier Securities Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Printing/Publishing LEARN AFRICA PLC UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. Daily Summary as of 30/06/2015 Printing/Publishing Totals Printed 30/06/2015 15:15:42.042 Road Transportation ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Totals Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTY NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Transport-Related Services Totals SERVICES Support and Logistics CAVERTON SUPPORT GRP PLC Published by The Nigerian OFFSHORE Stock Exchange © Support and Logistics Totals

Symbol RTBRISCOE

Daily Summary (Equities)

SERVICES Totals

Value Traded 10 of 487.50 11 487.50

1,765,268

5,576,448.65

EQTY Board Totals

4,808

268,569,834

4,290,116,961.80

Equity Activity Totals

4,808

268,569,834

4,290,116,961.80

Daily Summary (ETP) Exchange Traded Fund Name LOTUS HALAL EQUITY ETF NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals

Symbol LOTUSHAL15 NEWGOLD VETGRIF30

No. of Deals 1 1 4 6

Current Price 10.61 2,254.00 15.22

Quantity Traded 1 53 4 58

Value Traded 10.61 119,462.00 60.78 119,533.39

ETF Board Totals

119,533.39

ETP Activity Totals

119,533.39

Page

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror We are talking about transparency, we are talking about change and what we saw from those numbers I believe that Nigerians are entitled to know Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomole

NAPTIP convicts 271 persons over human trafficking

ational Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, yesterday said it had convicted 271 persons in its fight against human trafficking. The convictions were secured since inception of the agency on August 26, 2003. Director-General of the agency, Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, disclosed this in a statement issued by NAPTIP’s spokesperson, Mr. Josiah Emerole, in Abuja. Jedy-Agba said the agency made 13 additional convictions between January and June, bringing the total conviction so far to 271. She noted that the conviction was based on its determination to rein-in human trafficking in the country. According to her, the convicts arrested by operatives of the agency in various locations in the country, were at the moment serving vari-

ous jail terms. She explained that eight of the recent 13 cases were convicted by the Federal High Courts in Sokoto and Uyo and sentenced to various jail terms. “Similarly, the other six were convicted and sentenced by Federal High Courts in Benin, Abeokuta and Jos. “The Federal High Court sitting in Abeokuta in suit No. FHC/ AB/78C/13 convicted one Jennifer Ifeoma Umeh and two others who were charged under sections 12(a), 13(a), 15 and 19(a) of the Trafficking in Persons Act 2003 as amended. “They were convicted for deceitful inducing three girls for sexual exploitation,” she said. Jedy-Agba said that while two of the accused were sentenced to seven years imprisonment, the third got five years imprisonment without an option of fine. “Similarly, a Federal High Court

sitting in Jos sentenced one other human trafficker to 10 years imprisonment without an option of fine. “The convict, Apisu Abdullahi, was charged under Section 19(b) of Trafficking in Persons Act 2003 as amended for deceitful inducement for the purpose of forced labour. “The Federal High Court sitting in Benin, the Edo State capital, sentenced one Grace Friday Okon to two years imprisonment for sexual exploitation,” she said. Jedy-Agba further explained that a Federal High Court, sitting in Sokoto State, convicted a three-member trafficking gang believed to be notorious in trafficking within the Northern part of the country. The convicts, Samuel Osarhiemen, 35 years, and Efe Bello, 41, were sentenced to six years imprisonment, respectively, while the third person, a female, Oninomu Favour, 23, was sentenced to four years imprisonment.

“Also in Sokoto, one Uche Sunday who was charged for deceitful inducement for forced labour and sexual exploitation was found guilty and sentenced to six years imprisonment without an option of fine,” she said. Jedy-Agba said that two females,

Uduak Babatunde and Imaobong Etim, both 18 years, alongside Asuquo Jimmy, 25, and Otobong Akpan, 31, were convicted at Uyo for procuring girls for prostitution and recruitment of children for forced labour, among others.

Community tasks FG, Kogi to end communal feud Wale Ibrahim LOKOJA

ederal and Kogi State governments have been advised to wade in and curb the communal clashes between Ikpakpala, Onukpo and Etutekpe communities in Dekina Local Government over ancestral land.

The Onu of Ikpakpala, Chief Ismaila Omata, made the appeal yesterday after inspecting residential buildings, business premises and other properties worth millions of Naira allegedly destroyed on Sunday night by youths from Etutekpe. Omata explained that the communal attack, which lasted between 11:45pm on Sunday and 4am on Monday, displaced many residents of Ikpakpala and Onukpo commu-

nities, with three people, Tijani Meliga, Siaka Akpa and Unugwa Salifu in critical condition with machete cuts. He stated that other members of the two communities have fled their ancestral homes to seek refuge in neighbouring villages, even as he described the destruction as wanton and unwarranted. The traditional ruler said their assailants could still attack under the cover of night. “As we are now, it is just in the daytime that you see that things are calm, you can never predict what they will be up to in the night. “Government should come to our aid by deploying the police here to maintain peace so that our displaced persons can come back home. We are not as powerful as they are,” Omata appealed.

Women, girls, worst affected by open defecation –Group

N Gwari drummers entertaining guests at an event in Abuja.

Photo ROTIMI OSASONA

AfDB, Taraba govt target 47,000 cubic water supply in Jalingo Justin Tyopuusu JALINGO

araba State government in partnership with African Development Bank, AfDB, have awarded contract for improvement of water supply in Jalingo, targeting 47,273m cubit per day by 2035.

General Manager, Taraba State Water Supply Agency, Mr. Musa Buba, disclosed this yesterday in Jalingo while speaking with journalists in his office. Buba said the state government in 2009 approached the bank for loan, which was fully

signed in 2012, leading to the commencement of physical implementation in 2015. He explained that AfDB granted the state a long term loan of N3.6bn, payable in 40 years with an additional moratorium of 10 years, making it a total of 50 years, adding that money for servicing the loan is to be deducted at source. He noted that contract has already been awarded to Apex Height, CGC, Ghasalaz and China Zhonghao for drilling and rehabilitation of 40 existing boreholes in three locations in Jalingo, the state capital, as well as laying of transmission chan-

nels for conveying water to reservoirs covering 250km in the town and new settlements. “The demand of water in the first phase of the project between now and 2025 is put at 27,054m3 per day. And by 2035 we are expected to be generating 47,273m3 per day. This is our target and we hope to achieve it. “The project is being monitored by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Water Resources and AfDB and we are not expecting any failure. “Before the end of this year, Jalingo residents will start seeing improvement in water supply,” he said.

ational Task Group on Sanitation said yesterday that women, girls and children were the worst hit by effects of open defecation in the country. The group’s National Chairman, Mr. Samuel Ome, said in Abuja that there was need for measures to end open defecation. “No nation can thrive when more than 50 per cent of its population falls ill intermittently. “When open defecation occurs, flies go about perching on them, thereby carrying it into our food items. “Even when there are no access to basic toilet facilities, women go about to find where to answer the call of nature and by so doing, some of them become victims of rape. “Children often fall ill from preventable diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and dysentery; we need to address this menace,” he said, adding that the importance

of a healthy public space could not be over-emphasised, as manhour and productivity were lost to ill health from water-borne diseases. He said open defecation was still the leading cause of preventable deaths due to cholera, typhoid and diarrhea, especially among children. Ome noted that the country had keyed into the UN End-OpenDefecation and Global Hand Washing Campaign to eliminate the transmission of waterborne diseases. He added that government was collaborating with development partners to create awareness on access to water and sanitation practices in public places. Ome, who stressed that water was important in the development of any nation, noted that access to basic sanitation in Nigeria still stood at 41 per cent coverage.

National News

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Saraki assures on quick attention to ministerial nominees, bills George Oji ABUJA

enate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has assured that there would be no delay in the confirmation of ministerial nominees once the list is sent to the legislature by President Muhammadu Buhari. He also assured that bills from the executive arm of government would be treated with dispatch, as part of efforts to support the President to effect positive change expected from his administration by Nigerians. Saraki gave this pledge yesterday in Abuja when he received the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Denys Gaver, who paid him a courtesy visit

in his office. The Senate president restated that even though the Senate was currently on break, the lawmakers would reconvene once there is any urgent matter of national importance to be attended to. He said: “We are working and we are ready to reconvene any time to attend to any national assignment, including the confirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s ministerial nominees.” Saraki also pledged the cooperation of the National Assembly with the executive arm of government in accomplishing the programmes of the administration. He told the French delegation that the Senate has commenced work al-

ready with the setting up of an 18-man committee to formulate a realistic and progressive Legislative Agenda, which he said would address issues like poverty alleviation, law enforcement, national security, commercial disputes and the eradication of corruption and investments in the petroleum sector. Saraki added that the

National Assembly would partner with the French National Assembly in the area of capacity building for legislators, strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries and ensuring that more French investments flow into Nigeria. He specifically solicited the co-operation of the French government in tackling the security

problems in the North East, particularly as Nigeria shares borders with French-speaking countries. Earlier, the French envoy, who described the leadership tussle in the National Assembly as part of democracy, had solicited cooperation between the National Assembly and the President Buhari-led executive arm

of government. He said the expectation of the international community on Nigeria is high. He also called for cooperation between the private sector in Nigeria and its counterpart in France. On security, Gaver said France is encouraging its former colonies in West Africa to cooperate with Nigeria in the onslaught against Boko Haram.

Boko Haram: FG rehabilitates 305 victims

…22 recruited female suicide bombers undergoing rehabilitation Rotimi Fadeyi ABUJA

ountering Violent Extremism, CVE, Department in the office of National Security Adviser, NSA, has rehabilitated no fewer than 305 victims of terrorism rescued from Sambisa forest by the military. Head of the department, Fatima Akilu, disclosed this yesterday while briefing President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on activities of the CVE and the progress made in its non-military approach, which is running concurrently with the armed onslaught against insurgents in the country. She also said about 22 women and girls recruited as suicide bombers by Boko Haram are now undergoing rehabilitation after voluntarily embracing de-radicalisation programme of the CVE. Akilu explained that one of the objectives of CVE was to reform terrorists and prevent others from joining terrorist organisations and violent sects. She further told the President that a national security corridor programme has been created to provide a safe route for those who wish to leave Boko Haram

voluntarily, saying 47 erstwhile members of the group have embraced the programme. Speaking after he was briefed on the CVE activities, Buhari applauded steps being taken by the NSA and other agencies of government to rehabilitate victims of terrorism and violent extremism in the country.

Members of Association of Resident Doctors, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, during a free health screening for the Nigeria Police at Area ‘F’ in Ikeja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

NSCDC arrests seven prostitutes over child trafficking in Ondo Ojo Oyewamide AKURE

igeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Ondo State has arrested a suspected prostitute, Susan John, and six others over alleged child traffick-

ing. The suspects were apprehended at a brothel, Royal Crown Hotel, in Akure, the state capital. Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the command, Kayode Balogun, yesterday said at a press briefing that Susan was nabbed after trafficking

a victim, Faith Ekepemephia, from her hometown in Akwa Ibom State to Akure for prostitution. He disclosed that the command got to know about the incident when some church members came to report the act. Balogun, who condemned the act, said the sus-

pects would be handed over to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, after investigation. He said: “The act is totally unacceptable and wrong for the society. We would make further investigation and hand them

over to NAPTIP for further questioning.” The victim, Faith, said she was lured from Akwa Ibom State to Akure under the guise of serving as a housemaid but later discovered she had been recruited into the business of prostitution.

Assembly approves Wike’s request to obtain N20bn loan

ivers State House of Assembly yesterday approved a request by Governor Nyesom Wike to obtain N20 billion loan to complete ongoing road projects and start new ones. Speaker of the House, Mr. Ikunyi Ibani, said at plenary session in Port Harcourt that Wike made the request in order to continue with

some road projects abandoned by the former administration. He stressed that approval of the loan was necessary to deliver quality service and dividends of democracy to the people. “The governor will not deliver dividends of democracy to people of the state without funds.

“There is no leader that can deliver dividends of democracy without funds even if he had promised heaven on earth for his people. “Our emphasis here is not on the first 100 days, but delivering quality leadership and infrastructure to the people. ”At the end, we will be able to walk on the streets

with our shoulders high that we have achieved better policies for the state,” the Speaker said. Ibani held that the request showed honesty and accountability for the governor to continue with projects not awarded by his administration. “He should be given every support to carry out such

projects for the benefit of the people.” Mr. Martins Amaewhule (PDP-Obio/Akpor 1), leader of the House, said the roads were in bad shape and constituted death traps to the people of the state. Amaewhule said the welfare of the people should be paramount to achieve development.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

he Greek government is in last-minute talks over whether to accept an offer that would let Greece repay part of its debt, local media say. Greece is hours away from a deadline to repay a 1.6bn (£1.1bn) loan to the International Monetary Fund, IMF, one it may miss. The European Commission, EC, said it made a last-minute proposal of reforms on Monday. If Athens accepts the deal, it will free up cash to repay the 1.6billion. A European Commission spokesman said the EC’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, was called by Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, on Monday night. Juncker then offered Greece the latest deal, with a midnight deadline. That has since expired. However, Greek media say the government is still in talks over the offer. The national broadcast, ERT, on Tuesday morning said that discussions about the proposals were taking place at the highest level in Athens. Greece’s chief negotiator with its creditors, Euclid Tsakalotos, told the BBC’s Europe editor Katya Adler, he expected more proposals to be made. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has played down any hopes of a last-minute deal, saying she was not aware of any new offer from the EC. “This evening at exactly midnight central European time the programme expires. And I am not

Greece holds last-minute talks after new offer

Queues outside banks in Greece on Tuesday

aware of any real indications of anything else,” she told reporters. Long queues of people are continuing to snake from many cash machines in Greece, with withdrawals capped at just 60 a day. Up to 1,000 bank branches will re-open from Wednesday to allow pensioners many of whom, do not use bank cards to withdraw up to 120.

The EC says the deal offered by Juncker on Monday was identical to one made on Friday. However, reports in Greece say the new offer is different from that Friday, and includes a change in terms to Ekas, a top-up given to poorer Greek pensioners. Athens does not want it scrapped before 2020, but Europe wants it phased out earlier.

Over 100 feared dead in Indonesian plane crash

ore than 100 people are feared dead after a military transport plane crashed in a residential area of the Indonesian city of Medan. According to report, the Hercules C-130 plane hit two houses and a hotel before bursting into flames, creating a huge fireball. Air Force head, Agus Supriatna, visited the crash site and told reporters he believed there were no survivors among the 113 people on board. About 50 bodies have been taken to hospital with others being recovered. The BBC’s Alice Budisatrijo in Jakarta says that only the tail of the aircraft is still recognisable; the rest has been reduced to debris. There are reports that people are trapped inside wrecked buildings and the nearest hospital is continuing to receive bodies arriving from the crash site. Many of the passengers are thought to have been relatives of

servicemen and women. However, report says it is too early to know exactly how many people were killed in the disaster, or what caused it. The crash is one of several involving military aircraft in recent years Large crowds watched the emergency services search the flaming wreckage. The plane had just taken off when it ran into trouble. “It passed overhead a few times, really low,” a witness told the Reuters news agency. “There was fire and black smoke. The third time it came by, it crashed into the roof of the hotel and exploded straight away.” Supriatna said that the pilot had asked to return to base because of technical difficulties. “The plane crashed while it was turning right to return to the airport,’’ he said. The Hercules transport plane was manufactured in 1964, but a military spokesman said he was convinced that it was in good con-

dition. Correspondents say that it is the second time in 10 years that a plane has crashed in Medan. In September 2005, a Boeing 737 came down in a crowded residential area shortly after take-off from Medan’s Polonia Airport, killing 143 people including 30 on the ground. The latest crash in Medan is one of several involving military aircraft since 2009. In April 2015, an F-16 fighter jet catches fire as it takes off from an airbase in Jakarta

Indonesia President, Joko Widodo,

Islamic State beheads women for sorcery in Syria

slamic State (IS) has beheaded two women in eastern Syria, the first time the jihadist group has decapitated female civilians, activists say. The women were killed along with their husbands in the city of Deir al-Zour and the town of al-Mayadeen, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. All four were accused of sorcery. IS has previously decapitated the bodies of Kurdish female fighters killed in battle. The group has also beheaded men for witchcraft in Iraq. The group’s extreme interpretation of Islamic law has also seen gay men thrown off buildings and women stoned for adultery. Last week, IS militants in Syria hanged two youths from a beam by their wrists after accusing them of not fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The killing of people for sorcery is not unique to IS. The authorities in Saudi Arabia have also beheaded both men and women on similar charges.

WORLD BULLETIN

South Sudan conflict: Army raped and torched girls –UN South Sudan’s army and allied militias abducted, torched and gang-raped girls during fighting against rebel forces, a United Nations report says. Investigators found that at least 172 women and girls were abducted and subjected to sexual violence, it added. One woman was “dragged out of her hut and gang-raped in front of her three-year old child,” the report said. However, the government has denied that its army committed atrocities, but says it will study the report. The UN Mission in South Sudan, Unmiss, said abuses during the 18-month civil war had reached a new scale of intensity and horror in recent fighting in the oil-producing Unity State. “Survivors spoke of a campaign against the local population that killed civilians, looted and destroyed villages,” the report said. “Some of the most disturbing allegations compiled by Unmiss human rights officers focused on the abduction and sexual abuse of women and girls, some of whom were reportedly burnt alive in their dwellings,” it added. South Sudan’s army has been battling rebels since 2013.

Iran nuclear talks: Zarif returns to Vienna on deadline day Iran’s Foreign Minister has returned to Vienna for talks with world powers on the day of a deadline for an agreement on its nuclear programme. Mohammad Javad Zarif is accompanied by the head of Iran’s atomic energy agency and President Hassan Rouhani’s brother. All parties to the talks say they do not expect to reach a deal by the time the self-imposed deadline expires. They stress that much has already been achieved, but a BBC correspondent says success remains far from certain. The so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany want Iran to scale back its sensitive nuclear activities to ensure that it cannot build a nuclear weapon. Iran, which wants international sanctions lifted in exchange, insists that its nuclear work is peaceful. Iranian officials said a plane carrying Mr Zarif, Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, AEOI, chief, Ali Akbar Salehi and Hossein Fereidoun, President Rouhani’s younger brother and Special Adviser, landed in Vienna Tuesday morning.

National News

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

APC’s meddling will worsen Senate crisis -Deputy Leader George Oji ABUJA

eputy Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC Kebbi South), has cautioned against interference by All Progressives Congress, APC, in the affairs of the Senate, warning that such external acts would worsen the ongoing leadership tussle in the National Assembly, rather than solve it. Fielding questions from correspondents yesterday at the National Assembly, Na’Allah described the configuration of leadership as not really a crisis but disagreements among senators on how certain things should be done, which he stressed could be sorted out without any external influence.

He said: “We do not have a crisis in the Senate; what we have are disagreements among our colleagues on how certain things should be done. “When you have a crisis, then you are talking about reconciliation. But when you have a disagreement, it is not about reconciliation, it is about sorting out the matter based on what all of us believe in. “The happy thing about it is that there is no single senator in both groups who does not believe in the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerian as it relates to the Senate. “So it is going to be a very simple issue to settle provided the external influence ceases for the time being.”

On statement credited to the former interim National Chairman of APC, Bisi Akande, that the ongoing crisis in the party is a fallout of the conspiracy of the northern elites against the Yoruba, Na’Allah said it was unfortunate for the respected elder statesman to make such allegation at this time, stress-

ing that nobody wants to be labelled a northerner or southerner but rather a Nigerian. He said: “Mr. Akande is a very senior member of this country, and I am not so sure that he has not been misquoted with respect to that issue. Even if it were, I am absolutely sure that the (allegation) cannot be

the correct statement of the situation. “The North holds every section of this country high. We detest the situation of labeling us North. We have gone past that stage in the development of our country. “We are a united country, whether we like it or not. If there is conspiracy on the part of

the North, what makes you think it will involve bringing somebody from PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) and South-East to be Deputy Senate President?” He also urged the ruling APC members to accept Senator Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President, and move forward.

Police not broke, says IGP now incapable of effecOmeiza Ajayi tively discharging its ABUJA core mandate of crime detection and prevenmid growing tion. concerns about “We are an establishthe state of the ment of the Federal economy and reports that Government. Our needs the government was bor- are being met. We have rowing to fund recurrent not had cause to borrow expenditures, Inspector money to pay salaries of General of Police, IGP our officers,” he stated. Solomon Arase, says the The police boss spoke security agency was not yesterday in Abuja at a broke. conference with all ComArase dismissed fears missioners of Police in that the police was so the country. broke to the extent it is

CHANGE OF NAME

OYELEKE: I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Oyeleke Funmilola Anthonia, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ojo Funmilola Anthonia. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

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AJAYI: I, formerly known and addressed as Bisiriyu Idowu Ajayi, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Solomon Olufemi Ashekun. All former documents remain valid. Nigeria Immigration Service and the general public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to conﬁrm that Bernard Godwin, is the same person as Ohazu Godwin. That, all documents bearing either name remain valid. The general public should please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Miss Jimoh Monsurat, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Lamidi Monsurah Kikelomo. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

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OGUNBUNMI: I, formerly known and addressed as Toluwanimi Oyebola Ogunbunmi, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Toluwanimi Oyebola Ogundipe. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

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IBUDE: I,formerly known and addressed as Miss Ibude Oluwaseun Olubunmi, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ajamu Oluwaseun Olubunmi. All former documents remain valid. Oyo State Council of Commerce (OYCCIMA) and general public take note

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NWORIE: I, formerly known and addressed as Nworie Patience Magdalene, now due to family issue wish to be known, called and addressed as Ugochi Alicia Ezinne Magdalene. All former documents remain valid. General public and Organisation should please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Mbonu Georgeann Nkechi, now wish to be known and addressed as Nze Nkechi Georgeann. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

L-R: Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Ismaila Aliyu; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd); Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade and his wife, Abosede, during the presentation of Olukolade’s books, Issues in the Mobilisation of Public Support for Military Operation in Nigeria and the Battles and Voices of the Nigerian Military, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Reps get new standing order in 3 weeks Ubong Ukpong ABUJA

peaker, House of Re p r e s e n t a t iv e s , Yakubu Dogara, yesterday said the House would have new standing order in three weeks. Dogara, who was repre-

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CHANGE OF NAME

sented by Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, at the inauguration of 15-man committee on the review of Standing Orders of the House, said the draft would be considered and adopted by members at the resumption of plenary on July 21. Stressing that the 8th House was desirous of having new standing orders, having been inaugurated and conducting its businesses with that of the 7th House, the

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OGUNWOLE: Formerly known and addressed as Ogunwole Omotayo Balikis now wish to be known and addressed as Ogunwole Tayo Baliki. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

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OKAFOR: Formerly known and addressed as Mr Okafor Victor, now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Ilikwu Victor Obumneme. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

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Speaker said there was no aspect of the standing orders that was off limits. He urged the committee members to feel free to dissect the standing orders and propose amendments to any rule they think would strengthen operations of the House. As part of its terms of reference, he said the committee would make recommendations on revision of the standing orders of the House, ensuring that jurisdiction

of House Committees do not overlap, and carrying out all the functions of the Standing Committee on Rules and Business of the House pending its constitution. Others other

include

any

recommendation

incidental or relevant to the subject matter of the committee’s jurisdiction, handling any other matter as may be assigned to it by the House or Speaker.

PUBLIC NOTICE CHRIST ABUNDANT GRACE INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY

The general public is hereby notiﬁed that the above named ministry has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

1. Babalola Abiodun Michael 2. Babalola Oluwatosin Deborah 3. Taiwo Titilayo Wuraola 4. Akinbaloye Olutosin Christiana

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:

(a) Preaching the gospel of Christ. (b) Evangelising the teachings of Christ. (c) To develop traits of faithfulness, truthfulness and honesty in its members.

Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Agunyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this Publication.

SIGNED: TRUSTEES

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Over 110,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Taraba, says group JUSTIN TYOPUUSU JALINGO

ational Coordinator, Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, NEPWHAN, Mr. Ed-

ward Ogenyi, says about 110,849 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Taraba State. Ogenyi disclosed this in Jalingo at the flagoff of a five-day forum titled ‘Demand Genera-

tion Activities for HIV/ AIDS Service Uptake in Taraba’. According to him, the event marked the first phase of implementation of the President's Comprehensive Response

Plan for HIV/AIDS, PCRP, funded by NACA/ SURE-P HIV/AIDS programme launched in July 2013. “Taraba’s HIV prevalence is 10.5 per cent, which is far above the

L-R: Senators Binta Garba, Adamawa State; Biodun Olujumi, Ekiti State; wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, and Senator Uche Ekwunife, Anambara State, after breaking of fast with Aisha in Aso Villa, Abuja, on Monday.

national average of 4.1 per cent, according to the 2013 National Reproductive Health Survey, NRHS report. "One of the major aims of PCRP is to avail 80 million Nigerians the opportunity to know their HIV status, but due to limited resources Taraba and Abia states were selected for implementation of NACA/ SURE-P HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support," he said. He explained that of the 110,849 people living with HIV in Taraba State, only 27,000 are currently receiving treatment, while 700,000 of the national prevalence of 3,500,000 are currently on treatment. Ogenyi urged Taraba State House of Assembly to prioritise HIV/ AIDS in its budgetary allocation for 2016 and

beyond to enable the state government take over ownership of the response to serve as a model for other states in the country. Team leader, Taraba Project Implementation on HIV/AIDS Response, Dr. Musa Obadiah, said the state government has approved N500 million to fight the scourge this year. Representative of NEPWHAN on the State Action Committee on AIDS, SACA board, Mr. Abraham Johnson, on his part, said the committee was doing everything possible to ensure that more infected people access treatment in the state. He urged the people to go to health facilities near them to know their status in order to tackle the pervasive prevalence rate in the state.

earth dams to Committee on recovery of govt property revokes 97 CofOs Borno boost agriculture •As former officials head for court

EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI

committee set up by Bauchi State government to recover government properties illegally allocated to individuals, said it has revoked the allocation of 97 plots of land. Chairman of the committee, Air Cdr. Ahmed Tijjani-Baba (rtd), disclosed this yesterday in Bauchi during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. Tijjani-Baba explained that the plots of land belong to state government institutions, but were allo-

cated to individuals by the former administration in the state. He said 89 of the plots belong to Bauchi State College of Arts and Science, BACAS, but were allocated to individuals in the name of ‘curve outs’. Tijjani-Baba also said eight plots were also curved out at the premises of Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme, BSADP, but allocated to individuals. He said the plots at BSADP were meant for the construction of senior and junior staff quarters, staff school, police outpost, football field and other recre-

ational facilities meant for staff and children of the organisation. According to him, documents which include allocation letters, grant or certificate of occupancy, were initiated, approved and issued to the beneficiaries on May 28, 2015. The chairman said the committee has taken possession of all the affected plots of land, while the beneficiaries were directed to surrender the documents to the State Ministry of Lands and Survey. Alhaji Garba Noma, one of the beneficiaries, while commenting on the matter, insisted that the plot situat-

ed at BACAS, was allocated to him by the last administration two years ago. Noma told NAN that the plots used to be a hideout of armed robbers and miscreants, following the relocation of some faculties of the school to its permanent site along Bauchi-Jos Road. He said he had requested former administration of Governor Isa Yuguda to allocate the plot to him for the construction of some social amenities, and was obliged. Noma explained that he had received the revocation notice and halted ongoing construction work on the site.

Taraba gov tasked on prison relocation JUSTIN TYOPUUSU JALINGO

overnor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State has been called upon to assist in the relocation of Jalingo Prisons to a more spacious and conducive environment within the state capital. Head of Prisons, John Ali, who is a deputy comptroller of prisons, who made the call yesterday in Jalingo, said the present location of the prisons has been overtaken by urban-

isation, with residential structures now surrounding the facilities built about 99 years ago. He said relocation of the prisons to a spacious environment would enable the prison authority embark on better rehabilitation and reformation programmes for inmates. Jalingo prisons which have capacity for 250 inmates currently house over 600 inmates. According DCP John, the prisons authority has been providing vocational

trainings for inmates in the areas of carpentry, tailoring, laundry services, furniture making and electrical installations to make them useful after serving their jail terms. He appealed for government support in the area of logistics, adding that the Jalingo prisons presently have only one operational vehicle which is use in conveying inmates to about 47 different courts for trial on daily basis. John noted that the prisons were left out when

the state government donated operational vehicles to other security agencies in the state last year, appealing that the current government should assist in that direction to ease their logistics problems. He said the prisons authority has been doing its best to cater for the welfare of inmates in terms of feeding and treatment of sick ones, calling on the judiciary to ensure quick dispensation of justice, a step he said, could help decongest the prisons.

overnor Kashim Shettima of Borno State said the construction of two new earth dams in Auno village of Konduga Local Government Area aims at addressing the state’s perennial “water crises, erosion and desertification” through rain water harvest and establishment of a shelter belt for farmers and herdsmen in the state. The N100 million dams, according to Alhaji Mohammed Dili, an engineer and agricultural expert, would cover 24,000 square metres; it is fed by three streams. This was disclosed on Tuesday at the project site, while Shettima was inspecting it. Said Dili, “Our people have suffered a lot from perennial water crises and desertification that have prevented many of them from harnessing Borno’s rich agricultural and water resources for productive farming and herding activities to earn more income. Today marks the beginning and end of our water crises and environmental degradation in this part of the North East sub-region, which has been affected by Boko Haram insurgency for over six years. “The twin dams here

in Auno, will go a long way in engaging many of our farmers and herdsmen when completed next month. Besides the refilling of dams with harvested rain water, a shelter belt is also to be established to cover a distance of over two kilometers; it will also protect the dams from being encroached upon by desertification and erosion.” While briefing the governor on the dams, Dili said three boreholes are to be sunk beside them to feed them with ground water, and to enable an all-yearround farming and herding activities in the state. “The irrigation farming projects with these earth dams, will cover 5,000 square hectares of land; while the dams’ harvested water could water over 25,000 herds of cattle a day,” assured Dili yesterday while speaking on the sustenance of the management of the dams.

Gov Shettima

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Formerly known and addressed as Mr Chibuzor Matthias Unekwe, now

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CHANGE OF NAME/ CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH That i was formerly known and addressed as Kissin Ifada with incorrect date of birth 10th day of May 1966, now wish to be known, called and addressed as Kissin Lucky Fada with correct date of birth 5th day of May 1964. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

AFRICAN EMERGING LEADERSHIP, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION

This to notify the general public that the above named organization has applied to the Corporate Aﬀairs Commission for Registration in accordance with the Provisions of Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990.

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the Corporate Aﬀairs Commission for Registration in accordance with the Provisions of Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No. 1 of 1990.

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1. To promote human resources development and citizens participation in Governance that will recognize discipline, integrity and positive values through training, seminars, workshops and research. 2. To promote the eradication of poverty and ensuring good governance in the African continent through Advocacy, community mobilization and leadership development. 3. Collaborating with governments, relevant agencies and corporate institutions in achieving MDGs activities in AELRDO Journals/Publications.

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1. Dr. Rhuefe Khaese 2. Prof. Maurice Fangnon 3. Efe-Khaese Rinse Desmond 4. Constance Opara

BASSEY: I, formerly known and addressed as Miss. Grace Kalu Bassey, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Grace Nwannediya Michael Okonkwo. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

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PUBLIC NOTICE IFE CHAIN SAWYERS ASSOCIATION No. 9, Erefe, Ondo Road, Ile Ife, Osun State

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SIGNED: DR. RHUEFE KHAESE 08038064110 PUBLIC NOTICE ISIALA NGWA YAM DEALERS ASSOCIATION. This is to inform the General Public that the above named Association has applied to the

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Adetoro Yekeen Owojori Samuel Olakunle Olawuni Olakunle Awosope Fawole Olalekan Oyewole Isaac Oladimeji Sunday Okunola Ibrahim Awowole Sunday Olaniyi Remi Fadiora * * *

THE TRUSTEES ARE:

- Chairman - Vice Chairman - Secretary - PRO - Trustee -Trustee - Trustee - Trustee - Trustee - Trustee

To protect the interest and security of members To promote mutual understanding among members and the public at large To contribute our own quota for the development and revenue generation of Ife land.

Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar- General, Corporate Aﬀairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

ADETORO YEKEEN CHAIRMAN

SIGNED:

OLAKUNLE OLAWUNI SECRETARY

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE:

(1) To bring unity among her members (2) To promote unity, peace and love among the members (3) To see to the welfare of the aged and the helpless in the society. Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar- General, Corporate Aﬀairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED: VEN. JUSTICE U. EKWURIBE ESQ.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Sport

Keshi, Siasia not members of Nigeria Coaches Association –Bewarang

I am very happy to be in White Hart Lane. I do not know who gave the story of a potential Turkey move –Tottenham striker, Emmanuel Adebayor

Falcons before a match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup that ends on Sunday in Canada

Fed Cup:

Heartland, Sharks in unfinished battle

wo all-Premier League clashes headline the Round of 32 matches of this year’s men’s Federation Cup competition, which come up next week in various centres across the nation. The second round games of the women’s event will all be played on Wednesday, July 8. Fixtures released by the NFF show that Heartland FC of Owerri and Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, who played out a 1-1 draw in a Premier League match in Port Harcourt last Sunday, make it another date in Calabar on July 8.

FC Ifeanyi Ubah, which lost its first home match 1-0 to Wikki Tourists last weekend, take on Bayelsa United in Oleh the same day, as Edo State newsmakers, Kukuruku Dragons, try to ambush Enugu Rangers in Ilorin. Cup holders Enyimba FC of Aba will tackle Remo Stars of Ogun State at the Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, with Lobi Stars up against Niger Tornadoes at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano and Crown FC facing a mountain to surmount against Abia Warriors, also in Benin City. Premier League side, FC Taraba go

up against the impressive Papilo FC in Abuja on Thursday. Delta State’s only remaining team, J. Atete FC takes on Prime FC of Osogbo in Lokoja, while Nasarawa United battle Makwada Warriors in Jos and Wikki Tourists face Tornadoes Feeders in Gusau. In the women’s event, Cup holders Rivers Angels must beware of COD Ladies of Lagos in Abuja, while Bayelsa Queens and Beautiful Tour FC face off in Aba and Nasarawa Amazons plot against Delta Queens in Ibadan.

Rio 2016 qualifiers: Falcons report to camp today

nterim Coach of the Super Falcons, Chris Danjuma, yesterday called to camp 35 players as preparations begin for next month’s 2016 Olympics qualifying fixture against Equatorial Guinea. In a statement, the NFF said the players have been told to report to the CJ Planet Hotel, Area 1, Abuja today ahead of the team’s departure to Port Harcourt for the first leg of the third round of qualifiers, coming up against Equatorial Guinea on July 18. The return leg comes up in Bata on August 2. Danjuma, who replaced Edwin Okon on Monday, has recalled Sweden-based defender Faith Ikidi; goalkeepers Toch-

…plan for Equatorial Guinea ukwu Oluehi and Sandra Chiichii, impressive centre-back Joy Jegede, midfielders Amarachi Okoronkwo and Osarenoma Igbinovia and Sweden -based forward Sarah Michael. There are also goalkeepers Precious Dede and Ibubeleye Whyte, defenders Onome Ebi, Osinachi Ohale, Ngozi Ebere, Evelyn Nwabuoku, Blessing Edoho and Josephine Chukwunonye, midfielders Halimat Ayinde, Onyinyechi Ohadugha, Ngozi Okobi and Cecilia Nku, and forwards Asisat Oshoala, Francisca Ordega,

Esther Sunday, Desire Oparanozie and Loveth Ayila, who were in the team that lost out at group phase of the FIFA World Cup in Canada. Equatorial Guinea is the only other country, apart from Nigeria, to have triumphed at the biennial African Women Championship, launched in 1998. The Guineans have won the trophy twice, against Nigeria’s seven times.

The list Faith Ikidi (Pitea IF, Sweden); Onome Ebi (FK Minsk, Belarus); Osinachi Ohale (Rivers Angels);

Round of 32 fixtures Enyimba

Remo Stars (Benin City)

Lobi

Tornadoes (Kano)

Heartland

Sharks (Calabar)

Sportlight

BJ Foundation (Abuja)

Gateway

El-Kanemi (Makurdi

Kwara

Abu Zaria (Minna)

Kukuruku

Rangers (Ilorin)

Makwada

Nasarawa (Jos)

FC Ifeanyi

Bayelsa (Oleh)

Akwa United

Peacemaker (Enugu)

J. Atete

Prime FC (Lokoja)

Abia Warrior

Crown FC (Benin City)

Jalingo FC

Dolphins FC (Makurdi)

Papilo FC

Taraba (Abuja)

Francisca Ordega (Washington Spirit, USA); Precious Dede (Ibom Queens); Tochukwu Oluehi (Bayelsa Queens); Ibubeleye Whyte (Rivers Angels); Sandra Chiichii (Bayelsa Queens); Charity John (Rivers Angels); Joy Jegede (Delta Queens); Mariam Ibrahim (Nasarawa Amazons); Halimat Ayinde (Delta Queens); Ngozi Ebere (Rivers Angels); Onyinyechi Ohadugha (Rivers Angels); Esther Sunday (FK Minsk, Belarus); Chisom Henry (Sunshine Queens); Cecilia Nku (Rivers Angels); Desire Oparanozie (En Avant de Guingamp, France); Josephine Chukwunonye (Rivers Angels); Asisat Oshoala (Liv-

erpool Ladies, England); Ngozi Okobi (Delta Queens); Evelyn Nwabuoku (BIIK Kazygurt, Kazakhstan); Gladys Akpa (Sunshine Queens); Alheri Jummai Ayuba (Adamawa Queens); Ginika Ike (Confluence Queens); Sherifat Sahid (Sunshine Queens); Osarenoma Igbinovia (Bayelsa Queens); Blessing Edoho (Pelican Stars); Yetunde Adeboyejo (Bayelsa Queens); Winifred Eyebhoria (Nasarawa Amazons); Ebere Okoye (Nasarawa Amazons); Sarah Michael (Kif Orebro, Sweden); Amarachi Okoronkwo (Nasarawa Amazons); Loveth Ayila (Rivers Angels); Chioma Nwogu (Confluence Queens).

Sports

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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Wimbledon Open 2015:

Federer, Nadal breeze through

ormer champions, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, easily progressed at Wimbledon, securing straight-set wins in the first round. Federer took just 67 minutes to see off debutant Damir Dzumhur 6-1 6-3 6-4 yesterday,

Nadan

while Nadal, 29, needed longer against Thomaz Bellucci on Court One, but his 6-4 6-2 6-3 victory was still comprehensive. BBC Sport reported that elsewhere, 13th seed, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, was pushed to five sets by Gilles Muller, eventually beating him 7-6 (10-8) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 3-6 6-2. Temperatures peaked above 30C in south-west London, but neither Nadal nor Federer were concerned about playing on one of hottest days of the year in Britain. “In Australia it can be worse,” s a i d t w o t i m e Wimble-

don champion, Nadal. “It’s actually

derer would have experienced more difficult matches in his previous 62 Grand Slams. “I was happy I played aggressive,” said the Swiss, who covered just 1,204.5 metres during his win over the world number 88. “He hung around, changed up his game a little bit which also made it a bit more difficult. I’m always happy to win.”

beautiful. When you have this weather in Wimbledon, it’s probably one of the best places in the world.” Nadal hit only one ace during his match and made five double faults, but the 29-year-old was happy with his performance. “It was a very positive victory,” said the Spaniard, who lost in the fourth round to teenager Nick Kyrigos last year. “Straight sets, no b a d feel-

ings, good backhands. The forehand needs to be a bit more aggressive.” Second seed Roger Fe-

Federer

Cote d’Ivoire shortlists 5 for Elephants job

he Ivorian FA has released the names of five coaches to be vetted for the vacant post of the country’s national team, following the departure of Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach, Frenchman Herve Renard. Officials say the main criteria would be experience of African football and fluency in French, to be able to communicate easily with not only the team’s foreign-based players but also the home-based. Henry Kasperczak, who coached the Elephants between 1993 and 1994, made the five-man list. The 68-year-old Polish manager has also worked with the national teams of Tunisia, Mali and

Cote d’Ivoire national team

Senegal. Former Guinea, DR Congo and Mauritania coach, Patrice Neveu, as well as Michel Dussuyer, who led the Syli National of Guinea to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, are among the top five. Portuguese manager Paulo Duarte, who formerly handled Burkina Faso and Gabon, is also vying for the Cote d’Ivoire job, while former French clubs Rennes and Nice coach, Frederic Antonetti, is the only candidate who has not previously worked in Africa. The African champions are currently without a head coach ahead of the second match day of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Sanchez

Copa America: Chile prays for best of Sanchez in final

hile needs Alexis Sanchez to recover his best form as they try to end an almost century-long wait for a first Copa America, according to Coach Jorge Sampaoli. Sampaoli’s team reached the final with a 2-1 win over Peru on Monday and will meet the winners of Tuesday’s semifinal between favourites Argentina and Paraguay at the national stadium on Saturday. “When Alexis is not in the fullness (of form) that he has us used to, Chile feel it,” Sampaoli said. “If he is feeling good, he’s the most decisive player in this team. We must recover him well because he’s vital to us,” added the Argentine. Sanchez has shown flashes of his class in the tournament but contributed only one of Chile’s 13 goals in five matches. Sampaoli suggested the pressure from

home fans to reach the final as hosts and win the 99-year-old tournament for the first time affected the team. Chile were not at their best trying to break down a Peru side reduced to 10 men for 70 minutes after a red card for defender Carlos Zambrano, he said. “This was the match in which we most lost our shape. Defensively the team struggled a lot to get their shape to recover the ball, we usually get it back much quicker than today (Monday),” Sampaoli said. “Our anxiety played against us,” Sampaoli told reporters. Defender Mauricio Isla, scorer of the goal that gave Chile a 1-0 win over 2011 champions Uruguay in their quarterfinal, echoed that sentiment. “It wasn’t our best match, we had been showing good touch, great finishing and today we got tired,” he said.

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Sports

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Keshi, Siasia not members of Nigeria Coaches Association –Bewarang ucate ourselves and train ourselves more.

Bitrus Bewarang is the current President of Nigeria Football Coaches Association (NFCA) and General Manager of Plateau United. He is also a former Assistant Super Eagles Coach. He spoke to JOEL AJAYI on why the association cannot stick out its neck for Stephen Keshi and also the reason Nigerian coaches struggle at international outings.

Now that those opportunities are not forthcoming from NFF, as an association leader, what are you doing to ameliorate this? We have determined to send some of our coaches for training abroad at the end of the season and by the grace of God as soon as the season ends, you will see that.

Why do many Nigerian coaches perform below expectation with their teams at international competitions? It is really unfortunate, especially in Nigeria; every time we see failures before we start criticizing. I don’t know the level you want our coaches to excel, many coaches who had worked at the national level as well local level as I am talking to you are yet to collect their rewards. Although, many of our coaches failed at the vital area but we expect that at least credit should be given when we lose. Don’t castigate us, instead encourage them. I’m very disappointed with somebody who says Nigerian coaches collect bribe; he said he gave bribe to the coaches for them to take his player and because they did not perform well, there is noise everywhere. If they have succeeded nobody will hear anything. Our law punishes the giver and taker but Nigerians are not helping the society. As president of the Coaches Association of Nigeria, what do you do to any coach who takes bribe? I hate this issue of corruption in Nigerian football and that is why our football does not attract fans or spectators to come and watch us; because the games are no longer interesting. We cannot get sponsors to sponsor our matches. That is my concern. Mind you, in my club, if I hear any case of a player giving money to a coach, both the coach and the player are sacked instantly, and I want to say it, once there is evidence, I will take the steps to any level to see that such a coach is severely punished. Once we have evidence such coach or player will be adequately punished, that is what we have been preaching against over the years. Coaches Manu Garba and Uduka Ugbade were alleged to have compromised to take some players to the last under 20 World Cup in New Zealand. Have you set up a panel to investigate them? I spoke with my Vice President and instructed him to let us get the facts about the issue and to be frank, we don’t want to rush on it. We want to explore every angle to the story before we now set up a committee, we cannot just go and shout and at the end of the day we look stupid. And at the same time, we don’t want to open our mouths and be defending coaches when there is shit at their buttocks. We are investigating; I have directed my vice president to follow up these issues and I bet it with you if they are found culpable, they will be adequately punished. Technically, people say Nigerian coaches are not good and we saw Manu Garba as well as Edwin Okon perform below expectations at the recent tournaments. How would you react to this, are Nigerian coaches that poor?

Bewarang

After the U-17 World Cup won by Manu, what step was taken to see that he got more training before he started coaching

Under-20?

Let me tell you, everybody needs training and retraining. After the U-17 World Cup won by Manu, what step was taken to see that he got more training before he started coaching Under-20? They moved him to another level, how much has the NFF trained him at the level he is going? So, don’t just blame coaches: in as much as you blame the coaches let us think about administration. I am not blaming them, but let the administration also take a step that can improve coaches. Coaches have to pay themselves to attend CAF courses, meanwhile development funds had been sent by FIFA but we can only hear about the money, but the money is not used for what it is meant for. They don’t sponsor us and if we continue to delay Nigerian coaches will go behind our African brothers. So we are trying as much as possible to see that we wake everybody up, we need to ed-

Keshi

Siasia

Some coaches said the Nigerian Coaches Association is almost non-existent and there is no unity; faction everywhere. What is your opinion on that, is it true there are factions? If you talk about factions everywhere, I think I will disagree. I came in two years back as a president of Nigeria Coaches Association and I have toured all the zones to unite our members. The fact is that there are some who make a lot of noise. When you check them, they are not financial members and they talk the loudest and so, I want to set this record right, we are not in the system to make the much noise and we are trying as much as possible to get sponsors to sponsor our programmes, our executive meeting and to attend our congresses. So, this is what we are doing to see that we stream line things. Mind you, for the past 10 years the association has been in limbo and we are trying to wake-up and see that we unite. How much support do you get from NFF? We are collaborating; they even sent some of our coaches to UK, and we are waiting for the second batch, so at least we are cooperating. Coach Stephen Keshi has been alleged to have applied for a job in Cote d’Ivoire while having a job at hand. Is Keshi not one of your members? Well, that is really unfortunate. I have tried to speak to national coaches in general that they should be financial members because they at the professional level can help the association with some of the finances to get some of our programmes done. I spoke personally to Samson Siasia and he told me okay coach. And he promised to come and join, he said we should give him one month that he will turn a new leaf. Most of these national coaches are my players. If they become our members, we will stick our necks for them, that is advantage of being a member of association. Our hands are tied, when they are not our members and something terrible is happening to them, we cannot do anything. Some of the coaches that have been sacked here and there, some of them are now saying ‘let the coaches association come to their rescue’ How can we do that when they are not our members? We told them that at the beginning of the season that, please send your contract papers to the association so, that whenever something happens we will stand for them. Do you believe that there are some of them who did not even have written contract. As for Stephen Keshi, as far as I am concerned he is not our member. As a former national coach, is Keshi right to apply for job elsewhere while he is on contract? I don’t know; I don’t want to comment on something I don’t know the details, but what I am reading in the papers is that they have called him and he has denied that there is nothing like that. For God’s sake can you leave the matter, let the NFF investigate him and if they find him guilty, then they take necessary punishment against him. But I know as a coach, it happened to me when I was looking for job, I threw my CV everywhere.

WORLD RECORD Largest stick bomb Vol. 05 No. 1146

N150

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

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

Why Nigeria needs to address impunity

bserving the public debate following the publication of Amnesty International’s recent report on war crimes committed by the military, I am reminded of the words of Professor Wole Soyinka: “Power is transient, justice eternal”. Since we came back from Abuja, I have noted the positive commitment from President Muhammadu Buhari as well as the usual dismissive response from the military. I have heard from Nigerians from all walks of life. Time will tell whether truth and justice will prevail in Nigeria. But let me set the record straight to clarify some emerging misconceptions. Amnesty International has documented and condemned in the strongest terms the atrocities committed by Boko Haram, and we will continue to do so. As recently as April 14,

Guest Columnist

Netsanet Belay

2015, the first anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok school girls, we published a comprehensive report, ‘Our job is to shoot, slaughter and kill’, documenting and condemning the horrific crimes of Boko Haram in the northeast of the country. The April report showed that in addition to abducting at least 2,000 women and girls, Boko Haram had killed at least 5,500 civilians and brutalized tens of thousands between 2014 and March 2015. And this report was not the first. My team has been on the ground documenting and exposing multiple war crimes, crimes against humanity and other human rights abuses committed by Boko Haram since the start of the crisis. These findings were published in Amnesty International’s reports in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. And each time, we have called for justice for the victims of Boko Haram. But we have also documented serious human rights violations perpetrated by the military in the course of the fight against Boko Haram. In our sister report to the report about Boko Haram atrocities titled, ‘Stars on their Shoulders. Blood on their Hands’, we documented war crimes and crime against humanity by the military. What Amnesty International uncovered in Nigeria was not a handful of civilian casualties caught in the cross-fire. It was evidence of a systematic process, whereby more than 7,000 mainly young Nigerian men and boys died in military detention and more than 1,200 people were unlawfully killed. The vast majority of those unlawfully murdered were non-combatants, most killed following arbitrary arrests. These are Nigerian fathers, sons and broth-

WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF IMPUNITY IN

NIGERIA ers. They are the missing husbands of the women interviewed by Amnesty International, who cannot afford to feed their children or send them to school since their husbands disappeared. They are the sons of the parents who have spent the past year visiting every barrack, police station and jail they can reach to search for their missing children. As an independent, impartial organization, dedicated to documenting and exposing the most serious human rights violations wherever they are committed and whoever they are perpetrated by, Amnesty International is speaking out about these violations, and with a clear purpose. We are asking what happened to the thousands of young men arrested without any evidence against them and who have never been brought to court. We are demanding justice for the people trapped by the cycle of violence and impunity, perpetrated by both Boko Haram and the very military that is supposed to protect them. The horrific acts committed by Boko Haram must end and perpetrators of crimes under international law in its ranks must be punished. But their horrific acts cannot and should not be used to justify the Nigerian military’s unlawful conduct and human rights violations. The mili-

tary cannot tackle war crimes by committing war crimes. Safety and security cannot be delivered by executing, torturing and ill-treating thousands of people. The findings of this recent report resulted from years of detailed research, including more than 400 interviews and the analysis of 90 videos and 800 official documents. We travelled repeatedly to the north-east, gathering information and interviewing witnesses, victims and the families. People told us how they had been rounded-up with hundreds of other young men and boys after cordon searches and held in overcrowded cells. Many were starved, suffocated, and tortured to death. We also spoke to other witnesses who are themselves senior members of the security forces, but who felt that these abhorrent practices within the military must be stamped out. We shared our findings with various sections of the Nigerian government. Since 2013, we sent 57 letters to the federal and state authorities - sharing research findings, raising concerns about ongoing violations and requesting information and specific actions, such as investigations. We only received 13 responses, none of which demonstrated the previous government’s commitment to launching an independent, impartial and effective investigation of these serious crimes. Where investigations were launched they were conducted by the military and the conclusions have never been published. The Nigerian government has had repeated opportunities to confront and investigate these allegations but, despite mounting evidences, they have failed to do so. President Buhari has stated that his government will leave no stone unturned to investigate and deal with all cases of human rights abuses. We join millions of Nigerians in welcoming this commitment. We hope that this will be the beginning of the end of impunity in Nigeria and that it will bring hope to those desperate to find out what has happened to their loved ones. No military is beyond scrutiny. Belay is Amnesty International’s Africa Director (Research and Advocacy)

Sport Extra

Muntari, AC Milan part ways

ulley Muntari’s uncelebrated three-year spell with AC Milan was ended by mutual consent yesterday, according to the Serie A club. “AC Milan and Sulley Muntari would like to an-

nounce they have reached agreement to dissolve the player’s contract with the club as of today,” said a club statement. Ghanaian international, Muntari, joined the Rossoneri on a permanent basis in 2012

following a loan spell while he was a registered player with city rivals, Inter Milan. However the 30-year-old midfielder fell out of favour at the fallen Serie A giants last season, especially when Filippo Inzaghi replaced Clarence

Seedorf as coach of the seventime European champions. Muntari made only 16 league appearances, scoring twice, as the Rossoneri headed for a mid-table finish that ruled them out of Europe next season.

Milan boosted their midfield earlier this week with the capture of Italy international, Andrea Bertolacci, from Roma and are looking to rebuild their squad under newly-appointed coach Sinisa NFF President, Aminu Maigari Mihajlovic. Muntari

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