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5,000 vehicles powered with gas in Nigeria –NIPCO

Police beat female politician to death in Ondo

No pipeline vandalism since May 29, says Igali

ROTIMI FADEYI

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Vol. 5 N0. 1190

igerian Independent Petroleum Company, NIPCO Plc, an indigenous downstream

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

petroleum and gas operator, said about 5,000 vehicles currently use Compressed CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

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Ohanaeze condemns Buhari’s appointments ...calls for calm Engagement not tribal –SGF

President has right to employ personal staff –Oyegun

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OBIORA IFOH, ROTIMI FADEYI AND DENNIS AGBO

ontroversy over President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent appointment of some members of his kitchen cabinet, which highly favoured people of the northern part of the country, is yet to abate. Joining in the fray yesterday, leading Igbo group in the country, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, expressed bitterness over the development, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

President, NOC hail victorious D’Tigers P.53 L-R: Special Adviser on Media to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina; National Security Adviser, Maj. Babagana Monguno; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; President Muhammadu Buhari and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. David Lawal, during swearing-in of the SGF and two principal officers of the Presidency in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

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‘Why pioneer PDP members dumped party’

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‘Why pioneer PDP members dumped party’ OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

eoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday reflected on its 17 years of existence and concluded that some of its pioneer members left because they could not handle the competition within the party. The party also stated that only Nigerians can explain why it lost the 2015 presidential elections in spite of the achievements of the last 17 years. The party, however, denied that corruption was part of its achievement in the light of attempts by current administration to probe the immediate past administration. National publicity secretary, Oliseh Metuh, stated these at a press conference to mark the 17th anniversary of the party. The party was officially formed on August 31, 1998. Metuh, while responding to why most of its leading members left the party, stressed that although some left because their interest could not be honestly accommodated.

He noted that most of them could not stand competition within the party. Metuh said, “Some of our members left because of competition. If people cannot handle that competition there is nothing we can do. Some members felt that they were not well protected when they sought assistance, others left because we lost election, others for selfish reason while some others when they felt they were honestly not accommodated in the party.” Some of the pioneer members of the PDP that have left PDP include; former president, Olusegun Obasanjo; Alhaji Yahaya Kwande; former Senate President, Prof. Iyorcha Ayu; former national chairmen, Audu Ogbeh and Barnabas Gemade. Others are former national secretary of PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi; former Kano State governor, Musa Kwankwaso; former Sokoto State governor, Aliyu Wamakko; former Adamawa State governor, Murtala

Nyako; Kwara State governor, Abdufatai Ahmed; the present Senate President, Bukola Saraki and others. Reacting to why PDP lost the last election in-spite of the huge achievements, Metuh said, “we did our best. Only voting public can say why we lost. No party is fool proof. Why we lost has nothing to do with the

achievements of the PDP.” Reeling out the achievements of the party in the last 17 years, Metuh said the anti-corruption war was part of our achievements which led to the establishment of the EFCC and ICPC. He added that while PDP prosecuted corruption cases through due processes, “we did not magnify corruption

to the extent of de-marketing our economy”. He added that the party also prosecuted corruption starting from its members, stressing “anti-corruption was entirely part of our achievements which we did in cognisance of fundamental human rights, devoid of propaganda and blackmail.” Metuh further said the

PDP created an enabling environment which threw up super rich persons like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga and other who could now compete in the international community. He said PDP attracted Nigerians in the diaspora to return home in belief of the system after it’s dark days under the military.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Alhaji Ismaila Aliyu (2nd right) and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin (right) condoling with the family of Squadron Leader, Adekunle Suara, during their condolence visit to families of victims of Air Force plane that crash in Kaduna, on Sunday. PHOTO: NAN

Ohanaeze condemns Buhari’s appointments CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

describing it as simply “unexplainable and skewed pattern of appointments.” This is just as the group also called for calm among its people, who are obviously aggrieved by the appointments. Speaking for the group, Secretary General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nwaorgu, declared that the appointment had completely excluded Ndigbo from key strategic positions in the Federal Government of Nigeria. His words: “The appointments have completely excluded Ndigbo from key strategic positions in the Federal Government of Nigeria.” Nwaorgu said that the call for Ndigbo to remain calm had become necessary because of the numerous telephone calls from Ndigbo all over Nigeria and in the Diaspora expressing shock and disbelief at the appointments. He said that some Ndigbo who had telephoned him

on the issue had queried “whether Ndigbo are still regarded as part of Nigeria.” The Ohanaeze Secretary General requested Ndigbo not to overreact either by word or any other means to the “ugly situation of total exclusion.” He said: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo urges Ndigbo to continue to be nation builders anywhere they are and not to be downcast by what has happened. Ohanaeze strongly believes that a President of Nigeria is the president for all Nigerians and that equity and fair-play for all Nigerians will be respected.” Also speaking in the same vein on telephone from Abuja, Monday, a former Minister of Health, Professor A.B.C. Nwosu said that he was not surprised that the appointments excluded Ndigbo. According to him, “many Ndigbo expected this to be so even during the campaigns and that was why they voted the way they did.” He stated that; “Ndigbo should not be troubled by

this development because they have seen and survived worse situations in Nigeria and there is no cause for mourning the present development. “Ndigbo should continue to be strong and committed to nation building and await the envisaged remedial action as stated by the presidency even though, personally, I do not see any position that will equal the position of the Secretary to Government of the Federation and its centrality in the exercise of federal power in Nigeria.” Nwosu advised that upon conclusion of major appointments, Ohanaeze Ndigbo in consultation with Igbo organisations like Aka Ikenga, Ndigbo Lagos, World Igbo Congress, Igbo World Assembly, Izu Umunna, Igbo Leaders of Thought and so on should summon a meeting of Igbo leaders and elders to review the situation. But the national chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday

assured Nigerians that President Buhari would balance federal appointment across all the geo-political regions, saying the appointments made so far were his personal staff. The APC national chairman therefore urged the aggrieved persons over the recent appointees to keep their cool. He spoke in Abuja at the national secretariat of APC, when he received in audience a delegation from MBO Dynamic Support Group, led by its national coordinator, Hon. Usman Ibrahim. Oyegun believed that there is a lot of fight back from the people who wanted to draw back the nation under Buhari administration. Said he: “There have been a lot of unfortunate misinformation and uproar against appointments at this stage. We have two set of appointments that have been taking place. One set are the personal privilege of Mr. President, as far as his personal staff are concerned. “The other set has to do

with a few important and strategic persons that are going to help him either in the fight against corruption or the fight against insurgency in the North-East of our country, but this is not where to play the political balancing game. “These are serious and the president has the right to appoint those he has confidence in because these are the areas where he has made promises to Nigerians. “But we have thousands of political appointments and he has just made a few appointments while thousands are still waiting. The balancing must happen when the political appointment are being made but we must not at this particular point in time with the few appointments say that one must be from the North, one must be from South or from the East not at this very stage. “So, one must make that clear at this stage. Nobody, no leader can disadvantage any part of this nation, that will not happen.” On the anti-corruption

feat of President Buhari government, he said: “If a particular group has ruled for 16 years, then who is guilty of corruption? “And all the fight, witchhunting are neither here no there. What is important is that everybody who has a skeleton in his cupboard they are the ones who has something to fear. If you do not have any skeleton in the cupboard you go to sleep and sleep very sound but of course if you have you will pretend and try to divert attention.” Meanwhile, the president yesterday swore in the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachi Lawal; National Security Adviser, NSA, Babagana Monguno and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina. Buhari had last Thursday announced Lawal as SGF along with the appointment of Alhaji Abba Kyari as Chief of Staff to the President; Colonel HaCONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Photo News

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

L-R: Group Head, Financial Institutions/International Organisation, Mr. Babasola Aluko; Portfolio Relationship Manager, Private Sector Engagement, The Global Fund, Mr. Andrew Redpath and Local Account Manager, Financial Institution/International Organisation, Mr. Osahon Aibangbee, during Ecobank/The Global Fund workshop in Abuja, yesterday.

Members of Nigerian Guild of Editors, during a visit to Oloibri Oil Well 1, at Otuabagi Town in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. PHOTO: NAN

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L-R: South-West Chairman, Campaign for Democracy; Prince Goodluck Obi; President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin; Chairman, Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation, Comrade Ayodele Akele and Treasurer, Ven. Folorunsho Oginni, during a press briefing on the coming 6th Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Anniversary, in Lagos, yesterday.

L-R: Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr. Lawal Ado; representative of Managing Director, Mr. Jones Afolabi; Senior Editor, Mr. Ahmed Dada and Director-General, National Institute for Legislative Studies, Dr. Ladi Hamalai, during a NAN forum in Abuja on Sunday.

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NIPC, ministry collaborate to promote investment opportunities in agriculture

igerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, said it was in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to attract more foreign investors into agricultural sector of the economy. This is contained in a statement signed by Mr. Joel Attah, Head of Media of the commission, in Abuja yesterday. It said the agreement was reached between the Executive Secretary of NIPC, Mrs. Uju Baba, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Sunday Echono. It stated that Baba said this when she paid a courtesy visit to Echono as part of efforts to create common synergy and maintain cordial working relationship with relevant

agencies. They noted that before the advent oil, agriculture was the main economic backbone of the country. The statement enjoined Echono to ensure that investors that were already doing business in the sector and its value chain were registered with the commission to protect their investment.

It said investors would also enjoy “aftercare services” provided by the organisation. “The commission is the only agency of government that is charged with the responsibility of promoting and attracting investment into the economy. “The commission also has the legal framework on all investment related mat-

ters “So the main focus of the commission now is to identify and meet targeted investors who are committed and desirous to invest in the country,” the statement said. It said the collaboration would create job for the teeming unemployed Nigerians and also create wealth. It urged the ministry to

identify with the activities of One Stop Investment Centre, OSIC, in the commission by deploying a desk officer to the centre for the purpose of providing detailed. The statement invited the secretary to take advantage of the commission’s website to advertise the opportunities available in the agricultural sector and its value chain

free of charge. It said investors regularly visited the site to seek for information and guidance on how to invest in Nigeria. The statement said Echono commended the commission for its determination to take the country to a future beyond oil in its strategy to promote the non-oil sector.

Okebukola urges enhanced ICT knowledge among teachers, administrators

ormer Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Peter Okebukola, has called for enhanced knowledge of Information Communication Technology, ICT, among teachers and school administrators so as to boost technology–assisted learning. Okebukola made the call yesterday in Abuja at a twoday conference on technolo-

gy-assisted learning in Nigerian higher education jointly organised by NUC and American University of Nigeria, AUN. He spoke on “The Nigerian Education Sector: Current State of IT.” The former executive secretary decried the low ICT competence among principals, vice-chancellors, teachers and school administrators.

“The ICT competence of school administrators is very low; our vice-chancellors, principals, lecturers, among others need to enhance their ICT knowledge. “If you do not build capacity of teachers and administrators, even if you flood your schools with computers, you will not achieve much,” he said. He urged NUC to initiate ICT capacity building for

vice-chancellors and teachers in the faculties of education. He also stressed the need to reward universities that do very well in ICT and name and shame the poorly performing ones. Earlier, Prof. Julius Okojie, the Executive Secretary, NUC said the Federal Government had done a lot over the years to meet the ICT needs of universities. According to him, the Ni-

gerian Education Research Network, NGREN, has boosted internet connectivity for Nigerian universities and enhanced knowledge sharing via ICT. In her remarks, Hajiya Hindatu Abdullahi, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, said Nigeria needed to chart a new course and adopt global best practices in teaching and learning.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

5,000 vehicles powered with gas in Nigeria –NIPCO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Natural Gas, CNG, as fuel in the country. The company said contrary to other opinions, CNG powered vehicles had come to stay in Nigeria, since the inception of the project in 2009. NIPCO’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr Taofeek Lawal, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that more than 4,000 vehicles had already converted to use CNG in Benin, Edo State. Lawal said that over 500 vehicles were also operating in Lagos on the environment friendly CNG. According to him, the aim of the CNG refilling stations in Nigeria, especially in Lagos, was to provide alternative to Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, or petrol at a reduced cost and to boost national socio-economic growth. He also said aside the economic gains, CNG targeted

reduction of unfriendly automobile emissions and exposure of Nigerians to the innovation of powering vehicles on gas. The spokesperson said the company had about 10 CNG operating stations nationwide, while others were under construction. He said that the patronage of CNG refilling station, at Ibafo, Ogun State, was impressive with an average of five minutes’ drive by commercial buses and private vehicle owners. “CNG sustainability in Nigeria and Lagos is possible, considering the country is one of the largest producers of natural gas. “Ibafo CNG station, near Lagos, is a world class facility with about 12 dispensing pump for light and heavy duty trucks refilling facilities. “It is also sustainable in that private sector is taking the lead, as government pro-

vides enabling environment for it to thrive,” he said. Lawal said conversion of vehicles to become CNG compatible cost between N200,000 and N300,000. He said the cost profile of CNG vehicular conversion came with a flexible repayment package and depended on the choice of kit. He also identified poor awareness about the innovative CNG powered vehicles to the absence of policy on natural gas vehicles and lack of natural gas supply across Nigeria. Lawal said stagnation of CNG revolution in Nigeria was also due to the inability of NIPCO and the Nigerian Gas Company to float a Joint Venture (JV). He said lack of gas infrastructure, pricing and government support was militating against CNG expansion in Lagos. “Nigerians are well informed towards the CNG

projects but it could improve. “The best time for CNG popularisation is when government increases the price of PMS to further compel motorist to think of the cost benefits of powering vehicles with natural gas. “N55 per standard cubic feet of gas is equivalent to one litre of petrol which currently sells at N87 with government subsidy. “All the necessary approval from DPR has been obtained before commencement of operation,’’ he said. Lawal said NIPCO had concluded arraignment to build CNG refilling stations in Lagos and environs. It was gathered from some officials at the Ibafo CNG refilling station that motorists paid initial deposits of about N20,000 for conversion with the balance deducted through daily purchase of gas. “When you want to con-

Director-General, National Sports Commission, Malam Alhassan Yakmut (left), addressing Nigerian athletes before their departure for the 11th 2015 All Africa Games, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Ohanaeze condemns Buhari’s appointments CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

meed Ibrahim Ali (rtd.) as Comptroller-General, Nigerian Customs Service and Mr. Kure Martin Abeshi as Comptroller-General, Nigerian Immigration Service; Senator Ita S.J. Enang as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) while Hon. Suleiman A. Kawu was appointed as SSA to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives). The President did not make any speech at the

swearing in ceremony yesterday but Lawal, while responding on behalf of others said they were not appointed based on tribal, religious or political considerations. “We did not pass any examination to get appointed into these positions; not because of our tribes, our faiths, or our political groups that we were considered worthy for these positions. If it is such, I am sure none of us would have been considered worthy of these appointments”, Lawal said.

He assured the President that they would not fail him and the nation, stressing that that they would strive at all times to serve with excellence, hard work and integrity. It would be recalled that Buhari announced Monguno as NSA on July 13 following the sack of former Security Chiefs and the appointment of their replacements. On that day, Buhari announced General Abayomi Olonishakin as Chief of Defence Staff; LieutenantGeneral Tukur Buratai as

Chief of Army Staff; Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, Chief of Naval Staff; Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar as Chief of Air Staff while Air Vice-Marshal Monday Morgan was named Chief of Defence Intelligence. The appointment of Adesina was announced earlier on May 31 along with Mallam Garba Shehu as Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity and Abdullahi Kazaure as the State Chief of Protocol (SCOP).

vert your vehicle to gas, you will pay as low as N20,000, then we will put you on installment payment anytime you come to fill your cylinder. “This method makes it convenient for our customers to pay within some months depending on your usage. “A cubic feet of gas cost N55, if you are on our debt list, you will be paying N80 per cubic feet which means the remaining N25 will be servicing your debt. “This will continue until you complete the payment. Because of this payment method, we have over 5,000 vehicles running on CNG in the country,” he said. Some motorists plying the Lagos/Ibadan expressway described CNG powered vehicles as economical, safer, flexible and eco-friendly. A commercial vehicle driver, Mr. Ibrahim Kareem, said the conversion of his vehicle to CNG early in 2015 had saved him money. “I converted my bus to gas early this year and I am happy to tell you that I saved up to N7,500 daily on my fuel consumption. “Before now, I spent N6,000 to travel to Ibadan from Lagos but now with just N3,750, I will travel to Ibadan and come back with ease,” he said. Another commercial vehicle driver, Mr. Sunday Adeyemi, said most of the commercial vehicles operating between Lagos and Ibadan had converted to CNG because of its availability and the economy of scale. “Most of us here have converted our motors to CNG because of the instalment payment created by the company. “They are aware that we cannot run away once you got converted. “What we would have used on petroleum is being used to balance our debt; by next month, I would have completed my debt,” he said. Adeyemi said he used the availability of CNG in his vehicles during the petrol scarcity to make more money. “When others did not get petroleum for transportation during the fuel scarcity, I was busy making money because gas was

available and cheap,” he said. A civil servant with Lagos State Government, Mr. Daniel Folorunsho, said CNG was Eco-friendly and management friendly. “Before my friend introduced me to CNG, I serviced my car every three months but now, I service it once in six months because of its Eco-friendly nature. “It is clean and there will be no smoke coming from your vehicle. “The government should enlighten road users on the advantages of CNG because it is better than petrol and it is economical and safer. “Even the subsidy government is paying on petroleum products will reduce if more emphasis is placed on CNG usage,” he said. Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, yesterday said electricity supply improved in the country because there had not been any case of pipeline vandalism since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office. Speaking with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Igali explained that vandalism of gas pipelines was rampant in the last days of the previous administration which led to poor power supply shortly before May 29. He said the situation however improved as the Buhari-led administration had redoubled efforts at engaging stakeholders where the pipelines pass through for peace to reign. According to him, the strategy had resulted in increased gas supply and improved power nationwide currently at 4,600mw. He stressed that the improvement was not as a result of the heavy rains since hydro power stations in Kainji and Shiroro contribute just about 20 per cent of the entire electricity supply in the country Igali explained that DSDU WIU RP EXLOGLQJ RQ efforts of past government and tasking stakeholders to double efforts, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had been holding regular meetings with power distribution companies to strategise on ways to further improve supply.

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ObiOra ifOh ABUJA

onal Vice Chairman (South-South) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, has warned against top level plans to shield former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim from being prosecuted for his role in setting up the Centenary City project. The PDP leader said last week briefing of President Muhammadu Buhari on the controversial project was an act of deception. He said the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, advised against granting free zone status to the project. Chairman of the Centenary Board of Directors, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, had on Friday led other members of the management team to a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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Centenary city: PDP chieftain warns against shielding Anyim

...says Adoke advised against free zone status But Ojougboh who addressed a press conference on behalf Nigerian Unemployed Youth Vanguard, NUYV, in Abuja on Monday said the former head of state is not a shareholder in the Centenary City Project. He also noted that as a security officer, Abubakar should not have agreed for the relocation of military barracks for the building of Centenary City, which he said, a compensation of N2 billion was paid from government coffers. The PDP chieftain said for any one job created in the project, Nigeria would lose 1, 000 jobs to foreign countries because of the free zone status granted to owners of the project. According to Ojoug-

boh, the former Minister of Justice, in a letter to former Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe on January 17, 2014, said the possibility of applying the provision of Nigeria Export Processing Zone, NEPA, Act was not advisable. The letter reads:”The proposal indicates that the city will accommodate a residential population of about 100,000 people which implies that the city will be partially residential. “On the contrary, this is not one of the approved activities that may be

carried out in an EPZ by virtue of section 6 (1) and third schedule of NEPZ Act.” He added that the application of NEPZ Act may make it difficult for the private sector to participate in the manner envisaged in the proposal because the control and management of the city is the statutory responsibility of NEPZ. Ojougboh added that section 4 (1) of the NEPZ Act states that the signature of the chairman should be on the seal of any document granting free zone to any organisation.

“As chairman my signature is not on the document. The MD should be called to account for this; that is fraud,” he noted. Ojougboh also alleged that only two companies have majority shares of 125 million each. In a document he circulated, which he said was based on his search at Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, office in Abuja on December 24, 2014 and January 5, 2015, the PDP Vice Chairman mentioned the companies as First Limited and Basic Start Limited, which he added, had only 10, 000 when they were incorpo-

rated in 2009. He alleged that Anyim hid his interest in the Centenary City project, which he said was a criminal negligence and should be investigated. National Coordinator of Nigerian Unemployed Youth Vanguard, Adoda Solomon, said the group will seek audience with President Buhari to demand for justice on the Centenary City Project. Solomon added that the Vanguard might seek redress in the court of law, and possibly link up with League of Lawyers who promised to help Buhari to fight corruption.

‘No more harassment of civilians by soldiers’

he era of harassment of civilians population by military men in uniform is over, Brigadier-General Nicholas Rogers, Head, Civil/Military Affairs, Army headquarters, has declared.

Rogers made the declaration on Monday in Yola during an interactive session with stakeholders including NGOs and religious organisations in Adamawa. He said the military, under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and leadership of Chief of Army Staff, Leutnant General Yusuf Buratai, was committed to professionalism. “The era of harassment, beating, living above the law is over. The military must respect the constitution. “We are here to interface with you to see how we can move this country forward,” he said. Rogers said personnel from his office would visit Adamawa in a fortnight to interact with the people on ways to improve military/civilian

relationship. According to him, such interaction is not only necessary to improve military/civilian ties, but also facilitate the fight against insurgency. He said that the military would soon provide the public with dedicated lines with which to report any act of indiscipline by its personnel. In their separate remarks at the occasion, Mallam Sale Atiku of Muslim Council and Bishop Mike Moses of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, lauded the military for the renewed move to reach out to the civil populace. The religious leaders, who assured the military of their support, also promised to mobilise their adherents to live in peace and tolerate each other. They stressed the need for the setting up of peace and reconciliation committee to douse the tension created by the activities of Boko Haram in some areas particularly Madagali and Michika local government areas.

L-R: Representative of the Senate President, Hon. Gbenga Makanjuola; Special Adviser to the former President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr. Ruben Abati; former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Chairman, Young Professionals Forum and Publisher/CEO, Ovation Magazine, Chief Dele Momodu, during Rise Networks Nigerian commemoration of the United Nation International Youth Day in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADEDTIMEHIN

Defence Headquarters says insurgency will end soon

efence Headquarters has said that the end of insurgency in Nigeria is in sight and that all known camps of insurgents on Nigerian territory have been dislodged. Acting Director, Defence Information, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, said this on Monday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy call on Mr Ima Niboro, Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. Abubakar said the military would continue to dominate the insurgents’ hideouts in the North

East so that Boko Haram menace would end soon. Abubakar said that information was one of the weapons of the Boko Haram insurgents and that they capitalised on it to instill fear on citizens and to portray their successes even when they have been conquered. Abubakar identified the media as important partners in the fight against insurgency and sought media partnership to help in moving the nation forward. Responding, Niboro commended the efforts of the military and as-

sured it of the agency’s support in ensuring that the aim of ending Boko Haram soon was achieved. He also expressed joy that the ‘’initial period of surprise’’ on the nation was over because the military had taken charge of the situation by destroying the insurgents’ camps. Niboro, however, urged media blackout on Boko Haram activities, advising that it should wield its powers with a greater sense of responsibility. He said that as long as

the media keeps using sensational headlines, the insurgents would have a reason to continue. Niboro also expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigerian Armed Forces to end the insurgency, urging for greater public support for the ongoing counter-insurgency operation. He also advocated the formulation of a national strategy to incorporate the military, police, civil populace and all other stakeholders in the country to help end the menace in Nigeria.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Saraki seeks closer ties with Saudi Arabia

enate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Fahad Sefyan, have pledged to work towards deepening the economic ties between both countries. The Saudi Arabian ambassador was in the senate president’s office yesterday on a courtesy call. Saraki, while welcoming the envoy, noted the existing cordial relationship between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said the existing relationship was being strengthened by Nigeria whose citizens yearly embark on business and religious trips to the Middle East country. “This is based on culture, religion and many things and I think we want to continue building on that relationship. “We continue to treasure this beneficial exchange. What remains is for us to have robust, thriving mutually beneficial business and investment-related exchange,” he said. He said that the desire to improve on the relationship has become necessary in view of the election of President Muhammadu Buhari and emergence of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as leaders of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia respectively.

He said both Buhari and King Al Saud have great desire to improve economic relationship between both countries. “I want to assure you on behalf of the Senate and the Senators here that Nigeria highly appreciates the relationship with the Kingdom and also to urge you to pass our best wishes to King Salman. “I want to assure you that we will continue to build on the strong points of the existing relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia,” he added. He listed oil and gas, infrastructure development and agriculture as areas of the Nigerian economy where Saudi Arabia investors can take advantage of. Saraki added: “I know when I was a governor, I visited the Kingdom to look at its milk production and to see how the experience can be brought to Nigeria to help us. There are a lot of opportunities I see there and I believe once we can develop a more robust relationship, a lot of things will happen.” Earlier, Sefyan said he was in Nigeria to further enhance the relationship between both countries and that the Nigerian government and people can count on Saudi Arabia to partner with them in rebuilding the economy of the country.

Ebola: Nurses want FG to honour late colleagues

ational Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, yesterday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to honour three of its members killed by Ebola while helping to combat the deadly disease in 2014. President of the association, Alhaji AbdulRafiu Adeniji, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja. He said the presidential honour would boost the morale of nurses across the country. He said Ebola claimed life of a doctor and three nurses among health workers, who rose to combat the disease. “Unfortunately today, it was only the doctor that the Federal Government recognised. “The Federal Government should not be lopsided in remembering people who were hero of the Ebola,” adding that success in the health sector was al-

ways due to team work. Adeniji said the Ebola saga was a big threat from which the country was saved through the sacrifices of health workers whose families deserved adequate recognition and compensation. The president also said in countries like Senegal, health workers who died while trying to save life of Ebola victims had their salaries paid to their families until their year of retirement is attained. “With this, the loss to the families of the deceased health worker are minimised,” he said. He assured President Buhari of the association’s support to enable him achieve his government’s set goals in the health sector. He urged members of the association to remain dedicated and put in their best in alleviating suffering and bringing comfort to the sick persons.

Senate President Bukola Saraki (right) with Secretary-General of United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, at the 1st day of the 4th United Nations Conference for Parliamentary Heads in New York.

Second Niger Bridge: Apologise to Nigerians, Oshiomhole tells Onolememen SebaStine ebhuomhan, BENIN

do State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday called on former Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen to apologise to Nigerians for the poor management of national resources. The governor said he stands by his statement on how N140bn was wasted on the 2nd Niger Bridge, even when there is nothing on ground to show for it. According to the governor, the staggering amount so far spent on the project was revealed by those who managed the Sovereign Wealth Funds, SWF, and not manufactured by anybody as former ministers who served in the Goodluck Jonathan cabinet have been claiming. Oshiomhole said: “They told our committee that about $700m were taken from the Sovereign Wealth Fund for the Second Niger

Bridge project.” According to him, any right thinking Nigerian should be ashamed of the state of roads across the country, especially with the enormous resources budgeted for road rehabilitation and construction by the Jonathan administration. “Rather than build new roads and rehabilitate them, they vandalised existing roads and made them almost impassable. “In Edo State, the Aduwawa end of the BeninAuchi Road is almost impassable especially during this rainy season. As we speak, erosion has cut off the Benin-Auchi Road into two and motorists are going through hell passing through the road. What about Benin-Abraka Road, one hell of a road completely abandoned and vandalised. “In the name of politics, they came trying to impress Edo people but ended up depressing all of us. When we complained of

utter neglect of Edo State in the scheme of things, they hurriedly brought caterpillars to site and vandalise the roads, pretending to be working. “If you visit Federal Government roads today in Edo State, you will weep for Edo people. People should find time to pass through Uromi-Agbor Road, a major highway connecting the Eastern part of the country, it is an eye sore, yet we had a Minister of Works, who hails from Uromi. “Former Minister Onolemhemen should explain to Nigerians how he expended the billions of naira that were budgeted for the Ministry of Works because what we have on ground as a product of such expenditure cannot score for any pass mark. “Roads from Oyo to Ilorin, Ilorin to Jebba and Bida, from Ore to IjebuOde, from Ikom to Calabar, Onitsha to Enugu are amongst the several roads that explain the sad com-

mentary on the state of Nigerian roads. “Aside from being death traps, they represent in graphic terms, the poor performance of the last regime in terms of roads construction and rehabilitation. “Rather than hide his head in shame, Onolemhemen is still oozing out diatribe against Nigerians. We deserve explanation and no amount of blackmail can stop us from speaking out about the fate of our country.” Meanwhile, Oshiomhole has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Chief of Staff, the Comptroller-General of Customs and the Presidential Liaison Officers to both chambers of the National Assembly. According to him, the appointments were based on merit and not political sentiments or ethnic consideration as some people have claimed.

Osinbajo attends inauguration of Adesina as AfDB President

ice President Yemi Osinbajo left Abuja yesterday to represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the swearing in ceremony of former Agriculture Minister,

Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina as President of the African Development Bank, AfDB. A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity,

Laolu Akande said Osinbajo would speak at the event scheduled to take place today in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire. It would be recalled that Buhari actively supported the candidature

of the AfDB presidentelect in a keenly contested election conducted in May this year even before he assumed office. The Vice President is due back in Abuja later today.

South West

Femi OyewesO ABEOKUTA

t least, three persons were feared killed, while several others sustained injuries when rival cult groups engaged each other in what appeared a coordinated and counter attack in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, yesterday. The violent cult rivalry, which ravaged four Egba communities of Ago-Odo, Elega, Iberekodo and Adatan axis in Abeokuta North Local Government, was said to be a carry-over of an unresolved quarrel between members of the Eiye and Aiye confraternities. Our correspondent gathered that the cult fracas, which started at a pub in the M.K.O Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta last Friday, finally climaxed into the killing of the 32 years old leader of the Eiye confraternity, identified as Ibrahim Babatunde Alamutu. For over three hours, pandemonium and apprehension enveloped the affected

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Three feared dead, others injured as rival cult groups clash in Ogun …houses razed, police arrest 113 suspects communities with some residents, who had come out early for business, having to rush back home for safety as the rival cultists used cutlasses, guns and other weapons on each other. Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that Alamutu, popularly called ‘Emir’ was attacked on Sunday afternoon, shortly after his wedding introduction at Elega junction. His attackers allegedly slashed his throat while his oesophagus and his left wrist were severed from his body. Members of his Eiye confraternity in a reprisal stormed Ago-Odo community as early as 7: 30 a.m. and at the end of the fracas, two persons were killed.

One of the victims, whose identity could not be ascertained as at the time of filling this report was killed in the same manner like Alamutu and his remains were dragged into the nearby Ogun River. The development drew the attention of top security operatives in the state, including men of the Department of State Service, DSS, Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, and scores of police officers, led by Abeokuta Metropolis Area Commander, Presley Dodeh. The security operatives, who drove into the scene in 14 Hilux vans in company of an Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, later raided a house believed to belong

to a kingpin of Aiye, and a member of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Najimu Sodolamu. Najimu’s aged father, Musibau, his fourth wife identified as Iya Azeez and an unidentified senior sister were arrested. Three buildings in Sodolamu’s compound were completely razed, while 10 vehicles were vandalised. Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, who spoke with journalists shortly after normalcy had been restored, confirmed that Alamutu was the only person killed in the attack, adding that his remains had been evacuated to a morgue in Abeokuta. Adejobi said 33 suspects

L-R: Sen. Ganiyu Solomon; Opeluwa of Lagos, Chief Lateef Ajose; Alara of Ilara, Epe, Oba Hakeem Adesanya; Governor Akinwumi Ambode and Deputy Governor, Dr. Idiat Adebule, during inauguration of 46 ambulances by the governor in Lagos, yesterday.

OjO Oyewamide AKURE

50-year woman, Ronke Adelugba, was at the weekend allegedly beaten to death by a team of policemen from Ala police station, Akure, the Ondo State capital. Adelugba was until her death the Women Leader of Accord Party, AP, Ward 5, Akure South Local Government. Two of the seven policemen, who invaded her house at No. 1, Akinyemi Street, off Ijoka Road, reportedly hit her with gun butt after an argument.

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were arrested in connection with the cult clash. He added that 84 other suspected cultists had on Sunday afternoon been arrested in a forest at Igbesa in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state. The PPRO said the suspects were on the verge of carrying out cult related rites before they were rounded up.

He added that seven other cultists were also nabbed in Ilaro, headquarters of Yewa South Local Government at the same period the cult attack was going on in Abeokuta. He said all the suspects, who have already been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, of the state Police Command.

31 workers in trouble over lateness in Ekiti abiOdun nejO ADO EKITI

o fewer than 31 civil servants across various ministries and departments in Ekiti State are in trouble for resuming late for work yesterday. The governor, who paid an unscheduled visit to the State Secretariat, Ado Ekiti at about 8 a.m. directed that stern disciplinary action should be taken against the erring workers. A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, said the move was part of unscheduled visits the governor would be paying to government offices. The governor, who on arrival, ordered that the main gate be locked, expressed displeasure at the attitude of some workers in the state, saying such acts of indiscipline must be stopped. He ordered his aides and Head of Service to take down the names of the affected

workers and that stern disciplinary action must be taken against them. He said: “If a labourer is worth his wages, the employer also is worth his services. I have warned workers in the state repeatedly about coming late to work or taking their jobs with laxity. Despite the paucity of funds, we have been regularly paying workers’ salaries. “If workers are paid regularly, they too must justify our efforts and work for the money they earn. There are many people out there searching for jobs. I want to take the workers by surprise and I will visit a lot of places. This will be a continuous exercise. “Those that are not disciplined and not ready to key in to our policy of taking the state to greater height will be shown the way out.” Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, said workers must take discharging their duties and coming to work on time with seriousness.

Police beat female politician to death in Ondo The policemen were said to have come in a white Hilux van with registration number NPF 4236 B, after searching a nearby bush for some boys believed to be smoking Indian hemp in the area. Eyewitnesses said argument ensued when the policemen came to Adelugba’s residence to see if the boys were hiding there but the deceased insisted that only her children were in the threebedroom house. One of them said: “The policemen wanted to arrest

her children. But the woman insisted that she would not let her children be arrested without any explanation or a warrant of arrest. She was shoved, beaten and hit with a gun butt. In the process, she slumped and died within two minutes. “The policemen are in the habit of raiding bars and drinking joints in the area every weekend just to arrest young boys who would later be asked to be bailed with money ranging from N5,000 to N10,000 without being charged for any offence.

“Sensing that a similar thing was to be done to her children, the woman demanded for an explanation of the offence committed by her children. Instead of telling her why they wanted to arrest her children, the policemen beat her to death and fled the scene.” He added that residents of the area later carried the lifeless body of the woman to the station where the policemen came from. It was learnt that the remains of the deceased were later deposited at the

morgue of the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, by the policemen. One of the children of the diseased, who identified himself as Henry, said his mother had no history of illness, adding that she was popularly called ‘Iron Lady’ because of her strength and spirit of hard work. “She only asked one question from the leader of the policemen before she was beaten by two of them. One hit her on the head with a stick, while another hit her at the back with a gun butt.

They fled the house without making any arrest after my mother fell and died. “It was the policemen who took the lifeless body to the hospital at about 9 p.m. on Sunday. The family has resolved to seek justice for the wrongful death of our mother in the hands of the law enforcement officers,” Henry said. Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident, saying, however, that the woman started panting and died after policemen left the house.

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South West

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Ambode commissions 20 ambulances

...assures of improved healthcare delivery

FrancIs suberu

L-R: Former Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Kaoli Olusanya; Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Adewale Shotobi; National Leader of APC/Baba Oba of Ikorodu Land, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Speaker, House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, and Chief Monzor Olowosago, during a courtesy visit to Asiwaju Tinubu in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday.

24th Anniversary: Osun assembly holds special session boladale bamIgbola OSOGBO

sun State House of Assembly yesterday held a special session to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the creation of the state. While reviewing the last 24 years of its existence during the session, the lawmakers passed a resolution, urging all arms of government in the state to work out ways of reducing waste of resources. This is just as a non government organisation, The Nation Builder, TNB, appealed to the state government to concentrate on the ongoing projects and allow the next administration after it to initiate new ones. The NGO in a congratu-

Wale IgbIntade

40-year-old lawyer, Chika Uzoamaka, who was alleged to have sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl, (names withheld) was yesterday rearraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate's Court. Uzoamaka is facing a four count charge bordering on sexual assault and an indecent act preferred against him by the police. The prosecutor, Sergeant Aondohemba Koti, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence on August 12, at about 12:45 pm at Magistrate court room 4, Tinubu, in Lagos Island.

latory message to the governor and people of Osun State on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of its creation, said Governor Rauf Aregbesola, has raised the bar of development in the last five years. The state lawmakers also called for re-orientation and attitude of civil servants over the rate of partisanship, expressing worry that the level of partisanship has negated the principle of the ethics of their job. Conveying the resolution of the house, the Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam said; "The waste in government must be reduced to minimal level, so that we will focus on things that would improve the social benefit for our people. "Political functionaries

and technocrats must be called upon to look into this and be ready to develop the state together. It is a collective responsibility that we must all join hands to achieve. "Also, the attitude of our workforce and the orientation has to be changed. The rate of partisanship of workers has become a thing of worry. "The ethic of civil service that they should not be partisan, seems to have faded out. Workers express their feeling on pages of newspapers and radio, just like members of political parties," he said. He commended the founding fathers of the state for their vision, and also urged government to improve on its internal

revenue generation without unnecessarily increasing the burden on the masses to address the present fiscal imbalance and meet up with the vision. Salam also charged government to remain focus on the development of rural areas, as it is being done in urban areas, saying, "we cannot neglect a major segment of the state and say we are developing.” Earlier, the Deputy Speaker, Akintunde Adegboye and other members of the house have commended successive administrations in the state, especially the present one being led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, for the roles they have played in the development of the state since its creation.

agos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday reiterated his commitment to efficient healthcare delivery; even as he commissions 20 ambulances and 14 Mobile Intensive Care Units, MICUs, for public use. The new addition brings to 33 the number of MICUs that are now offering emergency free services to Lagosians. Ambode who commissioned MICUs and the ambulances said the provision was in consonant with the pledge he made during his inauguration; adding that he is totally committed to run a government that will implement programmes that make life more easier and happier for the people. He said: "Today we are launching the Free Ambulance Service as a demonstration of our commitment to that pledge. This is also in consonance with this administration’s mantra of running a government of “continuity with improvement”. Ambode, added that the great strides witnessed in the health sector in the last 16years; commencing from the foundational laid by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the significant landmarks of Babatunde Raji Fashola will be sustained. He explained that:"The idea of this Free Ambulance Service is borne out of our desire to bring quality health service closer

to our people particularly those in emergency situations or conditions. We are commencing this service, firstly with 26 transport ambulances which will be stationed at our 26 general hospitals within the state for easy access. "In addition to this, we have restructured the State Emergency Ambulance Services and increased the fleet of new Mobile Intensive Care Units by 20 bringing the total number to 33 MICUs. This will widen the coverage of our services beyond the metropolis to the hinterlands within the state. In total, we are launching 46 new ambulances today." He said the state has also constructed 14 new ambulance points and renovated the 11 existing points with the new cubicles and bay models to bring the total to 25 ambulance points across the state. "This new ambulance service will operate round the clock at the community level to reduce the response time to distress calls," Ambode said. The governor who also donated 10 Hilux vehicles and 12 patrol motorcycles to men of the Nigerian police in the state added, that other components of the programme include: the upgrading of the infrastructure, facilities and services of the Epe, Badagry, Ikorodu, Alimosho and Gbagada General Hospitals as well as Lekki and Amuwo Odofin Maternal and Child Centres to international standard.

Lawyer re-arraigned for defiling 9-year-old girl He alleged that the defendant sexually assaulted the little girl by penetrating her anus and virginal, without her consent. Koti said that the defendant engaged in a sexual activity without the consent of the victim, adding that he willfully and without an excuse perpetrate an indecent act in a public place. However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. According to the prosecutor, the offences committed are punishable under sections 259, 261, 263 (1) and 134 (1) of the criminal law of Lagos state 2011.

Magistrate L.A Owolabi granted him bail in the sum of N400,000, with two responsible sureties who are to be 40 years old in like sum. One of the sureties who must be a lawyer with 10 years of experience and their addresses verified by the prosecutor also ordered that N100,000 should be deposited in the court's registrar's account. The magistrate thereafter, adjourned the matter till September 14 for mention and ordered that the amended charge should be taken to the Director of Public Prosecution DPP, for advice.

It will be recalled that the defendant was allegedly caught at the court premises on August 12, for allegedly assaulting and fondling the breast of the victim. He was first arraigned on August 13, 12015, at the chambers on a three count charge bordering on indecent assault by touching the little girl 's genital organ and fondling with her breasts without her consent. He was also alleged to have attempted to rape and conducted himself in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace. According to the former charge, the offences commit-

ted was punishable under sections 26, 260 and 166 (1) and (d) of the criminal law of Lagos State 2011 and the matter was adjourned till August 31, for mention. Before the substituted charge was read to the defendant, he urged the court to reduce his bail conditions because of the hardship he is facing. Magistrate L.A Owolabi, had earlier sentenced a 28 -year -old man, Olatunji Abejoye, to one year imprisonment with hard labour, for assaulting one Jumoke Adepoju over refusal to have sex with him. Delivering his judgment,

the magistrate held that the convict was arraigned on a one count charge bordering on assault on August 14. He addded that during evidence ginen by the victim, she said that the convict whom she has known for about two years is as his neighbour usually lends money from each other. The victim told the court that on the 13th of August 2015, at about 2pm at Kajola Town Via Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos state,that the convict assaulted her by beating her with plank which inflicted injuries on all over her body for refusing to have of sex with him.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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Baptist Convention backs Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

resident, Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, NBTS, Ogbomoso, Reverend Emiola Nihinlola, yesterday said the NBTS and the Nigerian Baptist Convention are strongly in support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade.

He said this in Ogbomoso while addressing a press conference on NBTS 2015 Annual Ministers’ Conference, stating that the two religious organisations abhor corruption, sexual immorality and violence, According to him, the religious bodies would continue to preach against corruption, sexual immoralities and other social vices,

adding that a nation cannot grow with the existence of such vices. He said the NBTS would from next week Monday to Thursday host no fewer than 5,000 gospel ministers across the world at its 2015 Annual Ministers' Conference. Nihinlola said the conference with the theme "Ministering to a Hurting World" is packaged to look into con-

temporary challenges facing the world. "We will identify and train participants on how to minister to people within and outside the church. "Ministration to those who are living in the context of poverty, violence, terrorism, persecution, hurts, pains, tears, conflicts, war, sexual immorality, deceit and corruption," he said

The Associate Professor of Christian Theological Studies, added that the church would also define ways of reaching out to the people in need, widows, orphans, poor, strangers, weak, oppressed and marginalised. He said the NBTS, Og-

Robbers kill security guard, set market ablaze in Imo Chris njOKu OWERRI

Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano (left) during the lightning of Boys Scouts Association Camp Fire night at the Governor’s Lodge, ground Amawbia, recently.

Cuba committed to development of mankind —Aregbesola BOladale BamigBOla OSOGBO

sun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola on Monday acknowledged the Republic of Cuba as a nation that has demonstrated high capacity for international human compassion based on humanitarian commitment to the development of mankind. The governor made this disclosure when the Cuban ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Carlos Trejo Soza, paid a condolence visit to the governor on the demise of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade at the Government House, Osogbo. Aregbesola commended the Cuban government for its prompt response on the fight against the deadly epidemic of Ebola virus in West Africa. He noted that the Osun State Government was elated when all the religious as-

sociations in Cuba wrote to commiserate with the state on the demise of the monarch which included; Council of Elder Priests of Ifa of the Republic of Cuba, Council of Elder Priests Oba - Oriaye of Cuba and Council of Elder Iyalochas Priestesses of the Republic of Cuba. Others according to him are; Council of Elder Babalochas Priests of Cuba, Council of Elder Arará Priests of Cuba and Council of Priests Chiefs of Cabildos of the Republic of Cuba. Aregbesola stated that he shared in the ideologies of the Republic of Cuba, saying, in his political consciousness; Cuba is the focus of his activism. Speaking on his relationship and love for Cuba, the governor recounted that his first child and son was sent to a Cuban university after his secondary education in Nigeria. "This is an opportunity

to let the whole world know how my son went to Cuba to study, he went to Cuba on scholarship from The Nigerian-Cuba friendship, Business and Cultural Association for the 1999 year. He was there for 6 years. "Interestingly, 2005 was the year the boy graduated from the University of Matanzas and again, it was very interesting that the person who accompanied me to his graduation that year was the present Vice-president of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. It is nice to recount all of these so that Nigerians will know how long and how far we have been with the Cuban people". The governor stressed. Speaking earlier, the Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Carlos Trejo Soza, noted that he is in Osun State to pay tribute to the late Ooni of Ife who he described as father of the world. The Cuban envoy prayed

for the repose of the soul of the late monarch, saying,"we join wholeheartedly the pain of the Yoruba people worldwide, the Osun State, the children and family of the late father of the world for the loss of such a dear father". "Also aside from paying tribute to the late Ooni, I have come to pay homage to my ancestors, there is an enormous contribution that Africa, Nigeria most especially the Yoruba that has helped Cuba to develop. "We will continue to keep tradition, religion and every relationships that we have with Africa, studies have shown that Cubans have a DNA that is hundred percent Africa and sixty percent from Yoruba, we have everything in common with the Yorubas". He told the gathering that he is not surprised that Osun State has a man who is highly respected in Cuba as its governor.

bomoso, was established in 1898 by the Southern Baptist Convention of United States of America for Christian education and leadership training, saying, "it is significant to note that the seminary is the first tertiary institution to award degrees in Nigeria.’’

rmed robbers at the weekend hacked a security guard at Orie Uvuru modern market in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State to death, before setting the market ablaze. Although not all sections of the market got burnt, the robbers however, escaped with their loots unchallenged. It was reliably gathered that the deceased security guard identified as Mr. Augustine Chidi, who was at his duty post in the early hours of Saturday, reportedly challenged the armed robbers said to be four in number about their mission at the market at about 2 am. But the armed who were angered by the security guard questioning, descended on him and dealt him several machete blows on his head and other parts of his body. After killing the guard,

the robbers were said to have forced open some of the lock-up stores and carted away various items including electronics, auto spare parts and beverages, and set a section of the market ablaze. According to a source, the suspected robbers were said to have carried the corpse of the security guard and dumped it on the road along Okpala/ Ahiara junction. The remains of the deceased had since been deposited at the Orient mortuary. Reacting, some of the traders whose stores were burnt described the robbers’ attack as act of wickedness. Speaking, Mrs. Akwaru Nwanorue whose store was burnt to ashes, lamented that she had just bought goods in her shop a day before the robbers struck, adding that the robbers carted away everything. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

Ebonyi to partner Nollywood stars on tourism development aliuna gOdwin ABAKALIKI

bonyi State Government yesterday reiterated its preparedness to partner with the Nollywood actors and actresses to ensure adequate development of its tourism sector. The government made this known through the Director of Culture and Tourism Committee, Dr. Jerry Uhuo, who said Nollywood stars in the state, especially those from Ebonyi have been urged to always shoot their firms in within the state. He noted that the government had at the weekend given out two vehicles won by Grace Armah and Patoranking as the Ebonyi Tourism

Ambassadors, adding that other benefits will be given to the artists through their consultants. It would be recalled that a majority of the popular musicians including, Terry G, Channel O presenter, Denrele, Nollywood actress, Grace Amah and a host of other stars were honoured in the state. Uhuo said the actors were lodged for a programme organised to host Nollywood stars of Ebonyi State origin that are making waves in the entertainment industry. The government had staged a show at the AkanuIbiam International Conference Centre where it honored over 50 stars of the state extraction in the entertainment industry.

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Why Nigeria can't trade in $100bn global market for alternative medicine Femi OyewesO ABEOKUTA

ederal Government yesterday expressed its readiness to provide necessary supports for practitioners of alternative medicine in order to enable them produce scientific evidence on the safety, efficacy as well as standardised traditional medicine for world’s consumption. Director General/ Chief Executive of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency, NNMDA, Dr. Sam Etatuvie gave the assurance at this year’s celebrations of the Africa Traditional Medicine Day, which held at the Technology Incubation Centre, TIC, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Etatuvie gave insight into why Nigerian alternative medicine practitioners are yet to actively participate in the estimated $100bn market of herbal medicines and products around the world. According to him, most herbal medicine and products prepared in Nigeria are neither standardised nor listed for safe consumption by National Agency for Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, hence their being fenced off at the global market. He said the Federal Government’s support for the alternative medicine would enable Nigeria compete favourably in the market currently dominated by countries such as China, India, Korea and Germany. According to him, with over 250 million Africans patronising traditional healthcare practitioners, Etatuvie expressed dissatisfaction that Nigeria, despite its vast traditional medicine knowledge, bio-diversity and bio-resources is yet to play any perceptible role. He lamented that Nigeria had failed to harness the global traditional and herbal medicine market for jobs creation and revenue generation amid the nation's dwindling oil fortune. He noted that Africans

consult and patronise traditional health practitioners for various reasons, including health, socio-psychological and economic. “The financial value of the world trade in this sector is estimated to be over $100bn. This business is dominated by China, India, Korea and Germany. Our nation with its vast traditional medicine knowledge, bio-diversity and bio-resources plays very little or no part yet. “The consumption of plant-based medicines and demand for traditional medicine services in the world has increased in recent years offering us unique opportunity to play active part in the evolving local and international trade. “To achieve this, science, technology and innovation is the key tool to facilitate the production, standardisation and commercialisation of products,” he said. Also speaking, Director General/Chief Executive of the NBTI, Dr. Mohammed Jibrin disclosed that over 1, 500 herbal medicine products have been documented in Nigeria by the agency. In her remark, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, said traditional herbal medicine sector could serve as a major revenue base for the country. “It is a sure way to maximise the potentials of this national heritage with the present government drive toward increase in revenue from non-oil sector, these holds great potential to transform the nation's economy,” she said.

Buhari

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Ibadan Poly ASUP embarks on strike over unpaid salaries kemi Olaitan IBADAN

embers of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, yesterday embarked on an indefinite strike following the failure of the Oyo State government to pay their outstanding salaries. Secretary of ASUP in the institution, Mr. Akande Adekunle, while speaking with journalists, said members of the union have no option than to go on strike as they

have been working with empty stomachs. Adekunle appealed to well meaning individuals to prevail on the government to pay the five months salaries owed them. According to him, ASUP members have been experiencing irregularity in payment of salaries since 2014, a situation he described as not palatable to members as they do not have any other source of income. He said: “Most if not all our members have been finding it difficult to meet our obligations to our family mem-

bers. We are therefore calling on well meaning Nigerians to intervene in this and urge the government to pay us our salaries as we do not want our members to die before we start voicing out our plight.” All efforts to speak with the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the institution, Mr. Soladoye Adewole, on the development proved abortive as he was not picking his calls. Meanwhile, Students Union Government, SUG, of the institution has assured of reviving the school radio which will create employ-

ment opportunities for students. The newly elected SUG President, Joseph Esho, who gave the assurance during the swearing-in ceremony of the union executives, said the polytechnic radio is one of the innovations that his tenure plans to bring into the institution. While expressing optimism that the revival of the Poly Radio will be a reality very soon, he promised to actualise it through consultations with major stakeholders in the broadcast industry.

Flooded Osuwa Street in Asaba, Delta State, yesterday.

I left N10bn in state treasury, Amaechi insists Dennis naku

PORT HARCOURT

ormer Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi had denied allegations that he left an empty treasury to his successor. He insisted that he left about N10bn in the coffers of the state before his exit from office. Governor Nyesom Wike, had accused his predecessor of emptying the state treasury, saying it was the reason he sought a loan of N30bn to start work and hit the ground running. But Amaechi in an electronic mail from his media office, issued yesterday, said the allegations by Wike were distractions to enable him steal the state’s funds. The statement reads:

“Wike claimed he met a completely empty treasury. That again is another big lie and grand deception to steal state funds. We have said that former governor Amaechi left billions of naira and we even went ahead to mention the banks and give the names of the accounts the money were, as at May 29, 2015. “We repeat that N7.5bn cash were left behind as balances in the state Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, account with Skye Bank, FAAC account with Zenith Bank, balances with Access Bank and funds in the state reserve fund account in First Bank. “This is besides other balances in the state Government House account with Zenith Bank and other government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs,

accounts, like the Bureau for Public Procurement, BPP. “Amaechi left N939m in the Commercial Agric Credit Scheme Account in Zenith Bank. By the time you pull all these balances together, we are looking at readily available cash in the region of N8bn to N10bn left for the Wike’s administration. “We have mentioned banks, account names and funds left in the accounts. These are facts that cannot be distorted by Wike. “If Wike says he’s not lying that he met an empty treasury, we challenge him to publish the statements of these government accounts that we have mentioned and other Rivers State government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) accounts as at May 29; to prove his claim and show

the public that Amaechi left an empty treasury for him. “But, we dare say, he will not because he runs a government of lies, deception and fraud, always wanting to hoodwink the public as he siphons billions of naira of state funds.” Amaechi set the Judicial Commission of Inquiry was set up to to indict him of corruption, even as he challenged Wike to explain to Rivers people how he spent the loan he took recently. “Rather than this comedic, puerile and silly distraction he calls probe commission, Wike should explain to Rivers people what happened to the funds Amaechi left, the N30bn loans he took under 30 days and other funds that has accrued to Rivers State since he became governor.

North

Boko Haram: Air Chief warns commanders against collateral damage Ubong Ukpong ABUJA

hief of Air Staff, CAS, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, yesterday, warned Nigerian Air Force, NAF Commanders to do everything possible to prevent collateral damages as NAF aircrafts carry out raid missions against Boko Haram insurgents in the North East. The CAS, who was addressing NAF senior officers of Air ranks and commanders, at NAF headquarters in Abuja, said the Air Force was embarking on self evaluation to achieve its targets in the war. The Air Marshal acknowledged that NAF has been displaying its expertise in order to ensure that the elements affected by the air raids were the legitimate targets, thereby avoiding collateral damages. He said his vision was to reposition the NAF into a highly professional and disciplined force through capacity building initiatives for effective, efficient and timely implementation of air power in response to Nigeria’s national security imperatives. The CAS called on the commanders and officers to take advantage of the opportunity they have, to add value to the society. “Remember that posterity will never forgive those of us that have been given the exceptional privilege of being able to add value to the society, but we take refuge in an attitude of passivity, indifference and sometimes complicity in destroying the society we are supposed to be working for”, Abubakar said.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Rotimi FAdeyi ABUJA

resident Muhammadu Buhari yesterday reaffirmed his determination to ensure that Nigeria is finally certified polio-free by 2017 and urged all Nigerians to join hands with the Federal Government to achieve the objective. A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said Buhari spoke at separate meetings with governors of polio-vulnerable states and members of the high-level advocacy group, Buhari said that to become permanently polio-free, Nigeria must build on its achievement of being polio-free for 12 months which was marked in July. The president said that he had initiated the meetings with the governors and advocacy group members because the country could not afford a reversal of what has been achieved after 17 years of the polio eradication programme in Nigeria. “I want to reaffirm the commitment of the Federal Government to sustain the gains and momentum to enable Nigeria achieves certification by 2017. “I am therefore inviting you to join me in actualising this pledge as experts have cautioned that the progress we have made in the polio eradication effort is still very

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Nigeria must be certified polio-free by 2017 –Buhari fragile and that there is the risk of gains reversal, if we don’t sustain this great effort and allow complacency to set in. “As you are aware, the fact that we have not had any case of polio for over a year now, does not mean that we are poliofree. It is just one of the milestones on the path to being polio-free. “I understand that for Nigeria to be certified polio-free, we have to sustain this zero polio case status, strengthen surveillance in order to detect quickly any case

of polio anywhere in the country, improve routine immunisation coverage and provide the needed human and material resources,” Buhari said. The president urged the governors to diligently supervise the polio eradication programme in their states and join the Federal Government in ensuring that the required resources are provided and efficiently utilised to achieve the desired result. “Between now and 2017, we must ensure that we continue to build confidence in our people

to present their children and wards for immunisation. We also need to interface regularly with our local government chairmen to ensure that there is no complacency. “We must make Nigeria polio- free in 2017. We must put all our efforts to achieve this milestone for the sake of our children, future generations and the over-all health and well being of the nation,” he told them. Buhari assured the governors and advocacy group members that his administration would continue to give

the required leadership towards Nigeria’s final certification as being polio-free through the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency. Representative of the World Health Organisation in Nigeria, Dr. Rui Gam Gaz, commended the strong political support for the eradication of polio in the country. He told the president that lessons learnt from Nigeria would be used in the search for ways to end polio in other areas of the world.

Intending Muslim pilgrims boarding their flight at Gombe International Airport to Saudi Arabia, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Police probe cause of man’s death in Omu Aran Wole Adedeji ILORIN

olice in Omu Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State were still investigating the cause of the death of a former local government officer whose lifeless body was picked up from a well dug by him on Saturday. The body of the deceased, Mr Dele Ogundeyi, was on Saturday recovered from a well in front of a

personal house he was building in Omu Aran, his country home. Late Ogundeyi was a retired Secretary of Offa Local Government Area and later served as a Liaison Officer in the council before his death. He was said to have hailed from Ile-Nla compound in the town and suddenly was disappeared that fateful Saturday which led to a search party organiised by members of his family that later found

his dead body in his own well. A visit to Omu Aran by National Mirror on Monday revealed that his body was recovered wearing only a boxer while his other dresses that he had earlier removed remained on the ground close to the well suggesting that he might be trying to fetch water with which he wanted to take a birth and possibly slipped into the well. A close source to him said late Ogundeyi was

in the habit of paying regular visit to the building site and work on the little farm he also had there before coming home later in the day, but not until he must have taken a birth. Meanwhile, police in Omu Aran said they were still trying to unravel what could have lead to the man’s death inside a well dug by him and which he was quite familiar with. Police detective handling the case was not

around to discuss the issue neither would any other officer volunteer information on the matter, pointing out that only the State Police Public Relations Officer could talk to the press officially. The body of the deceased was still lying in private morgue at Adeyemo Hospital’s mortuary in Omu Aran, according to sources as at the time National Mirror was leaving the town yesterday evening.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

SUPER TUESDAY Prudent management, innovative financial engineering, our sustenance –Gov. Wada

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Politics

Ajimobi and politics of reducing cost of governance KEMI OLAITAN examines recent policies of the Abiola Ajimobi-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration in Oyo State, aimed at reducing the cost of governance.

ince the inauguration of elected governors across the country on May 29, either for first term or second term, most of them have embarked upon various cost saving measures given the dwindling resources from the federal allocation. The Oyo State government under the leadership of Governor Abiola Ajimobi is not left out of this as it last week rolled out measures which it said were unavoidable at this period. First on the list was the stoppage of payment of West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, WASSCE, registration fees for students in the state. The state Head of Service, HoS, Mr. Soji Eniade, who made the disclosure in a statement issued in Ibadan, the state capital, said the stoppage, which was due to the current financial status of the state, would be with effect from the 2015/2016 academic session, adding that students would henceforth pay the sum of N3,000 annually as education development levy in all public schools in the state. The HoS said the payment, which would be in three instalments of N1,000 per term, would be utilised to compliment government’s effort at improving the infrastructure of public secondary schools. He further added that the state government has completed arrangements to partner with interested stakeholders in the management and administration of public secondary schools in the state. Another measure also announced by the state government to save money was the stoppage of sponsoring pilgrims on holy pilgrimage. Secretary of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board, Muslim wing, Alhaji Abdulkarim Adeleke, who made the disclosure, said the state government cancelled the sponsorship of pilgrims to Hajj due to economic difficulties. He said of the 1,241 pilgrims assigned to the state by the National Hajj Commission, NAHCO, for 2015 Hajj, none of the intending pilgrims was sponsored by government as the intending pilgrims are mostly self-sponsored. While justifying the cost saving measures, Governor Ajimobi said the decision to stop the payment of WASSCE fee and the introduction of N3,000 annual developmental levy for the pupils are temporary. He said, the decisions were borne out of the economic reality in the state and the desire to address the abysmal performance of candidates in the examination. He said the decision to introduce the levy was taken after it was discovered that parents no longer involve themselves in the education of their children, stating that the Parents’ Teachers’ Association, PTA, and community leaders were consulted before the decisions were taken. He said: “With the paucity of fund in the state, we had to face the reality that we could not continue to sponsor children without involving their parents in a way. This is why we introduced the developmental levy. It’s just for a period of time; as soon as things improve for the state fi-

TOP STORY Ajimobi

nancially, we will put it down. It is an emergency situation that we must address. Training of children is not the sole responsibility of government or teachers, parents must play their role too. “We discussed with the parents and realised that because parents are not involved in secondary education of their children, they no longer bother what happens to them. We set up a committee to discuss with PTA, community leaders, individual parents and so on. Interestingly, many of the parents felt that if they were also contributing by paying something, they would be more attentive to the education of their children.” Maintaining that the levy was agreed with the parents, Ajimobi said government was aware of what he called ‘political backlash,’ adding: “The N3,000 levy was equally jointly agreed upon, but I must point out that the emergency situation will not be forever. We envisage political backlash on the decision but we cannot promise what we

OyO State nOw earnS arOund n3 billiOn frOm federal allOcatiOn, while we have a wage bill Of mOre than n5 billiOn.

Our internally generated revenue, igr, iS n1 billiOn; SO every mOnth, we will cOntinue tO Owe if we dOn’t adjuSt Our Spending

cannot afford. Oyo State now earns around N3 billion from federal allocation, while we have a wage bill of more than N5 billion. Our Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, is N1 billion; so every month, we will continue to owe if we don’t adjust our spending.” True to the governor’s prediction that the cost saving measures will receive backlash from opposition parties, the backlash not only rained, it has continued to pour every day. The first salvo came from the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which came hard on the state government, saying the cost saving measures were indictments on how badly Governor Ajimobi, has run the state in the last four years. The PDP in a statement issued by its state chairman, Alhaji Yinka Taiwo, while expressing dissatisfaction with the poor state of the economy given by the state government for the cost saving measures, said government’s inability to properly plan for the future and its crass dependence on federal allocations brought the state to its present sorry state. He said with such cost saving decisions that will hurt the people of the state, the APC-led government has proven to the people that it is deceptive, dishonest and incapable of leading the state successfully. Taiwo compared Governor Ajimobi to King Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12:11, who immediately after ascending the throne promised to add to the people’s yoke, noting that it is curious that the governor, despite not paying salaries as and when due and running an economy that is harsh to the survival of businesses, has decided to pile more woes on the people with such harsh. He said: “It is not only shameful that Ajimobi, who promised free and qualitative education, has cancelled the payment of WASSCE fees and reintroduced school fees, it is appalling that under his watch, the educational standard of the state has gone down, with the state coming a distant 34th and failing to meet the national average, which was 31.29 per cent in the 2014 WASSCE results. And we must add that we are not surprised that Ajimobi cancelled the sponsorship of pilgrims to the Holy Land, a worthy idea that the PDP never failed to sustain in all its eight years in government, the incumbent state government is only living up to expectations as a government without human face.” But while reacting to the criticism through its Director of Publicity and Strategy, Mr. Olawale Sadare, the state APC, described the opposition as bad losers and hypocrites who were always united by the urge to promote irrational agenda with a view to setting the people against the person of Ajimobi and the APC. Sadare said: “The governor had stated that the measures were temporary as the palliatives would not only be restored soon but many more are to be added to better the lots of the people. The two painful decisions were taken as the last resort in view of the desire to take the state out the current economic imbroglio as quickly as possible. In all honesty, Governor Ajimobi deserves accolades for resisting the temptation to agree with some concerned individuals and groups who had come up with pieces of advice considered inevitable for the state to jerk up its IGR CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

Politics

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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Prudent management, innovative financial Briefly tell us what you have achieved in Kogi State since assuming office as governor. One of our major achievements is in the area of peace and security. Before now, we used to have lot restiveness, lot of clashes, particularly in the Central senatorial district. We moved in immediately and showed the posture that nobody is above the law and that violence as a way of life can no longer thrive in the state, and that anybody involved is punished according to the law, no sacred cow. They saw the tough stance of my administration, and so the criminals had to reform their ways or they went underground and disappeared from our state. So relatively, a very peaceful state is our major achievement, because you cannot have development without peace and security. We have invested a lot in peace and security, more so as a way of attracting investors to our state; because no investor will put his money where he is not sure of security. We have had cases of kidnapping but with the assistance of the Inspector General of Police, IGP, who deployed a crack team of policemen into our state, we have brought that under our control. We will continue to invest in peace and security. Recently we donated about 30 Hilux vehicles to improve the quality of mobility of police in the state. We are also assisting in other areas in their welfare, so I think security is one area we have recorded tremendous achievement. The other area is agriculture. Before I came, agriculture was seen as a vocation, something you do on the side. We moved in and adopted an agriculture transformation agenda of the Federal Government and promoted it heavily. We embarked on land reformation for agricultural purposes, supply of fertilizer at discounted rate, land tearing assistance, extension services, education of farmers on modern techniques, and some level of mechanization. Kogi is the leading cassava producing state in Nigeria and by extension, the largest producing cassava state in the world; because Nigeria is the largest cassava producing nation in the world. We have established this and have made it possible in establishing mini cassava processing machines everywhere and it has created employment. On rice, nine of our local government areas have the advantage of River Niger or Benue passing through them. After the flood disaster of 2012, we developed an idea of developing flood plains, we moved in with land clearing equipment to stabilise the soil and we converted the plains into rice farms and so as at today, Kogi is a rice producing state. We grow rice, we process rice and we sell rice. Apart from processing plants, we are working with the Federal Government to establish crop processing zones in some of our local government areas. It is going to be an industrial hub for the production of starch, sucrose and sweeteners. We are in partnership with a leading American food processing company, who is a core investor. We have allocated 15 hectres of land to them and we have cleared and planted 250 hectres to show our sense of commitment to that project. Many people have turned to agriculture and we see agriculture as a beacon of Kogi economy, because when you create wealth, the state can generate income from taxation. When people have no money, you cannot derive tax, so that is the way we are thinking, to help the people to become wealthy, then as a state, we can benefit from taxation to provide infrastructure and all that. On infrastructure, we are building roads, on the last count; we have built 58 roads of about 700 kilometers. We are flagging off new ones and with our meager resources; we shall continue to do more roads. Particularly, in Lokoja for example, out of the bond that we raised, we are building a dual carriage way bypass to reduce the traffic that passes through the town when going from North to South or West to East through our state. So as you drive from East to Lokoja now, dual carriage bypass is at an advanced stage right now, whereby you do not need to enter the town before joining Abuja road. There is also another one that connects the Okene-Benin road. They will help reduce traffic and impact on the internal roads in the state capital. The main road through Lokoja which comes from international market to ‘Welcome to

Captain Idris Wada, the executive governor of Kogi State, assumed office armed with a bluepr Management Team that his focus was on agriculture, infrastructure development and human c after, the governor, who is seeking reelection in November, said that his scorecard can best b IFOH brings excerpts: Lokoja,’ which is from Kabba-Okene road, we have been doing it with proper drainages to protect the road. Prior to now, every two or three years that road has always been very bad and people criticise the government, so we studied it, we designed it and thought it is better to construct a road that will last between 15 and 20 years without any major maintenance and to stabilise that road, we are now putting concrete drainages. Also people do forget that Lokoja is a river side, so the soil is very loose, if you just build a road, within two to three years, it will start depreciating, so with these new policies of proper drainage and stabilisation of road, we expect to have better longevity of our roads in Lokoja. In Lokoja also, we are building a modern Motor Park, the first of its kind, with proper amenities, where road travelers will have an environment like an airport, where you travel with respect and dignity and have an experience of a pleasant endeavor. Also, we have just commissioned the most modern vocational centre in Nigeria. It is focusing on ICT, automobile engineering, electrical and welding. Power generation is a major challenge in Nigeria and we have the capacity to train people on how to build and maintain power plants so as to produce manpower to service the NIPP. So that vocational centre is not just for Kogi State. We are doing it in partnership with Korea International Development Agency. It is to serve as centre of excellence for West Africa to train youths in this core area for the benefit of our economy. Also in Lokoja, we are building a four-storey ultra modern Diagnostic Centre, which will improve medical services delivery in our state because one major issue in medicine is diagnosis. If you are not properly diagnosed, you can take wrong medicine for 10 years, it will not cure you and we found that people come to Ilorin, Abuja, Enugu from our state for proper diagnosis, so we are investing in a very modern diagnostic centre in our state, it is in a very advanced state. In our various senatorial districts, we are building zonal hospitals. Every local government in our state has a general hospital. We also have cottage hospitals in bigger towns and we have health centres in villages. Apart from that, we carry out quarterly free medical services in the remote villages where people may not afford transportation cost to go to nearest hospitals. We take it to their door steps and we have performed thousands of operations, eye operations, goiter operations, hernia operations to people free of charge. The testimonies are there for people to see, so we have made a big impact on health because, when we started out, we came out with a blueprint of transformation of Kogi State, focused on agriculture, infrastructure development, human capital development, which is education and health and industrialisation, leveraging on the solid minerals and natural resources that we have in the state. So our agenda is very clear but our constraint is finance. So we are forming partnership and signing many memoranda of understanding, MoU, with several bodies and organisations to partner us and exploit some of these natural resources for the transformation of our state. Because of our resources, we have focused on rural development. We created the Ministry of Rural Development as a focus vehicle for the transformation of rural area. We have done more that 300 electrification in various towns and villages, more than 300 motorised boreholes and hundreds of hand boreholes because our state is a complex state. In the eastern side, you have to dig about 140 meters to find water to do boreholes, so it must be motorised and powered either by solar or generator for the borehole to work. In the western and central senatorial district, there are areas you can put hand pump and dig about 40 meters and you get water.

Wada

What keeps me going as the Chie ConsCienCe. When i Came in as go

have Committed myself to the ser

many lives as possible and

We have a lot in terms of rural road infrastructure and all that. So many things are going on in our state in terms of development and I believe that in the last three and half years, we have done so much in all those core areas of agriculture, human capital development, In education, we have transformed most of the secondary schools, including the secondary school I attended. Since I left there, there has not been any additional infrastructure, no renovation. If you go there now, it’s a mini university. All those schools, we have St Augustine, Kabba; Government Secondary School, Dikina; Abdulazeez Attah Memorial School, Okene, among others. They have all been transformed; including faith-based schools, such as St Peter’s College, Ida; Holy Rosary College completely transformed. And so it is with our tertiary institution. Kogi State University, Ayingba is wearing new look, Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja, College of Education, Technical, Kabba, College of Education, Ankpa; all are wearing new look,

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

A PUBLICATION OF NATIONAL MIRROR NEWSPAPERS

Edo 2016: Member threatens to sue PDP over zoning SebaStine ebhuomha

member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has written the party’s national leadership, threatening to take the party to court if it does not reverse the zoning arrangement for its ticket for the 2016 governorship election in Edo State. In the matter that was exclusively made available to Niger Delta Mirror in Benin City, Edo State, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi & Company, representative of the PDP member, Mr. Jeffery I. Ukhureigbe, described the zoning of the governorship ticket of the party to Edo South Political District by its leadership ahead of the PDP primary as unlawful, unconstitutional, unjustifiable, undemocratic and illegal. This position is contained in a petition the aggrieved member wrote to the PDP national chairman in Abuja and copied to Edo State PDP chairman, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, and the state secretariat on Sapele Road. According to the letter and attached documents Afolabi availed on behalf of his client that Ukhureigbe is a bonafide and legally registered member of the PDP with Ward Number 1818 in Ward 03 of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, whose membership card was duly signed by the Ward Secretary,

Ward Chairman, National Organising Secretary, National Secretary and National Chairman with serial number 020308. Citing a report in a national newspapers (not National Mirror) of 29th July 2015, where it was reported that the PDP had secretly zoned its governorship flag bearer’s ticket for the 2016 governorship election in Edo State to the South, Ukhureigbe said it was wrong for the PDP to overlook Edo Central Political District after Chief Lucky Igbinedion of Edo South served twoterms of eight years and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo North is concluding another twoterms of eight years under the All Progressives Congress (APC) excluding the short-lived tenure of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun of Edo South also. The aggrieved member argued that, “The party by zoning the governorship candidate to Edo South has shown that it hates Edo Central indigenes having regard to the fact that Edo South has ruled for eight years and Edo North has also ruled for eight years and Edo Central which makes up the three senatorial districts has been denied the dividend of true democracy. “We are aware of the constitution of the party in section 6(1) (3) in Chapter 1 of the general provision, which states as follows: the party shall be a democratic organisation and shall pursue its objectives without regard to race, creed or

ethnic affiliation; the party shall contest all elections in Nigeria and shall for that purpose draw its support from all sections of the society.” He continued: “We want to draw your attention to section 7 (f) and (g) of the same PDP constitution which states as follows: promote national integration and the peaceful coexistence of the diverse communities of the country; and promote an egalitarian society founded on freedom, equality and justice. A party that professes

A statement from the Media/Publicity Officer to the National Vice Chairman, South South, Mr. Bassey Ita, said the event will resolve to support the president, Muhammadu Buhari’s change agenda, adding that the summit which is going to be con-

vened at the instance of the party’s zonal chairman, Prince Hilliard Eta, would attract big wigs from the zone. Those expected at the summit include APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun; immediate past governor of

democracy cannot be seen to exclude any senatorial district from a democratic process that will determine the governance of a state in which all are major stakeholders.” Appealing to PDP national chairman, Afolabi declared, “From the foregoing, it is morally the turn of Edo Central Senatorial District to produce the next governorship candidate of the party for 2016 election. Legally, this plan by Edo PDP is offensive to the PDP constitution and on this basis;

PDP should be advised to discontinue this lopsided process that will seriously dent the democratic credentials of the party.” “In view of the above, we urge you as a matter of urgency to nullify the directive of Edo State PDP that zoned the governorship candidate for the 2016 Edo governorship election to Edo South and provide a good level playing field for Edo Central to produce the PDP governorship candidate for 2016 or allow every party member who decides to contest the party primary towards

Motorists on a bad portion of the Benin-Auchi Highway at Okueka village in Benin, yesterday.

selecting the PDP governorship candidate for 2016 governorship election,” the lawyer concluded. As at the time of filing this report, the Edo State PDP Chairman, Orbih, was yet to formally react to the petition and threat to sue Edo PDP as well as what it portends for the fortunes of the party ahead of the election. Repeated telephone calls to Orbih’s mobile phone line was not picked even when it was initially indicated that he was making calls.

PHOTO:NAN

C’River APC hosts Amaechi, Oshiomhole, Oyegun others RichaRd ndoma CALABAR

he Cross River State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC, is to play host to chieftains of the party in Calabar on Saturday in Calabar.

Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole; former military administrator of Rivers State, Group Capt. Sam Enwang, and all other former governors from the zone. Also to attend are all former and current National

Assembly members from the zone and state party chairmen. Mr. Bassey Ita said that the event would witness two schedules wth the plenary/business session in the day and a dinner in the evening. The statement further

stated that the forthcoming meeting is expected to take far reaching decisions that will further strengthen the party to take a wholistic lead in the zone as well as throw its weight behind the federal government’s resolve to fix the perculiar problems of the zone.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NOUN makes case for own graduates in NYSC, Law School programmes RichaRd ndOma CALABAR

he Cross River Chapter of National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Alumni Association, at the weekend said it wanted authorities of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), to allow graduates of the institution to participate in the youth service scheme. Speaking to journalists shortly after the association’s congress held at the study centre in Calabar. chairman of the association, Mr Joseph Chinedu, stated that about 70 per cent of students currently undertaking first degree programmes in NOUN are youths within the NYSC statutory service age and therefore should be allowed to serve upon graduation like their counterparts in the conventional universities. We are calling on the authorities of NYSC to allow the graduates of NOUN to participate in the one year service without delay. The carrying capacity of conventional universities in Nigeria at the moment is less than 800,000. This was the only available space for the over 1.4million candidates that sat for the 2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination’’, he said. He added that the carrying capacity of NOUN is over 1.5million which is higher than the carrying capacity of all the conventional tertiary institutions in Nigeria. He said that NOUN was

capable of admitting all the candidates seeking admission into tertiary institutions yearly adding that the inclusion of the graduates of NOUN into the NYSC scheme would attract more young ones who are constrained by limited spaces in the conventional universities. If you admit more youths into the academic programmes of NOUN, illiteracy level will reduce because reducing illiteracy will lead to a reduction in poverty. The NYSC scheme was established to promote unity and develop common ties among the Nigerian youths; NOUN should be part of this development’’, he said. The NOUN boss in the state averred that NOUN graduates were as good as their peers all over the world, adding that graduates of NOUN were doing well in the labour market and appealed to the authorities of the Council for Legal Education to admit Law graduates of NOUN into the Law School programme without any further delay. We want to commend the efforts of the Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, and his team for ensuring that the Law graduates of the institution are admitted into the Law School. We urge all the Law graduates to stay calm as we are committed to doing our best within the ambit of law to ensure equal treatments’,the NOUN boss advised.

L-R: Vice Chairman Non-Indigene Association Delta State, Alhaji Lawa Rabiu; Executive Assistant to Governor on Religious Matters, Bishop Nmalagu Greatman and Chief Iman Delta State, Alhaji Umar Aliyu, during the prayer for the State at the weekend.

Bayelsa founding fathers forum gets new exco •New leader, Guembe promises to reposition group OsahOn Julius YENAGOA

he newly elected chairman of the Bayelsa State Founding Fathers Forum, Sir Chief Benedict Guembe has said the current leadership will reposition the group for efficient and effective performance that will give the departed and living members due recognition. Chief Benedict Guembe in his acceptance speech after his election last week in Yenagoa re-

gretted that the disturbing nature of things as election draws near in the state might not be unconnected with the continuing marginalisation and sidelining of members who played significant roles in the creation of the state. He recalled how founding fathers worked tirelessly in planning and mobilising resources to send delegations to influential personalities in the country to actualise the state creation in spite of several obstacles.

Widows commend C’River govt over proposed mass employment

ome widows in Cross River have commended the state government over its plan to offer them mass employment in its newly-established garment factory. A cross section of the widows made the commendation in Calabar in separate interviews. The present administration has concluded plans to inaugurate the factory to mark Governor Ben Ayade’s 100 days in of-

fice. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Christian Ita, said the state had taken delivery of some equipment for the factory where widows would constitute 85 per cent of the workforce. Mrs. Christiana Abang who applied for the job, told News Agency of Nigeria that the establishment of the garment factory would bring succour to widows in the state.

Abang said that this was the first time the state government had had a meaningful intervention on widows’ plight in the state. ``It does not matter whether I am selected or not; what is important is that widows in Cross River, for the first time, have a government that is out to change their fortunes. ``It is not the issues of giving widows a pittance in the name of assistance.

If we are given work to do it will be better for us so that we can take care of our families,” she said. Another widow, Mrs. Grace Ekpenyong, said the new administration in the state had proved that it was determined to take care of the poor. Ekpenyong said that the decision of the government to set up such a factory showed that the government was ready CONTINUED ON PAGE42

The chairman informed members of the forum that his executive would work assiduously to check uncommunicative tendencies in the state in order to alleviate the plight of members who had been strategising since 1992 till the creation of the state. Guembe, while thanking the Almighty God for the successful election promised to prayerfully and vigorously pursue the secretariat building of the founding fathers at the land already acquired to immortalise members. He commended the former chairman, Dr. Amba Ambaiwei, and his executive as well as the entire members of the forum for reposing so much confidence in his ability and capability, promising that he would not disappoint them. The chairman hinted that at the appropriate time, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the forum which would be made up of eminent personalities shall be constituted in accordance with article 9 (d) of the constitution of the forum. He disclosed that ef-

forts would be put in place to relocate the present rented secretariat apartment at the Women Development Centre Road in Kpansia area of Yenagoa to a more accessible area within the state capital. Other elected officials are, Chief Dugifa Paris as Vice Chairman, Isaiah Joe, Secretary; Dr. Opigo Helen, Asst. Secretary; Samson Jerry December as Financial Secretary. Belepegha F.S emerged as the treasurer; Robinson C as, publicity secretary while organising secretary went to Rev. Dr. Prince Karinga. Provost is P.K James and Madam Suowari, auditor. Ex-officio members are Pedro Igoni for Bayelsa West; Professor Francis Sikoki, Bayelsa Central and Frank Itelimo for Bayelsa East. Dr. Amba Ambaowei secured the position of grand ex-officio. The former chairman, Dr. Amba Ambaowei, enjoined members of the forum to extend the unique manner they supported him to the new executives so that they could meet the expectations of the forum successfully.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Deconstructing Buhari’s anti corruption crusade ASIKASON JONATHAN

ustice cannot be for one side alone, but must be for both – Eleanor Roosevelt To a keen observer of 2015 APC presidential campaign, the question as to whether President Muhammadu Buhari will probe past governments on been elected is somewhat obfuscated. At the prologue of all his pre-election campaigns, the statement “I will fight corrupt officials,” was the common denominator in the gamut of all that Buhari said. When the drama actually started, the question was fillip-flopped. At the epilogue – in the wake of shift to 28 March, 2015, Nigerians awoke to the news headline: “I won’t probe past govts” - Buhari The APC and Buhari in this their last ditch effort to win the election observed that probing past administrations will amount to a waste of time and constitute distractions. According Buhari, “anyone who embezzles even a single kobo afterwards, will not only be made to refund it, but will face prosecution as from May 29, 2015, if elected.” With the election done and dusted, and Buhari now the elected president of Nigeria, the script was changed. He deemed it fit to be himself, at least for a moment. Hence another headline popped up: “Buhari will probe only Jonathan government.” Why this about-face? And why must it

be only Jonathan administration? Inferentially, two reasons will do. First, Buhari is a man that craves for international recognition and trust; and he can’t gain that without probing the corrupt officials. Second, the decision was the child of the trauma he suffered after his inauguration – whether to belong to some people or to nobody and everybody. The announcement generated helluva of hue and cry across the geopolitical zones. The revered political scientist and Catholic bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Hassan Kukah, in an interview with the Channels TV averred that Buhari should “stop talking too much about probe and concentrate” in his work, adding that “probe is not a substitute for governance.” Bishop Kukah did not go Scott free, as he was bombarded by missile of disparagement from citizen journalists that dwell in the ambience of twitter. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, on his own part, advised Buhari that “those found guilty [of looting] should not only have their assets seized and forfeited to government, but also they should face jail sentences.” Nigerians at the beer parlours and follow members of Free Readers Association were not left aside they did contribute in the said issue. In all these arguments, one thing is crystal clear : For our democracy to work, corrupt politicians should never be canonized, but be brought to their real place: Kirikiri Maximum prisons, so that upcoming ones will understand that leadership is a double

FOR OUR DEMOCRACY TO WORK, CORRUPT POLITICIANS SHOULD NEVER BE CANONIZED edged sword that ought to be wielded with caution and utmost propriety. But in so doing, justice, impartiality and fairness should be the watchwords. And this usher us into the primary task of this piece: puncturing Buhari’s selective prosecution. In jurisprudence, selective prosecution comes to bare when a person or group of persons are selectively picked to be prosecuted, not just because of the crime they committed, but also because of their ethnic origin and ideology - in this case, the administration they worked under. Why must it be that only Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration will face probe? Buhari by this decision is telling us that nothing has changed in Nigeria. He has leaped into the bandwagon with the inscription, Operation Brings Down All The GEJ Men! Even before the announcement, Jonathan had already leaned on the defence of selective prosecution. In advising the then incoming Buhari administration Jonathan had maintained: “If you are very sincere,” in fighting corruption, “then it is not only Jonathan administration that you probe.” Continuing, he observed that a probe that centered solely on his administration will amount to “witch hunt.”

This unsolicited advice by Jonathan was not just more logical than emotional, it also x-rayed the dumbness that beguiled the former administration. He knew all these and did nothing! But that said, Buhari should have listened to him. In a country like Nigeria, where many people analyze politics through the binoculars of ethno-religion, Buhari should have known that selective prosecution portends an enticing Pandora Box to open. Femi Adesina’s argument in supporting his oga lacks logic! Many legs are sticking out in IBB regime; they are sticking out in Abdulsalami regime; they are sticking out in ObJ’s second coming, and Nigerians are yet to know the bazaar of looting that took place, when the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was in a Saudi hospital. So why must the probe focus on only Jonathan government? If Buhari’s anti corruption crusade is to be credible, it needs to be applied against the third and all the fourth republic’s administrations. All living corrupt leaders must be brought to book. Having said that, fighting corrupt leaders is just a one side of the corruption coin that Buhari administration is expected to fight. The other side is the corruption with the followership. For Buhari to adequately fight corruption in Nigeria, he must live above party politics. Jonathan wrote in from Lapai, Niger State.

Ben Ayade and his humanist administration REUBEN BOJOR

he thrust of this piece is on the steps Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State is taking to ameliorate the state’s teeming crowd of human suffering. His amends are in the repudiation of financial burden prescribed for the lowly. When a child is born, he or she only comes to embrace what is presented by the society as its ethos. We have all grown up to encounter the labyrinths of societal issues, which many a question gets us pondering on the why. Many of us are languishing in the cesspool of deceit, denial and delusion, where what should be done is as simple as ABC. We thrive in a society where western goods are the denominators with which poverty is measured, the economy is shapeless like amoeba, and nation’s population growth surpasses the myriad of people needs where the so called poverty is self-inflicted, as we eat what we do not produce and merely produce what we do not eat. And where the more educated we are, the more we tend to exploit one another. Ask me what modernization is. Simple. More pastors and churches; more educated elite; more activism; more poverty, and more terrorism. While poverty is yet to be addressed, we are beginning the battle with the blood fluke of terrorism.

The fact that I am not a lawyer does not mean I don’t think. The fact that I am not a medical doctor, does not mean that I am not an animal. The fact that I am not an economist does not mean that I don’t know what money is and its value. The fact that I am not an accountant does not mean that I can’t count money. We have grown in an ever increasing population mired with socio-economic pressure forged by the Red Devils of capitalism. I wonder what is taking us this hell of a time to get things fixed for the betterment of the larger populace. Too much time has been spent in doing just nothing. As one bestrides the enclaves and highbrow of Calabar and other cities, one usually encounters what gives him jitters that surpass goose pimples as petty, beggarly, squalor-ridden fellow Nigerian is exploited by his/her fellow country fellow, all in the name of collection of tax. I am not saying taxation should be abolished, but what if it is? Heavens would not fall. The poor old woman’s goods will be carted away to an unknown destination, where she is made to pay through her anus as chains of charges are levied on her. That is, one personally struggles to open a phone booth for a ‘daily bread’ ritual and from nowhere, a government that has not thought about her well being sends agents, who trudge with wooly-eyed ego, forcing her to pay for her penury. Reasons? Roads, schools, hospi-

WE HAVE DECIDED TO APPROACH OUR COLLECTIVE FINANCIAL MATTERS WITH WICKED

AND HELL-RIDDEN INTENT…

tals and other infrastructures are to be provided. And the leadership bestrode the place with airs of good life known only to him. What do we call this, using poverty to solve poverty? One is not in doubt, the call for internally generated revenue for our governments to thrive as it can’t depend solely on oil. Questions are, the Nigerian economy is run on main streets. The larger economists are the Mama Nkechi in Aba, Papa Tope in Alaba and all that. We have decided to approach our collective financial matters with wicked and hell-ridden intent as the lowly are further plunge beneath, living life below sea level and the so called big men are enshrined in an ocean of exploitation. We need a voice. The Nigerian people need that conscience that will flourish beyond the bounds of endless growth, where the spirit of humanitarian sacrifice reigns above material satisfaction. We live in a society a few are forced to be rich by force not by dint of hard

work, but the government so blest them from our patrimony; giving them boundless social security while 99 percent of our people living under the peonage of perpetual poverty, scramble for their social security as they buy air. For inequality is worse than poverty. Governors collect varying monetary juices from federal coffers. I think but not for natural selfishness, borne from genotypic centuries of impoverishment, some have decided to adore money more than human beings. Please I wish we have a society enshrined in the rubrics of human currency. This is indeed season of change and I crave for it. Besides the salary slashes and cuts, one is sighting hope. Last time, Governor El-Rufai of Katsina State stopped the foolishness of religious spendthrift. And today, the governor of Cross River State, Ukane-AtiaNtufam Ben Ayade is making another bold step, one which I have been dreaming as my priority when I become the governor of this great state. Who said I can’t? I bind you. Bojor is of The Niger Delta Times, Calabar, Cross River State. Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs. Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

Editorial

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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SUNDAY OLAJIDE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Privatisation of public health institutions

ngoing moves by the Federal Government to privatise public hospitals in the country have been generating intense heat in the polity since last year. What appeared the first hint on the contentious subject-matter came about the middle of 2014 when the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) raised the alarm. At a time when medical doctors in government hospitals under the umbrella of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) were on nationwide strike for roughly one month over FG’s alleged breach of an agreement it reached with the doctors, the MDCAN had alerted the nation of plans by the Presidency to clampdown on the NMA and privatise all government hospitals. “In the event that the FG tows this course of action, the military will be deployed to guard the medical institutions with military and para-military medical professionals rendering services in the mean time. All public health institutions will be privatised…”, President of MDCAN, Dr. Steve Oluwole, had stated at the time. Health workers other than medical doctors, under the aegis of Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU)/Assembly of Healthcare Professional Associations (AHPA), again raised the alarm not too long ago, cautioning that the proposed healthcare arrangement would not serve the best interests of

the nation and citizens. Indeed, they alleged that the doctors and agents of Western donor agencies in Lagos State that championed the commercialisation of health facilities were charged with the responsibility of crafting the health policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. It must be clarified, nonetheless, that the Buhari government is not the midwife of the plan. Reports credited it to 2006, when the National Council on Health (NCH) examined the possibility and nodded in approval under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government. Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration also fancied the idea, ostensibly as a convenient vehicle to escape incessant health sector workers’ strikes which it had an overdose of. Presently, there are strong indications that JOHESU/AHPA are at daggers-drawn with the NMA on the matter, as the former are irritated by the idea, while the latter seems in support. At the recent Annual General Conference of the NMA in Abuja, NMA’s Chair, Dr. Zainab Mairami, urged the FG to explore the need for Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives for public health institutions, stressing that the hospitals Nigerians often troop to in developed countries were private sector-driven. Privatising the nation’s public health institutions or subject-

September 1, 1998 Swissair Flight 111 crashed near Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia. All 229 people on board were killed. Swissair Flight 111 (SR111, SWR111) was a Swissair McDonnell Douglas MD-11 on a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, United States, to Cointrin International Airport in Geneva, Switzerland. This flight was also a code-share flight with Delta Air Lines.

WHAT IS BEING WITNESSED IN NIGERIA IS THAT GOVERNMENT IS DESPERATE TO LITERALLY ABSCOND FROM THE PEOPLE AND ABDICATE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES ing them to PPP operations may sound plausible in a country where government hospitals have remained mere consulting centres to a large extent for decades, lacking in basic equipment, kits and drugs, and suffering from brain-drain and the dearth of skilled manpower occasioned by poor motivation and inhospitable working conditions. But ours is a country where the cat is often positioned before the horse. The NMA says, for instance, that PPP is the vogue in developed countries, without making any reference to the level of Nigeria’s development relative to the advanced nations it seeks to ape. Besides, apart from the telecommunications sector whose privatization is widely acclaimed to be a huge success, despite inclement operating environment and gargantuan rip-offs and failings of GSM service providers, which other public establishment privatised or run through PPP is really doing well in

ON THIS DAY September 1, 1998 The United Nation’s International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found Jean Paul Akayesu, the former mayor of a small town in Rwanda, guilty of nine counts of genocide. Akayesu (born 1953) is a former teacher, school inspector and Democratic Republican Movement (MDR) politician from Rwanda. He served as mayor of Taba commune from April 1993 until June 1994. As mayor, he had command of the communal police.

the interest of ordinary Nigerians? It is shocking that whereas the major reason governments all over the world are constituted is to cater for the security and welfare of citizens, what is being witnessed in Nigeria is that government is desperate to literally abscond from the people and abdicate its responsibilities in the process. We do not believe that the country’s public health institutions are suffering because Nigeria lacked the wherewithal to elevate them to world standards. Their bane, in our view, revolves around the horrendous official corruption and sabotage dogging the country’s entire health provision ring. Instead of aggravating the already embarrassing medical care woes of the majority, the FG should adopt a policy of zero foreign medical attention for top public officers. This will provide a powerful incentive for the required health facilities to be developed and properly maintained within the country. It is hard to understand why – if the government got its act right – it should prove impossible to attract medical specialists from any part of the world to serve in Nigeria’s health institutions. If such personnel are internationally scarce, then the FG should be prepared to pay the premium emoluments that they deserve, in the interest of the entire citizenry, rather than settling for selfish policies that will only be of benefit to the well-to-do.

September 1, 2013 The new eastern span of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge opened to traffic, being the widest bridge in the world. It is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California, United States. As part of ‘Interstate 80’ and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries about 240,000 vehicles a day on its two decks. It has one of the longest spans the US. The toll bridge was conceived as early as the ‘gold rush’ days.

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Promoting CSR roles under current fiscal, monetary regimes 20

China Construction Bank posts zero profit on weak economy

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Anxiety mounts over FG’s N9.2bn cook stoves project 25

AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES Med-View Airline

Nigerian Stock Exchange building

Promoting CSR roles under current fiscal, monetary regimes

As the present government moves to instill discipline in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market amid other fiscal and monetary policies, especially the latest Single Treasury Account, STA, directive, private sector’s budget for corporate social responsibility, CSR, engagements may be adversely affected. DAVID AUDU takes a look at these developments and implications for the vulnerable groups and communities as well as the economy.

s the present government moves to instill discipline in Nigeria’s foreign exchange market amid other fiscal and monetary policies, especially the latest Single Treasury Account, STA, directive, private sector’s budget for corporate social responsibility, CSR, engagements may be adversely affected. DAVID AUDU takes a look at these developments and implications for the vulnerable groups and communities as well as the economy. National economic development is anchored on the integration of government economic policies, monitoring of institutions established to

enhance performance and providing enabling environment for the organised private sector, OPS, to thrive. In today’s world, sustainable economic development has become a buzz word in the description of how various sectors of economic activities are harnessed to bring about continuous growth at both the micro and macro levels. While it may not be the same in all places for obvious reasons of uneven distribution of resources, sustainability ensures that equity and fairness is applied in the application of resources. It is well known that government is the primary provider of jobs, secu-

The underlying argumenT is ThaT Csr has beCome insTiTuTionalised as a global business norm, and is being embedded inTo whaT is

desCribed as The ‘emerging global welfare seCTor’

rity, and social infrastructure that make life worth living to the people. It is equally acknowledged that government alone cannot provide all that is needed for the people, especially in developing economies such as Nigeria. While government should be seen to do all that is possible within the institutional framework and economic capability to provide for its citizens, there is the growing expectations that corporate organizations should complement government’s efforts in giving back to the people or the society having kept faith with them in business as the years roll by. The idea of giving back to the community is summed up in three words: Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, or couched in such fanciful words as corporate philanthropy, corporate citizenship etc. However the underlying philosophy is that corporates entities give back to society, be it host communities, individu-

als or support worthy social causes such as health, education, and infrastructure development among others. In the review of ‘The Politics of Corporate Social Responsibility: The Rise of Global Business Norm’ by UrsulaMühle, it was noted that “over the past decade, there has been a global call for businesses to behave in a socially responsible manner. The underlying argument is that CSR has become institutionalised as a global business norm, and is being embedded into what is described as the “emerging global welfare sector.” Murhl points out that “there has been an increase in interrelations between business, politics, and the intermediate sector, consulting firms, NGOs, companies, and investment communities since the 1970s. This is buttressed by the forces of globalization wich presupposes that business itself has incorporated CSR as a norm and has CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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

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 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

Business News

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Promoting CSR roles under current fiscal, monetary regimes CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19 actively participated in its global diffusion along with other actors”. Deputy Chief Executive, Global Reporting Initiative, Teresa Fogelberg, in a speech during the UN General Assembly Interactive Dialogue, “Elements for a Monitoring and Accountability Framework for the Post-2015 Development Agenda” in May last year, noted the diverse reality of the private sector. She noted: “Fortunately the number of companies that appreciate the importance of their social and environmental performance is growing. But this realization is still far from universal. The UN Global Compact, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and my organization, the Global Reporting Initiative, are the central global players advancing this practice. “The plan is to develop private sector guidance that will help companies enhance their sustainability management and reporting with a view to global sustainable development goals and targets”, Fogelberg added. Global overview of CSR shows that it has become a platform to divert needed fund to care for the under privileged in the society. It is now a global enterprise with quite a number of international foundations such the Bill and Melinda Gate, Faith Foundation, Ford Foundations, Tony Elumelu Foundation, Care International, among others specializing in different special interests. Globally, CSR has become an integral part of the overall company objective and policies. Companies are now ranked on the basis of their csr objectives. In 2014, Google ranked first in CSR, followed by Microsoft and Walt Disney in the third place, while BMW and Apple came fourth and fifth respectively. Indeed, recent research indicates that in developed countries, brand patronage is now linked to theirCSR performance. Consumers patronize products based on the CSR disposition of the company. The message is that CSR is no longer a project undertaken for the fun of it or as a public relations by firms, but as a company strategy that adhere to local and international guidelines, principles and regulations.. Nigeria’s economy is faced with multiplicity of challenges ranging from unemployment, poverty, corruption, youth restiveness, political crises and security challenges. These problems are generally seen as social issues, thus the more social improvements companies relate to in the course of doing business, the more it leads to economic benefits as well. Individuals and corporate foundations focus on issues such as health, education, entrepreneurships among others in their CSR programmes. Nigerian banks have shown remarkable progress in their CSR projects. For instance, Most Nigerian banks and recently, the telecommunication companies have, over the years, committed substantial parts of their profits to CSR engagements. Indeed, the bank funds and maintains a

Emefiele, CBN Governor

President Buhari

I belIeve It Is In the contInued efforts to stop IllIcIt fInancIal flows In the

nIgerIan bankIng

system whIch alIgns wIth the

antI-money

launderIng stance of the federal government

Sustainability centre in the Lagos Business School, LBS, at the Pan Atlantic University, PAU, Lekki. Other banks focus on entrepreneurship and empowerment programmes. Access Bank recently disclosed that it had expended about N 15 billion in loans to empower women in Nigeria. At the non-governmental level, the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Foundation, TEEP, which earmarks about one billion dollars to empower 1000 youths across Africa, with over 50 per cent of beneficiaries coming from Nigeria, has shown serious interest in CSR as a tool for economic empowerment in the African continent. The practice of CSR in Nigeria, however, is not without its challenges. Former Managing Director of Promasidor, Keit Richard at a public function recently underscores the challenges of CSR in a growing economy such as Nigeria. While analysing CSR practices, he pointed out that one of the greatest challenges in the CSR industry in Nigeria is the issue of credibility. He said the greatest concern is how to ensure that as practitioners those who mouth CSR are actually into genuine engagement for meaningful economic impact on the people’. He expressed concern about how much of the things said to have been done actually impact the society. “They spend a lot of money on producing brochures, they show how they dig boreholes in communities, what they have done in motherless babies home and what roundabout they have planted trees and flowers, but at the same time they shy away

from things that on day to day basis impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerian”. He also urged corporate firms to be transparent in their CSR reporting, stressing the need for corporate organizations to mean what they say and say what they mean is paramont, while harping on the need for consistency of programmes. “If you are transparent and consistent your wider stakeholders will know where you are coming from and where you are going”, he said. However, beside the need for consistency and other matters which Richard raised government economic policies also impact negatively on CSR projections of Nigeria firms, and by extension the people that are supposed to benefit from those efforts. Analysts believe the current economic monetary policies of President Mohammadu Buhari led government may make it difficult for firms to reach out as much as they would desire, and will in the long run affect CSR objectives of firms. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, recently noted with dismay a report by the Global Financial Integrity group, which ranks Nigeria as one of the 10 largest countries for illicit financial flows in the world. In a move to curtail such cash flow, the CBN noted in a statement that “although we do not have an independent confirmation of this assertion, the report estimates that about US$15.7 billion of illicit funds go through our system annually”, and therefore vowed that it will increase its vigilance

to ensure that Nigerian banks are not used as conduits for illicit fund flows, especially in foreign currencies. One of the measures was the new policy on domiciliary accounts. In a circular signed by the Director of Trade and Exchange, CBN, Olakanmi Gbadamosi, the central bank said its action followed recent statements by individual banks suspending the payment of foreign currencies into domiciliary accounts. According to an economist with a financial consulting firm in Lagos, Morrison Akele, the new monetary policy of government while desirable to curtail financial recklessness and money laundering, genuine firms will find it difficult now because they will all guide their spending budgets, especially those that are not tied to their productions directly. “What will likely happen is that in the short run it will have negative impact on corporate organisations because they will have less money in their public relations budget to carry out some of their CSR activities. However, if you look at the policy objectives carefully, government is mindful of the tendencies of some Nigerian firms to hide under the umbrella of CSR to launder money for their political benefactor, who you will discover are chairmen and executive directors of some of the firms, particularly, the financial services and institutions in Nigeria. “I believe it is in the continued efforts to stop illicit financial flows in the Nigerian banking system which aligns with the anti-money Laundering stance of the Federal Government”, he said. His views also align with that of the Managing Director of Upview communications, a PR and Marketing firm based in Port Harcourt, Mr. Desmond Uzochukwu, who in a telephone chart agrees that though the new monetary regime might affect humanitarian budgets of firms, it is a welcome development as those who will embark on CSR will seriously think through what project they want to do, as according to him the bottom line is impact on the society. “Gone are the era of just throwing money around, I believe with the new government commitment to accountability, corporate organisations will sit up and will want to be seen to be doing the right thing”, he said.

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Mobile telecom operators invest N905.2bn in base stations IsaIah ErhIawarIEn

obile network operators, MNOs, in Nigeria have invested an estimated N905.2 billion between 2013 and 2014 on base station infrastructure in their efforts to improve s telecoms services for subscribers nationwide. National Mirror investigations showed that it cost the MNOs about N30 million to build a base station, including cost of power generating sets to sustain uninterrupted electricity at the stations. According to a document obtained from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, 30, 176 base stations were installed by the operators between 2013 and December 2014, representing a 6.6 per cent increase on the 28,289 stations built by them from inception. The Commission disclosed

that MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat built 12,557; 6,677; 6,186 and 4,756 base stations respectively in 2014, adding that the MNOs increased their installed capacities and active voice subscription during the same period. While the installed capacities for MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat increased to 80,000,000; 38,631,800; 51,012,668 and 40,000,000 respectively at the end of last year, active voice subscriptions increased to 59,893,093; 28,219,089; 27,556,544 and 21,103,749 for the four operators respectively during the year. However, for the CDMA sector, which is currently experiencing drought, the report revealed a decline in installed capacities for Visafone from were 6,700,000 in 2013 to 6,500,000 in 2014 while that of Multilinks fell sharply from 5,100,000 in 2013 to 950,000 by the end of December 2014. However, while the number of base station installation for

Visafone increased from 567 in 2013 to December 2014 to 695 as at December 2014 that of Multilink’s fell from 74 in 2013 to 53 in 2014. The NCC attributed the decrease of installed capacity for Multilinks to the reduction of its home location register (HLR), a database containing pertinent data regarding subscribers authorised to use a global system for mobile communications, from 2.1 million to 950,000, which resulted to the shutdown of the operators Abuja.

The report showed a constant decline in active voice subscriptions for Multilinks during the year under review saying that active voice subscriptions for Visafone and Multilinks were 2,224,511 and 22,938 as at December 2014. It also indicated that as at December 2014, Visafone and Multilinks recorded a total of 748 base stations and when compared with the year 2013, indicating a decline for the mobile CDMA

segment such that the mobile CDMA accounted for 1.57 per cent share of the entire market as at December 2014. The industry regulator explained that the decline in the market segment for the CDMA was a reflection in a general decline over the past years, which it attributed to the technology of the mobile CDMA which has continued to make their share of the market to the mobile GSM.

Kaberuka bows out after 10 years as AfDB President …as Adesina takes over today

he President of the African Development Bank, Mr. Donald Kaberuka, yesterday formally bowed out after 10 years in office. Speaking to Bank staff on Friday, Kaberuka said, “I was optimistic then, and I’m optimistic now: I leave the Bank as confident as ever about where Africa is heading. Presidents come and go, but the Bank stays. Africa needs a strong AfDB – and we have an AfDB that gets stronger by the day. “In all of our challenges, we have always been sure of the cause we were fighting for – the economic transformation of this continent. I’ve fought the fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. Whatever I do now, I know

that it will be about Africa, for Africa, and most likely in Africa.” Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, spoke at the same event. “We bid our brother Donald farewell from the Bank, but not from the continent. I thank him for his wisdom, support, encouragement. I thank him for being who he is – in loving and respecting himself first, so he could love and respect his colleagues and the people of this continent.” Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, also addressed the gathering. “What this continent needs is leadership and determination.

L – R : Executive Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman; Mr. Hecker Jurgen, renowned financial journalist based in France and lead speaker at a training programme organised by Sterling Bank Plc for financial journalists and Mr. Yemi Adebomi, Group Head, General Internal Services, of the bank during a courtesy visit by Jurgen to Sterling Bank Towers at the weekend

Vitapur woos FG, states on adoption of mass housing technology

manufacturer of polyurethane prefabricated buildings in Nigeria, Vitapur Nigeria Limited, is seeking partnership with the Federal and State Governments to bridge the estimated 17 million units of house deficit in the country. In addition, the company, which specialises in dry construction, is willing to partner the Built Environment Professional to construct mass building at low cost and timely too. Addressing participants at the 15th Annual Exhibition of the Association of Nigeria Institute of

China Construction Bank posts zero profit on weak economy

hina Construction Bank Corp., the nation’s secondlargest lender, joined the club of big Chinese banks reporting zero profit growth and rising bad loans as the goverment struggles to prop up the economy. Net income for the three months through June 30 was 64.9 billion yuan ($10 billion), unchanged from a year earlier, based on an

exchange filing on Sunday. That compared with the 65.3 billion yuan median of 10 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Construction Bank was the last of the big Chinese lenders to report earnings for the second quarter. Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd. also posted a profit that was little changed, while Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. had an 0.8

percent decline in earnings. Industrial overcapacity, a buildup of corporate debt and a $5 trillion stock-market slump are making it harder for Premier Li Keqiang to prevent a deeper economic slowdown. The combined earnings of China’s five biggest banks are projected to rise 2 percent this year, the least since at least 2004, according to analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Architects in Abuja at the weekend, the company’s Acting Managing Director, Mr Akin Oladiran explained that Vitapur had been positioned to serve as a unique solution to Nigeria’s protracted housing deficit. Commenting on the uniqueness of dry construction building, the construction expert hinted that company used composite panel to build external and internal walls, ceiling many other applications. He explained that the new building structure enhanced comfortable indoor temperature, thereby improving the living and working environment of the occupants and helping to keep energy consumption low. “With the enabling environment in place, dry construction process will go a long way in reducing building shortfall in Nigeria. Such an enabling included available policy on land, housing, finance, affordable building materials, appropriate institutional framework and sustainable construction workforce. Government should create a platform for long and short term fund for real estate and establish infrastructure development bank”, he said.

Oladiran also noted that Vitapur had been positioned to serve as a unique solution to housing deficit in Nigeria. According to him, since its commencement of business in 2010, Vitapur had undergone a robust transformation which led to its acquisition of state-ofthe- art sandwich panel plant. He explained that the new plant has incr3ased its utilization by over 300 per cent. He also explained that Vitapur’s technical partnership with Resichem of South Africa and Duna Discontinuous Plant of Italy had further put its operations on the global construction landscape. The Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Architects, Mr Ladi Lewis, commended Vitapur for the initiative of dry construction and urged existing and potential house owners to patronize the company’s products. Lewis noted that the company’s newly acquired machine had reinforce its adherence to global best practices. Vitapur, which co-sponsored the 2015 Archibuilt Exhibitionin Abuja, is a subsidiary of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc.

Business News

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

MAN decries exposure of local firms to unfair competition FRANCIS EZEM

he Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, has said that its members had over the years been subjected unfair competition due to unbridled influx of sub-standard goods into the country. Many manufacturing companies operating in the country have had to shut down their operations, which led to loss of jobs due to harsh operating environment characterised by poor infrastructure and high interest rates, among several others, a development that has been worsened by the influx of cheap substandard products manufactured mostly in Asia. President of the association, Mr. Frank Jacobs, who spoke in Lagos recently against the backdrop of projection by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria

SON, that it would reduce the rate of influx of substandard goods into the country to 10 per cent before the end of the year, said manufacturers in the country would heave a sigh of Relief if that happens. According to him, apart from the poor infrastructural base and the lack of access of to cheap funds, the greatest challenge faced by the local manufacturers remains the influx of these fake and substandard products, which are cheaper compared to locally manufactured ones. He also said that many of such foreign made goods, which find their way into the Nigerian market are produced under better economic conditions characterized by first class infrastructure and very cheap funds with single digit interest rates, which make it unfair for them to compete with

locally made ones. While commenting on the integration of SON’s electronic certificates and the SONCAP into the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System, NICIS, Jacobs noted that that was a right step in the right direction. “This is commendable because it is a right step in the right direction. This means that out members would no longer travel long distances to the offices of the standards regulating body to submit our documents with the attendant waste of time as cost associated with that” He said: “It will also be a major boost to our businesses because it is expected to reduce the influx of these substandard foreign products to 10 per cent. Manufacturers will be the greatest beneficiaries because we have over the years been subjected to unfair competition”.

L-R: Vitapur Nigeria Ltd’s Head, Sales and Marketing, Mr. Yemi Mofikoya, Managing Director, Mr. Akin Oladiran, Chairman, Lagos Chapter, Nigeria Institute of Architects, Mr Ladi Lewis and Technical Consultant to Vitapur, Mr Sarel Nel,at 2015 Exhibition of Archibuilt in Abuja ... recently

Niger farmers benefit from FADAMA III AF T he FADAMA III Additional Financing, a collaborative project of the World Bank, Federal and State Governments has been described as greatly beneficial to farmers in Niger State. Speaking with journalists in Minna, the Niger State Coordinator for FADAMA III AF, Engineer Aliyu Usman Kutugi, said the project had “greatly enhanced the capacities of farmers, increased their income, impacted positively on the economy and made life more worthy of living”. Niger State is currently cultivating 371, 482 hectares of rice, mostly under the production season of rainfed.

Under the FADAMA III AF, 2, 635 rice farmers with 7, 100 ha land holding has been registered, 100 business plans for ten production clusters were reviewed out of which 49 were approved and currently being implemented. Also, 10 facilitators and 1000 farmers rice farmers had been trained, while awareness had also been created for agro dealers, cultivation of 120 ha nursery beds by five production clusters. Kutugi, while informing that 20 tones of improved rice seeds (Faro 44) has been procured and distributed to rice farmers along with 480 litres of herbicides from certified agro dealers, also thanked the Niger State Govern-

ment and the National FADAMA Team led by Mr. Tayo Adewunmi for “their continued support and cooperation, without which the FADAMA III AF would not have been implemented.” Niger State has implemented six World Bank/FG assisted projects under the agricultural sector namely Bida Agricultural Development Project, Multi-State Agricultural Development Project, National Agricultural Technology Support Project, FADAMA II and III, and presently implementing FADAMA III AF, which have helped to developed farmers-managed irrigation schemes of 400 ha and formal irrigation schemes of 1,500 ha.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

German firm wins biometrics prize for innovation in Nigeria, others

he consulting company Frost & Sullivan has awarded Germany’s largest biometrics manufacturer Dermalog and its customized solutions and products for Africa with the “2015 African Biometrics Company of the Year Award”. Dermalog is particularly successful with a large bank installation in Nigeria. In South Africa’s economic hub, the German biometrics manufacturer company was honoured with the “2015 African Biometrics Company of the Year Award”. The prize was awarded to the Hamburg-based company for its outstanding achievements in twenty African countries, thus making it to become the leading biometrics company in Africa. A key reason for the award is also the innovative portfolio of fingerprint scanners and biometric systems from Dermalog. In countries such as Angola, Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, it contributes sustainably and decisively to solving local challenges such as identity theft, corruption, demography, and migration as well as the economic development of these countries. In Nigeria, the company currently cooperates with the Central Bank and 23 other banks in a major project in which all bank customers in the country are registered via Dermalog biometrics. Customers receive a bank verification number with which all of their transactions can be completed securely and reliably via

fingerprint. In 2013, the company won an international tender from the Nigerian Central Bank for the 50-million-dollar project. Meanwhile, the biometric installation from Dermalog has successfully registered over 18 million customers in Nigeria. So far, approximately 10,000 double identities and multiple registrations have been averted every day, thereby preventing fraud and money laundering in the financial sector thanks to the reliability of the installation. The company’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) has detected over one million individuals attempting to obtain double or multiple identities. Using Dermalog fingerprint scanners and software, all participating banks can ensure that for all transactions, the identity reliably matches the customer because the customer must always be physically present for the registration. The Hamburg-based biometrics innovation leader is continuing to build on its success in the West African country. In the near future, registered bank customers will also be able to withdraw cash from ATMs and pay at cash machines using their fingerprints. Dermalog Identification Systems, which is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, is the largest German biometrics manufacturer and one of the world’s leading companies for biometric identification.

Focus turns to U.S. data as China slowdown looms

fter a dizzying two weeks that saw a rapid plunge and rebound in equity prices, investors are looking forward to a week of economic data that may provide clarity on the likelihood of a near-term U.S. interest rate hike and help tamp down the market’s recent wild swings. The economic figures will culminate in Friday’s jobs report that should reveal more about the strength of the U.S. economy. Car sales, construction spending, the Federal Reserve’s “beige book” and jobs growth may show the economy is strong enough to withstand the first rate hike in nearly a decade from the Federal Reserve, despite worries about a hard landing for China’s economy. Global stock markets were stung by severe swings in recent weeks, stoked by concerns that

a slowdown in China’s economy may be more harsh than anticipated. But after confirming a move into correction territory, the S&P 500 rebounded to score its best two-day percentage gain in over six years this week, as comments from Fed officials led some investors to believe the market turmoil and global growth concerns had diminished the possibility of a rate hike at the central bank’s September meeting. A September rate increase hasn’t been ruled out, however. Fed Vice President Stanley Fischer told CNBC during the Fed’s annual conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that the committee was “heading in the direction” of higher rates. Traders in futures markets that bet on rate increases boosted September’s odds after his words.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Jobs & Career

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Paternity Leave: Workers, experts raise concern over policy implementation

Following the recent amendment of the Enugu State Government’s civil service rules that led to the granting of an entitlement of three weeks paternity leave to husbands whose wives might put to bed, it is no more in doubt that the policy which is popularly practiced in most countries across the world has come to stay in Nigeria. The reason for this line of thinking cannot be far-fetched when viewed from the fact that Lagos state government in 2014 signed into law a 10-day working days paternity leave for its male employees. In this analysis, ISAAC ASABOR, captures stakeholders’ views of the public sector policy stance.

onsidering the fact that most state governments are likely to emulate the pioneering states of Lagos and Enugu on the implementation of paternity leave policy, mixed reactions have continued to trail the novel initiative with public and public sector workers and human resource experts weighing the cost and benefits of the labour rules for the economy Investigations indicate that most Nigerian workers are still unaware of the dynamics of the policy. However, most employers in the private sector see no reason why the policy should be integrated into their HR rules as they believe it is capable of lowering productivity of workers. Before the policy literarily finds its way to Nigeria, the United States has been granting its male workforce the benefits of paternity leave while some few African countries were listed to be “The countries with the best paid paternity leave for dads” in the June 19, 2015 online edition of New York Times, the countries are: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo. They have been granting male workers 10 days leave with 100 percent pay with the exception of Kenya that grants her male workers 14 days with 100 percent pay. However, the question many analysts are pondering over is: Can Nigeria make the list of future African countries that would be considered to be countries with the best paternity leave for dads? According to Hunter S. Thompson, “Anything worth doing is worth doing right.” It is against the prism of the foregoing saying that many Nigerians are asking whether the new workers entitlement would be well implemented in the country, particularly in Lagos state and Enugu state. Also, many are seeing the possibility of other states emulating the two states in this direction. When Lagos state signed the policy into law in 2014, not a few Lagosians commended the move by the state government. The action was highly welcomed by all, particularly the Roman Catholics as 2014 was declared the Year of the Family by His Grace, Archbishop Adewale Martins in his capacity as the Archbishop of Lagos. Considering the fact that paternity leave is seemingly a novel practice in Nigeria, it is expedient in this context to look at its benefits from what those in the countries that have been practicing it for years are saying. For instance, as published in the online edition of Economist magazine of May 14, 2015, “…fathers who take paternity leave are more likely to take an active role in child-care tasks.

NLC President, Wabba

Enugu State Gov, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi

The culTure is noT meanT To be pracTiced by men as any man ThaT engages in iT is seen as a person who likes or admires women According to a study of four rich countries – America, Australia, Britain and Denmark – fathers who had taken paternity leave were more likely to feed, dress, bathe and play with their child long after the period of leave had ended. Danish men were the most diligent. Seventy-seven per cent of them play with their children. And, in Britain, dads who took time off at birth were almost a third more likely to read books with their toddlers than those who hadn’t.” Also in the same publication, it was stated that “…early interaction has longer-term benefits for a child’s learning abilities. A study by the University of Oslo found that paternity leave improved children’s performance at secondary school; daughters, especially, seem to flourish if their dads had taken time off. But this tends to benefit children whose dads come from more advantaged backgrounds. Most paternity leave tends to be short and poorly paid so richer dads are more likely to take the time off.” Speaking from a cultural perspective, Mr. Ebubedike Amaechi, an HR practitioner and the Managing Director of AMEB Ventures, paternity leave as a policy contradicts the practice of “Omugwo” in Igbo land. “Omugwo” as a cultural practice is the period a woman stays with her daughter after childbirth. It is an age long culture in the Eastern part of the country and other parts of the country. The culture is not meant to be

practiced by men as any man that engages in it is seen as a person who likes or admires women. Such a man in a typical African society is usually looked down upon by many. Amaechi said that some insincere civil servants and workers in the private sector may abuse the entitlement of paternity leave when it is granted to them. To this, he said many may not utilized the leave for what it is meant for. The reason for his line of thinking cannot be farfetched when considered from the fact that the cultural practice of “Omugwo” entails bathing the baby, cooking as well as bathing the new mother and helping her

massage the necessary areas with hot water. The kind of food that is usually prepared for the nursing mother at the period is usually a special delicacy that is prepared with hot and spicy ingredients. The delicacy is expected to help the woman’s body heal from the stress of childbirth. Mr. Richard Udoma Duff, an employer and Managing Director of MechaBiz Engineering said granting paternity leave to his male workers, if he would ever integrate such practice into his HR policy, would require strict investigation into the marital status of the employees as most of them are fond of not saying the truth. Rosemary Nwabueze, a private secretary, believes that it may be feasible in the country given the peculiar nature of the culture that prevails across various ethnic groups and tribes in the country. To her, any man that decides to take care of her wife after birth rather than leaving that for his own mother or her mother in-law may be perceived by relations, neighbours and close friends as a father who is tied to the aprong string of his wife. Furthermore, she said for granting of paternity leave to men to be justified that they should carry the pregnancy for 9 months and birth the child. However, Osborne Osagie, HR expert says Nigeria’s environment is not ripe for the implementation of the policy. He said state governments should not be hasty about it, and advised them to carry out an elaborate research on its pros and cons before adopting it as a policy. To this he asked some questions that are still begging for answers. He queried: “What happens to productivity when both husband and wife works in the same organization as can be seen in some large companies like banks and insurances with various branches?” The second question is “How can polygamists benefit from the policy?” At what stage of prenatal period can the leave be applied for?”

Sterling Bank organises training for financial journalists

s part of its capacity building initiative across all sectors of the economy, Sterling Bank Plc at the weekend facilitated a training programme for financial journalists. The programme was aimed at enhancing the participants’ understanding of key developments in the economy. A financial expert and media trainer from France Mr. Jurgen Hecker, and a re-

nowned economist, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, presented papers during the event. Topics covered include, Sovereign Debt, Bond Market operations,Exchange& Interest rates dynamics. The Bank in a statement signed by the Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr. Shina Atilola, said the training programme was facilitated to equip financial journalists in the country with current trends in the

global financial world to serve as reference when analysing issues affecting the economy. He explained: “We all know the importance of qualitative reporting and accurate in-depth analysis of economic issues especially developments in the Banking sector. For this to happen, there is a need to equip the journalists- reporters and editors alike with adequate understanding of economic developments”.

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Labour restates support for FG’s change agenda StorieS: iSaac aSabor

he Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu, has expressed organised labour’s support for current efforts by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to promote transparency and accountability

in governance at all levels in the country. He made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the 27th National Education Conference of the union in Kaduna on Tuesday last week. Aremu commended the President for his significant efforts toward good governance since he assumed office, especially in the areas of se-

Labour Law

Can employer request information on deleted convictions of a candidate?

zech Republic – Under Section 316(4)(h) of the Czech Labour Code “employers may not request information from employees that is not directly related to the performance of work and the employment relationship set out in the second sentence of Section 3. They may not request information particularly on missing criminal records. The above shall not apply if there is a substantive reason relating to the nature of the work to be performed and provided that the request for information is appropriate or in cases stipulated by this Act or a special legal regulation. The employer may also not obtain this information through third parties.” Initsrecentcaselaw,theSupremeCourtdealt with the following situation. An individual was employed as a manager of a jazz club. During the job interview, the candidate declared that he did not have a criminal record. The employer later found out, however, that the employee had previously been employed by a different company and that during his time there, he committed embezzlement, for which he was then convicted and sentenced to imprisonment with a suspension. After successfully serving the suspension period, this conviction was deleted. According to Czech law, an offender is deemed to not have been convicted at all once his or her sentence is deleted from the Criminal Register. The job interview took place after this deletion. The employer claimed that if he had been aware of this conviction for fraudulent behaviour against the employee’s previous employer, he would have never concluded an employment

contract with the employee. The employer therefore claimed that the employment contract was invalid due to the fact that it had been erroneously concluded and that the error which was caused by the employee, had a decisive influence on the realisation of the contract. The Supreme Court, however, explained that the reason for the deletion of convictions/sentences is to give offenders the chance to remove any negative consequences of their offences, which would affect them even after serving the sentence and which could complicate future endeavours, including finding a job. Therefore, the employee (or candidate) is not required to inform the employer about his criminal record if the conviction/sentence has already been deleted and the employer may not request such information from the employee. As a result, the employee (candidate) could not have caused an error by not informing his employer about his criminal record, which could then lead to the invalidity of the employment contract. The Supreme Court therefore concluded that an employment contract is not invalid due to an error made by the employer in his choice of employee if the employee did not inform him about his past criminal record, if the given conviction/ sentence has been deleted in the meantime and the employee is thus deemed to have never been sentenced. Note: This case is according to the decision of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic, dated 21 May 2015, file No. 21 Cdo 2005/2014, published in July 2015) (Source - labourlawnetwork.eu)

ointer Insurance Company Limited

Position: Marketers Requirements: •Minimum qualifications of at least a bachelor’s degree in any field. •Experience in any insurance company will be an advantage. Application deadline: Apply through career24.com.ng website before Thursday, October 29, 2015 (source: careers24.com.ng) Pointer Insurance Company Limited Position: Graduate Trainee Requirements: University/Polytechnic graduates with the following attributes: •Outstanding ability to analyze and observe the functioning of various divisions. •Good management ability to manage time and coordinate it such that maximum can be learnt within the short stint in the organization. •Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills, including the ability to persuade and influence others. •Good team working skills and the ability to work effectively with staff at different levels of the organization.

Workers in office

curity, economy and anti-corruption. The labour leader also lauded Federal Government moves to reduce the cost of governance while calling on the National Assembly to emulate the Presidency in that direction as the payments of N130 billion salaries and allowances to 500 legislators is unacceptable to labour union. He said: “We should not throw away the baby with the bad water; accept the baby and throw away the bad water. There is nothing inherently bad with subsidy, what is bad is subsidy mismanagement. President Buhari has shown that there is no substitute for good governance. We must encourage him. “It is remarkable that some of the nation’s refineries are now working”. He also disclosed that labour is in support of the Single Treasury Account (STA), being a policy that is geared towards greater probity, transparency and accountability in the collection, disbursement and utilization of national funds”, Aremu added. He urged the federal government to consider the call made by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) for the recovery of over $7.5bn (N1.4tn) from oil and gas companies operating in the country The industrial relations expert promised that the organised labour was ready to partner Federal Government to put to an end to the issues of underpayment and under-assessment of taxes, royalties and rents that was disclosed

Job vacancies

•Ability to communicate clearly and effectively through oral and presentational skills as well as excellent writing skills and an aptitude for producing complex reports. Application deadline: Apply through career24.com.ng website before Thursday, October 29, 2015 (source: careers24.com.ng) St. Solomon Healthcare (SSHC) Limited Position: Radiographer Requirements: •B.Sc Radiography with at least 2year post NYSC experience •Must be registered with the Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria •Experience in ultrasound scan, mammography and other relevant equipment will be an advantage •Must be computer literate Application deadline: Apply through career24.com.ng website before Monday, September 7, 2015 (Source: career24.com.ng) Pruvia Integrated Limited Position: Financial Planners (Marketing Executives) Requirements: The candidate who must be an Hnd/Bsc holder in any discipline with NYSC discharge/exemption certificate must also meet the following requirements:

by NEITI in its independent audit reports on the industry. Similarly, he assured workers’ support of President Buhari’s effort in ensuring that Nigeria break the “vicious cycle” of corruption, unemployment and insecurity in the country before progress can be made. He called on all Nigerians to support the government in the war against graft, which he pointed out as the root of the country’s woes and senseless violence caused by poverty. The labour leader who was at the occasion under the aegis of the Textile Workers’ Union, Nigeria Textile Garment and Tailoring Employers Association (NTGTEA), lamented the rate of unemployment in the country, and reminded the president of his campaign promises of using the platform of the textile industry to create jobs for Nigerians. Aremu said: “With all the acknowledged efforts of the past governments, they never made revival of textiles a campaign programme as President Buhari has done. It is commendable that Buhari named textile revival explicitly in his campaign promise. What we must do is what is being done. “The president said: “I still recall with clarity that at some point, the textile industry in Nigeria was employing about 320,000 Nigerians. But today, the same industry employs less than 30,000 people and the factories operate below capacity or they are completely closed”.

The candidate will be responsible for providing services to clients’ & selling the Organisation’s Product. He/She shall be expected to: •Develop and maintain a stable long-term clientele base through direct marketing approach •Make presentations to groups at corporate gatherings and community groups on the subject of financial planning •Obtain underwriting approval by supervising completion of application forms by clients •Write concise and timely field report to unit head using the MS office packages He/She must also: •Be 30 years and Above ( Those below 30 years will be disqualified. Advantageous to Married Applicants) •Possess proficient computer skills •Be able to meet set target and deadlines •Be self motivated •Demonstrate good inter-personable skills •Possess flare for Marketing and Sales Application deadline: Interested candidates should send their CV/Resume to careers@pruviaintegrated.com with their valid addresses and contact numbers included the subject of your application should the job Title before September 10, 2015 Source: jobseeker.ng

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

A woman cooking with alternative cooking stove

Anxiety mounts over FG’s N9.2bn cook stoves project Worried by the health risks associated with traditional cooking methods, the Federal Government in 2014 approved N9.2 billion for the procurement of clean cook stoves. However, stakeholders are worried that the recent face-off between government and contractors handling the project may defeat its purpose. Olufemi Adeosun reports.

Dangote, Sinoma sign $4.34bn on cement deals

he decision of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, to approve N9.2 billion for the procurement of 750,000 units of clean cook stoves as well as 18,000 wonder bags last year may have raised fresh concerns among stakeholders. Stakeholders and by extension, the general public have through the social media described the scheme as another conduit for government and its cronies to fritter tax payers’ money. They have noted that the recent contractual disagreement between the Ministry of Environment (the driver of the clean cook stoves initiative) and Integral Renewable Energy Services (the contractor to the

scheme), has not only heightened public outcry, but helped to confirm the insincerity on the part of the Federal Government. This is coming on the heels of government’s insistence that such scheme was aimed at protecting the environment while reducing death rates and illnesses associated with cooking with firewood. According to some stakeholders, the programme may suffer serious setback in view of the ongoing court case. It would be recalled that Integral Renewable Energy Services Limited had in June 2015, secured an ex-parte injunction, restraining Federal Government from terminating the contract, alleging that government had breached certain aspect of the

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contract. While the stakeholders agreed that a lot of rural women suffered untold hardship as a result of cooking with firewood, they however faulted the implementation of the clean cook stoves initiative by the government. They said, rather than distributing cook stoves, government should have given out the money in form of soft loans to the players in the clean cook stoves sector to boost local production. For instance, the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cook stoves at a forum in Abuja expressed its deep concern over the implementation of the scheme. A communiqué issued at the end of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Surveyors urged to prioritise

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Growing concerns over FG’s N9.2bn cook stoves project CONTINUED FROM 25 meeting with partners cutting across public and private sector had noted that “partners of the Alliance are worried that controversies created by alleged lack of transparency and accountability in the award and implementation of the N9.2 billion projects, would damage the reputation of the emerging clean energy industry. The communiqué read in part, “Further, we are also concerned that the initiative focuses on the importation of stoves that can easily be produced by Nigerians. By investing this money in Nigeria, we could have created thousands of new jobs and supported new and existing small businesses. “Given the current controversy surrounding this contract, the Nigerian Alliance strongly recommends that the Federal Government invest the remaining N7.3 billion of this contract into domestic clean cooking energy production and distribution. “These funds should go to soft loans, working capital and machineries, grants for training and capacity building as well as public awareness. The aim will be to expand the local distribution of cooking gas (LPG) and biofuels as well as the local production and distribution of efficient wood and charcoal stoves.” Commenting on the clean cook stoves initiative, Chief Executive Director, Connected Development, CODE, Mr. Hamzat Lawal said although the negative effects of cooking with firewood were not lost to the people in the civil society organisations, they were opposed to the methodology being adopted by the government to stem the tide. He said, rather than investing N9.2 billion to import cook stoves, Nigeria would have borrowed a leaf from the Kenyan government which invested N1 billion to boost local production. According to him, apart from prevent capital flight, the investment led to the production of over 3 million cook stoves over the course of three years and also generated

Estate

President Buhari

Onu, SFG

The iniTiaTive To shifT Thousands of households in nigeria To a safer environmenT and creaTe jobs To The Teeming unemployed is now being ThreaTened by The behaviour of vesTed inTeresTs and lack of Transparency

over 300 jobs. He said, “While the federal government said the intervention would help to drive awareness and create market for clean cook stoves, we in the civil society are of the opinion that it would cripple the clean cook stoves market because the stoves are programmed to be imported rather than being locally made like we have in other developing countries. “We in the civil society groups knew from inception that the entire process of the scheme was a secret deal, an avenue to make money out of the rural poor who do not have access to energy services. This is so because, up till now, the contract document signed be-

tween the Ministry of Environment and Integral Renewable Energy Services Limited has not been made available to civil society groups, key stakeholders, the general public and most importantly, the media.” Hamzat who is also a co-founder of “Follow the Money”, a nongovernmental organisation formed by a group of young Nigerians to ensure accountability in public finance, also deplored the contractual disagreement between the government and the contractor, stressing that the development was capable of derailing the programme at the detriment of millions of rural women in need of the clean cook stoves. “When “Follow the Money” group went to

inspect the stoves purportedly delivered by the constructor, we were more befuddled by what we saw. While the contractor claimed that over 200,000 units had been supplied from the N1.3bn released to it, our independent counting and verification revealed that only 45,000, mostly empty LPG gas cylinders were supplied. We wonder how this would impact the rural women who do not have access to facility to refill this gas, which now gives us a great concern about sustainability,” he said. Expressing his views on the matter, the Director, Carbon Exchange Trade, Lagos, Mr. Innocent Azih, stated that proper implementation of the programme would move Nigerian households away from the threestone fire, thereby preventing loss of lives through inhalation of smoke and cut down the rate of deforestation by 3.3% annually. On the implication of the lawsuit, Azil noted, “Stakeholders and the global community has continued to see this development of lawsuit between the contractor handling the cook stoves project and the Ministry of Environment as a bad news for the cook stoves sector in Nigeria that is building momentum. “The initiative to shift thousands of households in Nigeria to a safer environment and create jobs to the teeming unemployed is now being threatened by the behaviour of vested interests and lack of transparency.” According to him, while government Initiative to distribute thousands of cook stoves worth N9.2billion to households in Nigeria is commendable, stakeholders’ concerns remain that the approach and investment would not be sustainable. He stated that if government is genuine about the plight of rural women, it should among others; invest additional 60% of the fund to Support Local Cook stoves Manufacturers. This, he maintained, would create over 1,000,000 Jobs and make Nigeria the first country with largest clean stoves manufacturers in Africa with potential for export.

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Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Surveyors urged to prioritise

MORTGAGE NOTES with Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja

Kemi Olaitan, ibadana

Fasanya-Osilaja

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

What next for Nigeria?

irst of all, let me apologize sincerely for being such a slacker this summer. I turned 50, and the whole summer was spent celebrating with my family and friends, who came from all over the world to honor me. I had the best summer ever, but it is now over and we are back on track. So, the elections are over in Nigeria, and the races have been won and lost. We have a new President for the nation and several new Governors at state level. Of course, the new administrations are just being formed, and everything is a mad scramble right now. We fully understand that. However, certain things should be addressed as a matter of urgency, and in my humble opinion, housing should be at the top of every list. You see, no man is comfortable unless and until his family is safely ensconced in a safe and comfortable environment over which he has control. We all gather our broods into our safe havens and secure their safety from danger, so in this realm, all men are created equal. It is therefore almost obscene, to imagine a society where home ownership is not considered a fundamental human right, but a high privilege. No government can claim to provide home ownership when the cost of such homes are so far out of reach of the common man, that it becomes nothing but a farce, a fake system that can result in nothing but failure. I have been pretty optimistic about the recent developments in the Nigerian housing industry. Lagos State showed up strong as usual, with the H.O.M.S program to offer access to 10 year mortgages for the purchase of government built properties sold by anonymous draws to First Time Homebuyers. (http://lagoshoms. gov.ng/) The most attractive part of this program for me is the anonymous draw which, if implemented with integrity would open up every citizen of Lagos State to the possibility of homeownership without fear or favor, probably for the first time in the history of the state. Some areas of the program remain troubling though – one wonders how many people can come up with a 30% equity contribution (down payment). With properties selling as high as 17 million naira, that would

be a down payment of 5,250,000.00 naira. Also, those of us in the industry outside Nigeria are always shocked to the core when we hear of Nigerian mortgages with amortization periods of 5 years (or in the case of H.O.M.S, 10 years). Even with the government subsidized rate of 9.50% or thereabouts, which is considered miraculously low for Nigeria even though it is more than twice the rate in the U.S, the monthly payments would be 158,512.01 per month! By the time the mortgage is paid off, the borrower would have paid a mortgage interest amount of 6,771,440.00 naira, and a total principal plus interest payment of a whopping 19,021,440.00!! Color me confused, but I don’t know too many First Time Homebuyers that can afford one of these properties without putting every other area of his life in serious jeopardy. In essence, this program is a step forward, but either the cost of production or the profit margin for the properties needs to be drastically reduced, or else the purpose of affordable home ownership would effectively be destroyed. The CBN also tried to offer a more financially viable mortgage system with the setting up of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company (http://www.nmrc.com. ng/), through which Nigeria was able to raise long term mortgage finance at a rock bottom rate from the IFC. I have been particularly supportive of the NMRC because I truly believe that it may be the umbrella under which the Nigerian mortgage industry can finally standardize, and attain global recognition. The mandate of the NMRC is to purchase loans closed by the Primary Mortgage entities at very low rates, thereby systematically causing a reduction in interest rates in the market as a whole as well as access to loans with longer terms. The end goal is to provide housing opportunities to as many Nigerians as possible, at the lowest cost achievable. The NMRC is to Nigeria what Fannie Mae is to the U. S. A, and its success is totally dependent on the industry’s willingness to support its mandate and

Please find Policy avenues to suPPort and imProve on the above, as well as any other housing finance initiatives for the benefit of all Parties involved

start to lend under its guidelines. I have taken the time to explain the above programs in detail because the Nigerian electorate really needs to put the newly elected government on notice. The days when Nigerians were content being spoonfed all kinds of garbage are over. As the last elections showed so clearly, Nigerians have learnt how to speak with their votes. A government that is not sensitive to the needs of its people will be voted out post haste. The mortgage programs are finally startxxxxx ing to appear so please make sure they don’t fall into oblivion like so many have done in the past. Homeownership is not the birthright of a few rich or wellconnected people…and we will not stand for it any more. The government owes its citizenry the basic necessities of life, and access to affordable housing is right up on that list. Please find policy avenues to support and improve on the above, as well as any other housing finance initiatives for the benefit of all parties involved. As usual, all comments and questions are welcome. Please consider following my column and re-tweeting or sharing with your circles. Make it a great week…and let your work be the best reflection of yourself.

ABOUT THE WRITER Fasanya-Osilaja a lawyer and mortgage expert has owned and operated Marvel Ventures Mortgage, Inc. (www.marvelmortgage.com), a Chicagobased Mortgage Brokerage Company since 2000 and has worked in the US Mortgage industry since 1996. She also consults and facilitates industryrequired activities, from set up of mortgage organisations to documentation, training and compliance.

practising Surveyor, Mr. Oluseye Dabiri has urged his colleagues to endeavour to build capacity to attract patronage and respect from the public Dabiri, who gave the advice during a seminar tagged, “Professionalism and Business: The Convergence”, organised by a non-governmental organisation, Surveyors Vanguard, SV, urged practitioners to ensure diversification of professionalism with commercialism as a way to move to the next level while seeing themselves as one. According to him, diversification and viable growth of any business of surveying could only be attained if practitioners see themselves as partners in progress, stressing that they need to search their conscience and be agents and not finding faults with others. He said, “To build any formidable and working capacity in the Nigerian survey business, we must work from whole to parts. Business thrives when there are bumper returns on the investments called capital base and good patronage from numerous clients with prompt payment, which makes business grow quickly with ease’’. Another surveyor, Mr Segun Makanjuola while speaking on the lecture entitled, “Superior Customer Delight”, urged practitioners to embark on researches to know what their clients want, noting that adequate information is important.

You must know what your customers want, take solutions to the doorstep of your customers; I know there are many solutions in your profession”. He however listed various attributes of a good business oriented professionals to include delivering more than one promise, flexibility, partnership and be calculative to ensure effective communication with customers among others. President of the Nigeria Institution of Surveyors, NIS, Mr. Bernard Omo Akhigbe represented by the Deputy President of the association, Mr. Akin Oyebola, enjoined practitioners to continue to fly the flag of the profession high. Chairman of the SV, Surveyor Kazeem Ajibike while speaking on the rationale behind the seminar, said it was to boost business morale of the participants, which would go a long way to give participants a better understanding of professionalism with integrity. He also noted that the association was formed to seek improvement to the practice of surveying profession, to promote surveying and mapping business of members within and outside the country as well as to play concerned role in the welfare of all surveyors. The one-day seminar was attended by members of the Nigeria Institution of Surveyors, Association of Private Practicing Surveyors of Nigeria, Women in Surveying and Young Surveyors Network among others.

Perm Sec tasks NIA on standards

ermanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arc. Sonny Echono has enjoined the Nigerian Institute of Architects, NIA, to uphold standard while improving the living conditions of the rural communities. While declaring open, the 2015 Arch-built Exhibition in Abuja, Echono advised the professionals to use the opportunity provided by the present administration to create ways of providing job opportunities for the youths. He emphasised the need to promote apprenticeship and

develop young artisans to enable them contribute to the development of the nation. He congratulated the NIA for its continued service to the country, saying Nigerians should be able to benefit from the exhibition, which has been showcasing building and construction technologies for over twenty six years. Echono undertook a tour of the over 100 exhibition stands, featuring products, innovation and new ideas for users and other professionals involved in all the stages of construction.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cool ceil

GO DARK Walls in the master bed room are covered in Donghia’s Sil k Texture II, and the ceiling is painte d in Benjamin Moore Regal Select in Night Horizon to dramatize the soa ring space in a Long Island Shingl e-style beach house decorated by Rob Southern.

Source: www.housebeautiful.com

SA imposes tariff on steel SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE

outh Africa’s Trade and Industry Minister, Rob Davies said the introduction of a 10 percent customs duty on certain steel products would protect local manufacturing industry from cheaper Chinese steel imports. Cheap imports from China are hurting steel makers in South Africa, which currently does not have import duties on steel. As many as 200,000 jobs are at risk due to

a global supply glut of the commodity, ArcelorMittal South Africa has warned. Following complaints from ArcelorMittal and SAFAL Steel, Davies imposed a 10 percent customs duty on zinc-coated/galvanised steel, aluminium-zinc coated steel and colour coated steel. Previously there was no duty payable. However, the tariff increases, one of range of other tariff and anti-dumping measures industry was seeking to protect thousands of jobs, would be subject to several conditions.

Tens of thousands attend water charges protest in Dublin T ens of thousands of anti-water charges protesters gathered at a stage at the Spire on O’Connell Street in Dublin on Saturday, after setting off from Heuston and Connolly train stations.

A number of smaller groups also marched in from the suburbs for the demonstration, which was organised by the Right2Water campaign. The protest was the fifth official Right2Water demonstration. It was supported by five trade unions, including Mandate, whose president John Douglas said the

current Government will attempt to divide the population in the upcoming budget. “The arrogance and the disrespect for the Irish people in the wayIrish Water was set up typifies how rotten this country is,” Mr Douglas said, making his first public appearance at an anti-water charges rally. “A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable, and by that test Ireland fails goddamn miserably. This economy, this society is broken- it’s rotten to the core. “There is no recovery, it’s a bloody myth,

they made it up to con us. We know best, we’re the people of Ireland, we know there’s no recovery in Ireland and the only recovery is for the elite few,” he said, adding that people were also mobilising against homelessness and under-investment in the public sector. In her speech to the protesters, Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald denounced the “bully-boy” tactics of the Government in trying to impose domestic water charges. However, she said afterwards that her

party has not yet decided whether peo ple who haven’t paid their bills shoul be entitled to receive the €100 conser vation grant. “You can see from the numbers her today that people have not been intim dated or bought off or persuaded tha this issue is not important anymore this still matters a great deal,” she said before reaffirming Sinn Féin’s stanc that refunds on water charges will no be provided if the party gets into gov ernment.’

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

ling ideas

old r-

re miat ed, ce ot v-

LACQUER

In the kitch en of a New York apartment designed by Philip Gorrivan, iridescent mosaic tiles and a ceiling lacq uered in Benjamin Moore’s Oce anic Teal pick u p a color fr om the wallpaper in the hallway . Thonet barstoo ls by York Street Studio. Rom an shades in Homer wool in Verdigris by Gorrivan by High land Court.

GOLD LEAF

To make the Tony Duquette chandelier feel more at home, Ruthie Sommers had decorative painter Peter Bolton create an elaborate tree design in gold leaf on the dining room ceiling. Jacaranda and plum trees inspired the vibrant pink Penny Morrison fabric on the front of the chairs and the Claremont floral on the back. Rug from Melrose Carpet.

Dangote, Sinoma sign $4.34bn on cement deals N igeria’s Dangote Cement signs $4.34 billion contracts with China’s Sinoma International Engineering Company. Group Executive Director Edwin Devakumar said, the plants to be built in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Nepal, Niger, Senegal and Zambia, would add 25 million tonnes to Dangote’s existing capacity of almost 50 million tonnes. Demand for cement in Africa is much lower than in developed countries. Africa’s richest man said there is a need for his homeland-Nigeria, the most populous country on the continent to invest in infrastructure due to the country’s burgeoning population.

RICS continues property expansion into Africa The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is continuing with its expansion in Africa which will result in more property sectors attaining international standards. In November 2013 RICS committed to expanding in three key countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. It is also creating regional RICS hubs in east, west and South Africa. On top of this the global real estate organisation commissioned research into property markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, concentrating on the major driver states of South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. It examines opportunities and

challenges in their real estate markets. It found that Ghana is experiencing rapid urbanisation and a growing middle class, expected to reach 1.6 million people by 2030 according to projections by Standard Bank. ‘This presents obvious opportunities in real estate as the need for housing, retail and commercial space increases,’ the report says, adding that the country’s construction sector accounted for 9% of GDP in 2011 and is growing steadily The Ghana Institute of Surveyors (GhIS) is positive about the trajectory the country is taking, but has raised concerns like the need for more skilled professionals in the sector.

“We are producing the best quality in Cameroon so we are going to be the industry leader,” he said. Dangote also lamented the slow investment in the region saying demand for cement in Africa is much lower than in developed countries. He urged his country Nigeria to make necessary infrastructural interventions. “Nigeria’s consumption per capita is half of Ghana and Senegal which is not right, but going forward this is expected to see an adjustment when the country starts investments in infrastructure,” he said. “If the population is growing there is an obvious need for infrastructure. Nigeria is going to be 207 million people in the next four years.” “The future of Africa is in infrastructure but there is no way there can be infrastructure without cement. How are we going to contain with traffic in cities like Lagos and Abuja without investment in infrastructure,” he questioned. He said by setting up plants in different locations, his group wanted to make sure that it made cement affordable and accessible by cutting transport costs.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Obama to tackle climate change challenge

ith melting glaciers and rising seas as his backdrop, President Barack Obama would address global action to combat climate change, even as he carefully calibrates his message in a state heavily dependent on oil during his visit Alask. Obama will become the first sitting president to visit the Alaska Arctic, when he travels to the city. The unambiguous goal of the president’s trip is to use dra-

matic and alarming changes to Alaska’s climate to instil fresh urgency into his global warming agenda. Sea ice is melting, critical permafrost is thawing and Alaska’s cherished glaciers are liquefying — powerful visuals that Obama hopes will illustrate the threat to natural wonders and livelihoods and serve as a global call to action. “This is all real,” Obama said in his weekly address released Saturday. “This is happening to our fellow Americans right

now.” Yet Obama has taken steps that show he’s cautiously navigating the competing environmental and energy interests at play. A few weeks ago, his administration gave Royal Dutch Shell a final permit to drill into oil-bearing rock off Alaska’s northwest coast for the first time in more than two decades. “The president has made great strides in protecting the Arctic, but we are really disappointed with this decision,”

said Nicole Whittington-Evans, Alaska director for The Wilderness Society. “This is a point where we disagree.” For many Alaskans, though, the issue comes down to dollars and cents. Both the state government and its residents rely deeply on oil revenues to stay afloat, and falling oil prices have already created a serious budget deficit. Brian Deese, Obama’s senior adviser, sought to strike a balance between Alaska’s econom-

ics needs and the president’s goal to eventually phase out fossil fuels. “That’s a transition that is not going to happen overnight,” Deese said. In the meantime, he added, “oil and gas will remain important parts of our overall energy mix.” Ahead of Obama’s visit, state Republican leaders emphasized the need for more energy development and urged Obama not to exploit the state’s stunning scenery for political purposes.

Sen. Dan Sullivan warned that any national or ocean monument designations “will go over like a lead balloon” among Alaska’s Democrats and Republicans alike. “What there’s concern about is that he’s going to use Alaska as some green screen for climate change, when he doesn’t take the opportunity to dig into other issues that are important to Alaskans, important to the country,” Sullivan said in an interview. Obama has been investing time on an unfinished global climate treaty that nations hope to finalize in December, as he works to secure his environmental legacy before his presidency ends. The president has pledged a U.S. cut in greenhouse gas emissions of up to 28 per cent by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, and plans to use the Alaska visit to build public pressure on other nations to commit to similarly ambitious measures. After arriving in Anchorage on Monday afternoon, Obama plans to meet with Alaska Natives before addressing the Arctic climate resilience summit, dubbed GLACIER, which involves Arctic and non-Arctic leaders, scientists, environmental advocates and the energy industry. Secretary of State John Kerry, a key player in the climate treaty talks, also plans to speak. While in Alaska, Obama is likely to face calls from Democrats and environmentalists to restrict Arctic drilling and to renew his request to Congress to make more of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, off-limits as well. Republicans and energy advocates planned to urge the president to clear the way for more drilling. Aside from brief campaign stops, few presidents have spent significant time in Alaska. President Warren Harding, shortly before his death in 1923, toured nine Alaska communities in three parts of the state.

Obama

European property investment Experts advocate preservation of Flora-fauna for communities highest since 2007 T C ommercial property investment activity in Europe reached its highest level since 2007, totalling €102.5 billion in the first half of 2015, the latest market analysis report shows.

The investment volume across the 16 participating countries was 25% up on the same period last year, according to the European Investment Briefing report from international real estate advisor Savills. The firm says that in line with its quarter one forecasts, the European investment market is on track to top €230 billion by the end of this year as commercial property investors continue to favour core markets, with the UK, Germany and France still accounting for 67.8% of the total volume. ‘However, the share of the markets outside of the top three countries is increasing,

due to stronger investor interest for non-core countries, which offer attractive pricing and supply of large assets and portfolios,’ said Lydia Brissy, director at Savills’ European research team. ‘Overall, investors are more open to move up the risk curve. They seek future yield compression by targeting secondary or alternative assets in core cities, or prime assets in secondary markets,’ she added. The report shows that the office sector continued to dominate the investment activity in most countries across Europe, capturing about 39% of the transaction volume per country on average. The only exceptions where retail properties accounted for a higher share of property investment deals were Germany at 42%, Finland at 43%, the Netherlands also at 43%, and

Norway at 62 percent and Portugal at 83 percent, which saw the sale of large scale retail portfolios in the past quarter. Savills has also reported that cross border investment increased in nearly all countries across Europe and especially in the peripheral markets, where US investors have been notably active. There has also been growing interest from investors from Asia Pacific and the Middle East. The share of non-domestic investment ranged from 10% in Sweden to over 80% in markets such as Italy, Poland and Portugal. Marcus Lemli, head of European Investment at Savills, explained that international investors have continued to drive up volumes, particularly the equity funds from the US, which have been acquiring retail portfolios or landmark office buildings.

he biodiversity of flora and fauna of Borneo has to be preserved for the welfare of the local community in Sarawak and Borneo to ensure prosperity and harmony. Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dato Dr Mohamad Kadim Suadi said efficient water management was important in environmental conservation and for the preservation of biodiversity – a global issue. Unimas as a public university is responsible and committed to finding a solution to environmental conservation through research and education, he said. “We will find ways to come up with a solution to the global issue.” He said this at a national youth leaders’ camp on water issues organised by Unimas and United National Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, under International Hydrological

Programme (IHP)–Unesco-Ihp held at Unimas. The programme themed ‘Water and Diversity of Borneo’ was participated by 75 students from 11 schools in Kuching and Samarahan Division. Kadim said the world is facing unpredictable weather as a result of rapid development caused by humans. “We hope these programmes will educate the younger generation on the importance of water management for our well-being and the preservation of flora and fauna in Borneo.” The launch was attended by a representative for the secretary-general of Unesco-Ihp Malaysia, Professor Dr Ismail Abustan; chairman of the Education and Training of Public Information, Associate Professor Dr Nabsiah Abd Wahid; Unimas director of Strategic Planning and Quality Management Centre and programme chairman Dr Rohaya Mohd Noor.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Aviation

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

National carrier: Stakeholders advocate FG’s minority shareholding status Stakeholders and professionals in the Nigeria aviation industry while agreeing on the need for a National Carrier to fully tap the development potential in the nation’s aviation sector, however, believe that the Federal Government’s equity shares in the proposed national airline should be minor to allow for efficient management of the proposed airline. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.

nnually, foreign carriers earn at least $1.5 billion from ticket sales in Nigeria alone; majorly airlifting the country’s citizens while their local counterparts fly crumbs left behind by the dominating international airlines. Before now, Nigeria was a major competitor on the foreign routes, but the liquidation of the country’s national carrier, Nigeria Airways dealt a devastating blow on the airline sub-sector in the country as routes hitherto flown by the carrier abruptly swung into the hands of foreign carriers and Nigeria became spectators, rather than participants. Nigeria Airways was a pride for Nigeria. It flew to virtually all the major countries of the world. It was a way Nigeria as a country defined itself, along with its national flag painted on the tail end of its every aircraft. The airline looked proud and elegant, a perfect symbol of statehood. Today, Nigeria Airways doesn’t exist. It was plagued with safety and reliability issues, and finally shut down in 2003 after the government refused to rescue it from staggering debts and mismanagement. At the time, most laymen didn’t realise that national airlines often have spotty track records. But it’s a common problem found all over the world as they are usually dwarfed with overregulation, overstaffing, excessive debt, political interference and poor management. Since it clipped its wings 12 years ago, Federal Government had attempted to reestablish another national airline for the country, but failed despite the several “lofty progarmmes and planning” reeled out for the expected national carrier. First, the model for the planned national carrier by the erstwhile government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was not made known to the public, the “private investors” as declared by the government were hidden from the glare of the public and the process for choosing Aero Airlines rather than a more spread carrier, Arik Air was a big surprise to the industry players. Also, the cynicism of stakeholders and professionals played a major role in the failure of the planned carrier while the several players still reminded the government of the unwarranted liquidation of the former national carrier and the inability of the same government to fully pay the severance benefits of the staff, which put an end to the ambition. But, it seems the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is more serious about giving the nation another national carrier in spite of the seemingly challenges. Just last week, the government inaugurated a committee led by the former Managing Director of Discovery Air, Capt. Mohammed

Nigeria Airways aircraft

My suggestion is that the governMent should not hold More than 20 per cent equity and they should allow forMidable airlines like

singapore that have

expressed interest in the years past to partner Abdulsalam with the mandate of reviewing previous consultants’ submissions and recommendations on a national carrier, review the report on the failure of the defunct Nigeria Airways and other failed private airlines. The committee, which was given four weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report also had the mandate to consult widely with stakeholders on the establishment of a national airline, including interested international partners on setting on the basis of Public Private Partnership, PPP, model. The Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Binta Bello also charged the committee to invite the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, to determine the debt profile of domestic airlines to serve as a guide in its recommendations, and to develop the optimum model for a national carrier for Nigeria. However, investigations revealed that one of the leading carriers in the sector, which determined to emerged as a national carrier may have been working behind the scene to be named as a national carrier. But, a stakeholder who preferred to remain anonymous advised the committee to look beyond the existing carriers in bequeathing a national carrier for the country, warning that any attempt to select any of the existing domestic carriers would plunge the project into further crisis.

Speaking with our correspondent on the issue, the Managing Consultant, PTD Consulting, Mr. Taiwo Adenekan wanted the government to address some salient issues of the defunct carrier before another carrier was established for the country. He urged the government to pay off the outstanding benefits of the defunct carrier, stressing that any attempt not to pay off the former workers before the reestablishment of a new one would lead to labour crisis, which might not augur well for the country. Adenekan however proposed that for the airline to succeed, the government should not hold more than 20 per cent equity shares in the carrier and warned that any attempt to hold a dominating share in the airline would lead to the failure of the past. He advised that reputable foreign carriers should be encouraged by the government to partner the proposed carrier and emphasised that the government should utilise the over 102 Bilateral Air Services Agreements, BASA, it had with countries for the sector to grow and contribute meaningfully to the Gross Domestic Products, GDP. He decried that the absence of a national carrier for Nigeria had led to the carting away of $1.4bn annually from the country by foreign carriers while the county’s carriers are just observes in the system. He said, “Do they still want to be giving the new carrier subsidies, subventions and

start appointing Managing Directors that are not competent? Do they still want an airline that they can fly free as Federal Government officials? “My suggestion is that the government should not hold more than 20 per cent equity and they should allow formidable airlines like Singapore that have expressed interest in the years past to partner. They should close their eyes to it and not do more than 20 per cent or lower and allow reputable airlines to emerge.” Besides, one of the major stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation industry, Grp. Capt. John Obakpolor said that for the new proposed national carrier to operate profitably and breakeven, the government should not have a controlling share in the airline. On the modalities for the proposed carrier, Obakpolor suggested that Nigerians should participate in its formation through shares while other institutional investors should be known. He insisted that there was no major aviation country that didn’t have a national airline, adding that Nigeria should not be an exception. Obakpolor believes that the government should have 49 per cent of the equities while the remaining 51 per cent should go to the public. “Let people buy shares into the project and let’s see if it will not move forward. In U.S. some of the airlines, their shares were sold to the workers. So, when you buy shares, you cannot work lackadaisically. You know if you do that, there will be no profit for you to share at the end of the year. The airline will work, but the modality is important,” he said. The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Finum Aviation Services, Engr. Sheri Kyari said Nigeria required a national carrier that all stakeholders and professionals must put in their efforts to ensure its success. Like others, he noted that the carrier must not be wholly owned by the Federal Government; rather the government should provide a platform for it to excel. He explained that the formation of a national carrier for Nigeria would reduce the number of capital flights, ensures the expansion of Nigeria to several cities around the world and creates more employment for qualified professionals in the sector. Besides, the President, Skyjet Aviation Services, Dr. Kashim Shettima wanted the government to liaise with proven professionals before coming up with another national airline for the country. He added that the President needed to have the forensic audit of why Nigeria airlines were failing and debt ridden before venturing into the business.

Aviation

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Operators re-open domestic airlines’ bailout fund debate

takeholders and professionals in Nigeria are at loggerheads over the proposed bailout funds to the country’s airlines. While a section of stakeholders, believed that intervention fund was necessary for the airlines to compete, others insisted that the government should not release any amount of money to the airlines. The Managing Director, Dana Air, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani said that most carriers in Nigeria required Federal Government’s intervention. He explained that what was given to the airlines recently was not enough and neither did all the airlines benefitted equally. He advised that the government needed to consider an aviation policy like the fine-tuned policies of other industry sectors, adding that airlines in the sector needed to be motivated to perform long-term for the good of the country and to entice more travellers by air instead of road, as well as to stimulate commerce in the economy and tourism within the country too. He said: “Currently airlines are not profitable enough to invest further in new aircraft and explore additional routes to connect more cities with the country. Banks need to support airlines more too as they currently shy away from supporting the industry. “If airlines were better fund-

Arik Air MD, Chris Ndulue

Airside shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

NCAA and audit of airlines

The General Manager, Cargo Services, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL (1st left, Boma Ukwunna presenting the keys of the Toyota Hilux donated by company to the Vice President, the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, Mr. Bola Ashiru Balogun while a team of SAHCOL management and executive of ANLCA looks on with amusement.

ed, there would be far less than 146 private jets in the country, and neither would there be a need for a national carrier, which will unnecessarily burn up the scarce financial resources of the country”, Hathiramani added Also, an aviation analyst, Mr. Francis Ayigbe said that rather than giving out another bailout to the airlines, the government should approach the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, management to work towards refining of Jet A1 at the Warri Petrochemical plant. He explained that if this was done, abridged finance could be obtained directly by airlines at less than two per cent to pay fuel marketer, stressing that this would bring down the direct operating costs for airlines.

The President, Aviation Round Table, ART, Mr. Gbenga Olowo emphasised that the stakeholders need to know the sort of bailout some are canvassing for the airlines. “Yes, the move is positive, but a more wholistic diagnosis of the problem is essential because if the hole is not blocked, funds injected will go same way as in the past. “As regards support for the airlines on several challenges, this forms part of the wholistic approach identified above. Uncontrollable cost elements among others do require deliberate government attention for our airlines survival.” Capt. Daniel Omale said it was better for to cut down cost of operating in the country’s airspace like the landing, parking, navigation charges and fuel.

Arik Air, Irish Embassy partner on trade mission

he Irish Embassy in Nigeria and Enterprise Ireland are seeking to partner with Arik Air on the Irish Trade Mission to Nigeria in December 2015. Media statement by the spokesman of Arik Air, Mr. Ola Adebanji stated that this came to light recently when the Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Sean Hoy led a team of Enterprise Ireland officials to the airline’s Aviation Centre at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, Ikeja, Lagos.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Adebanji stated that the Irish Ambassador stated that the trade mission to Nigeria was expected to be one of the largest in recent times and there would be a lot of interest in the aviation sector as there are about 250 aviation companies in Ireland. He stressed that the Irish embassy in Nigeria was committed to improving trade relations between Nigeria and Ireland. The Head of Africa Region, Enterprise Ireland, Mr. Fred Klinkenberg who was in the team said Enterprise Ireland was the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in markets around the world. The organisation works in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales on global markets. The Trade Mission Representative in Nigeria, Thessa Brongers Bagu while stressing that Arik Air was the airline of choice disclosed that the airline would be the official carrier to move the trade mission between Accra, Abuja and Lagos. The Chairman of Arik Air, Sir

Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide who led the management team of the airline to receive the visitors disclosed that Arik would be interested in flying the LagosDublin route if there was enough traffic between the two countries. He stated Arik Air had become a strong force in Africa, stressing that that the airline had relationship with a number of Irish companies.

he recent audit of the nation’s airlines by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, barely few days after the crash of Bristow Helicopters chopper into a lagoon in Lagos, Airside says it is an exercise that is coming too late. In fact, it is now in NCAA character to hurriedly carry out audits on airlines immediately after any major incident or accident. Before now, stakeholders and professionals in the sector expected the industry regulator to carry out its oversight functions of the subsector with the late incidents that enveloped the sector, but surprisingly, NCAA decided to close its eyes to the incidents it, only for it to engage in fire brigade approach as usual

with the audit. With the announcement of the audit, NCAA has only shown that it is a reactive agency, rather than a proactive and predictive agency. Airside insists that the regulatory agency is not carrying out its audit of the industry as expected of it. As a proactive organisation, the policeman of the industry in the country would looked actively for the identification of safety risks in the airlines through the systems and device a mean of curbing the loss of lives that occurred on Wednesday, August 12, 2015. NCAA needs to tighten its seatbelts in preparation for a long hours’ journey. Time to improve safety in Nigeria is now.

Cabin crew and nexus of drug trafficking

viation is one of the many professions several young people especially kids aspire to go into in the future. Most pupils when asked what they would like to be in the future will either mention pilot, aeronautic engineer or air hostess. The above named professionals in the sector are looked at with dignity and admiration in their fitted uniforms among young and even matured people. To my growing up kids, they are the lords in the sector, but their recent involvement in shameful acts is robbing the envied profession into the mud most especially in Nigeria. Some of the professionals either engage in drug trafficking, corner cutting, certification of non-airworthy

aircraft, money laundering, connivance with some unscrupulous elements to airlift passengers with incomplete documents and prostitution to mention, but a few. After the shady deals, most of them use the proceeds they get from the disgraceful business to acquire assets and properties that they salaries can never support. In fact, they live larger than life. Airside says this bad attitude of a few is robbing off on many other dedicated professionals in the sector. It is pertinent for players in the sector to device a mean of reducing if not eliminating the illicit acts among these professionals. The wheat should be separated from the shaft for the profession to return to its former glorious years.

Korean Air takes delivery of first B747-8 Intercontinental Aircraft

orean Air, the flagship carrier of South Korea, has formally celebrated the delivery of its first Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental at the Boeing Everett Delivery Centre in Seattle. Present at the ceremony to celebrate the delivery of the aircraft, representing Korean Air, was the airline’s Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Walter Cho and representing Boeing was its President and CEO for commercial aircraft, Mr. Ray Conner. “This new aircraft delivers better fuel economy.” Walter Cho

said. “That’s important to a global airline such as ours. And it supports our goal to build and operate a first-class fleet of world-class aircraft.” With the addition of the B747- 8 Intercontinental to its fleet, Korean Air became the first airline in the world to operate both types of the B747-8. In 2012, Korean Air introduced the B747-8 Freighter and operates six of these aircraft. About 70 per cent of the aircraft, by structural weight, incorporates new advanced aluminum alloys and carbon composites to reduce the weight drastically and giving

a 16 per cent improvement in fuel consumption and emissions over its predecessor the 747-400, while generating 30 per cent less noise. With a range of 14,815km, the new B747 will be the fastest wide body passenger jet in the world with a normal cruising speed of Mach 0.86. Korean Air B747-8iKorean Air’s new B747-8 Intercontinental is configured with 368 seats in a three-class configuration; 6 First Class, 48 Prestige Class (26 seats on the upper deck and 22 seats on the main deck) and 314 Economy Class.

Insurance

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

658 Lagos retirees get N2.2bn pension benefits Reinsurance M&A ‘ll be driven by isaac asaBor

n its bid to ensure that the terminal entitlement of retirees in Lagos are promptly paid, the Lagos State Government on Friday, August 28, presented bond certificates worth N2.2 billion to 658 retirees. At the event which took place at the NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, the Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode urged all the state government parastatals that are yet to fully comply with the provision of the State Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, under the Pension Reform Law to commence remitting the contributions of their employees Retirement Saving Account without delay.

While addressing 230 retirees that came from 12 different parastatals that already have their retirement saving accounts been credited with their contributions, the governor said a total liability of N761,828 million is being absorbed by the government on behalf of the retirees. The Governor was represented at the occasion by his deputy, Idiat Oluranti Adebule, described the payment of the benefits as a willingness of the government to enhance the welfare of the workers who retired from the state even as he promised to pay the outstanding payments. Folashade Onanuga, the

Berkshire Hathaway model – S&P

Lagos State Gov, Ambode

Director-General, Lagos State Pension Commission (LASPEC) In her address assured the retirees who are yet to be paid that their entitlement would soon be paid as the governor has vowed to look into their cases.

The top insurance needs of retirees By K ali HawlK

s clients enter retirement, their entire financial planning picture shifts. People go from needing to accumulate assets to needing to understand how to best spend the money they spent decades carefully saving. They need to understand how to make investments last through this phase of life and ensure all their assets are well protected. Protecting property and material assets Retirees need to continue protecting their material assets like homes and cars. In fact, this coverage may need to increase in retirement if much of a retiree’s wealth is held in the real estate they own. If anything were to happen to the property that wasn’t covered by the right insurance, it could be difficult to financially recover from the loss without income from a job. In addition to the right property and homeowner’s insurance, retirees might want to consider an umbrella insurance policy. Mary Beth Storjohann, a financial planner and founder of Workable Wealth, explains that

umbrella insurance offers additional liability insurance to existing policies. “Umbrella insurance steps in to cover the difference in all your policies to protect your net worth,” she says. “It will cover property damage, bodily injury claims and legal costs. Typically, policies will start at $1 million in coverage for around $200 a year.” Health insurance more important than ever Protecting financial and material assets is important. But so is protecting the asset of good health. “The most overlooked and most used insurance in retirement is health insurance,” says Jamie Block, a financial planner at Wealth Design Services. This becomes even more important to address if someone wants to retire early. “It’s important to analyze all the costs of health care, not just the insurance premiums,” explains Block. “These costs include deductibles, co-pays for services and prescriptions.” She also suggests paying attention to the out-of-pocket maximum, and advises clients keep at least that much in an emer-

gency fund. Some retirees should consider other types of insurance that would cover costs related to health issues. “Long-term care insurance is another insurance that has a high utilization rate, which partly explains why the premiums keep increasing,” says Block. “Advisors need to determine if the cost of the policy is worth the benefits that are being paid.” In helping retirees plan, she suggests considering whether they should self-fund and if they can afford the premiums on insurance or if Medicaid would present a better alternative. “Besides the cost of the insurance, there are many non-financial reasons to get these policies,” Block explains. “The main reason is to fund extra care and be less of a burden on family members. Also, if you have the insurance, you are more likely to get the help earlier than without.” Do retirees need life insurance? “The retiree’s specific situation helps to dictate what type of insurance to own,” says Alex Yeager of Everlong Financial, a fee-only registered investment

einsurance M&A activity should continue well into 2016 as competitive pressures continue unabated, Standard & Poor’s said in a new report. The ratings firm said that the Berkshire Hathaways of the world – investment holding companies seeking to enter the insurance space – will likely drive many of the future deals. “Globally reinsurers have seen the future, and it requires greater scale and diversification for them to remain relevant,” S&P said, noting that the trend will continue “as the remaining small and midsize reinsurers race to find consolidation partners.” But who will be the buyers? S&P said that investment holding companies seeking to tap into reinsurer revenue potential are driving this. The acquirers, S&P said, are not unlike the Berkshire Hathaway business model, where an investment holding company has snatched up firms both in and outside the insurance industry. “We have seen an increased interest by investors to emulate the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. business model,” S&P said in its report. “Through their investment holding companies, they are acquiring [insurer/reinsurers] with strong operating cash flows that will

be upstreamed to the parent company. This buy now and pay later [insurance/reinsurance] model generates cash flows, or “float” that these [Berkshire Hathaway] copycats invest.” In other words, buying reinsurers the Berkshire Hathaway way gives these investment holding companies access to capital with minimal cost, S&P said. There are risks in following this model, however, but S&P expects the trend to continue, following such actions as Fairfax Financial Holdings’ $1.9 purchase of Brit plc that closed in July, Fosun International’s $1.8 billion acquisition of the remaining interest in Ironshore that it doesn’t already own, and EXOR’s move to acquire PartnerRe for $6.9 billion. The Berkshire Hathaway “business model is hard to duplicate and it is becoming a crowded trade in an already saturated reinsurance market,” the ratings agency said. “We expect more similar deals to come to the market during the next 12 months, which will likely continue to put pressure on reinsurance pricing given these holding companies’ lower cost of capital relative to stand-alone, publicly traded reinsurers.”

advisor (RIA). “For an estate planning purpose, permanent insurance like whole life may be appropriate since the client may always be facing an estate tax issue,” he explains. “For a retiree with a mortgage, term insurance may be appropriate and set to last until the mortgage is paid off.” (For more, see: Estate Planning Tips for Financial Advisors.) Yeager says life insurance makes sense for retirees in other situations as well. “If a retiree passes away and the couple was relying on both of their Social Security incomes for living needs, a life insurance policy may be needed. At death, the living spouse will either receive their Social Security benefit or their spouses, whichever is higher. This means that a portion of the couples Social Security ben-

efits will be lost.” He also says retirees with serious health issues that put a retirement portfolio at risk should consider life insurance to replace lost funds for a surviving spouse or dependent. However, there are certainly cases where clients don’t need this kind of coverage in addition to the other policies they hold. “If the purpose of insurance is to replace income or fund a goal if you are not here, then some retirees don’t need any insurance,” says Pamela Horack of Pathfinder Planning. “There are three things to consider,” she advises. They are: enough regular income for a spouse, enough savings to cover healthcare concerns, and enough funds to cover final expenses. “Self-funding in this manner can allow [clients] to drop life insurance,” she adds. Source: Investopedia

Source: Standard & Poor’s

Insurance

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NICON settles N138m claims, unveils reform agenda StorieS: iSaac aSabor

anaging Director of NICON Insurance Limited, Mr. Bayode Samuel, has disclosed that the company settled a total claim of over N138.11 million so far this year, made up of N50.98 million in general business and N87.13 million in life and pensions businesses. This is even as he spoke on current reform initiatives by the compnay’s management to sustain its position in the nation’s insurance industry in the years ahead. Samuel, who gave these hints in his address delivered at the “Members Evening” of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers in Lagos, said that the management of the company was embarking on reforms that would improve the operational efficiency of its six regional and 40 branches for optimal and superior performance nationwide.

In the address with the theme “The developments in the Nigeria Insurance industry from 2006 till date: The Case of NICON Insurance Limited”, the industry expert recalled how the company before the Federal Government’s privatisation programme was the flagship of the insurance industry in the country, enjoyed “an unparalleled market environment devoid of stress and strain.” According to him, the privatization programme ushered into the industry a lot of changes that drastically upturned the flow of events, thereby giving insuring public wide choices to make in insurance market. Samuel, who explained that these development spurred the relaxed mood of the company into action, pointed out that in the bid to reposition the company, the management swung into serious action with concerted efforts aimed at re-branding the company. He said that this became pertinent due to the fact that every establishment over

time, needed to carry out reforms that will re-position the organization in the comity of equals as wells as clients. The NICON boss explained that there had been radical structural and human re-branding efforts aimed at positioning the company on a balanced pedestal, including the engagement of quality staff towards its repositioning. He said the efforts of the management towards re-branding the company had paid off with various awards conferred on the company over the past months. earned them various awards. On efforts by the management to collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the industry, Samuel disclosed that the company was collaborating with Nigeria Insurance Association, NIA, in the process of engaging students of Actuarial Science in higher institution on internship programmes and expressed the hope that the move would help in advancing insurance profession in Nigeria.

According to him, staff of the company had also been trained in order to equip them with knowledge and skills that would enhance their performances on the job.

Commissioner for Insurance, Mohammed Kari

Premium Pension settles over N87bn retirees’ claims since 2007 – MD

he Managing Director of Premium Pension, Mr Wilson Ideva, has disclosed that the company had paid over N87 billion to more than 33,000 retirees or their next-of-kin over the past nine years.

Ideva

Ideva, who was represented by the company’s Head of Corporate Communication, Mr. Paddy Ezeala, at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Association of Insurance and Pension Correspondents (NAIPCO) held last Thursday in Lagos, disclosed also that the company’s pension assets remained in excess of N370 billion. At the event which took place in Lagos on Thursday, Ideva said that pension enrollees under the company’s management spread across over 1000 organizations in the country. In addition, he said that Premium Pension, one of the PFAs under the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, currently had over 600,000 Retirement Savings Accounts (RSAs)

under its fund administration. He attributed the success of the company in fund administration to professionalism in pension service complemented by the company’s adoption of the Canadian Pension Administration Software (CPAS). To ensure that the software was effectively utilized, Ideva explained that the company was collaborating with Canadian Pension Administration Software (CPAS) to ensure continued cutting –edge service delivery. Apart from the contribution of the CPAS to the success of the company, the insurer pointed out that consistent Return on Investment, RoI, of pension assets rose beyond industry average and rising inflationary trend, adding that the company has been consistent in the disbursement of

monthly pension payments to retirees. He said: “Our retirees have attested to the fact that even when they were in active service they never received their monthly salaries on that date. While we continue to pay monthly pension, our return on investment has continued to outstrip the amounts paid. “This has led to agitations for payment of additional lump sum and/or increase in monthly withdrawal. There lies the evidence of the huge success that the CPS has been”, the industry expert added. As a way of measuring the effectiveness of the new pension scheme, the company has been involved in organizing Retirees’ fora all over the country. According to him, the initiative is being undertaken primarily to achieve superior customer satisfaction towards active retirement life for the retirees.

AIG seeks $1.76bn in ‘life settlements’ trial in New York

n American International Group Inc unit last Thursday asked a federal judge to order a Pennsylvania firm to pay it $1.76 billion in damages for allegedly overcharging for life insurance policies acquired from elderly individuals. At the outset of a trial in Manhattan federal court, a lawyer for AIG’s Lavastone Capital accused Coventry First of artificially inflating the price of about 300 such policies, known as “life settlements,” and using a network of subsidiaries to conceal the markups. “This is a racketeering scheme so audacious it would make the mob blush,” Randy Mastro said in his opening statement.

But Heidi Hubbard, a lawyer for Coventry, said AIG had been aware that Coventry was selling certain policies at a gain and never objected. “There is no fraud if the people handling this business on a day-to-day basis understand and accept the practice that AIG is now challenging,” she said. Investors who acquire the policies on the secondary market pay the premiums and then collect the payout when the individuals die. Coventry, founded by Philadelphia philanthropist Alan Buerger, is the “leader and creator” of the life settlement industry, according to its website. AIG bought nearly 7,000 life settle-

ments from Coventry with a total face value of $20 billion. Coventry caused Lavastone to pay more than $150 million in hidden markups and fee overcharges, including broker’s fees it did not incur, Mastro said. But Hubbard said Coventry had a “reasonable belief ” that its agreement with AIG did not preclude it from acquiring some policies and then selling them to AIG at a profit, and that AIG executives understood that. AIG said it is already entitled to more than $250 million in damages, including interest, based on pretrial rulings from Rakoff that found Coventry liable on certain breach of contract claims.

AIG is also seeking to have Coventry disgorge all of the fees it collected, including legitimate payments for undisputed policies, as well as to impose triple damages under the civil racketeering statute. AIG stopped acquiring life settlements in 2011, although it continues to hold about 5,000 policies, regulatory filings show. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff is overseeing the trial without a jury. The case is Lavastone Capital LLC v. Coventry First LLC et al., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 14-7139. (Source – Reuters.com)

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Money

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Banks explore casualisation, outsourcing options to mitigate costs As the cost of doing business in the country continues to rise, banks are again opting for causal workers in order to minimize their operational costs in the face of increasing fiscal and monetary tightening measures. UDO ONYEKA reports.

ven though organised labour globally detest causalisation in places of work, financial institutions operating in the country are again considering it as one of the most viable options open to them in reducing their cost of operations as the harsh economic conditions continue to take big toll on their earnings. For instance, investigations by National Mirror indicated that many junior and even middle level staff in many banks today are employed as casuals and they do not enjoy the welfare packages or other entitlements normal staff enjoy. According to analysts, banks are attracted to this form of hiring their workforce to cut cost, an argument many have said that it violated labour laws. According to Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary casualisation is the practice of employing temporary staff for short periods instead of permanent staff, in order to save costs. Part of the pains casual workers go through is that they never benefit from special packages like others. They don’t have the full entitlements on the job allowances, transportation, leave allowances, medicals, amongst other things. A report by the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights in Nigeria, an NGO dealing with labour issues, had said that 45 per cent of Nigeria’s labour force was made up of casual workers. The report expressed the fear that the situation would only worsen as employers seek out ways to reduce cost of doing business in an environment such as Nigeria where the cost of doing is very high due lack of basic infrastructure. Also, a report by the US Solidarity Centre detailed the Nigerian oil industry’s shift from permanent and direct employment towards outsourced and temporary labour. The report which, argues that the casualisation of labour is industry-wide however revealed that the desire to reduce the cost of doing business and also break workers’ strength have continued to lure many employers and companies to this mode of contracting their work force. Findings for Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, show that many workers in the banking, telecommunications, oil and gas sectors are casual labourers. Other sectors with large percentage of casual labourers include, mining, steel, insurance. In all these sectors, staff outsourcing and casualisation have become the order of the day as workers in these sectors no longer have regularised employment terms. While the country’s government have remained little concerned about this

CBN Gov,

NLC President, Wabba

In tImes past, what we had In our country Is that you work for a perIod of two years In the oIl and gas Industry and then you

become a staff, once you are found to be able to dIscharge your dutIes very well,

you start enjoyIng the benefIts of beIng a staff ugly trend, labour unions who have engage in so many battles to halt causualisation have made little progress. Speaking on the issue, a former President Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN and Managing Director, Maxifund Finance and Securities Limited, Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu, in an exclusive interview with National Mirror agreed that the falling quality of services customers receive from banks these days could be linked to the quality of employees in the banks. President of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, ASSBIFI, Comrade Sunday Salako, said outsourcing and casualisation are satanic influences. “They are like ill winds that blow us no good. I have always said it. They are alien to this country. Anybody that encourages casualisation and outsourcing in Africa is satanic. The person should be examined, because in Africa, for instance, for every man that works, there are 10 or 12 or thereabout to feed”, he said. He said that casualisation can work in Europe, because of the type of life they live, “it is me and my immediate family, nobody else. You do not have extended families. You can even decide not to greet your brother, adding that in Africa be-

cause of our communal way of living, for every one that works, no fewer than 10 persons feed from that person” The labour leader pointed out that the practice was discriminatory, demoralising and did not even benefit the institution at the long run, adding that if you casualise people and do it the way we do it here, it is satanic. “Here, you have two people working in an environment; they have gone to the same school probably, they have the same qualification, and so on because he/she is a permanent staff and the other unfortunate to be a casual staff, the disparity in their salary is so wide. That is bad”, Salako said. But salako said banks were gradually doing away with casualisation, an argument many would hardly support. He clarified: “It should be noted that the practice of casualisation is gradually abating in the banking sector, but oil and gas companies have remained adamant despite all previous conferences and dialogues between the organised labour and the management of the companies. “In times past, what we had in our country is that you work for a period of two years in the oil and gas industry and then you become a staff, once you are found to be able to discharge your duties

ASSBIFI President, Comrade Sunday Salako

very well, you start enjoying the benefits of being a staff,” the labour activist added. A Lagos based legal practitioner, Kenneth Igwe, said the county’s constitution and the International Labour Organisation, ILO, rules frowns at causualisation. He said Section 7 (1) of the Labour Act, Cap 198, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, provides that, “Not later than three months after the beginning of a worker’s period of employment with an employer, the employer shall give to the worker a written statement specifying the terms and conditions of employment, which include the nature of the employment and if the contract is for a fixed term, the date when the contract expires.” According to him causualisation contravenes Seven 7 of the Labour Act, adding that the section is against an employer not fully and adequately communicating employees’ terms of employment. Many Nigerians especially labour unions and victims of this ugly initiative agree that it is modern day slavery just as it devalues human dignity. Casualisation in the country’s labour market has become a subject of concern as many bank workers continue to groan under this ugly initiative mainly aimed at cutting employees wages and maximising profit at the end of the day. In spite of what it entails many young Nigerians, who have no other option, are still willing to take up jobs as causual workers. Many stakeholders believe that employers and companies that engage parttime or casual workers are just avoiding cost, nothing more and nothing less. Many bank spokespersons however denied having the knowledge of casualisaton in their institutions, yet it exists in many.

Global Business

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Boeing uses clout to control supplier consolidation

erkshire Hathaway Inc’s (BRKa.N) $37 billion deal for aerospace supplier Precision Castparts Corp (PCP.N) is encouraging investors to consolidate the fragmented aircraft components industry, even as Boeing Co (BA.N) uses its clout as the world’s biggest plane maker to put a check on some deals. Berkshire chief Warren Buffett isn’t alone in seeing potential for profits from rising demand for commercial aircraft. Private equity and strategic buyers have been pouring into the sector, and foreign companies such as China’s AVIC and Senior PLC of the UK have recently been prowling for deals, bankers and company executives said. Potentially standing in their way, though, is Boeing, these people said. Boeing is the biggest customer of most aerospace suppliers, and is slowing some acquisitions by using its power to approve the transfer of its supply contracts from one owner to another. Boeing can act like as an unofficial regulator on aerospace mergers and acquisitions because of the “assignability clause” inserted in most of its contracts with suppliers. The clause allows Boeing to refuse to transfer the contracts to the new owners, giving it a de facto veto over deals. Boeing said it hasn’t changed the process it uses to scrutinize mergers and acquisitions among suppliers, and that the time taken depends on the size and complexity of the deal. Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg, who took over July 1, is continuing predecessor

Boeing aircraft

Jim McNerney’s policy of “de-risking.” “We have an ability to have our voice heard in the M&A process and we use that ability,” said Kent Fisher, vice president and general manager of suppliers at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. But bankers and company owners said approvals from Boeing that used to take a couple of weeks now take much longer, putting deals at risk, with no explanation from Boeing for the delay. “Any time you have a pause in a transaction, it increases the risk that it won’t get across the finish line,” said Brian Murphy, a managing director at Meridian Capital, an investment bank based in Seattle. For example, Boeing took four months to approve the purchase of a small supplier by Liberty Hall

Capital Partners, a New York private equity firm focused on aerospace and defense. LaCroix Industries, which has 45 employees and was founded in Kent, Washington, in 1977, has long supplied parts directly to Boeing for the 737, 777 and 787 jets. It earned awards from Boeing for near-perfect quality the last seven years, co-founder Philip LaCroix said. The company began talks with Liberty Hall last September, and sought Boeing’s blessing in April, he said. Boeing took until July to consent, and the deal closed that month. “The approvals from Boeing were the major slowdown” and Boeing wouldn’t say what was causing the delay, LaCroix said in an interview.

Yellen ally douses criticisms of rule-based monetary policy

or much of her tenure as head of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen has been pressured by Republican lawmakers who want the U.S. central bank to adopt a monetary policy rule, a straightforward formula connecting unemployment and inflation to a benchmark interest rate. On Saturday a Yellen ally and former adviser at the Fed delivered a provocative retort: the economic models underpinning those simple

Yellen

rules don’t work that well, and the best policy decisions come when central bankers look beyond those models to the unexpected forces shaping the economy. Former Fed Chair Alan Greenspan famously did it in the 1990s when he argued against a rate hike at a time when rising productivity was holding down inflation, and arguably failed to do it when he ignored the impact of the tech and housing bubbles, Johns Hopkins University economics professor Jon Faust said in a paper presented at an annual Fed conference here. In each case the point is the same: it was the extraordinary events outside of the basic inflation and output models used by central bankers that ultimately mattered most, argued Faust, who served as a special adviser to the Fed’s board of governors until September 2014. That approach “brings fears of ‘seat-of-the-pants’ policymaking and, for the more excitable, of barbarians at the central bank gates,” Faust wrote. But after reviewing the statistical

models that try to separate underlying economic trends from other factors, Faust said he concluded it is those other factors that policymakers often need to understand and reflect in their decisions - something that can’t be done through a rule. “Normal cyclical dynamics ... have played a distinctly minor role in both the successes and failures” of monetary policy, Faust wrote. “Understanding ... confounding dynamics has always been the key to good policymaking and failure to understand those dynamics has played a key role in major policy mistakes.” Sophisticated econometric models of inflation, for example, may include “extra wiggles” in the forecast as inflation moves from its current rate to a long-run average, but on the whole do no better than a “mindless” line drawn between the two points, he said. His argument has bearing for the push by Republicans in Congress and possibly by the party’s eventual 2016 presidential nominee to tie the Fed to a policy rule.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Syngenta may seek partners, JVs after product review

yngenta AG (SYNN.VX) may seek partners to help improve its product lineup after a thorough review in the wake of a rebuffed takeover approach from Monsanto Co (MON.N), the agrichemicals group’s chairman told a Swiss newspaper. Syngenta’s board is under pressure from shareholders to show how it plans to generate value after turning its back on Monsanto’s $47 billion cash-and-share offer, which it said undervalued the company and had too great an execution risk. In an interview with Finanz und Wirtschaft, Michel Demare said it was too early to discuss what steps Syngenta planned to boost its results. But he added: “We will subject our product portfolio to a total review, especially on the seed side. Then we will see if there are appropriate transactions to improve ourselves, perhaps with partnerships and joint ventures.” Asked about short-term steps it could take, he said: “Some of these things can be done in the short term. But what we do not want is to improve earnings in the short term at the expense of

the future. We must remain responsible.” Demare said he had no concerns about activist shareholders and had no immediate plans to try to forge a group of core investors from the company’s fragmented investor base. “But if we made a major acquisition, it would be possible for example to take a major investor on board who co-financed the transaction by purchasing Syngenta shares,” he added. Demare said he took six calls from Monsanto boss Hugh Grant in the first two weeks of August alone and had no idea what Grant planned next.

Demare

UK maintains 0.7% growth in second quarter

he initial figure released in July was boosted by a sharp rise in oil and gas produc-

tion. As expected, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Friday made no change to the reading for the three months to June. It was higher than the 0.4 per cent growth recorded for the first quarter of the year. Net trade boosted GDP by one percentage point in the second quarter - the biggest contribution from trade in four years - as exports jumped. Economists have said the boost to trade might be temporary, because the persistent strength of sterling is making British goods more expensive abroad, while turmoil in Chinese financial markets has increased uncertainty about

Cameron

the global outlook. Business investment rose 2.9 per cent compared with the first three months of 2015 - the highest figure in a year. Samuel Tombs, senior UK economist at Capital Economics, said the figure “put paid to the idea that uncertainty about the general election would weigh on capital expenditure”. Household spending increased by 0.7 per cent, but was lower than the 0.9 per cent rise in the first quarter. Weak inflation, low interest rates and a strong pound have helped to keep consumer sentiment buoyant. The UK economy expanded by three per cent last year in its best result since 2006. The Bank of England expects the same momentum to be maintained this year, forecasting 2.8 per cent growth. “With growth in households’ real incomes set to remain supported by low inflation, building wage growth and strong job creation, we continue to think that the economic recovery will sustain its current pace in the second half of 2015,” Mr Tombs said. On Thursday, US GDP for the second quarter was revised sharply higher at an annualised rate of 3.7 per cent, up from the first estimate of 2.3 per cent. Growth of 0.6 per cent in the first three months of the year was not revised.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Capital Market

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Index sheds 4.7% as banking stocks suffer value shock StorieS: JohnSon okanlawon

he lead indicator of the Nigerian Stock Exchange fell by 1,433.01 points or 4.7 per cent, as banking stocks plunged after disappointing earnings for the half year ended June 30, 2015. Most banks net worth declined in the six months financials due to regulatory headwinds which to some extent stopped interest income of lenders, Since this month, cautious trading occasioned by uncertainties surrounding the policy direction of the new government has weighed on the stocks. Analysts still doubt the possibility of the stock market rerouting north as there are not much positive news capable of driving the trend. “This week, we expect to see bear pressure, particularly on underperforming equities in response to the regulatory price floor adjustment,” according to market analysts at Lagosbased Cowry Asset Management Limited. For instance, the All Share Index which opened the month at 30,247.83 points, closed on Friday at 28,814.82 points, while market capitalisation depreciated N459billion to close at N9.908 trillion, from the opening figure of N10.367 trillion on August 3, 2015, the first trading day of the month.

NSE DG, Oscar Onyema

President ASHON, Emeka Madubuike

The banking index, which dropped most closed at 285.52 points, shedding 18.43 per cent, followed by the Pension Index with 8.03 per cent to close at 856.90 points. The Oil and Gas index was the only basket of stock which appreciated in value by 1.99 per cent to close at 344.56 points. The Chief Executive Officer, Nextnomics Advisory, Dr. Temitope Oshikoya, observed

that the capital market has been buffeted by a combination of both micro and macro factors. He explained that capital market specific factors include disappointing corporate earnings, deadline for recapitalization, and regulatory sanctions against a major broker/dealer. He explained further that macroeconomic headwinds include higher inflation, sharply lowered Gross Domestic Product growth rate,

emerging fiscal holes, unpaid contractor debts, weak external reserves, exchange rate depreciation, and reduced foreign portfolio inflows. “These, in the main, have been the economic legacies of the past government’’, he said. The Chairman, Trustfund Pension Plc, Mrs. Ngozi Olejeme, blamed instability in the capital market and non-payment of salaries, for the low performance of Pension Funds Administrators. She listed some of the challenges in the business environment to include the falling oil prices, negative forecast of the outcome of the general elections and the devaluation of the naira. Olejeme, who spoke during the seventh yearly general meeting of the firm in Abuja, pointed out that last year was stormy for the pension industry. She said, “If one looks at the fact that Trustfund management declared the same 25Kobo dividend in 2013 and 2014, one may not appreciate how the difficulty in the environment in 2014 was. “We should not forget that the preparations for the 2015 general elections was at all-time high in 2014, the crash in the price of crude oil in the international market also happened in the same year and non-payment of salaries even at the federal level also took place during that year.” The Trustfund boss added.

SEC partners schools, provides E-Readers By this measure, stocks have

n furtherance of its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, programmes, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has offered to support indigenous and indigent residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 50 e-readers tablets to make leaning easier and affordable for the less privileged. E-reader is a digital library where all the texts of subjects approved for scholarly education will be loaded on an iPad or kindle for ease of learning. The Director General of the Commission, Mounir Gwarzo made this assertion when he received members of the Federal Capital Territory Scholarship Board lead by the Director Administration and Finance (FCT Education Secretariat) Mrs Biki S. Naomi and the Director Scholarship Board Mal. Ahmad I. Rany in his office in Abuja. He expressed the current Management’s readiness to collaborate with all stake-

holders in the Education sector as a means of taking Human capital development and Investor’s Education to greater heights, noting that Scholarship is very important in the quest for the socioeconomic development of the nation. According to him, it is as a result of this collaboration that the SEC will redeem its pledge of the provision of EReaders to the two secondary schools in the FCT as part of its earlier commitment and also look into areas to further collaborate with the Board. He pointed out that the SEC is serious about educating Nigerians from all walks of life on investor education to deepen interest in stock market activities in the country. Gwarzo assured members of the FCT scholarship board that the SEC will endow a doctorate chair in a university in a topic that will be relevant to capital market appreciation. The Director Administration and Finance Education

Secretariat of the FCT and a Leader of the delegation, Mrs. Naomi Biki said that the visit is to appreciate SEC’s efforts on Human capital development programs and congratulate the Director General on his appointment. She further emphasized the need for partnership and sought for the Commission’s outright sponsorship of FCT indigenes such as orphans. She said the visit is an opportunity to rekindle relations and make it stronger and thanked the Commission for using the FCT Schools as a pilot scheme for its social responsibility by pledging the provision of E-Reader to the two secondary schools. Biki lamented that paucity of funds was militating against the board achieving its objective, but in spite of the lack of funds, the board had so far assisted 70,000 children who have benefited from scholarship assistance from primary to tertiary institutions.

weathered the worst By Sue Chang

he analyst who in early June projected a 10% correction in the S&P 500 now believes the worst of the selloff is behind us. “I think we saw the bottom with roughly 1,900 S&P 500 support, given the way in which Fed policy support has been both the limit and backstop of stocks for years, and China has not been devaluing since midweek,” said Barry Bannister, chief equity strategist at Stifel U.S. Equity Research. He pointed out that since the onset of the bull market in March 2009, the S&P 500 has tracked Federal Reserve assets “By comparing the weekly S&P 500 price to the Fed’s weekly asset holdings, we see a tight plus or minus 2 standard deviations range, which points to 1,900 downside and 2,200 upside for the S&P 500 so long as Fed assets remain flat at around $4.50 trillion. All three stock indexes closed higher at the end of a week that included a 1,000-point plunge in

the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Monday. The Dow posted a 1.1% weekly gain to 16,642.94 while the S&P 500 added 0.9% during the week to 1,988.85 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 2.6% to 4,828.32. Still, even as the market regains its footing, volatility is here to stay. “I think investors would be wise to prepare for more volatility. Volatility tends to be cyclical and it definitely appears to be ramping up after a really benign period over the last couple of years,” said Jim Sinegal, an analyst at Morningstar. The CBOE Volatility Index , also known as the fear gauge, spiked to a nearly four-year high last week as the stock market recoiled from uncertainties in China. “The current market selloff and spike in volatility is largely attributed to developments in China and uncertainty about the impact of expected Fed hikes,” analyst Marko Kolanovic at J.P. Morgan said in a report. (Source -marketwatch.com)

Features

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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Benefitting from NEMA/NYSC’s The primary mandate of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, is building a culture of preparedness, prevention, response and community resilience to disaster management in Nigeria. DARE AKOGUN examines how the agency is gradually overcoming its usual search and rescue challenges that had plagued the nation in the past.

igerians are keen about seeing the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, fulfil the critical aspect of its mandate as stated in its Establishment Act’ Section 6 sub-section (1) (f) which mandates it to “co-ordinate and facilitate the provision of necessary resources for search and rescue and other types of disaster curtailment activities in response to distress call”. In fulfilling this sole mandate, NEMA through its Director General, Alhaji Muhammad Sani-Sidi, on assumption of office, began a process of implementing the Hyogo Framework of Action which emphasises the bottom-up disaster risk reduction with several initiatives, as the agency’s efforts to convince the states and local governments authorities into embracing the concept of establishing a full fledged structures at the second tiers of governments. This, according to NEMA, would improve its operations and make response to disaster quicker, thereby increasing the chance of victim’s rescues and disaster management as a whole. One of the aim of the initiative was to strengthen and make effective use of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Youth Service Commission (NYSC) with the aim of training and mobilizing the young graduates to embark on bottom-up approach to disaster risk reduction. Also, it is to serve as a tool to develop a system which would help in prompt dissemination of information from the remotest location in the country, across to any of the agency’s headquarters as soon as possible for timely response to emergency situation at hand. Alhaji Sani-Sidi ensured that all zonal offices are adequately funded to ensure that the MoU are fully implemented with the training and retraining of the desk officers at NYSC and respectively on the expectations and required standards of the initiative. According to Sidi, “Since the larger number of Nigerians live in the rural areas, it was expedient to make use of these young graduates that are more respected and gain listening ears of the elderly and school children in these areas to help in building the resilience of the citizens where they live. “The young graduates while in orientation camps in the thirty-six states and FCT are recruited in the form of advocacy and awareness lectures by NEMA officials on the need to take up and join NEMA/NYSC Community Development Scheme (NEMA/NYSC CDS) as secondary contributions to the service of the motherland. “In the last five years, NEMA has recruited more than sixty thousand (60,000) youths with the average of about three hundred and fifty (350) youths during each orientation camping three times

Since i paSSed out, i have been carrying out

emergency, riSk, hazard and diSaSter management in my community and State.

one of the emergencieS i have attended to waS

the fire-outbreak

owerri city market on 6th September, 2014, at

where fire gutted ShopS and goodS worth millionS of naira a year with additional streams in some states that have been in place for the past five years,” he noted.

Some members of the NYSC on awareness campaigns

He pointed out that NEMA mobilises other stakeholders in disaster management such as Fire Services, Red Cross, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Public Health Practitioners, Police and at times Armed Forces personnel, including NEMA officials to train the young graduates on various aspects of disaster/ emergency management as it relates to disaster profiles of the states’ and their communities. The training involves practice exercises and less theoretical aspect. The corp members are fully kitted with enabling implements to carry-out secondary response in case of emergency. Customised reflective jackets are given to aid easy

identification by stakeholders to give safe access to certain level during emergencies. A three way dimensional communication channels were established between the potential NEMA/NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards (EMVs), NYSC Management, NEMA and vice versa. The EMVs are also trained on risk factors, signs to look out for in their place of primary assignments, methods to adopt in reaching out to the elderly, securing trust and confidence. The aim of getting disaster risk information from host communities and how they have been coping with the risk in the past is also enhanced in the process. NEMA’s primary argument for including local and indigenous knowledge in

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Features

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

collaboration

Sani-Sidi

disaster risk reduction and management are that; indigenous knowledge can be transferred and adapted to other communities in similar situations. Furthermore, incorporating indigenous knowledge encourages community participation and empowers communities in disaster risk reduction; indigenous knowledge can provide valuable information about the local context. Non-formal means of disseminating indigenous knowledge can serve as a model for education about disaster risk reduction. The overall targeted goals expected to be achieved by this approach is the involvement of grassroots. This must be aided with the creation of perceptions, understanding of climate change and related phenomena like prediction of storms. All these must be based on observations around like the sky, sea and wind, as well as awareness in believing in meteorological analyses of events. In particular, NEMA emphasised that the need for the vanguards to develop the resilience of school children against disaster can imbibe safety and disaster risk reduction strategies to have generational evolution of resilient society to disasters. According to information from NEMA, no fewer than 500,000 school children have been trained and incorporated as members of Disaster Risk Reduction Clubs in over 800 secondary schools across the nation. “These clubs are being maintained and strengthened transitionally by the EMVs. Recruitments of pupils are from primaries 4 to 6 in public schools; only primaries 4 and 5 are maintained in Private Schools because private schools do not have primary 6 in their system. Let us imagine the impacts these school children would create within their peers and parents. They would ensure putting their knowledge into use when an event that requires such training arises”. From available reports, these approaches have helped in critical situations, especially during road crashes or fire incidents where knowledge of recov-

ery positioning of crash victims helped in resuscitating several crash victims on the scene. The impacts of these vanguards are promptness and swift responses to various disasters which have been occurring in recent times. Strategic contacts and phone numbers of responding agencies to various types of disaster are given to them for quick information sharing. The establishment of Disaster Risk Reduction Clubs in schools also, has created a set of children that are well informed and willing to carry the knowledge to adulthood. These children at home will facilitate a reminder to their parents on the needful when matters arise as they will be focused and recall teachings of their teachers. It would be recalled that during the Ebola Virus outbreak in the country, the Vanguards were extensively engaged in training school children, creation of awareness, sensitization of children and market traders on the dos and don’ts against the spread of the virus. After service year, the trained Vanguards were engaged in the programme and continued their acquired skilled as emergency vanguards to help their communities as well as themselves. One beneficiary of the training, an ex-corp member, Nwosu Noel Ifeanyi, 2013/2014 Batch B Corp member, Lagos State, who brought the knowledge he garnered during the training to bare when he assisted in containing a fire disaster in his home state. According to him, “Since I passed out, I have been carrying out Emergency, Risk, Hazard and Disaster management in my community and state. One of the emergencies I have attended to was the fire-outbreak at Owerri City Market on 6th September, 2014, where fire gutted shops and goods worth millions of naira. “There was no loss of life but properties were not spared in the incident since the event occurred at about 7pm when people had gone home. I went there with NEMA reflective jacket and I saw people looking frustrated and disappointed. I helped in crowd control and helped the fire service to isolate the spread of the fire with special mobilisation of controllable youths, saving looting of properties during the disaster. The members of the press and the police were also there,” he narrated. The nation has witnessed numerous catastrophic disasters that have tested the ability of the agency, but the roles of these Vanguards in addressing and empowering the vulnerable groups during these periods are immeasurable as they were able to link with the community leaders and emergency agencies to get aids and other critical information to the affected populations. The widespread of these trained Nigerians across the whole country is really helping NEMA and its stakeholders in fulfilling their statutory responsibilities as they are serving as the eyes and ears of NEMA all over which enables it to have prompt and early information as soon as possible.

Does Nigeria run better without a cabinet? Mannir Dan ali

t is now three months since Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as president of Nigeria and five months since he won historic elections, the first time an opposition candidate had won. His victory generated huge celebrations and expectations of a new beginning, with many anticipating dramatic changes to follow, and analysts urging him to “hit the ground running”. Most Nigerians expected President Buhari to shake up the security services and make other key appointments in his first few days - as former President Olusegun Obasanjo did within hours of his inauguration in 1999. But it took nearly two months for him to replace his security chiefs and so far he has only made appointments in about a dozen government offices. When commentators began to get agitated about the lack of a cabinet, a former newspaper editor and unofficial aide to the president wrote an article entitled What is all the fuss about? He urged the press, social media and others to focus on the “real enemies of Nigeria: poverty, ignorance, disease and squalor” and not stand in the way of “the most popular president in our history”. “The new government came into power through people’s power…. Therefore, its duty should be to constructively plan and execute people’s policies and not worry too much about who gets what post,” he said. He is right up to a point - though the new democratic halo around President Buhari does make it difficult for many to publicly criticise him. A leak from the highest level then said there would not be a cabinet before September. The justification, according to the source, was that “almost everything is in a state of decay. “There is absolutely no way the new government can hope to achieve anything long-lasting without first building a new foundation.” This was followed by an opinion article by President Buhari published in the Washington Post to coincide with his visit to the US last month, making further justifications about why the task “should not be rushed”. “It is worth noting that [US President Barack] Obama himself did not have his full cabinet in place for several months after first taking office; the United States did not cease to function in the interim,” he said. “In Nigeria’s case, it would neither be prudent nor serve the interests of sound government to have made these appointments immediately on my elevation to the presidency; instead, Nigeria must first put new rules of conduct and good governance in place,” he added. The commentators are now learning to live with President Buhari’s pace of governance. He has been dealing directly with the top civil servants, who run the ministries. Though it is not only the cabinet that is

Buhari

On the bright side, with the briefings he is getting frOm civil servants, the ministers,

when they are eventually

appOinted, will find that their bOss knOws mOre abOut their departments than they dO not yet in place. Just after he took office in May, the Senate said he was allowed to appoint 15 special advisers. Yet only a few have been appointed. Meanwhile, it is the politicians who are suffering most from the lack of a cabinet. On a visit to a newspaper a few days ago, a spokesman for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, admitted that no-one in the party knew when the appointments would be. “The president I know has kept this thing very close to his chest.” However, it is not only the politicians who are in a limbo. Many sectors of the economy await policy direction. Following Mr. Buhari’s pledges to make tackling corruption a priority, they want clarity on how to proceed. This is also making foreign investors wary. So, while it is clear that President Buhari has shown that Nigeria can run without a cabinet, there may be an unacknowledged cost. On the bright side, with the briefings he is getting from civil servants, the ministers, when they are eventually appointed, will find that their boss knows more about their departments than they do and that should keep them on their toes. Culled from BBC.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Global Business

IMF’s Lagarde says restructuring should suffice for Greek debt

form of debt restructuring rather than outright forgiveness should enable Greece to handle its “unviable” debt burden, the head of the International Monetary Fund was quoted as telling a Swiss newspaper. The IMF has yet to make clear if it will participate in the third 86-billion-euro ($96 billion) international bailout that Greece signed up to in early August, hav-

Lagarde

ing argued in favor of a partial writedown of a debt burden it considers unsustainable in its current form. Greece’s euro zone creditors, notably Germany, have ruled out a writedown but are willing to consider other forms of restructuring such as a lengthening maturities. Asked about those differences, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told Saturday’s edition of Le Temps: “The debate on cancelling the debt has never been open I don’t think it is necessary to open it if things go well... “We are talking about extending maturities, reducing rates, (making) exemptions for a certain period of time. We are not speaking about cancelling debt.” The interview made no mention of whether the IMF will take part in the new bailout, which Lagarde has previously

said it will make a decision on by October. Turning to China, Lagarde said she expected the country’s economic growth rate to remain close to previous estimates even if some sort of slowdown was inevitable after its rapid expansion. China devalued its yuan currency this month after exports tumbled in July, spooking global markets worried that a main driver of growth was running out of steam. “The slowdown was predictable, predicted, unavoidable,” Lagarde was quoted as saying. “We expect that China will have a growth rate of 6.8 per cent. It may be a little less.” The IMF did not believe growth would fall to 4 or 4.5 per cent, as some foresaw. Noting that a drop in commodity prices had hit many emerging markets, she said those economies were “at the

Suzuki Motor says it will buy back VW stake

apan’s Suzuki Motor Corp said on Sunday it will buy back the 19.9 per cent stake it sold to Volkswagen AG after an international arbitration court settled a dispute between the automakers over their failed partnership. Suzuki filed for international arbitration in November 2011, after Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) refused to sell back the shares in Suzuki it acquired in January 2010 for 1.7 billion euros ($1.90 billion). The Japanese carmaker said the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce partially upheld the German company’s counterclaims of breach of contract and that

Suzuki

any damages would be settled later. Suzuki said it foresees no impact from the settlement on its full-year earnings. “It used to feel as if a small bone were stuck in my throat... I feel so refreshed now,” Suzuki Chairman and Chief Executive Osamu Suzuki said at a press conference following the company’s announcement of the settlement. In a statement, VW said “We welcome the fact that there is now clarity. The cooperation between the two companies has now been ended.” According to Suzuki’s corporate website, VW held 111.61 million Suzuki shares as of

March 31, valued at about 463 billion yen ($3.81 billion) based on Friday’s closing price of 4,151.5 yen. Suzuki said it expects to buy back its shares at a “reasonable” price, though it did not specify what that price would be. The German carmaker said it has mandated an investment bank and will take legal advice on how to divest its Suzuki share. Takaki Nakanishi, chief executive of Nakanishi Research Institute, which specializes in the automotive industry, said “It seems highly likely it will buy back at the Friday closing price.” “For Suzuki, this isn’t that much money,” he added. Suzuki had nearly 1 trillion yen in cash reserves as of the end of March. The two carmakers agreed to tie up in December 2009, pledging to cooperate on technology such as hybrid and electric cars and on expanding in emerging economies. But the union soured as Suzuki accused VW of withholding hybrid technology it promised to share. VW, in turn, objected to Suzuki’s purchase of diesel engines from Fiat.

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Tata executive says EU good for business

ata Sons Group executive council member Nirmalya Kumar told the BBC that access to the single market made trade easier with the rest of Europe. Mr Kumar reports directly to Cyrus Mistry, the chairman of Tata Group, and is head of the group’s strategy. “It’s not rocket science” to see that business benefits from the EU, he said. However, he made it clear that it was for the UK government and voters to decide on whether the UK would remain in the EU. “The fact [is] that for our British operations being part of the EU makes it easier for them to have market access and many of our investments in the past have been based on that understanding,” he said. “Having said that, it is for the British government and the British people to decide what they want to do. We as [a] business focus on what we can control, which is our strategy, our ability to deliver globally.” Asked directly whether being part of the EU was better for Tata’s businesses in the UK, which include Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Steel, Mr Kumar said: “For our UK operations, definitely. “Why is that? Because it is easier to export stuff out of here [Britain], you don’t have to do the paperwork as much, you don’t have any import

duties. “That is the reason, it is not rocket science.” Tata, which also owns Tetley Tea, employs 65,000 people in Britain and has combined UK revenues of £25bn. Mr Kumar said that the UK was a good place to operate. “Britain has always been for Indians a relatively easy place to do business,” he said. “We speak the language, we have historical links, we have known British people all our lives.” Asked about whether Britain could do more trade with India, Mr Kumar said: “I think there is a lot more we can do to connect to the growth engine of India and it will be good for our people in the UK and it will be good for our businesses in the UK, it will be good for everybody.”

Kumar

Qatar Airways relaxes female cabin crew pregnancy rules

nder the new policies, female flight attendants who become pregnant are now offered temporary ground jobs. “This is really about making sure we attract and retain the best talent,” said a spokesperson for the Dohabased airline. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) had criticised Qatar Airways for its treatment of its female cabin crew. An inquiry was set up by the ILO in response to complaints brought forward in June 2014 by the International Transport Workers’ Federation and International Trade Union Confederation, prompted by testimony from serving and former cabin crew.

Qatar aircraft

The airline - which had accused the ILO of a “vendetta” against it and Qatar - rejected the inquiry’s findings, but said the new rules were part of a wider review of its rules governing cabin crew. “As our airline has grown, we have now have more options for secondary roles,” a spokeswoman said. Qatar Airways still asks that female crew members notify the company if they plan to get married within their first five years of employment. But the spokesperson said that the airline requests that notification because the employee’s visa status may change because of their marriage; not because they need to ask their employer’s permission.

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OsahOn Julius YENAGOA

ome concerned residents of Bayelsa State have commended the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, for the intensified efforts at road rehabilitation in the state capital. They however, urged them not to be carried away by the amount of successes recorded so far . Investigations by our correspondent revealed

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Bayelsa residents commend FERMA over rehabilitated roads …As agency lists challenges

that most of them expressed joy on the inroads the agency had made in the rehabilitation of some deplorable roads in the state, particularly within the Yenagoa metropolis. They however, appealed

to the agency not to lose sight of other federal government roads begging for maintenance in the state. A resident of Yenagoa, Mr. Preye Julius, who spoke to Niger Delta Mirror, lauded the agency for

the expansion and dualisation of over 4km Mbiama-Yenagoa Road leading to Yenagoa City Gate as well as the construction of a new bridge. He recollected that the road was an eyesore before the expansion, saying that motorists especially

Rivers State Deputy Governor/Founder Caywood Brown Foundation, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo (left), with a beneficiary of her Entrepreneurial/Leadership Communication Skill, Miss. Chuku Lauretta Orrone, during the Graduation/Certificate presentation ceremony in Port Harcourt, at the weekend.

Second hand clothes business booms in Calabar D ealers in second hand clothes and shoes in Calabar, Cross River State capital, have expressed joy over the high sales they now record. A survey at the Marian, Watts and Beach markets in Calabar on Sunday by the News Agency of Nigeria showed that patronage for the wears has increased tremendously. The customers, mostly women, said that they resorted to buying second hand clothes and shoes because of their durability and low prices. Mr. Emeka Obi, a dealer at the Beach market, said his business had recorded high patronage in the last

three months. Obi who said he had been in the business for almost eight years now, added that it had been a major source of income for his household. “The high demand for the items I sell has made the business very lucrative and I am very excited about that. “In fact, some customers plead with me to call them on phone whenever I want to open new bales of clothes so that they will be the first to pick the best,” he said. A customer, Mrs. Rebecca Okon, a civil servant, said she bought the items because they were more durable than new

ones. Okon said that she decided to take her children to the market to make their choices of clothes and shoes because they were on holidays. According to Mr. Hogan Akpan, another customer, second hand shoes were stronger than new ones. ``I have been wearing second hand shoes for almost six years now. Each pair I buy lasts very long before I dump it. ``I buy second hand shoes for my children too because no matter how roughly they play with them, they last for long,” he said. Mrs. Eno Archibong, a shoes dealer at the Mari-

an Market, said that many civil servants in the state preferred the `tokunbo shoes’ to new ones. Archibong added: “In the previous months, I used to buy just one bale of shoes for sale due to the low demand, but the demand has increased in the last four months and I now buy up to six bales. Mr. Elijah Bello told NAN at the Watt Market that he had been recording higher sale of second hand shirts and trousers lately due to school holidays. A student, Miss Cynthia Njagu, said that second hand clothes and shoes were more affordable than new ones.

commercial drivers usually avoided the road in the past. He, however, reminded the agency that there were other federal roads in the state that needed serious and urgent attention. Another resident from Tombia area of the state, Mrs. Ebilami Anderson, expressed joy over the rehabilitation of Edepie-Imiringi-Otuasiga Road. She said the over 13 km road from Tombia roundabout to Otuasiga town, with collapsed bridge reconstructed along the road removed heavy burden from residents. Anderson stated: “Before now, the road was filled with craters. It could simply be described as death trap but today, that road has come back to life. Our people are overjoyed because of the magnitude of work done by the agency. “But like Oliver Twist, we still want FERMA to extend their maintenance to other federal roads in other parts of the state.” A resident of Kolo Town in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, who gave his name only as Dandyson, said since the completion of the 3-span 75m bridge, the people of the area had got a new lease of life. Dandyson said prior to the construction of the bridge in former President Goodluck Jonathan’s local government area as well as 1-km spur along the federal alignment of Yenegwe-Kolo-Brass Road, the people found it hellish plying the road. “The road, before now was in a deplorable condition. A journey of 15 minutes, for instance, would take some hours because of potholes and craters that dotted the entire areas. But now, we can heave a sigh of relief.” In his response, the Federal Maintenance Engineer, FERMA, Bayelsa State, Mr. Ayoola Bolaji, said the agency was committed to delivering on its mandate of road repairs and rehabilitation in the state despite the difficult terrains. He said another major challenge faced by the agency, apart from ter-

rain, was that stationary articulated trucks had been destroying some of the rehabiltated roads. Bolaji said, “Bayelsa terrain is peculiar and as we all know the incessant rainfall is a major challenge to our maintenance activities. Despite that, we have done quite a lot aside from our routine and periodic maintenance jobs by contract and direct labour activities which are evident in our various projects dotting the length and breadth of the state. “We have also observed that some articulated trucks bearing cement come into the state as a result of the rapid development in Bayelsa and they are a major impediment to our efforts. Unfortunately, these trucks park indiscriminately on our road shoulders section. The road pavements are not designed to accommodate such loads. Some of the trucks no longer carry 600 bags of cement; they carry as many as 900 bags of cement and they stay on one spot of our road shoulders for a period ranging over two weeks before customers come and buy them. This is very bad and terrible because once the road shoulder gives way, automatically the road pavement will cave in. “So, we have made efforts to meet with the cement association dealers in the state. After investigation, we realised that there are no warehouses for them, so they still park indiscriminately on some of the roads.” Reeling out some of their achievements recently, the FERMA boss in the state said the agency had just concluded the construction of the collapsed bridge along Yenagoa-Otuasiga federal road with rehabilitation of its approaches such as the dualisation of MbiamaOkutukutu Road. He also mentioned the construction of three span bridge at Kolo Town in Ogbia LGA on the federal alignment, adding that the agency had carried out other maintenance jobs ranging from de-silting works and vegetation control among others.

42 Dennis naku

PORT HARCOURT

he Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the sale of valued assets belonging to the Rivers State government during the administration of former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, continued yesterday with more revelations. Counsel to the commission, Dr. Zaccheus Adangor, said during Monday’s sitting that N1.1 billion was paid directly to contractors without the knowledge of the supervisory Ministry of Transport in the state. The revelation was made when Adangor drew the attention of the former Accountant-General of the state, Sir Ngozi Abah Abu, to the disparity between what he disbursed to the transport ministry as expenditure request captured by his department as the total monies released to the ministry for the monorail

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Rivers monorail: How N11bn was paid to firm without knowledge of transport ministry project. Abu had stated in his memo of July 15, 2015 that he released a total of N35, 108, 316, 295.65 billion for the monorail project as the Accountants General of the state to the Ministry of Transport. Meanwhile, Managing Director of ARCUS GIBBS Big Ltd, Wiero Viguezang, technical consultant to the Rivers State government on the project (monorail) had informed the commission of inquiry on Friday, August 29, that the Rivers State government had spent a total of N33.9bn on Phase 1(a) of Phase 1 of the monorail project. Phase 1(a) covers about 2.6 kilometres of 21.7 kilometres monorail project. Abu stated in response to the commission’s counsel: “I released a total of N35,108,316,295.65bn as disbursement to the Min-

istry of Transport for the monorail project. All disbursement I made concerning monorail were sent to the Ministry of Transport. “I don’t know who monorail is. I never dealt with anybody from monorail. I only dealt with the Ministry of Transport which is the supervisory ministry of the monorail project,” he said. Abu continued: “I pay the Ministry of Transport with the mandate of the governor to whom I refer

matters about monorail’s request for the necessary approval. Such request usually comes through the Ministry of Transport. “I disbursed N11billion to the Ministry of Transport for the monorail project on the mandate of the governor. If the money was paid to TSI I do not know. “I will be surprised to hear that N11billion was paid directly to TSI without such funds passing through the supervisory Ministry of Transport,”

the former Accountant General of the state said. Counsel to the commission, Dr. Adangor, has stated that documents available indicate that N11billion was paid to TSI directly by the state government without passing through the supervisory ministry of transport. TSI, the first company with which the state government made the initial agreement, even as the firm is operated by former Military Administrator of the State, Brig-Gen Antho-

ny Ukpo (rtd). Abu, the former Accountants General agreed that he, on December 8, 2010, paid a former Commissioner for Economic Planning to make a trip to Lagos to understudy the Private Public Participation (PPP) model in the state. He also admitted when cross-examined by counsel to the commission that he released N696,300 to ARCUS GIBBS as consultancy fees, on May 19, 2011.

Bayelsa Police repel pirates’ attack on passenger boat

he Bayelsa Police Command on Sunday said its Marine Division in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state repelled an attack by sea pirates on a passenger boat in the area. Mr. Asinim Butswat, an ASP and spokesman of the Command, said in a statement that the attack occurred on Friday at Gina-Gbene area of Southern Ijaw. According to the spokesman, an AK-47 Assault riffle and live ammunition were recovered from the pirates who abandoned their 75 Horse Power speedboat and fled into the creeks. Butswat assured that efforts were being intensified to arrest the fleeing pirates.

“On Aug. 28, at about 0820 hrs, the Bayelsa State Marine Police, stationed at Koluama, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, repelled some suspected sea pirates attacking a passenger boat around Gina-Gbene, in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. “The Pirates ran into a nearby creek, abandoned their speed boat, mounted with 75HP Yamaha Engine, with the inscription ‘DEEP SEA MARINE’. “One AK 47 riffle, three magazines loaded with four live ammunition, one bag, one voter card and four life jackets were recovered from the suspects. “The Marine Police are combing the creeks to arrest the culprits. Investigation is ongoing,” Butswat said.

Widows commend C’River govt over proposed mass employment CONTINUED FROM 16 this time to help the poor. `This is a clear departure from the past when lip service was paid to the plight of the poor, especially the widows,” she said. Mrs. Ann Ubi described the state government’s

initiative as very encouraging and expressed the hope that she would be selected for the job. ``I am a tailor and that is one of the requirements for the job; so I am very hopeful of being selected. I am happy about this government’s initiative.

Commissioner for Works, Bayelsa State, Mr Lawrence Erujakpor (right), explaining a point to the zonal Manager, South-South, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Mike Mbonye, during a tour of Development Projects as part of activities to mark the 2015 All-Editors’ Conference in Yenagoa, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Theophilus onojeghen WARRI

en of the Nigerian Navy have arrested a selfpropelled badge including seven crew members while allegedly siphoning illegally refined petroleum product from an illegal refinery site along the creeks of Kantu in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. The boat identified as OMS Ogo, Niger Delta Mirror learnt was earlier officially cleared by the Nigerian Navy to load diesel from a tank farm located around the Warri NPA before it was diverted to a hidden creek to load illegally refined product. Parading the arrested boat and its crew members on Monday in Warri, Commodore Aliyu Sule said his men intercepted them

Navy intercepts boat loading illegal refined crude oil in Delta …arrests crew members after intelligence report that the ship had been diverted to a different location and they were caught while loading. Commodore Sule who is the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, Delta, said, “The charterer, Moses, came to us and got clearance to load 10,000 metric tons of diesel at Matrix, a private tank farm near the NPA in Warri. Last Thursday, same day the Chief of Naval Staff visited us in Delta, we got intelligence report of unusual movement of the boat in the waterways. “We immediately mobilised our men and found

them around 2am Friday in Kantu with a host already clamped to the badge loading illegally refined diesel cooked from stolen crude at illegal refineries in Kantu where we destroyed some recently.” While describing the situation as worrisome, having destroyed some illegal refineries in Kantu a couple of weeks back, he also disclosed that the charterer of the self-propelled boat had also been arrested. The boat charterer who is identified as Moses Ebiebiri, however, exonerated his involvement in the diversion of the badge to load illegal refined

product. Moses told newsmen: “Actually, I came to Navy and got authority to load lift diesel from Matric here, but Victoria, the woman who arranged to give me product in Matrix is the one that diverted the boat to Shalomi Creek where Navy held them.” But the boat Captain, Peter Brezimo, on his part said, “Moses asked me to go to Shalomi Creek, along the route to Escravos. Along the line, he called me to divert the boat to a smaller creek. I said I will not load there, but his men had connected the host when Navy came in to arrest us.”

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Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Politics

l engineering, our sustenance –Gov. Wada

rint of transformation. He tells National Mirror capital development. More than three years be described as a huge success story. OBIORA

banks. There is an ongoing reform; we are working with World Bank to reform our revenue generation process, land reform process as well as man power development. So you can see that we have touched lives in so many areas and what we have been lacking is publicity. What keeps me going as the Chief Executive of the state is my conscience. When I came in as governor, I prayed to God that I have committed myself to the service of my people, to touch as many lives as possible and I have focused on that. So despite criticism here and there, my focus is ‘am I doing the best I can with the resources available to me?’ Where I live in Abuja was built in 1995, long before I became governor, there is nothing to show that it belongs to a state governor. I am not going to use Kogi resources to develop my personal house, maybe when I leave office, I can do that. Rather I concentrated on refurbishing government property in Asokoro, which we have done. You have mentioned most projects appeared to have been initiated by your government, did you inherit any uncompleted projects from your predecessors and what did you do about them? We inherited many uncompleted projects, most of which we have completed. By deliberate policy, we devoted our first year in government to completing ongoing projects, because we believe that some of those projects are for the good of the people of Kogi and therefore we must complete them for the people to derive benefits because they were well conceived by my predecessor. So we went ahead and completed them, we have a 25,000 seater stadium, state secretariat, water and hospital projects. Some we are still working on them but it was a deliberate policy that we will not abandon projects and we are doing them gradually and systematically.

exeCutive of the state is my overnor, i prayed to god that i rviCe of my people, to touCh as d i have foCused on that

more infrastructure, additional equipment, recruitment of faculty, professors, teachers and their courses are fully accredited. All these are going on in our state, despite our lean resources. So when you compare states, you have to compare the resources available to the states too. That is where you see prudent management and innovative financial engineering. This is what has sustained us in Kogi State. What have you done to shore up the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, of the state to help you prosecute these laudable projects of your administration? We have done a lot. When we came newly, IGR was about N180 million per month, today we are talking of about N450 - N600 million, about three times. We did it by blocking leakages and computerising some of the processes; we tried to reduce to minimum paper receipt, rather choosing electronic receipt. People are made to pay directly to

Obviously, these achievements are certain to grant you a return for another four years, so what will be your focus if re-elected for another term? Our focus will be consolidation of our transformation agenda. I came into government with a purposeful direction of what I want to do for the people: agriculture, infrastructure development, human capital development and industrialisation. We are in cooperation with a Chinese company for the establishment of cement industry; it is almost completed, before the end of the year, it will be commissioned. There is an ethanol factory in Lokoja, it is almost completed. We have created an environment for industrialisation; I do not need to bring new ideas. We already have the ideas. It is to consolidate what we are doing, expand on it and grow our state. And the things we are doing, is not necessary to benefit the people of the state today, but they will benefit tomorrow. The motor park, for instance, our estimate is that 10,000 people will use it every day; if they spend at least N100 by 10,000; that is a solid income for a state like Kogi per day from a motor park. We are transforming tourism in our state, we have a lot of historical sites in our state, such as Kogi Hotels in Lokoja, Confluence Beach Hotel which is right at the confluence to make a tourist attraction, even the Lord Luggard residence is another tourist site. Apart from funds, what other challenges did you have? Another challenge is that of the unity of our people for a common purpose of transformation. We are a multi-tribal, multi-ethnic and multi-religious state, our people are well educated and you know that educated people are very critical of government. They are never impressed with whatever you do, so it is a challenge to manage them and make them believe that all of us have the opportunity to benefit if we work together and build our state, particularly leave a better state than what we met for our children. In our state, there is an agitation for power shift and for me, I believe in it, but I believe that it is a process and we need to engage the various stakeholders towards it, so that this can happen maybe in the next four years. But it is not something that we must bring up each time there is an opportunity for people to run for governorship of the state; we should engage, prepare the ground and carry the

people along because even within the majority tribes of our state, there are minority tribes. They want to be governor of the state, so we need a thorough engagement of our people and I have committed that if by the grace of God I come back to office, I will be an active participant in guiding that development of power rotation in our state so that one tribe does not dominate the other. Hopefully that will bring more peace and stability and progress in the state. So much politics surrounded the Federal Government bailout for states, what is the true position and how has it benefited your state? There is no bailout fund from Federal Government; no state has gotten any bailout fund from Federal Government as far as I know. It is being developed by the Debt Management Office, DMO, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and we hope that in the next few weeks, it will become available to states. What the states asked the Federal Government is the assistance in restructuring our finances so that we can pay our outstanding salaries and restructure our debts and financial commitments to banks and financial institutions, so that the monthly out going for servicing is reduced, because most of our states have bonds that last seven years, whereas Federal Government raises bonds that last as much as 25 years. So we are asking some of our bond exposure to be extended and that our normal debt of one or two years should be stretched to five years or so. Some of these are being worked out, but the real bailout which we are looking forward to has not come yet. They are still working out the details and we are one of the states that applied for it, to take care of some of our financial challenges as a state. The North Central lost out completely to the opposing party in the last presidential election and it was believed that former President Goodluck Jonathan lost his return bid in that zone. How do you explain that not even one state from North Central stood for the former President? We were all swept by ‘Buharimania’, what people call Buhari tsunami. In Kogi State, we went into that election with a lot of confidence and hope and prayers to win the election but the Buhari tsunami was too much for any of us to handle and that is how he swept the North Central states. But our people are Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and that is why we got the majority of seats in the state House of Assembly. So against tsunami, any party that gets majority in the state House of Assembly shows that such party is in control. PDP is on ground in Kogi, we have done well and we are still doing well. With all these things, I told you what we did with the meager resources, the people appreciate good governance and sincerity of purpose and despite the propaganda, my prayer and believe and purpose is that PDP will win again in this coming election. Twenty eight aspirants in All progressives Congress, APC, and only about three in PDP, what does that signifies in the politics of the state? You know, APC is in power at the federal level now, and politicians always believe that with federal might, they will win and most of them left PDP to APC, because it is a more fertile ground, but it does not show the strength of the party, it is not the number of aspirants that shows the strength of the party, because there will be fallout from the struggle for ascendency. So for us in PDP, we trust God, we are going to work hard. We know it is a major task to face a party at the center in a state election but we are determined, we are hopeful and with prayers and the blessing of the Almighty, we shall succeed. So how does it feel to be in the opposition? It is interesting. It is life, we are developing strategies to perform as an opposition party and we will and if democracy has come to stay in our country, we need vibrant opposition to stabilise the polity and PDP is certainly a vibrant party. Of course, we have a lot to learn about opposition, but I think in my view, our leaders are doing very well. We all love our country and we must do everything we can to stabilise our country.

Politics

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

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Ajimobi and politics of reducing cost of governance CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 at all cost, but the governor, out of his love for the masses, declined to accept most of the suggestions made, as he was of the opinion that such would aggravate the suffering of the common man. “We recall that the state government had earlier taken major measures in that direction and these include; reduction of cost of governance which brought about the pruning of ministries from 23 to 13, stoppage of daily feeding of fasting residents at Government House and distribution of food items to the needy during Ramadan fast, postponement of all political appointments, turning down sponsorship requests from many partners and non-governmental organisations, NGOs. “Interestingly, all of these had little or no direct negative effect on the common man and it was when further measures were needed to be introduced that the governor considered the options of non-payment of WASSCE fees and stoppage of pilgrimage sponsorship. “In view of the foregoing, it amounts to sheer hypocrisy and height of irresponsibility on the part of opposition elements, if they chose taking the advantage of the current situation to display their hatred for the people. The question on the lips of the people is that; what difference did the PDP make in the life of the state in its eight years combined rule? Between 2003 and 2011 that the PDP was in the saddle; values were not only eroded and peace vacated the land, resources of the state were plundered while the economic base of Oyo State was badly depleted. “That was an era when shares of government in blue chip companies were sold and proceeds siphoned, even as government lands and properties taken over by private individuals. The consequences of all these and many more left the state stranded as it began to survive only on handouts from the Federal Government.” The criticism did not however abate as a group, Change Agent Movement, CAM, called on the people of the state to prepare for the worst under the Ajimobi administration, as he would only aggravate their suffering and hardship during his second term in office, instead of alleviating it. CAM, in a release issued by its chairman and secretary, Messrs Abolaji Adeosun and Malik Adehun, respectively, said the government’s cost saving measures are just tip of the iceberg among anti-people’s policies to be introduced by the governor, adding that it is a great disservice to the people for someone who had barely been visible in the state in the last three months to be introducing policies that would further add to the existing hardship faced by the people. CAM said: “It is rather unfortunate for a government who does not see the urgency in paying workers’ outstanding salaries despite the Federal Government’s bail out, to be introducing anti-people policies. Just about two months ago, the governor withdrew the free transport buses given to workers for no just cause. “This same Ajimobi administration has embarked on workers’ verification exercise while it hasn’t produced the results of the last verification or accounted for the funds used for the last verification exercise. Even the loot recovered for the state by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which was claimed to have been expended on model schools are not visible. “Nobody is saying it is mandatory for government to pay WASSCE fees and provide free education for anyone, but we get pained because this same administration who used a welfarist toga during electioneering process to seek for people’s votes has suddenly turned around imposing anti-people’s policies.” On its part, an umbrella organisation of professional and business women under the auspices of Women In Oyo State, WIOS, appealed to the national leadership of the APC to call Governor Ajimobi to order over his retrogressive educational policies, especially the introduction of school fees. WIOS described Ajimobi’s declaration as the worst policy summersault in the history of Yorubaland, saying the cost saving measures were not only deceitful but equally designed to retard the progress the state, known as a pacesetter. In a statement signed by Chief (Mrs) Felicia Adebimpe

Ladoja

Taiwo

With the government unyielding on reversing

the cost saving measures, it remains to be seen Whether the criticisms from the opposition Will sWay it to change its stand or it Will remain adamant and Alhaja Fatimah Yusuf respectively, WIOS said recent declaration and other anti-people disposition of Ajimobi particularly in his second term, were attempts geared towards short-changing the people of the state, particularly women, who voted en-mass for the APC in the last election. Lamenting that if any state in the South-West should contemplate such decision, it should be Osun State and not Oyo State which has more revenue from the Federation Account and higher IGR, WIOS stated that the Aregbesola administration had built over 25 state-of-the-art schools among other worthy innovations to restore the glory of education in the state. It said: “Assuming the students population in all public schools across the state is 250,000, the Ajimobi administration would rake in N750 million in a year and a total sum of N3 billion in four years. This is less than what his government spent on the construction of Mokola Flyover which then implies that the value attached to the lives and future of these children is not worthy the value of a flyover. “What success can Ajimobi government achieve with the targeted N3 billion, considering the level of rot and dilapidation in the education sector in the state? It is very clear that Ajimobi is not only confused but has lost the steam required of a serious government to succeed. “We therefore appeal to APC national leadership to rise up and stem the tide by prevailing on Ajimobi not to destroy the fortunes of the party in the state, since it appears he had hijacked the party.” WIOS said its appeal became imperative for future elections in the state as the garrulous behaviour and conduct of Ajimobi in the state are akin to the dying days of the PDP in the state and it’s concomitant tragic end, wondering what has come over the governor since winning a landmark second term It added that Ajimobi has been behaving like a bull in a Chinese shop that was ready to destroy everything in sight. Oyo State Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, tasked President Muhammadu Buhari and all state governors to adhere to UNESCO prescribed 26 percent budget allocation to education to rescue Nigeria’s future.

While condemning the state government’s decision to stop payment of WASSCE fee and its introduction of N3,000 as developmental fees for students across public schools in the state, SPN called for the immediate and unconditional reversal of the decisions, insisting on the need for adequate and proper funding of public education and other social services as the most reliable step towards curbing the menace of mass failure in external examination like WASSCE. A release by SPN state secretary, Comrade Abiodun Bamgboye, faulted government’s argument that students’ unseriousness was the main cause of mass failure in WASSCE, and that such mass failure can only be curbed by combined effect of re-introducing fee in public schools and making parents responsible for payment of WASSCE fees of their children, saying the poor academic performance of students in public schools is traceable to neoliberal policies like cut in social spending on education, health care, infrastructure coupled with the commercialisation and privatisation of social services, forced by IMF and World Bank on Nigerian governments. Bamgboye maintained that government’s decisions will no doubt increase the economic woes of workers and the poor masses in the state, noting that the population of parents of students in public schools in the state is largely public workers, retirees and poor traders and artisans who have been victims of various anti-people policies of the Ajimobi-led government right from its inception. He said the APC-led government is owing public workers and retirees over six months unpaid salaries and pensions despite the bailout fund recently approved and allegedly released to state governments by the Federal Government. He said: “Thousands of shops/stalls belonging to poor artisans and petty traders in the state were also destroyed without either prior provision of alternatives or compensation by the Ajimobi-led government in the earliest part of its tenure. This demolition, carried out under false pretence of urban renewal policy has denied many working class homes their means of livelihood. “As a result of these policies, public schools are today bedeviled with inadequate facilities for proper learning, teaching and research materials such as books, laboratory, and equipment. Classrooms and hostel facilities are insufficient and dilapidated, quality manpower are grossly inadequate, workers in the education sector are denied the incentives capable of encouraging improvement in their skill. “SPN also believes that if political office holders are placed on salaries and allowances equivalent to that of civil servants, more public resources that often go to private individuals will be liberated, thus making more resources available for the proper and adequate funding of the education sector as well as other public utilities despite the decline in oil revenue.” With the government unyielding on reversing the cost saving measures, it remains to be seen whether the criticisms from the opposition will sway it to change its stand or it will remain adamant and pursue the policies to conlclusion.

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Tordue Salem ABUJA

member of the House of Representatives, representing Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency of Benue State, Hon. Benjamin Iorember Wayo has advised Speaker Yakubu Dogara to include at least two lawyers in each of the yet-to-be constituted committees to make oversight of the executive successful. The lawyer gave the advise at a press briefing yesterday, saying: “Oversight is an important function that is constitutionally allowed. Without it, legislative business will not be

WARRI

elta State All Progressives Congress, APC, has again reechoed its determination to sweep the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP , in the state out of government while describing PDP’s 16-year rule in the state as misrule characterised of corrupt practices. In a statement issued by its state chairman, Mr. Jones Erue, yesterday, APC lamented that despite the huge allocation and internally generated revenue, IGR, accruing to the government, the state still experience huge debts, broken down infrastructure and soaring poverty. Erue said Delta State at 24, the PDP government

House c’ttees: How Dogara can succeed –Hon Wayo •Commends Buhari on anti-graft war complete. It is just to ensure that government ministries, government various agencies, are doing what they are supposed to do to ensure that there is a zerotolerance for corruption. “As a lawyer, I will be expecting the leadership of the House to do everything within the law. I will suggest that each committee should have a lawyer or two. I am not saying that

APC’ll end PDP’s 16-year ‘misrule’ in Delta soon –Erue TheophiluS onojeghen

Politics

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

other members cannot perform well without a lawyer, but they can perform better with lawyers, because lawyers will guide them accordingly on matters of law.” Advising lawmakers jostling to head committees, to not consider it a do-ordie affair as it was solely about service, he added: “As for whether I would be asking for who would head a particular committee, I don’t think that is for me to decide. I can only advise that right people are chosen for the committees. The

Speaker is a lawyer and a sound gentleman whose judgment we can rely on in appointing committee chairmen for the various committees.” He applauded President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption measures, saying: “I don’t think there is anything or anybody barring the President from setting up an advisory committee on corruption. More so that one of the items on his main agenda is to fight corruption. I am not unaware that we have ICPC, we have the Police Force,

and other agencies that can tackle corruption, we also have anti-corruption committees in the House and the Senate, but the issue of corruption requires urgency, and I think when the House committees are set up, they will look into the President’s decision in detail.” He also commended the President’s decision that arms and ammunition tbe produced within the country. He said: “It is wonderful. I am not against it, because I think that if arms and ammunition are produced lo-

cally or manufactured here, it will help the country better to check the production and proliferation of illegal arms and ammunition and their possession. Because if arms and ammunition are locally produced, if the government is a serious government, it will be able to monitor how this arms are distributed in the society, so that if anything happens, the security agency will be able to trace where it is coming from and who is responsible and up to the extent of where they purchased these arms.”

has not given the people of the state any reason to celebrate, noting that there was need for Deltans to intensify prayers towards rescuing the state from what he termed the locust years of the PDP in government. He said: “It is saddening that after 16 years of PDP’s rule in Delta State, despite humongous allocation and huge potentials, the state is still bogged down with poverty, underdevelopment and huge debt burden as a result of the induced corruption and misrule of the PDP.” The APC chief maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari’s change mantra in no distant time would hit the state, adding: “APC in the state is poised to take its rightful position in polity of the state.”

L-R: Convener, Restart PDP Project, Mr. Nwosu Emmanuel; Director-General, Peoples Democracy Institute, Dr. Lanre Adebayo and a member of PHOTO: NAN Zamfara Elders’ Committee, Alhaji Garba Ibrahim, during the Restart PDP Project media chat with journalist in Abuja, yesterday.

According to him, “it is time for the people to be in charge of their government. It is time for government to provide dividends of democracy that will meet the needs of the long suffering people of Kogi State.” Peters said: “We are optimistic that DPC government will serve the people better and improve their standards of living. “We urge Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to sit up and conduct credible, transparent and acceptable gubernatorial election. The good people of Kogi State will not tolerate any excuse from the commission. “We demand authentic updated voter register, adequate card readers and supply of outstanding per-

manent voter cards. “We urge eligible voters to use the opportunity of INEC’s continuous voter registration exercise from September 2 to 7 to register and obtain their voter cards for the forthcoming governorship election.” He stated that DPC is coming with message of love, peace, unity, development, justice and better life for all Nigerians irrespective of gender, religion, ethnicity or social status. He said: “DPC is rooted in progressive politics and will demonstrate internal democracy in nominating candidates for various elections and uphold democratic ethics and practices.” He added that the November 21 gubernatorial election in Kogi State is the first election the party will

DPC inaugurates Kogi exco, seeks credible aspirant for guber poll

Wale ibrahim and adeola Tukuru

emocratic Peoples Congress, DPC, yesterday inaugurated its Kogi State chapter executive with a view to taking over the Lugard House in the upcoming November 21 gubernatorial election. DPC National Chairman, Olusegun Peters, during the inauguration, said is a task that must be done to send a strong signal that power resides in the people and rescue Kogi State from poor governance. He also called on credible aspirants to avail themselves of the party’s platform to realise their gubernatorial ambition of ruling the Confluence State.

be participating in since its registration as a political party by INEC, saying: “I call on credible aspirants in Kogi State to join our party, DPC, to actualise their desire to govern the state. The party promises to adhere to best internal democracy and provide a level playing field for all aspirants who seek its ticket and platform.” Peter also further urged President Muhammadu Buhari to be more patriotic in his appointments and ensure they reflect the Federal Character principle as provided for in the 1999 constitution as amended. He averred: “It is not enough for Mr. President to say he made appointments on merit when such appointments were lopsided in favour of one region.

Wisdom demands he applies the federal character in the constitution he sworn to uphold. “Nigerians are yet to feel the impact of the change he promised the nation. We urge him to wake up and take governance serious. He doesn’t have eternity to fulfill his electoral promise to Nigerians. “The change mantra is sounding like a cracked old record in the ears of longsuffering Nigerians who need dividends of democracy and not rhetoric. DPC is set to offer Nigerians the real change we can believe in. “DPC supports the war against corruption by the Buhari-led government but insists that the probe and recovery of looted funds by public office holders should start from 1999.

“The party also commends the efforts of our gallant soldiers in the fight against terrorism. Nigerians pray for our soldiers and urge them to flush out Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring countries within three months as directed by President Buhari. “We also sympathize with families of those that have lost loved ones both civilians and military, may their souls rest in peace. Nigeria should be safe again, safe for our children and unborn generation.” Charging the Hon. Yusuf Nagari Ali-led Kogi State executive of the party to immediately begin the search for a credible candidate to fly the party’s flag in the election, he noted that power resides with the people.

Politics

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

FG’ll reflect federal character in subsequent appointments –Igbo group leader Henry Iyorkase MAKURDI

igerians have been caution never to dampen their morale over the recent appointments made forth night ago by president Muhammadu Buhari imploring that subsequently every ethnicity which makes up the six geo-political zones would soon be represented towards reflection of federal character in the composition of sharing formula amongst nationalities. President-General of Igbo Delegates Assembly, IDA, Chief Chi Nworgu, gave this hint yesterday in Makurdi, against the barrage of critics pelted by Nigerians, alluding to lopsidedness of particular section dominating the kitchen cabinet of the new regime. Chief Nworgu cautioned Nigerians never be panic as remaining positions whereby every segment would be reflected in the appointment towards enhancing equitable distribution of key portfolio to the citizenries in the

country. He implored Nigerians to henceforth desist from sentimental tendencies whereby any action taken would be read meaning into, calling on everybody to collaborate with efforts towards the success of the present administration in the country. He said: “Frankly, what needed at present is to ensure collective efforts towards the realisation of the set goals of the new administration of ensuring all the wrongs committed in the past were corrected.” Chief Nworgu further enjoined Ndi-Igbo both at home and in the Diaspora to support the Buhari-led administration, saying it has started on sound footing and deserves the encouragement to enable it achieve its set goals. He explained that the IDA is social-cultural union of the Ibo people residing in the 19 Northern states as well as federal capital, with aim of catering for Igbo welfare and also enhancing cordial relations with their hosts.

Group faults Buhari on governance robert aWokuse

non-governmental organisation and human rights group, Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organization, GAFAMORG, has bemoaned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, Federal Government following its lethargy in keeping up with its electoral promises. GAFAMORG, during its appraisal of the Buhari administration’s 92 days in office, said the government has not been living up to expectations as it promised during the electioneering. Speaking at its 6th annual commemoration of the legal icon held in Lagos, GAFAMORG chairman, Comrade Ayodele Akele, said that the Buhari-led APC government has from all indications failed to meet the yearnings of the masses, which Fawehinmi stood for and devoted his life to. Akele noted amongst other things that contrary to the open declaration of assets as promised by the President, he is yet to do so, stressing that this is a mess of his anticorruption crusade. He said: “Buhari said in

February during the presidential campaigns to publicly declare his assets and liabilities, and encourage his appointees to do same, but until today he is yet to declare his assets publicly.” On the security challenge in the country, Akele lamented that the situation is fast becoming worrisome as the terror-hit region has further experienced more attacks in recent times, adding: “Over 1,000 people have died since May 29 and scores more injured due to the Boko-Haram insurgency and excesses. No attempt has been made to address the root cause of the insurgency, which remains poverty, underdevelopment and the greedy interests of corrupt politicians who invest in insane religious ideas aimed at giving them the power-base they lack.” He said rather than fulfill its promises, the APCled Federal Government is planning to sack federal civil servants under the guise of austerity measures, adding: “It is on record that the APC government promised during the campaign to create two million jobs per year and a N5,000 unemployment benefit for 25 million unemployed Nigerians.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Bayelsa: Alaibe picks APC gubernatorial forms

obIora IfoH ABUJA

head the gubernatorial primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State, former Managing Director Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Timi Alaibe, haspicked nomination and expression of interest, EoI, forms to seek the ticket. A group, identified as friends of Timi Alaibe, led by Senator John Branbaife,

who obtained the forms yesterday on behalf of the former NDDC boss, said that his achievements over the years prompted them to do so. He told newsmen that his group has taken pain to search for a particular candidate who has what it takes to rescue the state and has found qualities needed in Alaibe. He said: “So we have decided to buy the form for him and present it to our people as the most favour-

able candidate because he will be the best to take the mantle of leadership in Bayelsa.” While presenting the forms, APC National Organising Secretary, Osita Izunaso, revealed that Alaibe is now the tenth aspirants that has shown interest. He assured that APC national leadership will ensure that the primary is as credible as the one conducted last Saturday in Kogi. Reacting in an interview to Governor Seriaki

Dickson’s report that APC does not have a credible candidate to unseat him in Bayelsa, Senator Branbaife, said: “Dickson is not a candidate of APC and he has right to his opinion, but I want to assure you there is nobody, including Dickson himself, that can stand Alaibe, there is nobody in APC or anywhere else in an election in Bayelsa State. So, whatever he is saying that is his own personal opinion and that’s a political statement.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara (left) and Speaker of Chinese Parliament, Mr. Zhang Dejiang, during a meeting at the United Nations, New York, on Sunday.

Adeyemi vs Melaye: Tribunal commences retrial Wale IbraHIm LOKOJA

n line with the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered for retrial of the petition filed by PDP Kogi West senatorial candidate, Senator Smart Adeyemi, against the incumbent, Senator Dino Melaiye, the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has commenced the retrial of the petition. Justice Akon Ikpeme, the chairman of three -man panel stated that the petition will be looked into from the beginning.

Lead counsel to Senator Adeyemi, Dr. Joshua Olatoke, pointed out that the case had been returned by Court Appeal in Abuja for retrial. He argued that in view of limited time, there is urgent need to fast track the trial, alleging that counsel to Senator Melaye was trying to frustrate the time and there is no need for long adjournment in other to tackle issue of priority once and for all. Olatoke also told the tribunal that Senator Melaye was quoted as saying that he would frustrate the tribunal in two national dailies, not National Mirror.

Responding, F. C. Ani raised objection to the allegation of trying to frustrate the tribunal, saying that judgment is for both petitioner and respondent. He pointed out that if the tribunal continues sitting with looking into the preliminary objection will tantamount to technical dismissal of his earlier objection. He further argued that the tribunal who handle the post Court Appeal trial has no jurisdiction to hear motions raised, stating that there was a letter of protest to the President of Appeal over the subsisting of judg-

ment of the Court of Appeal. He pointed that last panel had set aside all the motions raised and there was expected to be a ruling before the commencement of the trial. He specifically mentioned the two motions, the motion for not paying the fees before filing and motion challenging jurisdiction of that panel. Ani also told tribunal that if the trial continues yesterday it will require extra time to enable him to file defence, urging them to strike the seventh paragraph, the priority of application.

Attack on Fashola: Tinubu lied –Lagos PDP robert aWokuse

agos State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has dismissed a statement credited to former governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that the party is behind the allegation slammed against the immediate past governor

of the state, Mr Babatunde Fashola, dscribing the statement “as laughable, diversionary and obvious show of jitters.” In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, and made available to National Mirror, the PDP noted that Tinubu is ‘being economical with the truth’ on Fashola’s attack, stating

that the APC national leader is the actual sponsor of the attacks and that his denial is not only disgraceful, but also an after-thought in order to avoid his own attacks. It said: “It is laughable that Tinubu can now blame PDP for disseminating information which no doubt emanated from the office of the state governor and

which was made public by the anti-Fashola elements within the APC. “Indeed bringing PDP into this is deliberate act to divert attention from the real issues of fraud in the state. Tinubu and the APC should rather face the accusations and not the accusers. We know well that Tinubu is behind the attacks.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Naira depreciates 2.3% on parallel market

he naira weakened against the dollar yesterday on the parallel market after a boost in liquidity and a surge in demand for dollars. The currency traded at N218 to the dollar in the bureau de change market, 2.34 per cent weaker than the N213 it closed at on Friday. The President of Bureau De Change Operators, Mr. Aminu Gwadabe, said, “there is an upsurge in demand for the dollar due to increase in liquid-

ity in the system, with some buyers willing to pick up dollars at any available rate,” The naira hovered between N208-210 to the dollar last week after the central bank increased dollar sales to bureau de change operators in a bid to narrow the margin between parallel and interbank market rates. A dealer said a number of people are buying up dollars to pay school fees and other commitments abroad, fuelling a surge in demand at the parallel

market. The naira traded at N199 to the dollar on the official interbank window, weaker than the N197 to the dollar rate where the local currency has closed since February, when the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, introduced tight control in the official market. However, demand sentiments reigned supreme at the Treasury bills secondary market, consequently yields declined across all instruments by an average of 0.53 per cent. Also, mixed sentiments

Index rises 3% after week-long slump Johnson okanlawon

enchmark index of equities rose three per cent on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday on the view that last week’s dip to a more than six-month low on weaker oil prices and faltering growth was overdone. The index appreciated three per cent to close at 29,684.84 points, compared to the increase of 2.10 per cent recorded on Friday to close at 28,814.62 points. Market capitalization

gained N300 billion to close at N10.2 trillion, compared to the appreciation of N209 billion recorded on Friday to close at N9.91 trillion. The market, which has the second-biggest weighting after Kuwait on the MSCI frontier market index, remains at a more than five-month low, dented by Wednesday’s GDP data. “Some investors see the opportunity to take position in the market because they are taking advantage of the fact that most of the

stock prices are attractive at the present low level,” trader Austin Egberi said. PZ Cussons Plc led the gainers’ table with N2.24 or 10.22 per cent to close at N24.15 per share, followed by Okomu Oil Plc with N2.00 or 10.20 per cent to close at N21.60 per share. NAHCO Plc added 43 kobo or 10.12 per cent to close at N4.68 per share, while NASCON Plc appreciated 55 kobo or 10.07 per cent to close at N6.01 per share. Access Bank Plc rose 47 kobo or 10.06 per cent to

were observed in the bond space, with offer yield declining for all the benchmark bond instruments save for the 13-FEB-2020 bond which advanced by 0.03 per cent, while two traded flat. Off-the-run bonds however, endured a predominately bearish demand as offer yields for all, save for the 27-July- 2017 and 28-November-2029, enjoyed demand. Consequently, offer yields declined by 0.02 per cent and 0.01 per cent respectively.

The S&P 500 lost 1.1 percent to 1,967.56 at 2:56 p.m. in New York. The gauge earlier fell as much as 1.2 percent before nearly erasing the retreat. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 157.41 points, or 1 percent, to 16,485.60. The Dow is on its way to its biggest monthly slide since May 2010. The Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 1.3 percent. “There’s so much emotion right now, and in this environment you can come in any morning and have something out of Europe or Asia crossing us and that’s what causes us to move,” said Steve Bombardiere, an equity trader at Conifer Securities LLC in New York. “There were a lot of people who wanted to buy a correction, but after last week they paused and are thinking about how long it is going to last.”

Equities earlier trimmed their losses after energy shares in the benchmark index reversed a 2.5 percent selloff to rally as much as 1.4 percent. The move followed a jump in oil prices after a government report reduced its crude production estimates. Stocks have been whipsawed by gains and losses since last week as markets remain subject to sudden shifts in investor sentiment. The S&P 500 is down 6.4 percent this month, on pace for the most since September 2011, as China’s currency devaluation earlier this month spurred concern over global growth, erasing more than $5.3 trillion in equity market values worldwide. The benchmark’s 0.9 percent gain last week

Inter-Bank Rate Naira

US Dollar

N196.95 Market indicators All-Share Index 29,684.84 points Market capitalisation 10.21trn

Stock Updates GAINERS close at N5.14 per share. Conversely, Caverton Plc shed 17 kobo or 4.97 per cent to close at N3.25 per share, while E Tranzact Plc dropped 13 kobo or 4.80 per cent to close at N2.58 per share. CWG Plc was down 14 kobo or 4.75 per cent to close at N2.81 per share, while RT Briscoe Plc depreciated two kobo or 3.77 per cent to close at 51 kobo per share. Julius Berger Plc declined N1.00 or 2.33 per cent to close at N42.00 per share.

S&P 500 Index heads toward worst month in three years .S. stocks declined with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index on the verge of its worst month in more than three years, as investors harbored concerns about slowing global growth and the impact of a potential interest-rate increase by the Federal Reserve as soon as September. Merck & Co. and Celgene Corp. sank at least 2.9 percent to weigh on the health-care group. Yahoo! Inc. and Facebook Inc. slumped more than 2.2 percent to drag technology shares lower. Energy erased an earlier drop along with oil, as Consol Energy Inc. and ConocoPhillips gained more than 4.7 percent. Phillips 66 rose 2.3 percent as Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has amassed a $4.5 billion stake in the oil refiner. Berkshire fell 1.3 percent.

Source: NSE

masked a volatile period in which the S&P 500 plunged the most since 2011 to enter a correction, only to rally more than 6 percent over two days for its best back-toback gains since the beginning of the bull market in 2009. Rate (%) Inflation

8.2

MPR

Crude oil price

$58.96

Exchange

Rates (N)

WAUA

270

USD

196.95

EURO

214

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

SWISS FRANC

202

POUNDS STERLING

293

SDR

273

COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

21.91

24.15

2.24

10.22

OKOMUOIL

19.60

21.60

2.00

10.20

NAHCO

4.25

4.68

0.43

10.12

NASCON

5.46

6.01

0.55

10.07

ACCESS

4.67

5.14

0.47

10.06

TRANSCORP

2.11

2.32

0.21

9.95

GUINNESS

127.01

138.99

11.98

9.43

AFRIPRUD

2.36

2.58

0.22

9.32

OANDO

10.19

11.10

0.91

8.93

FCMB

2.20

2.39

0.19

8.64

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CAVERTON

3.42

3.25

-0.17

-4.97

ETRANZACT

2.71

2.58

-0.13

-4.80

CWG

2.95

2.81

-0.14

-4.75

RTBRISCOE

0.53

0.51

-0.02

-3.77

JBERGER

43.00

42.00

-1.00

-2.33

ABCTRANS

0.54

0.53

-0.01

-1.85

AIICO

0.81

0.80

-0.01

-1.23

DANGSUGAR

7.26

7.24

-0.02

-0.28

UPL

5.18

5.17

-0.01

-0.19

FGN Bonds

Bid

Description

Offer

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.02

98.05

15.19

98.20

15.02

15.10 27-APR-2017

1.71

99.64

15.30

99.79

15.20

16.00 29-JUN-2019

3.89

101.47

15.47

101.77

15.36

15.54 13-FEB-2020

4.51

100.62

15.34

100.92

15.25

16.39 27-JAN-2022

6.47

104.53

15.26

104.83

15.19

14.20 14-MAR-2024

8.59

94.58

15.35

94.88

15.28

Closing Market Prices of August 10, 2015

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

12-Nov-15

14.85

15.39

18-Feb-16

13.38

14.35

4-Aug-16

14.21

16.47

NIBOR Tenor

Rate (%)

O/N

34.2917

18.7545

21.5301

23.5772 The Fixings of August 10, 2015

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Stock exchange daily equities summary Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015

Equities as at August 31, 2015

Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008

Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008

Daily Summary (Bonds) No Debt Trading Activity

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

1st Tier Securities

Daily Summary (Equities)

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

AGRICULTURE Crop Production OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. PRESCO PLC Crop Production Totals Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. Livestock/Animal Specialties Totals

Symbol OKOMUOIL PRESCO

No. of Deals 6 10 16

Current Price 21.60 31.00

Quantity Traded 58,820 25,925 84,745

Value Traded 1,270,389.60 820,004.17 2,090,393.77

Symbol LIVESTOCK

No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 1.69

Quantity Traded 169,874 169,874

Value Traded 287,085.50 287,085.50

254,619

2,377,479.27

Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 AGRICULTURE Totals

CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. TRANSNATIONAL CORPORATION OF NIGERIA PLC UA C N PLC.on Board EQTY Activity Summary Diversified Industries Totals CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE CONGLOMERATES Totals Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. Building Structure/Completion/Other Totals Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. Infrastructure/Heavy Construction Totals Real Estate Development UACN PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT CO. LIMITED Real Estate Development Totals

Symbol Daily Summary AGLEVENT TRANSCORP UACN

CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC Automobiles/Auto Parts Totals

Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015

Quantity Traded 1,360 32,285,572 507,060 32,793,992

Value Traded 1,224.00 73,381,732.54 17,644,403.09 91,027,359.63

Symbol COSTAIN

364 No. of Deals 7 7

Current Price 0.60

32,793,992 Quantity Traded 94,799 94,799

91,027,359.63 Value Traded 56,779.40 56,779.40

Symbol JBERGER

No. of Deals 11 11

Current Price 42.00

Quantity Traded Page 149,850 149,850

13 1Value Traded of 6,218,693.60 6,218,693.60

Symbol UAC-PROP

No. of Deals 10 10

Current Price 7.87

Quantity Traded 128,112 128,112

Value Traded 1,008,241.44 1,008,241.44

372,761

7,283,714.44

Value Traded 311,305.00 311,305.00

Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. GUINNESS NIG PLC Activity Summary on Board EQTYPLC. INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. CONSUMER GOODS Beverages--Brewers/Distillers Totals Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. Beverages--Non-Alcoholic Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Food Products DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC NASCON ALLIED INDUSTRIES PLC U T C NIG. PLC. Food Products Totals Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. NESTLE PLC. Daily Summary asNIGERIA of 31/08/2015 Food Products--Diversified Totals Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 Household Durables NIGERIAN ENAMELWARE PLC. VITAFOAM NIG PLC. VONO PRODUCTS PLC. Household Durables Totals

Symbol DUNLOP

Symbol Daily Summary CHAMPION GUINNESS INTBREW NB Symbol 7UP

Personal/Household Products CONSUMER GOODS P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. Personal/Household Products UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange Personal/Household Products © Totals

Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services FINANCIAL SERVICES AIICO INSURANCE PLC. and Services Insurance Carriers, Brokers

CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INSURANCE PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INSURANCE COMPANY PLC LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC AXAMANSARD INSURANCE PLC MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. REGENCY ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY PLC STANDARD ALLIANCE INSURANCE PLC. UNIVERSAL INSURANCE COMPANY PLC WAPIC INSURANCE PLC Insurance Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Micro-Finance Banks Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC Micro-Finance Banks Totals Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services UNION HOMES SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC. Mortgage Carriers, Brokers and Services Totals

Pharmaceuticals EVANS MEDICAL PLC. FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER NIG. PLC. MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. NEIMETH INTERNATIONAL PHARMACEUTICALS PLC NIGERIA-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC. Pharmaceuticals Totals HEALTHCARE Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Current Price 4.25 138.99 17.00 121.49

Quantity Traded 680,646 2,920,733 87,419 2,370,465 6,059,263 Quantity Traded 9,325 9,325 Page Quantity Traded 4,060,519 26,202,195 2,589,941 512,125 1,307,259 5,666 34,677,705

Value Traded 2,781,523.63 407,957,746.42 1,534,518.05 287,856,080.76 700,129,868.86 Value Traded 1,788,646.99 1,788,646.99 2 of 13 Value Traded 11,308,191.50 207,922,852.68 61,226,649.72 1,243,248.25 7,853,056.59 2,833.00 289,556,831.74

No. of Deals 62 117 179

Current Price 28.56 840.00

Quantity Traded 162,677 161,979 324,656

Value Traded 4,428,597.41 135,617,489.84 140,046,087.25

No. of Deals 3 20 (Equities) 6 29

Current Price 30.23 6.00 0.94

Quantity Traded 1,190 1,110,473 122,137 1,233,800

Value Traded 34,176.80 6,502,051.26 114,217.82 6,650,445.88

No. of Deals 37 No. of Deals 35 72

Current Price 24.15 Current Price 40.00

Quantity Traded 252,144 Quantity Traded 165,975 Page 418,119

Value Traded 6,084,766.05 Value Traded 6,830,844.01 13 312,915,610.06 of

Symbol PZ Symbol UNILEVER

884

Symbol ACCESS DIAMONDBNK ETI FIDELITYBK GUARANTY SKYEBANK STERLNBANK UBA UBN Daily Summary UNITYBNK WEMABANK

Symbol AIICO Symbol

CONTINSURE EQUITYASUR GUINEAINS HMARKINS INTENEGINS LINKASSURE MANSARD MBENEFIT NEM REGALINS STDINSURE UNIVINSURE WAPIC

Symbol NPFMCRFBK

No. of Deals 237 33 110 35 168 102 35 381 23 (Equities) 57 28 1,209

Current Price 5.14 3.18 18.45 1.37 22.92 2.45 2.13 3.31 6.30 1.41 0.89

No. of Deals 14 No. of Deals

Current Price 0.80 Current Price

4 1 1 3 2 7 64 6 27 4 1 6 8 148

0.87 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.20 0.50 0.65 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.93

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

Symbol AFRIPRUD Symbol CUSTODYINS DEAPCAP FCMB ROYALEX STANBIC UBCAP

FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers UNION DIAGNOSTIC & CLINICAL SERVICES PLC Healthcare Providers Totals

No. of Deals (Equities) 34 79 12 91 216 No. of Deals 16 16

Symbol CADBURY NESTLE

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Other Financial Institutions FINANCIAL SERVICES AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS PLC Other Financial Institutions CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED PLC Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © DEAP CAPITAL MANAGEMENT & TRUST PLC FCMB GROUP PLC. ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC UBA CAPITAL PLC Other Financial Institutions Totals

Quantity Traded 622,610 622,610

Current Price 2.82 7.24 24.15 2.44 6.01 0.50

CONSUMER GOODS Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. DIAMOND BANK PLC ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INCORPORATED FIDELITY BANK PLC GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 SKYE14:49:08.008 BANK PLC Printed 31/08/2015 STERLING BANK PLC. UNITED BANK FOR AFRICA PLC UNION BANK NIG.PLC. UNITY BANK PLC WEMA BANK PLC. Banking Totals on Board EQTY Activity Summary

Current Price 0.50

No. of Deals 68 56 163 14 64 4 369

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

1 1

5.50

No. of Deals 51 No. of Deals 10 4 79 1 14 98 257

Current Price 2.58 Current Price 4.00 0.61 2.39 0.50 19.64 1.32

1,619

Symbol UNIONDAC

Symbol EVANSMED FIDSON GLAXOSMITH MAYBAKER NEIMETH NIG-GERMAN

No. of Deals 1 1

Current Price 0.50

No. of Deals 16 7 13 7 10 1 54

Current Price 0.64 3.33 35.00 1.23 1.23 5.16

43,345,478

1,151,398,795.78

Quantity Traded 28,188,045 1,098,582 4,751,112 1,833,239 7,877,389 14,599,461 2,159,990 101,184,432 150,923 8,213,929 2,478,737 172,535,839

Value Traded 140,586,813.67 3,490,661.61 83,715,982.64 2,510,978.18 179,153,387.94 35,129,314.28 4,530,043.19 333,846,511.15 995,784.29 11,600,965.69 2,141,957.13 797,702,399.77

Quantity Traded 1,899,385 Quantity Traded

Value Traded 1,529,847.12 Value Traded

130,000 13,000 13,500 1,000,000 Page 17,888

Quantity Traded 1,953 1,953

Value Traded 10,214.19 10,214.19

Quantity Traded 2,280,751 Quantity Traded 3,015,791 Page 420 10,809,293 5,000 179,967 3,158,456 19,449,678

Value Traded 5,794,612.30 Value Traded 12,073,164.00 13 5 of 243.60 25,625,691.13 2,500.00 3,521,283.54 4,198,721.39 51,216,215.96

Value Traded 339,494.40 2,434,826.80 4,348,440.00 16,521.16 72,417.15 5,982.90 7,217,682.41

1,464,599 Page

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

Activity Summary on Board EQTY Employment Solutions C &as I LEASING PLC. Daily Summary of 31/08/2015 Employment Solutions Totals Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Hotels/Lodging Totals

NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC Printing/Publishing Transport-Related Services Totals LEARN PLC Daily Summary as ofAFRICA 31/08/2015 UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. PrintedActivity 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 Support and Logistics Summary on Board EQTY Printing/Publishing Totals SUPPORT GRP PLC CAVERTON OFFSHORE SERVICES Support and Logistics Totals Road Transportation SERVICES Totals ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Road Transportation Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015Totals EQTY Board Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © PrintedActivity 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 Summary on Services Board EQTY Transport-Related AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC SERVICES NIGERIAN AVIATION HANDLING COMPANY PLC SERVICES Totals on Board ASeM Activity Summary Transport-Related Services Totals SERVICES Support and Logistics EQTY Board Daily Summary as ofTotals 31/08/2015 Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers Activity Summary on Board EQTY CAVERTON OFFSHORE SUPPORT GRP PLC Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 JULI PLC. Support and Logistics Totals SERVICES Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers Totals SERVICES Totals on Board ASeM Activity Summary SERVICES Totals Published by The as Nigerian Stock Exchange © SERVICES Daily Summary of 31/08/2015

EQTY Board Totals

Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers PrintedASeM 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 Board Totals Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM JULI PLC. Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Activity Summary on Board ASeM OtherSummary Financial Institutions SERVICES Totals on Activity Board PREMIUM FBN HOLDINGS PLC SERVICES FINANCIAL SERVICES Other Financial Institutions Totals Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers ASeM Board Totals Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM Banking JULI PLC. FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals BANK PLC ZENITH INTERNATIONAL Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking Totals Institutions Other Financial INDUSTRIAL GOODS SERVICES Totals on Board PREMIUM Activity Summary FBN HOLDINGS PLC Building Materials Other Financial Institutions DANGOTE CEMENT PLC Totals FINANCIAL SERVICES Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange © ASeM BoardMaterials Totals Totals Building Banking FINANCIAL SERVICES Totals ZENITH INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals INDUSTRIAL GOODS Banking Totals Building Materials Activity Summary on Board PREMIUM PREMIUM BoardCEMENT Totals PLC DANGOTE FINANCIAL SERVICES Published by The Nigerian StockTotals Exchange © Building Materials EquityBanking Activity Totals INDUSTRIAL Totals ZENITH GOODS INTERNATIONAL BANK PLC Banking Totals

PREMIUM Board Totals

Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Exchange Traded Fund Published by Activity The Nigerian Stock Exchange © Printed 31/08/2015 Equity Totals Name 14:49:08.008 NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND (ETF) STANBIC IBTC ETF 30 VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded FundFund Totals Exchange Traded

7,217,932.41 6

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

UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. SERVICES Printing/Publishing Totals Employment Solutions C & Transportation I LEASING PLC. Road Employment Solutions Totals ASSOCIATED BUS COMPANY PLC Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Road Transportation Totals Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 Hotels/Lodging IKEJA HOTEL PLC Transport-Related Services Hotels/Lodging Totals AND LOGISTICS PLC AIRLINE SERVICES

Value Traded 1,279,335.51 1,279,335.51

Quantity Traded 530,460 733,200 124,050 13,384 61,895 1,110 1,464,099

Activity Summary onGas Board EQTY Integrated Oil and Services

Printing/Publishing

Quantity Traded 1,386,867 1,386,867

Value Traded 250.00 250.00

OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SERVICES PLC Energy Equipment and Services Totals

Activity Summary onPLC Board EQTY LEARN AFRICA

61,112.00 30,098,669.26 806,690.00 2,671,114.10 4,342.00 500.00 103,507.00 3,854.50 35,914,214.98

Quantity Traded 500 500

Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. Automobile/Auto Part Retailers Totals

122,144 14,035,278 1,613,380 4,071,814 8,684 1,000 207,014 7,709 23,140,796

886,122,380.41

Quotation(N)

STANBIC IBTC ETF 30 ETP Activity VETIVATotals GRIFFIN 30 ETF Exchange Traded Fund Totals Published by The Nigerian Stock Exchange ©

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

No. of Deals 1 1 2

Current Price 2.81 1.69

Quantity Traded 50,000 1,679 51,679

Value Traded 140,500.00 2,703.19 143,203.19

Symbol ETRANZACT

No. of Deals 2 2

Current Price 2.58

Quantity Traded 101,000 101,000

Value Traded 260,580.00 260,580.00

152,679

403,783.19

No. of Deals Current Price Quantity Traded 11 22.40 230,928 6 8.34 24,899 18 37.05 57,326 7 8.73 19,439 (Equities) 2 0.50 16,800 1 1.14 14,093 2 3.40 6,680 51 99.98 878,021 98 1,248,186 No. of Deals Current Price Quantity Traded 5 1.41 No. of Deals Current Price Quantity128,832 Traded 5 128,832

Value Traded 5,126,970.64 217,689.50 2,229,092.86 175,150.07 8,400.00 16,770.67 22,888.24 87,782,767.37 95,579,729.35 Value Traded 181,653.12 Value Traded 181,653.12

Symbol ASHAKACEM BERGER CAP CCNN Daily Summary FIRSTALUM PAINTCOM PORTPAINT WAPCO Symbol CUTIX Symbol Symbol BETAGLAS

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 43.00

Quantity Traded 7,511 Page 7,511

107

Symbol MULTIVERSE

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 0.50

Symbol

96,097,300.94

Quantity Traded 131,767,434 131,767,434

Value Traded 65,883,717.00 65,883,717.00

131,767,434

65,883,717.00

Value Traded 6,726.00 6,726.00

No. of Deals 8 8

Current Price 0.50

Quantity Traded 13,452 13,452

No. of Deals 408 408 No. of Deals 49 4 106 12 1 19 191

Current Price 11.10

Quantity Traded 17,302,799 17,302,799 Quantity Traded 112,529 115,000 Page 216,689

No. of Deals 17 17

Current Price 244.69

JAPAULOIL Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol OANDO Symbol CONOIL ETERNA FO MOBIL MRS TOTAL

Symbol SEPLAT

Current Price 33.28 1.83 252.00 150.00 49.66 151.99

Value Traded 192,977,022.46 192,977,022.46 Value Traded 3,397,095.60 208,950.00 854,335,069.37 of 13

7,228 372 57,370 509,188

1,080,469.00 17,550.96 8,505,051.95 67,544,186.88

Quantity Traded 7,776 7,776

Value Traded 1,906,189.45 1,906,189.45

17,833,215

262,434,124.79

624

Symbol RTBRISCOE

Value Traded 335,918.47 7 of 13 335,918.47

1,384,529

OIL AND GAS Totals Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Printed 31/08/2015 SERVICES 14:49:08.008

112,385.00 6,500.00 6,750.00 500,000.00 13 of 8,944.00

216,515,133

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Building Materials Printed 31/08/2015 14:49:08.008 ASHAKA CEM PLC BERGER PAINTS PLC CAP PLC CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC PAINTS AND COATINGS MANUFACTURES PLC ActivityPORTLAND SummaryPAINTS on Board EQTY & PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC LAFARGE AFRICA PLC. INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials Totals Electronic and Electrical Products CUTIX PLC. Electronic and Electrical Products Electronic and Electrical Products Totals

NATURAL RESOURCES Mining Services MULTIVERSE PLC Mining Services Totals Daily Summary as of 31/08/2015 Printed NATURAL 31/08/2015 RESOURCES 14:49:08.008 Totals

Symbol DANGFLOUR DANGSUGAR FLOURMILL HONYFLOUR NASCON UTC

Symbol ENAMELWA VITAFOAM Daily Summary VONO

No Of Deals Symbol CWG TRIPPLEG

INDUSTRIAL GOODS Totals

No. of Deals 3 3

Current Price 190.05

Company name

ICT Totals

Current Price 0.91 2.32 35.07

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Processing Systems E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC Processing Systems Totals

No. of Deals (Equities) 1 287 76 364

CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Totals

Sector

ICT IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. IT Services Totals

Activity Summary on Board EQTY

Daily Summary (Equities)

No. of Deals 17 17

Current Price 0.51

Quantity Traded 322,418 322,418

Value Traded 169,024.95 169,024.95

Symbol REDSTAREX TRANSEXPR

No. of Deals 2 1 3

Current Price 3.80 0.90

Quantity Traded 8,820 50,000 58,820

Value Traded 35,191.80 45,000.00 80,191.80

Symbol CILEASING

No. of Deals 4 4

Current Price 0.50

No. of Deals 5 5 (Equities)

Current Price 2.84

Quantity Traded 10,091 10,091 Page Quantity Traded 99,395 99,395

Value Traded 5,045.50 5,045.50 13 9 of Value Traded 278,825.80 278,825.80

No. of Deals 11 53 64 No. of Deals 4 No. of Deals 48

Current Price 0.91 5.17

Quantity Traded 1,148,978 2,485,788 3,634,766 Quantity Traded 10,091 Quantity Traded 10,091 438,560

Value Traded 1,045,569.98 11,777,799.98 12,823,369.96 Value Traded Value5,045.50 Traded 5,045.50 237,698.29

438,560 Quantity Traded 99,395 Quantity Traded 99,395 5,000

237,698.29 Value Traded 278,825.80 Value Traded 278,825.80 9,050.00

248,170 Quantity Traded 253,170 1,148,978 2,485,788 Quantity Traded 3,634,766 345,000

1,160,044.40 Value Traded 1,169,094.40 1,045,569.98 11,777,799.98 Value Traded 12,823,369.96 1,121,250.00

Daily Summary (Equities)

Symbol IKEJAHOTEL

Daily Summary Symbol LEARNAFRCA UPL Symbol CILEASING Symbol ABCTRANS Symbol IKEJAHOTEL Symbol AIRSERVICE NAHCO

Current Price 0.50 Current Price 0.53

8 No. of Deals 5 No. of Deals 51

Current Price 2.84 Current Price

13 14 11 53 No. of Deals 645

0.91 5.17 Current Price

1.73 4.68

Symbol No. of Deals Current Price Daily Summary (Equities) LEARNAFRCA UPL Symbol CAVERTON Symbol ABCTRANS Daily Summary

3.25 5 No. of Deals Current Price 120 8 0.53 (Equities) 8

3,831

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

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol Symbol CAVERTON

1 13 120 14

1.73 4.68

No. of 3,831 Deals Current Price No. of Deals 5 Current Price 3.25 1.75 52 2 120 2

Daily Summary (Equities) JULI

Daily Summary (Equities) Symbol

3,831

No. of Deals Current Price 2 2 1.75 2

Daily JULISummary (Equities) Daily Summary (Equities)

Symbol No. of Deals 2 Current Price Daily Summary (Equities) FBNH

270 6.14 270 Current Price Symbol No. of Deals 2 Symbol No. of Deals JULI 2 Current Price 1.75 Daily Summary (Equities) 776 ZENITHBANK 506 15.20 2 506 Symbol No. of Deals Current Price 2 FBNH 270 Current Price 6.14 Symbol No. of Deals 270 DANGCEM 157 172.47 2 157 Symbol No. of Deals 776 Current Price Daily Summary (Equities) 506 ZENITHBANK 15.20 157 506 Symbol No. of Deals Current Price 933 DANGCEM 157 172.47 157 Symbol No. of 4,766 Deals Current Price 157 ZENITHBANK 506 15.20 506

Daily Summary (ETP)

Quantity Traded Value Traded 451,046,659 2,586,131,088.56 Quantity345,000 Traded Value Traded 1,121,250.00 700 1,169.00 345,000 1,121,250.00 700 1,169.00 5,162,220 15,884,500.70 700 1,169.00 Page 10 of 13

451,046,659

Quantity Traded 700 700 700

Quantity Traded 700 14,615,553 14,615,553 Quantity Traded 700 Quantity Traded 700 58,616,004 44,000,451 700 44,000,451 Quantity Traded 700 14,615,553 Quantity Traded 14,615,553 701,367 Page 700 701,367 Quantity Traded 58,616,004 44,000,451 701,367 44,000,451 Quantity Traded 59,317,371 701,367 Page 701,367

510,364,730 Quantity Traded 701,367 44,000,451

933

Symbol No.4,766 of Deals NEWGOLD 1 STANBICETF30 1 Daily Summary (ETP) VETGRIF30 1 Daily Summary (ETP) 3 Symbol NEWGOLD STANBICETF30 VETGRIF30

345,000 1,121,250.00 Quantity Traded Value Traded 5,162,220 15,884,500.70 438,560 237,698.29 438,560 237,698.29 451,046,659 Page 2,586,131,088.56 10 of 13 Quantity Traded Value Traded 5,000 9,050.00 248,170 1,160,044.40 5,162,220 15,884,500.70 253,170 1,169,094.40

No. of Deals 3 1 1 31 3

Current Price 2,165.00 95.00 13.50 Current Price 2,165.00 95.00 13.50

2,586,131,088.56 Value Traded 1,169.00 1,169.00 1,169.00

Value1,169.00 Traded 88,177,593.32 88,177,593.32 Value Traded 1,169.00 Value1,169.00 Traded 757,178,822.27 669,001,228.95 1,169.00 669,001,228.95 Value Traded 1,169.00 88,177,593.32 Value Traded 88,177,593.32 120,579,291.63 13 11 of 1,169.00 120,579,291.63 Value Traded 757,178,822.27 669,001,228.95 120,579,291.63 669,001,228.95 Value Traded 877,758,113.90 120,579,291.63 11 of 13 120,579,291.63

3,463,890,371.46 Value Traded

44,000,451

120,579,291.63 669,001,228.95 669,001,228.95

59,317,371

877,758,113.90

13 Page 11 of 510,364,730 Quantity Traded 3,463,890,371.46 Value Traded 52 112,580.00 11 1,045.00 100 1,350.00 163 114,975.00 Quantity Traded 163 Page 52 11 163 100 163 Page

Value Traded 114,975.00 13 12 112,580.00 of 1,045.00 114,975.00 1,350.00 114,975.00 12

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Community Mirror I will not appear before the panel because Wike failed to comply with the laws setting up an administrative panel. –FORMER GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE, CHIBUIKE AMAECHI

Francis suberu

t least 109 people; 102 male and seven female were arrested at the weekend by agents of the Lagos State government for failing to use pedestrian bridges at Ketu-Mile 12 axis of the state. The combined team of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), unit of Lagos State Police Command, the Lagos Taskforce and officials of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) made most of the arrests at Ojota and Ketu bus-stops, Lagos-Ikorodu road, on Friday and Saturday. Information from Lagos State government office, Alausa, showed that the special operation was necessitated following increasing rate of accidents involving pedestrians at the bus stops and lives that were being lost on the highways. The directive, it was gathered, came from Commissioner of Police, CP, Fatai Owoseni, to prevent continuous loss of lives on the highways and ensure people cultivate the habit of using overhead bridges. “This operation is a continuous one. We are saddled with the responsibility to instill discipline into erring individuals

Lagos arrest 109 for crossing expressway to prevent lives and properties. This is why we can’t fold our arms seeing many lives being lost for not using the bridges”, the RRS Commander ACP Ola-

tunji Disu said. Disu said the 109 Pedestrians have been transferred to the Task Force Alausa for prosecution. It has been established that re-

fusal of people to use the bridge hinders free-flow traffic on Lagos highways especially along Ikorodu road, Mile 12 and Mile 2 areas.

L-R: National Association of Nigerian Trado-Medical Practitioners (NANIMP),HRH Eze Omon Oleabhiele; representative of NAFDAC Director-General, Director, Drug Evaluation and Research, Mrs. Titilope Owolabi; Director, Post Inspection Directorate, NAFDAC, Mrs. Maureen Ebigbeyi, during African Traditional Medicine Day Celebration by NAFDAC in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

NAFDAC institutes safety guidelines for herbal medicines Dare akogun

n its bid to ensure the quality and safety standards for herbal medicines, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration, NAFDAC, has established standards and appropriate guidelines for the production, listing and registration of herbal medicinal products in Nigeria. NAFDAC Director General Paul Orhii disclosed this at the 13th edition of the annual African Traditional Medicine Day in Lagos, with the theme: ‘Regulation of Traditional Herbal Medicine Production in the African Region’. Orhii who was represented by the Director, Drug Evaluation and Research Directorate, Mrs Titilope Owolabi noted that the agency adopted the ratified World Health organisation, WHO, guidelines for the assessment of traditional medicines. “The WHO guidelines states that all herbal medicine must possess as assessment of efficacy by ethno medical information and biological activity evaluations,

the quality and safety assessment as well as shelf life determination. “To ensure the development of quality and safety standards for herbal medicines NAFDAC has stipulated that all herbal preparations meet labeling, safety, quality and purity requirements in order to be registered, “she added. Recognizing the important role of the media plays in its efforts towards safeguarding public health; Orhii urged them to insist on seeing an authentic NAFDAC approval before airing any advertisement on herbal medicines. In his keynote address Presi-

dent of National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners, NANTMP, HRH Omon Oleabhiele stated the importance of traditional medicine can’t be over emphasized. He called for the urgent development of traditional medical practice into the mainstream health care delivery service in the country, saying that according to WHO estimation 80 percent of people in the developing countries make use of traditional medicine. He however called on the Federal Miniistry of Health to create a department of Traditional

Medicine in these ministry and traditional Doctors must be employed to work there. “These should be extended to NAFDAC, NIPRID and also NNMDA, the Federal ministry of Arts and Culture so that these practitioners will healthily represent the views and actual face of traditional cultural medicine in those various bodies in our country”, he said. The significance of the African Traditional Medicine Day is to raise awareness on the critical role that traditional medicine plays in improving the health of the people.

IPC denounces arrest of Nigerian-based journalist

nternational Press Center, IPC, Lagos, has described as condemnable the arrest and continued detention of a Lagosbased Cameroonian journalist, Simon Ateba, by Cameroonian authorities since Friday, August 28, 2015. The journalist was arrested as he was investigating the conditions of Nigerian refugees

camped in the country’s’ far north. Director, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, in a statement yesterday noted that there was nothing wrong if a journalist investigates the ordeals and suffering of Nigerians who fled into Cameroon as their communities came under sustained attacks from the extremist Boko Haram sect.

“However if the authorities feel he has contravened the laws of the country he should therefore be charged to court or otherwise be released immediately”, he added. The director IPC demanded that the Cameroonian authorities should ensure his safety is guaranteed while in their custody.

Lagos Speaker gives out free GCE forms Dare akogun

peaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa has said his intention of building a resource centre in Agege, was to cater for the training and empowerment of youths and women in the state. Obasa broke this glad tiding recently in Agege during the flag-off ceremony for his annual free GCE form distribution exercise. According to him, the aim of the establishing the resource centre is to make youths and women to be reliable. “Our aim is to teach you how to fish rather than giving you fish to eat. By training and empowering youths and women, we are not only making them independent but also making them employers of labour. “This resource centre will have all the necessary modern information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and vocational training machines of different types and it will be responsible for training and empowering youths and women not only in Agege but also in the entire state,” he said. On the free GCE forms distribution programme, Rt. Hon. Obasa stated that it has been one of his educational development programmes aimed at assisting indigent students in realizing their education ambition. “We have been doing this since 2003 and this is the 12th edition. Annually the number of beneficiaries keeps increasing. Last year, we gave out 100 forms, this year, we are giving out 200 forms and I want to assure you that the number will increase next year by the special grace of God,” he assured. Obasa advised the beneficiaries to ensure that they study hard in order to pass the examination noting that, “it is when you excel in this examination that you encourage us to do more. A total of 200 students benefitted from the programme and the event.

National Mirror National Mirror Tuesday, 4, September 1, 2015 47 Tuesday, February 2014 www.nationalmirroronline.net www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

Myanmar’s president signs law seen as targeting Muslims

If Europe fails on the question of refugees, then it won’t be the Europe we wished for.

–GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL

37 die as migrant boat sinks off Libyan coast Paul arhewe,

Libyan Red Crescent workers move the body of a dead migrant that was recovered by the Libyan coastguard after a boat sank off the coastal town of Zuwara, west of Tripoli

The migrants pay thousands of dollars for the land and sea passage with smugglers often beating and torturing them to press for more money for the final leg of the trip by sea in unseaworthy vessels, rights groups said. Libya has asked the European Union for help to train and equip its navy which was largely destroyed during the uprising in 2011 that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. But all training and coop-

eration was frozen in 2014 as the European Union boycotted a selfdeclared government controlling western Libya, which seized the capital Tripoli a year ago by expelling the official premier to the east. Western and most Arab powers only deal with the easternbased government, which has no control of western Libya from where boats are launched due to its proximity to the Italian island of Lampedusa.

The number of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe has passed 300,000 this year, up from 219,000 in the whole of 2014, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Friday. More than 2,500 people have died making the crossing this year, not including those feared drowned off Libya in the last 24 hours, it said. That compares with 3,500 who died or went missing in the Mediterranean in 2014.

Ivorian opposition coalition threatens to obstruct polls

coalition of opposition groups in Ivory Coast threatened yesterday to try to block presidential elections in October unless the government opens talks on issues such as insecurity and the electoral commission. The National Coalition for Change (CNC), formed in May and led by former prime minister Charles Konan Banny, groups 13 political leaders, several of whom have declared themselves candidates in the Oct. 25 election. With the economy booming in Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa exporter, President Alassane Ouattara is widely regarded as favorite. If no candidate wins a majority in the vote, a run-off will be held roughly two weeks later. The CNC said it had not received replies to letters sent to Ouattara and his government expressing concerns about insecurity in parts of Ivory Coast that

Rare hurricane hits West African Island A hurricane, with winds of up to 140km/h (85mph) has hit the island nation of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa. The government has grounded all flights until further notice. No hurricane has ever been recorded further east in the tropical Atlantic. A hurricane warning has been issued by the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), which predicts coastal flooding due to strong wind and heavy rains from yesterday and overnight into Tuesday. Hurricane conditions are occurring in islands in north-eastern Cape Verde, with northern and northwestern islands due to be hit if the hurricane holds its current course, it adds. The hurricane is forecast to gradually weaken from Tuesday onwards.

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

boat carrying migrants sank off Libya’s Mediterranean coast, killing at least 37 people, a local official said, the second such fatal accident within days. “We had reports this morning that there are seven bodies of illegal migrants that sank off Khoms (east of Tripoli)...but we don’t have any details how many migrants were on board,” said Mohamad al-Misrati, a spokesman for the Red Crescent in Tripoli. Fishermen later discovered 30 more bodies in the same area near Khoms, a town some 100 km (62 miles) east of the capital, he said. Volunteers of the Red Crescent were trying to recover the dead but were lacking boats. No more details were immediately available. On Thursday, a vessel packed with migrants hoping to make it from Libya to Italy sank in waters off the Libyan town of Zuwara, killing up to 200 people. Lawless Libya has turned into a major transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty by boat to Europe. Smugglers exploit the country’s chaos to bring Syrians into Libya via Egypt or nationals of sub-Saharan countries via Niger, Sudan and Chad.

AFRICAN BULLETIN

could hamper voting. The coalition also said it had concerns about what it termed pro-government bias in both the voting register and the composition of the national electoral commission. “Elections cannot and must

not be held in Ivory Coast if we do not sit down and talk,” said JeanJacques Bechio, CNC spokesman. “If our demands are not satisfied, there will be no election.” Bechio said the CNC would use all legal means to make itself heard, referring to street protests

Ivoirian president Alassane Ouattara holding an umbrella during a public function

and sit-ins. He declined to comment on the possibility of an election boycott. Ivory Coast was plunged into turmoil when then president Laurent Gbagbo refused to recognize Ouattara’s victory in a 2010 election. More than 3,000 people were killed during a brief civil war before Ouattara was installed with the support of French and U.N. troops. The security situation in francophone West Africa’s largest economy has improved dramatically since then. Foreign investors are returning, drawn by growth forecast to reach nearly 8 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund, thanks in part to heavy public investment. Some see the CNC’s move as an effort by its members to win political prominence ahead of October’s election, and possibly cabinet places after the vote.

Swazi police confirm 13 die in road crash

Swaziland’s police have confirmed that 11 young women and two men died in a road accident at the weekend on their way to an annual ceremony where the king might have chosen one of the women as his wife. Four trucks transporting scores of young women to the traditional Umhlanga Reed Dance collided on Friday near the town of Matsapha on Swaziland’s major highway, police spokesperson Inspector Phindile Vilakati told Reuters. An advocacy group based in neighbouring South Africa, the Swaziland Solidarity Network, on Saturday put the death toll at 38. Eighty-one people were admitted to hospital, but most have since been discharged, Vilakati said. The Umhlanga Reed Dance has in the past involved bare-breasted young Swazi women dancing and singing in beaded mini-skirts to catch the eye of King Mswati III, Africa’s last absolute monarch.

Hunger rises in Somalia as floods loom – UN The number of Somalis in hunger has risen in the past six months, the United Nations said yesterday, predicting a further spike as the Horn of Africa nation braces itself for the worst flooding in decades. Following a poor cereal harvest caused by an early end to the rainy season, there has been a 17 percent increase in the number of Somalis in food crisis, up to 855,000 people, two-thirds of whom are internally displaced. “The country’s humanitarian situation remains alarming,” the U.N. said in a statement. Somalia experienced a devastating famine in 2011, caused by drought, war and lack of access to humanitarian aid.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

NFPA to partner Gombe on development WILLIAMS ATTAH GOMBE

Bauchi State Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Sunmonu Abdulmalik (left) and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Tony Okpara (right), decorating the newly promoted Inspector Godwin Hosea, in Bauchi, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Plateau residents protest fresh killings JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

housands of youths in Plateau State yesterday defiled an early morning rain to stage protests over the incessant attacks by gunmen in different part of the state which has led to the death of many residents and destruction of properties. The angry youth carrying placards with different inscriptions marched through the streets of Jos, the state capital, calling on the authorities to halt the killings without further delay While the protest was ongoing, National Mirror gathered that four people who were heading to Jos from the Barki Ladi axis to join in the protest were

gunned down by the gunmen who had laid ambush on their way. But the killing of the youth did not stop the protesters who marched through the city of Jos before they headed to the state House of Assembly where they were addressed by the Speaker, Peter Azi. The speaker who condemned terrorists’ activities in the state, however, assured the people that the lawmakers were working hard to stop the killing of innocent residents in the state under any guise Also addressing the protesters, the Anglican Bishop of Jos, Reverend Benjamin Kwashi, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address the lingering crisis in the North Central.

Expressing regrets over numerous blood-letting in the state due to attacks by gunmen, the clergy said: “As a pastor, I have conducted more burials occasioned by attacks than weddings and naming ceremonies since 2001. “It’s sad to note that most victims of the attacks are armless children, some infants, women and youths; the present administration must end the killings, attention should not be concentrated only on the North East alone, people are been killed here in Plateau, Benue Nasarawa and Kaduna states.” Leader of the protesting group Dr Daniel Menshark, who confirmed the killing of four of the youth in a fresh attack, observed with disappointment that most parts of

the state were under siege, particularly in Barkinladi and Riyom, which he said has been deserted due to activities of terrorists. Menshak revealed that over 50,000 people were displace from their homes, with many been killed; “as we speaks, four of our members on their way to join us in this peaceful protest today were killed, we do not know who will be the next.” It is no longer news that commuters along Barkinladi- Bokkos- Mangu route were severally ambushed and killed through attacks. Some of the inscriptions on the placards read; Plateau is under siege, Mr President, come to our rescue. Mahanga is no longer safe. Sambisa forest now exists in Jos.

NEMA distributes relief materials to Nigerian deportees from Niger J USTIN TYOPUUSU JALINGO

ational Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, yesterday distributed assorted relief materials to 272 Nigerians deported from Niger Republic and victims of attacks currently in camps in Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State. Director General of the agency, Alhaji Muhammed Sani-Sidi, presented the relief materials to the deportees and other victims on behalf of the Federal Government. Sidi told the victims that the Federal Government was committed

to ensuring that peace return to all warring communities across the country to enable them settle in their various villages. The Director General, who thanked the people of Ibi for hosting the deportees, urged them to continue with the gesture, while government was taking steps to resettle all affected persons. Represented by NEMA Head of Gombe Operations Office, Alhaji Saidu Mini, Sidi urged the people to forgive one another and eschew violence for a better Nigeria.

He said the relief materials were not compensation for their losses, but government effort at alleviating their sufferings. In his comments, Mr. Douglas Dogara, Chief Administrative Officer of the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, urged the IDPs and deportees to cooperate with government in finding lasting solutions to crisis in their communities. Alhaji Iliya Muhammed, the Caretaker Chairman of Ibi Local Government thanked NEMA for promptly responding to the plight of

his people. He appealed to the federal and state governments to expedite action on the safe return of the IDPs and settlement of the deportees. A deportee, John Sabo, told journalists that he had lived in Niger Republic for over 20 years, but was deported four months ago by the Niger government due to the activities of Boko Haram. Items distributed include rice, maize, mosquito nets, roofing sheets, mattresses, ceiling board, beans among others.

nited Nations Fund for Population Activities, UNFPA, and the Gombe State Government has entered into partnership aimed at improving the overall quality of life of the people of Gombe State. Launching the programme tagged; Gombe State/United Nations Development Assistance Framework III 2014-2017 yesterday in Gombe, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo said, under the UNDAF arrangement, all the UN agencies would now pool their resources together to assist the State. He appreciated the UN system in Nigeria under the coordination of the Resident Coordinators and UNDP Resident representatives in Nigeria, the 18 Resident Representatives as well as the Non-Resident Representative for favourably considering Gombe State for the assistance. He said the state is confronted with development challenges in education, health, infrastructure, youth orientation, women empowerment, HIV/AIDS among others, which is the reason why the government set up eleven broadbased committees that

reviewed all sectors of government and made appropriate recommendations on the way forward. The UNFPA Resident Representative in Nigeria, Ratidza Ndhlovu, said within the framework of mutual accountability, the United Nations system in Nigeria is committed to providing support in four thematic areas. The areas include good governance, social capital development, equitable and sustainable economic growth and human security and risk management. She, however, said the programme in Gombe State is aimed at providing demographic dividends in the areas of improvement in health status, especially of women and children, improvement in child survival combined with child spacing and lower fertility rates and improved education, youth employment, good governance and economics. She said: “All this will result in a demographic dividend whereby a larger proportion of Gombe State population will be having decent work or employment, but taking care of much fewer dependants. ‘’That way, the state government will have more resources to invest in education, health job creation and to invest in improved quality of life of its people”.

Army plans de-radicalisation programme for North East LIVINUS MENEDI YOLA

he Nigerian Army has disclosed plans to hold a de-radicalisation programme for the North East region, just as it said it would continue to be in the region until the return of normalcy. The programme according to the Chief of Civilian and Military Affairs in the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Rodgers Nicholas, said will hold in a forth night and with the active collaboration of religious and civil societies groups. Nicholas, who spoke to journalists yesterday at the headquarters of 23rd Armoured Brigade Yola, said the deradicationalisation pro-

gramme which is aimed at restoring peace to the North East, will equally help to give the populace a sense of safety. Nicholas, who urged the support of stakeholders towards the initiative, said it was the responsibility of all to see that insurgency is put behind us. Nicholas further reiterated the perception of the military about the Boko Haram sect, whom he described as a “purely criminal group,” this he noted, was against the backdrop of disillusionment. He urged the public not to be misled into thinking in that manner, but instead to see the sect as criminal element, who have been responsible for maiming the lives of both adherents of the two religions, including the destruction of their places of worship.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Transfer: Stones sticks to Toffees 54

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Buhari, NOC hail victorious D’Tigers ABUJA

resident Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the national men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, on their victory over Angola in last Sunday’s final of the FIBA Africa Basketball Championship in Tunisia. A statement issued yesterday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari joined other sports-loving Nigerians in applauding D’Tigers’ exhilarating 74-65 victory over their Angolan opponents in the AfroBasket final which also secured Nigeria’s qualification for the men’s basketball event at next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The President commended the players for displaying exemplary strength, courage, determination and patriotism as well as great skills and creativity to dethrone Angola, the perennial African basketball champions. Buhari urged members of the team and their handlers to

...president assures on Rio Olympics work very hard to surpass their extraordinary heroics in Tunisia before a global audience at next year’s Olympic Games and bring even greater glory to Nigeria. The President assured the team, its managers and the Nigerian Basketball Federation (NBBF) that his administration would give them and Nigeria’s other representatives at the next Olympics the fullest possible support to ensure that they are well prepared to excel against the champions of other countries and regions in Rio de Janeiro. The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) has also hailed the D’Tigers for their historic win, beating African basketball superpower, Angola, in the final. The victory of the team brought out cheers from President of NOC, Engineer Habu Gumel, who hailed them as “heroes.” Gumel who is a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said he was glad-

Sport

What a season this has been! I am happy with everything and will love us to do win the title again –Chelsea midfielder, Ramires

AfroBasket 2015:

Rotimi Fadeyi

dened by the teeth-gritted determination of D’Tigers. “We welcome D’Tigers to Rio Olympics for their wonderful display of team work and determination. We congratulate the team and the President of NBBF, Tijani Umar, whose leadership quality played a key role in the team’s success,’’ Gumel said. Also yesterday, the FCT Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) congratulated the D’Tigers for lifting the 2015 AfroBasket trophy and qualifying for the Rio Olympics. Chairman of the body, Kayode Adeniyi, said all SWAN members are full of joy for the D’Tigers and the leadership of the NBBF for emerging as Africa’s champions. We really rejoice with D’Tigers and the NBBF board for spearheading the team that brought back basketball glory to Nigeria. We congratulate them and the entire basketball family in Nigeria,” SWAN said.

In the final, Nigeria’s Chamberlain Oguchi hit a trifecta of three-pointers on his way to a game-high 19 points for D’Tigers, with Olaseni Lawal finished with a dozen. Oguchi was rewarded for his impressive tournament and huge individual performance in the final by receiving the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, presented by Tissot. The 29-year-old headlined the All-Star Five which also included his Nigeria team-mate, Al-Farouq Aminu, Morais of Angola, Tunisia’s Makram Ben Romdhane and Gorgui Dieng of Senegal. “It’s the best moment of my life, to be able to come here after missing the last AfroBasket, to be able to come here and do this with my brothers, it feels amazing,” Oguchi said afterwards. “I’m happy to be able to share this moment with them and for me personally, it’s just really great,” the MVP added.

AAG: Siasia worries over strikers as TN lands in Congo

ead coach of Nigeria’s U-23 men’s team, Samson Siasia, has described as worrisome the striking pattern of his team, a few days to the beginning of the 11th All Africa Games (AAG) in Brazzaville, Congo. Siasia spoke at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja yesterday, as his players joined the rest of Team Nigeria (TN) and departed for Brazzaville aboard Max Air airliner. He said that he intends to pay more attention on the performance of his boys in front of goal, even as he expects the likes of Turkey-based Aminu Umar and captain Azubuike Nwakali to team up with the rest of the players in Brazzaville. The U-23 team will lock horns with Ghana and Senegal in Group B of the men’s football event, following the withdrawal of Egypt. “We will keep working on noticeable lapses. All our focus is on the Olympics. At the All Africa Games, we are going to try our best, hopefully get to the final and win the trophy,” Siasia said.

Sports

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Bishop drums Oliseh support IfeanyI eduzor

residing Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, Bishop Mike Okonkwo, has appealed to Nigerians to give Super Eagles Coach, Sunday Oliseh, adequate time to reposition the senior national team. Okonkwo, who bared his mind to National Mirror at the final of Mike Okonkwo Football Tournament in Lagos over the weekend, said Oliseh had started well by encouraging home

based players to compete for places in the team. “Oliseh is on the right track and I want Nigerians to be patience wityh him and with time, he will make us proud,” he said. The bishop also called on Corporate Nigeria and government at all levels to complement the church’s effort at developing grassroots football in Nigeria. “I am delighted that this tournament which began 13 years ago has produced national team players,” he further

said. Mighty Stars of Iwaya defeated Everlasting Stars of Amuwo-Odofin 6-5 through penalties after the game ended goalless at regulation time in the final held at Yaba College of Technology pitch. Golden Stars FC had earlier beat Maryland FS 3-2 also through penalties to clinch the third place trophy, while the ex- internationals led by Henry Nwosu defeated Bishop Okonkwo Eleven 2-1 in novelty match to spice the ceremony.

Bishop Mike Okonkwo presenting a trophy to captain of Mighty Stars FC after the final of the competition to commemorate his 70th birthday in Lagos at the weekend

NPL: ‘Why Kwara lost at Taraba’ IfeanyI eduzor

Stones sticks to Toffees Transfer:

verton defender, John Stones, did not mean to hand in his transfer request, according to Manager Roberto Martinez. The 21-year-old England international is understood to have been the subject of three bids by Premier League champions Chelsea during this transfer window, yet the Toffees have remained resolute in their desire to keep hold of him. That stance was not altered when Stones formally asked for a move to be granted, a request his chairman Bill Kenwright publicly re-

Stones

jected, after which Martinez selected the youngster in his back four for the stalemate with Tottenham on Saturday. Martinez has praised Stones’ attitude in dealing with this saga throughout and suggested the decision to hand in a request to leave was not the defender’s choice. “John is such a professional,” the Everton manager said, adding, “I had other situations where I had players who couldn’t cope and couldn’t play. I had windows where I had to leave players out completely.”

lo Premier League side Kwara United has attributed its 3-0 loss to Nasarawa United in their Week 26 game of the season to bad officiating by the center referee, Folorunsho Ajayi. A statement from the club yesterday frowned at a situation where two red cards were issued to Kwara players, in addition to other questionable calls which

led to the visitors conceding three goals in 29 minutes. “It is regrettable that the referee misinterpreted the rules throughout the game,” the statement said. “The referee even allowed our opponents to score the third goal when our player was fouled by two Taraba players,” it adde, stressing, “We appeal to the League Management Committee to ensure that only referees with good track record officiate the remaining matches in the league.”

Abians chase Ikpeazu Cup glory afolabI GambarI

ction begins today at NOC Stadium Complex, Amuwo-Odofin, popularly known as Sanya Field, for the maiden Okezuo Abia Unity Cup donated by businessman Nwaigwe Solomon Nwaigwe in honour of the Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu. Coordinator of the competition, Mr. Oscar Ezinwa Emmanuel, told National Mirror in Lagos yesterday that arrangement had been concluded for a hitch-free event. PDR FC meets Favour FC in the early game while XI Strikers FC faces Starlet FC. Soccer Warriors FC will also meet Everlasting Stars FC as Young Stars FC squares Stallion FC. “Matches will be played till Saturday,” Emmanuel disclosed. “The Abia State Solidarity Group (ABSSG) headed by Kingsley Onuoha will witness all the

matches while members of the Governor’s Reception Committee and Tournament’s sub-committee will also be available throughout,” the coordinator added. Emmanuel said the competition was in preparation for Okpeazu’s visit to Abia indigenes resident in Lagos, even as he said Abians from Kwara, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti states as well as from Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana would grace the event.

Ikpeazu

WORLD RECORD

Largest smoothie Fastest marathon dribbling two basketballs

N150

Vol. 05 No. 1189 Tuesday, September 1, 2015

The largest smoothie contained 2,300 litres (607.6 US gal) and was prepared by Dry July (Australia) at Circular Quay in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 30 June 2014.

Towards a functional civil service

eveloped countries share one thing in common: possession of an effective and efficient civil service. The United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany and f the United Arab Emirates can only boast of their advancement levels on account of the commitment of public servants in their respective countries. Invariably, what this means is there is no advanced nation without an efficient civil service system. Where is Nigeria today? What has the country done in the past and what can be done to reposition the country’s civil service to drive the necessary change? The current state of the Nigerian civil service is such that it is more sought after for the job securityandretirementbenefititoffersthanworkingto

Guest Columnist

Olusola Akinyemi

help the government serve the people better. Over the years, the civil service has been characterised by a level of unattractiveness to the serious-minded and innovative class. It is highly susceptible to compromise, habitual lateness and absenteeism with little or no penalty; professionalism and competence is under-prioritised; facilities are mostly uncomfortable and working tools are not available in the required quantity; human development trainings rarely taken serious and when available, they are seen as career excursions than capacity building to serve better; highly bureaucratic and constantly delaying public service delivery process; and to crown it all, it is the engine of corruption as almost nothing can be done without greasing the palm of officers. At times, I try to imagine if the public service can be run as a well-structured private company which survival and profit is exclusively dependent on how it serves the best interest of the customers. The damage of the state described above is such that in government, some institutions and property are malfunctioning, the education sector is speedily nose-diving, the economy underperforms, small and medium scale entrepreneurs find it almost difficult to break even, foreign investors are either discouraged or indulged to deal harshly with our people and the government programmes and policies don’t usually reach a substantial number of the target beneficiaries. President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 had inherited a country, which according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ranked 178th on the Human Development Index (HDI) – it ranked 49th in 1979 when he handed over power as military head. Bureaucracy had skyrocketed to about 350 percent between 1960

OVER THE YEARS, THE CIVIL SERVICE HAS BEEN CHARACTERISED BY A LEVEL OF UNATTRACTIVENESS TO THE SERIOUSMINDED AND INNOVATIVE CLASS and 1999 in size, compared to population increase of 160 percent; institutional capacity and effectiveness had declined and there was critical need to restructure as well as streamline the service, so he launched the public service reforms. The reforms of the Obasanjo administration covered procurement system review; institutionalisation of fiscal responsibility; establishment of service charter and institutionalisation of quality service delivery; human resource management; staff cadre review; capacity development and training; injection of new competencies personnel, including relevant professionals with rare skills and young and bright graduates; organisational restructuring and right-sizing; value re-orientation, and institutionalization of service ethics among others. As laudable as the reforms were, we cannot safely judge that they have climaxed into efficiency and effectiveness of the civil service sector despite the huge investment and commitment of the Obasanjo administration in the process.

One of such was the 125-250 percent increase in the salaries of civil servants, seen as essential to curbing corruption, but not to reward or better still drive efficiency and effectiveness of the sector with unreserved commitment. Just as the Dangote Group will not just increase salaries, but will do that to negotiate for increased productivity of the staff, increase in salaries in the public service should be to boost better service delivery. This move by the Obasanjo administration set the foundation for the challenge of more recurrent expenditure than capital expenditure in our national budget. National productivity such that will drive income for the government to be able to invest more in capital projects to drive economic growth is very low. Perhaps, the civil service has not been identified as playing a critical role in the interconnections of economic management and government in achieving national development. And with our low level of productivity, which is confronted with states being unable to pay salaries, yet there is further clamour for an upward review of the salary structure of the civil service. Civil service reform in the US was a major issue in the late 19th century at the national level and in the early 20th century at the state level. The 1883 Civil Service Reform Act abolished the US Civil Service Commission, which was largely influenced by political office holders and placed most federal employees on the merit system. The Pendleton Act required entrance examinations for aspiring bureaucrats. By 1896, most federal jobs were under civil service, placing more emphasis on expertise than politics. Ethical degeneration was halted by reform in civil service and municipal reform in the Progressive Era, which led to structural changes in the administrative departments and changes in the way the government managed public affairs. The 1798 Ethics in Government Act codified standards of government ethics for the executive branch. In 1989, the Act was expanded in its applicability to legislative and judicial branches, which promoted the prevention of conflict of interest. To be continued Akinyemi, President, Joseph Initiative Ltd/Gte, Lagos, wrote via olusola.akins@ gmail.com

Sport Extra

orld number one, Novak Djokovic, has admitted concerns about his own form ahead of the upcoming US Open. Djokovic, who has already collected trophies at the Australia Open and Wimbledon,

Ahead US Open: ‘Form concern’ worries Djokovic accepted his standards had slipped in recent weeks. Since switching to the hard courts in America, Djokovic has suffered a final defeat against Andy Murray at the Montreal Masters, while he

was also beaten in the Cincinnati Masters final by Roger Federer. “I haven’t been happy with the way I played in Cincinnati, except I think the match against Stan in the quarters,

that was the best match of the tournament for me,” the 2011 champion admitted. “Other than that, I was just holding on, fighting, and winning with that fighting spirit. Not giving up. That’s how I

reach finals and I thought it was a great result under the circumstances, the way I played. “Sometimes you are not able to play as well as you want, but you’ve got to keep finding a way to win.”

Djokovic

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