February 8, 2016 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

FG to rebuild N’East with looted funds –Dogara Ubong Ukpong and George Opara

Dogara

Vol. 5 N0. 1302

ouse of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday, revealed that

looted funds recovered by the Federal Government would be used to rebuild the north east, ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency. Dogara disclosed this when he visited Internally

Displaced Persons, IDPs, camp in Uhogua, Benin City, Edo State, where he reportedly broke down in tears. The Speaker, accord-

17 die in Ibadan auto crash P. 44

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2016 budget

Why Buhari allocates N500bn to Social Welfare …says govt’ll welcome criticism Rotimi Fadeyi, Abuja

residency yesterday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has no reason to mislead Nigerians on the 2016 budget, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said government would conContinued on Page 2>>

L-R: Managing Director of Maersk Line Nigeria, Mr Jan Thorhauge; Commanding Officer of Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Centenary, Capt. Chiedozie Okehie; Executive Officer of NNS Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Capt. Olusegun Soyemi and Captain of Merchant Ship, Safmarine Kuramo, Ms. GousConradie, during the handover of the ship and 25 foreign crew members rescued by troops of the Eastern Naval Command, Nigerian Navy, in Rivers, yesterday.

1,500 IDPs gave birth in Borno camp P.42

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Why Buhari allocates N500bn to Social Welfare CONTINUED FROM Page 1

tinue to welcome wellmeaning criticism of its policies, budget and expenditure, stressing that it was the only way the change promised the country would have a meaning. Shehu, in a statement in Abuja, said it was on account of this, and in line with established tradition that the President directed that the draft 2016 Appropriation, now before the National Assembly be put on the website of the Budget Office so that Nigerians can read it with a view to making their observations. He explained that in view of this, suggestions to the effect that the Presidency was misleading the public on any aspects of the budget cannot stand the test of time. Shehu noted that in reaction to a report that Buhari would spend more on State House Clinic than on all Federal Government -owned teaching hospitals, the Budget Office supplied a summary of allocations to the various sectors under the Ministry of Health. According to him, the summary showed clearly that the published story was inaccurate. The budget office has affirmed that in terms of both capital and recurrent allocations, the draft budget has put far more money in the 17 teaching hospitals than it did in the State House Clinic. He said despite this step, government still welcome comments or criticisms on the draft budget. “We are not by any stretch of imagination suggesting that the draft budget is beyond comments or reproach. Nor do we wish to dwell on this simply to make a point. To do that will drive away good citizens from pointing out needed corrections and, ultimately defeating the change mantra of the administration. “The budget is a Nigerian budget and citizens reserve the right to examine its content and provide their own perspectives. “As the draft goes through the approval process, this and many other aspects will continue to generate interest, criticism, commendation and sometimes condemnation

in discussions in the parliament, the media and the court of public opinion. “We believe that the process of ‘change’ will be affected by, and stands to gain from these debates especially where there is good faith on all sides “Government has no reason whatsoever to mislead the citizens on the budget and on all other matters for whatever reason,” Shehu said. The Presidency also yesterday explained why the Buhari-led administration proposed N500bn in the budget, saying it was purely to cater for the poor. Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Laolu Akande in a statement disclosed that at no time in the nation’s budgetary history has the Federal Government made a specific vote of such huge sum for social welfare programme. Akande said the six social safety plans in the programme would reduce high level of poverty and vulnerabilities, while also increasing Nigeria’s Human Development Index on the global Unite Nations rankings. “The President’s vision is to increase investments in human capital to guarantee security for all, employment and improved well-being of the people,” he said. Akande disclosed that the Presidency was aware that past attempts to address poverty were not successful because of insufficient political will, presence of various UNcoordinated initiatives and poorly targeted beneficiaries among other factors, stressing that it was working to avoid such pitfalls. According to him, for the Conditional Cash Transfer, CCT, where one million extremely poor Nigerians would receive N5,000 monthly starting from this year, the money would be paid directly to the beneficiaries through a payment system that is being worked out. He explained that the World Bank and Bill Gates Foundation are collaborating with the Presidency to develop an efficient payment system, saying N60bn has been budgeted for the programme.

Auxiliary Bishop of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, Most Rev. Anselm Umoren (middle), blessing Knights of the Catholic Church during the dedication of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Gwagwalada, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN He assured that the implementation of the programme would begin once the budget is passed by the National Assembly. Akande also said there would be direct payment in the Homegrown School Feeding Programme. “In the case of the CCT, those one million poor Nigerians would be paid directly, while in the case of the Homegrown School Feeding, the suppliers of the meals to the primary school pupils would also be paid directly by the Federal Government. There would be no middle agents involved official or private,” he said. According to him, those who would benefit from the CCT scheme would have to

meet certain conditions, including participation of their children in immunisation and school enrollment. He stated that the programme would also boost economic activities as it would put money in hands of more Nigerians. For the Homegrown School Feeding programme, Akande said Federal Government would start a pilot scheme in selected states, once the budget is passed. He added that the onemeal-a-day programme was also being supported by the Imperial College in the UK through one of its agencies, Partnership for Child Development, PCD. According to Akande,

the Homegrown School Feeding would not only feed the children and help their learning significantly, but would also boost the local economy of states and the local communities. He said the Buhari administration has four other social investment plans, including the 500,000 direct jobs, where unemployed graduates would be trained and hired to become volunteer teachers in their communities, while looking for jobs in their chosen profession. Similarly, Akande said the Youth Employment plan would take 370,000 non-graduates through skills acquisition and vocational training programmes.

Like the teaching jobs, he said the selection of beneficiaries for the scheme would be done on states and FCT basis, which would be open to all Nigerians. For small scale traders, artisans and market women, Akande said they would be catered for through the Micro Credit Scheme, where one million Nigerians would get a onetime soft loan of N60,000 each through Bank of Industry. He said the Free Education plan for students of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, STEM, was another programme where government would pay tuition for 100,000 students.

FG to rebuild N’East with looted funds –Dogara ing to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, was in the camp to donate relief materials to thousands of the IDPs, but could not hold back tears on sighting hundreds of orphaned children that constituted majority of the displaced. He told the IDPs to trust God for change in their present conditions, assuring that the present administration was committed to rebuilding the north east with parts of loots being recovered. The Speaker said divine intervention saved the

country from being taken over by Boko Haram terrorists. He said: “As long as this government endures, you will always be in our heart. Thank God for the change. Divine intervention saved the country from being taken over by Boko Haram terrorists. “God had mercy on us. If we had continued like before, probably Boko Haram would have taken over the country, particularly Jos, Plateau State capital by now, but God responded to our prayers and change came and we are committed to ending

this violence. “Very soon, may be in this year, some of you may go back home to your communities. This is something we must do because we have no other country than Nigeria.” He told the IDPs, who are mainly from Borno and Adamawa states to put their trust in God because where people have trusted God there was no situation He could not change. Further, he told the IDPs that some countries had passed through similar or even worse situations than theirs, but with

faith in God and determination, they emerged stronger, citing the 1994 genocide in Rwanda as example. “When I came in here, I saw a people who are determined not to be broken in spite of the circumstances that surround them. “I am part of the region of the north where you come from. I am so affected. I had to concede my houses for IDPs from Yobe and Borno states to live in,” he added. The Speaker also urged the people to imbibe the spirit of forgiveness say-

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Monday, February 8, 2016

Good Health

Franka Osakwe

ealth experts are warning people, particularly pregnant women who travel to United State or Latin America, to refrain from blood transfusion, kissing strangers, or sharing cutlery and plates, amid discovery that Zika virus could be spread via saliva and body fluid. That warning came after the Brazilian government health institute, Fiocruz, confirmed scientists have discovered active traces of Zika in saliva and urine. Earlier on, experts had revealed they had detected two cases where the virus had spread via blood transfusions, which was after the first sexually transmitted case of Zika was reported in South America. Experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed a person living in Dallas County had contracted the disease after having sexual contact with an infected partner, who had returned from an affected country. The latest revelation that the virus could spread via saliva, in particular, adds yet another dimension to the evolving crisis - raising the risk that it could be spread through kissing and other intimate contact. Brazilian health officials made the discovery after analyzing samples from two patients and carrying out a partial genome sequencing of the virus, Paulo Gadelha, president of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, known as Fiocruz, said. The suspected link between the virus and microcephaly (a devastating birth defect that can cause unusually small heads and permanent brain damage) appears ‘stronger and stronger’, CDC experts said during the weekend. Presently, there is no vaccine that can prevent the infection and very few tests are available to detect it. Worse still, people in most countries have never been exposed to the virus before, so there’s very little natural immunity to the virus in the general population. Experts found that the mosquito that carries the Zika virus, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is the same mos-

You can get Zika virus through blood transfusion, kissing

A pregnant woman infected by Zika virus could give birth to a baby with unusual small head and brain defect. quito that spreads the Chugwuniya fever and the yellow fever diseases, and is found in most parts of the world including Nigeria. A species of the same mosquito carries Dengue fever. On the possible transmission of the mosquito-borne virus through bodily fluids, scientists at the Fiocruz institute say they’re trying to determine if the body fluids can spread Zika to new patients. The virus was deemed active, meaning that it was able to cause infection, but the scientists stressed that it was too early to say whether Zika could be transmitted to new patients by either fluid. However, the President of the agency, Paulo Gadelha suggests pregnant women should avoid kissing people other than a regular partner or sharing cutlery, glasses and plates with people who have symptoms of the virus. Professor Jonathan Ball, a professor of

molecular biology virology at the University of Nottingham, said though it is possible for the virus to be detected in saliva and urine, the amount of Zika in the fluid will be very low. ‘Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes and there is no evidence that this is changing,’ he said. ‘Zika virus replicates mainly in the blood, but sometimes some of that virus can find its way into other body fluids such as urine and saliva. ‘The amount of virus in these other body fluids will be low and the possibility of any of this virus finding its way into another person’s bloodstream is so small as to be nearly impossible. ‘This is not something to be concerned about, Zika’s primary route of transmission is the mosquito bite.’ Professor Michael Bonsall, an expert in

mathematical biology at the University of Oxford, echoed that sentiment. He said: ‘The main route of transmission for these flavivirus (Zika, dengue and chikungunya) remains Aedes mosquitoes. ‘Determining whether Zika occurrence in saliva and urine are really viable and requires a lot more robust investigation. Preventing mosquito bites is the first line of defence to breaking the transmission cycle.’ The World Health Organization declared the current outbreak of Zika virus, predominantly in South America, a global public health emergency, last week Monday. WHO director-general Drl. Margaret Chan said she was moved to do so, after growing evidence showing that the virus can trigger potentially life-threatening birth defects in newborn babies. The virus has also been linked to the serious autoimmune disorder, Guillian-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis. Brazil has reported 3,700 suspected cases of microcephaly. More than 30 people in the United States have been confirmed to have Zika after traveling to an affected country. The CDC issued new guidelines urging pregnant women to abstain from sex or use condoms for the duration of their pregnancy, if their partner was at risk of having Zika. And concerns over transmission methods were furthered, when the news broke of two cases where the virus spread through blood transfusions. Meanwhile, the Health Minister. Professor Isaac Oluwole, had advlised pregnant Nigerian women not to travel to places like Southern America, worst hit by the Zika fever.

Did you Know?

Exercise helps you survive first heart attack Sleeping with mouth open damages teeth

n exciting study has revealed a potential key factor in heart attack survival. People who are aerobically fit are more likely to survive their first heart attack, according to the research. The results indicate low fitness may represent a risk of death after a heart attack similar to that of smoking, high blood pressure or diabetes. In a study of 2,061 patients of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit patients with a high level of fitness were 40 per cent less likely to die within a year following their first heart attack. The team looked at patients who suffered their first heart attack after the stress test, during follow-up. The average time between the two events was six years. The more active participants also reduced their chances of death during the

year following their first heart attack by eight to 10 per cent for each level of increased fitness they had reached during the stress test. Michael Blaha, director of clinical research at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease and assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said: “We knew that fitter people generally live longer, but we now have evidence linking fitness to survival after a first heart attack.

cientists have found that sleeping with the mouth open can be as damaging to the teeth as sipping a fizzy drink before bed. This is because breathing through the mouth dries it out - removing the protective effect of saliva, which has a natural ability to kill the bacteria in the mouth that produce acid. As acid levels rise through the night, tooth erosion and decay can begin. The researchers believe the findings help to explain observations of dentists that people who sleep open-mouthed have higher rates of tooth decay. Tooth decay in mouth sleepers is often worse at the back – this is because the back of the mouth tends to get drier than the front. Patients with asthma and obstructive sleep apnoea are more likely to breathe

through the mouth at night. Under normal conditions, the pH level in the mouth – the measure of acidity or alkalinity – is a neutral level of 7.7. But sleeping with the mouth open reduced this to a mildly acidic average a pH of 6.6, according to the study published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. In some people, acidity levels rose as high as 3.6. This is high enough to erode tooth enamel and akin to having a glass of orange juice or can of fizzy drink before bed.

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Monday, February 8, 2016

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L-R: Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku; Managing Director, Bank of Industry, (BOI), Mr. Rasheed Olaoluwa and Executive Director, Small and Medium Enterprises, BOI, Mr Waheed Olagunju, during the presentation of cheques to beneficiaries of MSME Development Funds in Jalingo, Taraba State, at the weekend. L-R: Director of Global Policy and Public Affairs, Diageo, Mr. Richard Burn; Director, Global Corporate Relations, Diageo, Ms. Charlotte Lambkin; British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright and Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Sesan Sobowale, during an advocacy meeting at the British High Commission in Abuja, at the weekend.

L-R: Justice Mashud Abbas of Oyo State Judiciary; Guest Lecturer, Dr Bolanle Babalakin; President, University of Ibadan Muslim Graduates Association, Dr Saka Adewumi and Justice Oladejo Akanbi of Osun State Judiciary, at the Unibadan Muslim Graduates Association Education Summit in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

L-R: Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr Mounir Gwarzo; Managing Partner, Africa Exchange Holdings, Dr Jendayi Frazer and Country Manager, AFEX Commodities Exchange Ltd, Mr Ayodeji Balogun, during a meeting between SEC Management and Africa Exchange Holdings in Abuja, at the weekend. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

National News

Discos seek consumers’ cooperation ahead of labour protest •Improve power supply, not tariff, Aremu tells FG

Chidi Ugwu Abuja

istribution Companies, DISCOS, yesterday called for understanding among Nigerians, saying an alltime high of 5,075mw, achieved last week demonstrates evolution in the capacity of the sector. The appeal came on the heel of today’s planned protest by organised labour against the new electricity tariff, which took off last week. The DISCOS said the new tariff was necessary for improvement of electricity infrastructure that has suffered years of neglect. According to a statement Executive Director, Research and Advocacy, Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors, ANED, Mr. Sunday Oduntan, the new generation

peak was a major milestone in the drive to grow the nation’s economy and improve quality of life. Oduntan said more can be accomplished in the sector if all stakeholders work together as partners. “Nigeria’s growth has been crippled for too long by decades-old deficiencies in the power sector. Private sector-driven efficiency and realistic market prices can, and are already giving the sector a new lease of life. “This attainment of 5,075mw generated, transmitted and distributed has to be viewed in the context of a sector that barely generated 2,000mw prior to the start of the sector reforms, a little over five years ago. “A power sector that delivers fully on its mandate to provide electricity, sufficient to drive Africa’s

largest economy and the 22nd largest economy in the world, is for the mutual benefit of all Nigerians. “Achieving this goal should be our collective objective; investors, operators and customers alike. “ANED re-assured our customers nationwide that the continued increase in generation over the last few months will continue to translate to more electricity in their homes. “ANED and its members are sensitive to customer anxiety over the recent increase in electricity tariffs. “We hereby provide our customers an assurance that the increase is no more than that which is necessary for critical improvement of an electricity infrastructure that has suffered decades of neglect,” he said in the

statement. According to the group, the increase will help to mitigate the negative cash flow and revenue shortfalls that have bedeviled the sector since the handover of assets to private operators and hindered the ability for generators to increase power supply due to inability to pay gas suppliers. Currently, over twothirds of power generated is from gas-fired plants. According to the statement, the limited cash flow has constrained the wheeling capacity of the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, due to lack of access to revenues for rehabilitating, replacing and expanding grid infrastructure; and limiting the ability of DISCOS to procure and install urgently needed meters, extend distribu-

tion networks and provide improved customer service options of automated vending, online bill payment and setting up customer call centres. The group noted that with the increased investment that will occur, as a result of the ability of the operators to generate a credible cash flow that will, in turn, provide them with access to financing for investment in distribution, generation and transmission infrastructure, the cost of electricity supply and distribution will be reduced. “This reduction, as a result of increased investment and efficiency gains, will result in lower tariffs for electricity customers. This projection is consistent with similar electricity reforms that have taken place all over the world. It is empirically supported,” the group added. It would be recalled that Nigerian Electricity

Regulatory Commission, NERC, had approved electricity tariffs increase by between N9.60 and N14.80, effective February 1, 2016. Meanwhile, National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, yesterday said Federal Government must ensure steady power supply before increasing electricity tariff. A statement issued in Kaduna by the Secretary General of the Union, Issa Aremu, said the group support the planned picketing of electricity distribution companies by the organise labour. “We hereby declare our total support for the planned picketing by labour and civil society allies of all offices of the electricity distribution companies (Discos) nationwide, including Abuja, on Monday February 8, to protest the unilateral and unlawful hike of electricity tariff.

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Friday, February 8, 2016

Heads to roll in Aero over diversion of funds …airline to become national carrier …former Maevis boss now MD

Olusegun Koiki

eads may soon start to roll in the troubled Aero Contractors following the commencement of forensic audit of the airline by the Federal Government. It was also gathered that the airline’s debts to Asset Management Company of Nigeria, AMCON, which took over its control in 2011, had grown from N14bn from five years ago to N20bin in 2016. At N14bn, AMCON had 60 per cent shares in the airline and with the current N20bn figure, an industry source said AMCON might have taken over the running and assets of the airline 100 per cent. Also, government has appointed the past Managing Director of Maevis Nigeria Limited, a former concessionaire with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, on aeronautic and non-aeronautic charges, Mr. Tunde Fagbemi as Managing Director of Aero with immediate effect. Fagbemi, our correspondent gathered, resumed work on Friday. It was also gathered that Federal Government may be tinkering with the idea of turning the airline into the country’s national carrier. Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika had assured in Abuja last Friday that government would soon start implementation of recommendations on the establishment of a new national carrier, which was submitted to it last August. A source close to the airline confided in our correspondent yesterday that the Federal Government through AMCON had engaged the services of a reputable accounting firm to undertake a forensic audit of Aero’s accounts in the past five years to know its financial status. The source said the audit may consume some management staff, brought in by AMCON when it took over its control as well as other internal staff. The source added that part of the documents to

L-R: Eldest son of the late Olubadan, Prof. Femi Lana; the Olubdan’s widow, Olori Moriyike Odulana; other children, Princess Bose OdunlanaOmotosho; Princess Bola Femi-Lana; Princess Yemisi Odulana-Sowunmi and Prince Gbade Lana, at the service of songs for the late Olubadan of Ibadnland, Oba Samuel Odulana, at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Aremo, in Ibadan, yesterday. be used for the audit were submitted to AMCON by the two leading industry unions; National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, who had exposed some shady deals in the airline in recent time. The documents submitted to the government by the unions alleged that the immediate past management and board of the airline contributed to its deplorable condition. The unions alleged further that Oceanic Capital, a consultant to the airline acquired seven planes in which only six were delivered and leased them back to Aero through Oceanic Leasing Company at $12m each. But, the unions said rather than the $12m claim by Oceanic Capital, the website of Arizona, the firm where the aircraft were purchased, indicated $4m each for the plane. The documents added that the past management paid $250,000 twice in favour of one Bayo for negotiation and finalisation with AMCON, which also reflected on its invoices as general vendor for consultancy fees. When contacted, the Media Consultant to the airline, Mr. Simon Tumba,

confirmed the appointment of Fagbemi as the new Managing Director. He also confirmed that the debts of Aero against AMCON had grown to N20bn. Tumba, however, declined to confirm the al-

leged plan by government to take over the airline and turn it into a national carrier. He said: “I don’t have the information about the plan of the Federal Government to make the airline a national carrier, but what I

can confirm to you is that Mr. Tunde Fagbemi has been appointed the Managing Director of the airline. “On the debts of the airline to AMCON, what I can say is that government has taken over the management of the airline as a creditor.

“When Aero owed AMCON N14bn, the percentage of AMCON in the airline then was 60 per cent, but now, the debts have grown to N20bn. I don’t know if that means 100 per cent takeover, but you can do the calculation yourself.

Borno attack: AHQ sets up Special Court Martial Ubong Ukpong, Abuja

rmy Headquarters, AHQ, yesterday, said it would deal mercilessly with officers and soldiers found culpable in the incessant attacks in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents in accordance with extant rules,. AHQ, which spoke through its director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Col Sani Usman, said Special Court Martial was already in place to this

effect. It also insisted that it is fully in charge of the Command and Control of Operation Lafiya Dole, and had never relinquished it for any reason. This came on the heel of media reports that the Defence Headquarters was taking over command and control of operations, following the perceived incompetence by Army Headquarters, that has led to continuous attacks. However Usman said: “Operation Lafiya Dole is

essentially land and air operation. The Nigerian Army has the largest troops deployed and therefore the COAS has the responsibility for the operational, command, control and discipline of the Army. This, the COAS will continue to exercise by himself or can delegate through his field commanders. “The recent unfortunate attacks by Boko Haram terrorists on communities close to Maiduguri, despite our successes calls for concern.

“To this end, the Nigerian Army has already commenced investigation into the attacks. All those found wanting will be dealt with in accordance with the Armed Forces Act. “A standing Special Court Martial in the North East has already been established by the Nigerian Army. “All cases of indiscipline and related acts of misconduct, including human rights abuse in the operations will be tried by the Special Court Martial.”

FG to rebuild N’East with looted funds –Dogara CONTINUED FROM Page 2

ing, the situation they found themselves was not peculiar, but has been happening in the course of human history. “It is painful, very painful. You may remember how you left and the people you left behind. Forty per cent of you here are orphans. You may be tempted to always cast your mind back over what

happened to you. Once you are stuck in that you will be filled with bitterness and anger and if that happens, you can’t make progress,” he warned. Dogara donated valuable relief materials to the IDPs and wrote-off the West African Examination Council, WAEC, National Examination Council, NECO and the Joint Administration, Matriculation Examination

Board, JAMB fees for the orphaned children in the camp. He called on all spirited individuals to help the IDPs across the country. The Speaker urged the Pastor of the church hosting the IDPs, Solomon Olorunsho to be faithful in catering for their needs as God would multiply his ministry. He further expressed gratitude to the people and

government of Edo State for hosting the displaced. Receiving the items on behalf of the IDPs, 10-year old Grace Ayuba, who is from Borno State, expressed gratitude to the Speaker and prayed God to bless him the more. Dogara was accompanied by House Committee Chairman on Emergency and Disaster, Jibrin Satumari and some other members.

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Monday, February 8, 2016

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Nigeria’ll be UNSC permanent member someday –Pakistani envoy

L-R: 2nd Deputy Speaker, ECOWAS Parliament, Aminata Tounggara; Acting Director, Admin and Finance, Mr John Azumah; 1st Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; 3rd Deputy Speaker, Jefferson Kanmoh and Speaker, Moustapha Cisse’lo, during a session of ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, at the weekend..

Federal roads: Senate to support states’ agitation for funds refund

and development of the country. “We, however, beg you to intervene in the issue of refunding the state governments of funds expended in rehabilitating federal roads in the country. “State governments are owed a total of N556 billion by the Federal Government on rehabilitated roads; we seek a law that makes it mandatory to refund states whenever such projects are executed. “We would even accept the refund of initial 50 per cent of the funds with negotiations on the balance as the federal roads

are used by citizens of the various states,” he said. While congratulating Ogba, he noted that all current political office holders in the state achieved success by the grace of God. In his response, Ogba, who thanked Saraki and the people, said the occasion was unique because it marked his unprecedented victory over forces that tried to ‘steal’ his God-given mandate. “I therefore rededicate myself to the service of my people, to bring sustainable and people-oriented development in agriculture, infrastructure, among others,” he said.

igh Commissioner of Pakistan to Nigeria, Umer Farooq, has said that Nigeria will one day become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Farook told the News Agency of Nigeria at a programme to mark the Kashmir Solidarity Day in Abuja that Pakistan was grateful to Nigeria for its position on Kashmir. The envoy explained that Nigeria had always supported UN resolutions, adding that the solution to the Kashmir dispute lay in granting the people their right of self-determination. “We are very grateful to the Nigerian people and the Nigerian government. At every forum, Nigeria has supported the cause of Kashmir. “I honestly believe that Nigeria has every right and the potential to lead the African continent to the Security Council. “Right now, Nigeria is a non-permanent member but time will tell and Nigeria will be there one day. “We would like Nigeria to stand for the same values it has taken, for which Nige-

enate President Bukola Saraki yesterday said the red chamber would support state governments’ agitation for refund of funds spent on rehabilitating federal roads. Saraki made the pledge at Nkalagu, Ishiellu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State during a thanksgiving held by Senator Obinna Ogba (PDPEbonyi Central). According to him, rehabilitating federal roads was a huge sacrifice from state governors for the development of the country. “The state governments need to be encouraged to get the refunds

because if this is not done, they will be discouraged to do more. “The senate would definitely support them on this issue as it is for the peoples’ good,” he said. “It will be under the condition for Ebonyi that the funds would be used to develop Nkalagu where the agreement of our assistance was reached,” he said. Saraki said Ebonyi central constituency made no mistake in choosing Ogba to represent them, saying he had distinct qualities. Governor Dave Umahi commended the senate for its untiring efforts and sacrifices for the unity

ndependent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has expressed its commitment to support Federal Government’s efforts in eliminating corruption in the downstream sector. Chairman, Board of Trustees of IPMAN, Aminu Abdulkadir, stated this yesterday in Yola during an interactive session on “Challenges of Fuel Supply and Distribution.” The seminar was organised by Adamawa/ Taraba chapters of IPMAN, transport owners and petroleum tanker drivers. Abdulkadir said the association, which controls about 85 per cent of petrol outlets across the country, has a vital role to play in checking the problem of products scarcity nationwide. The BOT chairman ab-

IPMAN to eliminate corruption in downstream sector

solved IPMAN regarding products scarcity, adding that corruption by some government officials and insufficient supply of the products by the government agencies were causing problems. The BoT chairman lauded Adamawa/Taraba chapter for organising the interactive session in order to know the challenges facing the sector for possible solution. Abdulkadir said he would direct other branches in the country to do same. In his speech, the Adamawa/Taraba Branch chairman of IPMAN, Alaji Abubakar Butu, said IPMAN should not always be blamed “whenever there is fuel scarcity or price increase.’’ Butu called on govern-

ment agencies to do their job without discrimination. “For instance, government said we should buy from depots at the cost of N76.50 per litre and sell at N86.50, but the fact is that we do not get the product from the depots at N76.50. “Government officials are aware of this but are not ready to clamp down on the depot owners,’’ Butu said. He said NNPC was not helping matters because the product was always not available at NNPC. Butu said this had forced the marketers to rely solely on private depots who sell sometimes as high as N100 per litre. Branch Secretary of IPMAN, Mr Malik Bello, said 90 per cent of fuel supply to Adamawa and Taraba

were from private depots. He noted that 1, 248 trucks of petrol were bridged by IPMAN from the private depots for Adamawa and Taraba against 134 trucks from the PPMC within the period under review. Bello listed non-payment of transportation bill to members by the Petroleum Equalisation Fund when due, as one of the challenges facing IPMAN members in the two states. He also mentioned insecurity due to robbery attacks on filling stations as some of the other challenges facing members in the two states. Arms importation: NSCDC deploys personnel to border posts Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,

NSCDC, command in Sokoto State said it has deployed officers to the borders between Nigeria and other countries to check illegal arms importation. Commandant of the corps in the state, Mr Adamu Soja, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Sokoto on Sunday that the measure was to rid the country of arms and dangerous weapons being smuggled into the country. Soja said the security officers were deployed to Illela, Gudu, Tangaza, Sabon-Birni border posts. He said the security personnel had been adequately briefed on methods to be adopted in dealing with the issue, adding that the command would partner other security agencies to fight criminality.

ria deserved and got its own independence. And they will mean the same for the Kashmiris.” Farooq said Nigeria and Nigerians knew the pains of the Kashmir people as they had also been “enslaved physically, economically, politically and culturally” before being granted independence. “They know what human rights are. They know what freedom is. “The world must learn from the people of Nigeria, who endured not only the psychological, the economic and physical slavery but also subjugation for decades. “Now compared with the Kashmiris, what the Kashmiris want is one thing: What is already being legitimised, accepted and recognised by the UN through a proper resolution.” He alleged that the Kashmir issue was created because the basic principle of partition of India by the British colonial masters in 1947 was not followed by India. The envoy said the solution to the Kashmir disputes lay in accepting the principle of partition and that allowed the Kashmiris to choose which side they wanted to belong. He noted that both India and Pakistan had nuclear capabilities and military capacity, adding that they had gone to war but had not ``crossed the threshold”. “That means both nations have exercised restraint as well as the deterrence of enablement that have prevented a lot of war and nuclear flash points,” he said. Farooq said Pakistan wanted peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with the UN Security Council Resolutions and that of the UN Committee on Human Rights. He said the population of Kashmir was about 15 million people with the majority living in Kashmir, India while the displaced population was mostly living in Pakistan.

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News

Monday, February 8, 2016

EFCC snubs NBA president’s intervention on Tafa Wale Igbintade

fforts by the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA president, Augustine Alegeh, SAN, to secure the release of detained lawyer, Ricky Tarfa, SAN, from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been rebuffed. Tarfa was arrested on Friday along with his clients, who are Beninoise

nationals, Ghanhouse Sourous Nazaire and Zenou Modeste, while performing his professional duty inside the Lagos High Court. He was arrested and detained for allegedly obstructing the course of justice. However, facts emerged that the personal intervention of the NBA president, Alegeh, to secure his bail was rebuffed by the antigraft agency. In a statement by the

law firm and Head of Chambers, Mr. John Olusegun Odubela, the personal intervention of the NBA president, accompanied by more than 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria "to discuss or process the bail" of Tarfa was refused. “Despite assurances given to him (Alegeh) by the EFCC, it turned out to be a dummy by the highest authority of EFCC about granting bail to Mr. R. Tarfa on the personal surety of NBA president.

“The NBA president was kept waiting in the office of EFCC on Saturday, February 6 from about 2pm till 8pm, when they then left the EFCC premises disappointed and humiliated." The statement stated that Tarfa did not obstruct arrest of his client as alleged by EFCC. “Tarfa was at no point in any position to obstruct the course of justice, among the EFCC operatives. It is germane to state

that the matter before the court has no bearing with corruption-related issue. It is purely between a husband and wife struggling for control of a manufacturing company they jointly promoted. It is purely a matrimonial issue that went sour. “For avoidance of doubt, we need to put it in the public domain that contrary to the blatant lies dished out by EFCC, Mr. Tarfa (SAN) was at the Lagos High Court in continuation of his professional duty to defend his clients, Ghanhoue

Sourous Nazaire and Zenou Modesto. “It is pertinent that up till the time of the Gestapo-like tactics deployed by the EFCC on Friday, our clients had been enjoying court bail and EFCC bail, hence the issue of jumping bail was out of the question. It thus borders on extreme mischief to insinuate that issue of jumping bail or resisting lawful arrest was at the heart of shame enacted by EFCC operatives at Lagos High Court premises on Friday, February 5, 2016,” the statement added.

Oba Odulana eulogised at service of songs Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

Residents of Mmube Village, Dalori District of Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State fleeing after Boko Haram attacks on Friday evening. PHOTO BY NDAHI MAIDUGURI

Femi Oyeweso ABEOKUTA

inister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has cautioned governors across Nigeria to re-direct their focus from frivolous and unviable projects that would satisfy only the rich in the society, to those that would improve the lives of the poor. The former Rivers State governor spoke at the weekend in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during his assessment visit of some projects executed by Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration in the state on behalf of the Federal Government. He said construction of projects such as airport by state governments must be supported and driven by the economic demand of such states for such projects. According to him, the country is already filled with many airports, which are not economically viable. "I believe the construction of airport should be backed

Amaechi warns states against non-viable projects by the growth of the economy. There are some airports that are constructed just for the governors to land and take off. That won't be the idea for me as minister of transportation. "I would prefer that all airports constructed be backed by economic demand. And when we look at the numbers, if the numbers add up...we would not discourage Ogun State if you like to construct an airport, but we would like to advise that they should look at the economics of (building) an airport. "Governors should focus on things that would improve the lives of the poor, not the rich. It's the rich people that fly plane. How many poor people know where airport is, much less to fly an aircraft?" Amaechi, however, assured that the federal gov-

ernment would support Ogun if it wants to build an airport. He restated the commitment of the central government towards completion of new terminals at four international airports of Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano. The minister also stated that the construction of railways between Lagos and Calabar, as well as Lagos and Kano commences this year. Amaechi said he was in the state to confirm some of the roads constructed by the state government on behalf of Federal Government. "I am convinced that most of the roads have been constructed. By the time we write the report, we have engineers, we have people from the Public Procurement Department, they would assess the cost and put it in the report," he added.

In his remarks, Governor Amosun solicited the support of the minister in ensuring the completion of the abandoned airport project in Ewekoro local government area of the state. "It's being built by federal government. In fact, it is the oldest airport they have in Nigeria. It was done in 1940/41; that was what they were using during the World War and that's why we have the Commonwealth cemetery there. Somehow, after the war, nobody said anything about it. "But 12 years ago, Federal Government started again. Everything has been done. Contractors have even been mobilised to site before they stopped funding it." The governor explained that the desire of the state government to have an airport was for economic not selfish reason.

rominent Ibadan sons and daughters, including Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, yesterday evening eulogised the virtues of the late Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana, Odugade I. This was at the service of songs held at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Aremo, Ibadan, and organised in honour of the monarch as part of one week burial activities lined up for him. Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba Moses Adeyemo, described the deceased as a man who lived a meaningful life worthy of emulation in all spheres. Dignitaries expected on Friday to attend burial of the monarch, who joined his ancestors on January 19 after spending nine years on the throne, included President Muhammadu Buhari and 36 governors. The governor in his tribute said, "Everybody knows that His Royal Majesty, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Odulana, lived a meaningful life and contributed immensely to the development not only of Ibadanland, but the entire Oyo State and Nigeria. Everybody should emulate him. "Based on what people have said about him here, though most of us here were not born when the

testimonies given about him took place, we should all emulate him because one day, everybody would die, whether you are a governor, a deputy governor or whatever. "So, let us live our lives as if we are going to die the next day," the governor urged. Provost of the Cathedral, Venerable Adewale Adebiyi, who took his sermon from Luke 12:1622, charged Nigerians to open their hearts to Christ as everyone would be called to account for his or her deeds after death. Other people also gave testimonies about the late monarch, among them Senior Chief Emiola Adesina, who described him as "an honest, selfless, brave person; lover of his fellow men, a devour Christian and a disciplinarian." Another senior chief, Lateef Oyelade, while speaking of Odulana's sterling attitude, said when he crossed from the Seriki Line to the Olubadan Line, he had to give certain amount of money to all the existing chiefs, but that the deceased who was then a Senior Chief declined collecting his. Present at the event were Rev. Segun Okubadejo, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, High Chief Lekan Balogun, High Chief Eddy Oyewole, Dr. Lekan Are, Ambassador Olu Sanu, and many others.

South West

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Alake tasks Ooni on Ife/Modakeke crisis victims Femi Oyeweso Abeokuta

lake of Egbaland, Dr. Aremu Gbadebo, yesterday charged the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, to do everything within his power towards ensuring that families, communities as well as properties affected during the Ife/Modakeke communal crisis are rehabilitated. The paramount ruler gave the charge in his palace at Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, while hosting the Ooni, who came on a peace visit. The Ooni, who arrived in the Alake’s palace about 3:35pm with his entourage, was received by the latter at the entrance of the palace inner court in company of his wife, Dr. Tokunbo Gbadebo, and Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa. The two monarchs thereafter went into the palace where other Egba traditional chiefs and eminent sons and daughters were already waiting. It would be recalled

that the Ife/Modakeke conflict broke out in 1998 over a disputed land between the communities, which lingered till 2000. During the conflict, however, properties worth several millions of naira were destroyed, while lives were also lost to the communal crisis. But yesterday, the alake urged the Ooni of Ife to remember the incidents as well as several victims affected during the crisis and do something to end their suffering. In his speech, Oba Gbadebo, who prayed that the tenure of Ooni Ogunwusi should enjoy peace, also urged the monarch not to be weary in his search for unity in Yorubaland, stressing that he has no doubt in his mind that the Ooni would move the Yoruba race forward with his peace move. Stressing that Ooni of Ife is one of the five principal monarchs in Yorubaland in which hierarchy are Alaafin of Oyo, Oba of Benin, Alake of Egbaland and Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Gbadebo however stated that all other

Olubadan deserves befitting burial –Adetunji Kemi Olaitan Ibadan

he Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulana, Odugade I, that is expected to be buried on Friday, the Olubadan-designate and Balogun of Ibadanland, High Chief Saliu Adetunji, has called on all well-meaning individuals in the ancient city to give his predecessor a befitting burial. Oba Odugade, the 40th Olubadan, passed on last month at the age of 101 years. Adetunji, while hosting well-meaning individuals that included Chief Harry Akande, Elder Wole Oyelese and a delegation from the Senate led by deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Naallah, at his Popoyemoja residence, Ibadan, said the late monarch did Nigeria, particularly Ibadan a lot of good.

According to him, the greatest legacy Odulana left behind is peace among diverse people in Ibadanland. He said, “I intend to follow up on that. Baba Olubadan was also an advocate of the creation of Ibadan State. It is my fervent prayer and hope that God will grant this request in my lifetime.” The Olubadan-designate then expressed gratitude to the Senate delegation for considering it worthy to immortalise the name of the late monarch, adding that he would be counting on the support of the same lawmakers when the time for the creation of Ibadan State comes. He also expressed gratitude to the Senator Abiola Ajimobi-led administration and Ibadan high chiefs, over their role in giving the late monarch a befitting burial.

traditional rulers in Yorubaland should humble themselves in order that the much needed unity may reign in Yorubaland. The monarch said former President Olusegun Obasanjo has already demonstrated the type of humility which is expected of all other traditional institutions by his visit to the Ooni in his palace where he prostrated, saying: “That showed that

the former president is a well-cultured Yoruba son who reveres the traditional stool.” The Ogun monarch further stated that the only challenge the traditional institution in Yorubaland has had over the years always bordered on ego of some traditional rulers. He however maintained that the reign of Ooni Ogunwusi and his

visitations to all Yoruba obas would engender the needed peace and progress of the race. In his remark, Ooni Ogunwusi expressed delight at the reception organised for him and stressed that unity has returned to the land considering the love shown him, adding that these virtues would help move the entire Yoruba race forward. He lamented the lack

of unity among traditional rulers in Yorubaland, but noted that the move towards achieving this has commenced since his coronation as Ooni of Ife. He emphasised that love and unity of purpose ought to precede the much agitated progress of Yorubaland which he promised that himself as well as other traditional rulers in Yorubaland would pursue.

Regional Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Mr. Ademola Adeyemi; Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Business Manager of Sterling Bank in Osogbo, Mr. Abiodun Jegede, during the presentation of #50M check as financial support to Osun Certificate of Occupancy Fast Tract Scheme, at Government House, Osogbo, recently.

Lagos public school students to get ID number Francis Suberu

agos State government has introduced Student Personal Identification Number, LASPIN, which will capture the biometrics of students in all its public primary and secondary schools. Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who disclosed this in Lagos on Sunday, explained that LASPIN would be the unique identity of each student throughout his/ her schooling period in Lagos education system. Adebule, who also supervises the Education Ministry, pointed out that the transfer process of students in Lagos would now be streamlined as a result of the introduction

of LASPIN, as it will not only control but discourage abuse and make the process more transparent. The deputy governor noted that government was determined to improve the pass rate for students in the state at external examinations, particularly West Africa Examinations Council, WAEC, and the National Examinations Council, NECO, examinations from the present 37% to not less than 60% by 2019. She restated commitment of the state government to the adoption of e-curriculum platform/ solution to assist teachers in accessing directly the subject curriculum and syllabus as released by the National Education Research and Development Council, NERDC.

According to her, intensive monitoring and supervision of the teaching and learning activities in schools by the quality assurance office and the need to ensure that course works and tests are challenging enough to meet WAEC/NECO standards, are part of measures put in place in the state to achieve zero tolerance for failure and check poor academic performance by students in Lagos schools. She said improved local and international training and development programmes for teachers and school managers would also be undertaken to enhance their capacity to effectively teach and impart knowledge with dexterity, employing modern tools and methods as well as learn contempo-

rary school management skills. In order to curb the culture of indiscipline and cult activities in the state secondary schools, the deputy governor noted that rules and regulation have been firmed up thus students handbooks have been introduced while the use of the black book/ list of offenders would be revived in secondary schools in the state. Adebule stressed that a review of existing teachers handbooks which will be issued to the teachers at no cost would be undertaken in order to continue to promote the right professional conduct and attitude to work among the teachers, stem the spate of illegal admission, dereliction of duty and absenteeism.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Monday, February 8, 2016

Yoruba genetically immune to Lassa fever virus –Don Boladale Bamigbola Osogbo

university lecturer, Prof. Christian Happi, has claimed that Yoruba people, by the make-up of their genes, are immune to Lassa virus that causes Lassa fever. The researcher, who is Dean, College of Postgrad-

uate Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, said research was ongoing on why this is so, adding that few cases of Lassa fever recorded among Yoruba people are “imported.” Speaking on the new breakthrough on the rampaging Lassa fever, Happi,

Man loses certificates

...seeks public aid Robert Awokuse

ertificates belonging to one Mr Robert Ibukun Awokuse, a staff of National Mirror Newspaper, who resides at No. 23, Egin Street, Ojodu, Ikeja, Lagos, which got missing last month, are still yet to be found. The documents, according to Awokuse which include Ekiti State University Certificate, March 20, 2013; National Youth Service Corps, NYSC Discharged Certificate, Batch B 2013/2014; a Basic Journalism Course Certificate, 2010 and

WAEC (WASSCE) May/ June 2007 Certificate, lost in transit between Lagos old toll-gate and Ojodu Berger-Ibafo-Mowe expressway on Thursday, January 14, 2016 and have since not been recovered as all efforts deployed to find them proved abortive. Awokuse therefore appealed to members of the public who have any useful information about the whereabouts of the documents to call 0803413-5089, 0808-337-0713 or have them delivered at National Mirror Newspaper office situated at Mirror House, 155/161, Broad Street Marina, Lagos.

who is Director, World Funded African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, ACEGID, while speaking in Ede, said Lassa fever virus originated from Nigeria about 1,060 years ago. He further explained that the disease spread to other West African countries about 400 years ago, stressing that Yoruba have capacity to resist the virus more than any other ethnic group in country. Happi berated the Federal Government for what he described as its “lacka-

daisical attitude” towards using products of several researches by scholars to tackle myriads of challenges affecting the growth and development of the nation. Noting that despite the huge amount expended on discoveries on Ebola virus by the institution, the findings remained unexplored by government and relevant institutions. He also condemned the discriminatory policy of TETFUND, which only support researchers in public tertiary institutions, even when private universities

have maintained lead in research findings across the globe over the years. He stressed that, if adequately funded, private universities are capable of living beyond expectations of Nigerians in the area of research work. On new research findings, Prof. Happi said it has been discovered that Ribavirin that is currently used to treat Lassa fever was not designed for the disease and as such, would only be effective when given in the early phase of the infection. He posited that with the

discovery, ACEGID took advantage of its current knowledge of genomics technology to have better insight into the virus genome and eventually, it has been able to identify potential drug target. “Using next generation sequencing, we successfully sequenced hundreds of Lassa fever viruses, thereby generating the largest catalogue of Lassa fever virus sequenced in the world, which in turn resulted to the identification of new epitopes in the virus,” Happi concluded.

Ondo senator tasks FG on seaport, bitumen exploration Ojo Oyewamide Akure

enator representing Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Yele Omogunwa, has urged the Federal Government to make the proposed Igbokoda Seaport project a reality. Omogunwa also advocated for the kick-off of t Irele/Agbabu National Bitumen Project. The senator, who spoke with journalists in Akure at the weekend, said the state government was prepared to provide enabling environment for the projects to commence. He said the seaport project, if completed, would boost the nation’s economy and provide job opportunities for thousands of Nigerians. The legislator said relevant authorities were being contacted to ensure that all ailing industries in Ondo South were revamped for economic ben-

efit of the people. According to him, Ondo State deserves a sea port since it has the longest coast line in Africa, wondering why government is playing politics with it. He disclosed that successive governments had made proposals and provisions for the kick-off of the projects and advised the Federal Government to implement them. Imploring President Muhamamdu Buhari to personally visit the area, Omogunwa decried the neglect of the bitumen project by the Federal Government. He said the bitumen project, which is rated the second largest in the world with over 42 billion barrels of deposits, had not been given the deserved attention. Omogunwa advised President Buhari to make the exploration of it his priority and emulate Canadian government which depends solely on bitumen for her survival.

Men of Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) carrying out repair works at Barlett Bus Stop, Ilasa, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos, on Saturday.

Police arrest 2 with human head in Osun

Boladale Bamigbola Osogbo

wo persons, Korede Ayofe and Jimo Bello, were at the week-

end arrested with human head in Iwo, headquarters of Iwo Local Government of Osun State. The suspects, it was learnt, were apprehended at Owoyo area of the town

by a police patrol team acting on a tip-off. Also in possession of the suspects at the time of arrest were a sharp knife, hoe and a motorcycle.

Adewusi for burial April 8

ormer Inspector General of Police, Chief Sunday Adewusi, will be buried on Friday, April 8, at his residence, Adewusi House, LAUTECH area, Ilorin Road, Ogbomoso, Oyo State. This was disclosed in a statement signed by former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala, and made available to journalists at the weekend. According to the statement, burial rite will commence on Tuesday, April 5, 2016, with a day of Tribute

and Cultural display at the MKO Abiola Hall, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso. On Wednesday, April 6, the body will leave Bowen Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, by noon to his residence at 40/42, Amilegbe Street, Ilorin, Kwara State, for lying-in-state between 2pm and 4pm and night of tributes and service of songs by 4pm at the same venue. Commendation service will hold on Thursday, April 7 by10.00 a.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church, Sabo-Oke, Ilorin. Thereafter, the corpse will leave Ilorin for his Ogbmoso residence

where Christian wake will hold by 4pm. On Friday April 8, between 8.00-9.00a.m., his body will also be laid in state at his residence, Adewusi House, LAUTECH area, Ilorin Road, Ogbomoso, while the final burial service holds by 10.00 a.m. at Beulah Baptist Conference ground, Ogbomoso. His remains will be interred at the Adewusi House, LAUTECH area, Ilorin Road Ogbomoso while entertainment of guests will come up at Ogbomoso Recreation Club, immediately after interment.

A security source told our correspondent that the head of the unidentified corpses the two men were caught with was already decomposing. Also in Ikire, one Aminat Kazeem was at the weekend burnt to death after she allegedly set her room on fire. Sources in Maro area, where the incident happened, said Aminat had been oscillating between being normal and insane. It was learnt that her burnt body was discovered by the police in the building that was razed by the fire, believed to have started in her room. Confirming the two incidents, Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, Osun State Command, Folasade Odoro, said the command was investigating the incidents and will soon come out with its findings.

South East

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Police arrest fake army officer over car theft George Opara ABUJA

bia State police command has arrested one Ahanna Ogwezi, 24, a fake army lieutenant, who specialized in stealing exotic cars from car stands in Abia and Imo states. His operational pseudonyms are Lt. Danjuma Aliyu when in Abia and Lt. Thompson Adedeji when in Imo State, respectively. Cooling his heels now in police cell, Ogwezi was said to be rolling in money from his criminal escapades, but he ran out of luck on November 12, 2015. On the fateful day, he approached an unsuspecting car dealer in Umuahia, Abia State, indicating that he wanted to buy a 2011 Toyota Camry car. Dressed in full military regalia as a senior serving army officer, he requested to test-drive the car. Believing he was genuine, the seller allowed him. Shockingly, he drove off and never came back. When reported, the police intelligence unit swung into action and on a tip-off traced the stolen car to a buyer in Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State. The buyer, who claimed to be a relative, had even paid the fake military officer N700,000 out of N2.8m agreed selling price. However, the police recovered the stolen car from the buyer, including a Lincoln navigator, Toyota Avalon and another Toyota Camry. Ogwezi, who speaks good English, was said to be a product of a military school but studied medicine and surgery at Madonna University.

Arase, IGP

In another development at a hotel in Umunkama village, Umuahia, police have arrested a child-trafficking syndicate and armed robbery suspects. The suspects are Chidubem Nwachukwu alias Isaac, Florence Nwokocha, Chukwunonye Emerenini and Onyekwere Okeiyi. It was gathered that one of the suspects, Nwachukwu, had come up with the gambit of a marriage proposal to a woman beggar with two children in one of the motor parks in Aba, Abia State. Ages of the children are 6 months and two years old, respectively. Nwachukwu lured the hapless woman from Aba to Umuahia where she was taken to hair dressing saloon ostensibly to look good. While inside the saloon, the suspect, then in custody of the children, tacitly arranged with members of his gang and made away with the children. But the woman sensing danger intuitively raised spontaneous alarm about her children's whereabouts, which consequently led to the arrest of the suspect. And through his statement, other members, including an amputated woman, who claimed to be a social welfare staff of Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State were all arrested. The operatives were also able to rescue a child stolen from the parents at Umudim, Ikeduru of Imo State. The police are currently on the trail of other fleeing members of the gang. Similarly, operatives of the monitoring unit of Abia State command also arrested four kidnap and armed robbery suspects. They are Sunday Onuoha, Godswill Onwukwe, both from Bende council area of Abia State. Others are Onyekachi Samuel Olajuru and Chimezie Ezeigbo, all from Ebonyi State. Meanwhile, the police recovered one light assault rifle from the suspects, even as investigation continues.

L-R: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Consultant Oncologist, Dr Vitalis Okwor; ounder, Cancer and Kidney Foundation, Ms Kiikky Chukwurah; Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, Enugu State chapter, Dr George Ugwu and Chairman, Enugu State House of Assembly Committee on Health, Dr Emeka Ogbuabor, during 2016 World Cancer Day News Conference in Enugu, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Stop distracting me, Ikpeazu tells opposition

bia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, has advised the opposition and other detractors of government to stop forthwith and allow him to focus on his mission of rendering services to people of the state. The governor said the protracted legal battle that ended at the Supreme Court was a huge distraction and having come out of that he needs all the time and energy to focus on the onerous task of rebuilding Abia State. Ikpeazu, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Godwin Adindu, said the era of politicising

everything in the state was over with the verdict of the Supreme Court and that all resources and time would be channeled towards full governance. He further stressed that he could discern the yearning of the people for services through their massive solidarity to him throughout the elections and protracted legal battle. While noting that opposition groups hardly give up on their antics, he stated that the era of hurling stones should be over in the state and called on the opposition to sheathe their swords and join him in his crusade for development of Abia State, urging them to

redirect their energies to doing positive and meaningful things for the collective good of the state. He disclosed that his infrastructural renewal drive will receive an impetus with the flag-off of the construction of three roads in Bende Local Council this week, which would bring to 50 the number of active roads being constructed by his government in the last eight months, with over 20 commissioned. The governor further said he needed to focus more attention on road construction because of the deplorable condition of roads, especially in Aba

and the need to change the narrative of Aba as a city of lamentable meltdown to a city of promise and hope. He added that he would achieve the feat through prudent management and blocking of all leakages through which state funds were lost. Recalling some of the recent achievements of Abia, the governor said the state has just launched the Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency with 500 youths in its employ and also launched the Infrastructure Management Agency, adding that apart from providing jobs, the two agencies are designed to be self-sustaining.

Ugwuanyi cracks down on fuel racketeers …dissolves monitoring team Emmanuel Ezeh ENUGU

n a bid to maintain his administration’s commitment to the welfare of the people, zero tolerance to impunity and other forms of irregularities undermining the progress of Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at the weekend ordered the immediate dissolution of the state’s Petroleum Products Monitoring Team, PPMT. A statement by Se-

nior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Louis Amoke, stated that the dissolution order was contained in a letter signed by Secretary to the Enugu State Government, G. O. C. Ajah. Amoke quoted the SSG as saying that the action followed “persistent complaints over unauthorised activities of the PPMT and in keeping with the government’s zero tolerance to impunity, as well as the governor’s promise to adminis-

ter the state selflessly and with the fear of God at all times.” The letter, which disclosed that the team would be reconstituted in due course, advised petroleum marketers in the state to desist from engaging in illegal activities and ensure they run their businesses within the confines of the extant laws of Enugu State. It added that government will not hesitate to bring to book any marketer found to be oper-

ating outside the law, stressing that the governor was committed to a smooth and transparent petroleum products marketing operation in the state. It would be recalled that Governor Ugwuanyi had recently constituted the now dissolved team to monitor diversion of petroleum products and regulate prices of the products in the state in line with the Federal Government’s approved pump prices.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Monday, Febrnuary 8, 2016

Navy foils merchant ship hijack, recues 25 foreigners

igerian Navy has foiled an attempt by suspected pirates to hijack and abduct 25 foreign nationals aboard a Maersk merchant ship carrying general cargo to Nigeria. Briefing journalists yesterday at Onne Seaport, Rivers State, Capt. Olusegun Soyemi, executive officer of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, said the vessel berthed safely with the rescued crew members unharmed. He said the crew members, including the ship’s captain, were of mixed nationalities consisting of eight Filipinos, eight South Africans, five Indians, two Britons and two Thais. According to him, Safmarine Kuramo, a Maersk

merchant ship registered in Singapore, was transporting general cargo from Port-Noire, Congo, to Onne Seaport. “On January 5 at about 0800 hours; Sufmarine Kuramo was attacked by pirates about 60 nautical miles off the coast of Bonny Island (in Rivers) Fairway Bouy. “We got may-day distress call that the ship was boarded by unconfirmed number of pirates after entering the nation’s territorial waters. “We immediately dispatched a warship (NNS Centenary) and attack gunboats led by Navy Capt. Chiedozie Okehie of the Eastern Naval Command to rescue the situation. “The sea pirates apparently on sighting advancing

naval troops fled the scene for fear of being arrested by our operatives. “The operation was largely successful as all 25 foreign crew members, including the captain, are safe and unhurt, while cargo onboard the ship is intact,” he said. Soyemi said the pirates had fired several gunshots at the ships control room apparently to scare and subdue any resistance from the captain and crew members. Commanding Officer of NNS Centenary, Capt. Okehie, who led the operation, said the crew members locked and hid themselves in the ship’s citadel (engine room). He said the rescue was successful partly due to the courage and bravery exhib-

ited by the ship’s captain – a woman. According to him, in spite of all odds, she covertly gave navy operatives briefs while pirates on board the ship made several attempt to break into the citadel. Okehie said the navy under the command of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas remained fully committed to safety of the nation’s waterways and maritime environment. Speaking, the Captain of Safamarine Kuramo, Ms Zetta Gous-Conradie, a South African, described the experience as horrific. Gous-Conradie hailed the Nigerian Navy for its prompt response to her distress call.

L-R: Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel; his wife, Martha; Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio and his wife, Unoma, during a reception organised in their honour by Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Consultative Assembly, at Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, at the weekend. PHOTO:NAN

ivers State Police Command yesterday rescued Mr. Austin Ajah and Mrs. Winifred Frank, few hours after they were kidnapped on Saturday at about 6:19pm near Siat Palm farm in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area. The victims were returning to Port Harcourt from Owerri after attending a wedding. A man, who from a hiding place witnessed the incident, informed the police that kidnappers whisked away the victims, abandoning their vehicle, a Lexus jeep RX

Lab scientists urge FG to pre-empt Zika spread Richard Ndoma CALABAR

ssociation of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria, AMLSN, at the weekend urged the Federal Government to come up with a policy framework that would check the spread of Zika virus in the country. This was stated in a communiqué signed by National President of the Association, Alhaji Toyosi Raheem, at the end of their National Executive Council, NEC, meeting and public lecture in Calabar, Cross River State capital. Raheem urged both the federal and state governments to constitute an active surveillance teams to ensure holistic surveillance at all times so as to detect early warning signals of the disease to avoid health emergencies that may impact gravely on the populace. He also urged government to abide by provisions of the National Health Act given the fact that its implementation was a sure recipe to overcome the perennial challenge of low budgetary provision to the sector. The president lauded the judiciary for being the last hope of the common man in the light of recent ruling in the case between medical lab scientists and the management of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, OAUTH. The Supreme Court in its ruling granted medical lab

sley Bassey, who was guarding the victims. A locally made revolver pistol with four live cartridges was recovered from him. It was further learnt that Bassey subsequently led police to arrest six other accomplices, namely: Nduzi Igoni, Ogechi Onyeso, Godbless John, Saturday Isaiah, Gabriel Dimgba and Okpara. The rescued duo, while describing their

ordeal in captivity as horrible, expressed appreciation to the police for timely coming to their rescue. They further urged for continued cooperation of members of the public to the police, especially in terms of volunteering timely and reliable information. The suspects would be charged to court immediately after conclusion of ongoing investigation.

scientists the franchise to operate as an independent body. Raheem urged the Federal Government and the various health institutions to ensure immediate implementation of this and other judgments in favour of medical laboratory scientists. AMLSN also noted with dismay the inadequate diagnostic laboratories in Nigeria, a country of over 170 million people, still coping with few ill-equipped diagnostic centres for public health emergencies. The association urged states to create directorate of medical laboratory services in their respective ministries of health. It also called for the appointment of the most senior medical laboratory scientist as the substantive director in the ministries of health and health management boards, as done in nursing, pharmaceutical, clinical and other services. “This will ensure conformance to quality management system in all medical laboratories and the implementation of ISO 15189 standard for all medical laboratories. “We urge medical laboratory scientists to renew their commitment to accurate diagnosis and translational research into neglected diseases such as spongiform encephalopathies and call on relevant authorities to close this existing gap for the overall health benefit of the people,” it added.

Delta govt threatens to blacklist defaulting contractors Amour Udemude ASABA

Police rescue victims, apprehend D kidnappers in Rivers 300 by the roadside. The police after recovering the vehicle got information that the victims were blind-folded and locked up in the house of one Onyekachi Okpara, who is leader of the gang in Omerelu town. It was learnt that the police quickly mobilised and stormed the house at about 1:15am, rescued the victims and arrested a 23-year-old man, King-

elta State government has vowed to blacklist contractors for project abandonment in the state. Speaking at the weekend, Commissioner for Works, Mr. James Augoye, said government would not hesitate to revoke contracts due to poor performance by contractors. The commissioner, who spoke during continuation of inspection of field offices and projects in the 25 local government areas of the state, bemoaned the attitudes of contractors abandoning projects and disappearing with government funds. The commissioner, while at some field offices of the

ministry commended some staff, while also recalling others to the headquarters for poor performance. For instance, at Warri South field office he commended the staff there for being diligent and dedicated to work, even as he instructed the reposting of the superintending officer of Uvwie Local Government Area to the headquarters due to incompetence. He called on the contractor handling the Ekiagbodo Ovwodokpokpor Olomi road to expedite work. Mr. Augoye also urged Deltans to maintain road infrastructures in the state, saying the habit of indiscriminate dumping of refuse not only deface the roads, but also block drains.

North

Monday, February 8, 2016

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Strike: Nasarawa concedes to labour demands asarawa State government yesterday said it has made some concessions to organised labour in its demands to end the over one week strike in the state. The strike was predicated on 21-point demand on government, covering a wide range of issues. Briefing journalists after a meeting with labour in Lafia, the state capital, Head of Service, HOS, Joseph Ancho, said government agreed to grant promotions to all deserving civil servants. Government, he added,

has also agreed to review upward the monthly release of gratuity and pension, while necessary steps have been taken to facilitate the process of implantation of corrected CONMESS for doctors. On the issue of screening and percentage payment of local government salaries, Ancho said government has agreed on the stoppage of percentage payment. NLC Chairman in the state, Abdullahi Adeka, said organised labour has not agreed on any of the government proposals, even as the labour has slashed down their demands from 21 to 14.

angote Cement Plc has announced commencement of the construction of new cement plants in two communities in the country. The new plants are expected to add 9 million metric tonnes per annum to the company’s current local output of 29.25 million metric tonnes. The company, in a statement yesterday said the communities to host the new plants are Okpella in Edo State, with a three million per annum plant and another 6 million per annum capacity plant in Itori, Ogun State. Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Dangote Cement Plc, Mr. Devakumar Edwin, explained that the Okpella plant will be made up of one line, while the Itori plant will have two production

lines. Both plants, according to him, are expected to come on stream within the next three years. Devakumar said the move by the company was to help expand the spread of the company’s manufacturing outfits, thereby reducing the transportation cost component of their operations. He added that the new investments will further lower cost of production; bring about future reduction in the price of cement and also generate employment opportunities for the youths of host communities. Group Managing Director, Cement, Dangote Industries Limited, Mr. Onne Vander Weijde said the demand for cement was still high considering the level of population growth in Nigeria.

IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

Sultan of Sokoto Abubakar Sa’ad, 111 (middle) with leadership of Ohaneze Youth Council (OYC) led by its President, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, (1st to the Sultan’s left), during a visit to Sultan in Sokoto, recently.

Group wants constituency Dangote begins construction of new cement plants projects scrapped D

GEORGE OJI ABUJA

edia Support Center, a pro-democracy group, has called for abrogation of constituency projects by the National Assembly. The group made the call after its 2015 audit report, which was released in Abuja at the weekend, showed alleged widespread fraud in the handling of over N100bn constituency projects by lawmakers in the last three years. While calling for immediate scrapping of constituency projects fund, the group wants the executive arm to take over the handling of such projects in keeping with the antigraft war of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It would be recalled that former president Olusegun Obasanjo had accused the National Assembly of running secret budgets and in particular using constituency projects as a source of stealing public funds. Former President Goodluck Jonathan had transferred t implementation of constituency projects to the Ministry of Special Duties. It was, however, alleged that most lawmakers still hijacked execution of such projects. The report of the survey, which was conducted in 2015 by the Media Support Centre, also exposed large scale abuse of the projects by the 469 federal lawmakers. According to the report, budgets for the projects

are not only shrouded in secrecy, but are allegedly diverted by most lawmakers. Executive Director of the Centre, Mr. Wale Fatade, told journalists that the polls covered over N100bn appropriated between 2013 and 2015. Fatade said: “It would appear nobody but the lawmakers know which projects are being executed with these monies and how much each costs. “Our recent survey shows that a majority of Nigerians are not aware of the presence of these projects and mostly are calling for a reform. “They either want the whole thing cancelled outright or that the lawmakers bring more clarity and openness to the process by publishing what each law-

makers get and for which project so that Nigerians could track these projects.” Fatade said from the survey carried, over 78 percent of Nigerians voted for immediate scrapping of the constituency project to reduce corruption. The poll, according to him, which was part of the center’s #TheyWorkForYou programme, was conducted online and offline, through questionnaires, from July to November 2015 on a sample of 2,534 people residing in 20 states. He put the maximum sampling error at ± 2.5 per cent, noting that the surveys focused on the transparency of the execution; relevance to their communities and life quality; sustainability of the projects, as well as other major issues.

Plateau PDP rejects exclusion in Langtang South re-run election JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

eoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Plateau State has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to go ahead with the re-run election in Langtang South state constituency without allowing its members to participate as that would amount to wasting tax payers’ money. PDP issued the warning, following the exclusion of its candidate from partici-

pating in the re-run by the electoral body. INEC had last week fixed February 20 for re-run and supplementary elections for Langtang South, Pankshin North and South state constituencies. According to a statement signed by Osaretin Imahiyereobo, Head of Voter Education/Publicity of INEC, all political parties and candidates that featured in last April election are to participate in the supplementary elections for Pankshin North and South.

But in the case of Langtang South, the electoral body excluded PDP, insisting that only two out of the three political parties and candidates that participated in the previous election would take part in the re-run. The candidates are Jackson Ninimwang of All Progressives Congress, APC, and Rinsmicit Emmanuel of MPPP. State PDP Organising Secretary, Michael Dachom, described INEC’s exclusion of his party as unacceptable and a misinterpretation of

court’s judgement which nullified the election. Dachom, who spoke with our correspondent in Jos at the weekend, maintained that it was wrong for INEC to bar PDP from the re-run, when the Appeal Court judgment did not authorise such. He argued that if the party’s candidate during had been disqualified by the court from re-contesting, what the electoral body should have done was to ask for his replacement and not to bar the party completely.

Glo gains highest number of internet data users in Nigeria –NCC

lobacom, again, has garnered the highest number of new sign-ons of internet data users in Nigeria, according to latest numbers from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC. According to statistics for the third quarter of 2015 released on NCC website, Globacom gained the highest number of internet users in September last year, with over a million new customers on its network. According to NCC,

Globacom had 21,896,229 internet users on its network as at end of September, up from 20,765,379 data users in August. The figure showed an addition of 1,130,850 new internet subscribers. This figure was higher than the total number of new internet users who joined three other major telecom operators, MTN, Airtel and Etisalat. The three recorded a combined total of 716,450 new internet subscribers within the same period.

Friday, February 8, 2016

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Politics

PDP will soon bounce back —Kumo Senator Saidu Umar Kumo is a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP National Chairmanship aspirant. In this interview with journalists, he admitted that the party is in disarray. He however assured that all will be well soon. Our correspondent, WILLIAMS ATTAH brings excerpts from the interview.

Can you give us an update on the leadership crisis bedevilling your party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP? We have been ruling and controlling the Federal Government for the past sixteen years. Now we found ourselves in the opposition having lost the presidential election last year. We have lost many states especially in the northern part of the country. So, having this kind of crisis is normal within a democratic setting because PDP has never been in opposition before now. From the time PDP came into being it has been ruling, so what happened was sudden and saddening. When it happened, most of our members became confused especially the leadership, they don’t know what to do and how to go about it. Also, there are a lot of misgivings in the party itself. So the leadership crisis will be resolved amicably. The fact is that there is crisis and we have to admit it and we can’t run away from the reality. We don’t need to shy about it. But we are capable of solving our problems amicably because the party is very strong and we can elect a candidate within the party and resolve our differences.

the party is expected to be in place by next month and here you are meeting to fill a vacancy. The chairman that you are to pick now will he be a caretaker chairman or what ? We must have a leadership now but we have to obey the constitutional provisions of the party and at the same time we must obey court order because there is a court order that somebody from the North-East should come up and take over the leadership of the party. So, it does not matter whether it is going to be for a month, a day, an hour, we have to comply. That is the reason why we are battling to comply.

You were scheduled to hold a North-East zonal meeting in order to elect a candidate to fill the vacuum created by the resignation of the National Chairman of the party which is zoned to the sub-region but the meeting has been cancelled. With the cancellation, is that not a pointer that the crisis is further deteriorating? No, it’s not like that. We were supposed to hold a zonal meeting, not a National Executive meeting. It’s a NorthEast meeting where we intend to come and resolve our differences. And you know that the North-East is supposed to replace the chairmanship which was vacated by Ahmed Adamu Mu’azu from Bauchi. Whoever emerges there will complete the tenure of Mu’azu, so that is the reason why we were directed by the National headquarters to meet and present a candidate. Unfortunately we were supposed to assemble here last week but because of some little problems here and there which have not been resolved, we will be holding it this week.

Why did it take the party such a long time before it thought of replacing the former chairman, thus creating the lingering crisis? As I told you earlier on, PDP has never lost election at the centre. We have never envisaged this situation, losing the election got the leadership confused. PDP had been winning since its inception, so it had never envisaged it will one day lose. Even the constitution of the party did not envisage this kind of situation. It was used to winning and winning always, so when the lost came, we were suddenly confused, we lost a substantial number of states, we lost the presidency and we lost seventeen states of Northern Nigeria out of nineteen. We were only able to control the South-East and SouthSouth and you know we didn’t have any government in the South-West in the recent past except Ondo and later Ekiti, so we have only two governments in the South-West now. So you can see that the PDP lost out in the North and the chairman has to come from the North again, so you can see the kind of confusion we are in and also the exodus from the PDP to the APC. Even that defection is not healthy for the APC because it is another problem for the APC. So that is the reason why we found it difficult to manage ourselves very well at that time. And now we are coming back to our senses. But the Deputy National chairman of the party acted for at least six months, then the remaining two months now, we are trying to see how we can comply with the court’s directive.

Ahmed Gulak’s self declaration as the Chairman of the party few days back? Ahmed Gulak went and obtained a court order before announcing himself as the chairman. That doesn’t mean anything because everyone knows the procedure, there is a laid down procedure for somebody to become the chairman of a political party and there is no where he will just emerge as the chairman of the party. He only did that in order to trigger and make it necessary for the leadership of the party to come back and sit down. Now we have to come and sit down and sort out issues. He went to court and got the court order, and in order to read the court order he decided to come and declare himself because nobody came after the declaration of the court to say let’s come up and put ourselves together. Nobody was doing anything then, so he decided to go and do something. And see the outcome, it has worked because that is the reason why we are supposed to be having this zonal meeting here. But because we want to put our house in order, by the time we come for the North-East meeting, we will decide on what to do and move forward.

The entire working committee of

What then is your reaction to

Is this meeting also having any-

Kumo thing to do with your plans for 2019? No, it has nothing to do with our plans for the 2019 elections because it is a little bit far away. We are only concerned about putting our party together and reorganise it. What we are expected to do here is to come and produce a chairman among us.We have many aspirants from the North-East who have indicated interest and we have to come together to see how we will manage ourselves. So if we are able to make a consensus, that is, produce only one of us, fine and good, but if we are unable to do that, three names will be sent to NEC and they will decide. What is your reaction to the pronouncements by some stalwarts of the party who are expressing intention to breakaway and form another party? Forming another party is not an easy task, all what they are doing is because they feel the party is not prepared or the house is not in order. That is the reason why they are saying all these things, but very soon, after the issue of this leadership is resolved, you will see all of them coming back to the party because all they want is to see the party organized. You see, politicians just have to find their way, CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

Politics

Udenwa blames PDP leaders for evil in Nigeria Chris Njoku OWERRI

ormer Imo State Governor, Chief Achike Udenwa yesterday blamed both the state and national executives of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for being docile and ineffective, saying that their ineffectiveness allowed evil to thrive particularly in the state and country in general. Udenwa said this when the new caretaker committee members of the party paid him a courtesy visit in his Owerri residence yesterday. He said:”PDP today in Imo is docile, doing nothing.

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Monday, February 8, 2016

Evil thrives today because PDP is doing nothing.” The former governor, who regretted the ugly situation, said it was the cause of exit of many members from the party out of frustrations. He lampooned the party leadership for performing poorly during the last election in the state attributing it to the mistake of fielding unacceptable candidates. Udenwa expressed sadness that most of the candidates that vied under the platform of PDP could not win elections in their communities. While applauding the emergence of the new committee, he charged the mem-

bers to give the people of the state a credible congress that would produce competent executive that would move the party forward ahead of 2019. According to him, “this is a new dawn in PDP because Imo people are looking up to you to bring back the party to limelight.” He urged them to be ready to reject any manufactured lists from leaders including himself during the forthcoming party congress if the party is to have a credible congress, adding that “if I bring any list to your committee reject it, so shall you do to other leaders.” He however assured the committee members of his

assistance and support to the party to ensure success. Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Barr. Vitalis Okafor explained that their visit to the former governor was to present themselves to him and ask for his blessings in their new assignment. He called on the party leaders to support them assuring that the committee would live up to expectation in ensuring that PDP takes over the government house in 2019. The committee chairman expressed optimism that with the full support of the leaders in the state, the party would certainly bounce back.

Ekiti PDP predicts tough times for new APC entrants Abiodun Nejo ]ADO EKITI

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has predicted tough times for its erstwhile members who defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC), saying they will be disappointed in their new party. PDP State Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo, who described the former members as liabilities which PDP had since tolerated, blamed them for some public perception problems of the party.

Adebayo said in a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday that the defectors including former Governor Segun Oni, former House of Assembly Speaker Femi Bamisile and others eyeing 2018 APC governorship ticket would be disappointed. According to him, original members of APC are such a people who will not welcome ambition of new members no matter how valuable and important, adding: “There is a traditional phenomenon in APC that disregard people they consider as intruders such as the defectors.”

PDP will soon bounce back —Kumo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13 that is the reason why they fly a kite now that they are going to form another party, but most of us know that it is not possible to form a political party and then you nurture it to a level where you are going to present it to feature in presidential election in 2019. Forget about what happened in the APC, it is an amalgamation of existing political parties. The existing parties that formed APC were CPC, ANPP, ACN. So tell me now, apart from the APC and the PDP which party do you think can muscle itself out, we have about 50 political parties. So that is the reason why they are doing all these things but I can assure you now, when we put our house in order everybody will come back.

L-R: Senator Kabiru Gaya; Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed Ali, during the Ambassador’s visit to the Senate President in Abuja, at the weekend.

So what kind of person do we expect as the next PDP Chairman? We expect the next chairman of the party to be a person that can stand the test of the time, because he is coming to re-organize the party, put the party in order and set it for the next convention. Many of those who are aspiring are qualified. As members of the PDP, they have held one position or the other and they are well exposed in politics and they know the terrain, they know the political party as well, they know the workings of the PDP, that is all.

Bamidele denies paying rival $100,000 for Rep poll Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

ormer House of Representatives member, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, has denied offering his rival and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2011 National Assembly election, Dr Tope Aluko, $100,000 to ensure victory in the poll. Bamidele, who described the allegation by the Special Assistant of Public Communications to the Ekiti State Governor, Lere Olayinka, as character assassination, urged the governor’s aide to

desist from “unwarranted mudslinging, in their desperate attempt to wriggle out of the messy situation they found themselves”. While Bamidele was the candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1, comprising Ado/Irepodun/ Ifelodun local governments, Aluko was the candidate of the PDP. The governor and Aluko, who until recently was the State PDP Secretary, had been embroiled in crisis in the last few days over allega-

tion raised by the latter that the PDP in cahoots with the military rigged out former governor Kayode Fayemi during the June 21, 2014 governorship poll in favour of the incumbent governor.. Bamidele, in a statement by his Media Aide, Ahmed Salami, yesterday, stated: “My popularity then and now in Ekiti is not in doubt and there was no reason for me to buy Aluko to win the election”. He stated that he polled 47,800 votes to defeat Aluko, who scored 13,222, in the election and won in all the 24 wards and over 200 units

in the federal constituency. The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, who advised the governor’s aide not to hide under his name to vitiate Aluko’s integrity, said: “In case Olayinka was oblivious of these facts, I won in all the wards in Ado and Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Governments. “If truly I had bought my rival to win in Iyin Ekiti and in my local government, could it be suffice to conclude that I also bought over all the PDP leaders with different interests in the election in Ado Council area?

“Olayinka must realize that his principal, Governor Fayose, who was a senatorial candidate of the Labour Party was roundly defeated by Senator Babafemi Ojudu in the contest held the same day. Could it now be inferred that Ojudu bought the governor to emerge victorious in the election? “Of all the six House of Representatives candidates that emerged in the election to represent Ekiti at the National Assembly, I polled the highest number of votes, which further accentuated my level of acceptability among the masses.

“So, Olayinka’s allegation was not only a misdirected one, but came out of a mind bereft of in-depth understanding of the political situation of the state during that election,” he stated. The former lawmaker advised Olayinka to refrain from creating problems for the governor in running the affairs of the state, urging him to resign if his ultimate aim in government was to make money by way of stoking political upheavals by flexing muscles with every patriotic Ekiti indigene without cogent reason.

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Monday, February 8, 2016

Still on World Cancer Day and a troubled world TAYO OGUNBIYI

he World Cancer Day, which takes place annually on February 4, unites the world in the fight against cancer. Its aim is to save millions of needless deaths by increasing consciousness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action. As we marked this year’s event last Thursday, it is instructive to pay close attention to the following words of Heather Bryant, Vice President (Cancer Control) Canadian Partnership Against Cancer: “On World Cancer Day, we have an opportunity to collectively examine cancer control strategies to identify winning formulas that will accelerate progress. The goal for all of us is to ensure fewer people develop cancer, more people are successfully treated and that there is a better quality of life for people during treatment and beyond.” Hence, aside the usual ritual of speech making that normally characterized the occasion, this year’s event offered yet another huge opportunity for the world to come up with a winning strategy against the deadly disease. Just as cancer affects everyone in different ways, all people have the power to take various actions to lessen its impact on individuals, families and communities. The main thrust of this year’s World Cancer Day should, therefore, center on joint action against

a common adversary. Undoubtedly, today’s world is bedeviled with numerous challenges. Global terrorism has heightened the fear of insecurity across the globe. Globally, poverty has become a serious threat as we now have to deal with a poverty line as low as $1.25 per day. It is even more shocking that 1/7th of the world’s population lives below this line. Climate change has equally continued to be a major threat to an increasingly endangered world. To compound the global trend of turbulence, wars occasioned by political differences have continued to displace millions of people across the world. As if this is not enough, many nations currently grapple with severe economic strain that seems to have defied all scientific solutions. The world, no doubt, is in a troubled phase. Aside the numerous socio-political and economic woes being faced by various nations across the world, there is also the ever increasing menace of several life threatening diseases like HIV AIDS, Ebola, Lassa fever, bird flu, tuberculosis, etc, that have defied logical explanations. However, of all globally acknowledged menacing diseases, cancer remains, perhaps, the most dreadful. Though, the threat of cancer has been on across the ages, it is, however, only in the second half of the 20th century that the numbers of cancer cases have tremendously increased. Today, the global cancer scourge is enormous and there is little hope of the

AN ESTIMATED 8.2 MILLION PEOPLE DIE

FROM CANCER WORLDWIDE ANNUALLY situation getting better. At present, an estimated 8.2 million people die from cancer world-wide annually. Out of this number, four million die precipitately at relatively young age of between 30 and 45. A recent statistics revealed that in 2001 alone, cancer was responsible for about 13 percent of all human deaths globally (7.9 million). A statistics from Cancer Research UK have similarly revealed that 14.1 million adults worldwide were diagnosed with cancer in 2012, while 8.2 million people died from it in the same year (4.7 million males and 3.5 million females). Nigeria is not in any way immune from the disease as it records about 100,000 new cases of cancer annually. Currently, according to experts, the country contends with about two million recorded cases of cancer. Breast and cervical cancer are the commonest forms in Nigeria and they occur in women. According to the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP- Nigeria), 30 Nigerian women die every day of breast cancer, while one Nigerian woman dies of cervical cancer every hour. Also, CECP-Nigeria has revealed that 14 Nigerian men die daily of prostate can-

cer, while one Nigerian dies every hour of liver cancer and one other dies every two hours of colon cancer. Basically, cancers occur as a result of excessive amount of toxin and pollutants people are exposed to; obesity; tobacco use; lack of physical activity; high stress lifestyles that zap the immune system; poor quality junk food that are full of pesticides; irradiated and genetically modified foods. Other causes include electro-magnetic lights and everything we were not exposed to 200 years ago. Findings have shown that tobacco use is the most important risk factor for cancer, causing about 70 percent of global lung cancer deaths and 20 percent of global cancer deaths. All the afore-mentioned weaken the immune system and change the body’s internal environment to one that promotes cancer growth. While cancer can affect people of all ages, and a few types of cancer are more common in children, the risk of developing cancer generally increases with age. Some symptoms of cancer include fatigue, weight loss, unexplained anemia and inexplicable fever. Experts have, however, disclosed that a major key to fighting cancer is early detection. It is, therefore, advised that we regularly conduct medical check-ups to discover the disease, when it could be easily and quickly tackled with little complications. Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

Africans and the narratives on liberty BOBSON GBINIJE

he only antidote to despotism, which has a promethean characteristic, is liberal democracy. But it has to be a democracy in which the citizenry are assertive and vigilant about and of their rights and liberties. The liberty and consummate rights of men are well elucidated in “the American Declaration of Independence” that “We hold these truths to be self evident - that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness”. However, despotism has continued to spread its octopoidal tentacles in the 21st century because of the deliberate misapplication of the nuts and bolts of democracy, the cowardice of the electorate, edacious amendment of the constitution to suit the despots’ gluttonous quest for power etc. The skullduggery manipulation of democratic institutions like the police, judiciary, legislature, electoral bodies etc, by the powers-that-be has led to the prevalence of Machiavellian travesty masquerading as democracy in Africa, nay the world. The essayist Henrik Ibsen posited in his book ‘An Enemy of the People’ thus: “The most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom in our midst is the compact majority. Yes, the damned compact liberal majority”. If not so, the prolific and fertile growth in the past and present of despots like Idi Amin Dada, Sani Abacha, Jean Bokassa, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Gnassingbe Eyadama, Pierre Nkurunziza, Yoweri Musevini, Ngueso, Ab-

WE NEED TO

CONSOLIDATE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR DEMOCRACY IN

AFRICA BY BUILDING DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS NOT PERSONS OR INDIVIDUALS del Fattah el-Sisi, etc, wouldn’t have been a reality in Africa. The pulchritudinous streak of our democratic rights, liberty and freedom will continue to be a notional brummagem and splendiferous histrionics unless we stand up for our democratic rights and liberties in Africa. We have little or no democracy building and concretization institutions in place in Africa. The democracy watchmen and their watchtowers are just not there. Some members of the civil society organizations like labour unions, the press etc, are suffering from Laodicean lethargy. The very few Africans - Gani Fawehemi, Fela Anikulakpo, Steve Biko, Herbert Macaulay, Isaac Adaka Boro, Victor Atiri, Raymond Pemu and others too numerous to mention - who put and lost their lives from their fight for the entrenchment of freedom and liberty, have been consigned to the oubliette of history. Hence, the patriot Lydia Maria in an ‘Appeal on Behalf of that Class of Americans called Africans’ said: “They (slaves) have

stabbed themselves for freedom-jumped into the waves for freedom – fought like very tigers for freedom! But they have been hung and burned and shot and their tyrants have been their historians”. That is what Africans are suffering till today. What a shame! If not, why were our legal institutions in Delta State, nay Nigeria, were unable to call former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to order? Why are we still quiet about the gross malfeasance of immediate past Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan for plunging Delta State into about N636 billion debt? Why have most indicted political officeholders in Nigeria and Africa gone scot free? We need to consolidate the foundation of our democracy in Africa by building democratic institutions not persons or individuals. We most re-acculturate and re-orientate our minds and psyche through grassroots education and practice of democracy. It must be inculcated from play groups, kindergarten, primary, secondary schools through tertiary institutions. The churches, mosques, family units must be involved to ensure the entrenchment of democracy, not only at grassroots levels, but from root hair base to tree top heights. The syllabuses of our schools and curriculum must be rewritten to involve true democracy. Our emphasis should be on knowledge of our rights, liberty and freedoms, and we must develop the courage to rise up for our rights and liberties. Our leaders and our tyrants must realize in the words of Thomas Jefferson that “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood

of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure”. We must be prepared to make sacrifices for the preservation of Democracy, liberty and our rights. Hence, the essayist Thomas Paine (1737-1809) observed in his book ‘First Principles of Government’ that “He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from destruction”. Finally, despots all over Africa, nay the world, will continue to take the democratic rights and liberties of the electorate and the citizenry for granted unless we are Ulyssian, Jeffersonian, Lincolnian and Mandelian in our propensities to assert and claim our rights. The toga of cowardice and lily-livered conscience mortgaging proclivities must be discarded from our political lebensraum, and we must put on the audacious streak of martyrdom and the fearlessness of patriotic sacrifices for our democratic rights, freedom and liberties. It is only then that we can rid Africa and our world of Neanderthal despots and tyrannosaurus monsters. God bless democracy, freedom and liberty in Africa. Chief Gbinije, founder of Warribased Mandate against Poverty, can be reached on 08023250378

Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs. Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

Editorial

Monday, February 8, 2016

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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 OBIORA IFOH ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

NIS and presidential job bogey

elations of victims of the scandalous Saturday, March 15, 2014 tragic recruitment exercise conducted by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) are still agonizing for the jobs promised them by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan as compensation for the loss of their loved ones who perished during the poorly organised NIS job interview. Reports said about six million candidates sought to be recruited by the NIS. Each of them was compelled to cough up N1,000 as registration fee. But at the end of it all, the spurious recruitment tests NIS conducted nationwide claimed the lives of about 19 applicants in stampedes, among them four pregnant women. To pacify the families of the dead and injured job seekers, ex-President Jonathan promised automatic employment for three members of the family of each deceased applicant; and all those injured during the stampedes. Indeed, on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, Jonathan announced the setting up of a committee to carry out the exercise within 12-weeks. But the ‘automatic’ job offers are still elusive as we write. Latest reports said the families of the slain NIS job seekers stormed the Federal Ministry of Interior last Wednesday and demanded appointment

letters in line with the jobs promised them by the former President, roughly after 23 months of the promise that has virtually turned a presidential bogey. The tortuous job journey began shortly after Jonathan’s intervention, with reports saying his job promise gave birth to a ‘wound racket’; as scores of dishonest jobseekers laid siege to the National Hospital, Abuja, in their attempt to be listed among those wounded in the NIS recruitment stampede. Thereafter, about 176 members of the immediate family members of the dead that passed screening were given appointment letters. But the letters were withdrawn almost immediately, purportedly because of the lack of provision for their salaries. Protests by the disappointed ‘employees’ to the National Assembly prompted the House of Representatives to conduct a public hearing on the matter; during which the lawmakers insisted that “the 176 people with letters of appointment deserve employment based on the presidential directive… ”. The contempt with which the hierarchs of the Ministry of Interior treated the directive of ex-President Jonathan buttressed not just the grave extent of indiscipline now entrenched in the nation’s public service, but how conscienceless and self-serving

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SHOULD INTENSIFY PRESSURE ON THE

INTERIOR MINISTRY AND NIS TO RELEASE THE JOBS

the operators of the system have become. Indeed, it took the House’s Majority and Minority Leaders, Femi Gbajabiamila and Leo Ogor, respectively, who presided over the public hearing, to lecture the likes of the Permanent Secretary in the Interior Ministry, Abubakar Magaji; Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Henry Malgwi, who represented the Comptroller-General; and A. A. Ibrahim, Secretary of Board, Fire, Immigration and Civil Defence services, on how to go about their jobs. “If you collect money from students and fill a stadium, where was the salary going to come from in the first instance? Salaries are not given by the President; there is something like supplementary budget which the National Assembly has power to approve. I advise you effect these people’s employment in arrears and put their salaries in the supplementary budget”, Gbajabiamila had told them, for example. While the unredeemed job

ON THIS DAY February 8, 1924 Capital punishment: The first state execution in the United States by gas chamber took place in Nevada. Capital punishment is the sentence of death upon a convict; and the first gas chamber execution victim in the US was Gee Jon. An unsuccessful attempt to pump poison gas directly into his cell at Nevada State Prison led to the development of the first make-shift gas chamber to carry out Gee’s death sentence.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

February 8, 1979 Denis Sassou-Nguesso became the President of the Republic of the Congo for the first time. Born on November 23, 1943, Nguesso is a Congolese politician who has been the President of CongoBrazzaville since 1997. He was previously President from 1979 to 1992. During his first period as President, he headed the single-party regime of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) for 12 years.

promise controversy was still raging, however, reports had it that NIS hierarchs secretly recruited about 300 persons within few weeks, late last year, and were paying them salaries. Mr. Edmund Osumah, who led members of the aggrieved families to the National Assembly last Wednesday, said the Permanent Secretary in the Interior Ministry appealed to them that “serious attention is being given to the matter”. Incidentally, similar fickle and unimpressive stories were told when the House of Representatives took up the matter last October. We recall that the lawmakers had directed that the victims be absorbed by the NIS or risk the non-approval of this year’s budget of the Service. It has therefore become imperative to draw the attention of the House of Representatives to the care-free attitude of the leadership of the NIS and Interior Ministry towards addressing the plights of members of the distressed immediate families of the dead NIS job seekers. Government is a continuum. The integrity failure of the Jonathan administration on this matter in no way diminishes the importance of fulfilling the presidential job promise. The House of Representatives should intensify pressure on the Interior Ministry and NIS to release the jobs.

x February 8, 2014 A hotel fire in Medina, Saudi Arabia, killed 15 Egyptian pilgrims and injured 130 others. Around seven hundred pilgrims from different countries were staying at the hotel to perform the Umrah when an electrical short circuit caused the fire outbreak in the hotel. Fifteen Egyptian pilgrims died, while 130 others sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of the fire. It took the rescue teams around two hours to put out the fire.

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Cover

Boosting Nigeria’s revenue through nonoil sector collections In order to increase non-oil revenue of the country, analysts are of the view that Federal Government must create enabling business environment and provide adequate support for companies to thrive. Udo Onyeka reports

ndeed many experts had before the global oil price crash, underpinned the need for Nigeria to as a matter of urgency take up the development of her non-oil sector to increase the country’s revenue. Nigeria has always been taunted as being endowed with enormous natural resources that have remained in the raw form without being exploited. It is gladdening to hear the Federal Government under the lead-

ership of President Muhammadu Buhari is targeting more revenue from the non-oil sector than oil revenue in the coming year. According to many analysts for Nigeria to increase her revenue now that the international price for crude oil has nosedived, serious attention must be paid to internal revenue generation through taxes and other charges,the agriculture sector and solid mineral sector among others. President Buhari while pre-

senting 2016 budget proposal of N6.08trn to a joint session of the National Assembly recently said that with a revenue projection of N3.86trn resulting in a deficit of N2.22trn, non oil sector non-oil revenues comprising Company Income Tax (CIT), Value Added Tax (VAT), Customs and Excise duties, and Federation Account levies, would contribute N1.45trn while oil-related revenue is expected to contribute N820bn. According to Buhari the gov-

ernment had focused on non-oil revenues by broadening the tax base and improving the effectiveness of revenue collecting agencies. The president said with the full implementation of the Treasury Single Account, TSA, significant improvements in the collection and remittance of independent revenues were expected. Also Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma UdoUdoma, recently stated that gov-

ernment was in the process of streamlining incentives and waivers for proper monitoring, transparency and broadening of nonoil tax revenue. Udo-Udoma said this at the opening ceremony of the FIRS 2016 Corporate Strategy Retreat titled ``optimising non-oil tax revenue collection through compliance and enforcement’’ in Abuja. Udoma who was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent SecContinued on pg A4 UDO ONYEKA, EDITOR BUSINESS COURAGE udonyeka@gmail.com c

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Cover Continued from pg A3

Udoma

For Nigeria Customs Service, the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, said that the Service had set N1trn revenue target for itself in 2016. According to Ali, the deployment of e-customs has boosted revenue collection and its role of providing connectivity in the nation’s borders. “The deployment of e-customs has boosted customs’ role of providing connectivity between nations divided by artificial borders. Collection of revenue and interception of harmful imports have been made easier with the help of technology. “In line with the change mantra of the present government, let me remind all operatives and stakeholders alike not to abuse the process and corrupt the system. Any act calculated to distort and compromise the integrity of e-customs will not be tolerated and will be met with appropriate sanctions,’’ he said. Ali said that in the area of using technology for collaboration and efficiency, NCS was always playing the leading role. According to him, the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System, NICIS, Nigeria Trade Hub and the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report, PAAR, are electronic platforms for effective collaborations and ease of doing business in Nigeria. President, Business Venture Watch, BVN, Mr. Bruce Irabor said there was the need for the CGC to closely monitor officers of the Customs. According to him even though we are talking of change a lot of the officers have remained unchanged in their activities, adding that a lot fraud are still taking at

Fowler

ports under the nose of customs officers. Executive Director of the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, has disclosed that the Federal Government is currently working on what it called zero oil plan that will see non-oil exports increasing to about N30bn in 2025. He said this would be achieved by scaling up production of petrochemical products to almost 10 million metric tons. He said it was the Nigeria Export Promotion Council plan to help Nigeria out of the doldrums it is currently facing with a drop of revenue of over $30bn. Awolowo said the nation’s oil revenue has dropped from N70bn to almost N40bn, noting that that alone, can kill a country if the government was not careful. “We are the apex agency for the promotion of non-oil products in Nigeria. So, we have come up with this Zero oil plan, which we are getting the stakeholders’ buyin all over. “This is a plan that will say let us scale up production on many of the products, agricultural products and petrochemical products that Nigeria has comparative advantage and let’s take them out to the world and trade international. “We are looking at scaling up our non-oil exports to almost N30bn by 2025. So, the zero oil plan is what we must sit down to look at,” he said. Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture KADCCIMA, President, Dr. Abdul Bello, declared recently that the solid minerals sector has greater capacity to generate revenue than oil, since Nigeria has large deposits of untapped solid minerals.

‘

This is a plan that will say let us scale up production on many of the products, agricultural products and petrochemical products that Nigeria has comparative advantage and let’s take them out to the world and trade international

‘

retary, Mrs Fatima Mede, said “Let me inform you that government is in the process of streamlining incentives and waivers for proper monitoring, transparency, efficient tax administration and broadening of the non-oil tax revenue. “It is also planned to ensure stiffer penalty for tax evaders in the country. Efforts are equally on the way to explore the country’s potential in the solid mineral and agricultural sector”, he said. According to him the government would discourage dumping and smuggling to ensure massive investment in physical infrastructure and enhance conductive business environment, including security of lives and property. Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Tunde Fowler, who has been given with his team a revenue generation target of N4.957trn for 2016, said the FIRS Federal Engagement and Enlightenment Tax Team, FEETT, was undertaking a nationwide VAT and Withholding tax monitoring and taxpayer registration exercise to sensitise the people on the need to discharge their civic responsibility as appropriate. Many analysts have emphasised the important role FIRS would play in providing revenue towards the realisation of the federal government’s plan for 2016. But while the FIRS have pledged to step up their game, some watchers of the financial sector have called for increase in tax especially the VAT, arguing that increasing VAT would automatically raise the country’s revenue. President Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Chief Mrs Nike Akande has said that though she desires increase in tax revenue, but she does not subscribe to increasing tax. According to her the FIRS should make sure that those who do not pay tax begin to do so. Also, a Lagos based financial consultant, Emeka Izuchukwu, said one major way of increasing the country’s revenue through is to make sure that all the leakage are plugged. The federal government, according to Udoma, has no plan of increasing either the Value Added Tax or the Corporate Tax. The Minister who disclosed this recently, however, said it was the government’s desire to see an increase in the tax collection rate, which currently stands at about 20 per cent. “We do not intend to increase the VAT rate at the moment, but we want to increase the collection rate from 20 per cent. We will also not raise the Corporate Tax, because we do not want to impose additional burden on Nigerians. “Government’s position is, however, that those who make money and have not been paying taxes should pay. We expect at least 20 per cent increase in the tax collection rate, which is conservative in terms of our revenue projection”, Udoma said.

“Although Nigeria has large solid mineral deposits in most of the 36 states of the federation, the sector had been largely neglected in the wake of the oil boom. But with the declining revenue from oil, the Federal Government and stakeholders have opted for diversification of the economy, making solid minerals one of the sectors to focus on. Also a Lagos based consultant Hakeem Agbaje, told Business courage that the potential of solid minerals to serve as an alternative source of revenue to the country is enormous only if it is properly harnessed by the government. He FG could start by creating conducive environment that would attract foreign investors as the business required huge capital outlay for it to be commercially viable. Agbaje said Nigeria is endowed with enormous solid minerals in almost all states of the federation. He however regretted that the country is presently under exploiting these God given gift, preferring instead to concentrate on oil as major source of revenue. He called for the deliberate efforts aimed at increasing and ginger solid mineral exploration through various initiatives targeted at attracting foreign direct investments either with 100percent ownership or through joint venture agreement with Nigerian entrepreneur. According to him, “Mining is a capital intensive industry. Government is expected do more to ensure proper harnessing. An average miner needs about N200m to start” he said. As part of what the government can do to attract foreign investors, Agbaje called for favourable tax regime, including a three-year tax holiday to new companies; a reduction in the capital gains tax, from 20 per cent to 10 per cent; companies profit tax from 35 per cent to 30 per cent and internationally competitive fiscal incentive, which should be enshrined in the law. President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society,

NMGS, Prof. Clifford Teme, said that, “the number one consumer of Nigeria’s crude oil, America, has been playing tricks with us for a long time. When they buy from us they accumulate and they don’t use and they now have three times what we have. Now they are arranging with China to buy their own. So we don’t have anybody to buy our own, except some minor countries. “You see that it will affect the economy that is why we are now going towards the solid minerals industry, which is the mainstay of countries, like Australia, South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, and others. They don’t have oil, but they are managing.” Teme speaking on the potentials of the solid minerals sector noted that with the 44 minerals discovered across the country, seven of them are capable of diversifying and driving the economy. These he said include gold, coal, limestone, iron ore, lead/ zinc, bitumen and barites. “We have found out that we have enough commercial quantities of the seven minerals, so we should start exploiting them to boost our revenue. We should first commence the mining of the seven minerals before going into the second phase of other minerals,” Teme stated. To boost agric business in the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, had agreed to five per cent interest on lending rate to farmers in the country. Ogbeh made this known last week, while delivering a keynote address at the opening of a twoday national workshop on a “New Agricultural Policy for Nigeria.’’ The workshop was organised by the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria, NAFN in collaboration with the ministry and All Farmers Association of Nigeria AFAN. According to the minister, the agreement followed discussions with key officials of the apex bank. “There is no country on earth in or outside Africa, where banks demand 25, 18 or even nine per cent interest rate for agriculture borrowing. “With those rates, I assure you as man, who have been in this business - agriculture since the age of seven years, you cannot make profit in agriculture,’’ Ogbeh said. The minister said that agriculture and solid minerals remain the alternatives sectors to which the country could diversify now to survive current economic situation. “The challenge before us is how to make this happen. The time for lamentation is over. The time for action is here.’’ Ogbeh said unless this was done, the problem of youth unemployment and youth restiveness would continue to plague the country”, he said. BC

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News CPS suffers setback as states fail to remit contributions

barked by our Benin Customs counterpart, the skyrocketing exchange rate and our resolute stand for people to comply with the bench mark as stipulated in our extant laws, the command remain undaunted to perform above board as there is a gradual change of attitude to compliance.

he Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, may have suffered a serious setback as some states who had either partially or fully subscribed to the new scheme, are no longer remitting their counterpart contributions into the Retirement Savings Account, RSA, of their workers. Despite this anomaly on the part of the states, some of them are deducting the contribution of their workers without remitting same to their RSAs. The affected state governments include: Osun, Ekiti, Kebbi, Akwa-Ibom, Niger, among other states are said to be defaulting in their contributions. Confirming this development, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Osun State chapter, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, said the state government had yet to implement the PRA 2014, because remittances based on the 2004 Act had stopped. His claim was supported by the Secretary of the Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State Owned Tertiary Institutions, Mr. Olusegun Lana, who said deductions from workers’ salaries for November 2013 were the last funds remitted to their RSAs. According to him, “Osun domesticated the 2004 Pension Reform Act in 2008 but the actual implementation of the pension law started in May 2010. The 2014 PRA has not been implemented. Our concern now is that the law with lesser percentage of contribution was not implemented, will the government implement this one with greater obligation for it?” In the same vein, Permanent Secretary, Office of Establishment and Training, Ekiti State, Mr. Banji Ojo, said the pension scheme in the state, had failed to take off five years after it was passed into law in 2011 due to resistance by labour unions as well as the inability of the state government to meet its financial obligations. However, the State Head of Service, Dr. Olugbenga Faseluka, explained that a committee on the scheme had been set up to study the Ekiti State Contributory Pension Scheme Law, 2011, alongside the PRA 2014. In Kebbi, the state NLC Chairman, Murtala Usman, explained that the former state government had not been remitting its own part of contributions into the RSAs since the enactment of the PRA 2004. He lamented that the workers were fed up and planning to stop their own contributions since the scheme had not been effective. In Akwa Ibom, Niger and Cross River states, there are

Firm targets 60m Nigerians for N220bn SMES fund in 2016

L-R: Deputy Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Tony Okpanachi; Head, Personal Banking, Ecobank Nigeria, Korede Demola-Adeniyi in a hand shake with Chairman, Ecobank Nigeria, John Aboh and Group Executive Domestic Bank, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, Patrick Akinwuntan, during the launch of Ecobank Premier Lounge at the Mercedes Place in Lekki, Lagos recently.

controversies over the remittance of deductions to the workers’ Pension Fund Administrators.

Egbin reaches agreement with Eko Disco on 100 MW supply

he Eko Distribution Company, EKDC, has entered into agreement with Egbin Power Station for supply of 100 mega watts of electricity to boost power supply within its network The agreement will boost power supply to enhance the current cost reflective tariff. Managing Director of Eko Disco Mr Oladele Amoda, speaking at the company’s town hall consultative customer’s forum said that the company will invest in additional 100 megawatts from Egbin power station to boost power supply within its operations. According to him, we have concluded bilateral arrangement with Egbin for supply of 100 megawatts. Customers within Lekki, Ajah, Ibeju and environs will benefit greatly from this special plan. Speaking further, he said, “This is energy that would come directly to us without passing through the national grid. Though transmission is playing a vital role, but in this special arrangement, the customers will slightly pay more than regular customers. The good news is that power supply would be stable almost at all times. Amoda therefore appealed to customers to embrace the new electricity tariff, adding that the new tariff is customer friendly. He said that removal of the fixed charge by government is a welcome development which

will benefit the customers of Eko a great deal. Eko Disco has the least tariff charge in the country taking into consideration what the National Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has just released to the nation. “What it means now is that we are going to pursue vigorously our metering roll out plans to the satisfaction of our yearning customers. But for those who cannot wait for the roll out plan to get to them, they can key into our CAPMI programme to avoid estimated bills which does not favour the company nor the customers” he advised.

Seme controller tasks customs officers on discipline, hard work

he Customs Area Controller of Seme, Compt. V. D. Dimka, has resolved to transform seme border command by exploring avenues to create enabling work environment to boost legitimate trade through the coastal Lagos-Abidjan corridor. To achieve this, the controller indicated his intention to break the jinx of abnormality, irregularities and abuse of procedures in the importation business along the border. Dimka told both officers and stakeholder that command would not be intimated by opposition to its commitment to discharge its mandate He said: “The Nigeria Customs Service Seme Command refuse to be intimidated by any form of organised protest against the implementation of Federal Government policies, Seme will never remain the same again and nothing will be done with impunity any longer. “We must get it right and have a complete moral rebirth

in order to complement the relentless effort of the CGC to collect maximum revenue which is one of the core mandates of the service that cannot be handled with levity,” he said. The customs top officer, who is a change and war against non-compliance proponent, also said he would use all channels to sensitize the public, opinion leaders, the host communities, critical stakeholders and media to partner with him so that the conscious mistakes of the past will be avoided. In a chat with some media men in the command, the comptroller appeals to the print media to go into investigative journalism so as to give a balance, objective and fair representation of both sides on any report or publication to the general public. The Area controller re-stated that the command has remained firm for people to get it right and for change to be effected. He cited an instance where the uniformity of the exfactory price on vehicles in all land borders is misunderstood by our critical stakeholders to be enforced only in seme command. He used the medium to re-sensitise why he is in seme border command. ‘’I am here not to be an impediment to legitimate trade, but to sanitise seme to adhere strictly to customs extant laws, facilitate legitimate trade and collect the maximum revenue, therefore, I cannot work against my mandate of maximum revenue collection’’. To this end, the compt. re-emphasised to our critical stakeholders to please get it right as government fiscal policies are not meant to be against the citizenry but to bring about the economic development of the entire nation. Compt. Dimka disclosed that despite the low activities recorded in the last month occasioned by the strike em-

Kaduna-based financial consultancy company says it is targeting 60 million Nigerians for financial inclusion through bottom-up approach to access the N220bn Small and Medium Enterprises fund in 2016. The, company, Kajaura International Consults Ltd. said would guide to people to access the fund being provided by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Managing Director of the company, Dr. Yakub Abdalla, made the assertion at a twoday summit for Credit Cooperatives and Cooperative Credit Unions on access to finance. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the summit was organised by Kajaura with the theme ``Positioning Credit Cooperatives and Cooperative Credit Unions for Access to Finance and Wealth Creation”. The summit had 250 heads of credit cooperatives and 687 cooperatives, including civil servants’ cooperatives, representing 1.82 million registered members as participants from all states of the federation. Abdalla disclosed that Kajaura had in January 2015, entered into an agreement with the CBN to allow cooperative societies to access the fund through microfinance banks. He explained that the cooperative societies would apply through microfinance banks and the banks would apply to the CBN on their behalf. ``CBN will thereafter, wholesale-lend the amount to the microfinance bank which will in turn lend the money to the cooperatives at 9 per cent interest rate. ``So far, 1.82 million members of cooperative societies have registered with Kajaura to access the fund and they are currently going through the vetting process. ``We have fulfilled the conditions of bank accounts, CBN Know Your Customer policy and all others, including collateral. ``I assure you that once the process is concluded, the members will receive their money directly,’’ the company’s boss said. He said that currently, only about 22 million Nigerians have banks account based on the in-

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News formation released by the CBN, which implied that about 80 per cent of Nigerians do not have bank accounts. Abdalla explained that the summit, the first in the country was organised to create a platform for collaboration among cooperatives to boost access to finance. It is also to trigger cooperative trade among members and encourage export, he added. He also said that Kajaura, in collaboration with e-transact, would launch a cooperative cash Automated Teller Machines ,ATM and cooperative cash master cards specifically for members. Also, Felicia Henderson, the founder of a women empowerment NGO, ``The Way Foundation’’, said that cooperative societies remained key in access to funds both within and from outside the country. She said her foundation would collaborate with the cooperatives to open up internal and foreign markets, adding that every part of the country had something unique to offer.

Pay cuts at MAN Oron may trigger staff protests Francis Ezem

he management and staff of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria MAN, located in Oron, Akwa Ibom State are currently at daggers drawn over the decision of the former to embark on a staff salary cuts. Both the management and staff are still mourning the sudden demise of the former Rector, late Dr. Joshua Okpo, who not buried yet. Competent sources at the Nigeria’s premier maritime institution, said that the staff are poised for a showdown with the management over its decision to slash workers’ salaries, which they argued was ill-timed and insensitive. According to the sources, apart from the fact that the workers are still in a state of shock and grief over the sudden demise of the former Rector, they remained the lowest paid

workers in the maritime industry. “As we speak, members of staff are not only mourning the late former Rector but are also devastated by insensitivity of the management led by the acting Rector Dr. Anthony Ishiodu, who has chosen to inflict more pains on the hapless workers”, they lamented. They also argued that the current downturn in the nation’s economy with the attendant high inflation rate and diminished purchasing power has made workers, especially low income earners most vulnerable. It was further gathered that there was no form of communication nor discussion between the members of staff and the management before the pay cut was effected, a. Development that left the workers as shocked and confused as ever. Investigations also showed that following the pay cuts, some workers’ take-home pay has been reduced to less than N10, 000, especially those who took loans and salary advances because the salary is low normally low. “Why our own case should be differrent, we have not heard of pay cuts at the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, the Nigerian Maritime Administration. And Safety Agency NIMASA or any other government agency in the maritime industry or under the Federal Ministry of Transport as a whole?”, they further uestioned. It was however not possible at the time of filing this report to get the public relations officer of the academy, Mr. Sidi Nkpandiok to coemment on the development, especially as to the reasons for the cut. But there are speculations that it might not be unconnected withe restructuring promised by the Minister of Transport, Mr. Rotimi Amaech. It was also speculated that the acting Rector may have been given two alternatives either to downsize the workforce or embark on pay cuts to reduce operating cost in relation to current economic realities. But stakeholders have argued that such restructuring should have been allowed to take effect with the 2016 budget and that same should also have been communicated to the workers in order to prepare their minds beforehand.

NNPC to establish 800 retail outlets – Group Executive Director

T Amaechi

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, is set to establish 800 additional retail outlets across the country, Group Executive Director Dr Babatunde Adeniran, has said. He spoke on Friday in Ilorin,

Adeniran

when he led the NNPC team on a courtesy visit to Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara at the Governor’s Lodge. He said that out of the 800 stations, three retail outlets would be established across the senatorial districts of Kwara. Adeniran said already 503 retail stations had been established across the country; while six outlets were in Kwara, with only one solely owned by the NNPC. He sought for allocation of land in the three senatorial districts to enable the corporation build its outlets in the areas. Adeniran said that efforts were on to resume full operation at the Oke-Oyi depot, with a view to bringing relief to the oil marketers and the public. He pointed out that the activities of vandals through Atlascove, Mosinmi and Ibadan had limited upstream activities to Oke-Oyi depot. Gov. Ahmed, assured that his government would continue to be supportive of ideas and activities that would create employment opportunities and boost economic activities. The governor called for efficient and effective distribution system of oil products. Gov. Ahmed stressed the need for stronger collaboration among security agencies in checking activities of pipeline vandals across the country.

Samsung to empower 10,000 teachers with ICT skills Isaiah Erhiawarien

amsung Electronics West Africa has mapped out plans to empower 10,000 teachers across the country as well as 5000 other students with Information and Communications Technology, ICT, skills. The plan is part of its Smart School for Teachers initiative, of which Ogun is the latest beneficiary following the commissioning of the Samsung Smart School for Teachers in Ogun State to mark the 40th anniversary of the creation of the state. The facility, which was

commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari and witnessed by Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is the second of five to be launched in Nigeria, while plans are on to replicate same in Rivers, Delta and Imo states. Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa, Chang Wook Lee said that Samsung launched the Smart School for Teachers in Ogun State, in partnership with the Ogun state ministry of Education saying that “The Smart School concept is implemented in urban schools with the infrastructure, but not the skills needed to use IT for teaching and learning.” According to him, the initiative was conceived in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal to improve education, noting that “we believe it is essential to equip teachers with basic computer literacy, as well as the tools they need to use ICTs for curriculum development and more impactful teaching, and the Smart School for Teachers is an important step in achieving this. Our desire is to see the average Nigerian teacher become very familiar and comfortable with using technology to pass on knowledge and to further develop the secondary beneficiaries, which are the students”. He said further that the initiative is part of Samsung’s global effort to use technology to increase the quantity of students who have access to quality learning materials and facilities, as well as improve the quality of education given out by tutors. Lee disclosed that with the launch of the Smart School for Teachers, participants will receive training to empower them in accessing digital content, share content with students, monitor students’ progress and conduct assessments. Ogun state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Modupe Mojota while expressing her excitement about the impact the project will have on education in state applauded Samsung’s effort and contribution towards ICT development within the state and country at large. “We are indeed grateful to Samsung for tapping into the goal of this present administration to train quality teachers and produce top notch students. This project will indeed change the face of education in our state for the better” she said. She also said that as ICT becomes more and more entrenched in the nation, it is essential that students are exposed to it and guided by teachers who can use technology to add real value to the learning experience. “It is also remarkable that content from this Samsung Smart School can be beamed

across other senatorial districts of the state, giving it a wider impact”, she noted.

Ogun honours Otudeko Group Chairman, FBN Holdings

he Ogun State government has conferred the special recognition award on the distinguished business mogul, renowned philanthropist and Group Chairman of FBN Holdings Plc, Dr. Oba Otudeko. The award, which is part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Ogun State, was conferred on five outstanding Ogun stakeholders on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016. Oba Otudeko is a Nigerian entrepreneur and visionary reputed for his highly successful domestic and foreign investments that cut across diverse sectors of the economy. He was a former President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and assumed responsibility for the change transformation of the Nigerian capital market along with its Council driving the market to its highest capitalization ever during his tenure. Outside of the private sector, Oba Otudeko has had a distinguished career in public service, especially in the area of education. He was Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (formerly Ogun State University), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, between 2001 and 2010 and a member of the Africa Regional Advisory Board of London Business School, London, UK. Otudeko also served on the board of several blue-chip companies including Airtel Nigeria Limited, Fan Milk Nigeria Plc, Central Bank of Nigeria and the Chairman of Honeywell Nigeria Plc. He is a recipient of several awards and national honours including the Commander of the Federal Republic ,CFR, in 2011. He is Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, UK; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered and Corporate Accountants, UK; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Nigeria and Fellow of the Institute Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria. BC

Otudeko

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Business Courage

Monday, February 8, 2016

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Companies & Markets

NPA moves to curb extortion of truckers at ports Francis Ezem

he Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, has commenced the process of checkmating the activities of security and traffic officials operating at the seaports in Lagos over increasing cases of extortion by truck drivers. This is sequel to constituting a standing intervention committee made up of stakeholders and charged with the responsibility of handling cases of allegations of extortion by the truck drivers. General Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, Captain Iheanocho Ebubeogu, who spoke at the weekend, said that the constitution of the standing committee had become necessary and urgent following increasing cases of allegations of extortion levelled against security and traffic operatives by truck drivers. According to him constitution of the committee was at the instance of the the management of the Western Ports unit of NPA. Headed by the General Manager in charge of the Western Ports, Chief Michael Ajayi, the

committee is primarily set up to address the fears raised by the various trucking unions on the alleged increasing cases of extortion along most of the port access roads within the Lagos ports corridor. It was also gathered that the membership of the committee is drawn from NPA-accredited truckers unions, fleet operators, andsecurity and traffic agencies. Some of the trucking unions represented on the standing committee include Association of Maritime Transport Owners AMARTO, Joint Council of Seaport Truck Operators JACOST, National Association of Road Transport Owners NARTO, Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria RTEAN, and Truck Drivers Unit of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN, among others. Meanwhile while commenting on the committee, Chief Ajayi also disclosed that the management of the Western Ports, which controls the seaports and jetties in Lagos has been innundated with reports and complaints about such extortions by some

Ajayi

operatives. He said: “The setting up of this ccommittee had become necessary following repeated complaints by truck drivers over allegedextortion by ssecurity ooperatives, especially at the gates of the seaports in Lagos. He however warned that the ccommittee would stop at nothing in investigating all such allegations with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice. He also assured that the ccommittee is determined to report any erring ssecurity operative to

the appropriate law enforcement agencies for necessary actions. Truck drivers operating at the nation’s seaports in Lagos have over the years been complaining about extortion by the security agencies at the ports. The truckers, who attributed the worsening extortions to the perennial gridlocks on most ports access roads in Apapa, said that this ugly development has made loading consignments at the Lagos Ports a nightmare for both drivers and transport agents. Chairman of AMARTO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, who confirmed this ugly development, said there are extortions of very high magnitude by security and traffic operatives. “Many of these security and traffic officials you find on port access roads and gates are there because of the money they extort from truck drivers”, he lamented. He also disclosed that coupled with this high magnitude of extotion is the deliberate and wanton destruction of side mirrors and other fittings by some of these security agencies. BC

Dell expands open network billing software Isaiah Erhiawarien

ell has extended its Open Networking billing software range of Operating System 10 (OS10). The next-generation networking software is designed to introduce new levels of software flexibility and programmability in large-scale data centre environments. According to the Vice President and General Manager at Dell Networking and Enterprise Infrastructure, Tom Burns, the OS10 platform is designed around new benchmarks for open software modularity so users can create the most efficient and flexible paths across networked systems. Burns said that modern, software-defined, data centers

Burns

require a fresh approach to operations not just for the network, but across compute and storage elements as well adding that OS10 gives customers a future-ready springboard to

innovate their networks and data center infrastructure more quickly and consistently, affording customer’s greater efficiency and capability at scale. Dell’s OS10 comprises a base module and various optional application modules. The OS10 Base Module is available for free and runs a fully-open, unmodified Linux distribution. Below it, the OS 10 Base Module employs the Open Compute Project Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) that enables a common, programmer-friendly language between vendor network operating systems and the particular silicon residing on the physical switch. On top of the base module, OS10 can support traditional networking functions (L2/L3 protocols) from Dell as well as

numerous third-party, native Linux, and open source applications such as IP, fabric and security services combined with management and automation tools. This allows customers to tailor IT operations for different use case and operational processes. OS10’s unmodified Linux base provides distinct advantages as customers increasingly look to design applications and data centers across server, storage and networking – not just one silo. While OS10 will have appeal for traditional network operators seeking conventional programming means, the software will also appeal to DevOps communities seeking a consistent, common development environment across server, storage and networking elements. BC

Cummins Power signs deal to build 300MW power plants

ummins Cogeneration Ltd. has signed a 300 MW Power Purchase Agreement, PPA, with Sapele Power Plc as part of its plans to build one of Africa’s largest gas-fired power plants. The deal was endorsed by Deepak Khilnani, Chairman of Cummins Cogeneration Ltd. This partnership is coming just weeks after the company announced the signing of a 300 MW investment in neighbouring Beyin, Ghana. Speaking at the event, Deepak said “we are excited about our partnership with Sapele Power Plc because we believe this synergy will birth strengths and capabilities that will deliver a clean and sustainable long-term energy solution for Nigerians. This project will be operated using Cummins Combined Heat and Power ,CHP, lean burn gas generator sets which emit up to five times less nitrogen oxide than comparable diesel generator sets and near-zero particulate matter. In adding to this, it offers a 48 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions compared to traditional steam turbine engines, which makes this a highly efficient and environmentally sustainable project. Currently, Sapele Power Plc operates Nigeria’s second largest power plant by an installed capacity of about 1020MW, capable of meeting the energy needs of around 750,000 homes at full capacity. Upon this partnership, the plant will distribute electricity generated from the plant directly to Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), supplying millions of homes and businesses with clean power. BC

‘Sterling Bank, Consulting firm partner to empower young entrepreneurs’

terling bank plc is collaborating with HT Limited, a business consultant firm, in order to enhance and support small business and budding young entrepreneurs in the country. Executive Director, ED, Sterling bank plc, Mr Abukubar Suleiman, who revealed this at a press conference held in Lagos, recently, noted that today’s economies realities have necessitated the birth of a crop of business led by visionary individuals called

entrepreneurs. He stressed that although these individuals have been described severally as the divers of the economy, but they still “encounter a lot of challenges, chiefly the need for funding and financial advisory”, he said. Sulemon, however, said that with Sterling bank supporting the initiative with up to N6 million worth of grants, participant will jostle to be short-listed among the final 30 that will defend their business before the

panel constituted . This year initiative, which has three winners at the first edition: Gbemisola Esho, a female entrepreneur who specialise in making shoes and bags from raw leather and Ankara fabrics , Rufai Adeyemi who runs a restaurant specialised in aquatic produce and Daniel Mamma- a PET battle recycler, is set to have received entry up to 500 applicants. Chief Consultant, HT Limited, Mrs. Feyikemi Odunuga, noted that the firm (HT limited) will

handle the aspect of training and educating the emerge winners. She further stressed that not only will the company train and guide direct winners but also, nurture the emerge winners. Odunuga noted that in the first session, 50 business plan entities covering various sectors of the economy were selected. These 50 business proprietors, she said, underwent a training session which was held at the Enterprise Development Centre in Lagos. BC

Khilnani

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Monday, February 8, 2016

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Brand Watch

Ondo state, Jumia, GTBank, others win Consumersng awards Dare Akogun

onsumersng, an online platform advocating for a more consumer-centric culture in Nigeria has announced Ondo State, GTBank, Jumia, and 16 other corporate entities/governmental bodies as the top 20 brands best adopting digital technology in providing services to people. The winners are, E-governance- Ondo’s smartcart (Kaadi Igbe Ayo); Bank of the year- GTBank; Beauty and Cosmetics (Innovations)- Natures Gentle Touch; Real estate site of the year- Lamudi’;

Social Enterprise (Impact)BudgiT; Corporate FinanceDunn Loren Merrifield; Job creation- Jobberman; Transport (innovation)- Easy Taxi. Others are, Online retailer of the year- Jumia; Health service- Flying Doctors Nigeria; Telecoms- Etisalat; Foods/drinks related services- Hellofood; Logistics – Konga Express; New Media (Innovations)- Iroko TV; Printing (Innovation of the year), Printivo; Hospitality/Tourism (Innovations)- Jovago; Education Site of the year- Passng; Car Search site of the year – Carmudi Online payment

platform- Interswitch; Agriculture-Nobex Tech. Speaking on the awards, Head, Communications, Consumersng, Funsho Williams-A, said the idea is initiated in recognition of brands who are best adopting high tech/digital initiatives in easing the burden of service delivery between manufacturers and consumers. She added: “We commend the disposition of the 20 winning brands towards the businesses they do, and assure that we will do all in our capacity to position them as models for others to emulate in a country where people-

centered plans is continually on the decline. “While this award might not mirror the impressive financial gains of service providers, it is our pride that the idea is based on consumer’s merit and it reflects the reality of services valued. “Activities which entails a voting process, which was opened to consumers online for a week, as well as recommendations from other notable industry watchers were all put into consideration in deciding the winning brands of the day in the 20 categories.” BC

CSR: ‘NB Plc to maintain Costain, Apapa-Ijora gardens’

igerian Breweries, NB Plc will be responsible for the maintenance of Costain, Apapa-Ijora Road beautification gardens, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency, LASPARK, has said. General Manager of the Agency, Mrs Titi Animashaun,, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Friday in Lagos that the partnership with Nigerian Breweries would ensure adequate maintenance of the gardens. ``This means that NB Plc will take full charge of ensur-

ing that the gardens in the area are in good condition. ``Everything from the reconstruction of the gardens, planting new trees and redesigning the area, if there is need, will be handled by NB Plc,’’ she said. Spokesman of Nigerian Breweries Mr Vindem Edem, told NAN that another company would handle the reconstruction of the gardens. NAN reports that the Costain axis of the garden had been in bad shape following the reconstruction of the

Animashaun

drainage channels in front of the National Theatre main gate. The gardens under the Orile-Ijora Bridge are also unkempt. The LASPARK chief had earlier stressed the need to carry out soil test to determine the extent of oil pollution in the area. According to her, the test will not only assist remediation work, it would also help to ascertain the type of trees that should be planted in the park. BC

Nigeria wins in ‘Unilever Idea Trophy Team’ David Audu

eam Apex from Nigeria has emerged the winner of the Unilever Idea Trophy Africa after months of tough assessments that led to final presentations made to Unilever Africa Leadership Team, which comprises of the Head of Africa and the other Africa regional heads. Team Samba from South Africa was the runner-up. Currently in its second year, the Unilever Africa Idea Trophy is a students’ business competition that provides them with a unique opportunity to work on real-life business challenges and get access to Unilever’s world-class training and insights from its leaders. The 2nd and 3rd year students that made it to the fi-

Hull

nal, held in South Africa, were selected after winning their respective country competitions. By completing each stage in their country competition, students gained experience and developed their employability, as well as real business acumen.

“With Africa’s youth between the ages of 15 and 25 representing 60 per cent of the continents’ population, it is our duty as a top employer on the continent to do our bit in eradicating youth unemployment,” said Patrick Hull, Leadership Development Director, Africa. “All the students that participated in the country competition gained valuable skills and information that will make them job ready and employable while they leverage off their tertiary education.” The winning team of Jennifer Ikeokwu, Olamide Popoola and Adenkunle Adepoju, and the runners-up (Kwazini Zulu, Bongeka Dlamini and Lilly Nijila), will represent Africa at the Global competition that will take place in London. “The case study we worked on

tested our ability to solve real business problem and conceptualize an engaging and scalable marketing campaign for one of Unilever’s power brands,” said Jennifer Ikeokwu from Babcock University in Nigeria. “We are excited about the opportunity of competing against the best in the world and to make our families, countries and the rest of Africa proud.” “Being a purpose driven organisation that wants to create a bright future for all, means that Unilever will continue to invest in such initiatives that not only expose us to the future talent that the continent has to offer but also gives the students an opportunity to get a glimpse of the working wold they may enter in a few years,” concluded Patrick. rest of Africa proud.”BC

Sanders supporters banned from Tinder after campaigning on dating app

tumping for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tinder is getting some women banned from the online dating app after sending campaign messages to prospective matches. Two women - one from Iowa and the other from New Jersey - confirmed to Reuters on Friday that they received notices from Tinder in the previous 24 hours that their accounts were locked because they had been reported too many times for peppering men on the site with messages promoting Sanders’ candidacy. Robyn Gedrich, 23, said she sent messages to 60 people a day for the past two weeks trying to convince them to support the U.S. senator from Vermont in his race for the Democratic nomination against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Do you feel the bern?” her message to other Tinder users read, parroting a Sanders campaign slogan. “Please text WORK to 82623 for me. Thanks.” Gedrich, an assistant store manager at retailer Elie Tahari who lives in Brick, New Jersey, said a text would prompt people to start receiving updates from the Sanders campaign, as well as a link where they could sign up and volunteer. She has been unable to sign back into Tinder since logging off on Thursday. BC

Sanders

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, February 8, 2016

We are eager to empower more Nigerians, says Airtel Stories by Isaiah Erhiawarien

(ozueesther@nationalmirroronline.net) 08059234648 (sms only)

Segun Ogunsanya, Airtel boss

lence. “With our aggressive retail expansion footprints and investment in customer service centres, it is therefore no gainsaying that our customer-centricity, which has consistently earned us the Best Customer Service Operator over the years is not a fluke but a reality we would never compromise on.” He said further that as Airtel increases its footprints in Abuja, “we bring with it our rich history and culture of great service experience to the delight of our customers, especially those within this community and the environs.” Speaking further, he commended the telco for its sup-

port towards the underprivileged in the Nigerian society through its Airtel Touching Lives Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform. According to him, the newly opened office affords members of the National Assembly access to its innovative products and services. It is a one-stop office designed to offers premium services tailored to suit the lifestyle of high profile customers on the network. Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Prince Gilbert Nnaji, who was special guest of honour at the occasion, performed the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon to declare the new showroom opened. BC

Yudala’s Mobile Monday performance high he Yudala’s Mobile Monday sales strategy, which began this week recorded an impressive performance, the company in a statement said on Tuesday. The weekly mega sales promotion kicked off with brands like Innjoo, Infinix, Alcatel, HP, Apple and Samsung, amongst others, carrying the day with huge demands for their mobile devices. Head, Corporate Communications, Yudala, Gideon Ayogu, expressed delight with the massive response recorded noting that subsequent editions will further position the promotion on the frontburner as the biggest single day sales of mobile devices in the country. He said that Yudala website

with Esther Ozue

Younity, your personal cloud

elecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has indicated its desire to empower more Nigerians and make life more meaningful to them. Chief Sales Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Godfrey Efeurhobo, who made the remark at the commissioning of a new retail outlet at the Senate Building, National Assembly Complex, Abuja said that outlet is part of its commercial strategy to deepen its retail presence as well as deliver telecoms services to the doorsteps of its consumers. He said that Airtelis committed to its key objectives of connecting Nigerians to their dreams and empowering more telecoms consumers with access to bespoke and innovative telecoms products and services. According to him, the telecoms company is keenly interested in not just offering Nigerians the best connection but also expanding its service footprints to serve telecoms consumers better. He stated: “Without a doubt, today’s showroom commissioning bears eloquent testimony to our resolve and determination to exceptional customer service delivery and service excel-

Technotalk

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recording massive hits from as early as 6am while heavy foot traffic was noticed at most of the Yudala Experience Stores in various cities as eager shoppers sought to take advantage of the surprise deals and attractive prices on offer for the over 500,000 mobile devices from various Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which went on sale. According to him, the smartphone segment saw a straight battle between Innjoo, Infinix and Alcatel, with significant spike in demand recorded for the X-Touch, a sleek, trendy and attractively designed smartphone; Infinix Hot Note and Hot 2 as well as the Alcatel One Touch adding that on the tablets side,

Innjoo led the way as the F3 Tab witnessed the highest demand from shoppers both online and in the various Yudala Experience Stores. He said that for laptops HP leading the way closely followed by Lenovo noting that “consumers have realised the essence of the Yudala Mobile Monday - which is that, everyMonday in 2016 is the day to get the best prices and surprise deals on mobile devices from the biggest and most renowned brands.” Ayogu disclosed that Yudala is looking forward to more international OEMs to partner with adding that the Yudala Mobile Monday is a pocketfriendly offer for Nigerians to upgrade from analogue to digital devices. BC

ounity lets you have all your files on all your devices at the same time without planning ahead or incompatibilities of storage limits, configuration or management of any kind. Younity creates a personal cloud for all your files, built from your devices and your online services, so that all your devices work as if they were a single device. Cloud access to important files is easy with applications and services like dropbox, google drive, apple’s icloud, or window’s sky drive. If you want to access all of your media files and large documents stored directly on your computer, you should check out iOS file streaming app and service like Younity. Younity is an easy, instant access to all types of files, but especially media libraries. Not only does your personal media management need to be maintained, but these files need to be streamed in a way that allows fast, easy access. Younity lets you have all your music playlists, HD movies, personal videos, entire photo albums and more all on each device you have, regardless of storage via Windows, Mac OS X, and iOS device. In other words, it creates the equivalent of a VPN (virtual private network) between a user’s home and office desktop PCs, laptop PCs, tablets, and smartphones. With Younity there’s no cloud storage limits to think about, if your computer(s) and iOS devices are on and connected to the internet, Younity provide access to all your files on your computer and it can even stream your movie and song files without having to download those files to your mobile devices. To use Younity, you need to download and install it on your iPhone and/or iPad and install the windows or OS X client on your computer. You have to also register each of your devices using your facebook, google, or a Younity email account. After installing the Younity desktop app, you then register for a Younity account. It will scan for all the files on your computer by automatically sorting all music, video and photo files that it detects; no matter how scattered the files are across your computer. By default, it will pick the root directory of your computer, so you can gain access to every file on your computer. A great advantage of Younity is that your files are not uploaded or copied to any server. Instead, it creates an entirely personal cloud for your devices so they can be accessed remotely. Younity acts like a remote file browser and only loads the file when you open it. This means it doesn’t use up much mobile Internet data. If you need access to certain files for offline use, you can even pre-download the files you need. To download files onto the app, simply navigate to your desired document or media file and tap on the blue arrow at the bottom left corner of the screen. Select the files you want offline access to before tapping the download button. In conclusion,Younity as a free app is an awesome alternative to the mainstream cloud services and gives you even more flexibility when it comes to browsing just the files you need while on the go. Files on your computer cannot be deleted or moved with the app and you can’t share your content with others, who is not in your cloud ecosystem One drawback of Younity is that your computer has to stay on when using Younity to download the files. Currently Younity is available for iOS devices and computers running windows from XP to 8 and Mac OS X from 10.6 to 10.8. BC BC BC

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Business Courage

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Olatunde Ayeni:

Lawyer-turned corporate leader For those familiar with him, he is a thorough-bred professional, but a quiet consummate business tycoon. Though he loves to go unnoticed, he’s nonetheless a gold fish that has no hiding place. By dint of hard work and ingenuity, four years after his youth service, he started as a legal practitioner establishing a firm called Legal Resources Alliance, which presently is a leading player in property and corporate law in Nigeria. The firm boasts of high net worth individuals and blue chip corporate clients, locally and globally. Today, beyond his law firm, he has his hands on many juicy pies in the oil and gas, banking, aviation, maritime, power, real estate as well as telecommunications sectors. This is the story of John Olatunde Ayeni, CON, Chairman of Skye Bank, a highly successful lawyer-turned corporate tycoon Ayeni

t times, many people believe that some degree of luck is essential to be successful in life. But there are others, who hold the views that, rather than luck, success can only be achieved, when ideas are backed up with hard work, rare courage, unrelenting spirit as well as adequate preparations. For John Olatunde Ayeni, CON, the Chairman of Skye Bank, his rise and rise story is clearly one of such. Though he might not be your regular face on the pages of major newspapers, but the man simply known as Tunde is a highly successful lawyerturned businessman, who has his hands on many juicy pies in the oil and gas, banking, aviation, maritime as well as real estate sectors. For those who are not too familiar with the Corporate Nigeria and many of its silent accomplished players, it would not be a surprise if the following questions were being asked. Who is Tunde Ayeni? Where is he coming from? What is his pedigree? What are his accomplishments?

Interestingly, as salient and apt as the questions are, Tunde’s personal philosophy and modus operandi have given him no space for trumpeting his accomplishments and throwing his weight all over the place. To his family, friends and colleagues, Ayeni, who hails from Iyah-Gbede, Ijumu in Kogi State, Nigeria, is that quiet, modest, easy going professional and corporate titan, who loves to do his beat without any ‘noise’ around and about him. Born on April 4, 1967, Ayeni had his secondary education at Baptist Secondary School, Iyah-Gbede, his native town, between 1981 and 1985. He obtained the General Certificate of Education (G.C.E.), Advanced Level papers in 1987. In the same 1987, he was admitted to read Law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, where he graduated with honours in 1990. Ayeni was called to Bar in 1991. Thereafter, he underwent and completed the compulsory National Youth Service Corps service with Professor S. A. Adesanya & Co., a firm of Legal Practitioners.

After the National Service in 1991, he worked with Rodco (Nig) Limited as the Legal Adviser from 1991 to 1994. Having assured himself that he had garnered enough experience, determined to become an employer of labour rather than continue his lifetime as an employee, Ayeni voluntarily left Rodco (Nig) Limited to start his own firm of Legal practice in 1994 known as Olatunde Ayeni & Co now called Legal Resources Alliance. By dint of hard work and ingenuity, Ayeni’s legal firm, Legal Resources Alliance currently has over 50 legal practitioners in its employ. A leading player in property and corporate law in Nigeria, the firm boasts of high net worth individuals and blue chip corporate clients, locally and globally. Apparently taking a cue from its founder, this multi billion naira firm operates quietly but efficiently to the delight of its clients. To those close to Ayeni, one word he tells them he does not see in his dictionary is Failure. He tells his listeners there are only two options; success or success.

It is indeed with this mindset that he approaches his corporate life. Although a quiet operator with uncommon humility, Ayeni has a personal approach to corporate life that does not entertain impossibility. Early in his career, he had emerged as either founder or one of the pioneering directors of Olutoye Estate Development & Services Limited, Prime Union Investment Limited, Prime Union Travels and Tours Limited, BetonBau (Nig) Ltd, Joint Aviation Services Limited, Duport Marine Ltd. In 2007, Ayeni became majority stakeholder and vice chairman of ASO Savings & Loans. He is also chairman of JKK (Nigeria) Plc and Temple Resources Ltd, and sits on the boards of PPP Fluid Mechanics Limited and Hightech Procurement Limited. He is also the Chairman of other blue chip corporate entities. They include Temple Resources Limited, the first indigenous company to pioneer vehicle inspection for safety in Nigeria and Funds and Electronic Transfer Solutions Limited (fets). A man with the Midas touch,

it soon became obvious to his business partners and colleagues that whatever the budding business icon touched(s) turned to gold. And through unrelenting hard work and focus, he soon got involved in bigger pies: in 2005, Ayeni’s Bond Bank, which he founded in 2000 was among the five commercial banks which merged to create a new entity called Skye Bank with a balance sheet in excess of N1 trillion. Years later, in December 2011, he emerged as the Chairman of Skye Bank Plc as the bank describes him as “A man of great vision, courage and intellect. A true leader and commander of the troops. An astute entrepreneur with a huge ‘can do’ Spirit.” Prior to his appointment, since he joined the board of the bank in January 2008, he had served in the Credit, Risk, Audit, and Nomination Committees of the Board. As a man with exceptional ambition, he has not disappointed his associates in living up to his passion of making Skye Bank one of the biggest financial institutions. Perhaps, Ayeni’s tall ambition seems to

have been working for Skye Bank. Last year, AMCON announced Skye Bank Plc as the preferred bidder for Mainstreet Bank Limited. Before the bank, a leading tier two bank in Nigeria, was among the eight banks recently designated as ‘Systemically Important Banks’, which reflects its industry leadership, strong market share, diverse location spread, and strong brand equity. To show competitors that he meant business, within four days of the announcement of the bank as the preferred bidder of Mainstream Bank, Ayeni led his colleagues in the bank to pay the mandatory 20 per cent before the expiration of the one week given. This was on October 9, the same day it signed the Share Sale and Purchase Agreement. And in a bid to further prove that it meant business, the bank again paid the 80 per cent balance to complete the takeover with one week to the deadline given by AMCON. During the takeover, Skye Bank stated that the acquisition of Mainstreet Bank was part of its strategic plan for growth. The bank itself had emerged

Business Courage

Monday, February 8, 2016

from the very successful merger and integration of five banks in 2006, following the first phase of the banking industry consolidation. Skye Bank Plc has given details of how its acquisition of Mainstreet Bank Limited will positively impact its business operations and enhance the achievement of its strategic objectives and goals. The bank said the acquisition would help deepen its penetration of the South-east and South-south regions where it is currently less represented, explaining that out of Mainstreet Bank’s 201 branches and nine subsidiaries, 26 per cent or 54 branches are located in the two regions. “These two regions also accounted for 28 per cent of Mainstreet Bank’s over 1.9 million customers, second only to Lagos with 37 per cent. This clearly shows that the integration of Mainstreet Bank will enable us make valuable in-roads into these two regions without the need to incur huge expenditure had we remained a single entity as Skye Bank”, the bank explained then. Again, as a businessman with a keen understanding of the prevailing economic variables and opportunities, against the backdrop of rising insecurity in Nigeria’s maritime territory, with the Nigerian Content Bill signed into law and the opening of floodgate for Nigerians’ participation in the oil sector, Ayeni and his friends set up the Ocean Marine Security Limited, OMS, blazing the trail in private sector participation in maritime security in Africa. He is currently the Vice Chairman of this company, which has, through the provision of unique logistic support to the Nigerian Navy, made immense contributions towards mitigating the insecurity of Nigeria’s waters. This has helped to restore oil majors’ confidence in the country, as a place they can return to and run their operations. Another major investment he is involved in as one of the key promoters and chairman is the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company IBEDC, the Disco Company that emerged the winner for electricity distribution for south west following the unbundling of Power Holding Corporation of Nigeria PHCN and the public sale of its subsidiaries. Ayeni, as the Vice Chairman of Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Ltd (IEDM) led this group to win the Ibadan and Yola distribution companies, the biggest distribution companies and consortium in the Nigerian power distribution/privatisation exercise, raising over $350m for this venture. With these investments and many more, this unassuming

and quiet corporate icon has emerged as a leading employer of labour in the country today; a major contributor to the nation’s economic growth. Known for always going for the bigger pies as far as business acquisitions are concerned, recently, Ayeni and the founder of Pan African International (PAI) Group, Ike Ejizu among others, acquired Ascot Offshore Nigeria Limited for N16bn ,$95.24m from the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON. The deal was said to have been closed when the PAI Group paid N16bn for 95 per cent of the equity interest in Ascot. Under the deal, the group would also take over the non-statutory liabilities of Ascot while AMCON would shoulder the company’s statutory liabilities amounting to some N6bn. “Ascot has a tax liability of N6 billion, of which AMCON will pay N3 billion to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) while the balance will be paid to other agencies of government that Ascot owes,” a source close to the deal had said. According to him, with the sale of the firm, its new owners would be able to revitalise its massive fabrication yard in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and provide jobs for thousands of Nigerians. Ascot Offshore, formerly under the leadership of Henry Imasekha, came into prominence in 2007 after its $155.25m acquisition of Will-

‘ Ayeni

bros Group Nigeria Holdings from its US parent, Willbros Group. Willbros was forced to withdraw from Nigeria, following its indictment alongside Halliburton and others by the US Justice Department and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for bribing Nigerian officials to obtain and retain $387 million in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) contracts. Also, making an in-road into the telecommunications sector of the economy, last year, a group, NATCOM Consortium, which also has Ayeni as the chairman, forked out a staggering $252.25m to acquire NITEL and MTEL. To a large extent, Ayeni, is a man with a large heart, who has touched many lives in one way or the other through his philanthropy. For instance, in 1999, he founded The Oluwatoyin Ayeni Educational Foundation. Every year, the foundation awards tertiary institution scholarships to 25 bright students from his hometown of Iyah-Gbede in Ijumu, Kogi State. He is also a trustee of Support our Troops Foundation, a not for profit military charity that supports and promotes the interests of the men and women of the Nigerian Armed Forces who serve home and abroad. Perhaps, Ayeni also seems to know how to play his political cards too. He did this when he recently stunned everyone

Years later, in December 2011, he emerged as the Chairman of Skye Bank Plc as the bank describes him as “A man of great vision, courage and intellect. A true leader and commander of the troops. An astute entrepreneur with a huge ‘can do’ Spirit”

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at the recent fund raiser for the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan with the donation of a whopping N1bn and another N1bn “on behalf of his friends.” The essence of this donation apparently goes beyond the huge amount Ayeni donated on behalf of himself and his friends. It will be arguably the first time a top banker will be sticking out his corporate neck in the political arena in terms of donating to a political cause. While many have been doing this, it is always done behind the scene. Though many believe that with the public donation, some investors in his bank might be worried, a source close to the corporate top player said, “contrary to the belief that he might be putting the investments of other investors in the Bank at great risk, Tunde knows what he is doing. He is not even doling out their money. He has enough on his own to do that. But beyond that, he has played his card very well. If the president comes back, as he is likely to do despite all the noise, you can imagine the political leverage Skye Bank and Tunde himself can get from that moment of ‘risk taking’? That is what big corporate players do all over the world.” Unconfirmed reports have it that since Ayeni made the donation, many watchers of the financial sector have been wondering what the exact worth of the man is. While he is seen at social circles and corporate events, his lack of ‘presence’ in the media has not allowed many to know how ‘loaded’ he is. But the donation at the President’s fund raiser has shown many that Ayeni might be worth than many have hitherto believed. Ayeni is a member of various professional associations, including the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association and African Bar Association. He once served as Vice Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch as he was also a former Member of Council of Legal Aid Council. In recognition of his contributions to the growth and development of the Nigerian economy, Nigeria’s Achievers University awarded Ayeni the honorary title of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in business administration. Ayeni was in May 2012 honoured by the Member representing California’s 37th District in the United States of America House of Representatives with a certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. In September 2014, he was made Fellow by the Institute of Directors, Nigeria and the Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON by the Federal Government. BC

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Business Courage

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, February 8, 2016

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs KLINIC

With Mamora Victor Mamora is a system thinker and advisor whose belief and activator leadership strengths are directed towards improving workers perspective for city and enterprise development.

e-mail: olusegunmamora@gmail.com

ometimes ago, I was told about the story of two workers who were sent to an underdeveloped nation where they located community of people who were seriously in abject poverty. The two workers were sent by their employers, a shoe manufacturing company, to research into business opportunity in that particular country. However, the first worker came back with reports of unrealistic business opportunity. According to him, since the people had never had footwear in their live, the people, he argued, do not have value for shoe. Hence, he concluded that it is not a market for the company to enter into. Meanwhile, the second worker had a contrary report as he instead saw a big opportunity for the company. He argued for the need to advertise the value of footwear to the people of the community and capture the whole market. He also saw the opportunity to increase their production in the factory, employ more young workers, increase their home country GDP, buy more raw materials at home, and reduce the health hazard the people of underdeveloped nation community are exposed to while they traverse their farms. The company reasoned along with the second report and supplied the community shoes that eventually better their financial bottom line and lives of the customers. Dear friend, what do you see about the Nigeria social, political, and economic challenges? Your perspective will differentiate you eventually. For some people, these challenges are opportunity to startup venture and for others it is to complain and put blame on government, employer, and family. The truth is that your decision determines your destiny in life. Your sense of responsibility and degree of action differentiate your access to opportunity in any society. I will advise that you start an enterprise to solve the problem that you often complain about and use the opportunity to build your city. There are statistics and facts that could make an aver-

age citizenry to worry and feel powerless. This same statistic is the source of motivation for other citizenry who are the CEOs of startup ventures. For example, a report says that the major part of the world population lives in underdeveloped nations. In addition, 1 billion of 5 billion plus people lives in the underdeveloped countries. Half or more of the adult population of 23 countries, mostly in Africa, are illiterate. Half or more of women in 35 countries, mostly Africa, are illiterate. Life expectancy is below 60 years in 45 countries mostly in Africa. Children under 5 years die at rates in excess of 100 per 1000 in at least 35 countries, mostly Africa. This information is pointing to the fact that poverty and lack of development is inhuman. Another fact is that among many of the underdeveloped nations is one common challenge, which is “Dependency theory.” The dependency theory will always encourage colonialism and racism as excuses for underdevelopment. It reinforces the belief that “we are the way we are because of external force.” The dependency theory explains the reason many citizens of these underdeveloped nations rely on politicians to solve their problems and especially using politics as a way

Startup venture for national development

‘

As our country, Nigeria just celebrated her 54th independence anniversary, my encouragement is for you to find a way to create independent channel for wealth creation and national development. It is time to start that business and reduce the problem of employment in Nigeria. I will encourage you to pick a problem that connects with your passion and creates values for us here

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BUSINESS

of personal wealth creation. In many of the underdeveloped nations, working in government civil service and agencies is dependable and requires less effort and promotion is not necessarily by performance but years of presence. In many of these nations, the largest part of annual budget is on recurrent expenditure at the expense of capital projects for infrastructure development. It is time to break free from dependency theory culture by promoting sense of responsibility to national development. The number one problem of dependency theory is that it caps the potential of people. The second problem is that it vests power on political class against the people who the government should depend upon for economic development and for business of governance

through tax and levies. The third challenge is that it denies people control over life as it makes people passive and encourage status quo. The way out of this challenge is to break the culture of dependency theory and encourage people to venture into startup enterprises and grow them to become profitable businesses. Entrepreneurship is one of the methods to increase creativity among the people. Would you start your enterprise now? This is because there are opportunities in Africa and especially in Nigeria. Let me cite an example of opportunity for you from the earlier shared statistic and fact. It says one billion out of five billion plus people lives in underdeveloped countries with life expectancy below 60 years

Motivational Business Quotes

he cynic says, “One man can’t do anything”. I say, “Only one man can do anything.” - John W. Gardner I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. – Oprah Winfrey If there is such a thing as good leadership, it is to give a good example. – Ingvar Kamprad

Iacocca The desire of knowledge, like the thirst for riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it. – Laurence Sterne Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were. – David Rockefeller

Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations. – Steve Jobs

Well, you know, I was a human being before I became a businessman. – George Soros

You’ve got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It’s called perseverance. – Lee

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – Dwight BC

in 45 countries, mostly in Africa. This shared fact point to opportunities in health sector such: food and nutrition services; hygiene products development; quality water packaging; fitness venture; advocacy, and social entrepreneurship. These are few among the many opportunities for startup entrepreneurs to create real values and wealth. This time in Africa countries, place a demand on prospective entrepreneurs a sense of urgency. In order for the sense of urgency to be effective a prospective startup entrepreneur need to understand certain facts that I will explain briefly below. You need to understand that real wealth is portable; it is knowledge. This means you should prefer intangible to tangible. Ideas, knowledge, strategy, planning are intangibles that have great influence on any enterprise and national development. Understand that people are the essence of business. You cannot be excellence driven except you desire to give people the best. When you take care of your team, they will take care of your venture. Understand that successful people are either professional or entrepreneur. Start encouraging your team to be more professional and build relevant capacity. When individual brings on professional input then service output will be great. The private success of the team will influence the corporate success. Celebrate individuality; encourage creativity in all fields. Allow team members to come up with their ideas and experiment. As our country, Nigeria just celebrated her 54th independence anniversary, my encouragement is for you to find a way to create independent channel for wealth creation and national development. It is time to start that business and reduce the problem of employment in Nigeria. I will encourage you to pick a problem that connects with your passion and creates values for us here. I believe that the potential is in you and this is possible. Be courageous and enjoy this freedom. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Monday, February 8, 2016

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ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

Making world-class recipes from local delicacies

C: Is it true that the fastfoods/eateries market in Nigeria has become over-saturated? A: I believe that the industry is very competitive but right now it is nowhere near saturation considering the size of our population, considering the growing economy and the spending power of the people and the increasing level of development; more people are migrating to urban areas would get lobs and would need to eat out. I think the industry is looking quite young and it’s at this budding stage that one needs to move up to get one’s own space. As it is, it’s all about what one can offer, what do you have to offer the people is the determining factor right now for new entrants into the fast food industry. BC: What is your take on foreign entrants into the Nigerian food sphere and how do you think this will affect existing local outlets in terms of competitiveness? A: Kobis came into existence in 2008, precisely six years ago and of course the industry is such that it is constantly on the move and in the last three years we have had a surge of new entrants especially from the international scene coming into Nigeria. They have upped the stakes and redefined a lot of things about the industry in terms of quality and ambience. So it becomes imperative for anybody who wants to survive to also step up. And really in this industry every 4-5 years you must really come out with a new look otherwise you’ll be-

I take time to plan to and anticipate successes and challenges avoid being taken unawares but most importantly as a Christian I pray about my work committing it into God’s hands for divine direction.

come stale. BC: Are they any strategies which you are putting in place to remain in the top bracket? A: The first strategy we have is to appeal to Nigerians through those dishes which are delicacies to them by repackaging them in a world class manner. There are those local dishes that many of us grew up loving but when we are currently exploring and repackaging them to attain a status that will qualify for any first class menu in any part of the world. Most recently we did that through our “Kara Burger Unique”. We also ensure that our prices are competitive with emphasis on value for money in terms of culinary and health benefits from our products.

BC: Has Kobis taken steps to engender professionalism in its operations and if yes, to what extent? A: It is our desire to create a national brand. We also recognize the needs for setting the right standards that can be replicated across the country; so we are paying a lot of attention on our standards and procedures in developing our recipes and training in excellent customer services and these are things we are not going to compromise on because in all it engenders professional excellence in business. BC: Recently Kobis started to wear a new look, what has been the reaction and feedback you received from your customers? A: First of all, rebranding Kobis has continued to sustain our positioning in global reckoning with an international appeal which from the feedback mechanism we operate with our customers has shown that they love it. A lot of work actually went into this new look taking it several steps ahead of where it was before. Today, most customers cannot resist the lure to take photographs with our backgrounds when they come to eat-in or even do take-away. The acceptance and the triple sales rate which we are getting serve as a huge pat on our

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Imaoghene

backs for a job well done as this is an indication that we satisfy our customers desires. BC: Does research have any place in the internal operations of your corporation? A: We have invested in a research kitchen and our focus is on local delicacy that will enable us make the recipe more appealing to a larger cross section of the populace. BC: Kobis also recently introduced a new addition the” Kara Burger” to its menu offerings, what exactly is this new offering about and what makes you believe it will revolutionise your brand? A: To the average Nigerian who typically grew up in any part of the country, eating hot sizzling akara was definitely part of that experience one gets sometimes when it’s eaten with bread. And we thought that we could actually take that experience to a whole new level and so we did a lot of experimental work with this bean-cake until we eventually came up with this sumptuous Kara burger which I want to describe as a bestseller, we are actually running a promo on it with coca-cola right now. And from our feedback a lot of

We also recognize the needs for setting the right standards that can be replicated across the country; so we are paying a lot of attention on our standards and procedures in developing our recipes and training in excellent customer services

‘

At a time when some eatery outlets are shutting down for lack of patronage, Kobis Fast Foods is expanding the number of its outlets, thanks to innovative products being offered with which it has revolutionized the fast food industry. In this chat with Business Courage, the managing director, Mrs. Folasade Imaoghene reveals how Kobis is setting the pace in the sector

people have expressed amazement that they never knew Akara could be presented in such a world class package. Instead of having a chicken or beef packing in your burger, you actually have Akara packed into it dressed with fresh veggies like tomato, lettuce, cucumber creating a a very delicious mouthwatering experience. And many more of such unique revolutionary experiments are soon going to come from researches which we are conducting in the research kitchen. We a strategically spacing the introduction of these unique recipes so that any one that is introduced will have the opportunity to gain national acceptance before another new product introduction. BC: How do you cope with operational pressures? A: Setting up a well structured business model has helped to save me from a lot of pressures that are usually part of an enterprise having the right competent people handling specific aspects of the operations has been a big plus for me. Nevertheless I still have my own role to play in the running of the business and I always ensure that when it comes to my input I am on top of my game by sticking to certain critical parameters I stay on course to ensure that we do not veer off our objectives. We also believe in cost cutting and waste elimination but at the same time ensuring that we are not compromising on quality.

BC: Where do you see the Kobis brand in the next five years? A:We already have our plans showing us where the company will be in the next five years very well mapped out. We expect that in five years time kobis would have become a minimum chain of 40 stores across the country. Before the end of this year we are planning on opening five additional outlets that will take us to seven outlets in all. We are doing it in phases because we believe that control is important; we want to sustain the operational standard which is why we are not churning out all of these proposed outlets at once. We do not want to jeopardize the operational excellence that we have acquired by moving our expansion plans faster than we can have under control. BC: We have witnessed some foreign fast-food chains like McDonalds for example moving into other countries outside of their local country, should we expect to see Kobis outside Nigeria in the future? A: Envious structure and competencies were a bit limited to give delivery to that vision effectively leading to a reorganization which has seen the company stabilize and restrategize. We needed to take Kobis beyond the Ikeja and Oregun axis and that is the mandate that I am working on right now and within months of coming on board we have been able to open a second outlet at the Palms in Lekki. BC: What challenges do you face in your operational environment and what do you suggest could be done to mitigate them either by the government or in collaboration with the government? A: Multiple taxation and several levies as a burden on enterprises eventually go back on the consumers and the government should review the trend and also help the industry to grow. We are a value adding industry which is still growing and trailing behind other developing countries. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Commerce & Industry

Naira exchange rate may hamper Bajaj exports Stories by Abolaji Adebayo

nvestors have been reassessing the projected export growth and margins of Bajaj Auto due to sharp volatility in the currency of Nigeria, the largest export market for the company. The investors have been more cautious due to the yawning difference between the prevailing rate of the naira and its six-month forward rate,

which suggested the possibility of 25 per cent devaluation. Despite being the Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria, depends on crude oil for more than 90 per cent of its foreign exchange and nearly 75 per cent of employment. The steep fall in crude oil prices has rattled government finances while the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, lacked enough reserves to pay for its dollar liabilities.

With crude prices at a 12year low, an unprecedented spending and black market rates close to a record have been heaping pressure on authorities to scrap the country’s trading limit on the naira and allow the currency to depreciate further. However, some reliefs to the naira came after the apex bank refused to change the trading. But, fears of devaluation only seemed to have been deferred,

R-L: Acting Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro presenting a souvenir to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Ahmed Rufai Sani during the oversight visit of the committee to the Agency, while Senator Kabiru Gaya and Senator Isiaka Adeleke looks on.

not evaporated. According to Bloomberg, three-month and six-month forwards indicated devaluation of 17 per cent and 28 per cent. The government planned to raise $1bn of Eurobonds to help plug its budget deficit and it may be hindered if the country puts limits on the currency’s trading band. Bajaj Auto investors in Nigeria were keenly looking at Nigeria’s currency due to the fact that Bajaj Auto billed its dealers in Nigeria in dollar terms. So, if Nigeria is facing lack of forex availability, it affects the incremental volumes of the company. Vehicles sold in Nigeria are not on credit, which is a comforting factor. Devaluation affects the pricing power of the local currency, thus in order to sustain volumes, the company has to cut prices. Last month, it reduced prices by $10-20 per bike. It impacted average realisation for the firm as Nigeria accounts for nearly 30 per cent of its total two-wheeler export. Exports account for nearly 46 per cent of total volumes and, according to analyst estimate, 55 per cent of operating profit. The market is pricing in an operating profit margin of 21 per cent in FY16 and FY17, compared with 19 per cent FY15. BC

Agriculture, key to Nigeria’s industrial growth – Awolowo

he Executive Director/ CEO of Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Olusegun Awolowo, has declared that the Nigerian Industrial Revolution Plan, NIRP, would only succeed if there is concerted effort to increase and grow the agriculture sector. Awolowo who stated this while receiving in his office a team of officials of National Ginger Association of Nigeria, NGAN, noted that for the non-oil export sector to make the desirable impact on the economy, there is need to scale-up cultivation of agricultural commodities. He said that this could be achieved through the provision of improved seedlings

to replace aging and moribund plantations, provision of cutting-edge technology to enhance the quality of farm produce as well as develop-

ing an agric-business culture among Nigerians. In her response, the President of NGAN, Dr. Mrs. Florence Edwards maintained

Awolowo

Edwards

that the major challenge of exporting Nigerian ginger in the international market was the issue of marketing the product in its raw form instead of adding value first. “Though Nigerian ginger is reputed to be the best in the world it has failed to command a premium value and status in the international market due largely to poor processing and inadequate data of exporters of the commodity,” she said. She emphasized on the need to add value to the raw materials before exporting them, adding that this could be achieved by the government’s supports in term of policy and infrastructural development. BC

Ishola

Industrialist lists challenges of aluminium production

he Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Aluminum Extrusion Limited, NIGALEX, Mr. Iyiola Ishola, has identified some of the challenges encountered by the manufacturers of aluminum products to include low level of awareness of the major brands, preference for cheaper but low quality products among others. Ishola, who noted that the government has not paid full attention to the sector, appealed for immediate intervention by the Federal Government as a way of ensuring last solution. He unfolded a set of strategies by the company to boost its operation, reinforce its competitive edge and put the company on the greater path of profitability. He explained that the company was currently on the next phase of its expansion drive, business growth and re-positioning for optimal performance. He noted that the company had commenced strategic popularization of its value through effective partnering with the press to create the needed awareness for the company’s products, increase production output through its installed capacity of 7,500 tons per annum and develop requisite channels to sell the products. He further informed that the company would also embark on effective logistic plans to enhance operation within the agreed date and time, adding that the company was also investing heavily in human capital in a view to building the required capacity with renewable knowledge, skills and the right attitude that meet the requirement of modern production process. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Monday, February 8, 2016

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Stock market last week Equities turnover of 1.133 billion shares worth N9.463bn in 16,680 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of the Exchange in contrast to a total of 2.177 billion shares valued at N10.753bn that exchanged hands last week in 21,471 deals. The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 954.328 million shares valued at N5.533bn traded in 9,797 deals; thus contributing 84.23 per cent and 58.47 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed with 71.954 million shares worth N248.280m in 926 deals. The third place was occupied by the Consumer Goods Industry with a turnover of 41.964 million shares worth N2.180bn in 2,999 deals. Trading in the Top Three Equities namely – Zenith International Bank Plc,United Bank for Africa Plc and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.(measured by volume) accounted for 429.024 million shares worth N4.278bn in 4,658 deals, contributing 37.87 per cent and 45.21 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. ETPs: Also traded during the

NASD OTC REPORT

NSE trading hall

week were a total of 183,064 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N1.552m executed in 34 deals, compared with a total of 33,808 units valued at N437,210.58 transacted last week in 33 deals. Bonds: A total of 120,100 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N142.951m were traded in 5 deals, compared with a total of 1,000 units valued at N1.157m transacted last week in 4 deals. Index Movement: The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 0.38 per cent to close the week at 23,916.15 and N8.225trn respectively. Similarly, all other Indices finished higher during the week,

NASD OTC MARKET REPORT

with the exception of the NSE Insurance Index, NSE Consumer Goods Index and NSE Industrial Goods Index that declined by -1.60 per cent,-0.44 per cent and -1.47 per cent respectively, while NSE ASeM Index closed flat. Summary of Price Changes: Thirty-eight (38) equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than thirty-three (33) equities of the previous week. Twenty-nine (29) equities depreciated in price, lower than thirty-two (32) equties of the previous week, while one hundred and twenty-three (123) equities remained unchanged, lower than one hundred and twentyfive (125) equities recorded in the previous week. BC

WEEK 4

1 OUTSTANDING OFFERS AND BIDS ON NASD OTC Outstanding deals for January, 2016. Security SD ACORN PETROLEUM PLC SD ARM LIFE PLC SD ARM PROPERTIES PLC SD AFRILAND PROPERTIES PLC SD BGL PLC SD CAPPA AND D'ALBERTO PLC SD CENTRAL SECURITIES CLEARING SYSTEM PLC SD DUFIL PRIMA FOODS PLC SD FRIESLAND CAMPINA WAMCO NIGERIA PLC

Offers Industry Oil & Gas Financials Financials Financials Financials Industrials Financials Consumer Goods Consumer Goods

Nominal value (₦) 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.00 0.50 0.50

Offer Date 29-Jan-16 29-Jan-16 29-Jan-16 29-Jan-16 29-Jan-16

Bids

Volume offered Last Offer Price 401,700 0.35 491,980 2.16 26,146 67.44 3,000 6.07 175,078 126.00

SD FOOD CONCEPTS PLC

Consumer Services

0.50

SD FREE RANGE FARMS PLC

Consumer Goods

1.00

SD FUMMAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES PLC SD GEO-FLUIDS PLC SD GOLDEN CAPITAL PLC SD INDUSTRIAL & GENERAL INSURANCE PLC SD JAIZ INTERNATIONAL PLC SD NIGER DELTA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION PLC SD NIGERIA MORTGAGE REFINANCE COMPANY PLC

Consumer Goods Industrials Financials Financials Financials Oil & Gas Financials

29-Jan-16 29-Jan-16 -

1,295,500 153,810 -

SD PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT COMPANY PLC SD RESOURCERY PLC SD RIGGS VENTURES WEST AFRICA PLC SD SPRING MORTGAGE PLC SD SWAP TECHNOLOGIES AND TELECOMMS PLC

Financials Technology Industrials Financials Technology Financials Consumer Goods

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.00 10.00 1.00 0.50

29-Jan-16 29-Jan-16 29-Jan-16

999,500 933,100 242,440 -

RUSTRUSTBOND MORTGAGE BANK PLC TP VITAL PRODUCTS PLC

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.00 0.50

2 DEMATERIALISATION AND CUMULATIVE TRADE IN OTC SECURITIES 29-Jan-16 Security SD ACORN PETROLEUM PLC SD ARM LIFE PLC SD ARM PROPERTIES PLC SD AFRILAND PROPERTIES PLC SD BGL PLC SD CAPPA AND D'ALBERTO PLC SD CENTRAL SECURITIES CLEARING SYSTEM PLC SD DUFIL PRIMA FOODS PLC SD FRIESLAND CAMPINA WAMCO NIGERIA PLC SD FOOD CONCEPTS PLC SD FREE RANGE FARMS PLC SD FUMMAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS INDUSTRIES PLC SD GEO-FLUIDS PLC SD GOLDEN CAPITAL PLC SD INDUSTRIAL & GENERAL INSURANCE PLC SD JAIZ INTERNATIONAL PLC SD NIGER DELTA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION PLC SD NIGERIA MORTGAGE REFINANCE COMPANY PLC SD PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT COMPANY PLC SD RESOURCERY PLC SD RIGGS VENTURES WEST AFRICA PLC SD SPRING MORTGAGE PLC SD SWAP TECHNOLOGIES AND TELECOMMS PLC RUSTRUSTBOND MORTGAGE BANK PLC TP VITAL PRODUCTS PLC

Market Indicators for Week Ended 29-01-16 All-Share Index 23,916.15 points Market Capitalization 8,233,822,345,463.72

Industry Oil and Gas Financials Financials Financials Financials Industrial Financials Consumer Goods Consumer Goods Consumer Services Consumer Goods Consumer Goods Industrial Financials Financials Financials Oil and Gas Financials Financials Technology Industrial Financials Technology Financials Consumer Goods

Introduced by Meristem Securities Limited APT Securities & Fund Limited Mega Equity Limited APT Securities & Fund Limited Nigerian Int. Securities Ltd UBA Stockbroking Firm Greenwich Securities Limited Anchoria Investment & Securities Limited Capital Bancorp Plc Stanbic IBTC stockbrokers limited CSL Stockbroking Limited Integrated Trust & Investment Limited Icon Stockbrokers Limited Sterling Capital Market Limited Greenwich Securities Limited APT Securities & Fund Limited FCSL Asset Management Co. Limited Cordros Capital Plc APT Securities & Fund Limited APT Securities & Fund Limited APT Securities & Fund Limited Primera Africa Securities Limited Signet Investment and Securities Limited Prominent Securities Limited CSL Stockbroking Limited

Company Registrars CardinalStone Registrars Limited African Prudential Registrars Plc African Prudential Registrars Plc African Prudential Registrars Plc Unity Registrars Limited African Prudential Registrars Plc African Prudential Registrars Plc Nnenna Ejekam Associates First Registrars Limited Meristem Registrars Limited Meristem Registrars Limited PAC Registrars Limited Meristem Registrars Limited African Prudential Registrars Plc GTL Registrars Limited African Prudential Registrars Plc United Securities Limited Meristem Registrars Limited First Registrars Limited EDC Registrars Limited Mainstreet Bank Registrars Limited PAC Registrars Limited PAC Registrars Limited United Securities Limited Centurion Registrars Limited

Year end 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Mar 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec 31/Dec

Bid Price 5.56 -

0.47 127.30 0.72

0.11 -

0.48 0.69 -

Volume Bidded Last Bid Date 387,638 29-Jan-16 -

1,000,000 -

29-Jan-16 -

TRADE INFORMATION (JAN 2016) DEMATERIALISATION INFORMATION Total Share Capital Volume % DEALS VOLUME '000 Dematerialised Dematerialised 66,110,146 2,000,000,000 3.31% 7 37,600 606,000,000 5,785,673,000 10.47% 29,485,023 1,900,000,000 1.55% 2 200 62,355,499 1,249,000,000 4.99% 13 298,533 9,627,657,533 12,000,000,000 80.23% 2,677,930 196,875,000 1.36% 757,781,149 5,000,000,000 15.16% 84 16,350,272 6,753,333,334 0.00% 185,417,588 976,335,936 18.99% 86 1,365,645 107,211,770 5,650,000,000 1.90% 2 1,100 193,846 519,999,631 0.04% 69,369,303 1,200,000,000 5.78% 567,787,595 4,257,668,000 13.34% 3 92,100 252,655,056 1,170,324,536 21.59% 1,021,968,270 14,231,238,000 7.18% 5 40,369,500 315,227,809 11,829,700,000 2.66% 20,297,886 181,408,000 11.19% 9 491,110 125,000,000 1,762,500,000 7.09% 210,521,244 2,875,595,000 7.32% 1 400 520,000,000 2,576,686,039 20.18% 1 100 1,726,264,230 0.00% 7,138,199,210 0.00% 1,539,042,000 2,705,378,000 56.89% 118,258,505 10,945,334,000 1.08% 3 400 1,823,084,076 0.00% 106,454,595,992 16,205,018,152 15.22% 216 59,006,960

VALUE (₦) 13,535.00 432.00 724,511.60 93,730,379.09 176,310,388.16 825.00 47,897.00 4,840,645.00 50,957,190.70 328.00 48.00 276.00 326,626,455.55

A16 32

Business Courage

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

Honda HR-V 2016: A car to behold Adejuwon Osunnuyi

s one of the latest arrivals in the booming increasingly popular small SUV segment, the Honda HR-V is well worth a look. The proposition Honda has put forward with the new HR-V compact SUV is pretty straight forward. Maximise interior space, minimize exterior size, make it economical and wrap it all in a pretty good looking body that says off-roader … even though only the front wheels are driven. There are three models all powered by the same 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 105kW and 172Nm, while consuming fuel at a claimed rate of up to 6.9L/100km. All three HR-Vs come with a solid baseline equipment list including six airbags, Bluetooth compatibility (Apple and Android), audio streaming, wide-angle reversing camera with three modes and dynamic guidelines viewed on the seveninch touch screen and an electric parking brake. Safety gear is a big story for HR-V with a blind-spot monitoring and active city brake standard from the mid-range VTi-S model. In the cabin there is also plentiful storage, although much of it is hidden away under the ‘flying bridge’ centre console’ between the front seats. The

USB and auxiliary connections are down there too. But there are also door pockets front and back, cupholders and a reasonably sized glovebox. The HR-V is built in Thailand and presentation and quality seemed good. Those front seats are big and comfy, while there is good foot and legroom in the rear. Taller people will find headroom restricted by the over-sized panoramic sunroof. Controls are well presented and sensible for the driver. There’ a big left footrest and sizeable pedals. The audio is controlled via the touch screen or buttons on the steering wheel. There are no orthodox audio controls on the dashboard. A recognisable Honda signature is the light ring around the centrally-mounted speedo that

changes colour depending on how economically you are driving. Another intriguing interior design features is the continuous air-conditioning outlet that runs across the top of the glovebox in front of the front-seat passenger. It’s a cool idea … literally. It would be great if rear seat passengers got adjustable aircon vents as well to help keep them cool. On the other hand, there’s nothing too hot about the HRV’s performance. It is lethargic off the mark before gathering a bit of mid-range pace. Hills were a challenge, overtaking a carefully judged strategy. Sport mode just seemed to make the engine rev harder without any significant performance reward. The continu-

ously variable transmission can also be manipulated manually by flappy paddles, but again to no great effect. The CVT is at its best providing a sub-2000rpm engine speed on the freeway, keeping fuel consumption under control. The HR-V’s chassis tune is also oriented toward comfort There’s rather than speed. There s a lot of movement and mo-

tion over bumps and hollows and a determined predilection for safety-first understeer in tighter turns tackled at speed. The torsion beam rear suspension banged and crashed as it ran out of travel and capability. But at city speeds the HR-V handles well, steering lightly and changing direction

neatly around roundabouts and the like. The big windows also help for the all-important maneuvering in tight spaces. The ‘LaneWatch’ function proved a neat feature, giving a view through media screen of the road alongside when the left-hand blinker was activated. What it all adds up to is a conservative and uninspiring drive experience underpinning a pretty clever and – mostly – well equipped package. BC

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

‘’A trial is not an investigation and investigation is not the function of the court’’

Justice Modibbo Alfa Belgore, former Chief Justice of Nigeria

N70 billion not enough for the judiciary —Adesina 34

How Itsekiri, Okere clashed over communal 37 land

India’s Apex Court reviews law criminalising homosexuality 38

CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed

President Muhammadu Buhari

Anti-corruption war:

Judiciary not President’s headache — Lawyers

The role of the judiciary in any developed society cannot be overemphasised. However, a recent statement credited to President Muhammedu Buhari that the nation’s judiciary remains his major headache in the ongoing fight against corruption has left many stakeholders wondering whether the judiciary is ready in the fight against corruption in Nigeria. WALE IGBINTADE speaks with senior lawyers on the issue.

resident Muhammadu Buhari recently expressed concerns over the success or otherwise of the ongoing anticorruption war when he said, that the nation’s judiciary remained his major headache. According to the president, the fight against corruption in Nigeria could only be effectively tackled with the strong support of the judiciary. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President recounted his travails in courts during his failed bid for the nation’s presidency on three occasions, which took him to the Supreme Court three times and concluded that these were clear indications that the judiciary needed urgent reforms. The president stated; ‘’in my first attempt in 2003, I ended up at the Supreme Court and for 13 months, I was in court. The second

The presidency must define and clarify what cooperation of the judiciary means in this

regard, so that it is clear that the presidency is not seeking undue or irregular assistance of the judiciary attempt in 2007, I was in court close to 20 months and in 2011, my third attempt, I was also in court for nine months. All these cases went up to the Supreme Court until the fourth time in 2015, when God agreed that I would be President of Nigeria.” Corruption in the nation’s judicial system is not new to many Nigerians. It was late Justice Kayode Eso that once said: “Woe unto corrupt judges. I am not happy to have a corrupt bench. It is a deadly thing’’. Eso was the chairman the Judicial Panel on the Reorganisation/

Reform of the Judiciary in Nigeria, a committee whose report indicted some judges on corruption charges. In the report of the NJC review panel, two chief judges and four other judges out of the 14 judges indicted for gross misconduct were recommended for sack. Justice Babalakin led review panel, in its 103-page report, recommended that the then Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Justice Mohammed Dahiru Saleh, and that of Plateau State, Justice C.I. Illoko be eased out of the service. Also on the list are four

state High Court judges. Besides, the president’s worries are aptly captured in the comments of successive Chief Justices of Nigeria. For instance, the immediate past CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar was quoted as saying at the opening of the 2013 Refresher Course for Judicial Officers, organised by the National Judicial Institute, NJI, that in Nigeria, “the rich get bail, while the poor get jailed’’. Mukhtar premised her sentiment on noticeable irregulariCONTINUED ON PAGE 36

Law & Justice

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

N70 billion not enough for

Deacon Dele Adesina, SAN, is a former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA. In this interview with WALE IGBINTADE, he speaks on the N70 billion earmarked for the judiciary in the 2016 budget, the inauguration of Kogi State Governor, among others. Excerpts:

Do you think the N70 billion earmarked for the judiciary in the 2016 budget is sufficient for the needed judicial reform? I don’t think it is enough. I would even be surprised if the amount is not absorbed by salaries and emoluments of judges. Don’t forget that the budget of the judiciary has been oscillating between plus and minus N70 billion. There was a time it went as low as N59 billion, before that time it was N74 billion. In 2014 it went up marginally to around N72 billion. If for example it was about N70 billion in 2015 and this year alone we have appointed 30 judges of the Federal High Court by the time you factor-in the salaries of these 30 judges, which is an addition to the expenses of last year, you will see that the N70 billion is not sufficient. That is why I said without any hesitation that N70 billion is not enough. Yes, the country is going through some economic distress, but the judiciary is very important to the success and triumph of any democracy. Whether you are a big man or a common man on the street, judiciary is the last hope. I have always said that we need more hands for the judiciary to arrest the issue of delays which Mr. President must be alluding to. This is because, delay of cases defeats justice. I will give you an example, the Supreme Court of Nigeria is about the busiest in the world. I as an individual do not see reason why we cannot increase the number of the justices of the Supreme Court. The full complement of the Supreme Court as contained in the constitution is 21 justices. But, we don’t have 21 justices today. We have never met the full complement of the Supreme Court and the question is why? The Supreme Court has tree court halls, so if we have the full complement of the justices, nothing stops them from sitting simultaneously. These are some of the reforms we need to look at. There is no reason why each state of the federation chould not have a division of Court of Appeal. We have 36 states plus Abuja making 37 and as we speak, we have just 15 divisions of the Court of Appeal. So, I don’t see why each state cannot have its Court of Appeal, so that we can actually federalise the judiciary. Today we have unitary system of judiciary operating under a federal system. All that the states have are the state high court judges. Again, the Bible says money answers all things. If the money is not there, all these reforms will just be on paper. So, government should investment in the judiciary because the judiciary is very essential to the success of any democracy. The N70 billion earmarked for the judiciary is inadequate. Do you think the judiciary is ready for the ongoing fight against corruption? I don’t see why the judiciary is not ready. What do you want the judiciary to do? The judiciary operates under straight laws, rules and regulations. First and foremost, they operate under the constitution, secondly they

Adesina

We cannot go back to the days of manual accreditations where somebody sits in the comfort of his

room, ticking

500 names, manipulating the processes.

operate under various establishment Acts. Hence, you have the Supreme Court Act, The Court of Appeal Act and the Federal High Court Act. In addition to these Acts, you have the various Rules of Court. You also have the new Administration of Criminal Justice Act, the Criminal Code and the Penal Code. The practitioners must comply with these rules. Can cases be decided expeditiously? Why not? But, in deciding the cases expeditiously, justice cannot be sacrificed. The constitution says an accused is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. Who is

to prove the contrary? It is the prosecution. So, until his guilt is established, an accused is still an innocent person. So, a judge cannot say because of expeditious hearing of cases, he wants to start a case today and conclude it today. The only thing is that trial must be conducted day by day and that is within the limit of human capacity. If a judge sits from 9am listening to what the lawyers are saying and writing in long hand, how fast do you think he can go? Whereas, if you travel to Europe or America, a judge sits and listen, while the recorders are recoding the proceedings. It is important to mention that, while

we focus on the judiciary, we must also focus on the lawyer. The lawyer must do the needful by offering necessary cooperation with the court. Lawyers must ensure that cases are not unnecessarily prolonged and that frivolous applications are not filed. How do you view the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed the election of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike? Well, I received it just as one of the judgments coming out of our courts; I am not one of the counsels in the matter, so I cannot say I have all the facts about it. I believe the judgment was delivered based on issues of laws and issues of facts that were presented before the Supreme Court, because all judgments must flow from the facts and law presented in the matter. It is not a question of two plus two equal four, no. The facts and the law are the roots from which the judgment is derived. That is much I can say about any judgment. Many have argued about the issue of card readers and the issue of inconsis-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, February 8, 2016

the judiciary —Adesina

tency in the judgments emanating from the Court of Appeal? Would you suggest an amendment to our electoral law to accommodate it? Let me start by saying that the inconsistency is unfortunate in the sense that it has rendered our law to be likely uncertain. In a situation like that, lawyers even find it difficult to operate and to give legal opinion. Speaking specifically on the card reader, it is my view that based on the law as it stands; the Electoral Act gave INEC powers to issue regulations, issue guidelines, to issue manuals for purposes of conducting election under the Act. For me, one of the regulations and guidelines in the issue was the use of a card reader and that power is derived from section 153 of the Electoral Act. I do not agree to the arguments that the use of the card reader is illegal and for those who have proffered that argument, the danger in their argument is that you cannot have a process that is partially legal and partially illegal. If you carry that argument too far and our courts buy the arguments that the use of the card reader was illegal then the entire process of the 2015 election was illegal including the products of that election. From the State to the Federal, to the best of my knowledge, it was only in the presidential election that the use was made rather optional at the last minute. So, if the law or the courts are a little bit flexible, I will buy that but, where directives came from the organisers, that the use of the card reader was compulsory and they went further to say that where the thing developed problem that could not be solved immediately the election should be postponed till the following day. I believe the directives were categorical and if there was anything that gave international recognition and acceptability and enhance the integrity of that process of 2015, it was the use of the card reader. For me, I have found it a little difficult to understand the yes and the no that are coming from our courts as regard this issue. Law itself is very dynamic; democracy is a process, not a destination. The initiative brought about by INEC on the card reader was a worthy initiative that needed to be encouraged. I pitched my tent with those who argued and that is my position that the use of the card reader was not illegal. Secondly, the card reader was complementary with the Elec-

toral Act and helped INEC to achieve the duties and responsibilities they are to perform under the Electoral Act. Therefore, any of the elections that did not conform to the proper use of the card reader and where the card reader did not function well, you are supposed to fill what is called Incident Form before proceeding on the manual. All these are processes, they are the first stages of the entire process, and there are different stages of the process. However, in view of the inconsistencies that we have seen so far, I will encourage and suggest that as a matter of urgency, before the build up to 2019 elections, the electoral act should be amended to formerly incorporate the use of the card reader. We cannot go back to the days of manual accreditations where somebody will sit in the comfort of his room ticking 500 names, manipulating the processes. So, of all the conflicting judgments we have been having, I pitched my tent with the decision of the Court of Appeal, Lagos in Agbaje vs. APC, even though that court recognised that the card reader was not a product of the Electoral Act, but that it can be used to support or to prove any allegation, any ground for challenging any election. That in itself recognises the process even though to a limited level. I believe the use of the card reader in subsequent elections must not be discourage, the judgments we have seen so far, are discouraging.

Some of your colleagues have argued that the President of the Court of Appeal should not be allowed to single-handedly pick members of election petition tribunal as well as the Court of Appeal Justices that would sit. Do you agree with this? I don’t have any objection against anybody setting up the panels that we have. Most of the panels were made up of five Justices and I do not want to ascribe any subjective inadequacies to the office of the President of the Court of Appeal. For somebody to rise to that level or to position of Chief Justice of Nigeria, you must accept that the person is worthy of the post both in learning and in character. I give that to the President of the Court of Appeal, she has nothing more to do once she has put together the panel. She doesn’t interfere and she doesn’t dictate to them. I practice before all the courts includ-

Adesina

A military dictator can construct roads, so the difference between dictatorship and democracy is the attention that is focused on the rule of law. ing the Court of Appeal, I appeared before some as regards the election tribunals processes that are now winding down. A lot depends on the person of the justice who is sitting either as a member or as a presiding justice at the Court of Appeal. They don’t take dictations and if anybody will take dictations whether his selection was made by a committee or by an individual, he will take dictation anyway. I think it is the duty of everybody including the press to creatively think how we can get our Judges and our Justices more insulated and be independent not only by the provisions of the law, but even in their minds exercise this independence. It is the system that drives a nation, not individual. It doesn’t matter whether it is the person of the Court of Appeal President or the selection of a committee. We are not likely to have different thing. You cannot continue to do the same thing in the same way and expect a different result; we must fortify our system and ensure it works. How do you see the inauguration of Yahaya Bello as the governor of Kogi State without a deputy? Does the constitution recognise a governor without a deputy? I am a counsel before the tribunal and if I speak one may be said to have argued his case on pages of the newspaper, but you have asked a constitutional question and my answer is categorically no. You cannot, unless, of course, if your deputy dies in office or resigns for whatever reason then a replacement can be made subject to the confirma-

tion by the House of Assembly. But, for a new governor or a governorship candidate to run an election without a running mate to be sworn-in without a deputy, I have my very strong doubt, if it is constitutional or legal. The constitution is the barometer for testing the validity of any act in this country and it says, even your nomination, is not valid without a running mate. I wouldn’t want to say more than this because I told you I’m involved in the matter. Many have argued that the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. Ironically, the common man cannot attain justice due to the cost of filing cases in court. What is responsible for this? My position is that the judiciary is the hope of every man whether common man, expensive or uncommon man. Because there is no alternative to judiciary except anarchy and you and I don’t like anarchy anyway. As to the fact that it is getting expensive, well, I would say everything in the country today is getting expensive, but our government will have to do more to make justice accessible to the lower cadres in the society who incidentally are in the majority. Make the judges comfortable, make the judiciary well funded. Somebody said many years ago that the investment you have in the rule of law or stabilising the judiciary or funding the judiciary is much more important in a democracy than building bridges and constructing roads. A military dictator can construct roads, so the difference between dictatorship and democracy is the attention that is focused on the rule of law.

Law & Justice

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, February 8, 2016

“The statement is intended to incite people against the judiciary’’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33 ties in the country’s judiciary, stressing that the negative development had resulted in “a public uproar or placard-carrying scenario against the judgment of a court of record’’. Commenting on the president’s assertion, Dr. Biodun Layonu (SAN), said ‘’everyone in Nigeria including the judiciary is in agreement that corruption must be fought aggressively, methodically, resiliently, consistently and regularly. It must however, be within the confines of the law and with due regard to people’s rights as provided by the law. ‘’Further, the president who is seeking for the cooperation of the judiciary must first cooperate with the judiciary by ensuring that the needed resources both material and human necessary to wage the war must be in place and provided. Presently, it is shameful to note that judges are being owed salaries for some months now and yet they must resist all temptation in the course of discharging their duties. It will help if they are not made to face hardship in carrying out their family obligations and responsibilities as human beings; as parents, husbands and wives’’. According to him ‘’the presidency must define and clarify what the cooperation of the judiciary means in this regard so that it is clear that the presidency is not seeking undue or irregular assistance or cooperation of the judiciary. For me the way the judiciary will cooperate like others in society is to fulfil the terms of their oath of office which is to dispense justice to all as expeditiously as possible without fear or favour. Anything else is surplus’’. Speaking in the same vein, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), said: ‘’ In a democracy, the judiciary is supposed to check the excesses if any of the executive and the legislature. It is the job of the legislature to make laws; it is the duty of the judiciary to ensure that those

Dr. Layonu SAN

Ayorinde SAN

The judiciary should not be the headache of the President. If the president should have any headache at all, it should be from members of the executive and the

Attorney-General

laws are properly enforced and also to interpret the laws. It is the duty of the executive arm of government to execute and that is why it is called executive’’. ‘’So, rather than the judiciary being the headache of the president, the judiciary is a separate arm of government recognised under the presidential system of government. So, the judiciary should not be the headache of the president. If the president should have any headache at all, it should be because of members of the executive and the AttorneyGeneral and not the judiciary. The judiciary is for everybody, most importantly for the common man. In his view, Mr. Kemi Pinhero (SAN), said that he is among those who have been agitat-

Bar

Jokes

The Lawyer and effect of surgery

ing that there should be separate courts for criminal matters so as to wage war against anti-corruption practices in the country. He stressed the need to have more judges to assist those that are already there, adding that; “the truth of the matter is that some of our judges are overworked, they are underpaid and undervalue. We need more judges with credibility and integrity who will take over the special courts and give support to anti-corruption fight’’. Pinhero added that there ‘’is need to train lawyers and police officers on the impact of corruption on the economy of the country. He said; “it is important that we all work as stakeholders on whatever policy that is in place, most especially on money laundering”.

You find yourself stuck in a hole with a murderer, a rapist, and a lawyer. You’re armed but you only have two bullets left, what do you do?

Generous lawyer

One day a lawyer was riding in his limousine when he saw a guy eating grass. He told the driver to stop. He got out and asked him, “Why are you eating grass?” The man replied, “I’m so poor, I can’t afford anything thing to eat.” So the lawyer said, “Poor guy, come back to my house.” The guy says, “But I have a wife and three kids.” The lawyer told him to bring them along. When they were all in the car, the poor man said, “Thanks for taking us back to your house; it is so kind of you.” The lawyer replied, “You’re going to love it there... the grass is a foot tall!”

There was a lawyer and he was just waking up from anesthesia after surgery, and his wife was sitting by his side. His eyes fluttered open and he said: “You’re beautiful!” and then he fell asleep again. His wife had never heard him say that so she stayed by his side. A couple minutes later his eyes fluttered We’re deciding case on merits open and he said: “You’re cute!” Taking his seat in his chambers, the judge faced the opposWell, the wife was disappointed because instead of ing lawyers. “beautiful” it was “cute.” “So,” he said, “I have been presented, by both of you, with She said: “What happened to ‘beautiful’?” a bribe.” He replied: “The drugs are wearing off!” Both lawyers squirmed uncomfortably. “You, attorney A man and the devil A man died and was taken to his place of eternal tor- Leon, gave me $15,000. And you, attorney Campos, gave me $10,000.” ment by the devil. The judge reached into his pocket and pulled out a check. As he passed sulphurous pits and shrieking sinners, he saw a man he recognized as a lawyer snuggling up to He handed it to Leon. “Now then, I’m returning $5,000, and we’re going to decide this case solely on its merits!” a beautiful woman. “That’s unfair!” he cried. “I have to roast for all eternity, and that lawyer gets to spend it with a beautiful woman.” “Shut up”, barked the devil, jabbing the man with his pitchfork. “Who are you to question that woman’s punishment?”

Only two bullets

Pinheiro SAN

Where’ll you get a lawyer?

An engineer dies and reports to the pearly gates. St. Peter checks his dossier and says, “Ah, you’re an engineer. You are in the wrong place.” So, the engineer reports to the gates of hell and is let in. Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and starts designing and building improvements. Culled from Bar Jokes.com

In his view, a Lagos based lawyer, Mr. Chucks Nwachukwu said: ‘’I view the statement of the president with suspicion and I don’t think the statement is well-captured. The statement may be misconstrued to mean inciting the people against the judiciary. There is heightening expectation from the people based on the mind boggling figures being leaked out by the EFCC. People’s expectations have been driven to an appalling point. So, the president may want to avoid an anticlimax. The statement is to incite the people against the judiciary. ‘’If a man is accused and the judiciary sets him free, people will now believe that he has bribed the judge and that he bought the judgement. That is unfortunate. The president knows the judiciary and he has security apparatus at his disposal. If he felt that the judiciary is the problem, perhaps he should have started from the judiciary. Speaking on the issue, a former secretary, NBA Lagos branch, Mr. Sunday Onu, said the judiciary is made up of people of integrity, while there may be some who may fall short of their judicial oath, there are procedures to handle such ones and dealing with such matters.

LEGAL TIPS Understanding the remedy of injunction in Nigerian Legal System

njunction is an equitable remedy and is therefore, discretionary. It is a particularly useful remedy in contract to restrain a breach, in tort to prevent the continuation of a nuisance, in family law to control domestic violence, and in administrative law to prevent public authorities from acting unlawfully. Breach of an injunction is contempt of court. *The preservation of the subject matter ‘res’ in dispute or the maintenance of the ‘status quo’ is achieved through the judicial process of the equitable order of injunction. The Black’s Law Dictionary defines an Injunction as “a court order prohibiting someone from doing some specified act or commanding someone to undo some wrong or injury”.

Bar

It may also be defined in the words of Karibi-Whyte JSC (as then was) thus: “...an equitable order restraining the person to whom it is directed from doing the things specified in the order or requiring in exceptional situations the performance of a specified act”. * TYPES OF INJUNCTION Injunction can be classified based on the how long the order is to last i.e. the duration of the order. In this wise, we have (i) interim injunction (ii) interlocutory injunction and (iii) perpetual injunction. Another basis for classification is the nature of act to be prohibited or to be done. In this category we have mandatory and prohibitory injunction. Written by Francis Famoroti, Head, Judiciary. We welcome feedback and reactions from readers via our e-mail: nationamirrorlaw@yahoo.com

Jokes

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, February 8, 2016

How Itsekiri, Okere clashed over communal land FAMOUS CASES

he land tussle between the Itsekiri people of Warri and members of the Okere community in Warri, the present day Delta State dated back to over 300 years ago. Not even the progenitors of these communities could effectively resolved the land dispute until the Itsekiri people led by the Itsekiri Communal Land Trustees during the reign of Erejuwa 11, the Olu of Warri dragged the Olodi, Oki, and Ighogbadu families of Idimi-Sobo, Okere, Warri to the MidWestern State High Court sitting in Warri . The case was filed as D.0 Idudun and others v. Daniel Okumagba and others in 1968. Specifically, in suit No W/48/1968, the Itsekiri people claimed against the Okere communities jointly and severally:* A declaration that in accordance with Itsekiri Customary Law, all that piece or parcel of land at Okere, Warri, described in Plan No WE.2367 filed in this suit and verged pink is the property of the Ogitsi Family of Okere subject only to the overlordship of the Olu of Warri now vested in and exercisable by the Itsekiri Communal Land Trustees by virtue of the Communal Land Rights (Vesting in Trustees) Law 1959 and the Warri Division (Itsekiri Communal Land) Trust Instrument, 1959. * A declaration that, in accordance with Itsekiri Customary Law, defendants have forfeited their rights of user and/or occupation and any other rights or estate in or over that part of the land in dispute marked Area ‘’B’ and any right they may have in or over that part of the land in dispute marked Area ‘A’ in the Plan No. E.2367 filed by the plaintiffs in this suit. They also sought an order of injunction to restrain the defendants and agents and any other person or persons purporting to claim under or through them from entering the land in dispute and from collecting rents. The evidence adduced in support of plaintiffs’ claim showed clearly that the claim was based partly on traditional evidence and partly on acts of ownership. However, the evidence given by the defendants gave a completely different version of the traditional evidence. The defendants also testified as to their acts of ownership on the land in dispute. In a considered judgement, the trial judge after reviewing all the evidence adduced by both parties, rejected the traditional evidence adduced in support of the plaintiffs’ claim. The court declared that the evidence of the Itsekiri people that the disputed land and also Okere village were part of the kingdom founded by Ginuwa 1 were unconvincing. The court also said the testimony that Ogitsi owned the whole of Okere land including the disputed land was untenable. According to the trial judge, ‘’the plaintiffs say that Ginuwa I founded a kingdom

The Itsekiri people and Okere communities in Warri have been embroiled in land dispute since about 300 years ago. The Supreme Court in its verdict delivered in 1976 on the protracted legal tussle over the disputed property affirmed the decision of the lower court and also laid down five ways of proving ownership of land in Nigeria. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary writes.

Late Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams

The late Olu of Warri; Ogiame Atuwatse 11

There is no evidence of the extent or area covered by that kingdom, nor is there any evidence going to show any act or acts in history, which made the area part of the kingdom founded by

Ginuwa I before Ekpen came there. and that before Ekpen came to Okere the area of Okere was or would be part of that kingdom. There is no evidence of the extent or area covered by that kingdom, nor is there any evidence going to show any act or acts in history which made the area part of the kingdom founded by Ginuwa I before Ekpen came there.’’ It held further that ‘’the evidence in plaintiffs’ case only shows that Ginuwa I when he was trying to make a settlement after leaving Benin got as far as Ijalla where he ultimately settled, lived died and was buried. There is no evidence in plaintiffs’ case to show that in the process of making his settlement or kingdom he or any persons under him settled anywhere beyond Ijalla and towards or in Okere. I do not believe that any kingdom founded by Ginuwa I extended to Okere. Plaintiffs’ evidence and also evidence in the whole case do not prove such extent of any kingdom founded by Ginuwa I.” Impressed by the testimonies of the defendants, the learned trial judge dismissed the plaintiffs’ claim in its entirety. The court accepted and believed the evidence of the defendants that three persons, namely, Idama, Ohwotemu and Sowhoruvwe, first came to Okere and founded various tracts of land that all others of the Idi-

misobo who came to Okere arrived after the aforementioned three persons had come. Besides, the trial judge said ‘’ I also accept the evidence of the defendants as to how and when Ogitsi got to the waterside area of Okere and made his settlement there, and as to how the settlement and that of defendants’ people grew until they met in Okere. ‘’ I am satisfied that the defendants’ people are not Ghaminidos in Okere and never paid tribute or rent to anyone in Okere. I am satisfied they were never tenants to anyone. I accept and believe the evidence of defendants that the members of Ighegbodu family who went to Odion did so freely. ‘’ Dissatisfied with the verdict, the plaintiffs lodged an appeal to the Warri Native Court of Appeal and it was held that the communities had been living together without question of paying rents to the other. ‘’I am satisfied and find as a fact that the land in dispute in this case including the area where rubber plantations are shown on plaintiffs’ plan, Exhibit 2, and also where Madam Esale’s rubber plantation is, belong to the defendants and that they have been such owners and in possession of the land from the time their ancestors founded the land. The plaintiffs have failed to prove that Ogitsi family owns the land in dispute, or that

Itsekiris of Okere own the land in dispute.’’ the court said. Aggrieved further, they appealed to the Supreme Court. The appeal was heard by Justices Atanda Fatayi-Willliams, Mohammed Bello and Andrews Obaseki. Notable among the lawyers in the case were Chief F.R.A Williams (SAN), who led Chief Obafemi Awolowo (SAN), Dr. F. A. Ajayi (SAN), and six others for the Itsekiri people while Chief Remi Fani-Kayode (SAN) was the lead counsel to the Okere community. Others in the team are; Dr. Mudiaga Odje, A. O. Akpedeye, and A. Orioye. After the hearing and arguments, the judgement day at the Supreme Court was on Friday, October 8, 1976. Interestingly, the Supreme Court in its verdict laid down the locus classicus principles on land ownership n the country. The apex court in the lead judgement read by Justice Fatayi-Williams highlighted five ways of proving the ownership of land in Nigeria. According to the court, ‘’Firstly, ownership of land may be proved by traditional evidence as has been done in the case in hand. Secondly, ownership of land may be proved by production of documents of title which must, of course be duly authenticated in the sense that their due execution must be proved, unless they are produced from proper custody in circumstances giving rise to the presumption in favour of due execution in the case of documents 20 years old or more at the date of the contract (See section 129 of the Evidence Act. Thirdly, acts of the person (or persons) claiming the land such as selling, leasing or renting out all or part of the land, or farming on it or on a portion of it, are also evidence of ownership, provided the acts extend over a sufficient length of time and are numerous and positive enough as to warrant the inference that the person is the true owner. Fourthly, acts of long possession and enjoyment of the land may also be prima facie evidence of ownership of the particular piece or quantity of land with reference to which such acts are done (See section 45 of the Evidence Act, Cap. 62). Finally, proof of possession of connected or adjacent land, in circumstances rendering it probable that the owner of such connected or adjacent land would, in addition, be the owner of the land in dispute, may also rank as a means of proving ownership of the land in dispute.’’ Furthermore, the judge rejected the evidence of payment of tribute by the respondents to anybody, evidence which the appellants sought to use to justify the respondents’ possession of land outside the disputed land. The Supreme Court declared that the appeal had no merit and should accordingly be dismissed with cost assessed at N350.00.

Law & Justice

South Korea court jails American for 20 years over Burger King murder

South Korean court jailed an American for 20 years for the murder of a South Korean student at a Burger King restaurant in 1997, after he was extradited from the United States following the acquittal of another American. According to the BBC News, South Korean officials said Arthur John Patterson, whose father was a civilian contractor to the U.S. military, fled to the United States after Cho was found dead on the floor of the restaurant bathroom with stab wounds to his neck and body. Patterson, 36, was extradited to South Korea last year. He told the court he had been living in Los Angeles. “The court decided on a life sentence, but in view of the defendant’s age, of being under 18 at the time, the sentence will be 20 years in prison,” Judge Shim Kyuhong said. The case has drawn intense public interest in South Korea, where the conduct of U.S. military personnel is scrutinized.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea President Park Geun-hye This month, Patterson repeated his claim of innocence in the closing arguments of his trial. Patterson’s friend, Edward Lee, also a U.S. citizen, was initially sentenced to life in prison for the murder but was later acquitted on appeal due to lack of evidence. Both men admitted to witnessing the murder but accused each other of killing Cho. Patterson’s lawyer could not immediately be reached after the verdict for comment on whether he would appeal.

Employee, wife, girlfriend in court for fraud SOUTH AFRICA

n administrator at the City of Cape Town has appeared in court alongside his wife and girlfriend, following claims that he granted multimillion rand tenders to his own company, as well as to the companies of both women. According to BBC News, Paul Hattingh, his wife Simoney and his alleged lover, Esmeralda Plato, were each granted bail of R50 000 by the Cape Town Commercial Crimes Court, said Hawks spokesperson Brigadier

Hangwani Mulaudzi. Hattingh, who also sits on the tender board, allegedly awarded the tenders to the three companies between 2008 and 2014, swindling the city out of R70m. “The three companies Cosmic Gold 532, Cosmic Gold 517 and TTANIC Trading - were awarded tenders to supply the City of Cape Town with cleaning materials, as well as refuse bags. Each tender cost between R900 000 and R45m,” Mulaudzi said. The three were scheduled to again appear in court on March 17.

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

India’s Apex Court reviews law criminalising homosexuality

ndia’s top court has decided to review a 2013 judgment that reinstated a colonial era law criminalizing gay sex. The review is raising hopes among gay rights activists who have been fighting to overturn the law. In response to a petition asking the Supreme Court to re-examine whether a 165-year-old law that penalizes same sex relationships as an “unnatural offense” is constitutional. According to the BBC News, the battle for gay rights has taken a tortuous route in India. In 2009, the country took a huge step forward when, in a landmark verdict, the Delhi High Court scrapped the controversial law. But in a surprise decision two years ago, the Supreme

INDIA Court reversed that ruling, which had been challenged by mostly religious groups. The judges said it was up to parliament to legislate on the section. It was a major setback for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community, which has been fighting to win acceptance in a country where large sections are still conservative and frown upon homosexuality. As the Supreme Court reopened the doors for legal redress, a wave of optimism swept through gay activists. Anjali Gopalan, executive director of the Naz Foundation, which has spearheaded the legal battle on behalf of the gay community, expressed great

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi relief. Pointing out that it would have been the end of the legal road for homosexuals if the Supreme Court had dismissed their “curative” petition, she said, “It shows there has been some shift in the way this issue is being viewed, publicly as well as in the mind of the state. So hopefully, we look forward to better times.” A curative petition to the

five-judge bench is the last resort for legal remedy and is admitted only in extremely rare cases. India is one of about 75 countries that outlaws homosexuality. Section 377 imposes a 10-year sentence for gay sex. Although that is seldom enforced, the homosexual community has long complained of harassment by law enforcement authorities. While the law may be archaic, in recent years the gay community has fought more openly and vocally for their rights, organizing gay pride marches in big cities such as Delhi and Bangalore. Many said that irrespective of the final outcome in the Supreme Court, they are determined to “live with pride and not go back into the closet.”

Japanese court upholds damages over domestic intelligence gathering

he Sendai High Court has upheld a lower court ruling that awarded damages to people whose identities were recorded by a Self-Defense Force intelligence unit during a protest over Japan’s involvement in the Iraq War. The rally was held to oppose the dispatch of SDF personnel to Iraq. Officials noted the names and affiliations of people who took part in an illegal act, the plaintiffs argued. But the Sendai High Court rejected the plaintiffs’ call for a suspension of intelligence activities by the SDF and only awarded one of the 94

JAPAN

Chinese President, Xi Jinping individual’s damages the sum of ¥100,000. According to the BBC News, the unnamed individual’s “privacy was violated” by the SDF unit that recorded his or her name and oc-

cupation, even though that information was not made public, presiding Judge Masato Furukubo said. The Sendai District Court in 2012 ordered the government to pay a total of ¥300,000 to five people in recognition that officials violated their rights by collecting their names, occupations, political affiliations and other details between 2002 and 2004. It threw out calls to halt intelligence-gathering activities. The high court rejected the payment of damages to four other plaintiffs who

were local assembly members at the time. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said he couldn’t comment but pledged to review the ruling “thoroughly and respond accordingly.” The suit was filed by 107 people from Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Yamagata and Fukushima prefectures. They each sought ¥1 million in compensation. Both sides appealed the lower court ruling, with the government arguing that the intelligence activities were appropriate. The plaintiffs sought damages for all of them and demanded suspension of the activities.

Chinese high court upholds cult leader’s life sentence

he Higher People’s Court in Guangdong has upheld the life sentence of a man who was convicted of organising an illegal cult, rape, fraud, and the production and sale of harmful food. According to the BBC

News, Wu Zeheng, founder of “Huazang Zongmen”, was sentenced to life in October by a court in the city of Zhuhai in the province, and he was also fined over 7 million yuan. Three of his followers were also given sentences

CHINA

of four years in prison after being convicted of fraud and perverting the course of justice. Wu and one of his followers appealed against the court’s ruling.

Wu had been propagating the pseudo-religion Huazang Zongmen as a lofty sect of Buddhism and claimed to be the successor of several eminent monks. He was also found to have amassed more than 6.7 million yuan in ill-gotten gains.

I received a congratulatory handshake from my boss —Dipo Jimilehin

was called to the Nigeria bar on Friday, July 1977 and on Saturday we were asked to go to Supreme Court to enroll before we could become solicitor and advocate. My first solo appearance was before Justice Candide

Johnson. I had prepared very well by studying the case file. I never knew that my boss had sent the office clerk to watch my performance in court. I got to court very early only to see that the court room was filled up because there was

a case of the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. There were many senior members of the Bar like late Gani Fawehinmi and Chief Kehinde Sofola SAN, present in court and my case was the first on the list.I stood up and by the time I finished my submis-

sions, I thank God that I belong to the legal profession. The counsel representing the other party could not object to my submissions. When I got back to office I received a congratulatory handshake from my boss for the good performance

Jimilehin

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, February 8, 2016

Perfidious civil service and the burden of change Robert Omote

he transition of the Nigerian political template since May 29, 2015 has been mindboggling as it relates to inherent contradictions in our system of governance. It has excavated and brought to the fore the unethical connivance of the civil servant with the executive in the reckless plundering of the resources available at the disposal of the different tiers of government in Nigeria. It is no news that many States and Councils owed arrears of salaries while the central government had to borrow to pay workers in the first quarter of the year. More worrisome with the commencement of our nascent democracy in 1999 in the brazen involvement of public/civil servants in party politics. S.318 of the extant constitution which bothers on interpretation defines the “civil service of the Federation” as service of the Federation in a civil capacity as staff of the office of the president, the Vice President, a ministry or department of the Government of the Federation assigned with the responsibility for any business of the Government of the Federation or ‘civil service of the state’ to mean service of the Government of a State in a civil capacity as staff of the office of the Governor, Deputy Governor or a ministry or department of the Government of the Sate assigned with the responsibility for any business of the Government of the State. Bureaucratically and in tandem with the core functions of this noble and esteemed institution it is imperative to prime the functions of the civil service to include primary policy formulation and their implementation among others. Interestingly there are certain basic distinguished characteristics which separate the civil service from other institutions of governance to wit permanence as they are available to serve any government in power irrespective of their political correlation; political neutrality as they are precluded from party partisanship; impartiality as they must be fair in their dealings with all; continuity etc. The framers of the constitution in rare display of wisdom have provided certain checks on the conduct of civil servants to guarantee good governance in tandem with the prevailing change mantra. Part 1 under the 5th Schedule x-ray the expected conduct of conduct for pubic officers S.1 provides. A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities. S.2 Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, a public officer shall not: a. receive or be paid the emoluments of any public office at the same time as he receives or is paid the emoluments of any other public office; or b. except where his is not employed on full time basis, engage or participate in the management or running of any private business, profession or trade but nothing in this subparagraph shall prevent a public officer from engaging in farming. S.3: The President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Ministers, Commissioners, Members of the National Assembly and of the Houses of Assembly of the States, and such other public officers or persons as the National Assembly may by law prescribe shall not maintain or operate a bank account in any country outside Nigeria. S.6 (1) Further provide: A Public officer shall not ask for or accept property or benefits of any kind for himself or any other person on account of anything done or omitted to be done by him in the discharge of his duties. S.6(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph 1 of this paragraph, the receipt by a public officer of any gifts or benefits from commercial firms, business enterprises or persons who have contracts with the government shall be presumed to have been received in contravention of the said sub-paragraph unless the contrary is proved. S.6 (3) A Public Officer shall only accept personal gifts or benefits from relatives or personal friends to such extent and on such occasions as are recognized by custom; provided that any gift or donation to a public officer on any public or ceremonial occasion shall be treated as a gift to the appropriate institution represented by the public officer, and accordingly, the mere acceptance or receipt of any such gift shall not be treated as a contravention of this provision. S.7 Places restriction on loans, gifts or benefits to cer-

Public Officer who does any act prohibited by the code of conduct through a nominee, trustee, or

other agent(s), shall be deemed to have committed a breach of the code.

tain public officers such as the Presidents, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Ministers, Commissioners or any other public officer who holds the office of a Permanent Secretary or head of any public corporation, University or other parastatal or organization. S.8 Frowns at public offers accepting bribe of any property, gift or benefit of any kind as an inducement for granting of any favour or the discharge in his favour of the public officer’s duties. S.9 Provides that: A public officer shall not do or direct to be done, in abuse of his office, any arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights or any other person knowing that such act is unlawful or contrary to the code. S.10 Prohibits public officers from belonging to or taking part in any society the membership of which is incompatible with the functions or dignity of his office. S.11 (1) Provides that every public officer shall within three months after the coming into force of this code of con-

duct or immediately after taking office and thereafter at the end of every four (4) years and at the end of his term of office, submit to the code of conduct Bureau a written declaration of all his properties, assets and liabilities and those of his unmarried children under the age of eighteen(18) years. S.11 (2) (3) Any declaration found to be false by any authority or person authorized in that behalf to verify it shall be deemed to be a breach of this code; and any property or assets acquired by a public officer after any declaration required, under the Nigerian Constitution and which is not fairly attributable to income, gift, or loan approved by this code shall be deemed to have been acquired in breach of this code unless the contrary is proved. S.13: A Public Officer who does any act prohibited by the code of conduct through a nominee, trustee, or other agent(s), shall be deemed to have committed a breach of the code.

The Code of Conduct and the Burden for Change A panoramic view of the general provision of the code of conduct superintending the indispensability of the civil public service in the smooth running o the government provocatively reveal the salient fact that no President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Members of the National Assembly, Houses of Assembly of the States can thrive without the support of the civil service. No doubt, the change mantra has commenced, but the President through the Head of Service must invoke the code of conduct for public officers who need a re-orientation in tandem with the expectations of the current government. Omote, is a Benin based legal practitioner

ADR best in resolving corporate disputes —Agbakoba Wale Igbintade

former President, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has advocated for the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR, in resolving corporate disputes of various magnitudes. Agbakoba in a statement said arbitration and ADR are crucial factors to investment development and economic growth. According to him, Nigeria generates a significant volume of commercial transactions both domestic and international with about 80 percent of these transactions originating or terminating in Lagos. He said; ‘’unfortunately, dispute arising from these transactions are ultimately arbitrated in foreign countries. The flow of “domestic” (i.e. purely Nigerian) arbitration cases to arbitral venues outside Nigeria is unhelpful to Nigeria’s plan for economic empowerment, wealth creation and development. This means colossal loss of revenue to diverse experts and professionals and not just lawyers’’. The former NBA President stressed the need to promote and support a na-

tional initiative on arbitration, adding that; ‘’ the aim will be the promotion of Arbitral Institutions, legislation and practice culture in Nigeria’’. The statement added that the law firm of Olisa Agbakoba through its arbitration arm, Olisa Agbakoba Arbitration and Mediation Centre, will work with relevant stakeholders

to promote a National Arbitration Policy Dialogue’. The objectives of the collaboration include reviewing existing framework for arbitration and recommend appropriate legal, institutional and regulatory frameworks based on international best practices obtainable in developed economies. ‘’ Drafting a basket of

bills promoting arbitration as an instrument of dispute resolution, designing an annual national program in form of conference or workshop on development of arbitration and promoting adoption by government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of the policy of inserting domestic arbitration clauses in all federal government agreements.

Group offers training for police officers ..renders free legal services to detainees

Wale Igbintade

orried by lack of public confidence in the way suspects are treated at police stations, a group, Legal Advice Scheme, has embarked on training of police officers across the country. Coordinator of the group, Grace Adenubi in a statement disclosed that the objective of the training is to ensure that suspects have access to free legal services. According to her, free legal advice through a cadre of local lawyers who are willing to provide pro bono (free) services and regular visit to police stations will be offered. According to the group” citizens believe that once suspects are taken to police

stations they will be mistreated. People in custody are often denied legal and human rights. “The scheme was therefore instituted to improve the treatment of suspects at police stations as the lack of transparency and accountability in the treatment of suspects and certain victims in police stations had affected public confidence in the police”. The statement added that the situation is worsened by reports of violations of the legal entitlements and rights of detainees/suspects which are contrary to international human rights standards. “The widespread poor public perception of the police has a damaging effect on police and community relations and can undermine the

development of a constructive partnership in communities.” The statement reads. The statement further stated that Isokoko Police Station, Agege was used as a model police station, adding that lawyers have visited the station regularly, and at random times, to provide free legal advice to suspects. Following the success of the scheme at Isokoko, the programme has been extended to Lion Building Police Station – Area A, Mushin Police Station – Area D, Ojo Polce Station – Area E, Ikeja Police Station – Area F, Pen-Cinema Police Station – Area G, Bariga Police Station – Area H, Ajah (Ajiwe Police Station – Area J, Ishashi Police Station – Area K, Idimu Police Station and Ikorodu Police Station.

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror

When thefor come to come It seems to me the time has come us to, come re-examine the everybody will sit up in this Ministry. Rev. Chris Okotie, speaking legal and constitutional framework for policing in Nigeria. on the state of the nation

hon minister for petroleum resources,ALIISON MADUEKE – Speaker House of Reps, Hon. Yakubu Dogara

NDLEA arraigns 2 bizmen over drug Wale Igbintade

ational Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arraigned two businessmen, Babalola Sola Alawe and Abiodun Ogedengbe before a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, on a one-count charge bordering on drug traf-

ficking.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. C.O. Ogwuja, told the court that the first accused, (Alawe) committed the alleged offence on December 2, 2015, at Ilemesooke-Isan, Ekiti State, within the jurisdiction of this court. He told the court that the accused without lawful authority had in his possession 6.8kg of

cannabis sativa (similar to cocaine) and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act CAP N30 laws of Federation 2004. The prosecutor further informed the court that the second accused person, (Ogedengbe) allegedly committed the offence on November 29, 2015, at Ise-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

He was alleged to be in possession of 10.2kg of canabis sativa, a narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD and thereby committed an offence under the same Act. When the charge was read to them, the two accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offence. The defence counsel, Mr. A.J. Oguntuase, however, informed the court of the accused persons bail application dated January 15, 2016. He urged the court to admit them to bail, arguing that the alleged charge was a bailable offence and the accused are having credible sureties to stand for them. Opposing the application for bail, prosecution counsel urged the court to refuse the application and order an accelerated hearing of the case.

He said if the court was mindful of admitting the accused to bail, there should be stringent condition attached to it. After listening to the arguments on both sides, Justice Taiwo O. Taiwo in his ruling admit the two accused persons to bail in the sum of N1 million and two sureties in like sum. Justice Taiwo directed that one of the sureties must be the relation of the accused, while the second surety must have a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. Besides, the sureties and the accused must submit their current passports photographs to the registrar of the court. The court also ordered that the duo should be remanded in prison custody until they are able to satisfy their bail conditions.

Lawmaker commends Ambode on roads Ebere Ndukwu

Bush burning along the high pressure oil pip line in Kolo creek oil field on Imiringi road in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa yesterday.

Court remands 5 for murder, rape, armed robbery Dare Akogun

agos State Hugh Court, Ikorodu, presided over byJustice M. A. Savage has remanded five suspects in police custody for alleged murder, rape and armed robbery pending ruling. The suspects, namely: Olufunmilayo Sanyaolu, Wasiu Shitta alias Prince Shitta, Akeem Idowu Tijani, Rasheed Alegunleye and Prince Kamoru Alegunleye, were ordered to be detained in police custody after they pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony, murder, rape and armed robbery. The charge sheets read, “That you, Olufunmilayo Sanyaolu, Wasiu Shitta, Akeem Idowu Tijani, Alegunleye Ra-

sheed, Kamoru Alegunleye and others still at large, on the February 17, 2015, at Lugbusi/ Agunfoye villages, via Adano, Ikorodu, within the jurisdiction of this court did conspire to commit felony to wit: murder contrary to section 324 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP. C. Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable to Lagos State. “That you, Akeem Idowu Tijani on February 27, 2015, at Agunfoye villages, via Adano, Ikorodu, within the jurisdiction of this court along with Ishola Sheidu, Wasiu Kehinde alias Jebba, now at large, about 4pm raped Mrs. Idowu Asikoloye, therefore, committed an offence contrary to section 358 of the Criminal Code Act, CAP. C.38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as ap-

plicable to Lagos State. “That you, Akeem Idowu Tijani on February 27, 2015, at Agunfoye villages, via Adano, Ikorodu, within the jurisdiction of this court along with Ishola Sheidu, Wasiu Kehinde alias Jebba, now at large, about 4pm robbed Mrs. Idowu Asikoloye of the sum of N300,000. When the matter came up, Barrister David Abuo told the court to grant leave so that the accused can take their plea, but counsel to the accused persons objected that the accused persons should have been charged to the Federal High Court. The trial judge reserved ruling on the matter and ordered the suspects remanded in police custody, till February 15, 2016.

hairman, House Committee on Works, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiodun Tobun, representing Epe constituency 01, has commended Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode for approving the construction of 114 roads in 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas in the state. Governor Ambode recently approved the construction of two roads each in 20 LGAs/37 LCDAs in Lagos State. Hon. Tobun in a statement personally signed and made available to newsmen said the approval of the roads’ construction by the governor shows his commitment to develop the state. He reassured Lagosians that the governor will deliver his campaign promises without any compromise.

“Let me reassure our people that Governor Ambode will build on the good legacies of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). Before the expiration of his (Ambode) first term in office, Lagos would have developed better than he met it because he has a good vision for the state. “Governor Ambode is a man of the people and during the electioneering campaign he promised to bring governance back to the LGAs, which he has started.” According to the statement, we at the Lagos Assembly are strongly behind the governor to build on the developmental stride of the state’s past administrators; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). It would be recalled that Governor Ambode promised to construct 20 roads in the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs every year during the electioneering campaign.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, February 8, 2016

World News Muslim Americans keep us safe. They are our police. They are our firefighters. They are in Homeland Security. –US PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA

N/Korean launches rocket amidst security alert A FOL ABI G AMBARI

WITH AGENCY REPORT

he United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting following North Korea’s launch of a long-range rocket. The meeting was requested by South Korea, Japan and the US to agree on a collective response to the launch. Pyongyang said it fired the rocket yesterday to place a satellite in orbit, but critics believe the real purpose was to test a ballistic missile. The launch comes weeks after North Korea held a fourth nuclear test, both acts violating UN resolutions. The launch of the rocket was hailed by North Korean media as a “fascinating va-

North Korean President Kim-Jong-un watches as the rocket launches ary on the threshold of the pour trailing in the clear and Day of the Shining Star”. blue sky in spring of Febru-

A statement said a new Earth observation satellite, Kwangmyongsong-4, had successfully been put into orbit less than 10 minutes after lift-off from the Sohae space centre in North Phyongan province. Hailing it as part of the country’s peaceful space programme, a state TV newsreader said the launch had been ordered by North Korea’s leader Kim Jon-un and more satellite launches were planned for the future. Meanwhile, South Korean MPs were told in a closed-door briefing by the country’s spy agency late yesterday that the launch should be treated as a ballistic missile test as the satellite it put into orbit would be useless.

Let refugees cross border, EU tells Turkey

fficials in the European Union yesterday urged Turkey to let in tens of thousands of Syrian refugees trapped on its border at Kilis after fleeing fighting. EU Foreign Policy Chief, Federica Mogherini, said there was a moral, if not legal, duty to provide protection. Turkey says the refugees are receiving food and shelter inside Syria and there is no need to allow them to cross. About 35, 000 Syrians have fled a Syrian government offensive on rebel-held positions near Aleppo. Mogherini said the EU was providing funding to Turkey to make sure it had the means, the instruments, the resources to protect and to host people that are seeking asylum. In November, the EU clinched a deal with Turkey, offering it 3bn (£2.3bn; $3.3bn) to care for Syrian refugees on Turkish soil. Mogherini’s call was echoed by EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders,

whose country currently holds the EU presidency. “I look at these images of people standing at the Turkish border and I just wanted to underline the message people who are in humanitarian need should be allowed in,” Koenders said yesterday. However Kilis Governor, Suleyman Tapsiz, said the move was not necessary. “Our doors are not closed

but at the moment there is no need to host such people inside our borders,” he said. Turkey already hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees numbering 2.5 million. About 4.6 million people have fled Syria since the civil war began in 2011 while another 13.5 million are said to be in need of humanitarian assistance inside the country.

EU Foreign Policy Chief, Federica Mogherini

Tunisia builds anti-terror barrier

unisia says it has completed the first part of a 200km (125-mile)

Tunisia’s Defence Minister, Farhat Horchani

barrier along its border with Libya, designed to deter terrorism. The barrier is made of sand banks and water trenches. It was announced last summer after 38 people were killed on a beach by a gunman said to have trained in Libya. Tunisia’s Defence Minister, Farhat Horchani, said the second phase of the project would involve installing electronic equipment with the help of Germany and the United States. “We have finished closing it off, and this will help us protect our border and stop the threat,” we finished clos-

ing it off, and this will help us protect our border, and stop the threat,” Horchani said yesterday. Security forces said the defences - which aim to make the border impassable by vehicles - had already helped to reduce smuggling. More than 3, 000 Tunisians have left to fight with the Islamic State (IS) group and other Islamist militants in Syria and Iraq but Horchani said many had since returned to join the group in Libya which has been beset by instability since the overthrow of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and currently has two rival governments.

WORLD BULLETIN

Somali plane ‘holed by bomb’ A blast that punched a large hole in the fuselage of a passenger plane at Somalia’s Mogadishu airport on Tuesday was caused by a bomb, officials said yesterday. “It was a bomb that exploded in the Daallo Airlines flight. It was meant to kill all aboard,” Transport Minister Ali Ahmed Jamac said. One passenger was sucked out of the plane and died, and two other passengers were injured. The Djibouti-bound Airbus 321 was forced to make an emergency landing. Some reports suggested that an explosive device might have been hidden inside a laptop of one of the passengers. The blast happened shortly after take-off from the Somali capital but no militant group has so far said it was behind the explosion.

Algeria restores two-term limit Algeria has reinstated a two-term limit on its presidency, seven years after it was lifted so President Abdelaziz Bouteflika could run for a third term. The limit is part of a package of constitutional reforms that authorities say will strengthen democracy. But opposition leaders have dismissed the changes as superficial. The reforms will also award official status to the Berber minority language, although Arabic will remain the language of government. Among the other reforms are the promise of an independent electoral commission and recognition of the roles of women and youth. The president will be required to nominate a prime minister from the largest party in parliament. The changes were among those promised by Bouteflika following the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011.

Kidnapped Aussie released Militants have freed an Australian woman kidnapped with her husband last month in Burkina Faso, releasing her in neighbouring Niger Republic. Jocelyn Elliott and her husband Ken, who are in their 80s, were snatched from Djibo near the border with Mali. The couple had provided medical services in the town since the 1970s. Al Qaeda-linked militants said the kidnapping was an attempt to secure the release of imprisoned fighters, a jihadist monitoring group said. “Mrs. Elliott appeared alongside Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou in the town of Dosso,” a Niger’s presidential spokesman said, adding, “Efforts to free her husband are continuing.” Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirmed that the Australian government had been in contact with Mrs. Elliott following her release.

North

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arewa youths to rally support for Buhari Adeola Tukuru ABUJA

rewa Youth Integrity Forum has vowed to take to the streets to rally support for President Muhammadu Buhari as his administration works to stabilise the economy. The group said it was aware of saboteurs, who are determined to scuttle the gains being made by the administration to end corruption and stabilise the economy. National president of

the group, Audu Zakari, at a press briefing in Abuja urged Buhari to discountenance fraudulent calls from paid groups trying to discredit the leadership of strategic organisations in the country. Zakari said the mandate of these groups also include finding a roundabout way of sabotaging Mr President’s government, and that part of the strategy was to discredit the leadership of strategic organisations in the country. Zakari condemned the recent call for the sack of the CBN boss, saying the people

behind the call were trying to sabotage Buhari's administration. He said the insinuation that the CBN governor was complicit in the arms scandal was an insult to the exalted office of the President and an affront to the sincerity of its present occupant, Buhari, who has consistently demonstrated commitment to stamping out the menace of corruption. On the economic front, he said while they admit that the economic environment is harsh, they also realise

that Nigeria is not alone in experiencing the negative consequences of a threatened global economy. He urged the CBN governor to disregard the purported 72 hours ultimatum to resign, whether from ASJA

or any other entity, saying it does not reflect the wish of Nigerians. Reacting to threats by ASJA to stage a protest against the CBN Governor, he said, "Because we know the implication of people or-

Bello assures investors of adequate security Priscilla Dennis MINNA

iger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has assured willing investors of safe in-

vestment environment with adequate security in place. Giving the assurance when he met with members of the British parliament on the platform of All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG)

Chairman, Board of Trustees, Independent Petroleum Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Aminu Abdulkadir (middle), addressing members of the association during a Stakeholders Interactive Session on Fuel Supply, Distribution and Challenges in Yola, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

‘1,500 IDPs gave birth in Borno camps’

o fewer than 1,500 women gave birth in 28 Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps in Borno last year, state Primary Health Care Management Board said on Sunday in Maiduguri. Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Sule Mene,

told the News Agency of Nigeria that the deliveries were recorded between January 2015 and January 2016. Mene said about 14,600 pregnant women received antenatal care, psycho-social services and child nutrition support. He said the agency had

also received about 1,200 severe medical cases, which were referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, for proper care. The official said the agency had established 20 Integrated Primary Health Care Centres for IDPs in all

the camps to provide integrated primary health care and referral services. "The Borno government has procured health kits for each of the IDPs to help cater for their immediate needs. "We have equally distributed mosquito nets

to each and every one of them," he said. According to him, the agency, in collaboration with Federal Road Safety Commission, had trained its drivers to ensure prompt response to expectant mothers to access health facilities.

NLC laments ‘artificial’ fuel scarcity in Katsina James Danjuma KATSINA

atsina State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has expressed concern over activities of petroleum marketers who create artificial scarcity of petrol in the state. The state’s NLC said some of the petroleum marketers were in the habit of selling the product above the officially approved price.

It therefore, called on the government to strengthen the state’s Petroleum Task Force Committee to deal with such unscrupulous petroleum marketers. The state’s NLC chairman, Comrade Tanimu Saulawa, made the call over the weekend when he led other executive members of the organisation on a courtesy visit to the governor. Saulawa said some greedy petroleum marketers

have created artificial scarcity of the commodity, thereby creating untold hardship on the people. He said as labour leaders, they had traveled far and wide and had observed a difference in price and availability of the commodity elsewhere. “We call on the state government to strengthen the petroleum task force to be more reliable, effective and responsive so as to monitor, ensure

ganising a mother-of-all occupy protest, so we have also concluded plans to counter with the father-of-all occupy protest. We will match any protest by pro-corruption groups, street-for-street and city-for-city."

and compel marketers to seek petrol at official price.” Saulawa said it is necessary for the government to take action against the marketers so as to make life easier for people of the state. He said as labour leaders, it was necessary to set up agenda for the government to address problem facing the state. The chairman however called on the state government to always cross-check

information filtering from political and critic sources before taking decisions. He said this was necessary as there were politicians and bureaucrats that may have contributed in one way or the other to the problem of the past. “We wish to advise you to observe and take note of such self-serving individuals and encourage your lieutenants to tell the truth and advice towards good industrial

-Nigeria and Westminster Africa Business Group, WABG, at the House of Parliament in the United Kingdom, the governor said although there were isolated cases of crime, they were no threat to foreign investors. Areas of investment, according to him, are agriculture, infrastructure, mining, tourism, vocational training, water resources as well as education. “Niger is the safest state in Nigeria. We pay adequate attention to security in the state. Despite the size of our state, we have been able to maintain law and order. There are isolated cases of crime, but such cases are no threat to foreign investors. We are also very hospitable people. “If you decide to have a look at any investment module in Nigeria, Niger State is ready for such opportunity. We have taken steps to make the state attractive to investors and willing to partner with the international community." He also explained that to make government more efficient, his administration had to reduce the size of government through the reduction of number of ministries from 24 to 13; permanent secretaries from 56 to 30. Bello noted: “All these steps were taken to change the ways business is done in government by reducing bureaucracy and making it more transparent and effective.

harmony that would lead to peaceful atmosphere for development.” Responding, Governor Aminu Bello Masari expressed his administration’s readiness to work with labour leaders to achieve for a vibrant civil service. Masari however called on the NLC to complement his government’s efforts for excellent service delivery in public schools and health institutions.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, February 8, 2016

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Lawal Afis Abodunrin now wish to be known and addressed as Lawal Afeez Abodunrin All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

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his is to notify the general public of loss of document original allocation paper issued to me by the Federal of works and Housing in respect of Land at Federal Low cost Estate Mini Commercial plot side D, Enugu. No 8A belonging to MRS V.N MADICHIE. If found contact MRS V.N MADICHIE of C29 federal Housing Transekulu Enugu

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CORRECTION OF NAME/DATE OF BIRTH:

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

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PUBLIC NOTICE

INITIATIVE FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS & PROMOTION OF EDUCATION OF THE LESS PRIVILEGED This is to inform the general public that the above named Organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1 Mr. Madalla Ishaya 3. Mr. Joel Bitrus 5. Mr. Ishaya Madalla 7. Mr. Silas Vibani 9. Mr. Bukata Zakka Arewa 10. Mr. Dantala Wayan

2. Mr. Enoch Habila 4. Mr. Dadi Ishaya Arewa 6. Mr. Malle Gonda Ibrahim 8. Mr. Dinnigwa Samuel

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To help the youth and the less privileged to have access to quality education and medical assistance 2. To render unselfish services to build a better community Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication. SIGNED: Secretary

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PUBLIC NOTICE THE ELECTS’ WORLD HARVEST MISSION

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PUBLIC NOTICE

EXCELLENT MEN OF LIGHT ASSOCIATION

This is to notify the general public that the above named Organization has applied for Registration, with the Corporate Affairs Commission under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990

This is to inform the general public that the above named Organization has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990.

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1.Rev. Oluokun Oluwafemi Abiola 2. Pastor. Salako Abiodun Adewumi 3. Mrs.Oluokun Taiwo Olanike 4. Mr. Olu-Flourish Olaleye Eyitayo 5. Arc. Adenuga Oluyemi Olubunmi 6. Pastor. Ajibola John Olugbemi

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Adetunji Akinlolu Steven 3. Joseph Afolabi Saka 5. Olarinde Sunday Oluwale 7. Akinbobola Stephen 9. Engr. Kunle Owofade

- Chairman - Vice Chairman - Secretary - Treasurer - Welfare - P.R.O

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1.To make ready a people prepared for Lord by connecting the lost souls to Christ and discipling them by all means. Nurturing and establishing the saints in Christ and all issues of life, recruiting and equipping mature Christians for kingdom services and rekindling Global revival fire in churches/communities as well as advancing His Mission to the nations of the world Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within twenty-eight (28) days of this publication SIGNED: OLUOKUN OLUWAFEMI ABIOLA . CHAIRMAN

2. Adebo Adeniyi John 4. Oluodo Friday Ogunla 6. Oyeniran Benjamin Sunday 8. Olaniran Adedire 10. Sunday Ajolore

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To come together and assist members of the association financially. 2. To develop every member morally and intellectually 3. To render assistance to the less privilege people in the society Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar-General Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, within twentyeight (28) days of this publication. SIGNED: Secretary

Monday, February 8, 2016

Kemi Olaitan Ibadan

ragedy struck yesterday at Sepo end of the LagosIbadan Expressway as 17 people were feared dead in an auto crash involving a J5 and an articulated lorry. CHANGE OF NAME Oladiran Yemisi Elizabeth now wish to be called and known as Mrs Adejuwon Yemisi Elizabeth. All former documents remain valid, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Osun State Polytechnic Iree and general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as JOMBABI ADENIKE MARIAM now wish to be known and addressed as TAIWO ADENIKE MARIAM. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

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FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYENIYI OLUWATOYIN ATINUKE NOW WISH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OYEWALE OLUWATOYIN ATINUKE. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID. NYSC AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC SHOULD TAKE NOTE.

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17 die in Ibadan auto crash It was learnt that 70 others sustained various degrees of injuries and are currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. While confirming the incident, Oyo State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commissionm FRSC, Mr. Yusuf Salami, said

the accident was due to over speeding and impatience on the part of both drivers. According to him, the two Lagos bound vehicles were both struggling for right of way when they lost control. He added that the auto crash, which occurred close to Dominion University Sepo, involved a Peugeot J5 with plate

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Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ogundare Dunsin Temitope now wish to be called and known as Mrs Oladeji Dunsin Temitope. All former documents remain valid, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTB)and general public should please take note.

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HABIBAT: FORMERLY known and addressed as ENEMADUKWU ELIZABETH NOW wish to be known and addressed as NDAKO HABIBAT. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

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YAHAHA: FORMERLY known and addressed as YAHAYA ENDURANIE NOW wish to be known and addressed as YAHAYA ENDURANCE . All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

E ‎ UNICE: Formerly known and addressed as MISS ANIOBI EUNICE STEPHANIE NOW wish to be known and addressed as MRS ANYAKORAH EUNICE STEPHANIE. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and General public should please take note

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SUNDAY: Formerly known and addressed as SUNDAY JOSEPH OYINBO NOW wish to be known and addressed as BELLO VINCENT. D. All former documents remain valid. GTBANK PLC and General public should please take note.

ADAH: Formerly known and addressed as GABRIEL ECHE ADAH NOW wish to be known and addressed as ECHE FRANCIS ADAH. All former documents remain valid. FCMB BANK/ B/W. PLC and General public should please take note

Formerly known and addressed as miss Oladeinde Temitope Lydia now which to be known and addressed as Mrs Akinnagbe Temitope Lydia all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formally known as Ademola Abosede Adebimpe now wishes to be addressed as Adejuwon Abosede Adebimpe. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as miss Ogunpitan Abolanle Oluwafunso now which to be known and addressed as Mrs Williams Abolanle Oluwafunso all former documents remain valid UBA,FCMB, and general public take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Tijani Abiodun Olarewaju now wishes to be known & addressed as Tijani Olarewaju Abideen. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as OLAWEPO AYOBOLA TEMITOPE, now wish to be known and addressed as OMOTAYO TEMITOPE VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as CLEMENT KENNETH CHUWUJEKWU, now wish to be known and addressed as NKWOCHA KENNETH CHUKWUJEKWU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

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I firnerly AKPABIO BISOLA DEBORAH now wish to be known and addressed as MAJIYAGBE BISOLA DEBORAH. All former documents remain valid. General public to please note.

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OGUNGBEJE: Formerly known and addressed as MISS OGUNGBEJE IREWOLEDE REBECCA now wish to be known and addressed as MRS APEYIOMO IREWOLEDE REBECCA All former documents remain valid. General public take note

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I, Salimon Kamarudeen Adebayo, the name I used to open an account with Wema Bank, declared that I am also the one bearing Ayeloja Olawale Taliat as appeared on my account with Skye bank. All documents bearing the two names remain valid. Managements of the two banks and general public should take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as miss Ayanlaja Bolajoko Muibat now which to be known and addressed as Mrs Daniel Bolajoko Muibat all former documents remain valid NYSC and general public take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Paulina Alhobekun Osas now which to be known and addressed as Peculiar Ivie Joseph all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Ajuwa Miyenbaikebi Josephine, now wish to be known and addressed as kuku Miyenbaikebi Josephine. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Toriola Damilola sunday, now wish to be known and addressed as Toriola Damilola Oluwaseun. All former documents remain valid. WAEC, Osun State Polytechic General public please take note.

Formally known as Suarau Azeez Akanfe now wishes to be addressed as Suarau Azeez Oyedemi. All former documents remain valid. Management of First Bank plc and general public should take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as OLAWEPO AYOBOLA TEMITOPE, now wish to be known and addressed as OMOTAYO TEMITOPE VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

I hereby inform the general public that my name was wrongly written as HABIBU MOHAMMED TALL, instead of my correct name HABEEB MUHAMMED TALL. All former documents bearing my names remain valid. General public take note.

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I, formerly known and addressed as LAWRENCE NKECHINYEREUGO, now wish to be known, called and addressed as OMEJE MAUREEN NKECHINYEREUGO. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

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DORATHY: Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Dorathy Ifeoma Ihejirika now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Dorathy Ijeoma Monday All former documents remain valid. General public take note

number XS 626 LSV and a DAF articulated vehicle with plate number AA 902 MML. He said: “There were 96 people involved with 17 confirmed dead. It is obvious that both driv-

ers were over speeding and suddenly lost control of the vehicles. “The Peugeot bus was loaded with passengers and goods but the casualty figure rose because the other vehicle was

CHANGE OF NAME I, formerly known and addressed as Miss CHINWE JOY OKWUOSA now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs CHINWE JOY ONU. All former documents remain valid, general public should please take note

Formerly known and addressed as DALLAS SILAS IKENWOSU , now wish to be known and addressed as PRINCE MADUAKOLAM NWOSU. All former documents remain valid, general public should take note.

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ASIYA: FORMERLY known and addressed as MISS ASIYA MUHAMMAD KABIR NOW wish to be known and addressed as MRS ASIYA LUQMAN ABDULRAZAQ . All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

1 BY 2 ADVERT SPACE FOR SALE BASSEY: I Formerly known and addressed as BADDEY ROSELIN ABENG, now wish to be known and address as BASSEY EDIM ABENG. All former documents remain valid. & General public to take note.

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CORRECTION OF NAME SAGAY: I was wrongly addressed as SAGAY OMATSEY JAMES, instead of SAGAY JAMES. All former documents remain valid. & General public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Godwin Ukpe Juliana now which to be known and addressed as Godwin Juliana Achemaje all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Saka Olayinka Rasaq now which to be known and addressed as Saka Olayinka Joshua all former documents remain valid first bank and general public take note

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

Raifu Taliatu Omilana is same person as T.R Olaiya, Raifu Olaiya, Raifu Taliatu Olaiya henceforth which to be known and addressed as Raifu Taliatu Omilana all former documents remain valid banks and general public take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Miss Celestina Aishatu Eshiemomoh, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Celestina Aishatu Apealeokha. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME Formerly Mr. Ogunmolaji Olayinka now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Oluwamolaji Olayinka. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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IWUOZOR: Formerly known and addressed as Iwuozor Sonia Echezonachi now wish to be known and addressed as Nwaoha Sonia Echezonachi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

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Formerly known and addressed as IFEOMA CELESTINA EBEAGU, now wish to be known and addressed as . CELESTINA IFEOMA OGBOZOR. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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BEATRICE : FORMERLY known and addressed as MISS BEATRICE RWUAAN NOW wish to be known and addressed as MRS BEATRICE WAZIRI. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and General public should please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as MISS BALOGUN MORIDIAT MOSUNMOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS BANKOLE MORIDIAT MOSUNMOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

Formerly MISS VERONICA OPEYEMI AYANDEJI now wish to be called and addressed as MRS VERONICA OPEYEMI AKINOLA. All former documents remain valid. NYSC and general public take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Miss ADEJUMOKE OLUBUNMI OLAIYA.OF 16 Olaiya Str. Surulere Alagbado, now wishes to be known & addressed as Mrs. ADEJUMOKE OLUBUNMI SHABA, OF 30 church RD AGBELkale ABULE EGBA LAGOS. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Akeem Ahmed Abdulkareem, now wish to be known and addressed as Akeem Anthonio. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

travelling to Lagos with many illegal passengers.” Salami stated that corpses of the dead have been deposited at the Adeoyo State Hospital mortuary. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss ADEYEMO ABIMBOLA LYDIA now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs.OLADEJI ABIMBOLA LYDIA. All former documents remain valid, NYSC, Embassies, all authorities concerned and the general public take note

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ERUEMULOR: FORMERLY known and addressed as APOSTLE IFY ERUEMULOR NOW wish to be known and addressed as IFEANYI ERUEMULOR. All former documents remain valid. ZENITH BANK and General public should please take note.

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Formally known as Eyebiokin Comfort Oluwafunmilayo now wishes to be addressed as Ojo Comfort Oluwafunmilayo. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as miss Sanni Mosidat iyabo now which to be known and addressed as Mrs Ayibiowu Mosidat Iyabo all former documents remain valid Lagos State local Government Service commission and general public take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Disu Silifat Abimbola, now wishes to be known & addressed as Jones silifat Abimbola. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as Miss. OLANIPEKUN RACHEAL OMOLOLA now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. OGUNSIPE RACHEAL OMOLOLA All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

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Formerly known and addressed as Miss Ibrahim Rukayat Folorunsho, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Aderinto Rukayat Folorunsho. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as OKAFOR EMMANUEL MUCHINOS, now wish to be known and addressed as OKAFOR MUNACHIMSO EMMANUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

Formerly known and addressed as ABISOLA OYENIYI, now wish to be known and addressed as BISOLA KOMOLAFE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

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CONFIRMATION OF NAME

Formerly Mrs. Ogunmolaji Fadeke now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oluwamolaji Fadeke M. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

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This is to confirm that Olufemi Zion Oluwajomiloju and Eludini Olufemi Zion Oluwajomiloju is the same person. Eludini is the family name. All former documents remain valid. General public should please note.

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SHEU: Formerly known and addressed as SHEU AHMOD SULAIMON now wish to be known and addressed as SHEU AHMOD ARIKEWUSOLA All former documents remain valid. General public take note

ANGELA: Formerly known and addressed as Angela Adikwu now wish to be known and addressed as Edekwu Godwin Angela. All former documents remain valid. General public take note

TAIWO: Formerly known and addressed as TAIWO OMOLABAKE MOTUNRAYO now wish to be known and addressed as OLOWONJOYIN OMOLABAKE MOTUNRAYO All former documents remain valid. General public take note

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CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known as Elechi Eyiuuche Alex now wish to be known and addressed as Elechi Alex. All former documents remain valid. General public to please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Rebeca Omahie Comfort, now wish to be known and addressed as Comfort Agada Eleojo. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

YAQUB: Formerly known and addressed as YAQUB ADEIZA NASIRUDEEN now wish to be known and addressed as YAKUBU MUHAMMED NASIRU All former documents remain valid. General public take note

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, February 8, 2016

Sport

Arsenal go third with win at Bournemouth

I like to play with my family, friends and fans. But I also like to coach football and I can combine all and still do well.

-Former Chelsea coach, Jose Mourinho

Ezeji finally retires from football

CHAN fallout

Oliseh spits fire, says critics are insane

Paul Erewuba

mbattled Super Eagles Chief Coach, Sunday Ogochukwu Oliseh, has declared that he won’t just sit down and allow some people to condemn him because his team crashed out early at the Rwanda 2016 African Nations Championship (CHAN), describing his critics as insane. Nigerians expected the homebased Eagles, who were seen as pre-tournament favourites, to surpass the bronze medal outing of the last CHAN held in South Africa under Stephen Keshi. They believed the Eagles had what it takes to even win the competition with the way they played their first group match against Niger at the Rwanda 2016. But they were so surprised that the team, which beat Niger in

their first match, struggled to play a 1-1 draw against Tunisia and eventually crashed out when they were defeated by Guinea by 1-0 in their last group match. After the CHAN disgraceful outing, some Nigerians questioned the technical capabilities of Oliseh to lead the Super Eagles. Some called for his immediate sack. Speaking in a Radio sports programme monitored in Lagos yesterday, Oliseh called his critics ‘insane’. He turned around to question the rationale behind the call from some quarters for his sack. He said coaching a team and losing just two in 14 games is by no standard a disaster and also played down the importance of CHAN. “I am addressing this insanity that has befallen some of our crit-

ics, and I call it insanity because you must be insane to start seeking a plebiscite on the future of the national team’s coach of Nigeria because we lost CHAN. “With all due respect, CHAN is probably the least important tournament that is held by CAF and it is a tournament that weighs more on the strength of the leagues against one another; you can see how far Congo have gone and how TP Mazembe did in the African Champions League. “What then should be done to the Coaches of Ghana, South Africa and Egypt who did not even qualify to this tournament,” Oliseh rhetorically asked his critics. To those who care to listen, the 41-year-old insists the current Eagles coaching crew have done well, keeping the team in contention for the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Na-

tions and 2018 World Cup. “A contract is made out; We signed a contract; myself and the NFF. If you’re not happy about it, we’ll come and we’ll shake hands. “But I’ll like to remind you that this is the 14th game I have been in charge of the Super Eagles and we’ve lost only two; and only one official game. “We’re still on track to qualify for the Nations Cup. We have qualified into the group stage for the World Cup, so where is this failure that some of our critics are trying to sell to Nigerians? “Unless you mean that for Coach Sunday Oliseh and his crew to be successful they must win every match, Jesus Christ! even the world Champions Germany are not doing that – let alone we that are a brand new team that we’ve just started building just for some months now,” he said.

ormer Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) highest goalscorer, Victor Ezeji, has retired from professional football after achieving a record 20 seasons. Ezeji emerged not only as a distinguished professional, but also the most decorated domestic player with laurels in his trophy cabinet from the league and Cup competitions. In 2003, he also won the Caf Champions League with Enyimba. After announcing his retirement last year, Ezeji was forced to make a volte-face by the League Management Company (LMC) who allowed him sign on a short-term contract with Heartland exploring the elite players’ scheme in the topflight rule. Interestingly, he scored a goal against one of his former teams, Dolphins. “The time has come for me to finally hang my boots,” Ezeji said. The former Nigerian international, who graduated from University of Port Harcourt with a degree in Accountancy, is one of the few footballers who successfully combined education with professional football. Ezeji is also the only Nigerian to win the 2007 Nigerian Cup top scorer and Most Valuable Player awards, a feat he achieved when it was called the Coca-Cola FA Cup. In 2008, he left for Tunisia, where he spent a season with Club Africain and returned to the country to continue his career a year later. “Ezeji’s achievements are rare in the modern era. On Wednesday, he will address the media, in Lagos, on his retirement. In recognition of his achievements, Nigeria’s foremost league awards, the League Bloggers Awards (LBA) named him brand ambassador, in 2013. Ezeji played for top sides like Eagle Cement (now Dolphins), Sharks, Enyimba, Sunshine Stars and Heartland.

Sports

Monday, February 8, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mourinho sends best wishes to Morais

ose Mourinho has sent a goodwill message to former Chelsea assistant Jose Morais who is hoping to resume his career as manager of Turkish club Antalyaspor after suffering a brain haemorrhage. Morais, 50, has spent a week in hospital after suffering minor bleeding on the brain and major headaches and neck pain but is due to be discharged tomorrow. He and Mourinho have a particularly close relationship with Morais working for his Portuguese compatriot at Inter Milan and Real Madrid before becoming assistant-coach at Stamford Bridge. Morais’ agent Ian Anderson said: ‘Jose is feeling well again after the scare. He’s under great care at a Antalya hospital but can’t wait to get back to work this week.’ Morais also has managerial experience in Saudi Arabia and made headlines in October when he was involved in a touchline row with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp during Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal’s Mesuit Ozil beats Bournemouth’s player during their match at the weekend

Arsenal go third with win at Bournemouth

rsenal scored twice in 88 first-half seconds to overwhelm Bournemouth and move level on points with second-placed Totten-

ham. Mesut Ozil lashed the ball home from 12 yards for the Gunners’ opener, before Alex OxladeChamberlain drifted in from the right and scored with a low shot. Despite chasing the game in the second half, it took until stoppage time for Bournemouth to test Petr Cech, when the Arsenal keeper made a fine double save to deny Steve Cook and Harry Arter from low shots. Until then, it had been a succession of wayward pops at goal and intricate, but not incisive, approach play. Bournemouth should be applauded for their desire to pass the ball, create space and use the flanks but they lacked any presence up front. Lone striker Benik Afobe, who was signed from Wolves for a fee of about £10m, had scored in his

last three games for the Cherries but failed to register a single effort on goal against his former club, before he was substituted after 76 minutes. For Arsenal, who had not won in the league since 3 January, the relief was clear. They controlled the game with early possession before catching Bournemouth with a pair of swift strikes which rendered the contest a foregone conclusion. Ozil set the Gunners on their way with a powerful shot after Olivier Giroud had headed Aaron Ramsey’s long pass into the German’s feet. And Arsene Wenger’s pre-match assertion that Oxlade-Chamberlain was in form and would offer good balance on the right proved prophetic when the winger came inside and his low shot went in via the far post. Again, Ramsey had a hand in the goal - the Welshman pulling the strings for the Gunners and giving Bournemouth a lesson in turning some eye-catching moves into ruthless attacks.

Morais

Liverpool fans protest over hike in ticket price

iverpool fans’ group has warned of further demonstrations in the matches against Manchester City and Chelsea following Saturday’s mass Anfield walkout over ticket prices, saying the walk-out against Sunderland was just “the start”. Several thousand fans left their seats in the 77th minute of Liverpool’s Barclays Premier League clash against Sunderland in protest against the club’s new pricing structure, which includes a £77 matchday ticket. Liverpool were leading 2-0 ahead of the walk-out before late goals from Adam Johnson and Jermain Defoe secured a draw for the Black Cats. Reds midfielder Jordan Henderson told the BBC’s Match of the Day programme that he and his team-mates could not use the protest as an excuse for letting the lead slip, and a spokesperson for Spirit of Shankly - the fans’ group which helped to co-ordinate the demonstration - has no regret over its actions and vowed to stage further protests. “We are happy with yesterday’s demonstration and we are pleased with the number of supporters who took part,” Jay McKenna told Press Association Sport. “The moment which preceded the walkout also showed the strength of feeling, with the very loud, audible chants aimed at the directors’ box. “But the protest was aimed just as much at the owners because the decision of the prices is one made by Fenway Sports Group and the ownership of the club. “It is a good indication that supporters are very angry at prices and this will just be the start of taking more action.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Monday, February 8, 2016

d’Ivoire beat Guinea Aftermath of CHAN: Loscuito Cote to claim CHAN bronze vows to improve home Eagles C ote d’Ivoire defeated Guinea 2-1 yesterday to claim third spot in the African Nations Championship in Rwanda. Guinea had the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot in the early part of the game, after Abdul Cisse in goal for Cote d’Ivoire brought down a Guinea attacker in the 18yard box. In the 32nd minute, Cote d’Ivoire took the lead fol-

lowing an own-goal by Koffi Davy Bouah. Two minutes later, Gbagnon Badie doubled Cote d’ivoire’s lead to make it 2-0. In the 63rd minute, Guinea were awarded another penalty and again Cisse parried it away. In the 86th minute, Alseny Camara finally got Guinea on the score sheet after heading in a freekick.

CHAN Eagles Ivorian players celebrating

uper Eagles assistant coach JeanFrancois Loscuito has assured Nigerians of a better home-based Super Eagles team whose experience at the 2016 African Nations Championship will only serve to improve the team. Prior to the championship in Rwanda, Nigeria were one of the favourites for the title but crashed out in the group stages after a win, a draw and a defeat against Niger, Tunisia and Guinea respectively. Loscuito however considers the misadventure in Rwanda as a wake-up call and opines that the target of the team is to win the next edition in Kenya. “I think we are all very sad about our elimination but you should know that the players were very tired psychologically,” the Belgian told said. “I will not dwell too much on this issue but when you see our preparations before this year’s African Nations Championship and our first two games at CHAN we can all say that we had a very

high level. “I think our league is very good because when you compete against Tunisia who arguably have the best league in Africa you appreciate the qual-

ity of players in the Nigerian league. Going forward, our objective is to have a great team capable of winning the next edition. This is our promise to Nigerians.”

Loscuito then pleaded with the League Management Company to put structures in place that will improve the standard of the Nigerian league.

Nasarawa ready for CAF test

asarawa United coach Kabir Dogo has declared his team’s readiness for the CAF Confederations Cup preliminary round clash against Generation Foot of Senegal. Nasarawa will battle Generation for a spot in

the group stages at the Abuja National Stadium on Sunday (14 February). Dogo believes his charges are well prepared for next week’s first-leg encounter after competing and finishing third in the NPFL Super 4 tournament.

Nasarawa United players

“Everybody is ready for the task to go out there to get decent result against Generation Foot of Senegal,” Dogo told SuperSport. “We want to beat the Senegalese side convincingly to make the second leg over there in Dakar an easy one. “We understand that Generation Foot are good side, we, too are equally not bad side so they will surely meet their equals on Sunday. “We will beat them and beat them very well that’s our message to Nigerians to start the campaign on winning note. “We are satisfied with what we achieved in the tournament at least it showed us the area to further improve upon before we head off to the continent.”

Ajax withdraw from CAF Confederations Cup

jax Cape Town of South Africa have confirmed that they will not partake in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup, citing safety reasons. The Urban Warriors were scheduled to face Angolan side Sagrada Esperanca in the preliminary round of the competition in Dundo on February 13. The MTN8 champions released the following statement which read: “Ajax Cape Town has regrettably been forced to withdraw from participation in this year’s CAF Confederation Cup. “We have been unable to secure the safety of our players for a trip to Angola despite multiple efforts to get all arrangements in place. “We are bitterly disappointed that our players, who were looking forward to representing their country in continental competition, are now denied the opportunity of a lifetime but we are forced to put their welfare ahead of their dreams. “Ajax Cape Town has been attempting for weeks to seek clarity from the Angolan Football Federation as regards the internal

travel arrangements for the match against Sagrada Esperanca in Dundo on Saturday, February 13. “It is the responsibility of Angola to ensure internal travel but they have been unwilling, despite our numerous requests by email and fax, to give us details of our internal flights. We have been in almost daily contact, left to plead for information but have been kept in the dark. “Our own investigations reveal that there are problems with the airport in Dundo, where the match is scheduled to take place. It is currently closed due to construction upgrades. The nearest alternative airport is Lucapa. However, the landing strip consists only of gravel which means that only certain types of aircrafts are able to land there. “It is not possible to travel to Dundo by bus from Luanda, where we are due to arrive from Cape Town. It is a road trip of 1200km and takes 18 hours. “Confederation of African Football competition rules state no bus trip may exceed 200km to and from the venue where the match is to take place.

WORLD RECORD

Highest fall survived without parachute Vol. 05 No. 12102 Monday, February 8, 2016

N150

Vesna Vulovic (Yugoslavia) was 23 working as a Jugoslavenski Aerotransport hostess when she survived a fall from 10,160 m (33,333 ft) over Srbsk, Kamenice, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic), on 26 January 1972

Bitchy economy, groaning Nigerians

he apex Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, rising from its monthly meeting held in Akure, the Ondo State capital, last January, had this to tell Aso Rock: “The naira is collapsing. Every sector is going down. Investors are leaving our country. This should attract the attention of the government because ultimately, our experience has shown that anticorruption war takes a long time to win.” The contextual meaning of the seemingly exhortatory position of Afenifere on the state of the nation is that President Muhammadu Buhari should take a wider scope of governance by looking beyond his declared anti-corruption fight and pay attention also to other state matters, particularly the nation’s increasingly bitchy economy. Viewed with a purely confrontationist prism, the Afenifere statement might pass

HeartBeat Callistus Oke

Callistusoke@nationalmirroronline.net 08054103275 (SMS ONLY) anthonykila@mail.com as hurtful darts from an enemy. Pardon my bad verse, but we Nigerians hold grudges for long, especially political ones. I do know that Afenifere overtly campaigned for Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition. What I do not know is if the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) still regards it as an implacable enemy. However, politics aside, methinks Afenifere’s admonition has some altruistic value. The British statesman, Sir Winston Churchill, it was who once said that “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things”. Discerning Nigerians know that our economy has gone crazy, and that it might go crazier in the months ahead, when the effects of Federal Government’s new fiscal policies begin to manifest. The free falling Naira is already having its toll on consumer price index (CPI). Before Afenifere, some individuals and groups had drawn attention to Nigeria’s burgeoning economic crisis. As a consumer and a father with many mouths to feed, I do know that the prices of various goods and services have gone up. For example, all the various brands and sizes of bread in my locality have reacted to the ungodly naira-dollar exchange rate. I should know because bread with tea is my favourite breakfast. And as a caring parent and guardians bread is also the most handy to placate grandchildren and wards

I AM PERSUADED TO BELIEVE THAT OUR PROBLEM SURPASSES HUMAN UNDERSTANDING showing signs of hunger. I also know that for bachelors and spinsters too tired to put together a dinner after the day’s toil and weary from the strains of gridlock, bread and a Coke, or bread and akara or beans bought from mama put in the neighbourhood, is the preferred choice for dinner. Bread apart, the various brands of noodles have experienced price increase. Similarly affected are fast moving imported consumables. Many Lagosians have various tales of woes to tell of their experiences in the hands of traders. Forward looking Nigerians, who write foreign professional examinations, have cried out over increase in registration fees. My folks in the rural areas daily inundate me with the runaway prices of goods and services. I do not see any respite in sight, at least for now. Reason is that Nigerians will have to contend with the N50 charge on banking instrument transactions from N1, 000 and above as recently directed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in its drive to boost the nation’s non-oil revenue. Moreover, the recent electricity tariff increase ordered by Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commis-

sion (NERC) effective February 1, 2016 will have implications for general price level of goods and services in the country. Many have asked me if the nation’s prevailing economic woes could not be fought ideologically. Put differently, I have been asked if Buhari et al are not politico-economically correct enough to know that the salvation of the country does not depend on any economic recipe from the Bretton Woods Institutions. My brash answer has always been that President Buhari is not strategically positioned and politically strengthened to take on the West, especially at a time America is the sole superpower in our unipolar world. I doubt if our septuagenarian President has the stamina to play the late Hugo Chavez and Muammar Gaddafi game with the West. Even the multifarious challenges facing the country leave him with few viable options. Assuming Buhari is ready to grandstand, does he have a united nation lined up behind him? Currently, the price of our Bonny Light crude oil has slumped to $32.89 per barrel at the last count. For a nation where oil accounts for 70 percent of government revenues and 95 percent of export earnings, the implications for hard decision making are obvious. The Federal Government deficit this fiscal year is projected at about 3.5 percent of GDP. What this means is that the naira will be under immense pressure, which is why the CBN has fixed an exchange rate of N197-199 to the dollar. Even at that there is not enough dollars to go round. You must have heard Buhari is shopping for over $3.5 billion external loan. This demands he has to be Westcompliant. Our economic outlook is very depressing. Many have called for divine intervention. My Marxist friends will snide at such mechanistic approach. But I am persuaded to believe that our problem surpasses human understanding. Why not turn to God for solution? Manna from heaven is still possible.

Sport Extra

DR Congo are two-time CHAN Champions, thrash Mali 3-0 in final

emocratic Republic emerged champions of the African Nations Championship after thrashing Mali 3-0 in Sunday’s final. T he g ame which

was played inside the Amahoro stadium, saw DRC take the lead in the 29th minute through Elia Meschak. In the 62nd minute,

Meschak g rabbed his second goal to make it 2-0 for DRC. And in the 73rd minute, Jonathan Bolingi secured the win for DRC when he netted

the third goal. The victory sees DRC become the first country to win the competition two times, after winning the maiden edition in

2009. Meanwhile, in the third place match that preceded the final, Cote d’Ivoire beat Guinea 2-1, to claim bronze. DR Congo players celebrating Emenike

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