March 14, 2016 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

National Assembly budget to be published next week –Saraki

S Saraki

Vol. 6 N0. 1325

enate President, Bukola Saraki, said yesterday that budget breakdown of the National Assembly would be published next week.

This was contained in a statement signed by Mohammed Isa, Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Saraki, and made available to newsmen in Abuja.

The statement said Saraki made the disclosure while speaking with a team of editors of the London-based newspaper, The Economist.

Gani Adams dragged before EFCC over financial malpractice P.8

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FG declares war on fuel, power saboteurs •Their action constitutes danger to nation’s economy –Lai Mohammed UDEME AKPAN

ederal Government yesterday promised decisive action against saboteurs responsible for the ongoing fuel scarcity and drop in power generation. Government had said pipeline vandalism and sabotage of power infrastructure had drastically reduced power genCONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari (m); wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo (fourth right) with wives of some Heads of Mission in Nigeria at a cocktail organised in their honour by Mrs Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday.

Rivers poll: IGP deploys 3 police chiefs, 6,000 cops P.11

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FG declares war on fuel, power saboteurs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

eration/transmission as well as fuel supplies in recent times, thus inflicting untold hardship on Nigerians. It warned of dire consequences for those involved in the sabotage. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who issued the threat yesterday, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Segun Adeyemi, warned that the Federal Government would deal ruthlessly with those engaged in pipeline vandalism and the sabotage of power infrastructure in the country. Mohammed said repeated attacks on oil and gas pipelines and the willful shut down of power facilities by protesters amounted to economic sabotage, which no government would tolerate. “Vandals, whatever their motives are, cannot and will not be treated with kid gloves because their actions constitute a clear and present danger to the nation’s economic, social and political wellbeing. “The attack on the Forcados Export Terminal that has affected gas production by oil firms and reduced gas supply to power generating plants and the shutdown of Utorogu gas plant are totally condemnable and cannot be allowed to continue,” he said. The minister said the administration would not do anything to abridge the constitutional rights of any individual or group to carry out protests. He however warned that the administration would not tolerate a situation where people hide under the guise of legitimate protests to sabotage power infrastructure. “The shutdown of the national transmission facility in Osogbo and the Ikeja Disco by some unionists amount to economic sabotage,” he added.

Mohammed said government was not unaware that as it steps up the fight against corruption, corruption would vigorously fight back in many forms which include destruction/sabotage of key national infrastructure to make the government look bad. “However, nothing will make this government to slow down in its anti-corruption fight and no one who is corrupt will be spared,” he warned. He appealed to Nigerians to join hands with the government to check the activities of unpatriotic elements working against the interest of the people. “When oil and gas facilities are vandalised, the impact is felt directly by Nigerians; when power infrastructure is sabotaged for whatever reasons, Nigerians bear the brunt. “While those actions may be aimed at discrediting the government, those who pay the price are the vast majority of innocent, law-abiding and well-meaning Nigerians, not just the vandals or the saboteurs,’ he added. The minister, however, noted that the power situation was gradually improving as generation had now increased to around 4,000 megawatts. He said the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, had assured that the prevailing fuel queues would gradually ease in the next few days. Meanwhile, lack of adequate functional facilities in the downstream sector has emerged as fresh fact for the prolonged fuel scarcity in the nation. Investigations showed that many depots and pipelines were not in operational condition required to move fuel from one part of the nation to another. For instance, it was gathered that the poor state of the depots, including Mosimi and

L-R: Son of the late Olorogun Felix Ibru, Dr. Paul Ibru; former Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi; Mr. Dele Adetiba and Mr. Omamemo Ibru, during a condolence visit to the Ibrus at GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, yesterday. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

Ibadan has affected the distribution of fuel in the south west. It was learnt that increased pipeline vandalism in the south west has also crippled distribution of fuel from the depots to other locations. This has compelled operators to over-depend on the use of tankers in moving products from one place to another. A tanker driver, who

preferred not to be named, said it takes longer time and energy to lift from the depots to retail outlets. Consequently, a survey showed that many stations; including Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, mega stations did not have the product over the weekend. Long queues still persist in many outlets visited in Lagos and its en-

virons. Black market operators have also made a return to the scene as they were seen hawking the product in ‘jerry cans’ at exorbitant prices. The price of five litres of fuel went up from N1,000 to between N1,500 and N2,000, depending on location. NNPC has at various times disclosed that it has made available commercial fuel for domes-

tic consumption. But National President, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Salimon Akanni Oladiti, accused the Corporation of being behind the current scarcity in some parts of the country. He accused NNPC of not importing enough products into the country.

National Assembly budget to be published next week –Saraki CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Saraki, who is the Chairman of the National Assembly, said publication of the details of the budget was in line with the anti-corruption stance of the 8th National Assembly. He pledged that the legislature would not cover any form of corruption. Saraki also said the budget of the Senate which had never been made public before would be published in line with the anti-corruption stance of the Federal Government. “For the first time we promised Nigerians that the Senate will disclose

its budget breakdown, the committee will make its report available by next week. “We are resolved to break the tradition of one line item,” he said. Saraki said the Senate would partner with President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure the success of the anti-corruption war. He said the red chamber had already demonstrated its commitment to anti-corruption through its unravelling of transaction fraud such as the management of the Treasury Single Account, TSA. He said the investigation the senate conducted on TSA saved the country

over N7bn, stressing that the 8th Senate would not hinder or water down any allegation of corruption. On the economy, Saraki said the Senate was doing all within its power to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive. “It is only when the private sector thrives that the issue of unemployment will be addressed and the nation’s GDP will increase. “Few days ago, we received a report on the laws that need to be amended in order of priority importance to ease doing business and private sector participation in the stimulation of Nigeria’s economy.

“We will soon commence the implementation of the recommendations in the report in addition to pushing for the amendment of the Procurement Act to protect our local industries,” he assured. He allayed fears that the low prices of oil would have negative impact on the implementation of the 2016 budget. He said: “What we need to do is to block leakages and show more transparency. “Without blocking leakages even if oil was sold at more than $100 per barrel, Nigeria will still continue to witness decline in revenue inflow.”

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Monday, March 14, 2016

Good Health

Discovered! Treatment that destroys breast cancer within 11 days … could save 27,000 breast cancer patients in Nigeria

Franka Osakwe

inally, there may be respite for over 27,000 Nigerians diagnosed with breast cancer annually. Scientists have discovered a new combination drug treatment that can destroy breast cancer tumours in 11 days. Those treated would be spared the agony of surgery and chemotherapy, the researchers assured. However, for now, the treatment applies to only those with HER2positive breast cancer, a particularly rapidly aggressive form of the disease, with high occurrence in Nigeria. Presenting their findings at the European Breast Cancer Conference in Amsterdam, the researchers described how combining the drugs Tykerb and Herceptin and giving them to newly-diagnosed sufferers, was able to make the tumours shrink significantly and disappeared. Professor Nigel Bundred, from the University of Manchester, Professor Arnie Purushotham, senior who presented the data, said: “This has clinical adviser at Cancer Research UK, ground breaking potential because it alwhich funded the study, said: “These relows us to identify a group of patients sults are very promising if they stand up who, within 11 days, have had their tuin the long run and could be the starting mours disappeared with anti-HER2 therstep of finding a new way to treat HER2 apy alone and who potentially may not positive breast cancers. require subsequent chemotherapy. This “This could mean some women can offers the opportunity to tailor treatment avoid chemotherapy after their surgery, for each individual woman.” sparing them the side-effects.” The UK trial involved 257 women with At the moment, women usually have newly diagnosed HER2-positive breast their tumour removed during surgery folcancer. Around 15 to 25 per cent of women lowed by a combination of chemotherapy, diagnosed with breast cancer have HER2, radiotherapy, hormonal therapies and tara total of 5,300 to 8,000 women a year. geted drugs such as Herceptin. Trial co-leader Professor Judith Bliss, Meanwhile here in Nigeria, late presenfrom the Institute of Cancer Research tation is the main reason breast cancer is in London, said it was unexpected to see killing many women. quite such dramatic responses. Most patients come to the hospital She added: “Our results are a strong when the disease has already spread to foundation on which to build further tri- lymph nodes or distant organs, an Associals of combination antiHER2 therapies ate Professor and consultant pathologist prior to surgery which could reduce the at LUTH, Dr Adetola Daramola, told Nanumber of women who require subse- tional Mirror. quent chemotherapy, which is also very “Metastasis (cancer spread) is the effective but can lead to long-term side ef- leading cause of mortality in patient difects.” agnosed with breast cancer in Nigeria.

Unlike in the developed countries where survival rate is 80 per cent, in Nigeria more and more women continue to lose their lives to breast cancer”, she said. One of the reasons she gave, that makes women present late at hospital, is due to fear of mastectomy (surgical removal of breast). “But women need to know that these days, not all women diagnosed with breast cancer need to cut their breast. With the latest advancement in treatment, molecular testing can now be done to know the type of breast cancer a person has. If it is a hormone receptor positive cancer, hormone therapy can be administered. If it is HERS-2 positive, an aggressive type of breasts cancer that multiplies fast, HERS-2 positive therapy can be used with chemotherapy, so the patient can have better outcome unlike before when these drugs were not available”, she said. But now, with this new treatment, the patient could even be spared chemotherapy, if she presents early. The oncologist explained that most breast cancer deaths are due to advanced cancers, diagnosed when the disease had

already spread to lymph nodes or distant organs. Aside late presentation, lack of cancer facilities and breakdown of machines are worsening treatment. According to Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that countries should have at least One Radiotherapy Unit per One Million populations. Unfortunately, Nigeria currently has about 10 radiotherapy machines in tertiary hospitals across the country. “These machines suffer from epileptic function; today they are functioning, tomorrow they have broken down. This has caused a lot of anguish and inconvenience to the patients and the incessant breakdowns also affect management and response adversely. “Going by IAEA and WHO recommendation and assuming a conservative population of 160 million, Nigeria ought to have 160 Radiotherapy Units functioning efficiently in-country. If we look at other facilities for Cancer management, like CT Scan, we are also very deficient serving the entire population of 160 million people”, she said.

Did you Know?

Even ‘Good’ cholesterol could be bad for you, new research shows Retirement is good for your health

he generally accepted medical maxim that elevated HDL cholesterol (HDLC) is “good” has been overturned by a multi-center, international study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. They show that a certain genetic cause of increased HDL-C may actually be “bad,” noting that a specific mutation in a gene which encodes a cell receptor protein that binds to HDL prevents the receptor from functioning. The mutation causes an increased risk of coronary heart disease even in the presence of elevated levels of HDL-C or “good” cholesterol. Their findings are published this week in Science. Previous research raised the possibility that HDL might not be quite as protective against heart disease as generally believed by cardiologists, especially after several clinical trials of HDL-raising drugs showed little or no effect. “The thinking about HDL has evolved recently to the concept that it may not directly protect against all heart disease,” said senior author Daniel J. Rader, MD, chair of

the department of Genetics. “Our results indicate that some causes of raised HDL actually increase risk for heart disease. This is the first demonstration of a genetic mutation that raises HDL but increases risk of heart disease.” Rader and his colleagues sequenced the lipid-modifying regions of the genomes of 328 people with markedly elevated HDL (along with a control group with lower HDL) to identify genetic causes of high HDL. One of the genes they focused on was SCARB1, which encodes for Scavenger Receptor B1 (SR-B1), the major receptor for HDL on cell surfaces.

landmark study led by University of Sydney has found that people become more active, sleep better and reduce their sitting time when they retire. Published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, the study followed the lifestyle behaviours of 25,000 older Australians including physical activity, diet, sedentary behaviour, alcohol use and sleep patterns. “Our research revealed that retirement was associated with positive lifestyle changes,” said lead researcher Dr Melody Ding, Senior Research Fellow at the University’s School of Public Health. “Compared with people who were still working, retirees had increased physically activity levels, reduced sitting time, were less likely to smoke, and had healthier sleep patterns. “A major life change like retirement creates a great window of opportunity to make positive lifestyle changes -- it’s a chance to get rid of bad routines and engineer new, healthier behaviours.” she said.

The data revealed that retirees: •Increased physical activity by 93 minutes a week •Decreased sedentary time by 67 minutes per day •Increased sleep by 11 minutes per day •50 per cent of female smokers stopped smoking The differences were significant even after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, urban/rural residence, marital status and education. There was no significant association found between retirement and alcohol use or fruit and vegetable consumption.

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Ag MD/CEO, Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs Ibim Semenatari (left) and Rivers State First Lady, Justice Suzzeth Nyesom Wike, during a stage play titled: “Little Drops” in commemoration of the 2016 International Women’s Day in Port Harcourt, at the weekend.

L-R: Editor-in-Chief, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Lawal Ado; Acting Managing Director, Mr Jones Afolabi; President-General, Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA), Ikechukwu Anyene and Chairman, NUSA, Gauteng Province, Mr. Matthew Okafor, during the visit of NUSA executive to NAN headquarters In Abuja

L-R: Chairman, Edo State, Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prince Stephen Alao; Executive Member, Edo State SUBEB, Mallam Sulayman Ali; Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) , Dr. Suleiman Dikko and Director, Office of the Executive Secretary, UBEC, Alhaji Aliyu Kardi, during UBEC inspection of the newly constructed Federal Government Special Vocational School in Edo State, at the weekend.

L-R: Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Moses Ekpo; Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, and his wife, Ebelechukwu, carrying offering to altar during a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, during flag-off of the 2016 National Laity Week, yesterday.

National News

Ex-Inspector of Ships calls for NIMASA’s restructure

former Government Inspector of Ships, Mr. Olu Akinsoji, yesterday called for the restructuring of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA. Akinsoji, acting chairman, Society of Nigerian Mariners, SNM, made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos. The marine engineer said there was need to engage technocrats, who would restructure the agency to perform its statutory functions. “My advice is that both the minister and the new director-general of NIMASA should quickly strengthen their offices with qualified advisers to restructure the agency to perform its functions. “It (NIMASA) is currently structured for revenue collection,’’ Akinsoji, former Nigeria’s

alternate permanent representative at the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, told NAN. The mariner recalled that his office as the GIS was merged with the defunct National Maritime Authority, NMA, to create NIMASA. Akinsoji, who was also a former sole administrator of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Oron, Akwa Ibom State, faulted the appointment of Dr. Dakuku Peterside as director-general of the agency. He said the qualifications of Peterside did not fit the post. “The law is very clear on who is qualified to be engaged for that post. “It is equally clear by simple interpretation that the qualification of the honourable (Peterside) does not fit into the interpretation.

“I wish Peterside a pleasant and successful journey through the maritime domain,’’ the marine engineer said. A former directorgeneral of the defunct NMA, Mr. John Egesi, had said that ``there is a gold lining somewhere in the appointment of Peterside and his qualifications. “Peterside studied management. He did an MBA and read economics and maritime has a lot to do with economics,’’ Egesi told NAN

The former NMA director-general said when he looked at the appointment of Peterside with his language of management economics, he would understand quicker. “His knowledge of management economics gives him an advantage. “If he has a listening ear, he might be able to pick up faster than others who had occupied the position. “We have had architects and lawyers who occupied the position,’’

Egesi told NAN. Federal Government last Thursday appointed Peterside as the directorgeneral of NIMASA. He replaced Mr. Haruna Jauro, who until March 10, was the acting director-general. Peterside holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in management sciences (Organisational Behaviour) from the University of Port Harcourt. He had an MBA in business administration; and a degree in medical laboratory Sciences

Measles, whooping cough kill 6 children in Jigawa

o fewer than six children under the ages of five have died following an outbreak of measles and whooping cough in SuleTankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State. Head of Department for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in the local council, Malam Mohammed Maisamari,

confirmed the development during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday, in Sule-Tankarkar. He said the Maizare community was worse hit in the local government, adding that six deaths were recorded in the community, which comprises six villages affected by the dis-

eases. He said report of the outbreak was received by the council on March1, adding that health officials are making efforts to curtail spread of the diseases. Maisamari said the council has mobilised a team of health workers to the affected communities to treat all the

(B.MLS) in haematology from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. Peterside was the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Rivers State in the April 2015 general election. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and also holds membership of the Nigerian Institute of Management as well as the Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria.

children who have contracted either of the diseases. He said 249 children who were infected by the diseases have been treated. He said the council would intensify its efforts on health education campaign to enlighten the rural dwellers on the need to embrace immunisation.

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China seeks more crude oil from Nigeria

hina has said it seeks more crude oil exports from Nigeria in spite of the recent changes in oil prices. Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Mr. Zao Ling Xiang, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja. “But the total amount of export to China was only about one million barrels in 2015 that was just 1.3 per cent of Nigerian annual oil export. “In my opinion, it really doesn’t matter whether Iran comes back or not; Chinese companies want to import more crude oil from Nigeria,” he said. He said current trade volume between both countries stood at $14.94bn in 2014, making Nigeria third largest trade partner of China in Africa. The economic counsellor added that Nigeria’s trade figure was 8.3 per cent of China’s total trade volume with Africa and 42 per cent of the total trade volume between China and Africa. He said China also sought to explore other areas of cooperation with Nigeria which he noted would be of benefit to both parties. “China is the largest developing country in the world and Nigeria is the largest developing country in Africa and both countries have complementary advantages in natural and human resources, funds and markets. “Right now, the Nigerian Government is trying to diversify its economy which is fully in line with the 10 China-Africa cooperation plans announced at the summit on ChinaAfrica trade in Johannesburg in 2015. “There are great potential for cooperation between China and Nigeria in the fields of industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, infrastructure construction, financial services, trade and investment facilitation, among others,” LinXiang said. He, however, added that both countries had made “remarkable achievements” in the areas of infrastructure cooperation. He said the coming visit of President Muhammadu

Buhari to China in April would facilitate the implementation of agreements reached at the 2015 ChinaAfrican summit in Johannesburg. The economic counsellor further added that the

president’s visit would also deepen cooperation between both countries. LinXiang explained that the total investment volume between China and Africa exceeded $100bn in 2015 in spite of the decline

in imports from Africa. He also assured that Africa remained China’s largest trade partner despite recent changes in that country’s economy. “The amount in import from Africa to China de-

clined but did not decline remarkably. “Moreover, the economic and trade cooperation between China and Africa is not only about trade but technical cooperation as well.

“China’s total investment volume in Africa last year increased by 100 times more in a short span of 10 years, which shows that cooperation between both parties is moving to a new level,” he said.

Traditional dancers performing at the turbaning of Mr. Gregory Sule as Nglong Ngas at Emir’s palace, Bauchi, yesterday.

Protectionist laws stifling foreign coys in South Africa, says Nigerian group

nion of Nigerians in South Africa said protectionist laws are stifling foreign companies operating in the Southern African country. President of the Union, Mr. Ike Anyene, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja yesterday. Anyene said the laws were crafted to favour South African companies and businesses at the expense of their foreign counterparts. It would be reclled that during his recent two-day visit to Nigeria, President Jacob Zuma of South Africa had acknowledged that the number of South African companies in Nigeria grew from 4 in 1999 to 120 in 2016.

Anyene said: “We cannot say that there is any big Nigerian company in South Africa. “The enabling environment for the success of Nigerian businesses and other foreign businesses is not there in South Africa. “There is enabling environment for them in Nigeria, that is why they are trooping into Nigeria. “We have Nigerians that can invest in South Africa. “Dangote has invested in South Africa; he could have invested more, but there was no enabling environment. “The South African president has promised to improve the environment for Nigerian businesses. “Nigerian companies

are not trooping to South Africa the way South African companies are coming to Nigeria.” Also speaking, Head of Policy Formulation of the Union, Mr. Matthew Okafor, said many companies had tried to penetrate the South African business environment, but failed. He said the protectionist laws of the South African government discouraged the flow of Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, to the country. According to him, as a result, many large corporations that have succeeded elsewhere are failing in South Africa. “Thisday Newspapers came into South Africa, set up shop and was printing in South Africa. “Today they are out of South Africa; they

were squeezed out of the market. What happened? The cost to entry into the market was very high. “In South Africa, the system is not designed to encourage that level of entrepreneurship coming from outside. “There are active laws of protectionism in South Africa, but it is free market in Nigeria, where government encourages Foreign Direct Investment to Nigeria. “The main factor that led to Thisday Newspaper leaving was because they were renting the press at a very exorbitant price and they have very controlled prices in South Africa. “Even Barclays Bank is going to pull out of South Africa next week. “Barclays has been all over the world; even

to Hong Kong and they are still in those countries but they are pulling out of South Africa because of the stringent exchange control laws. “The Australian Mining Company is going to leave South Africa also. “They are divesting because of all these protectionist laws that are set up to make foreign investors to fail,” he said. He decried a situation where the South African government prevents companies operating in its territory to repatriate their profits to their home countries, whereas South African companies operating in other climes are allowed to. “MTN is doing well in Nigeria but the same cannot be said about Nigerian companies in South Africa,” he added.

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Buhari leads security team to Malabo Rotimi Fadeyi Abuja

resident Muhammadu Buhari will today leave Abuja for Malabo for talks with President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea on further measures to protect the people and resources of the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea.

This is in continuation of Federal Government’s efforts to achieve greater security of lives, resources and investments in all parts of Nigeria and its sub-region. A statement issued yesterday by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the conclusion and signing of an agreement by Nigeria

and Equatorial Guinea for the establishment of a combined maritime policing and security patrol committee tomorrow is expected to be the major outcome of Buhari’s talks with his host. Buhari and Mbasogo are also expected to discuss and agree on other collaborative measures to combat crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft,

attacks on oil rigs, arms smuggling and human trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea. Both leaders would also confer on the rescheduling of the joint summit of the Economic Community of West African States and the Economic Community of Central African States on additional cooperative measures to curb terrorism and violent extrem-

ism in West and Central Africa. The summit was to have been hosted by Equatorial Guinea last year but was postponed because of Nigeria’s general elections. In accordance with the main focus and agenda of the trip, Buhari would

SAGE tasks firms on software upgrade, systems integration Tola Akinmutimi

Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun; Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service, Retired Col. Hammed Ali and Assistant Director, Department of State Security, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mr Segun Daramola, during inspection of Customs facilities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by the Minister in Abuja.

Minister denies saying ‘economy beyond Buhari’s control’

inister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has refuted reports that while speaking on a radio show on Saturday, he claimed the Nigerian economy had gone out of the control of the current administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari. Reacting to reports and criticisms that followed, the minister yesterday issued a statement through his special assistant, Segun Adeyemi, in which he said his words were distorted. The minister described the comment as a gross misrepresentation of what he said when he appeared on the radio show. On Saturday night at the third Kannywood Award in Abuja, Mohammed had said: “I know we are here for entertainment and glamour, but when a matter of national interest or importance is

involved, everything else takes a back seat if only for a moment. “Earlier today, I appeared on a radio show here in Abuja where I spoke extensively on issues affecting our country, especially the economy. “To my surprise, my views were twisted and I was reported to have said that the economy of our country is beyond the control of the President.” According to him, this is a gross misrepresentation of what he said. “I could not have said the economy is out of control of the President or the administration that he is leading.’’ The minister said the Buhari administration decided to turn the economic disaster it inherited to a blessing by diversifying the economy. “I think Kannywood is one of the examples of

this diversification. “I don’t know the reason behind the gross distortion of my comment on radio, but whatever the motive is, Nigerians

should disregard such distortion and continue to support our President and his administration to take our country out of its problems,” he stated.

Nigerian ship owners form umbrella body

igerian Ship Owners Association, NISA, and Ship Owners Association of Nigeria, SOAN, have formed a body known as `Shipowners Forum’ under the chairmanship of Mrs Margaret Onyema-Orakwusi. This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday in Lagos, jointly signed by OnyemaOrakwusi; president of NISA, Alhaji Aminu Umar; and SOAN President, Mr Greg Ogbeifun. It said the Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, recently at a parley in Lagos requested ship owners in Nigeria to present a common front in their en-

gagement with government. “The ministerial challenge was followed up with a meeting of ship owners where the resolution to float the Shipowners Forum was reached,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quotes the statement as saying. It explained that the two bodies (NISA and SOAN) recently convened a meeting on February 26 in Lagos to shelve partisan cleavages and resolved to come under one united umbrella. “This is without prejudice to the fact that the respective associations will continue to exist according to the statues establishing them,’’ the statement said.

be accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd) and other senior security officials. The President is scheduled to return tomorrow to Abuja.

igerian companies have been advised on the need to migrate from using legacy business software and manual processes in their operations and explore opportunities in the more robust and functionally effective tools in the market. A study by SAGE, a leading human resource, accounting and other functional software developing company globally, showed that companies in the country and other economies in the West African sub-region would achieve higher levels of automation across their businesses, save time, and gain more visibility into their performance by integrating the golden triangle of business processes and systems - accounting, payroll & HR and payments. According to Dr. Rutendo Hwindingwi, Divisional Director for Sage East and West Africa, fully integrated payments, accounting, and payroll solutions mean companies spend less time on admin and more on running their businesses. However, the business enabling expert noted that in spite of the unquantifiable benefits of well integrated systems to organisational performance, many Nigerian companies are still using legacy business software or even manual processes. Hwindingwi noted: “The result is that they lack visibility into business performance and need to capture certain transactions and information multiple times,” adding that “implementing modern, integrated solutions can help African organisations comply more easily with tax and labour laws, increase efficiencies, and gain more control over their business processes.” He further explained that with completely up-to-date

payroll, HR and payments data flowing automatically to their accounting systems, companies will have access to the reports and information they need for better planning, forecasting and budgeting. He pointed out that such companies will also have insight into cash flow, human resource capacity and utilisation, and business growth they can use to optimise performance and plan for the future because there is no need to collect information from separate databases, reporting is faster and more accurate. He clarified: “What’s more, an integrated solution that brings payment, payroll and accounting functionality together eliminates the need to recapture or manually import payroll data into the accounting system each month, and then reconcile financial data with bank statements. “That can save hours of work each month for the accounting and payroll teams, while also ensuring that the business always has up-to-date payroll information reflected in its financial systems.” While noting that lack of adopting the right software and integrating them in business processes lead invariably to human error, Hwindingwi said integration of systems enable all of the company’s business systems draw their data from a single database, reflecting a single, accurate version of the truth. “With accurate and upto-date payroll and HR data available, employees can use employee self-service to access information about benefits, payroll, leave, and expenses. They can even update their information themselves. This can save managers, HR, and employees a great deal for time,” he said.

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Monday, March 14, 2016

ICAO begins safety audit of Nigerian airports today Olusegun Koiki

nternational Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, will today commence oversight audit of major Nigerian airports to ascertain their safety and security compliance. A four-man team from the international organisation at the weekend arrived in the country for commencement of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, USOAP. A statement issued in Lagos by General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, Mr. Sam Aduogboye, said the auditors would focus on Legislation, LEG; Organisa-

tion, ORG; Accident and Incident Investigation, AII; Air Navigational Services, ANS, and Aerodrome and Ground Aids, AGA, during the 12day exercise. The audit will end on March 25. Adurogboye noted that the auditors would be working with their Nigerian counterparts and visit NCAA’s Regional Office(s) and all the relevant service providers in the nation’s industry, adding that the team would work in separate groups based on specific assignments. He added, “At the conclusion of the audit, there will be a closing meeting where the draft audit result will be

presented.” However, stakeholders and professionals in the country’s aviation industry have expressed optimism that Nigeria would scale through the ICAO audit hurdle. President of Aviation Round Table, ART, Gbenga Olowo, in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Lagos, insisted that Nigeria would be successful in the exercise. He however expressed pessimism about the retaining of high standards in the sector by respective authorities after the ICAO audit. Olowo said it was important for any aviation country around the world to have

regular audit conducted, stressing that this would further enhance safety and standards in the sector and called for enforcement of all recommendations of ICAO by respective authorities. He said, “We have a way of passing exams in this country. But after passing the exams, what do we do? Are our toilet facilities meeting international standards and other equipment? “It’s important to have regular audits and sustenance is also important. I expect to see better services after the audit, better behaviour and change of attitude from our people. Also, I want to see them improve passen-

gers’ processes. At present, we have too many checkpoints in our airports. I want to see most of them reduced.” Also, the General Manager, Corporate Communications of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati, in an interview with our correspondent, assured that Nigeria would scale the ICAO hurdle. He said FAAN was working round the clock to ensure Nigeria, as usual, comes out successful in the audit. He said FAAN knows what the country requires to scale the audit, stressing

2.1bn deal: Court rules on Ashinze’s fundamental rights suit Doosuur Iwambe Abuja

L-R: Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar; Acting Director-General, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Paul Angya and Head, Standard Organisation of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Programme (SONCAP), Mr. Tersoo Orngudwem, during the minister’s interactive session with SON Management in Abuja, at the weekend. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

AU adopts Nigeria’s disease control centre Marcus Fatunmole Abuja

frican Union, AU, has adopted Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, as one of its five Regional Collaborating Centres for Disease Control. The adoption brings to three roles to be performed by the centre located at Jabi, Abuja. Briefing journalists at the weekend in Abuja, after assessment tour on the facility by the AU team, Director, Department of Social Affairs of the AU Commission, Ambassador Olawale Maiyegun, said the centre met the requirements of the continental body. The facility and Nigeria,

he said, met the four main conditions, which the AU considers for granting such status. They are government commitment, human resources, infrastructure and funding. He, however, explained that the only area the team observed to be below par at the centre was the laboratory. He promised the AU that the Federal Government would ensure the laboratory meets required standard, adding: “We will support that institution. It is the asset it has that is making African Union to say we can give you additional responsibilities. We will, as much as possible, cover the cost of additional responsibilities that we will be putting on them.” Until its adoption by the

AU, NCDC had played the dual role of national and regional centre for disease control: that is, working for Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. Maiyegun informed that the AU and partners, namely the US and China Centres for Disease Control among others would provide more facilities and train personnel at the institution. He maintained that the adoption was a fulfillment of determination of Heads of States and governments of the AU who had at a special summit on HIV, TB and Malaria in 2013 decided on the need for an African Centre for Disease Control that would conduct live-saving research, and that would also have ca-

pability of disease detection, surveillance and response. The AU, Maiyegun noted, wants “an Africa CDC that will not re-invent the wheel, that will build on existing structure, and that will leverage on the existing assets on ground. And, so, in the concept that they approved in January 2015, we are to have a coordinating office inside the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, but with five regional collaborating centres; each bringing certain capabilities and assets and value to the work of the Africa CDC.” He listed the five centres as Gabon (Central Africa); Kenya (East Africa); Egypt (North Africa); Zambia (Southern Africa); and Nigeria (West Africa).

that the airport authority in a bid to ensure success, had set up a taskforce committee headed by its Managing Director, Engr. Saleh Dunoma. He added, “The primary duty of the committee is to ensure the gaps noticed by ICAO in the past are closed. At present, we have closed most of the gaps identified in the past. “You will also recall that in order to close the gaps, our Managing Director invited the Airports Council International, ACI, Apex to carry out independent audit of our facilities apart from the ones that we have done ourselves.”

High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Jabi will today deliver judgement in the fundamental human rights enforcement suit filed by Col. Nicholas Ashinze, a former aide to the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd). It would be recalled that Ashinze has been in detention since December 23, 2015. He is praying the court for an order releasing him on bail as well as an order directing the respondents to tender a public apology and pay him N500 million as compensation for what he described as wrongful detention. The respondents in the suit are the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army. Ashinze through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), alleged that he had been in custody of the respondents for no verifiable reasons. He urged the court to declare that his arrest and continued detention since December 23, 2015 “without being given any reason and without granting him administrative bail within 24 hours or 48 hours of his arrest and detention, is illegal, wrongful, unlawful and unconstitutional.” Ozekhome argued that

the action of the respondents against his client constituted “a blatant violation” of the applicant’s fundamental rights as enshrined in sections 34 (1), 35 (1), (3), (4) & (6), 36 (1), 37, 41 (1), 44 (1) and 46 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, as well as various provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Though the respondents ignored the suit, having failed to send any legal representation, Ozekhome, who noted that they were duly served with the court process, prayed Justice Yusuf Haliru to grant his client’s reliefs. Ozekhome urged the court to grant bail to the detainee on self-recognisance, especially as none of the respondents filed any counter-affidavit to oppose the suit, stressing that the applicant is still as a serving Colonel in the Nigerian Army. Citing many judicial precedents, Ozekhome said: “My lord, in law, the facts are deemed admitted for all purposes. In all the cases cited, the courts are clear that you do not need to force a person to file a counter-affidavit as all the facts averred by the applicant are deemed admitted, having not been contradicted with a counter affidavit.”

West

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gani Adams dragged before EFCC over financial malpractice Kemi Olaitan, Ibadan

embers of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, have dragged the national coordinator of the group, Otunba Gani Adams, before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over what they described as financial malpractices. National Mirror learnt that the three-page petition signed by 26 members of the national coordinating council, NCC, of the group, was received at the Lagos office of the commission last Friday. The signatories to the petition include Rasak Arogundade, Monsuru Akande, Adesina Akinpelu, Kehinde Ogunyale, Adeola Adeagbo, Ranti Akande, Gbenga Egunlusi, Lateef Oshodi, ‘Layiwola Ogunsolu, Olusoji Folorunso, Sunday Bankole, ‘Segun Olusanya and Sunday Adebayo. Others are Idowu Akintunde, Oyename Adebayo, Lateef Kaka, Oladipupu Musa, Musiliu Amusa, Lateef Ogungbayi, Morufu Salami, Rotimi Akinsowon, Taofik Hameed, Dauda Oyelowo, Yinka Olowoporoku, Adio Odewole and Alexander Adesina.

In the petition dated March 4, 2016, titled, ‘Please help retrieve our money from Gani Adams,’ and addressed to the chairman of the anti-graft agency, the NCC members accused Adams of using his position to amass questionable wealth at the expense of members of the group. According to them, the OPC leader has turned the group into a private property such that he is the sole signatory to all accounts of the group. Adams was also accused, among others, of diverting $22 million, which he received on behalf of the group from the late Libyan leader, Moammar Ghadaffi. The petition reads in part: “Besides funds stolen or misappropriated by Adams, there is also the case of about six million members (using Adams estimate of OPC membership strength during his pro-Jonathan campaigns) who are obligated to obtain the group’s identification cards at N2,500 each. From identity cards alone, Gani Adams pocketed about N15b every year. “Adams equally diverted N150m specially set aside by the NCC and meant for building a hotel for the OPC in each South West state capital.

This is besides the N100m or more, also made by encouraging unwary members to buy shares in the hotel project. The hotel scheme was conceived in 2007 but has yet failed to see the light of the day.” The OPC members, while insisting that - Adams with his activities has destroyed the image of the group within and outside

the country - the time has come for the anti-graft agency to help put him where he rightly belongs. “This situation is no longer acceptable to us and the generality of the OPC cadre who have been at the receiving end of Adams misdemeanour. Ours has been for too long, like the proverbial masquerade that farted, it can only

bear the nauseating stink until it is dissipated with time,” they stated. But, while reacting to the petition, Adams said the petitioners are not saying new things, stating that they have been talking about the same issues in the petition for a long time without achieving any result. The OPC leader who

spoke through his personal assistant, Prince Olalekan Segun Akanni, declared that if the petitioners have their facts, they would meet at the EFCC. He said: “Those behind the petition are expelled members of the group who are seeking relevance by saying the same things for a long time without anything to show for it.

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and his new wife, Princess Wuraola Ogunwusi, during the thanksgiving service of their traditional wedding at the Royal Court of Ife Palace, Enuwa Square, Ile-Ife, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

N44.7m debt: Court freezes industrialist, Samuel Adedoyin’s account Wale Igbintade

Lagos High Court has granted a garnishee order nisi, attaching any money in the accounts of an industrialist, Chief Samuel Adedoyin, in about 20 commercial banks in the country over his alleged refusal to pay N44,684,424.00 debt. A garnishee order is made to ensure that monies of a firm in commercial banks and other agencies are attached to a judgment debt. Justice K. O. Dawudu gave the order following a motion on notice brought pursuant to Section 506 (i), (2) and (4) (a) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act filed by two

creditors of the defunct City Express Bank Plc, owned by Prince (Dr.) Adedoyin. Consequently, Justice Dawudu directed all the affected banks to appear in court to show reason why they should not pay to the judgement creditors the entire balance of the judgement sum towards the satisfaction of the debt. Justice Tijani Abubakar of the Federal High Court had in a suit instituted by Braco Ventures Limited and its managing director, Alhaji Saliu Ibrahim, against Prince Adedoyin and three other directors of the defunct City Express Bank, Mrs. Sola Adeoti, Alhaji Gambo Mogaji and Kayode

Folorunsho, held that the defendants are jointly and personally responsible to pay the applicant N44, 684,424.00. The court also held that the business of the defunct City Express Bank was carried out in a reckless manner.

However, almost nine years after the judgment was delivered, the judgement debtors allegedly refused/neglected to pay the money or part of it to the judgement creditors. Consequently, the judgment creditor through their lawyer, Babatunde

Oshilaja, in a motion exparte prayed the court for a Garnishee Order Nisi, directing all the invited banks to attach all the monies held by them as bankers to the judgement debtors to satisfy the N44, 684,424.00 judgement debt. In an 11-pragraph affi-

davit in support of the motion exparte deposed to by Alhaji Saliu Ibrahim, he stated that he had suffered series of hardship, financial embarrassment and incapacitating business failures following judgement debtors’ failure to pay the judgement debt.

Police arrest three suspected cultists in Sagamu Femi Oyeweso, Abeokuta

en of Ogun State police command over the weekend arrested three suspected cultists, who have been terrorising two communities of Ogijo in Sagamu Local Government Area of the state. Police Public Relations

Officer, PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the arrest to journalists in Abeokuta, the state capital, yesterday, said the suspected cultists were the “notorious and deadly hoodlums” who have created fears in the minds of residents of Oke-Oko and Igborufu communities in Ogijo area of the state in recent time.

Adejobi, who gave names of the three suspects as Lekan Babatunde, Segun Owodunni and Musa Ibrahim, also explained that the suspects were arrested on Saturday, March 12, around 5pm with arms and some dangerous weapons. The PPRO added that police operatives attached to the Ogijo Divisional headquarters led by the Divi-

sional Police Officer, DPO, had swooped on the suspects where they had assembled for the initiation of some newly-recruited members. The suspects, however, fled the scene when the police pounced on them before Babatunde was arrested in the house of their leader, one Yusuf Mufutau, who is now at large.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Monday, March 14, 2016

Ado Poly convokes 11,737, seeks industries’ partnership Abiodun Nejo Ado Ekiti

ederal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, will on Friday officially graduate 11,737 students made up of 3,855 Higher National Diploma, HND, and 7,882 National Diploma, ND students. Rector, Dr Taiwo Akande,

said at a press briefing heralding the institution's 16th combined convocation that 87 HND and 107 ND graduates bagged Distinction for 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13 graduating sets. Akande said the institution would also confer its Fellowship on the Emir of Lafia, Alhaji Isa Mustapha Agwa; business icon,

Sir Remi Omotoso; and an Alumni, Pastor Oluwatoyin Alabi, “for adding value to Nigeria and serving the polytechnic sector with their expertise and patronages over the years.” The Rector, who took pride in the graduates of the institution, said: “Our products are more than 50 per cent of our workforce.

This is because our products are better than university graduates. They are better in theory and practicals. That is why we are confident to reabsorb them and as well recommend them to the entire world.” Akande said polytechnics hold the ace in the technological advance-

ment and appealed for partnership with industries across the country. She said the low perception of polytechnics, which had been the cause of dichotomy with university graduates, was misplaced. The institution also raised the alarm over invasion and subsequent de-

struction of its farmlands by Fulani herdsmen. Akande, who said the institution could not quantify the millions of naira lost, in addition to loss of hope and expectations due to activities of the cattle rearers, appealed for Federal Government's intervention to curb further damage.

FG hands over 32m cubic water dam to Osun Boladale Bamigbola Osogbo

s part of measure to boost provision of potable water in Osun State, Federal Government has handed over a 32million-cubic-capacity dam located at Kajola community to the state government. Performing the handover, Director, Dams and Reservoir Operations in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mr. Reginald Ikpeawujo, who was represented by Deputy Director/ Project Manager, Mr. John Ochibo, described the project as a contribution of the Federal Government towards the provision of potable water to the people of Ilesa and environs. He said the project started in 2006, was delayed as a result of paucity of funds, but completed in 2014. “It cost the Federal Government N3.3bn to complete the pump and power house. “The second phase, which is the downstream, will

be for treatment plant and transmission, which will be taken over by the state government. “There was a year liability period to ascertain the condition of the pump and power house to ensure that they are in good condition. “The project is strictly for water supply, knowing fully well that it is the responsibility of the state and federal governments to provide water for the people. “The power house and the pump are in good condition, and we are handling over to the state government to take over the day to day activities of the dam as from today,” he said. In his remarks, Consultant to Osun State Government on Water Resources, Mrs Tawa Williams, said there was still a lot of work to be done on the second phase of the project, promising that the people of Ilesa and Kajola communities would start benefitting from the scheme in the next two years.

Members of Road Accident Information and Rescue Organisation, during the inauguration of Emergency Rescue Information Control Centre in Ibadan, at the weekend

Boladale Bamigbola Osogbo

oni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has urged government at all levels to always seek the advice of traditional rulers before initiating developmental projects in their domain to ensure

Seek advice before initiating projects –Ooni urges govt the exact needs of the people. The monarch said this has become imperative, going by the seeming dis-

Protest: IBEDC restores power supply to Ilesa town Boladale Bamigbola Osogbo

anagement of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, IBEDC, at the weekend said it has restored power supply and resume work in Ilesa and environs following the intervention of Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola. It would be recalled that IBEDC withdrew its services from Ilesa Business Hub due to series of protests by consumers, leading to destruction of property and attack on staffers. The violent protest, which began on February 2,

continued for one week despite series of meetings with consumers in the Business Hub and a separate meeting with Oba Adekunle Aromolaran at his palace on February 9. Before withdrawing from the area, the company said it exhausted all possible dialogue mechanism of conflict resolution with the community without yielding positive result. But in a statement issued in Osogbo yesterday, IBEDC Regional Communication Officer, Osun Region, Kikelomo Owoeye said the company restored supply to the town after a meeting held with Governor Aregebsola. The statement said the

Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of IBEDC, Mr. John Donnachie at the meeting explained the need to get residents to cooperate with the company, assuring that as soon as allocation improves from the national grid, more power will be made available for Ilesa and environs. Also speaking at the meeting, Deputy Managing Director, John Ayodele, explained that there were constraints from the national grid presently, as the generation capacity has dropped to 1,580mw. He explained that the Discos as a private company that buys energy from the national grid, needs money

to remain in business and therefore appealed to Ijesa people to pay their bills. He said IBEDC is indebted to the Federal Government to the tune of N7.5bn as at February, while Ilesa and its environs owe over N2bn. Responding, Governor Aregbesola decried attack on staff of the company. He said: “No matter the frustration and bitterness, an Omoluabi must display maturity. It is bad for an Omoluabi to descend to the level of an animal. There is no way vandalism of equipment and brutalisation of officials of IBEDC in your community will make it up but aggravate the problems.

connect in the needs of the populace and what many of those in leadership positions are offering in terms of developmental plans. Receiving in his palace in Ile Ife, the Owa Ale of Ikare Akoko, Ondo State, Oba Samuel Adedoyin, who led prominent indigenes of the town on courtesy visit, Oba Ogunwusi promised to continue with his efforts to unite the Yoruba race, calling for due respect and cooperation with people in positions of authority. “We live with the people, thus we know better what their needs are. Government should see us more as partners and consult us before initiating projects in our domain. “If we are consulted, we will be able to advise on what our needs are and there won’t be a disconnect,” Ooni said. In his remarks, Oba Adedoyin, commended the

efforts of Oba Ogunwusi in uniting people across the country and reminded him of a very good relationship Ikare enjoyed with the late Ooni, Oba Okunade Sijuade. Oba Adedoyin then admonished the Ooni to ensure the relationship grows further, positing that the nation's constitution only made provisions for a council for traditional rulers, but failed to empower it with constitutional duties. He urged Ooni to use his influence to ensure that Oba’s council is strengthened. He also backed Ooni's position on some salient national issues, when he visited Mr. President in Abuja recently. The monarch also advised the Federal Government to commence exploration of oil deposit in the south west, saying the move will boost the economy of the region.

South South

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Rivers poll: IGP deploys 3 police chiefs, 6,000 cops

…orders AIG to relocate George Opara, Abuja

nspector-General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase, has relocated Adisa Baba Bolanta, AIG in charge of zone 6, Calabar, and three police commissioners to Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The relocation, which takes effect from today,

was to ensure orderly conduct of the Rivers State supplementary election scheduled for Saturday, March 19. Arase said the three commissioners of police were deployed to supervise security arrangements within the three Senatorial Districts, namely: Rivers East, Rivers West and Rivers

South East, respectively. He added that 6,000 conventional policemen and 14 units of Police Mobile Force, MOPOL personnel, would be deployed to compliment the state police command during the election. Also, Sontoye Wakama, Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, has been charged to hold

meetings with stakeholders and officers in the state’s command on the need for peaceful conduct before, during and after the election. However, the IGP has warned all security details to desist from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election. Force Public Rela-

Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (centre), with members of the Organisation for Advancement of Anioma Culture (OFAAC), led by President of OFAAC, Arc. Kester Ifeadi, during a courtesy visit on the governor in Government House, Asaba, as a build-up to this year’s Anioma Cultural festival, at the weekend.

tions Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Olabisi Kolawole, in a statement restated the

IGP’s standing directive that only security personnel, specially assigned for election

Okpella community commends Dangote Group over cement

ome members of Okpella community in Edo State have expressed optimism that the proposed Dangote Cement Plant in the village would bring development to the area. They expressed their gratitude when officials of Dangote Group visited the village at the weekend. Dangote Group had on February 6, announced plans to build new cement plants at Okpella in Edo State and Itori in Ogun State within three years. The plants are expected to add nine million metric tonnes per annum (mmtpa) to the company’s current local output of 29.25 mmtpa to raise its production capacity to 38.25 mmtpa.

Dons urge FG, states to reform gender equality, child rights laws Oarhe Dickson, Benin

professor of Law at the University of Benin, Edo State, Prof. Nkolika Aniekwu, has called on the federal and state governments to carry out advanced reviews of relevant laws on gender equality in order to provide adequate protection for the rights of women and the girl-child. Aniekwu, who teaches research and reproductive health law in the Department of Public Law, made the call during a lecture on “Advancing Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women”, organised by the Lift Above Poverty Organisation, LAPO, to mark the 2016 International Women’s Day celebration in Benin, the state capital. The lecturer said while it was commendable that some states had adopted the Child Rights Act, it was important for relevant stakeholders to iden-

tify factors that may hinder its implementation. She explained that in reality, many women and girls are still uneducated, uninformed and unequal in many respects, adding that the female gender was still under-represented in business and politics. She said: “Many national laws are still ‘maled’ and patriarchal and not adequately considerate of female issues. Affirmative action is still lacking in

employment, education and policy making. Gender violence and reproductive ill health, in all its ugly forms, is on the increase. “Legal reform has never been easy in any territory or jurisdiction. It takes concerted efforts and people who are committed to achieving change. We just keep on working from talking to acting, from theorising to action.”

Also, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Prof. Agatha Eguavuoen, who condemned the prevalence of violence against the girl-child, lamented that many women had been left unrecognised, in spite of their laudable achievements. Eguavuoen, therefore, called for the declaration of the Doctrine of Necessity, as part of efforts to ad-

Nkanga, however, said although the state was experiencing shortage of the product, the situation was not peculiar to the area. He appealed to residents to be patient as government was working hard to redress the problem. “The fuel scarcity is not experienced only in Akwa Ibom; it is a national problem. “Yesterday (Saturday), we got two trucks of the product for Uyo. We are

monitoring the sale of the product to see if there will be any illegality,” Nkanga said. Meanwhile, motorists in the state have continued to express displeasure at the situation created by the scarcity This is because a litre of the product now sells for between N170 and N200 in Eket and environs and transport fares in the area have increased as a result.

DPR seals NNPC filling station in Uyo

epartment of Petroleum Resources, DPR, in Akwa Ibom State, said it had sealed the NNPC mega filling station in Uyo, for allegedly hoarding petrol. Controller (Operations) in charge of Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, Mr Bassey Nkanga, said in Eket yesterday that the mega station had amassed the product in its storage tanks, but refused to sell it to members of the public.

duties must be seen within and around designated places. The statement urged all policemen on duty to be professional and apolitical in their engagements.

dress the poor representation of women in the country. Earlier, Chairman, LAPO Board of Directors, Prof. Christiana Okojie, noted that government support, through adequate financial allocation, would promote women development with substantive progress by the year 2020. In her remarks, Edo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Aanena Fulani-Ojo, assured that the state government ‎would continue to promote the rights of women to enable them excel in their chosen areas of human endeavour. She, however, urged women to re-dedicate ‎themselves to the struggle for the elimination of all forms of economic, political and socio-cultural biases against the women folks in order to increase their participation in the development process of the society.

The Okpella plant will produce three mmtpa. According to the company, the investment is targeted at reducing the cost of production, lower price of cement on the long run and generate employment opportunities for youths in host communities. Monarch of Okpella, Alhaji Yusuf Dirisu, commended the company for its plan to establish a cement plant in the community as part of its expansion drive. “We appreciate Dangote Group for its decision to establish a cement factory in Okpella and we believe that the company’s investment will contribute to the development of the community. “Dangote is welcome to do his business in Okpella and every support he needs in setting up the cement factory, we will give to him,” he said. Secretary, Okpella Traditional Council, Chief Richard Davids, pledged the support of the community to ensure protection and success of the investment. He said the investment would translate to infrastructure development and employment opportunities to the members of the community. A representative of youths in the community, Mr. Christopher Kadiri, said: “Initially, we heard that Dangote Group is no longer investing in the community because they feel that the youths are against them. “We are not anti-progress, neither are we a threat to the investment of the company. We assure Dangote group of our unflinching support of its investment.” Former Chairman, Etsako East Local Govern-

ment Chief Godwin Eshieshi, said the community would provide enabling environment for the investment to thrive.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South East

Monday, March 14, 2016

Doctors accuse Okorocha of intimidation Chris Njoku, Owerri

ssociation of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria, AGPMPN, Imo State branch, yesterday condemned the state government for targeting medical doctors with acts of demolition of their homes, hospitals and threats to life. It said since the association disclosed to the public the intention of Governor Rochas Okorocha to use concessioned hospitals in the state for human organ-traffick-

ing, members have been under constant threat. In a statement signed by the association’s chairman, Dr. Philip Njemanze, and made available to National Mirror, the association said the state government had coerced some medical doctors with threats to life and property to dissociate themselves from the position of the general house. It accused Okorocha of demolishing several homes and hospitals of some of its members, particularly hospital premises of the association’s chairman, Nje-

manze, at No. 1, MCC Road, Owerri. It stated in part, “These acts of intimidation by Imo State government (are) targeted at doctors to get them to dissociate themselves from the collective unanimous resolution of the general house of AGPMPN in Imo State on November 15, 2015, to petition against the actions of Governor Okorocha that threaten the lives of Nigerians.’’ The Imo chapter of AGPMPN in a 214-paged petition dated December 20, 2015 showed the linkages of Okorocha’s

closure of hospitals to actions that facilitate human organ trafficking. “The position of the medical doctors was reaffirmed in a public press interview held by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, under the theme: Imo Government threat to Sanctity of Life, on February 4, 2016. This was after the bloody shooting of a medical doctor at a peaceful rally by the police close to the Government House.” According to the association, the official position of AGPMPN Imo

State will not change despite the threats to life and coercion of her members. “It is regrettable that these dastardly lawless acts of Imo State government can only be interpreted as motivated by guilt. It is a known fact that intimidation of potential witnesses is a crime under the Criminal Code of Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” While calling on the Federal Government to intervene to restore the rule of law in Imo State,

Stakeholders slam doctors for rejecting accident victims Emmanuel EzehEnugu

Archbishop of Aba Ecclesiastical Province, Bishop of Umuahia Ang. Communion, Most Rev. Ikechi Nwosu (third left)); Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (middle); his Deputy, Rt Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu (third right) with other members of the Governing Board of Trinity Theological College, Umuahia when they paid a courtesy visit to the Governor in Umuahia, yesterday.

Xenophobia: Group decries non-compensation of Nigerians in S’Africa

resident of Nigeria Union in South Africa, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, on Sunday decried the non-payment of compensation to Nigerians affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Anyene told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja that Nigerians lost property and goods worth about N84 million during the attacks. “No Nigerian died during the xenophobic attacks of last year, but it cost Nigerian businesses an equivalent of about N84 million. They

burnt some workshops completely with cars inside. “From the estimate we collected and submitted to the government, Nigerians lost about N84 million. “We have been asking for compensation for those Nigerians because it affected them seriously as some of the victims are yet to recover till today. “Some of them had customers’ cars in their workshops when it happened which complicated the problems,” he lamented.

Anyene said there was no positive response from the South African government up till now. “We submitted the claims through the Nigerian consulate and we are aware that it had reached the foreign affairs ministry and that was just before the change of administration. “We are expecting that now that we have a new administration, maybe they will take over the matter. “And we have reiterated it again this period, so nothing has been

transmitted to us in terms of response concerning our claim for compensation whether it will be paid or not. “We also presented it when President Muhammad Buhari visited South Africa. We know it will take time and there will be engagements for a positive response,’’ he added. Anyene called for a quicker response from the South African government by paying the compensation to the affected Nigerians to enable them to restart their lives.

the association warned that confession and declarations obtained by coercion are not admissible in any law court. It advised members of the public to disregard any declarations attributed to medical doctors departing from the official position of the association, adding that the fears being expressed by some doctors and their family members, particularly as the Imo State government “uses its terror machinery to lash out at them, is understandable.”

arious stakeholders in disaster management at the weekend berated hospital authorities over their attitude towards patients under their care. Speaking at the 2016 Strategic Planning Committee organised by the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, South-East zone, the stakeholders noted that many lives were being lost daily owing to the non-challant attitude of medical personnel in various hospitals. Declaring the meeting open, NEMA coordinator in the zone, Mr. Udeinya Martins Ejike, expressed hope that the agency would chart a new course for disaster management issues in the area. He stressed that with the meeting, stakeholders in the zone would identify what to do in flood control, sensitisation, training, rescue operations, among others. He assured that as a coordinating agency, NEMA would take a leading role towards training other stakeholders to arm them with contemporary disaster management practices. The meeting was attended by representatives of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, Nigerian Red Cross, Fire Service, Nigeria Security

and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, as well as the State Emergency Management Agencies from Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra states. Leader of the Nigeria Red Cross team from Anambra State, Prof. Peter Kachi, bemoaned the avoidable death rate of disaster victims, blaming the situation on hospital authorities, who he said insisted on deposit before a dying person could be attended to. Recalling cases in two Anambra hospitals where accident victims were allowed to die because the doctors insisted on deposit of some money, Kachi said: “We are urging government to create designated hospitals where disaster victims could be taken to and treated immediately. “We had a situation in Onitsha, and the unfortunate thing is that it is even a government hospital, yet they watched these people die because of money. “We also have challenges in the area of lack of earth moving materials. Not long ago, we got to an accident scene, but could not do much because we needed an earth-moving machine; we stood there and watched the victims die helplessly.” Other speakers at the meeting harped on the need for increased capac-

ity building and increased coordination of all the stakeholders by NEMA.

North

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Fake drivers’ licence is no licence, FRSC insists

ead, media relations and strategy, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, has said the late Mr. James Ocholi’s driver has no driver’s licence record with the commission. Kazeem said this yesterday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja. According to him, news making the round in social media that Mr. Taiwo Elegbede, driver of the illfated vehicle that claimed the lives of Ocholi and his family members, has a driver’s licence is not true. “Elegbede is not captured in our driver’s licensing data; so the licence he claimed to have expired must be a fake one. “Our licence procedure includes physical presence and biometric capturing of applicants, which is permanently stored in our data bank for the purpose of verification. “We always tell members of the public to visit our licensing centres spread across the country and desist from patronising touts while applying for drivers’ licence. “Elegbede cannot be

called a competent driver if he does not have a genuine driver’s license, which he can only acquire after showing mastery of basic driving principles.” Also reacting to the claim that the vehicle was not originally that of their ministry, Kazeem said; “A good driver must perform a routine check on his vehicle before driving it out. It is not an excuse to say because the vehicle was provided by another office, he should ignore a check on it. “In fact, the maintenance department could not claim nonculpability as a result of receiving the vehicle from another agency or department; this is the more reason proper check should be carried out as the vehicle is changing hands.” Kazeem said the commission wished the driver speedy recovery, and urged members of the public to engage only the services of a genuinely licensed driver, to avert road carnages. It would be recalled that Ocholi, his wife and a son died in an accident along Kaduna-Abuja highway on Sunday,vMarch 6, while his driver and the orderly sustained serious injuries.

Deputy Governor Of Borno State, Alhaji Usman Durkuwa, inspecting reconstruction of 820 houses damaged by Boko Haram terrorists in Dalori, Konduga LGA of Borno, yesterday.

Lawyer seeks arrest of El-Zakzaky’s wife Doosuur Iwambe ABUJA

ecretary General of Lawyers Alliance for Democracy in Nigeria, Danbaba Gyang, has approached the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, praying it to order the immediate arrest and prosecution of Mrs. Zeenat El-Zakzaky, wife of leader of the Shi’ite Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky In suit number FHC/ ABJ/CJ/189/2016, dated March 10, 2016, Mrs. ElZakzaky was said to have

made inciting statements after the killing of members of the movement and the arrest of her husband. The plaintiff is also praying the court to declare the Iranian Ambassador in Nigeria, Saeed Koozechi, a security threat to the country. Those joined in the suit as defendants are the Inspector -General of Police, IGP; director-general of the Directorate of State Security, DSS; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Samson Esekhaigbe, asked the court to determine whether the statement contained in an exhibit before the court was not capable of causing unrest and breach of peace in Nigeria. He also asked the court to determine whether the various threats issued by the ambassador, also contained in an exhibit before the court, are not treasonable and whether they should not be investigated and that if found wanting, the President should be advised by the

APC sweeps local council polls in Sokoto

ll Progressives Congress, APC, has won all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the local government election conducted on Saturday in Sokoto State.

News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the results were declared in Sokoto yesterday by chairman, State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, Alhaji Usman Abubakar.

Abubakar, who announced that APC won all the 22 chairmanship seats and 234 councillorship seats, described the poll as “free, fair and credible.” The chairman had on

Saturday announced the suspension of election in Gudu Local Government Council. He said the election was suspended as a result of repetition of the logos of some political parties,

while those of other parties were missing due to ‘’printer’s devil.’’ He said a new date for the conduct of fresh poll in the local government would be fixed at a later date.

We’re not retrenching workers, says Kogi govt

ogi State government says the ongoing screening of workers at state and local government levels is not aimed at retrenchment. Head of Service, Mr. Moses Atakpa, told newsmen in Lokoja yesterday that the exercise was to create an accurate data base of staff in the state. Atakpa said the intention was to also plug loopholes through which public funds were being

siphoned in the guise of salary payment. On refusal of some categories of staff in ministries and some local governments to proceed on a 30-day compulsory leave as ordered by the state government on February 15, he said his office has started enforcing compliance. He identified the agricultural development programme in the state as one of the organisations where the order

was recently enforced, insisting that the directive must be fully complied with by all affected officers. The order apply to 38 per manent secretaries, directors of finance and administrations and chief accountants in all the ministries, council treasurers, education secretaries, directors of local gover nment and cashiers in the 21 local gover nment areas.

Also commenting on non-compliance with the directive in some local governments, chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in the state, Mr. Onu Edoka, attributed the development to a confusion arising from the directive. Edoka, however, said the NLC has waded into the matter, calling on the affected officials to immediately handover to

the appropriate officials and proceed on leave in their own interest. He expressed the support of the organised labour for the ongoing screening of workers but said the report of the exercise must be implemented. He also pleaded with the state government to allow the screening to go on simultaneously with the payment of salaries which he said is in arrears of four months.

AGF to severe diplomatic ties with Iran. The plaintiff also wants the court to declare that the IGP, DSS and the AGF have abdicated their duties by failing to investigate, arrest and prosecute members and leaders of the Shi’ite Movement for breach of public peace and attempted assassination on the life of the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, in Zaria on December 15, 2015. He asked the court to prosecute Mrs. Zeenat and her husband for allegedly promoting acts capable of causing unrest and public disaffection and also to declare the Iranian ambassador to Nigeria a persona non-grata. In the affidavit attached to the suit, deposed to by the plaintiff, he said the lawlessness exhibited by the movement could have led to the death of Lt. Gen. Buratai, when they barricaded the Kaduna-Zaria road in December last year when the convoy of the COAS was passing by. He also said shortly after the leader of the movement was arrested, the Iranian ambassador took the front seat in the agitation for his release and in the process made inciting statements capable of undermining the sovereignty of Nigeria and fomenting trouble within the Nigerian territory. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the matter.

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Politics

Group charges Bauchi First Lady on women empowerment Ezekiel Titus Bauchi

political group known as Progressive Women In Action has charged the First Lady and wife of the executive governor of Bauchi state, Hajia Hadiza Abubakar to provide better environment for women empowerment in the state This was just as the group

has expressed total support for the APC administration at federal, state and local government levels. Chairperson of the Group, Hannatu Bulus made this known at a press briefing held at weekend shortly after the celebration of International Women Day organized by Hajia Hadiza Bulus described the Abubakar administration not only as a milestone but a government that was put in

place to rescue women from abject poverty. The International Women Day, according to her is a demonstration and testimony that the plights of women will soon evaporate saying no such meeting was organized in the past Similarly, the group had commended the first lady in her renewed commitment to train women groups in various skill acquisitions which

informed her decision to mobilize women at multipurpose hall Bauchi “ Progressive Women In Action including our members in all the 20 LGA’s of the state are passionate to identify with Her Excellency and First Lady, Hajia Hadiza Abubakar for given recognition to the Progressive Women In Action during the International Women Day celebration. However, we

crave the indulgence of the first lady to always involve the group in her activities when the need arises” said Bulus In the same vein, the group has urged the first lady to set the pace in discouraging early marriage and street hawking to promote girl education with the involvement of the group in the implementation of health programmes.

Bulus expressed the group’s total support for APC administration and urged for synergy with stakeholders and groups in providing dividends of democracy She charged people irrespective of their religious and political status to shun their differences and support Abubakar and the first lady towards rebirth of the state.

Fayemi mourns APC Chieftain, Olofin

he Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has condoled with the family of the late Ambassador Gbenga Olofin, the All Progressives Congress, APC Senatorial Candidate for Ekiti Central in last year’s election, over the death of the amiable politician on Saturday. Fayemi, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Yinka Oyebode, described Olofin’s death as “deeply shocking and saddening.” He described the late Olofin as a highly refined politician, loyal party man and a lover of peace, who loved and served his people passion-

ately. Recalling his working relationship with the late senatorial candidate, Fayemi said Olofin was a politician of distinction, who had a clear vision and a huge sense of mission. “He was a man of conscience, character and courage, who played politics without bitterness.”, Fayemi said. Speaking further, the Minister said Olofin’s death has robbed the party and indeed Ekiti State and Nigeria a distinguished citizen, a patriot, whose only motivation in politics was service. “Ekiti State and the APC family would miss the contributions of this man of honour to the development.

Ex-Mimiko’s aide, others dump PDP for APC Ojo Oyewamide Akure

embership Of The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo state further shrank at the weekend as more chieftains of the party defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Former Special Assistant to Governor Olusegun Mimiko on Regional Planning and Urban Development, Aminu Vincent, led the defectors to the APC. Other PDP leaders who dumped the party include Richard Adesipe, Eko Ilesanmi, Adeola Adesina,

Ogidan Moses, Kayode Olupepe, Ebenezer Adetoyese and Saliu Ayodele. The defectors, who are from Isua-Akoko in Akoko South East Local Government Area of the state, joined their new party with hundreds of their loyalists. Aminu said he led the defectors into the APC because the people were desirous of change and new government in the state. Lamenting that Akoko South East never witnessed any development under the Mimiko administration, he said their action was taken in the interest of the people.

Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse II, Godwin Toritseju Emiko (left) with APC National leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu during Olu’s visit to Asiwaju in Lagos, yesterday.

Ekiti 2018: Bamidele tasks APC on repositioning for victory Abiodun Nejo Ado Ekiti

ormer House of Re p re s e n t at ive s member and All Progressives Congress, APC chieftain, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele has charged the leadership and members of the party in Ekiti State to strengthen the party to reposition it for victory in future elections. Bamidele, who said APC lost elections persistently in the state because of divisions, said “the lessons from the losses are that our strength is in our unity. No individual or group can do it alone. Everybody is important”. He spoke at his hometown, Iyin Ekiti, at the weekend during a reunification

rally formalising his return to the APC. It would be recalled that Bamidele contested the 2014 governorship election in the state on the platform of Labour Party, LP against APC candidate and the then incumbent governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP candidate, Mr Ayodele Fayose, who eventually won the election. The former lawmaker, who said all that had become history, reiterated that the main take away for all members of the party should be that “there is need to build a strong internal democracy and foster unity among all members”, saying no individual can unilaterally win an election without the contributions of others. He said: “The next gover-

norship election is 2018. Now, our business should be to strengthen the party into one that can win elections. It is a party that can win elections that one would be proud to be its candidate and member”. Bamidele praised the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former Governors Niyi Adebayo, Chief Segun Oni and Dr Fayemi, over their roles at ensuring that the party bounced back to reckoning in future elections. He said his defection to LP to realise his ambition was only constitutional and borne out of the necessity created by the circumstances of that time, saying it should not be mischievously misinterpreted to mean that he was out to play a spoiler’s role

against Fayemi. “But I want to apologize to whoever I must have offended by my defection to LP to contest at that time. In politics, differences can come in diverse ways. It has come for us in APC and we lost an election, so what should be paramount to us now is reconciliation and how to restructure our party”, he said. Bamidele, who said he had never been a traitor, said: “There was nothing the then President Goodluck Jonathan didn’t do to ensure that I stepped down for Governor Fayose before the governorship election, but I stood my ground as a progressive. That was why I didn’t defect to PDP in the first place, because I was conscious of my background in politics”.

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PDP chieftain files suit to stop Orbih’s chairmanship ambition Onazena Abbey Benin

chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Oredo Local Government Areaof , Edo State, Mr Ehi Osula has filed a suit at the High Court in Be-

nin, challenging the eligibility of Chief Dan Orbih, former chairman of the party to run for another term in office having completed a consecutive two terms in office ahead of the party’s state congress billed for Monday . In suit number B/30/

OS/16, the petitioner prayed the court to declare Chief Dan Orbih ineligible having done a consecutive term of eight years in office as the party chairman as provided for by the constitution Counsel to the petitioner, Matthew Edaghese &

Co, maintained that Orbih was inaugurated twice as chairman of the party following two congresses that were held, adding that, he spent four years each which according to the suit, made him ineligible to contest for a third term. “Even if he emerges as

chairman of the party on Monday at the state congress, he can never become the chairman because an illegality cannot be made legal by consensus arrangement”, he said. The Orbih- led Exco whose tenure has since elapsed in September 2015

was dissolved last week in line with the directive from the party’s headquarters. The former chairman was equally embroiled in a N500m presidential election fund which members of the party alleged was never distributed and that had torn the party apart.

Gombe APC calls on Dankwambo to organise LGs election Williams Attah Gombe

he political scene in Gombe State is getting charged as the ,main opposition party, the All Progressive Congress, APC has condemned the refusal of the Dankwambo-led administration to conduct local government election in the state.. The APC is also accusing the state government of diverting funds meant for the running of the local governments, thus, rendering them ineffective in performing their constitutional functions. Rising from a meeting of the State Elders Forum held in Tal, Billiri Local Government Area yesterday, Chairman of the forum, Mr. James Yakubu said constituting a caretaker committee management for the Local Governments for no fewer than three times is against the constitution of Nigeria. According to him, the state government has been manipulating the issue of local government election in the state by appointing caretaker committee management times without number. He said “they are interested in controlling the Federal Allocation to the local government councils so, instead of organizing the elections, they keep on appointing caretaker committees from time to time. It is there in the constitution, but they now appoint caretakers and it is time that elections are supposed to be held”. He stated further that “we urge them to organize

the local government elections in the nearest possible time, in the interest of the people of the state”. “Our gathering here is to send signals that we know what the constitution says and we know the right thing that is supposed to be done. We can sue the government and the governor to ensure that our rights are taken care of ”, he said. He said allowing the state like that without election would create problems but that if elections are conducted, people will understand themselves and live peacefully.

Senator Aliyu Wamakko (l), being accredited at the Gidan Kara polling unit in Wamakko Local Government in Saturday’s L.G elections in Sokoto State on Saturday.

Onjeh drags Mark before election tribunal Henry Iyorkase Makurdi

he All Progressive Congress, APC Senatorial candidate in the just concluded Benue South West rerun elections, Comrade Daniel Onjeh yesterday filed a petition before the Benue Electoral Petition Tribunal challenging the return of Sen. David Mark. Speaking shortly with journalists after the submission of his petition at the tribunal, Onjeh accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC of double standard. It would be recalled that former Senate President, David Mark of the PDP was declared winner of the rescheduled Benue South Senatorial polls with a margin of 12, 571 votes against his main rival, Daniel Onjeh of the APC. According to the Returning Officer for the election, Prof Shaibu Eneji, Mark

polled 84, 192 votes to defeat Daniel Onjeh of the APC with 71, 621votes. He said that the electoral body erred by declaring Mark winner of the Benue South rerun as the 12,571 margin between him and Mark was less than the total of 29,000 votes cancelled. He wondered why INEC

Abiodun Nejo Ado Ekiti

ouse of Representatives member, Hon. Segun Adekola has frowned at politicisation of programmes and policies of government, saying such has been working against the country’s growth and development. Adekola, who represents Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1, said that as much as the country is in dire need of eradication of corruption, politicians had made a mess of the war against corruption by

would declare the governorship elections inconclusive in Kogi and Bayelsa states on the same platform but went ahead to declare Mark winner of the senatorial rerun. Onjeh further said that there were massive electoral malpractices in Ado local government and other parts of the senatorial district and

numerous cases of illegal cancellation of valid result from APC strongholds by INEC staff. “We won in five local governments but because of the action of the returning officer in Ado local government who on his own cancelled our result and gave Mark victory.

“There are several cases of fabricated or manufactured results as it is evident in the INEC satisfactory result sheet given to us”. Onjeh whose petition is number EPT/ BEN/S/01/2016 has asked the court to declare him winner of the election or declare the election inconclusive.

Politicisation of govt policies, programmes, bane of development —Legislator making it selective. The lawmaker said in a statement in Ado Ekiti at the weekend: “Corruption is no doubt a stain on Nigeria and it must be fought with holistic and pragmatic approach. Corruption is grossly affecting our economy in nearly all sectors, hence the need for condemnation of the menace. The resultant effect of the scourge has been abject poverty, geometric increase in unemployment,

poor infrastructure facillities and insecurity, among others. “It is appalling and uncouth that the Treasury Single Account, TSA initiated to fight corruption has been turned to a conduit pipe by the present administration to dupe Nigerians of billions of naira every month,” he stated. According to him, for the country to really return to the path of great-

ness and honour, there is the need for the fight against corruption and other ills in the land to be all-inclusive and not selective. The lawmaker, who called on President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to stop the persecution of only opposition members, advised that searchlight must be beamed on key sectors of the nation’s economy especially, power and oil.

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Monday, March 14, 2016

Governor Ikpeazu: The true face of change and development Destiny Isiguzo

fter the PDP primaries that produced Okezie Ikpeazu as the party’s candidate for the governorship election in Abia State, many people were critical of him and regarded him with suspicion owing to the fact he was the favourite candidate of the out-going governor then. Many tongues wagged against him, and I was one of those that were very sceptical and suspicious of him due to PDP’s precedence of abysmal politics and misrule that hindered development of Abia State especially, the city of Aba which is the commercial hub of the state. The candidacy of Ikpeazu was fraught with difficulties more so, with the emergence of Alex Otti, a very credible candidate from the opposition party, APGA. In a piece I wrote before the election, I highlighted the strength and weaknesses of both candidates. While I observed that Alex Otti is not a member of the political establishment that has misused power, I didn’t trust him because as a formal CEO of a bank, he could not be far from a capitalist and I don’t trust any capitalist-turned politicians. Regarding Ikpeazu, I was also reluctant to support him even though he is a kinsman from Umu-obiakwa while I am from Agburuke-ohanze and we also worship in the same church at Aba but this didn’t deter me from pointing out his romance with the PDP political establishment that squandered the collective fortunes of Abians, and

that this factor may pull him down because Abians are grossly tired of politics of “godfatherism” and “sonship”. Nevertheless, I hammered on the fact that Okezie is a grassroots man and a typical Aba boy unlike his main opponent who is from the elite class, hence, Okezie has a better disposition to reposition Abia and he has lived up to this expectation within a very short time as a governor. It is not typical of me to praise public office holders for doing a job we voted them to do, if Nigerian leaders especially past governments in Abia have been patriotic and sensitive enough to the plight of the people, nobody will be talking about roads because we should be past that stage owing to the enormous resources at this country’s arsenal. Nevertheless, as critics, we should find time to acknowledge phenomenal leaders in order to encourage them and I must say without fear of contradiction that Okezie Ikpeazu is a phenomenal leader. Many argued that the development project in Abia State during the tussle over the outcome of the last governorship election at the different levels of court were as a result of the governor’s anticipation of a re-run hence the projects were to hoodwink Abians to vote him in a re-run, but the truth is that even after the supreme court verdict, new projects have gathered momentum. Many road projects are ongoing and others have been completed in Aba, a city that before now was the shame of Ndi Igbo. Some of the roads are a 1.7km Umuocham Road, 1.km Ukaegbu road, 1.4kmUmuola, 1.5km Kamalu Road, 700m Ehere Road,

Ikpeazu has through accountability and sound fiscal and monetary policies generated more revenue for the state government within a

short period; from the last administration’s

N500 million monthly to a miraculous N1.5 billion Faulks Road by Ariara (5.5km) and numerous others. Few days ago, my undergraduate schoolmate at Abia State University Paul Arisa who was diagnosed of cancer with other abdominal anomalies caught the attention of Ikpeazu who sent a team to visit him and also pledged to take care of his medical bills. Arisa was helplessly lying in a hospital without being able to pay for the medical services that was needed to save his life. A social media campaign to save the young man drew the governor’s attention. This kind of leadership can be compared to that of Babatunde Fashola during his tenure as Lagos State governor and Ikpeazu has demonstrated that leadership must be extended to affect personal lives directly. Ikpeazu has through accountability and

Horrendous burial ceremonies in Urhoboland

Bobson Gbinije

These senseless

burials have become Continued from last week

uring the burial, expensive clothes, drinks and dance groups are flaunted with wicked devilry. Women, both married and single move, dance, talk, sing and dress with sensual and libidinous suggestiveness. It is, however, instructive to note that in most families when the deceased was alive nobody cared to assist him or her. There is a family that gave one of the most wasteful burials in Sapele. It is on record that the deceased suffered from diabetes, but nobody could afford to buy him his dose of insulin. Another case in Ughelli was that of a Chief who suffered from stroke. He defecated and urinated on his bed. None of his children could assist. He died out of frustration. But as soon as he died all the children and their friends arranged and held the most terrifyingly explosive burial in Ughelli. Why can’t we care for the living? Virtually every Urhobo man or woman belongs to one social club or the other. The aims and objectives of such clubs are mainly to assist its members during burials. The clubs have extended their tentacles to the churches. During burials, the groups from the churches are placed side by side with the social clubs, old boys and girls associations, town or village unions, etc. They then start their depredational jamboree and melodramatic saturnalianism. There is so much of boisterous carousal and waste that you will begin to wonder whether these people have no problems like

the greatest catalyst of corruption and moral decadence,

because everybody wants cursed monies for frivolous extravaganzas building of schools, hospitals, roads and other welfare facilities in their towns and villages. As soon as you mention development projects to these ones they develop cold sweat, cold feet and the donor fatigue syndrome. Their greatest love is for this meaningless waste. Sometimes they use these burials as political campaign ground and for snatching other people’s wives. Burial has become a major industry in Urhoboland. The media is also involved. These senseless burials have become the greatest catalyst of corruption and moral decadence, because everybody wants cursed monies for frivolous extravaganzas. We know of people who have become financially insolvent and bankrupt because of these burials. Are these lunatic fixations and corybantic deliriums part of Urhobo burial tradition? The time has come and it is now for Urhobos to start re-orientating their social and traditional thought patterns on burials, to mirror what is reflective of modicum of moral moderacy and discipline. The traditional rulers in their various domains and kingdoms have a

great role to play here, by letting burial mongers know where tradition starts and where it stops. They should draw a line between traditional degeneracy and abuse, and where it is loftily lifted up. Any burial that is beyond laid down criteria should attract fines for community development. The blocking of roads for burials must be stopped and the immorality and salaciousness inherent in most burials must be checkmated. The Urhobos will be lifting up the banner of social decorum if they implosively forestall these antediluvian antics. They must realize that life is like a tale told by an idiot packed full of sounds and fury, but in the end signifying nothing. Our intellectual binoculars should be able to fathom the fact that life is more than the physical embellishment we put into it. The love of the mundane perishable and frail physical body has dwarfed the eternal essence of life. Man is so pestiferously committed to his solipsistic selfcenteredness that he has become monomaniacally introspected in materialism. The essayist John L. Motley said “Deeds, not stones are the moment of the great”. Let Urhobos begin to think of things that will eternalize their names, and not transitory and impermanent hypnotic regression into yahoo-like burials. The wanton desire for rapacious narcissistic and esurient acquisition of material things has precipitated the fear of death in man. A man who luxuriates in wealth fears death, because he feels he will lose those empty things, which strangers will come and inherit and not even his children. He is tortured emotionally on his death bed and on his way to the top be-

sound fiscal and monetary policies generated more revenue for the state government within a short period; from the last administration’s N500million monthly to a miraculous N1.5billion. Still on the economy, Ikpeazu has become the chief sales man of “made in Aba” products and has organised different events to promote and make visible “made in Aba” products nationally and globally, apart from patronizing the products himself. Aba can boast to be the China of Africa with quality productions especially in leather products like shoes, bags, belts etc. and also in garments just to mention but a few. This project has attracted the likes of the Senate President Bukola Saraki and Senator Bruce who are now volunteer marketing and advertising officers of “made in Aba” products. These ventures, if sustained, will greatly reposition the economy of Abia that has lost many industries like Golden Guinea Breweries, Modern Ceramics Industry (which has started functioning of recent), Aba Textile mills etc. due to mismanagement, unfavourable market and policies of past administrations. Another programme that is worth mentioning is Ikpeazu’s Education for Employment, which is linking education to economic functionality, making entrepreneurs through education and vocational training. While we appreciate these phenomenal efforts by the governor, he must also note that there is more to be done and I hope Ikpeazu will prove wrong his critics who have called these positive steps initial garagara. Destiny Isiguzo wrote via isiguzocdestiny@gmail.com

cause he must have stepped on so many toes to get to William Thackaray’s “VANITY FAIR”vanitas vanitum. The wicked are hideously afraid of death because they are not sure of their destination. The Urhobos have become spectacle of ironies and comedy of errors in matters relating to burials. Our highly revered burial tradition is now submerged and sandwiched in and with duplicitous interpolations, which supplies incentive to base and deranged conduct. Finally, let Urhobos begin to think, act and operate on “tabular rosa” in Matters relating to burials. The Urhobo burial tradition has been consigned to a state of AB ABUSU AD USUM VALET CONSEQUENTIA (No valid conclusion as to the use of a thing can be drawn from its abuse). Even if others do it Urhobos must carve a unique social niche for themselves. But if they insist on this show of shame, let them heed the principles of sic utere tuo alienam non laedas (so use your property as not to damage the property of another). In the words of Leonard Sydney Weoff “Anyone can be a Barbarian, it requires a terrible effort to remain a civilized man”. Let Urhobos be civilized in “Burial” matters. CONCLUDED Chief Bobson Gbinije wrote via bobsong133@gmail.com 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.

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Recurring incidents of building-collapse in Lagos

five storey building still under construction at Horizon 1, Lekki Gardens, Ikate, Lagos, collapsed last Tuesday (March 8, 2016) amidst a heavy downpour. By Thursday last week, in other words, two days after the tragic incident, reports said the death toll arising from the building-collapse had risen to 35. The Michael Akindele-led Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said 95 percent of the casualties were foreigners. “The greatest challenge we had was on Tuesday and it was because the families of the deceased and those rescued, 95 percent of them are non-Nigerians. We have people from the North and East, but majority of those we saw in this complex were not Nigerians. Some are Togolese and others Beninoise. The state government will address the public on the situation of the foreign victims”, the LASEMA boss was quoted as saying. Spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the Southwest geopolitical zone, Mr. Ibrahim Farinloye, also said investigation on the cause of the tragedy had been kick-started by various federal and state agencies. The latest building reduced to rubble in Lagos and the huge loss of lives trailing it is a quick reminder of the collapse of a six-story building (used to house guests)

Proactive measures can save the

nation from panic-

stricken measures, crocodile tears and condolences occasioned by building collapse belonging to the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) at the Ejigbo area of Lagos on September 12, 2014, in which 116 persons, mostly South Africans, lost their lives. The Lagos State Government had, late November last year arraigned the Registered Trustees of SCOAN and their engineers before the state High Court in Ikeja over the collapse of the sixstory building. The government had set up a Coroner’s Inquest to unravel the circumstances that possibly necessitated the building-collapse. On August 7, 2015, Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, the Coroner, indicted SCOAN and the engineers and recommended them for investigation and prosecution for criminal negligence. The engineers, Messrs. Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, we recall, had filed two separate fundamental human rights

enforcement suits to stop the trial. While the Coroner fingered structural defects as responsible for the collapse of the SCOAN building, the engineers claimed ‘sabotage’ was. In any case, Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court, Lagos, dismissed the fundamental human rights enforcement suits filed by the engineers, and cleared the way for the ongoing trial. With the rate at which buildings crash in Lagos State without any comprehensible physical environmental pressure, it can only be imagined how many hundreds of buildings would collapse if any earth tremor or the type of natural disasters being witnessed in the countries around the West Atlantic or Indian Ocean were to occur in Nigeria’s foremost commercial capital. Indeed, there is a long history of collapsed buildings in Lagos. In 2012 was the incident at Jakande Estate, Isolo, in which two sisters, their mother and others perished. Eye-witness account said signs that the six-storey building was about giving way was noticed at about 12.30am when a loud noise was heard. The authorities were said to have given residents of the ill-fated building evacuation notice, which they ignored for the obvious reason of lack of funds to relocate. The Jakande Estate was commissioned roughly 34 years ago to serve the housing

needs of the less privileged and help address the housing deficit in the state. There had been global incidents of building-collapse. But in Nigeria, such tragedies are mainly traceable to compromised standards and grossly inefficient supervision by the regulatory authorities. How serious government at all levels and their agencies take the enforcement of standards, supervise and regulate the construction of buildings nationwide holds the key to stemming buildingcollapse. In 2014, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), in response to incessant cases of building-collapse in the country, gave October 1, 2014 as deadline for sand, concrete (sandcrete) and allied products manufacturers to comply with new cement and block codes, among others. How far has SON gone in enforcing compliance about 18 months after, for example? Most known foreign cases of buildingcollapse are either occasioned by natural disasters or error in the handling of explosives. The typical attitude of Nigerian governments and leaders shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, is retrogressive and condemnable. Proactive measures can save the nation from panic-stricken measures, crocodile tears and condolences occasioned by building-collapse.

ON THIS DAY March 14, 1967 The body of President John F. Kennedy of the United States was moved to a permanent burial place at the Arlington National Cemetery. “Jack” Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the US, serving from 1961 until his death in 1963. After military service, Kennedy represented Massachusetts’ 11th congressional district in the US House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 as a Democrat.

March 14, 2006 March 14, 2006 Members of the Chadian military failed in an attempted coup d’état. The coup was led by brothers Tom and Timane Erdimi, two high-ranking officers, and former General Seby Aguid. The then Minister of Communications and Culture, and spokesperson for the government, Hourmadji Moussa Doumngo,r said that the Erdimi brothers were captured, while other rebel soldiers fled.

March 14, 2008 Series of riots and protests erupted in Lhasa and elsewhere in Tibet. What originally began as an annual observance of the ‘Tibetan Uprising Day’ resulted in street protests by monks, that later descended into rioting, burning, looting, and killing by March 14. The violence was mostly directed at Han and Hui civilians by Tibetans participating in the unrest. Chinese administration governing Tibet said the unrest was motivated by separatism.

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FIRS head office

Exploring IGR option to close statesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; funding gap The dwindling revenue from crude oil exports has continued to impact negatively on the fiscal situation of various tiers of government in the country such that each is looking for best ways to bridge the gap in their available incomes from other sectors. In this analysis, Udo Onyeka takes a critical look at what the state governments are doing to improve their revenue in the drive to deliver democratic dividends to the people.

ne of the major ways by which government gets revenue for the purpose of meeting its expenditure is through taxation. Broadly defined, taxation is a means by which governments finance their expenditure by imposing charges on citizens and corporate entities. The basic distinction between taxes and other sources of government revenue is the compulsory element involved. With the dwindling revenue of all tiers of government occasioned by the lingering crash in the prices of crude oil, the chief foreign exchange earner of the

country, the federal, state and local governments are compelled to look inward for funds to finance their projects, hence the increased attention on tax. At a retreat for tax administrators recently, the Finance Minister, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, gave the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, the target of generating N4.9trn. The minister pointed out that meeting the target by the Service was critical to stabilising the economy. This applies to many states as the governments at the sub national level have tasked their state internal revenue authorities to increase revenue from tax.

From all indications, the governments at the federal and state levels hope of financing the 2016 budget is hinged on taxation. Commenting on the drive by tiers of government to boost their earnings through non-oil sector taxes, a seasoned tax expert and chartered accountant, Mrs. Comfort Eyitayo, has hinged the success of the current efforts by the Federal and State governments to boost non-oil revenue on the extent to which those involved in administering taxes within their domain exhibit professional ethics in the discharge of their responsibilities.

Giving her position in response to Business Courage enquiries on how to optimise non-oil revenue potential in the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy, Eyitayo agreed that building an efficient tax system remained a logical option to pursue to enable the governments deliver on socioeconomic services to the citizenry. She, however, explained that it was not enough to enact tax laws or formulate tax policies; it is pertinent to have efficient tax administrators with integrity to drive the revenue generation agenda in order to achieve its objectives. The chartered tax consultant

pointed out that since the Federal Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policies on taxes and expenditure have a large impact on the economy, especially the real sector; there was the need for government to avoid tax policies that would hurt businesses since dead businesses neither pay tax nor employ people who could be taxed. According to her Government should strengthen administraContinued on pg A4 UDO ONYEKA, EDITOR BUSINESS COURAGE udonyeka@gmail.com c

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tive capacity for tax collection, adding that tax provisions should be properly enforced but fairly. “Government should curb, if not eliminate widespread corruption in tax collection as what is supposed to go into the government coffers go into private pockets. “Governments should work towards involving the general populace on tax formulation as this would ensure their buyin at the implementation stage and consequently, improvement in revenue to be generated, complicated taxes should be avoided unless there is administrative capability to cope with them. Tax system should be seen to be fair for people to be willing to pay. “There should be incentive to get more people to pay tax and penalty for those avoiding payment of tax. The tax net should be widened to cover high number of tax evaders. While advising the government to guard against “Multiplicity of tax, Eyitayo, said Tax administration should be simplified and payment system, user friendly. In addition, she also posited that above all, tax policies and the implementation must have ‘human face’ and that people should not be taxed out of existence since efficient and fair tax systems are crucial for growth, poverty reduction, good governance with the attendant implications for higher and more stable revenues, more sustainable investments, and improved competitiveness of economies. However, as understandable as the government’s position isto increase tax revenue, many experts have said that it could be counterproductive for the economy to increase tax without taking certain issues into considerations. A Lagos-based financial analyst and tax consultant, Emmanuel Idehen, described tax as a tool used to regulate the economy and in many advanced countries, when there is an economic downturn, the gov-

El-Rufai

ernment reduces taxes paid by individuals and companies to stimulate growth. “When taxes are low, individuals are left with more disposable income. Similarly, companies have money and may plough such back into their businesses. This goes a long way in creating jobs and strengthens the economy”, he said. Many experts have said it was not in the best interest of the economy to increase tax in view of the likely immediate or short term effect of further contracting the economy. “Already, sequel to the parlous economic state, many companies is retrenching while some are on the verge of shutting down. Increasing taxes will make the situation of many of the nation’s companies which, are already overburdened by the multiplicity of taxes, go worse”, a commentator had said. It has been said by many commentators that what the governments, especially the states should do instead is to tinker with the taxes to get the effects it wants. They could do this by bringing as many people as possible into the tax net. States internal revenue personnel should be more creative with their tax collection drive and not make a routine of going after the same set of people. They should, instead, seek out others who do not pay and ensure compliance. Many have also called on the state government to simplify the process of tax payment. In many states the process is cumbersome, especially for those who do not get their taxes deducted at source. This is a disincentive to tax payers. To get more people to

‘

Eyitayo

pay, tax administrators should adjust the process to make it more people-friendly. Perhaps it may be in the light of the above that the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, last week introduced new tax forms and reduced Cost of Replacing Electronic Tax Clearance Card ,e-TCC. LIRS, as part of efforts to enhance the ease of doing business in Lagos announced various initiatives aimed at achieving efficient tax administration in the State. Executive Chairman of LIRS, Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo at a press conference in Lagos recently said his agency championed several initiatives aimed at supporting , Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, in achieving his electoral promises to Lagosians. Among the initiatives he said is the introduction of a new twopage tax form to replace the old six-page form which is to be used for both direct and self assessments, adding that the revised form and its guide notes would be translated to Pidgin English and Yoruba for ease of completion and wider reach.” Another initiative by the LIRS according to the chairman is the introduction of customercare desk in all the 38 Tax Stations to deal promptly with all issues that may be brought up by tax-payers saying the initiative will be complemented with the launch of LIRS Hotline that will provide 24/7 customer-call service in English, Yoruba and Pidgin English. According to Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, the state generated N24.5bn from IGR in the month of January 2016, in

Government should curb, if not eliminate widespread corruption in tax collection as what is supposed to go into the government coffers go into private pockets

‘

Adeosun

line with the efforts of the Ambode-led administration to reform its tax system and develop a tax paying culture. He said in the light of the reduction of federal transfers to states including Lagos, the state government was looking inwards to secure sustainable ways of increasing its revenue profile and plugging leakages in the system, adding that majority of the state’s IGR is generated through tax collection. Akinkunmi, the LIRS contributed 79 per cent to the State’s IGR in 2015, which equates to 56 per cent of the State’s total revenue including Federal transfers, noting that the revenue is expected to continue on an upward swing, driven by strong tax collection. Also Anambra state Governor, Willie Obiano,has said that the state plans to increase its ,IGR, from the current N16.8bn to N26.4bn in 2016. According to him the state currently generate about N1.4bn monthly as IGR. “We intend to hit N2.2bn monthly by the end of the year; when annualised, it becomes 26.4bn. “This figure will enhance social-economic development of the state,” he said. Business Courage gathered the state however does not intend to increase taxes this year. This was revealed by Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Planning and Budget, Mark Okoye. “We believe N2.2bn is paid monthly by people and businesses in Anambra. “We are investing in automation to close these leakages, to ensure that this N2.2bn which we believe is paid in taxes monthly, returns to the state without leakages”, he said. According to him, the dwindling oil revenue calls for creativity and resolve by every state to increase its IGR. He said the state IGR was about N350m in March 2014 and that it had grown by 350 per cent now at N1.4bn. In response to the decline in

Federation Accounts allocation to the three tiers of government, Kaduna State, governor, Nasir el-Rufai and Ogun State, governor, Ibikunle Amosun gave some hint on their efforts to intensify revenue generation in their states. El-Rufai disclosed that his administration got a new tax code passed which consolidates and codifies all the taxes in Kaduna State in one document. Other measures his administration has taken to improve on tax collection include centralising tax collection in the Kaduna internal revenue service, enlarging the sources of taxation and ensuring that the levels of tax are low. “We think that with the legislation, framework and institution in place, we see our dependence on Federal Government allocation fall from 65 percent to 20 percent which is where Lagos is and that is where we want to get to in a couple of years”, El Rufai said. Corroborating El-Rufai, Amosun said he and his team are working round the clock to increase Ogun State IGR. He said the only way to go is to increase our IGR such that we would care less about what comes from the federal purse, which is what presently Lagos does. “At the last FAAC Lagos got about N4bn, but if somebody gives you N4bn and you can generate N20bn then you are okay. Before we were generating N6bn to N7bn but because of this slow down, we are now struggling to generate between N3bn and N4bn,” Amosun said. Business Courage was told that Ebonyi State has been able to improve on its IGR, without necessarily increasing taxes but creatively discovering untapped areas. According to Ebonyi State Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development, Mr Timothy Odah the state’s IGR has risen to N1bn monthly, from the previous figure of N150m. Odah said the improvement was as a result of economic measures adopted by the state government in order to reduce dependence on the monthly revenue from the Federation Account. “Today, Ebonyi has three rice mills and the milled rice is in high demand. We never thought that something made in Nigeria will attract such high demand. “We also have an international market which has 7070 stores; and we generate a lot of revenue by renting them out to international and local business operators. “Ebonyi is doing well in terms of generating its own power supply. We have brought the General Electric from the United States and it will soon generate electricity for the state. BC

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News LIRS unveils tax reform agenda

product, GDP. Financial analysts believe that government might increase its domestic borrowings due to budget funding gaps and likelihood of failure in the foreign debt market due to policy gaps between the government and the international financial markets over exchange rate policy.

Udo Onyeka

he Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, has announced various initiatives aimed at achieving efficient tax administration and enhance the ease of doing business in the state. Executive Chairman of LIRS, Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo made this known last week at a press conference held at Lagos Press centre, Alausa, Ikeja . According to Ogunsanwo, the agency has consistently been at the vanguard of reform activities aimed at easing the process of doing business in Lagos State in particular and by extension Nigeria, thereby championing several initiatives aimed at supporting Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, in achieving his electoral promises to Lagosians. Among the initiatives is the introduction of a new two-page tax form to replace the old sixpage form which is to be used for both direct and self assessments. He stated that the revised form and its guide notes would be translated to Pidgin English and Yoruba for ease of completion and wider reach” In the same vein, the chairman noted that physical filing of Annual Returns is already being complemented with e-submission, on-line submission of annual returns, to ease compliance by tax payers. Another initiative by the LIRS according to the chairman is the introduction of customercare desk in all the 38 Tax Stations to deal promptly with all issues that may be brought up by tax-payers saying the initiative will be complemented with the launch of LIRS Hotline that will provide 24/7 customer-call service in English, Yoruba and Pidgin English. The chairman emphasised that payment for tax should be made convenient and because of this the agency is leveraging on technology to offer multi-modal payment portals including but not limited to PoS, mPay, online, etc without sacrificing the traditional/ extant payment portal at the bank thereby taking payment portals to the tax payers for their convenience. Furthermore, Ogunsanwo pointed out that the agency has concluded all arrangements to ensure that maximum response time of 72 hours to all electronic tax clearance certificate, e-TCC, requisitions is met and failure should be reported to any of customer care-desks. Meanwhile the chairman disclosed that the current cumbersome requirements for replacement of lost e-TCC such as Police Report, Sworn Affidavit etc are to be waived

LADOL boss charts road map to Nigeria’s economic recovery Francis Ezem

L – R: Deputy Country Representative, United Nations, Adji Fatou Ndiaye; Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, Mastercard, Omokehinde Ojomuyide and Lagos State Coordinator, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mrs. Titilola Ejiofor during the announcement of the partnership between Mastercard and UN Women to mark the International Women in Lagos, recently.

and replaced with presentation of LASRRA Card while the replacement fee is to be reduced from N2,500= to N1,000= only.

Access Bank restates commitment to gender parity

ccording to the World Economic Forum’s 2015 global gender calendar report, the world will require another 117 years to close the extensive economic gap between men and women. Access Bank has taken a decision to speed up the process and have pledged to make gender parity a priority, according to a statement by the bank. This is also an opportunity for the world to take the pledge for parity as this sole action will help to include and advance women in every society. In commemoration of the 2016 International Women’s Day celebration, Access Bank aims to promote gender empowerment and equality during a two-day programme which will focus on advocacy and gender awareness. This serves as a demonstration of the Bank’s commitment to gender equality, women empowerment and inclusiveness, to which its ‘W’ initiative is dedicated. As part of the outlined programmes, the Bank will host a workshop on Gender Balance for its male staff and customers aligned with the theme for this years’ celebration ‘Pledge for Parity’ on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 to elicit participants’ commitments on helping women and girls achieve their ambition, challenge conscious and unconscious bias and subscribe to the concept of gender balanced leadership. The session, which is mainly targeted at male participants and leading organizations, would also

encourage equal valuation of the contributions of women and men in the workplaces and the society at large. The session which will be facilitated by Idea Builders is designed, to inspire men to support the cause of women and promote gender parity. The session is not only conceived to enlighten participants about the gender equality, but also raise advocates for women cause and build an army of defenders for the rights of girlchild. As a vociferous voice in the campaign for gender parity and women empowerment, Access Bank has continued to lend its resources to issues of gender empowerment, inclusiveness and diversity. According to its Group Head, Inclusive Banking, Ope Wemi-Jones “Our operations and services are designed and tailored to meet expectations and needs of every human being, regardless of gender, race, belief and religion. “As the world celebrates the 2016 International Womens’ Day we are also raising a group of men. “However, based on observed bias against women and social prejudices against the girl-child, Access Bank has remained at the forefront of gender fairness and peaceful coexistence. By this, we hope to realign the world with the fact that equal opportunity is a catalyst for global development”, she added. Recently, Access Bank celebrated women achievements under the W initiative award. The ‘W’ awards received over 10,000 entries in the following categories ‘The W Female Entrepreneur of the Year (W in Business)’ ‘The W Professional Woman of the Year’ subdivide into Young Professional and Seasoned Professional categories, ‘The W Amazon of the year (W and Family).

FG to raise N100bn in bonds

n pursuit of its borrowing plans for budget deficit funding, the Debt Management Office, DMO, last weekend said it would raise N100bn in local currency denominated bonds on behalf of the government this week. This came in the heels of plan to raise about N390bn in total local borrowing by end of this quarter, less than three weeks from now. This is also expected to be tied to the total borrowing plan for N984bn local bond issue in 2016 fiscal plan. A breakdown of the instrument shows that a N40bn worth of the bond will be issued with a maturity date in 2036, another N40bn of the paper maturing in 2026 and the balance N20bn of the debt maturing in 2020. About N60bn worth of the instrument with 2026 and 2020 maturity dates are re-openings of the previously issued papers, while the 2036 dated instrument is a fresh issue. In the first debt auction of this year, which took place January 20, 2016, the DMO issued N40bn and N60bn of bonds maturing in 2020 and 2026. The 2020 debt is a reopening of a previously issued instrument, while the 2026 debt is a new issue. DMO said it will issue between N40bn and N60bn in fresh instruments in each of the first three months of the year. The Federal Government plans to raise N984bn in domestic borrowing and N900bn from foreign debt market to fund the N2.22trn deficit in the N6.08trn 2016 budget. The deficit will take the country’s overall debt profile to 14 per cent of the gross domestic

he Managing Director of the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics base LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi, has made a strong case for for full harnessing and utilisation of the nation’s vast oil and gas potential as a catalyst for quick economic recovery within a short term period of three years. Dr. Amy who spoke at the just concluded three-day Nigeria Economic Summit, which held in Lagos, said the nation’s vast oil and gas sector has the potential to transform the country economically within three years. The LADOL-boss was one of the guest speakers at the summit organised by the Londonbased The Economist Magazine, with the theme:” The Dawn of a New Era: Fostering the skills for a prosperous future”. She however said that this can only be achieved by tapping into the opportunities offered in the industry to train the youths for gainful employment. According to her, the key to driving investment in Nigeria towards economic growth could best be achieved by recreating local demands for skills through the training of Nigerians for gainful employment opportunities. It was gathere that LADOL, in line with this thinking has leveraged on this by investing in the training of Nigerians, which has created more than 50,000 direct jobs and over 5,000 indirect jobs, using the Local Content Policy platform. She also said that future prosperity for a country such as Nigeria begins when local investors make conscious efforts to add values by investing in human capacity development, which is a major key towards achieving economic growth. “If you look at just one area of the business we do at LADOL and that is operating deep offshore logistics support, which involves drilling and production offshore logistics support operations, doing that at LADOL is actually 50 per cent cheaper than doing it in any other existing facility or anywhere in West Africa”, she argued. This, according to her means that the company is providing cost saving services running

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News into hundreds of millions of dollars. Experts also believe that is the best way to drive prosperity by adding value and by so doing, make Nigeria attractive to investors and othe people, who might want to do business in the country.. Jadesimi also said: “This is a sure way to transform Nigeria, not in long term of 50 years, but in a short term period of three years, simply by adding value through human capacity development. “Nigeria must endeavour to put a substantial budget on ground to ensure training of her citizens, not only because that is the right thing to do, but because now that the business is certain, that is the key way to lower cost. She also disclosed that in the next five years, the projects being done at LADOL will be cheaper than doing them anywhere in the world so as to create incentives for many other people to come to the market, which is part of the company’s strategy towards emerging the oil and service hub for the West African market. Investigations also show that LADOL is currently embarking on the setting up of a training school which will pool people from all over the country. These people, it was further gathere, will be trained and certified to international standards to enable them work within the LADOL Free Zone or anywhere in the world, which the company did because of its belief that for it to be successful, it needs other people in the market, since it cannot afforf to be an island unto itself.

USAID grants Nigeria N20bn rural agric fund

n agency funded by the United States Agency for International Development ,USAID, called Maximising Agricultural Revenue and Key Enterprises in Targeted Sites ,MARKETS, said it has facilitated N20bn as rural agricultural loans in Nigeria. The agency added that it had mobilised Nigerian farmers to achieve N78bn value of sales for MARKETS II commodities. Director, External Relations and Capacity Building, Godson Ononiwu who spoke in Kpada, Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State at the presentation of tractor to Anfani Kin Kpada Tifin Cooperative Farming Society Limited, said: “We are providing the tractor not only to support the cooperative society and its members in furthering their own production opportunities but also to allow them develop a commercial tractor business to service the other farmers in their commu-

Meanwhile, Longe said his association would soon instil code of ethics to stem unhealthy competition amongst members. The association, he said, wants to wipe out unhealthy competition, improve service delivery and functional skills of members.

SEC’s Regional workshop on noninterest capital market holds today L-R: Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi; Chairman, Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), Mr. Olufolarin Ogunsanwo; Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde and Chairman, Lagos House Committee on Finance, Hon. Yinka Ogundimu during a Press Conference on Tax Reforms in the State by LIRS at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, the Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja

nities.” The event was attended by local government chairman, Alhaji Uthman Ndako-Kpada, officials of agro-allied institutions and outfits, other dignitaries and members of the cooperative society which is chaired by Alhaji Abdul-Gana Lukpada. Ononiwu said in Benue and Kwara states, MARKETS II had been providing agricultural and capacity building assistance to 70,139 aquaculture, rice and soybean farmers since April 20 12.

‘Climate change, major challenge to agriculture’

rofessor of Geography, Mr. Francis Adesina, from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has identified climate change as one of the greatest challenges facing agriculture in the developing countries, especially Nigeria. He made the statement while delivering a lecture on the topic, ‘Some Thoughts on Climate Change, Agriculture,’ at the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation ,BATNF, Implementing Partners workshop. He noted that the impact of climate change is felt most on “exposed systems, “which he said include rain-fed agriculture. Adesina traced the genesis of

Jadesimi

global warming to 1880, noting that successive years since the 19th Century have been hotter, with 2015 being the hottest year. He regretted that Nigeria and other developing countries are most susceptible to the harsh effects of climate change due to poor water storage system, which he said has grave implication for agriculture. “Considering the very high consumption of rice in Nigeria, nowadays, if you must control climate change, one of the crops you need to control is rice because of its high water demand,” he said, while emphasizing the need for farmers to be climate smart.

PFAs invest 70% pension fund in FGN bonds, treasury bills

t least 70 per cent of the N5.3trn pension fund has been invested in Federal Government bonds and Treasury Bills, Business Courage gathered. To this end, the Federal Government is currently using the fund to finance recurrent expenditure. While criticising some government officials, who felt the Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, don’t want to invest pension fund to fix infrastructural deficit in the country, the Chairman, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria ,PenOp, Mr. Eguarekhide Longe, said the larger chunk of the money is already with the government. According to him, “70 to 75 per cent is invested in Federal Government bonds and treasury bills. Currently, FGN Bonds is being used to finance recurrent expenditure. If this so much is invested in recurrent expenditure and it’s not bringing capital into the industry, we are not quarrelling with government, we are very open and ready to partner with government on well-conceived projects.”

While defining a well conceived project, he said: “A well conceived project will have a clear concept, as to where this money could really be going, what we want to achieve. Designing this project cost money. The cost of delivering an infrastructure project is 10 per cent in the preparation. If a project is to cost N500 billion, you are going to spend 10 per cent of that money preparing the project and as you prepare the project, there is no income coming back and in some cases, you can prepare the project and its a dry one. “These are the issues that need to be thought through. After this, there is a concession process and you have to ensure you get the right concessionaire. Then, you get a world-class contractor who will deliver the project, which is very scarce in the part of the world. After this, there is the operational stage. Here, you structure who is going to pay for it. How is the money going to come back? And in all of these, you could spend years. So, it’s a cumbersome process and care must be taken not to throw away retirees money.” He said the pension fund operators are ready to assist the government with funding, provided the government floats infrastructure bonds to which the operator can invest in, noting that such infrastructure products must follow the investment guidelines in the Pension Reform Act (PRA) 2014. “The fact is that there are ample provisions in the investment guidelines that allows for investment in projects, so to say, infrastructure, private equities and real estates, bonds, among others. But what has happened is not that the money is idle in the PFAs or that the fund managers have not looked for those projects. The truth, is that it is not their job to go and create projects, but we have told the investment banking community to develop products that we can invest in.”

n its effort to expand the depth of the Nigerian capital market and promote financial inclusion through the market, the Securities and Exchange Commission, is organising the 2nd high level Regional Roundtable on Non- interest Capital Market, Islamic Capital Market, in Sokoto. The Roundtable, which has as its theme: “Financing Development Through Islamic Capital Market - a viable Alternative, will hold today at Sultan Maccido Institute for Qur’ran and General Studies, Sokoto. The initiatve, which is in line with the Commission’s strategic 10-Year Master Plan on NonInterest Capital Market, has the objective of encouraging states to explore the alternative model for financing infrastructure projects through Islamic Capital Market Products such as Sukuk. Guests expected at the event include States Commissioners of Finance for Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara States, States Investment Companies, States Chambers of Commerce and Industries, Manufacturers Associations, SMEDAN, UDUS Centre for Islamic Studies, Market Operators At a similar Round Table held in Kano last year, Director General of SEC, Mounir Gwarzo said the SEC was determined to deepen the non-interest capital market space so as to enable millions of Nigerians and people of faith to invest their savings ethically. He said that Investors worldwide are increasingly allocating their resources into Islamic a finance products adding that by the end of 2014, total assets under management in the global Islamic finance industry surpassed $2trn. Gwarzo said while most people identify capital markets as an important source of medium-to-long term capital flow, there is also an amazing potential of capital markets to serve as a catalyst for financial inclusion adding that going forward, the SEC will focus on massive public enlightenment and also stronger capacity building initiatives. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, March 14, 2016

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Companies & Markets

MasterCard, UN Women rally to promote women empowerment Udo Onyeka

s part of broader International Women’s Day activities, MasterCard and UN Women signed a Memorandum of Understanding to address imbalance and advance gender equality and women’s economic empowerment. MasterCard, a technology company in the global payments industry and UN Women, the United Nations entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women said the first initiative in this relationship is the launch of a pilot in Nigeria, which aims to provide half a million Nigerian women with ID cards enabled with electronic payments functionality. According to MasterCard Vice President and Area Business Head, West Africa, Omokehinde Ojomuyide, this partnership with UN Women is the result of a shared vision of a world

where women are empowered to achieve their true potential. Speaking in Lagos , yesterday she said lack of identity is a critical barrier for women seeking to do something as simple as vote, own property or open an account to receive or send money. “Together, we can make a real difference in these women’s lives. Around the world, nearly 2.4 billion people live without any form of official personal identification, and the majority of them are women. “According to the World Bank, only 47 percent of women worldwide have access to formal financial services, compared to 51 percent of men. In Africa, this number increases to more than 70 percent of women”, she said. Also United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Deputy Executive Director, Lakshmi Puri, said “One of UN Women’s main

objective is to increase women’s economic empowerment. The partnership with MasterCard will help pave the way to economic freedom and financial inclusion for women, initially in Nigeria. “We look forward to working together and see the potential of expanding the model to benefit women also in other countries.

It is also encouraging that we will collaborate on knowledge generation, advocacy and resource mobilisation for greater investment in gender equality and women’s empowerment reflecting MasterCard and its CEO’s deep commitment to a Planet 50/50 and to supporting UNWOMEN’s efforts,” she said. Under the program, MasterCard and UN Women will further explore how and when Nigerians have signed up for the country’s national identity card program. Based on these insights, a targeted program will be launched to educate women on the benefits of the program and enrol them for the identity card. “This campaign will help at least half a million women in Nigeria gain access to financial services, many for the first time, and the support they need to enter the country’s formal economy,” Ojomuyide said. BC

formation and the convenience of performing self-services from their computers and mobile devices,” he pointed out. According to the statement, the company’s restructuring policy is hinged on pursuing new initiatives and creating opportunities in order to deliver on its promises to all stakeholders while maintaining its integrity at all times. Meanwhile, the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, is presently reviewing the outcome of the regulatory order slammed on IGI. Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Mohammed Kari, said the commission’s intervention helped reduced the overhead of the company, adding that all observations would be handled effectively repositions the firm. The order on IGI, he said,

has just expired and that the commission is reviewing the result to see how much it was able to achieve with that intervention. To him, “We have found out that the order has saved the company hundreds of millions of Naira. Because of the restrictions on expenditure, and lack of board meetings, which has been substituted by approvals by the commission, they were able to make some good savings. I think one quarter of their management expenses reduced.” Kari noted that the order exposed the bloated corporate structure of the company, stressing that there were directors who have been on the firm’s board since it commenced operations over 20 years ago. BC

Ojomuyide

IGI pays N2bn claims in 2015

ndustrial And General Insurance Plc (IGI) has paid N2bn as claims to various categories of policyholders, as part of its efforts to improve its services and strengthen public confidence in the company. Disclosing this in a statement made available to Business Courage at the weekend, IGI said the money was the total sum disbursed in 2015. It reiterated its determination to settle all outstanding claims and obligations in good time. The lion’s share of the claims pay-out went to life business which amounted to N1, 277,683,000, while nonlife business totalled N714, 936,000. Managing Director, Mr. Rotimi Fashola, said: “We are focused on our resolve to clear all backlog of claims in the earli-

est time possible. The result we have achieved so far is encouraging and there is no resting on our oars. “In our renewed effort to improve our market share, putting the customers first and treating them with utmost transparency and fairness is sacrosanct. Our ultimate aim is to delight our customers and be seen to be their most trusted partners in wealth creation and protection.” According to him, IGI is investing on modern technology in all areas of its business that will provide user-friendly online processes through which customers can get real-time support from the company. “As a customer-centric organisation, we want to provide policyholders with easy and secure access to their policy in-

FBNQuest launches mutual funds

n a bid to proactively address the need for credible alternatives to invest local and USD denominated funds, the Asset Management business of FBNQuest, a part of the FBN Holdings Group, has launched two new mutual funds - the FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund and the FBN Nigeria Eurobond, USD, Fund. The FBN Nigeria Smart Beta Equity Fund is a pure equity fund which invests money predominantly in a portfolio of Nigerian companies by using a rigorous, research-based and tested evaluation system to determine the most investible stocks on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. On the other hand, the FBN Nigeria Eurobond, USD, Fund is a fixed income fund which predominantly invests money, and generates income as well as capital appreciation in USD denominated debt instruments issued by the Nigerian Government and Corporates. This means clients can invest their USD directly in the fund, as current income from the fund’s underlying securities provides attractive returns. Unit holders will also receive returns in USD from semi-annual dividend income. According to Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of the Asset Management business, Michael Oyebola, the key value propositions of the two new funds are to allow both individuals and institutional investors take advantage of opportunities on dollar instruments and the stock market, which may not be readily accessible due to high minimum investment amounts; and enable them achieve profitable diversification of their investments. It was further gathered that the Smart Beta Fund will invest money across all sectors, and investors will be able to purchase and sell units in the Funds throughout their existence. BC

Ecobank Nigeria strategises to lead banking sector

he Chairman, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, John Aboh has disclosed that the immediate objective of the Board is to ensure Ecobank Nigeria becomes one of the top 3 banks in the country in the next few years. Speaking at the Board of Directors’ Dinner in honour of new and immediate past directors of Ecobank Nigeria in Lagos at the weekend, Aboh re-iterated that the bank is putting in place various initiatives and strategies to realize the set objective. He assures that all hands are on the deck to ensure the bank assume its dream within a few

years. According to the Ecobank Chairman, the bank’s desire is predicated on its current growth trajectory reflected on its key financial indexes within the Ecobank Group results for the last quarter of 2015. Aboh said the board has a clear and specific mandate to ensure Ecobank Nigeria moves from its present number six position in total assets to Top 3 bank in assets and profitability in the country and “everyone is working assiduously towards the realisation of this goal. I make bold to say that with the current management,

human resources and strategies in place, we will surely achieve our goal in the next few years.” He lauded the founders and past directors for their contributions to the present growth of the bank. “Your achievements speak volumes. We will continue to appreciate your sacrifice, efforts and doggedness for taking our bank to another level. We will continue to consolidate on your achievements and carry on with your dream. We are proud of you all,” he said. He welcomed the new directors and enjoined them to con-

Aboh

solidate on the achievements of the past ones, noting that, it was the only way to prove their efforts was not in vain. Also speaking the Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Charles Kie assured that the Management will continue to explore the abundant opportunities in the nation’s economic landscape to sustain the current phenomenal growth of the Bank. He charged all stakeholders of the Bank to continue to have faith in the financial institution, stressing that, they will continue to improve on the standards the Bank is known for. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Brand Watch

Airtel launches new ad to boost market share Udo Onyeka

irtel Nigeria has launched a new television commercial campaign - You’re Welcome Home - to ignite what appears a fresh round of marketing warfare with other competitors in the Nigerian market. The new 60-seconds commercial which has been running on prime time belt of many pan-Nigeria television stations has caught the eye with its unmistakable objective of inducing disgruntled subscribers on other platforms to switch to the Airtel family. The commercial stars a befuddled young man throwing away his unreliable yellow phone in exasperation after failing to connect a very important call. His yellow bag which was placed at his feet suddenly saw his frustration and anger and, fearing he might transfer the aggression to him, suddenly developed strong legs and started fleeing to safety. The surprised young man pursued the racing yellow handbag until the bag, with jest-like laughter thrown in the direction of its angry owner, sought sanctuary in an Airtel Service

Centre. The young man entered too and was eventually convinced to pick a new, Airtel, Sim Card. And by the time he got his bag back, it, the bag, had transformed from yellow to red. The now happy young man’s apparels too have taken on a dash of

Airtel red as he made his way back home. Given the high level of customer dissatisfaction and and disappointment owing to telecoms poor services in the country, industry watchers believe the new Airtel advert is out to take advantage of the

situation to push for increased subscriber base by getting disgruntled subscribers on the other platforms to switch to Airtel for better value. According to some analysts, a clear indication that Airtel may be on a mission to spark a renewal of the ‘porting war’

Dettol launches multi surface cleaner Saidat Alausa

L-R: Nigeria’s Alternate Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Mr. Dikko Bala, Head, Africa Section, Technical Cooperation Division, IMO, Mr. Williams Azu, Hon. Minister of Transportation and Vice Chairman, Abuja MoU, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, (CFR) Secretary General, Abuja MoU, Mrs. Mfon Ekong Usoro and the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro at the opening ceremony of the Regional Training Course on Port State Control, Held in Lagos, recently.

Sterling Bank supports manufacturers, sponsors expo

terling Bank’s collaboration with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and other associations to sponsor next week’s Manufacturing Expo is in line with the lender’s efforts at promoting entrepreneurship in the country. The Bank’s Executive Director, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, stated this in Lagos yesterday. He said the bank was always willing to actively participate in initiatives that will encourage local manufacturers and other entrepreneurs as they are key to the industrial resurgence of the country. Mr. Suleiman emphasised that the prevailing harsh economic climate in the country, especially the scarcity of foreign exchange, had made it imperative for organizations to assist

the government in promoting local production of goods and services. He pointed out that the expo will give local manufacturers a platform to network and learn new ways of increasing productivity. According to him, “The worst thing you can do is to throw money at the manufacturing sector. The fundamental thing is for entrepreneurs to have specific knowledge that will help them to grow their business. They should know about governments’ policies and how these affect them.” He further explained that the bank was sponsoring the expo because it believed the event will help to increase demand for locally produced goods. Citing Made-in-Nigeria cables and wires, which he said have

been proven to be superior to imported brands, he noted that many Nigerians tended to believe that locally produced goods were of poor quality even without having purchased and used such products. He revealed that in addition to the sponsorship of the expo, Sterling Bank was also planning to increase its support for the manufacturing sector. He said, “The expo is not a one-off event. We are opening ourselves to the manufacturing sector; if it becomes necessary to put finance behind the sector, we will.” Suleiman pointed out that the bank’s recent deal with leading indigenous auto firm, Innoson Motors Limited, was in line with its efforts to increase support for local manufacturers. Also speaking at the press

conference, the Director, Corporate Affairs at MAN, Mr. Segun Oshidipe, commended Sterling Bank’s support for the association and its sponsorship of the expo. He stated that the expo would expose MAN members to the latest technology and products and propel them to compete on the global stage. He said that over 2000 participants had indicated their intention to participate at the expo, adding that even though it was the maiden such fair to be organised by MAN, the association was hopeful it would achieve its targets. According to him, the expo which will take place from March 15 to 17 at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, will also feature conferences and workshops

GM, Ford announce investments in driving technology

S carmakers General Motors and Ford have both announced strategies geared at taking on the tech world’s growing influence in the car industry. GM will buy Cruise Automation, a firm that creates selfdriving technology. Ford will set up a Silicon Valley-based subsidiary to invest in car-sharing and ride-hailing services.

witnessed in the sector not long ago is further seen in the fact that the new commercial asks subscribers to ‘Recharge with *555*PIN# ,which is MTN USSD, and enjoy 25 per cent discount on all your subscription on the Airtel platform and feel at home…You’re Welcome’. BC

Both have been making investments in technology to boost their role in the personal mobility market that is moving away from driving. GM has not disclosed how much it will pay for Cruise Automation, in a deal expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2016. The company has been testing its self-driving cars in San Francisco and should help GM

in its quest to beat Google to be the first producer of consumerready self-driving cars. Cruise Automation will operate as an independent unit within GM’s automated driving division. “Fully autonomous vehicles can bring our customers enormous benefits in terms of greater convenience, lower cost and improved safety for their daily mobility needs,” said GM president Dan Ammann.

Ford has been testing autonomous vehicles and ridehailing services in London and Kansas City. The new subsidiary - Ford Smart Mobility - will invest in these sectors further. In a statement, the company said: “Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities.” The unit will not initially be reported in Ford’s earnings statements. BC

B, the leading consumer Health and Hygiene Company is set to revolutionise the surface cleaning segment with the introduction of its new product, DettolMulti Surface Cleaner. This new revolutionary product is a confirmation of RB’s vision of healthier homes and happier lives through innovative home and personal care solutions. Growing Hygiene needs has become a top priority for every Nigerian after the 2014 Ebola and 2015 Lassa epidemics. In addition, the public is becoming very cautious on diseases as more than one hundred thousand kids die every year due to preventable diseases like diarrhoea. The new product was unveiled at the premises of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi- Araba, with a public awareness campaign tagged ‘Dettol Clean Naija’. In his welcome address during the event the Marketing Director RB West Africa, Oguzhan Silivrili said, “Dettol Clean Naija is a public awareness campaign to draw the attention of our consumers to the need of promoting best hygiene practices across different platforms. According to Oguzhan “This campaign brings like-minded institutions like LUTH and other health conscious institutions across Nigeria to promote jointly best hygiene practices, including personal and surface hygiene. The Clean Naija initiative team will travel from city to city and Nigerians will decide which places to clean through voting on the social media platforms. “We need to keep the indoor surfaces clean and germ free in order to protect our loved ones from falling ill due to preventable diseases. The new Dettol Multi Surface Cleaner is 10 times better cleaning solution versus detergents and bleach and ensures a thoroughly clean and germ free environment,” he stressed. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, March 14, 2016

FG targets lower call tariff for subscribers Stories by Isaiah Erhiawarien

here are indications that subscribers may soon begin to pay lower tariff for voice calls if the quest by the Federal Government is accepted by the mobile network operators. The Minister for Communication, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, who made this known when senior officials of the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency, LASMIRA paid him a visited said that it is possible for Nigerians to pay lower than what they are currently paying. The Minister while calling for holistic approach towards tackling the issue of the Right of Way, ROW, for telecoms infrastructure in the state said that the issue of RoW is one critical issue that must be tackled by the three tiers of government in the country. He however noted that it will require the concerted effort of all stakeholders in the industry saying that there is the need for active involvement and participation of all the stakeholders to dialogue on the modalities for harmonising the

tariff charges in the telecoms industry. Shittu noted that it was imperative at this time to address the low tariff and the ROW issues saying that there was need to push for actions on the adoption of a common tariff such that would allow common man to have access to telephony, get the best services and be able to afford the call rate. He disclosed that the Federal Government was ready to collaborate with all the stakeholders in the industry and do whatever that can be done to ensure a new lease of life for the consumers adding that it is common for telcos to always shift the levies back to the consumers. Shittu however sympathise with network operators over the high cost of providing telecom service to their customers saying that the costs of diesel to power the generators and other financial implication in maintaining the industry are possibly some of the considerations responsible for the high call tariff. General Manager, LASMIRA, Mr. Babajide Odekunle as-

Tong

gies was done in a large scale field trial with NTT DOCOMO; 5G Full Duplex Radio Technology with China Mobile; 5G mobile architecture for the Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication applications with Vodafone; and extreme fast 5G mmWave technology at 70Gbps transmission speed, and end-to-end network slicing technologies with Deutsche Telekom. Commenting on the achievements of the firm, Huawei Fellow, Wen Tong, said, “We will continue to focus our effort to 5G technology innovations. In the spirit of joint innovations with the entire ecosystem, we will strive to bring the 5G technologies into maturity and to deliver value to our customers and end users.” He said, “We are addressing some of the most challenging areas in 5G technologies,

with Esther Ozue (ozueesther@nationalmirroronline.net) 08059234648 (sms only)

Tips to ensure safe remote access in your business

Shittu

sured the Minister that as an agency of government responsible for the regulation and maintenance of telecom infrastructure in Lagos, LASIMRA will always grant the request of operators saying that it grants RoW for underground metropolitan cable laying across the state. Odekunle also assured him that of Lagos State government’s support for the National Broadband Plan of the Federal Government noting that it is beneficial to economic development. BC

Huawei seeks global partnership on 5G hinese original equipment manufacturer, Huawei said with global momentum moving towards Fifth Generation or 5G era across all Information and Communications Technology industries, it was seeking global partnership to build and expand the mobile industry ecosystem to become more resilient to and ensure the success of the latest technology. According to the technology company, as a driving force to lead 5G innovation, Huawei has continued to extend the global partnership initiatives with more than 20 carriers, including CMCC, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, NTT DOCOMO, Telefonica, TeliaSonera and Etisalat, and 10 industry partners, spanning continents in Asia, Europe, and North America. The firm said it believed strongly that customer-oriented innovation with an open partnership was the foundation to create the next generation of wireless technologies. It added that over the past years, it had established joint innovation programmes with leading operators, and conducted lab test and field trials with a broad spectrum of 5G enabling technologies. At the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, in partnership with foremost tech firms, it showcased technologies such as 5G New Radio Access Technologies. The showcase of the technolo-

Technotalk

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namely, the new air-interface with capability to meet the entire requirement for the 5G applications, the programmable application-driven-network architecture built on the cloudnative platform and a holistic set of the new capabilities to enable the vertical applications for emerging 5G services and applications. “In addition, we are excited to participate the recent announcement of a series China 5G technologies field trial to contribute our effort to commercial 5G launch in 2020.” In addition to what was showcased at MWC, Huawei collaborated with equipment vendor partners to validate 5G technologies such as Rohde Schwarz to demonstrate the 5G new waveform technologies. Huawei said it also collaborated and with Aeroflex, a Cobham Company, to demonstrate the 5G grant free access technologies at MWC 2016. It added that it also launched a number of programmes with vertical industries to explore the 5G-enabled machine type of communications such as massive sensors connectivity, URLLC with applications of selfdrive-car and cloud controlledrobot. “Industry-wide collaboration and partnership is a proven path to create a successful next generation wireless technologies. As an ICT industry leader, Huawei is expanding the global 5G innovation footprint. BC

any companies are allowing telecommuting and installing remote access software as a way of attracting and retaining employees. Remote access tools allow employees to work from any computer connected to the internet as if they were sitting right in front of their office computer and productivity remains high. If remote access sounds attractive for your business, here are five golden rules that need to be followed to keep your business information safe when employees are accessing their office computers remotely:

Write a remote access policy: This needs to include not only the type of security expected of the chosen remote access tool, but also rules for accessing the office computer remotely. Then, this policy needs to be distributed to all of those who will have remote access rights. Make sure that all employees with this privilege know what is expected of them when connecting to their office computers remotely. Choose a remote access tool with high safety standards: It is important that you choose a remote access provider that offers end-to-end security, so that all of the data sent between the office computer and the remote computer remains completely safe. The most common security protocol is SSL/TLS, which is commonly used for e-commerce and online banking, and it can use different kinds of data encryption (such as 128-bit AES). There are other kinds of security protocols currently available; so research what’s on offer and choose a remote access provider that makes data safety their top priority. Require employees to always log out of the tool: This should be on the remote access policy, and also needs to be reiterated on regular basis. This is especially important if your employees will be connecting to their office computers from a public computer. Usually, remote access tools time-out after they haven’t been used for around 10 to 15 minutes. However, this could be enough time for sensitive information to be acquired from the office computer if a user forgets to log out after a remote session. This is why you should make it very clear that with remote access rights, comes the responsibility to always log out of the tool immediately after being done with it. If your employees need to take a break and work on the remote machine again, they still must log out when leaving the computer unattended, and log back in when they return. This simple rule will ensure that your office computers will never be left unattended during any point in a remote session. Only grant remote access rights to those who need it: Not every employee in your organisation needs the ability to access their office computers remotely. For some, remote email access is enough. Only grant remote access rights to those who either travel often or have made a remote working agreement with your company. Always know exactly which employees have remote access rights. It’s also helpful to regularly do an audit of how remote access is being used and when, and those who may not need remote access rights anymore should be taken away. Review your remote access policies periodically: Every few months, sit down with your employees who have remote access rights and find out about any problems they have had not only with the remote access tool, but also with any processes outlined in your policy. Update the policy according to both employee feedback and any security developments. The more current you keep your document, the easier it will be for your employees to know what is expected of them regarding remote access BC BC and data safety. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Afe Babalola:

The Lawyer-turned entrepreneur Afe Babalola a is by all standa standards, ards, a successful legal luminary w with one of the biggest ggest law chambers chamb bers in Nigeria. The Senior Advocate Advoc cate of Nigeria (S.A.N), .N), who launched launche ed his law chamberr some 49 years ago as a one-man n business, today, today y, has in his employment, yment, over 30 lawyers la awyers including two o Senior Advocates. Advocates. Besides the law practice, Babalola Bab balola is a commercial cial farmer and an a educationist,, with his private university, Afe fe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti do-Ekiti (ABUAD), (ABUAD D), widely acclaimed imed to be one quipped in the of the best equipped country.

rowing up was not fun for legal luminary, uminary, Afe Babalola, Founder/ Principal Partner artner of Afe Babalola & Co Legal Practitioners and Afe Babalola University, versity, AdoEkiti (ABUAD). The Ekiti-born legal luminary, philanthropist thropist and first class brain suffered red deprivation and hardship while hile growing up; yet, he was not deterred, as he achieved greatness s by dint of hard work and self development. His only formal education ation was at the elementary school,, Emmanuel Primary School, Okesha, ha, Ado-Ekiti (the oldest and best primary imary school in the state) between n 1938 and 1945, where he obtained ned the primary six school leaving g certificate. Without the privilege` ge` of a secondary education but determined to achieve academic greatness by all means possible, Afe Babalola enrolled at the University rsity of London, as an external candidate andidate and in 1959, he was awarded rded a BSc. Degree in Economics. After breaking what looked like an n initial barrier, coupled with his strong desire to be a lawyer, he also o enrolled for law, still as an external al candidate in the same University y of London and in 1963, he was awarded an LLb honours at the completion ompletion of his bar examinations at the Lincoln Inn to become a registered member of the Bar of England and Wales. But, in spite of his is brilliance, his application for a Federal Government scholarship to pursue a nomics after Master’s degree in Economics his BSc. Economics was impliedly

refused be-cause, instead of an award forr MSc. Eco-nomics, he was awarded a downgrad-ed scholar scholar-ship to pursu ue pursue a diploma in Estate Mana age-Management in a Ni igeriiNigerian College off Tech hTechnology. The reason re eason for this, as Busin ness CourBusiness age e gleaned ffrom those close to him m, was not him, for lack of bri illiance, but brilliance, because he w was of lowly placed backg ground, who background, had no person n in the high places to plea ad his cause. plead However, upon his return to Niger ria, he joined Nigeria, the law firm m of Ayoola & Ayoola & Co where he sojourned for tw wo years to gathtwo er practical experience. The two-year expe erience for Afe Baexperience balola at the chamber was very eventful and rewarding, as they were enough for him to take the decision to sh howcase his entrepreshowcase neurial skills as a legal luminary. Hence, the Af fe Babalola Chamber Afe was establish hed in Ibadan, Oyo established State (capital of o the former western region) in 196 65. 1965. Those fam miliar with Afe Babafamiliar lola’s story sa aid his determination said to achieve su uccess in life was not success inspired by his h parents but more by two of his s uncles who openly p y

mocked him and his fatherr ffor choosing the path of educa atio education rather than pursuing the tr rad traditional family business of me en menial farming wherein most of them wa wallowed in poverty. During his elementary sc cho school days, Afe Babalola, even had d to go to school in the rain for fea ar of fear corporal punishment, but e ea each time he did, his two uncles, ra ath rather than empathise with him for g goi going to school in the rain, wo ou would rather made jest of him h him. In a recent a account, Ba ab Babalola recoun nt recounted the comm mo common mocking conversation ab bo about him by his unc u uncle t h u s : The firrst uncle; “Look at th this boy, He e is sh ha shaki n g and s hi shiver rin ering a n d yet, he wants to go to school in n tthe rains to Ok O Okesha- two an and half miles aw way away.” His second uncle e rresponded thus; d don don’t mind him and his s ffather. The father h has only one son. Ins te Instead of making use of hi him to carry his hoe an and cutlass, he decide d to decided send him to sch hoo school.’ Babalola said his firrst uncle would add rhe eto rhetorically; “what is he goi g going to do with his educat tio education? Nothing. He will com c come back to the farm, reto ort retorted the other.” As a young boy, Ba ab Babalola said he never utter red a uttered word but had never forgotforrgo ten all that transpired an and that, to a larger extent firred the passion in him as s he vowed within himself to o be successful in his studies an and never to return to the farm m as predicted by his uncles. H His toil not only paid off, he is s ttoday, one of the most resp pec respected legal heads in the coun ntr country. Since incorporation in 1965, his law firm has u undergone transformation mo m more

than once. It recently has its name changed from Chief Afe Babalola & Co to Afe Babalola & Co Legal Practitioners. As a result of the most recent transformation, Afe Babalola has his title changed to Founder/ Principal Partner while the two Senior Advocates in the chamber were elevated to the status of Managing Partners. Adebayo Adenipekun (SAN), who was formerly Head Chambers, was lifted to the position of Managing Partner. Olu Daramola, the second SAN in the Chamber was equally promoted to the position of Deputy Managing Partner. The recent transformation in the Chamber which led to the appointment of two managing partners, sources close to the firm, said may not be unconnected with the desire of Afe Babalola to give the business a wider acceptability while decentralising the focus on himself. They (sources) also noted that the move was a strategic plan to ascertain that the business outlives the owner, who certainly would not want the business go down after he had left the stage. Babalola, an indigene of AdoEkiti, patiently built his business from the scratch in 1965 from a rented apartment until 21 years, when he finally designed and built a befitting four story building edifice meant purposely for the law business in 1986. The office located on 80, Fajuyi Road, Ekotedo, Ibadan; presently hosts the firm’s head office. No doubt, Afe Babalola & Co Legal Practitioners has come of age as its business empire now extends beyond the shores of Oyo state where the business was launched as it has branches in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt as well as correspondence offices in AdoEkiti, Nigeria and London in the United Kingdom. The brilliance and integrity of Afe Babalola in the law business has attracted to him and his employees, good fortunes, as almost every first grade company in Nigeria continue to jostle for his services. Besides corporate organisations, eminent Nigerians, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is said to be a bossom friend of the legal icon, enjoy the services of the Chamber. But topmost of Afe Babalola’s clients is the Federal Government of Nigeria, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Pan Ocean Oil Corporation and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (N.A.F.D.A.C). Some

other corporate organisations who pay the bills of Afe Babalola and his employees include The Obat Group, O’dua Group, Stallion Group, Union Bank Plc, GTBank Plc, Lee Group, Chams Plc, United Cement Nigeria Company Limited, Rosula Group among others. Afe Babalola & Co Legal Practitioners are versatile in almost all areas of legal practice but has its principal area of focus in litigation. The firm’s area of practice under litigation however include Company and Commercial Law, which is one of the areas of business that has brought good fortunes to the firm. Afe Babalola through the company’s website disclosed that company and commercial law is a major department in the law firm, noting that the unit boasts of seven lawyers whose postgraduate work was in this area. The areas of practice for Afe Babalola in this segment of the business include General Practice, Corporate Finance, Joint Ventures, Partnership, Public Issues, Mergers and Acquisitions, Privatisation, Investment, Stock Brokerage, Taxation, Debt Recovery, Arbitration Matters, Receivership and other Insolvency Procedures, Intellectual property and other related matters. Apart from company and commercial law, other areas of practice where Afe Babalola wields considerable influence include, Admiralty Maritime, where he renders consultancy services and undertakes litigation in admiralty or maritime matters. Afe Babalola offers advice to owners, chatters, shippers, consignees, insurers, towage companies, sailors, suppliers of goods to ship and all related maritime issues. The other areas of practice the chamber has flourished are Oil and Gas Law, Civil Law, Family and Matrimonial Law, Civil Liberties/Public Law and Trade Unionism, Constitutional Law, Property Law ( where it specialises in all types of industrial, commercial and real estate transactions) among others. The Afe Babalola law firm, apart from sending its lawyers to appear on behalf of its clients in the law court is entrepreneurial in its business approach. Its advisory and consultancy services cuts across real estate acquisition, banking and estates, debt recovery and collection by due process of law, advice on government regulations as it affects business in Nigeria, accompanying clients as solicitors to business meetings, consultants in insolvency, mergers and acquisition and so on. Though as a young boy, Babalola did not wish to join other members of his extended family to engage in small scale farming, fate has drawn him into the business of his fore fathers as he proudly runs a huge farm ceded to his University in Ado Ekiti. The Afe Babalola agriculture project established on 1,000 hectares of land in Ekiti is dedicated to cultivation of grains which are harvested four times in a year. This is made possible by the use of effective irrigation system which is far different from the rain fed agriculture practised by his ancestors. Speaking on the farm project, he said: “We are doing this in

Business Courage

Monday, March 14, 2016

Babalola

ABUAD by being the highest private employer of labour in Ekiti State. We are also impacting the larger community through various programmes including our vast and extensive agricultural programmes such as the 1,000 hectares of land dedicated to cultivation of grains which are harvested four times in a year; 10,000 mango trees which will ensure export of mango fruits all year round; over 75, 000 fishes in the fish ponds; over 10, 000 timber trees in the cultivated teak forest among many others. All these are also being presently expanded,” he explained. As a farmer, Afe Babalola emerged the winner of the 2011 Foresters Association of Nigeria Award. Afe Babalola University of Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) is probably the most recent and most expensive project the legal luminary has ever embarked upon. Estimation by sources close to ABUAD puts the cost of the projection at billions of naira. The University which started operation in January 2010 was founded with the main objective of reforming education in Nigeria in line with Babalola’s personal belief and conviction that private individuals should stand up to the challenge of providing qualitative and affordable tertiary institutions as it is done in other nations of the developed world where the quality and performances of graduates produced will be at par with the competitive world field. A university where there are established code of conduct, rules and regulation and disciplinary measures which are pursued rigorously and religiously. ABUAD’s goals was to be a world class educational centre of excellence in academics, character, sports and vocational development and be a result-oriented institution for producing highly skilled and socially relevant graduates capable of applying scientific knowledge for the resolution of social problems. These goals are guided by the need to produce professionals who are sound and agile and who will emerge as people with professional skills and become leaders, achievers, self reliant, kind, generous, considerate and sportsman like. Students shall be made to believe in the Babalola’s golden rule

that no matter one’s background, nothing is impossible; and with hard work, one can make it to the top. Babalola being a stickler for standard and discipline is a selfmade man who believes strongly that nothing is impossible. Indeed, his autobiography is aptly titled “Impossibility Made Possible”. For several years, he was the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and the Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities. In those capacities, he observed first-hand, the myriad of problems troubling the University system in Nigeria such as cultism, poor infrastructure, poor work ethics, corruption, and legendary brain-drain. Afe Babalola University is therefore his model of what a University ideally should be, as it is set up as a practical example of how problems militating against the growth of Nigerian Universities can be solved. The philosophy of the proprietor which is also sought to serve as a guiding principle and beacon to the University itself is to “lead by example”. In recognition of this, all efforts were directed at ensuring that the University began operations from its permanent site with permanent structures as opposed to the practice whereby Universities existed in name alone and operated from rented apartments or buildings with no infrastructure of their own. Afe Babalola personally prepared and authored an ABUAD anthem which is premised on his belief in industry and doggedness as the road-map to success. The university anthem reads as follows: “ABUAD we come, oh oh oh ABUAD we come; Founded by Afe Babalola; A believer in industry and determination. A unique environment; with aesthetic structure; A beacon university; Delivery unequalled; Designed for high qual-

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ity education; To mould character and infuse knowledge Out to lead others. Proud of ABUAD; The launching pad to excellence, with determination; Faith in ABUAD’s philosophy of industry, service and character, our future for greatness and excellence is assured”. ABUAD ensures that every student sings the anthem daily. Both teachers and students observe and practise the ideals contained in the anthem. Entrepreneurship being one of the major cardinal points why ABUAD was established, the management of the University is making conscious efforts to make every student of the school imbibe the entrepreneurial spirit and be self reliant after graduating from the university. To prepare the students for the challenge of life after the completion of their programmes, the Vice Chancellor of ABUAD, Prof. Sidi Osho, explained that the university had developed entrepreneurship and language centres to equip them with life and vocational skills required to become job creators rather than job seekers. “All students are required to pass through these centres during their period of study. The Entrepreneurship Centre is for the training of students in the development of high quality entrepreneurial skills to enable them to be self-reliant apart from their course of study in the university” he said. “The language centre is for the training of students in at least one local and one foreign language apart from English language. This is in response to the increasing globalisation of various areas of our national life including labour and employment,” Afe Babalola added. Beyond creating a very conducive learning and working environment for both students and teachers, Afe Babalola, a giver par excellence, who believes that money must not be kept in banks just for the purpose of banking but be spent to better the lots of fellow human beings, has established an endowment fund which is expected to provide sponsorship for about 500 brilliant and indigent students of the university in perpetuity. He said the endowment programme should be regularly reviewed and re-launched annually to sustain awareness and take care of the regularly increasing inflation. Although, the university is not a profit making project, the university has established the ventures arm which is self sustaining and profit oriented. “It is important that the ventures outfit be managed by qualified, competent and experienced professionals for effectiveness. Controls must be installed within the outfit to make

The brilliance and integrity of Afe Babalola in the law business has attracted to him and his employees, good fortunes, as almost every first grade company in Nigeria continue to jostle for his services

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it mandatory for all its activities to be guided by planned and approved annual budgets, quarterly financial reports and annual audited accounts” , he said. Afe Babalola was called to the Bar in England in 1963. He is a member of the Lincoln’s Inn, London, a registered member of the Bar of England and Wales and a distinguished member of the Nigerian Bar. He was admitted into the Nigerian Inner Bar as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 1987. Afe Babalola has been in practice for over 40 years and is an active uninterrupted member of the Nigeria Bar Association and International Bar Association (IBA). He is a fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Nigeria, fellow of the Leadership Institute of Nigeria, member of the Body of Benchers, the highest legal body in Nigeria. He was the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos from 2001-2007. An advocate par excellence, Afe Babalola has made outstanding contributions to the development of Nigerian Law and Jurisprudence through advocacy in court. This is evident from the celebrated cases which he has handled and the notable personalities and corporate bodies who constitute his clientele. He has to his credit, several legal books, namely: Injunctions and Enforcement of Order; Law and Practice of Evidence in Nigeria; Enforcement of Judgment and Election Law and Practice to mention but a few. All of his publications have contributed immensely to the promotion of legal education and practice in Nigeria. He has also authored over 200 legal and non-legal articles contained in law books and journals some of which works he had delivered as lectures at various events. He is a lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, visiting lecturer at the Post Graduate Schools of the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan, as well as the Centre of African Law and Development studies. He is also the author of “YOU AND THE LAW”, a column published by the Nigerian Tribune Newspaper on Mondays. A Patron of several law student societies, legal institution and corporate bodies, Afe Babalola has trained over 300 lawyers and produced 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (The largest number from any chambers in the country), several judges and Attorneys-General. His experience and number of years in uninterrupted legal practice have equipped him with versatility in many areas of law. He is a consultant to several conglomerates, the Federal Government of Nigeria, companies and the World Bank. Babalola is an administrator of repute and is actively involved in both domestic and international arbitration. He owns a huge law library and is strongly devoted to the advancement of law and the legal profession in Nigeria. He has recently been elected as the Vice President of the Club of Rectors of Europe by European Business Assembly with headquarters in Oxford, UK. BC

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Business Courage

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, March 14, 2016

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs BUSINESS

Put away limits and expand

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

“In a classic study published in Developmental Psychology in 1973, in America, researchers divided 90 preschool children into three groups. One group was told to play freely with four common objects—among the choices were a pile of paper towels, a screwdriver, a wooden board and a pile of paper clips. A second set was asked to imitate an experimenter using the four objects in common ways. The last group was told to sit at a table and draw whatever they wanted, without ever seeing the objects. “Each scenario lasted 10 minutes. Immediately afterward, the researchers asked the children to come up with ideas for how one of the objects could be used. The kids who had played with the objects named, on average, three times as many nonstandard, creative uses for the objects than the children in either of the other two groups did, suggesting that play fosters creative thinking.” Dear friend, as this research proved that children who were allowed to freely played objects came up with more ideas so do budding entrepreneurs are best known for generating ideas. One of the reasons is simply because you are free to challenge convention without consequence of competition reaction. Startup handle by up-and-coming entrepreneur is as a child who could put his mum phone in water and feel good. That child action is pardonable but for an adult who threw phone in water, it has a negative consequence. Budding entrepreneurs in many cases run venture like a child who does nasty things and attract mild negative consequences. Moreover, established companies that try to run like a new

venture will nosedive very fast. Your venture cannot remain startup for long. The entrepreneur should grow and take responsibilities for many decisions of the business. The reality is that business cannot develop beyond the entrepreneur personal development. Startup period is a season to discover your repeatable and scalable business model, and change to next level. I have had opportunity to work with up-and-coming entrepreneurs. I saw how easy for entrepreneurs to lose relevance because of inability to take responsibilities for decisions and producing value chains from ideas. Many up-and-coming entrepreneurs are like children known for curiosity, murmuring, energetic, exploratory, moving, seeking stimulation, and playful. In the time of challenge, chances are that they cry for help, raise alarm and for rescue. What began as fun, passion, and dream may seems to be hurting because of challenge. Most likely it is at the point of market expansion and change that these

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The reality is that business cannot develop beyond the entrepreneur personal development. Startup period is a season to discover your repeatable and scalable business model, and change to next level

challenges rise. It is important that during change, certain attributes common with up-and-coming entrepreneur have to be put away and it really depend on the leadership development of the entrepreneur. “When I grew up, I put away childish things.”-says Paul of Roman Empire. I will mention some ideas that budding entrepreneur will have to drop off for the business to grow and expand. One: Put away the idea that you are not “vulnerable to serious risk and crashing”. Children rarely think risk until they are badly hurt. Many up-and-coming entrepreneurs are unconscious of risk and don’t necessary consider risk analysis. It was not part of the thinking of a child to consider

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KLINIC

risk while making decision. A child will take risk and the parents will be responsible for the adverse effect of the risk. In the year 2006, I personally advised startup entrepreneur to bring on board risk analyst but he neglected the advice. He saw the bad risk too late and lost about $36,000 (an average of six million naira in Nigeria currency). The new venture fund went down the drain because the business leader ignored risk perspective. Two: Put away “Coo Marketing style” Have not you noticed that a child will usually murmur to influence her parent for support? What about a up-and-coming entrepreneur appeals to family and friends to buy products or services? Both will coo for support and patronage us-

Motivational Business Quotes

here are a lot of things that go into creating success. I don’t like to do just the things I like to do. I like to do things that cause the company to succeed. I don’t spend a lot of time doing my favorite activities. – Michael Dell

business everywhere is staffed with imperfect human beings and exists by providing a product or service to other imperfect human beings. – Bob Parsons

I have found no greater satisfaction than achieving success through honest dealing and strict adherence to the view that, for you to gain, those you deal with should gain as well. – Alan Greenspan

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi

The only way around is through. – Robert Frost

Let’s be honest. There’s not a business anywhere that is without problems. Business is complicated and imperfect. Every

You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong. – Warren Buffett BC

ing sentimental advantage. To successful transit to growth business and expand you will need to drop the idea of “coo marketing” and develop services and products that attract patronage and competitive because of the quality and values. Three: Put away “Special toy mentality” Children will prefer to hold special toy to doing school assignment. In southwest Nigeria, where I operate, I have come across startups boss who rather than invest in personal development spend funds buying adult toys such as cars, electronic gadgets at the expense of the venture. It is important to delay gratification in order to transit the venture into profitable. Four: Put away “peers that distracts” It is very important to love people and you have choice of relationship that aligns with your vision and values. Budding entrepreneurs with new venture are usually social. They are quick to accept friends and family. Sometimes they employ their families either to cut cost or because of sentiment. New venture really needs relationship and it does not matter the mix because of the need to sell. As time goes on the CEO must put priority on purposeful relationships and put away people who are there to distract. Sometimes, some members of your staff will have to resign for the venture to successful transit to the next phase. Dear friend, I will encourage that you put away attributes of budding entrepreneurs that have tendency to delay the successful expansion of your business. Cheer up and move up! BC

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ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

Medical doctor with business sense A lot of Nigerian at one time or the other in their journey of life have had to deal with one health challenge or the other, and in a country where access to quality health care is hard to come by, it is a welcome development when a thoroughly groomed medical professional steps in to fill the vacuum by providing means of easy and quick access to health facility, thus enters Ola Orekunrin, a Uk trained medical doctor who graduated as one the youngest medical doctors at 21. Olamide Orekunrin is a British-Nigerian medical doctor and managing director Flying Doctors Nigeria Lagos, was born in London, England and grew up under the care of foster parents in Lowestoft. She graduated from Hull York Medical School at the age of 21, becoming one of the youngest medical doctors in the United Kingdom. She is also a trainee helicopter pilot. on holiday in Nigeria at the time. She suddenly fell sick and her condition quickly became critical. What she needed to save her life then was urgent medical attention. Unfortunately, the closest hospital with the capacity to treat her worsening condition was in South Africa and there was no way to get her there fast enough. The child died. Ola was left greatly traumatized by her sister’s death; she described it as “devastating”. But the young medical doctor’s pain motivated her into establishing an air ambulance service to intervene in the event of such critical situations, setting up the first of its kind not only in Nigeria, but also in West Africa. She was motivated to start the charity after experiencing the loss of her sister under difficult circumstances. She was also inspired to assuage the problems of emergency medical services in the Nigeria. Undaunted by difficult challenges, she successfully established Flying Doctors in Lagos, Nigeria in 2007 and she is currently the CEO. Ola is a member of both the American Academy of

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Orekunrin (middle)

Aesthetic Surgeons and the British Medical Association. She was listed among Young Global leaders by World Economic Forum in 2013\ Ola has also lectured on entrepreneurship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Determined to improve the healthcare delivery system in Nigeria, she in collaboration with other professionals set up Flying Doctors Nigeria, West Africa’s first and only full air ambulance service.“Setting up the company was a direct result of my fascination for helicopters, trauma medicine, motor accident kinematics

Setting up the company was a direct result of my fascination for helicopters, trauma medicine, motor accident kinematics and pre-hospital medicine. I knew it was something that I had the skills and experience to do

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fter graduation, Olamide worked for ten years with the National Health Service, United Kingdom. As a helicopter pilot with specialized training in aviation medicine, she pioneered the first air operatedEmergency medical services in Lagos, Nigeria; Flying Doctors Nigeria Ltd. After resigning from her highly paid job in the Uk and subsequently relocating to Nigeria,Ola was determined to make a difference in medical practice, she decided to set up, The flying doctors, the first air ambulance service in West Africa. Her journey to setting up such a capital intensive and delicate business was prompted by a death—her younger sister died of sickle cell anemia. “She was always in and out of hospitals but eventually died for lack of the availability of air ambulance. This more or less propelled my interest in medicine because I really wanted to make a difference in the same way doctors had done to her. Setting up the company was a direct result of my fascination for helicopters, trauma medicine, motor accident kinematics and pre-hospital medicine. I knew it was something that I had the skills and experience to do,” she reminisces. Ola was a medical student in the United Kingdom when she lost her 12-yearold younger sister, who was

Orekunrin

and pre-hospital medicine. I knew it was something that I had the skills and experience to do.” The fly doctor said Other professionals in the team are; Mrs. Joy Etokudo, a lawyer by profession, she oversees the day-to-day running of the organization. She also helps develop strategies for growth and expansion as well as improvement of the company’s services and business relationships. Also on the list are Dr. J. Ayeni Dr. J. Ayeni Dr. V. Raji Dr. A. Shittu Dr. S. Oladokun all Senior Flight Physicians .These are senior anesthetists and intensive care experts with certificates in aviation medicine. They are products of rigorous and detailed in-house course with hundreds of hours of in-flight working experience on various air ambulance missions both within and outside the country. They have exten-

sive experience in performing critical care procedures like intubation, central line insertion and other forms of invasive monitoring whilst in the air. Ola’s foray into the world of entrepreneurship is not without its challenges as she was made to face rejections several times over. She had had to endure several hours of waiting at the receptions only to be told to try another day. However with endurance and persistency and with firm believe in her dream, Ola has successfully steered the company upwards in achieving its corporate goals and ensuring sustained growth. At a talk at the TEDxBerlinSalon recently Ola Orekunrin spoke about the strength of women in business. She talks about the effect of name calling and how it should drive women to strive for higher. She advocates for a world of fairness, a world with less abuse, a world creative world and a more innovative world! Increasingly, entrepreneurship is being recognised for its role in creating prosperity and fostering good governance around the world. Today, innovation, entrepreneurial leadership and bottom-up development can effectively address the issues faced by low-income countries and stimulate progress Ola said! She has published her own book along with several articles in high-profile medical journals and has sat on various influential boards at the British Medical Association. In 2008, she was awarded the prestigious MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship and produced groundbreaking research in the field of regenerative medicine, focusing on induced pluripotent stem cells. She also is a member of the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and holds their board certification. She currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria where she is considered a national expert of disaster medicine and pre-hospital care. Her company has been featured on various local TV and radio stations as well as the BBC and CNN. BC

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Commerce & Industry

Tackling electricity problem requires low interest rates on credit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Omotola Mr. Lai Omotola is the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of CFL Group of Companies. In this interview with FRANCIS SUBERU, Omotola states why electricity crisis remains unabated in Nigeria and proffers solutions to some of the enumerated problems. Excerpts:

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We find a situation whereby the Nigerian banks are the major, if not the sole, financiers of the acquisition of the power assets. There are two factors with the Nigerian banks. One is the high interest rate. Two is the tenure of their funds. These two factors cannot successfully finance the electricity industry.

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an the recent increase in electricity tariff guarantee stable supply of power in the country? The new tariff regime will not produce desired result the way the Minister of Power, Mr. Babatunde Fashola has painted it. The reasons are not too far-fetched. The reasons really border on two main factors. One is the technical capacity of our indigenous companies as it were today. Two is the financial capacity of the indigenous companies to bring together necessary infrastructure that can guarantee steady supply of electricity in the country. Does that suggest that power assets were sold to the investors without established expertise and capacities in the electricity industry? A bidding process was actually put in place at the pre-handover of these legacy assets. A bid was called. On the basis of the bid, there are two factors the government will also look at. These are the factors I have mentioned earlier. The technical and financial capacities are the basis for which every company will be rated or scored. But what we have in appraising the technical part is a situation whereby an indigenous investor brings a technical partner. And then the government looks at the kind of partnership the technical partner has with the indigenous investor without much emphasis on financial wherewithal. From the beginning, we said it was not enough for indigenous companies to just bring technical partners. It would have been better for indigenous companies to bring the technical partners that would also bring equity into that partnership. That is lacking today. The truth is that if the man brings equity, the difference is that he is not now a contractor to the indigenous companies. He is also an investor in the company. Now, the indigenous companies will now be able to leverage on two things: its technical competence and financial coverage. That was missing in this bid and we are where we are today. As far as this sector is today, we do not have a dominant foreign equity player. If the foreign technical partners did not bring equity, how then did the indigenous investors managed to acquire the power assets? We know power infrastructure development is probably the most financial intensive project in Nigeria. So, we need people with deep pocket. In 2013, the federal government and Bureau of Private Enterprise (BPE) raked in a sum of $2.6 billion. I can say about 80 percent of the fund was provided by the Nigerian banks. Ordinarily, it should not be that way because foreign investors are primarily

supposed to bring majority of their own equities in terms of the capital mix, where you find investors bring at least 60 percent equity. In this situation, most of the funds were sourced from the banks. It is debt, which is now creating a little bit of pressure on our financial system. We find a situation whereby the Nigerian banks are the major, if not the sole, financiers of the acquisition of the power assets. There are two factors with the Nigerian banks. One is the high interest rate. Two is the tenure of their funds. These two factors cannot successfully finance the electricity industry. They can only act as working capital incentive. What we find today is that the Nigerian banks are financed in dollars-dominated terms. Already, interest rate has gone on the high side. Even, the value of dollar to naira had doubled over the space of two years. The resultant effects, if the truth must be told, is that the accounts of our indigenous companies are not doing well in the banks. If their accounts are not doing well with the banks, the ability of the companies will be stalled. Also, the ability of the indigenous companies to pay loans will stalled. Finally, the ability of the indigenous companies to generate additional funding will be stalled. You raised a critical question on the finan-

cial accounts of the indigenous companies. Does it mean that federal government does not really understand the financial status or capacities of these indigenous companies before increasing tariff? The federal government indeed understands the situation. The federal government understands that there is a financial problem. The federal government also understands that the problem was actually created by the inability of these indigenous investors to generate adequate funding that the electricity industry really requires. The federal government and investors under-estimated the sector. To come clean that there is a financial problem, the federal government decided to use another strategy. What is this strategy? The strategy is help the indigenous companies through the increase of electricity tariff. What is the tariff going to do? It will only achieve one objective. It will only help the indigenous companies service the loans at the expense of the consumers. When the loans are served, there could be a little of an opportunity for the banks to now raise adequate capital for expansion. But that is neither here nor there because even our banks are also into serious trouble. What we are saying is that there are two problems confronting these indigenous companies, namely the technical and financial challenges. Beyond their financial challenges, can you provide more insight into the technical challenges these indigenous companies are facing? On average terms, there is a lot of leakages in terms of revenue collection. The ability to collect revenue is not there at all. For these indigenous to successfully collect revenues, they must deploy technology. In the area of technical competence too, the indigenous companies are lagging much behind. These are the technical challenges that they have. Aside, if the truth must be told, there are a lot of people using illegal electricity. Some are

tapping from underground armour cables. Many are bypassing the pre-paid metres. The revenues that the power distribution companies are supposed to generate are not coming due to all these acts of sabotage. How do they solve? The indigenous companies can only solve the challenges with the use of technology. Again, technology will cost good money. Another issue is that estimated billing is the cash cow of the business. It is the juice of the business. Now, the federal government comes with a plan that the indigenous companies must meter everybody in two years. It should be other way round. The indigenous investors should have provided stable electricity supply first before increasing tariff? What we find now is that we are giving you two years to meter all consumers. If the sweetener is the estimated billing and the billing will rise by 45 percent, then the cash flow will increase from estimated billing. It is simple arithmetic. The proposal of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) on disputed bills cannot work. NERC has proposed that once bills are disputed, the consumers should not pay the bills. Rather, they should pay what he paid last. Subsequently, the consumers can write a letter and there is a body of people that will look into their complaints. Ikeja Distribution Company, now Ikeja Electric, has over 450,000 customers. How many people will they be able to adjudicate on issues arising from estimated bills? Do they have capacity? You can see that it is not going to working without gainsaying. With the picture you have painted, it appears we have real challenges ahead for this industry. Can these companies really weather through? Let us look at this way. We must understand that this is an industry that needs financial muscles. Two things run with the players of the industry. First, the indigenous companies that bought the legacy assets are not known names in the electricity industry. What is their antecedent? Have they been doing electricity business for 10, 20 or 50 years before they bought over the legacy assets? These are just entrepreneurs that saw opportunity and believed that they could maximise. There is absolutely nothing wrong about it. It is good. But again, as an entrepreneur, you must know when to take your business to the next level. The people that started Coke Cola are not the ones running Coke Cola today. But when you hold on to the assets and do not look at how you will take that business to the next level, there is a problem. Second, the challenge we have today is in the business model. Really, the business model is not in the Electricity Sector Reforms Act. It is the business model of these indigenous companies? What are the brands of these companies? How much can the brands attract globally in terms of investors? I will give an example. Dangote is known for cement. That is why it is easy for Dangote to set up cement factories in different African countries. Do you know the reason? It is simply because the template is already made. He goes to every country with the same template and the same team because that is what he has been doing for the past 30 years. Is it not amazing that the same Dangote is building $15 billion dollar refinery? Is not amazing that the same Dangote is not a player in the electricity industry in Nigeria? Not until recently. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, March 14, 2016

A15 31

Stock market last week Equities A turnover of 1.111 billion shares worth N7.448bn in 15,562 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of the Exchange in contrast to a total of 1.476 billion shares valued at N7.992bn that exchanged hands last week in 15,743 deals. The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 900.274 million shares valued at N3.826bn traded in 10,216 deals; thus contributing 81.00 per cent and 51.37 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Conglomerates Industry followed with 72.524 million shares worth N92.218m in 703 deals. The third place was occupied by the Consumer Goods Industry with a turnover of 52.498 million shares worth N1.901bn in 2,262 deals. Trading in the Top Three Equities namely – Fidelity Bank Plc, FCMB Holding Plc and Zenith Bank International Plc. (measured by volume) accounted for 427.854 million shares worth N1.646bn in 2,795 deals, contributing 38.50 per cent and 22.10 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 72,054 units of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N637,635.25 executed in 26 deals, compared with a total of 40,021 units valued at N1.885m transacted last week in 44 deals.

Similarly, all other Indices finished higher during the week, with the exception of the NSE Premium Index and the NSE Industrial Goods Index that declined by 1.65 per cent, and 0.15 per cent respectively.

Bonds There was no transaction recorded on bonds this week. However, a total of 4,063 units of Federal Government Bonds valued at N4.903m were transacted last week in 3 deals.

Summary of Price Changes Thirty-nine (39) equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than Thirty-five (35) equities of the previous week. Twenty-two (22) equities depreciated in price, lower than Twenty-four (24) equities of the previous week, while one hundred and twenty eight (128) equities remained unchanged, lower than one hundred and thrity (130) equities recorded in the previous week. BC

Index Movement The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalization appreciated by 0.65 per cent to close the week at 25,988.40 and N8.940trn respectively.

NASD OTC MARKET REPORT

WEEK 8

1 OUTSTANDING OFFERS AND BIDS ON NASD OTC Outstanding deals for Febuary, 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 1.00 0.50

Offer Date 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16

Bids

Volume offered Last Offer Price 400,600 0.35 983,905 2.16 848,862 2.57 128,149 63.00 100,000 6.10 -

SD FOOD CONCEPTS PLC

Consumer Services

0.50

26-Feb-16

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

26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 -

1,294,500 8,014,270 517,217 243,151 -

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

26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16 26-Feb-16

1,140,300 933,000 241,940 -

RUSTRUSTBOND MORTGAGE BANK PLC TP VITAL PRODUCTS PLC

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.00 0.50

1,000,000 -

2 DEMATERIALISATION AND CUMULATIVE TRADE IN OTC SECURITIES 26-Feb-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 11-03-16 All-Share Index 25,988.40 points Market Capitalization 8,948,177,227,216.09

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

0.70 -

Bid Price 0.55 5.70 9.80 113.00 -

Volume Bidded Last Bid Date 600 26-Feb-16 250,000 26-Feb-16 1,000,000 26-Feb-16 45,172 26-Feb-16 -

0.47 0.10 1.41 127.30 0.72

0.48 0.78 -

TRADE INFORMATION (JAN 2016) DEMATERIALISATION INFORMATION Total Share Capital Volume % DEALS VOLUME '000 Dematerialised Dematerialised 66,704,146 2,000,000,000 3.34% 9 38,700 606,000,000 5,785,673,000 10.47% 49,884,038 1,900,000,000 2.63% 6 8,275 66,963,602 1,249,000,000 5.36% 29 25,681,134 9,628,657,533 12,000,000,000 80.24% 2,692,664 196,875,000 1.37% 779,359,719 5,000,000,000 15.59% 121 32,347,119 6,753,333,334 0.00% 185,791,314 976,335,936 19.03% 177 2,061,124 110,811,770 5,650,000,000 1.96% 2 1,100 872,307 519,999,631 0.17% 69,369,303 1,200,000,000 5.78% 568,235,594 4,257,668,000 13.35% 4 93,100 252,655,056 1,170,324,536 21.59% 1,023,194,820 14,231,238,000 7.19% 10 42,370,600 321,247,809 11,829,700,000 2.72% 7 808,783 20,603,435 181,408,000 11.36% 20 534,283 125,000,000 1,762,500,000 7.09% 210,821,244 2,875,595,000 7.33% 1 400 520,000,000 2,576,686,039 20.18% 2 200 1,726,264,230 0.00% 7,138,199,210 0.00% 1,539,242,000 2,705,378,000 56.90% 129,097,505 10,945,334,000 1.18% 4 900 1,823,084,076 0.00% 106,454,595,992 16,277,203,859 15.29% 392 103,945,718

VALUE (₦) 13,920.00 17,874.00 4,373,618.22 185,047,284.29 257,649,389.93 825.00 48,367.00 5,050,765.00 1,252,959.03 56,021,348.60 328.00 96.00 621.00 509,477,396.07

A16 32

Business Courage

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

Honda NSX FRii

Adejuwon Osunnuyi

onda is plotting a faster, lightweight version of its NSX supercar that will be developed especially for track day enthusiasts, according to a new report. Following in the tyre tracks of both the 1992 NSX Type R (or NSX-R) the two-seat supercar could go on a strict diet that could see it ditch the two electric motors that power the front wheels and its heavy lithiumion batteries. The all-new NSX, that still

hasn’t been launched in Australia, is expected to land late 2016 comes with mid-mounted turbo 3.5-litre V6 that combines with a pair of electric motors to deliver a combined output of 427kW/646Nm. It uses a ninespeed dual-clutch transmission to put the power to the ground. The car tips the scales at around 1725kg; not exactly lightweight, but it is expected to take just over three seconds to accelerate from 0-100km/h. Top speed is 307km/h. The lighter NSX Type-R could shed hundreds of kilo as a rear-

wheel drive sportscar, says British mag, Autocar, who revealed a hardcore NSX could be in the pipeline after speaking to the NSX Dynamic Development Leader, Nick Robinson. Speaking to Autocar, Robinson said the lightweight version hadn’t been signed off but a NSX Type-R was a logical step. “There are places weight could be cut out. We are Honda so cost is a consideration, but for a limited edition? Why not?” According to Honda, the NSX’s hybrid drive system weighs 150kg alone, although

Audi to roll out 20 new models this year

erman car-maker, Audi has promised to deliver 20 new or reworked models this year, including the second-generation Q5 and first R8 Spyder. The commitment, which follows Audi’s previous vow to grow its range from a current 50 to 60 models by 2020, was made by Audi CEO Rupert Stadler at the company’s annual press conference in Ingolstadt recently. At the same event, Audi reported record sales of 1.8 million vehicles in 2015 following 72 months of sales growth – 300,000 more than it targeted – and an operating profit of 5.1 billion euros (around the same as the previous year), reducing to 4.8 billion euros after ‘special items’. Stadler said new sports models to be introduced globally this year will include the all-new R8 Spyder – based on the upcoming MkII R8 Coupe –

and the TT RS Coupe and Roadster. In the mid-size segment, following this month’s Australian launch of the new A4 sedan, Audi will release the new A4 Avant, A4 allroad quattro, S4 sedan and wagon, and the redesigned A5 and S5 Coupe. As for Audi’s Q-badged SUV

portfolio, it staged the world debut of the new SQ7 (which arrives Down Under by September) in Ingostadt, just a day after the all-new Q2’s global premiere at the Geneva motor show. Audi’s new baby SUV will be built at Audi’s home Ingolstadt factory and arrives in Australia

early next year, but perhaps the biggest news is confirmation of a replacement for one of Australia’s favourite luxury SUVs. The second-generation Q5 will be made in exclusively Mexico following its world debut at the Paris motor show in October. Like many of these newly announced models, it won’t arrive Down Under until next year. While a facelifted A3 is also expected to be revealed in coming months, the Australian rollout of new Audi models this year looks thus: Q7 TDI 160kW – March, A4 sedan – March, A4 Avant – April, SQ5 plus – April, S8 plus – April, RS 6 Avant performance – April, RS 7 Sportback performance – April, R8 V10 Plus – May, RS Q3 performance – July, A4 allroad – August, SQ7 TDI – Third quarter, Q7 TDI e-tron – Fourth quarter and S4 sedan and Avant – Fourth quarter. BC

some of the system would remain, even in a rear-wheel drive format as the rear drive motor could act as an alternator, starter motor and flywheel. Robinson also revealed in the interview that even in the standard NSX it will be possible to turn off the front electric motors in a special “maintenance mode.” Comparing the process of switching off the front motors (and ABS) to a cheat in a PlayStation game the result, apart from odd steering feel, is a “drift machine.” According to Robinson, the lighter rear-wheel drive model could also benefit from active aerodynamics that was developed specifically for the NSX, but the standard version does without. Robinson also told Autocar that a targa, or roadster version of the NSX is also likely follow the coupe to market, thanks its exceptionally rigid construction that doesn’t require extra bracing to remove the roof. “I’m not that convinced by a convertible myself yet, but [technically] it’s possible,” Robinson told the British mag. BC

Monday, March 14, 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 xx

Our dispute resolution system is over 200 years old 34

How plan to depose Awujale failed 37

Flight MH370: Chinese families file suit ahead of 2nd anniversary of plane’s disappearance 38

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

CJN Mahmud Mohammed

Lawyers disagree over abolition of capital punishment The relevance of death penalty as a form of penal system is generating debate all over the world. WALE IGBINTADE highlights the view of lawyers on the issue.

he right of man to life is the most fundamental of all human rights. Indeed, the right to life is a universal right. However, various jurisdictions recognize permissible limitation to this universal right. In Nigeria, such permissible limitation includes the imposition of the death penalty. The death penalty is provided for in section 33(1) of the Nigerian constitution. Specifically, the cited section provides as follows: “Every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which one has been found guilty in Nigeria”. Sub section (2) says that a person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section, if he

dies as a result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably necessary (a) For the defence of any person from unlawful violence or for the defence of property: (b) In order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained; or (c) For the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny.” In Nigeria, today, five offences are punishable by death. These include: murder, treason, treachery, directing and controlling or presiding at an unlawful trial by ordeal from which death results, and conviction for armed robbery. The introduction of the sharia criminal law in some states in northern Nigeria widened offences punishable by death. For instance, under sharia law, death penalty can be applied for sexual crimes. There have been worldwide appeals and campaigns aiming to abolish death penalty. Indeed, various international and regional instruments against death penalty are on the increase. Each year, since 1997, the United Nations Commission on Human rights has passed a resolution calling on countries that have not abolished the death penalty to establish a moratorium on executions. Although the death penalty still remains constitutionally valid in Nigeria, there has been a national debate on the death penalty issue.

If somebody commits and offence that is heinous like murder or arson,

personally do not see why he should not be put to death. While many argue for its retention, others argue for its abolition. Just recently, a five-man panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, in its unanimous judgement, ordered the immediate execution of Lagos-based pastor and the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, aka Rev. King. The apex court dismissed the appeal by the controversial cleric challenging the verdict of the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, which had affirmed the conviction and the sentence passed on him by the Lagos High Court. Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, who read the lead judgement of the court, resolved all the 12 issues raised by Rev. King in his appeal against him and dismissed the entire appeal for lacking in merit. The judgement dealt a final blow on the last effort by Rev. King to free himself from the death sentence, which had been hanging around his neck for over nine years.

The issue of prison congestion had been a recurring one, noting that most of the governors were reluctant to sign death warrants, as some of the condemned had appealed against their convictions. Already, some Lagos landlords have pleaded for the immediate execution ofRev. King, following the Supreme Court affirmed death sentence passed on him. The landlords appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to sign Rev. King’s death warrant to hasten the process. Prior before Rev. King’s conviction, the former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, and former Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan had among others refused to sign death warrants while in office. However recently, Chief Ganiyu Adetola- Kaseem SAN said ‘’ there are divergent views on this issue, some people have argued that why should people be condemned to death when you cannot CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

Law & Justice

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Our dispute resolution Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) is a former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). He was admitted into the Nigerian Law School in 1978 and attended London School of Economics and Political Science, where he obtained LLM in 1980. In this interview with WALE IGBINTADE, he speaks on the travail of two senior lawyers accused of offering gratification to a public official, delay in justice administration among others. Excerpts The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, recently arraigned two of your colleagues before a Lagos State High Court, for allegedly offering gratification to a judicial official. Is it normal for a lawyer to assist a judge who has financial challenge? It would be inappropriate to blame an inadequately paid judge whose mother has a terminal illness for asking for help from friends. You don’t expect that a judge whose mother is dying would be thinking about Code of Conduct. I remember when Justice Adeleke retired from the Supreme Court, and in her valedictory speech, she said she had nowhere to go to. The point is, it shows the sorry situation of judges. The fact that a judge could be put in that condition. I took it up at the National Judicial Council. I said we can’t sit here, supposedly the third arm of government by the Constitution, and our judges are dying; they have no houses. I requested the CJN at the time, Justice Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar, to take it up. Subsequently, I went to court against the Attorney-General of the Federation on the point of how to fund the judiciary and I won, even though the judgement hasn’t been enforced. If a judge is in a situation where his mother is dying, he will take money from anybody and lose his job. It doesn’t have to be from a lawyer. But the issue is, why would a Judge be in that sort of position in the first place? A SAN is even a better person to ask for assistance than a governor. Why would Chief Judges of respective states go cap in hand to governors for goodies for their judges? Why? I know so many judges who are in difficulty. Some can’t even pay school fees. It’s about funding of the judiciary. What will you say are responsible for delay in hearing and determination of cases in Nigeria? Every business has a model and Alternative Dispute Resolution is a model for resolving disputes. So, the first thing I will recommend is to change the model. Our dispute resolution system is outdated; it is about 200 years old. It is too slow technical and lacks speed hence we need to change the model and make it quicker. I was a member of the National Judicial Council, NJC and being a former President of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, I know what I am talking about. Sometimes, it is the law profession, the judicature of the whole system that change idea but that hasn’t happen yet. In England, a judge controls the

Agbakoba

‘If a judge is in a situation where his mother is dying, he will take money from anybody and lose his job. It doesn’t have to be from a lawyer. But the issue is, why would a Judge

involving the banks, you will notice that 80 per cent of these cases are basically on ‘I owe you N10 and not N5’. These are issues that a tribunal made up of people with revenant experience will be able to resolve. So, we need to diversify our courts and leave regular courts to continue, we need to open new channels. It is like a highway that is congested, you may need to expand it.

be in that sort of position in the first

Are you suggesting establishment of special courts to handle these cases? What I am saying is that, for instance, if there is a tax dispute, I do not expect you to go to the Federal High Court, I expect you to go to the Tax Appeal Tribunal. If you have a problem in the Capital Market, you should go to the Investments & Securities Tribunal (IST) and if you have a problem in the aviation industry go to relevant tribunal. In years past, most of the cases you see at the Federal High Court today were dealt with at number 88 Marine Road, Lagos where you have the President of Marine Court. Today, the Federal High Court has swallowed more powers than it can actually cope with. In Nigeria, we have judges that deal with everything. They handle virtually all manner of disputes from aviation, capital market and all manners of disputes. So, the model we are using is outdated and needs to be changed. The judicial system we are operating is outdated

place? court but in Nigeria, a judge does not. A lot of times, lawyers control the process because we say judges should not descend into the arena. At a time that was correct but, it is no longer so. We all watch football, the fact that a referee aggressively gives a red card does not mean he is on the side of Liverpool. This is because next week, you will see him issuing red card to a Liverpool player. In Nigeria, judges are a bit too courteous not to take charge of cases because they don’t want to be seen as taking sides and that causes a tremendous delay. For instance, something happened to me before Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court. The case was that of Oceanic Bank Plc but I forgot to insert Plc in

the heading of the process. However, it was stated in the body of the process. Even, lawyers on the other side understood that it was Oceanic Bank Plc. But, the judge said no, he insisted that I cannot amend unless I bring an application to that effect. That caused another six months delay. But, in England, such a thing cannot happen, because the judge has the power to amend the error. The model used in England is called the Case Management System. So, that is the first cause of delays in our courts, because judges are not in charge of cases filed before them. The second is the fact that the nature of disputes is so diverse that the regular courts can no longer cope. If you looked at the cases

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, March 14, 2016

system is over 200 years old

and needs to be updated.

Do you agree that some senior lawyers are causing obstruction in the process of criminal prosecution? It’s not true, a judge is the master of the court, I cannot see how any SAN can control a judge. I don’t understand it, how can that be? But you see, the problem is, again tied to what I was just saying, the best practice. Adjudication of course started in the United Kingdom where the notion that a judge was completely impartial and therefore does not descend into the arena was conventional wisdom. That wisdom has since disappeared, the judge of course, descended, he won’t take nonsense. If you’re absolutely talking rubbish, the judge said to you “you’re talking rubbish” then you say he is biased, no. The judge is a master of his court and I know of a judge who was my classmate who in my view is the best procedural judge in Nigeria today. He reads the file and he will make up his mind, if you don’t have a case, you don’t have a case and he is not going to listen to you, then, you can appeal. If I was the judge and you’re in my court wasting my time, I will not listen to you. So long as I am doing it without fear or favour, without influence, without motivation. You brought a charge that is fundamentally defective, you want an adjournment, I would strike out the charge. A judge must take bold decisions. So, it’s not true that Senior Advocates control the process, what is true is that some judges are intimidated by SAN. The case speaks for itself; the notion of a Senior Advocates being sought after is misplaced. I have seen many young junior lawyers who were able to hold their own and do well in front of an impartial, unbiased judge who is prepared to listen to the facts and the law. So when the Senior Advocate is circumventing the procedure, it means that the judge has subverted his authority to the Senior Advocate and has lost control. Senior Advocate does not control the judge, the judge controls Senior Advocate. What is your take on the state of the economy?

When I gave a presentation during an oil subsidy and sat close to the former Minister of Finance, Okonjo-Iweala, I told her that I cannot understand what government was talking about. There are 43 value changes in the oil industry and 43 persons are benefiting from it but no Nigerian is involved in it. So, why should we put all our resources in foreign banks to the detriment and exclusion of Nigerian banks? So, you can see that the leakage is massive. At times, I get so angry the way things are being done in this country. Money is just running away from the country and government seems not to be noticing it. It baffles me. How do we move the economy forward? Government of Nigeria’s economic policy is still developing, but there are critical Milestones. The federal government is running a very stringent economic policy (strict monetarism). The highlight so far seems to be plugging leaks and cutting budget in order to boost the anti-corruption campaign. Treasury Single Account, TSA is another definitive Milestone. Over N3trn. has been saved so far. The challenge is how to move from austerity to stimulus. Anti-corruption is yielding results as huge monies are being returned; TSA has led to massive saving of over N3trn , but the question remains how do we use these milestones to stimulate the economy? This would involve limiting the role of CBN and creating a Financial Services Agency, FSA. CBN is currently overburdened. CBN should focus on lending, interest rate and exchange. Tied to FSS is the role of CBN in keeping inflation in check. Nigeria is technically in recession with her 10% growth rate dramatically reduced to 3%. To carry out QE, central banks create money by buying securities, such as government bonds from banks, with electronic cash that did not exist before. The new money swells the size of bank reserves in the economy by the quantity of assets purchased, hence “quantitative” easing. Like lowering interest rates, QE is supposed to stimulate the economy by encouraging

Agbakoba

In Nigeria, judges are a bit too courteous not to take charge of cases because they don’t want to be seen as taking sides and that causes a tremendous delay. banks to make more loans. The idea is that banks take the new money and buy assets to replace the ones they have sold to the central bank. That raises stock prices and lowers interest rates, which in turn boosts investment. If we get the FSS right, job creation and stimulating small businesses would naturally fall in place. Jobs can only be created when we have a vibrant manufacturing and real sector. Currently, the manufactory sector is in a comatose state with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria constantly complaining of the need to reduce the cost of doing business. Small businesses are hindered because of absence of capital: they cannot easily access loans from banks. Interest rates are high and banks are shy to lend because of the problem of bad debts, exacerbated by inefficient regulatory environment. Public Sector Economy is not properly defined in Nigeria. Whilst Nigeria’s state owned Public Enterprises are often ineffective, China’s Model appears very effective. The privatization escape route that Nigeria is often eager to employ has not been successful. In fact, none of the privatized entities in Nigeria could serve as a model. It is urgent therefore, that Nigeria reviews her Public/ Private Economy. Government must control the overarching sectors of the economy. There is need for a strong Public/Private Sector Framework. It is important that despite current challenges, Nigeria is still rated as the 20th largest economy in the world. Reviewing Nigeria’s public/private economy would go a long a way in turning potentials into reality and move the economy forward.

Do you support devaluation? The choice here is between regulation and deregulation. The regulation logic would encourage the CBN to dictate the exchange value, in this case devalue it. This is the position favoured by IMF. The contrary view, which I feel is more reasonable, is to deregulate the environment and allow market forces to determine the exchange value. Also tied to this is that the CBN should allow free flow of forex. CBN should expand the space and allow all Nigerians to participate in this. Currently, the centralized system on this issue excludes critical stakeholders from Dangote to the ‘Mallam’ on the Street. The problem with Forex is that CBN does not have enough, but if we expand the space, we would be surprised that many Nigerians can participate and increase the stock. All that is needed is to create a legal framework to encourage this participation, subject to money laundering rules. Since the price of crude oil has nosedived, don’t you think it is time for diversification. This is already notorious in the face of the post oil economy that we are witnessing. The roadblock, however, is the massive infrastructural deficit to serve as a backbone. We must return to ‘Receivable Financing Option’. The proposal that Nigeria pledges her oil to receive loan from countries like China, should be revisited. We need to fill our huge deficit gap by receivable financing. It is only such huge receipt of funds that could plug the serious infrastructural deficit that impede diversification in Nigeria.

Law & Justice

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

‘Our constitution okays death penalty’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

create life. But the essence of punishment is to serve as deterrent, so that people will not commit crime and get away with it. Imagine an armed robber who derives pleasure in taking the life of others. When he is caught and sentenced, some will say he should not be killed because life is precious. Is that fair? He takes other peoples life, why should he be afraid to die?. If somebody commits and offence that is heinous like murder or arson, I personally do not see why he should not be put to death. This is because if people are not punished for the offence committed it will emboldened them to commit more heinous crimes’’. However, death sentence should be used sparingly only for heinous crimes like murder’’. But a law lecturer at the University of Lagos, Professor Akin Ibidapo-Obe, had called for the abolition of death penalty in Nigeria in a paper titled: ‘Jurisprudential Review of Death Penalty under Regional and International Human Rights Instruments: Implications for Nigeria’’. While explaining how the death penalty had moved, over the years: from the retributive stage, to rehabilitation, to deterrence, and now to restorative justice; Ibidapo-Obe stated that the ruling class had continually used it to “take care” of their enemies. “Over time, there has been a rampant use and abuse by the powers that be to advance their hegemony over their enemies.” A Lagos- based lawyer, Mr. Ike Uko agrees that ‘’ Capital punishment is no longer fashionable and most jurisdictions are abolishing it for at the end it serves no good. The constitution of Nigeria grants right to life and gives exceptions when life can be taken including as punishment for capital offences like murder and treason. However, mistakes

Ike Uko

Adetola- Kaseem, SAN

Capital punishment is no longer fashionable and most jurisdictions are abolishing it for at the end it serves no good.

could be made in the court of trial and when a wrong man is killed through faulty judicial process the life cannot be restored. Most religions abhor shedding of blood in error. Most of these governors may be afraid of the spiritual consequences of shedding innocent blood in error and so they play safe by avoidance. We should find an alternative to capital punishment for it is not the answer to crime. Firing squad could not stop armed robbery and drug trafficking. The Human Rights Law Service (HURILAWS) strongly opposes the death penalty and maintains that the death penalty is contrary to the very essence of the notions of human dignity and liberty and statistics have shown that it has no deterrent effect whatsoever. The irreversibility of the death penalty contradicts the idea that criminals can be rehabilitated and resocialised and for this reason, contradicts the notion of

freedom and dignity. Our unpredictable and error-prone criminal justice system presents a “clear and present danger” that innocent citizens may be executed and makes it imperative that alternatives be sought and we propose life sentence. The death penalty is nothing but a remnant of an old system based on vengeance that he who has taken a life should suffer from the same fate. Justice has risen above such a traditional notion of punishment by adopting a principle of a symbolic, yet proportional sanction for the harm done; life imprisonment, fines, etc. The evolution of international law tends towards the abolition of the death penalty. The Rome statute of the international criminal court and the UN Security Council resolutions establishing the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda do not provide for the death

didn’t have a dime.

Unfit words to hear

Bar

Jokes

Brainless lawyers

A woman was being questioned in a court trial involving slander. “Please repeat the slanderous statements you heard, exactly as you heard them,” instructed the lawyer. The witness hesitated. “But they are unfit for any respectable person to hear,” she protested. “Then,” said the attorney, “just whisper them to the judge.”

Fight to win a case

A junior partner in a law firm was sent to a far away country In a murder trial, the defence attorney was cross-examto represent a long-term client accused of robbery. After days ining the coroner: “Before you signed the death certificate, did you take of trial, the case was won, the client acquitted and released. Excited about his success, the attorney e-mailed the firm: the pulse, listen to the heart or check for breathing?” “Justice prevailed.” “No.” The senior partner replied in haste, “Appeal immediately.” “So, when you signed the death certificate, you weren’t Stupid attorneys sure the man was dead, were you?” A lawyer was on his cell phone, calling a locksmith. “Well, the man’s brain was in a jar on my desk, but I sup“I locked my keys in my sports car!” said the nervous lawpose he could have still been practising law for a living. yer. Free advice at social affairs? “No problem, I should be there in about an hour,” replied A doctor and a lawyer were attending a cocktail party when the doctor was approached by a man who asked ad- the locksmith. “Do you think you can make it a little sooner?” pleaded the vice on how to handle his ulcer. The doctor mumbled some medical advice, then turned to the lawyer and remarked, lawyer. “My top is down and it’s starting to rain.” Witness’s testimony “I never know how to handle the situation when I’m asked A witness to an automobile accident was testifying. The folfor medical advice during a social function. Is it acceptable to send a bill for such advice?” The lawyer replied that it lowing exchange took place between the lawyer and the witness: was certainly acceptable to do so. The lawyer: “Did you actually see the accident?” The next day, the doctor sent the ulcer-stricken man a The witness: “Yes, sir.” bill. The lawyer also sent one to the doctor. The lawyer: “How far away were you when the accident You won’t go to jail A man who had been caught embezzling millions from happened?” The witness: “Thirty-one feet, six and one quarter inches.” his employer went to a lawyer seeking defense. He didn’t The lawyer (thinking he’d trap the witness): “Well, sir, will want to go to jail. But his lawyer told him, “Don’t worry. You’ll never have to go to jail with all that money.” And the you tell the jury how you knew it was exactly that distance?” Culled from Lawyers’ jokes- ahajokes.com lawyer was right. When the man was sent to prison, he

penalty in the range of sanctions. Specific international and regional instruments have been adopted which aims to abolish capital punishment. In his view, the founder of Crusade for Justice, Richard Nwankwo said ‘’ the issue of death punishment is an international challenge because there have been a lot of agitations for the abolition of capital punishment but we must also appreciate the fact that that agitation has not taken root or succeeded in Nigeria and as the law stands today, capital punishment is also recognised within the provisions of the constitution. ‘’I do not think there is anything esoteric about the conviction of Rev. King because I believe that he had an exceedingly fair trial from the Magistrate Court to the High Court to the Court of Appeal down to the Supreme Court, we must also appreciate the fact that justice is not for the lowly alone, that if you run foul of the law irrespective of your social pedigree, your religious pedigree or your intellectual pedigree that you must be subjected to the strict provisions of the laws of the land and that is what has happened in Rev. King’s case. It is unfortunate that he is convicted, it is also unfortunate that the Court of Appeal upheld the decision, it is also sad that the Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal but we must appreciate the fact that there was absolute compliance with due process in his case and that having being found guilty of all the tripartite platforms as far as justice delivery is concerned in Nigeria that it will be morally reprehensible for anybody to make a sarcastic comment about that judgment. The danger in the non-implementation of the death penalty is that it has also compounded the problem in Nigerian prisons, which is already suffering from congestion,

legal tips

Pre-Trial Conference

Pre-Trial Conference is a procedure that is part of the case management and functions of a judge. It is a mandatory procedure in some state judiciaries which must be put in motion by the claimant. It is a case-management mechanism that enables the pre-trial judge to assume adequate control over the proceedings preparatory to trial. This procedure is now available in the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules of various States in Nigeria. Commencement of PreTrial Conference *It is commenced by the claimant applying for pre-trial conference by filing a specified form. If the claimant does not apply, the defendant may apply, or apply that the case be dismissed. *When the application is granted, the pre-trial judge shall issue two forms- (a) Pretrial Conference Notice and

Bar

(b) Pre-trial Information Sheet. Purposes of Pre-trial Conference *Pre-trial Conference is meant for the following purposes; 1. Promoting amicable settlement of the case or adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). 2. Disposal of matters that can be dealt with on interlocutory application and 3. Giving such directions as to the future of the case or suit as appeared best for the expeditious and economic disposal of the case. *In Lagos State, the pretrial conference usually last within a period of three months. Written by Francis Famoroti, Head, Judiciary. We welcome feedback and reactions from readers via our email: nationalmirrorlaw@ yahoo.com

Jokes

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice

Monday, March 14, 2016

How plan to depose Awujale failed

Second Republic Governor of Ogun State, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, purported to depose the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona in 1981 under a controversial Chiefs’ Law. The attempt, however failed as the paramount Ijebu monarch won the legal battle to remain on the throne. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary writes.

FAMOUS CASES

ba Sikiru Kayode Adetona was born to the Anikinaiya 1 Ogbagba Royal family of Ijebu Ode in Nigeria on May 10, 1934. His father was Prince Rufai Adetona, whilst his mother was Alhaja Ajibabi Adetona (nee Onashile). His mother hailed from Ijebu Igbo. According to historical accounts, Adetona was nominated by his father to become the 58th Awujale of Ijebuland in 1960. The nomination was well received without any iota of doubt by the entire citizenry that Prince Sikiru Kayode Adetona was the right choice of the people. As a 26 year-old young prince, he was pursuing further studies in accountancy in the United Kingdom when he was named the King-elect in January 1960. By a letter dated January 4, 1960 referenced CB. 4 1/333, the Permanent Secretary in the Western Region Ministry of Local Government conveyed to the Local Government Adviser in Ijebu Ode approval of the Western Region Governor in Council, the appointment of Prince Sikiru Kayode Adetona as the Awujale of Ijebuland with effect from that date (January 4, 1960). In effect, Sikiru Adetona Ogbagba ll ascended the throne of his forbearers 53 years ago. The first 25years of his reign in 1985 was celebrated after the deluge of political persecution of the monarch by the then Ogun State Government under the leadership of the late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo. Specifically, while he was about 21 years in office, the state government was uncomfortable with him, hence, it plotted his deposition. The plot was hatched in such a way that his purported removal would receive the nod of the Ogun State House of Assembly. It was learnt that the general agreement by the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the ruling party in the state at the time was that the House would pass the required Bill already prepared for the planned removal of the Awujale from the throne. Part of the plan was that all the readings from the first to the third would be rushed through the parliamentary process including that of the Committee of the Whole on the same day and the final passage would be effected for the governor to sign into law the Chiefs’ Law Cap 23. But the planned assault on the institution of the Ijebuland monarchy and the occupier of the office, Oba Adetona collapsed the moment some legislators arrived at the Assembly building to attempt giving the Bill its first reading. In fact, part of the plot was to seek the state High Court’s nod in giving its approval to the old Western Region of Nigeria Chieftaincy Laws of 1958 that it was applicable to the state because Ogun State was an integral part of the old Western region when the law was promulgated. Interestingly, the strategic Bill for legislation which lay in the Assembly had

The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Adetona

The late Second Republic Governor of Ogun State, Onabanjo

Specifically, while the Awujale was about 21 years in office, the state government was uncomfortable with him, hence, it plotted his deposition. collapsed and the news from the court delivered by the then state Attorney General, late Chief Akinola Adaramaja further made the Bill unnecessary. It was obvious that the 1979 Constitution of Nigeria during the Second republic would render the Chiefs Law of Western Nigeria of 1958 a nullity. With these facts at his disposal, the Awujale quickly challenged the decision of state government that suspended him from office and asked the federal appellate court to prevent the state government from installing a new Awujale until the challenge of his suspension from office was finally disposed by the court. The prayers were all granted. The matter dragged on for about four years till when the military coup led by General Muhammadu Buhari occurred on December 31, 1983; the last day of the year. The coup changed the whole picture of events and the coup d’etat, upset whatever plans the state government had in its deposition efforts of the Awujale. Eventually, the Oladipo Diya military administration in Ogun State had inherited the legal tussle between the Awujale and the state government. The case had to be settled as early as possible because the Buhari/ Tunde Idiagbon military junta’s policy was to abandon the politicians and rule the country by relating with the traditional rulers.

That policy pre-supposed that the paramount monarchs were very important in the scheme of Buhari’s government. According to sources, the Buhari’s policy suddenly became the determinant of the situation and would expect the Diya administration to discontinue with the case and withdraw it in favour of Awujale . The state administration did not do that, it went ahead to defend the position of Onabanjo’s government and lost. Justice Kolawole presided over the case and concluded that the Western Nigeria’s Chief Law of 1958 could not be used to depose the Awujale because the Nigerian constitution of that time gave every individual, including the traditional monarchs, the human rights which the Chiefs Law denied them. He also concluded that if the Bill the legislators had initially rendered untenable in the House of Assembly had been passed into law, the new law would have impeded Awujale’s effort to return to the throne of his forebears. The court in its final judgement declared that the Awujale of Ijebuland should be reinstated to his position as the only Awujale of Ijebuland who was installed in 1960. After the verdict, the Awujale was reported to have told the state government that an appeal by the Ogun state government might not be necessary because he could unilaterally offer to resign as the Awujale, since God

had given him the victory over all conceived evil. In a 275-page autobiography titled: “AWUJALE” published to commemorate his 50 years coronation in 2010, the Oba unfolded some revelations about his experiences in life since he ascended the throne. If the then state government had succeeded with its plan, the Awujale would have experienced what the former Alake of Egbaland, Oba Ladapo Ademola suffered between 1948 and 1950 when he had to abdicate the throne for about two years following the invasion of his palace by members of an influential market women association. Mention can also be made of the late Oba Olateru Olagbegi ll of Owo, whose reign was terminated for 25 years by the Western region government. During the period Oba Olawale Ogunoye was installed into office. However, following Ogunoye’s death, Olagbegi who was on exile in Lagos returned to the Olowo throne in Ondo State. In the North, former Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki, had suffered humiliation under the military era when he was removed from office by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha’s administration. Today, the Awujale and all other traditional monarchs in Yoruba land and Nigeria as a whole are still very relevant to the development of their people and the preservation of their cultures. The 81 yearold Awujale , has gone back to school. He was quoted to have said he desired to make history as the nation’s oldest monarch to bag a degree in Law while still on the throne. He is currently undergoing the programme at the National Open University of Nigeria at Awa-Ijebu Study Centre.

Law & Justice

Monday, March 14, 2016

Mentally ill woman not guilty of spouse’s murder

woman with a mental illness who killed her husband with an axe will live in the community under a lifetime supervision order after a judge spared her a jail term. According to the BBC News, Lucia Colella, 75, stabbed and bludgeoned to death her husband, 76-yearold Antonio Colella, in the bedroom of their Adelaide home in July 2014, the Supreme Court heard. A paramedic went to the couple’s home in Rawson Street, Alberton, in response to a medical duress alarm. Mr Colella was found with stab wounds to his neck and chest and Ms Colella had self-inflicted stab wounds. She later told police at hospital “Mm, I’ve done it, I killed my husband”. Ms Colella had a history of mental illness, which included hearing voices and hallucinations. She had previously been prescribed antipsychotic medication but was not taking any at the time of the killing due to its side effects. A psychiatrist told the court that Ms Colella was sleep deprived as a result of the constant demands of housework and looking after

AUSTRALIA

Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott her husband. Last December, Justice Kevin Nicholson found Mrs Colella not guilty of murder due to mental incompetence despite the fact that “the objective element of the offence of murder was established”. He declared that Mrs Colella was liable to supervision with “a limiting term of life”. Justice Nicholson, however said the reasons for his decision, and approved the conditions of Ms Colella’s release into the community on a licence. “This has brought to an end a component only of a very serious and distressing incident, not just from Ms Colella and her family’s point of view but from the community’s point of view,” Justice Nicholson said.

Pharma crusader takes drug regulators to court

ne of India’s bestknown whistleblowers, who exposed dangerous practices in the generic drug industry in 2013, has sue the country’s drugs regulators to court, accusing them of failing to enforce rules on drug safety in the $15 billion industry. According to Reuters, three years ago, Dinesh Thakur exposed how India’s then largest drugmaker and his former employer, Ranbaxy Laboratories, failed to conduct proper safety and quality tests on drugs and lied to regulators about its procedures. He made his name and almost $48 million as a whistleblower award from the United States, when U.S. regulators fined Ranbaxy $500 million for violating federal drug safety laws and making

INDIA

false statements to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ranbaxy said the fine marked the resolution of past issues and it continued to make safe, effective and quality medicines. It alleges that responses provided to him by government show how lax regulation can lead to potentially harmful medicines being sold in India without proper approvals. The suit, which names as respondents the health ministry, the Drugs Consultative Committee and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), would not result in penalties but sets as objectives the creation of a framework for the recall of drugs and a commission to examine faulty drug approvals.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Flight MH370: Chinese families file suit ahead of 2nd anniversary of plane’s disappearance

bout 12 Chinese families with relatives aboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 had filed a lawsuit in a Beijing court, one day before the deadline for pursuing litigation against the carrier. The families of 32 other passengers, mostly Chinese, filed a separate lawsuit in Malaysia. According to BBC News, the plane disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people including 153 Chinese citizens on board while traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Under international agreements, families have a two-year window to sue following an air accident. Speaking outside a transportation court in Beijing, the lawyer for the 12 families, Zhang Qihuai, said they

CHINA

Chinese President Xi Jinping were seeking a range of damages but the ultimate goal of the lawsuit is “to find out the cause of the accident and those who are responsible.” Several relatives said they hope to use the case to obtain more information from the airline, which they said has

not been forthcoming. “If we lose this opportunity, it might become even more difficult” to obtain answers, said Zou Jingsheng, a professor whose 27-year old son, Ling Annan, was studying in Malaysia and was on the flight. “We will find out the truth through legal means, and we’ll look into the responsibilities that Malaysia Airlines failed to fulfill.” The lawsuit also named Boeing and jet engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce among the defendants. The court will decide if and where to hear the case. Malaysia Airlines did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment about the case. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, lawyer Ganesan Nethi

said he filed a joint lawsuit on behalf of the families of 32 passengers last Thursday. He said most were Chinese, along with an American and a few Indians. Ganesan said he was appointed by Podhurst Orseck, a Miami law firm specializing in aviation litigation, on behalf of the families. The lawsuit named the airline, the Malaysian government and its air force and civil aviation department, he said. After two years, the fate of the Boeing 777 remains one of the biggest mysteries in modern aviation. The Australian-led search effort is to continue until June, having already spent more than $130 million US looking through a vast area of the Indian Ocean nearly 6.5 kilometres deep.

S’Court affirms same-sex adoption

he United States Supreme Court, without hearing oral argument, has unanimously reversed an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that denied parental rights to a lesbian adoptive mother who had split with her partner. The decision is a direct repudiation of an Alabama Supreme Court decision that refused to recognize a Georgia adoption. The two women in the case were together for 16 years, and they had three children conceived by assisted reproductive technology; an older daughter, now 13, and boy and girl twins, now 11. The

USA

US President Barack Obama actual names of the parents have not been revealed. They are identified in court documents by the initials V.L. and E.L. E.L. was the biological mother and V.L. subsequently adopted the children with

her partner’s explicit consent. The adoption was in Georgia, where both women appeared at a court hearing, and the final adoption decree recognized both as the children’s legal parents. When the parents, now living in Alabama, split five years ago, however, the biological mother denied her former partner access to the children. The Alabama court initially ordered a decree of shared custody, based on the Georgia adoption, but the Alabama Supreme Court overturned the lower court orders. The state Supreme

Court orders nuclear plant to shut down

Japanese court has ordered one of only two nuclear power plants operating in the country to shut down, citing insufficient safety measures put in place after meltdowns at a facility in Fukushima five years ago. The plant, Takahama Nuclear Power Plant, had been back online for only two months after an extended freeze on atomic power in Japan in the aftermath of the March 2011 Fukushima disaster. Japan’s government and its power companies have struggled to get the nuclear industry back on its feet. Despite new safety standards introduced in 2013, much

JAPAN

of the public remains wary. Only a handful of the more than 40 operable reactors in the country have met the new rules, and lawsuits have made it difficult to restart them. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government sees a revival of nuclear power as critical to supporting economic growth and slowing an exodus of Japanese manufacturing to lower-cost countries. Electricity prices have risen by 20 percent or more since the Fukushima disaster because of increased imports of fossil fuels, though the recent drop in oil prices has taken some

Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe of the pressure off. The court ruling added a new twist to the legal battles over nuclear power. According to the BBC News, judges have enjoined idled plants from being put back into service, but the judgment against Takahama was the first in which a facility that had successfully been restarted was ordered to shut down.

Court said the Georgia courts had wrongly agreed to the adoption. The adoptive mother appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the justices unanimously overruled the Alabama Supreme Court in a short, unsigned opinion. The high court said that the Alabama court had misread Georgia law and violated the principles of the “full faith and credit clause” of the Constitution. That clause provides that each state shall give “full faith and credit” to the “judicial proceedings of every other state.” And as the U.S. Supreme Court observed, this means that “a State may not disregard the judgment of a sister State because it disagrees with the reasoning underlying the judgment or deems it to be wrong on the merits.” Indeed, the justices said that, to the contrary, as long a “sister state” court, here the Georgia court, has jurisdiction to rule, as the superior court did on a petition for adoption, courts in other states have virtually no license to reach a different conclusion. In addition, the justices said that the Alabama court incorrectly interpreted Georgia law. “The result would comport neither with Georgia law nor with common sense,” the court said, adding that the Georgia court got it right in granting the adoption.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, March 14, 2016

Overview of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria’s ADR centre enhance the Court’s mission of “an efficient, timely and just system of justice delivery”, that would “ensure that employment, labour and industrial relations and workplace Introduction: he official inauguration of the National related disputes are resolved in time while Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN)’s maintaining cordial and peaceful working Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) relationship between parties”. Centre Instrument & Rules 2015 on 18th DeEvolution and Rise of Court –Concember 2015 marks a significant milestone nected ADR Centre: towards the discharge of the mandate of the Over time, the debilitating shortfalls of Court, as the specialized federal superior court litigation, exemplified in protracted delays of record with exclusive jurisdiction on induswith attendant costs, strained relationship, trial, employment and labour-related disputes unpredictable and unpalatable outcome in Nigeria. The inauguration ceremony which of judgment without justice, etc, exposed attracted major stakeholders held at the Shehu its unsuitability to the needs of disputants Musa Yar’Adua Centre Abuja, under the disand overall justice administration system. tinguished chairmanship of the Chief Justice The consequent vigorous interrogation of of Nigeria (CJN), Hon, Justice Mahmud Mothe suitability of litigation as an exclusive hammed, GCON. In a well articulated speech, the President formal dispute resolution model, resulted of the Court, Hon. Justice B.A Adejumo, OFR in some alternative options-the Alternative encapsulated the essence of the ADR Centre, Dispute Resolution(ADR), among which are: Arbitration, Conciliation, Negotiation, Mewhen he stated: “It gives me immense pleasure to inform diation, Early Neutral Evaluation and other you that the mandate of the court to ensure hybrid processes. ADR which evolved from private initialabour and industrial peace and harmony by tive in informal dispute resolution setting virtue of its jurisdiction in section 254C of the has now been integrated into formal dispute 1999 Constitution (as amended) could not be resolution system even as a supplement more bolstered than by the establishment of to litigation, otherwise, known as Courtthe Court’s ADR Centre. One pivotal aim of Connected ADR Centre, exemplified in the the establishment is to assist parties in dispute Multi-Door Court House (MDCH) system. to collaborate towards settling their disputes The MDCH system is a Court-Connected and arriving at win-win or mutually acceptADR process aimed at granting multiple acable agreement in less costly, speedy and efficess to justice through making available varcient manner. This is calculated at preserving ious models of dispute resolution to dispuindustrial peace and harmony, which in effect tants, to assuage their crave for quality and promote economic development and cohesive timely justice. The MDCH system was ably interpersonal rapport and conducive work environment within the dynamics of employer/ pioneered and institutionalized by the Lagos State Judiciary pursuant to the Lagos State employee relationships...” The nature of industrial relations and la- Multi-Door Court House (LMDCH) Law bour/employment-related disputes tends to 2007- Law No.21 (Vol.40.No.56, Lagos State Offavour adoption of ADR to deal with some ficial Gazette of 3rd August 2007). Interestingly, less than a decade of infuaspects of the disputes that may not lend to sion of MDCH in the legal system, the model rigorous procedure and somewhat distastehas been amply replicated at the Federal ful outcome in litigation. Maintaining rules Capital Territory and many other States in of engagement and resolution of dispute in Nigeria. The sporadic rise of the Courta prompt and effective manner that would Connected ADR Resolution mechanism is keep the labour-management relationship in a product of bold initiative to integrate a check and amicable is imperative, to avoid adhitherto private process of ADR into the verse consequential effect on the parties and mainstream of formal judicial setting. The the overall growth of the economy. Bearing integration of ADR mechanism in formal in mind amicable resolution as the cardinal policy of resolution of industrial and labour – legal system of dispute resolution in court related dispute, Alternative Dispute Resolution setting now provides disputants with a dos(ADR), particularly non-adjudicatory model, sier of supplement to litigation, as classical like Mediation and Conciliation, are most suit- court room process available in litigation no able methods of resolution of some aspects longer satisfies the yearnings for desirable of industrial relations/employment related fair and efficient justice delivery and admindisputes. Mediation as an ADR model, particu- istration system. A typical MDCH system larly projects itself as a preferred method, as has the following ADR processes- Arbitrait saves time, preserves relationship even in tion, Mediation, Conciliation, Early Neutral disputing time, and maintains confidentiality Evaluation and other Hybrid Processes infor privacy and preservation of trade secrets, tegrated with litigation processes under dilends to flexible technical procedure resulting rect supervision of designated Judges, clasin win-win outcome and psychological satis- sified as ADR Judges. Matters are initiated faction, by adopting consensual and adequate through – Court Referral, Walk-in and Direct Intervention. party participatory process Ogbuanya is an ADR Trainer and Senior It is therefore the sole aim of this discourse Lecturer with the Nigerian Law School. to bring to bear an overview of the Instrument & Rules of the Court’s ADR Centre which, as the President of the Court pointed, is set up to TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

Law & Justice

EVENT

Nelson Ogbuanya

L-R: Guest Speaker/Lecturer, Lagos State University, Prof. Olumide Obayemi ; Former Chairman , NBA Ikeja branch,, Chief Oladosu Ogunniyi; Mr. Dele Adeshina(SAN) and Chairman, Human Right Committee ,NBA Ikeja, Mrs. Gloria Nweze at the Human Rights Seminar, in Lagos recently.

Former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Samuel Ilori; Mr. Roland Otaru (SAN) and a Lagos-lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye

L-R: U.S consulate, Jessica Tesosero; Chairman Human Right Committee MBA Ikeja, Mrs. Gloria Nweze Dan Parrot and Secretary,MBA Ikeja, Seyi Olawunmi

Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu and Special Assistant to the Attorney General of the Federation, Sylvester Imhanobe

Monday, March 14, 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

Ashafa tasks rich Nigerians on youth empowerment Francis Suberu

enator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, has charged wealthy Nigerians to partner with government on youths empowerment programmes, saying that is the only way to reduce growing crime rate in the country. The lawmaker, who expressed concern over rising crime rate in the country, tasked politicians, private organisations and non-governmental organisations to actively partake in the productive engagement of youths. Speaking at an interactive session on youth empowerment organised by the state’s Ministry of Wealth Creation, he also urged the youth to place premium attention to skills acquisition and capacity enhancement programmes to make them employable. He said, “We all, politicians and captains of industry, should take personal and collective responsibilities for this challenge. The wealth of the few shall continue to be threatened by the poverty of the majority. Productive engagement is the only sustainable solution to the

James Danjuma, Katsina

Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa (2nd from left) during his visit to 16-yr-old Bolaji Kalejaiye who was hit by stray bullets during the recent Mile 12 crisis at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja. incessant social vices in the society just as we are doing today.” Urging the youth to work harder and ensure they have solutions to all problems, he said employers desire employees that can solve problems to make them fit into any firm. “The more business problems an applicant can solve, the more the employment opportu-

nities open to such applicants. As your legislator, I promise to constantly be in touch by getting the profiles of suitably qualified candidates and sending same to my friends and associates in the organised private sector because government alone cannot solve all our problems,” he added. He commended Governor

Akinwunmi Ambode over the trust fund initiative. On his part, Commissioner for Wealth Creation & Employment for Wealth, Tunde Durosinmi-Etti, assured Lagosians that the Employment Trust Fund will address employment challenges and make more to be productively engaged.

wara South Youth League, KYSL, has labeled the on going trial of the Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki at the code of conduct tribunal as nothing but political victimization and persecution. The group in a press release jointly signed by the group’s Chairman and Secretary Hon. Sunkanmi Ere-Oye and Comrade Yinka Dallas respectively, and a copy of which was made available to this Community Mirror in Ilorin yesterday.

The group decried the continued victimization of the Senate President and the Chairman of the National Assembly, adding that regardless of political differences, state institutions should under no guise be used to settle scores. It described it as against all known procedures the way and manner the prosecution is being carried out, adding that they have concluded arrangements to organize a multi denominational prayer session aimed towards

seeking God’s eye for saraki’s victory on March 18. According to the group’s secretary and convener of the prayer session Comrade Yinka Dalla, he said “After duly considering the allegations against Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and caliber of the jurist who also have corruption allegation hanging on his neck, it is clear that the trial is set out to embarrass the person of the Senate President. “This is not to say we are against the anti-corruption fight

of the Buhari led Federal government, we sincerely want to enjoin all Nigerians to give full support to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) whose new chairman has brought a new vigour to the organization. “We however want to enjoin them to adhere strictly to the rule of law and stare clear of politicking and politicians, they should not allow politicians to use them in settling scores” he stressed.

Dare Akogun

He stated that blaming Okada riders for the crisis by some people is an under-statement by those who are not ready to face reality on the issue. Comrade Adegboyega, who is well known as Big Boss, commended Okada riders in the area for not participating in the mayhem. He called on the state government to show interest in the welfare of the riders. He explained that they reduced pressure on government as per

employment and contributing towards economic development of the country through transportation. Meanwhile, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, debunked the notion that operatives of the command supported a particular group in the crisis between the Hausa and Yoruba in Mile 12 last week. Owoseni disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the police

command, Ikeja, following the successful rescue of abducted school girls by the command and the quick resolution of the Mile 12/Agiliti crisis. According to him, “the Mile 12 crisis was a mob action instigated by miscreants, which have no direct links with any ethnic or religious inclination. The police operation carried out was devoid of any sentiments and favouritsm to any of the warring groups.

Youth group describes Saraki CCT trial political victimisation

Unemployment contributed to Mile 12 market crisis

ack of employment for youths in Lagos contributed to escalation of the recent ethnic clash between Yoruba and Hausa at Mile 12 market. Chairman of Okada Riders Welfare Association of NURTW, Comrade Adeleke Adegboyega, made the assertion at a news briefing in Lagos.

Emir laments illicit drugs consumption among girls mir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, has lamented high number of women and girls that consume and sell illicit drugs in the state. Usman, who was speaking last weekend at an event, said the emirate council was disturbed about the issue, especially its negative effect on people’s lives. He said he was shocked when he saw recent statistics by the NDLEA that the state ranked high among many in regards to sale and consumption of illicit drugs. The emir spoke at the inauguration of Board of Trustees of a community-owned institution, Al-Qalam University. He said as a way of addressing the issue, the emirate recently organised a stakeholders meeting where recommendations were made on the problem. He called on the state government to critically look into the recommendations with a view to implementing same to address the situation. In his remarks, Deputy Governor Mannir Yakubu said the state attaches priority to education sector, and that N3 billion has been set aside for renovation of primary schools. Yakubu commended management of the university for ensuring its sustenance, and assured that the state government would assist the university to forge ahead. The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Shehu Ado Garki, said the university needs about N10 billion to provide infrastructure and learning materials. Prof Garki called on members of the board of trustees to use their position to source for financial assistance of N100 million for accreditation of 18 recently introduced courses. The institution’s board of trustees, who are 14 in number, is being chaired by former governor of defunct Kaduna State, Lawal Kaita.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, March 14, 2016

World News The sooner I could become our party’s nominee, the more I could begin to turn my attention to the Republicans.

49 Afolabi Gambari

WITH AGENCY REPORT

–US Democratic Party presidential hopeful, Hillary Clinton

Terrorism: Gunmen attack Ivorien beach resort

beach resort in Core d’Ivoire yesterday came under attack from gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs, according to reports. At least eleven dead have been killed including a five-year-old child as a result of the assault on a hotel in the coastal city Grand-Bassam, it is reported. Some witnesses said the attackers were shouting “Allah akbar” during the rampage. Dramatic footage showed people running away from the beach near the Etoil du Sud hotel to sound of gunfire in the background while graphic images of dead bodies were also shared on social media. One local news outlet reported that one European and their companion were seriously injured. “An attack by armed men on two hotels at Grand-Bassam. Our security services are on site to deal with the situation and protect the population,” the news outlet said, stressing, “We

Libya’s faction seeks power Security vehicles rushing to venue after the shooting

ask people not to panic and to remain calm. For those wanting to return to Abidjan from Assinie etc, we ask you to avoid the Grand Bassam area.” Security services from the

National police and French forces were also sighted at the venue, as the beach was evacuated amid reports another of a hostage situation at another location.

Grand-Bassam is around 40km from Abidjan, the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. More than a million migrants and refugees entered Germany in 2015.

Asked on how she had prepared for yesterday’s elections, Merkel said: “I’m crossing my fingers.” Polls suggested that her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) will remain the biggest party in Saxony-Anhalt in the east of the country. The CDU is currently the largest party in the western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg but faces defeat to the Greens. In Rhineland-Palatinate,

where the CDU came a close second last time, the race is on a knife edge. However, the CDU candidate for state premier, Julia Kloeckner, expressed optimism. “I have the impression that people are incredibly interested and motivated,” she said, adding, “I have a great team and it was fun, too. That’s a part of it. Democracy also should be a pleasure.”

Chancellor Angela Merkel waving at a recent event

Again, Koroma shuns abortion bill

ierra Leone’s President Er nest Bai Koroma has for the second time refused to sign a bill legalising

President Ernest Bai Koroma

‘Medical confidentiality’ sought for pilots French investigators have called for medical confidentiality to be relaxed for pilots, in the wake of last year’s Germanwings disaster. Co-pilot Andreas Lubitz was urged by a doctor to attend psychiatric hospital weeks before he crashed the plane on March 24 2015, but his employer was never alerted, their final report said. All 150 people on board died as Flight 9525 hit a mountain in the French Alps. But investigators believes Lubitz, who brought down the plane deliberately, had been suffering from severe depression. The report, by the BEA investigation agency, said confidentiality had to be balanced with the risk an individual might pose to public safety and that clearer rules were needed.

Merkel faces anti-refugees’ stance ermans are voting in three regional elections seen as a test of support for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policy towards refugees. The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party (AfD) is expected to make gains amid unease over Merkel’s so-called open door policy. More than a million migrants and refugees entered Germany in 2015.

WORLD BULLETIN

abortion, saying it should be put to a referendum. It was unanimously passed by MPs in December, but Koroma refused to sign it after protests by religious leaders. After consultations, MPs retur ned the bill to him last month, unaltered. The law would allow women to ter minate a pregnancy in any circumstances up to 12 weeks and in cases of incest, rape and foetal impairment up to 24 weeks. Abortion is currently illegal in Sierra Leone under

any circumstances. Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty Inter national, and five Sierra Leonean organisations, wrote to Koroma in February urging him to give the bill his assent. “Unsafe abor tions - often resulting from restrictive laws and poor access to sexual and re productive health services, infor mation, and education - is one of the main factors contributing to mater nal deaths in Sier ra Leone,” their letter

said. The World Health Organization estimates that Sierra Leone has the world’s highest mater nal mortality ratio at 1, 360 deaths per 100, 000 live births last year. Under Sierra Leone’s current constitution, the president cannot veto a bill which received a two-thirds majority in parliament. The speaker of the house could sign the Safe Abortion Act into law, but he is highly unlikely to do so as he comes from the president’s party.

Libya’s UN-backed Presidential Council, based in Tunis, has called on the international community to stop dealing with any rival powers within Libya. The council nominated a unity government last month, but recognition of the cabinet has been delayed. Libya has had two competing governments since 2014, following the downfall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The eastern House of Representatives (HOR), based in Tobruk, has failed to vote to approve the unity government. The council said in a statement on Saturday that a document signed by a majority of the HOR’s members backing the new government, as well as the endorsement by the Political Dialogue Team, represented a green light to start work.

Red card for sexual abusers The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution calling for the repatriation of peacekeeping units whose soldiers face allegations of sexual abuse. The resolution is the first passed by the Security Council to tackle sex abuse claims against peacekeepers. It was passed by 14 of the 15-member body, with Egypt abstaining. Last year there were 69 allegations of child rape and other sexual offences by peacekeepers from 10 missions. The number rose from 52 in 2014. The allegations involve military personnel, international police, other staff and volunteers. Under UN rules, it is up to the country that contributes the peacekeepers to investigate and prosecute any soldier accused of misconduct while serving under the UN flag.

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Monday, March 14, 2016

Niger shouldn’t suffer epileptic power –Govt

P riscill a D ennis MINNA

iger State government has said that being home to three giant hydro electric power

dams in the country, there is no reason it should face undue epileptic and erratic power supply as is currently the case. The facilities include Kainji, Jebba and Shi-

roro hydro electric dams - all located in the state. Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, who stated this in Minna, said

the reaction was due to series of complaints lodged with different organs of government by residents of Minna on irregular power supply by the Abuja Electricity Distribution

Company, AEDC. He noted that insufficient power supply by AEDC had always inflicted cyclical and multiplier effects on all human and business endeavours in the state. The commissioner hinged the inability of Niger State Water Board to pump water to Minna metropolis on non-supply of power to the pumping station at Chanchaga Water Works. “We are calling on the AEDC to increase its power supply to Minna and its environs in order to ameliorate the untold sufferings of residents,” the commissioner state.

It would be recalled that Minna and its suburb have for weeks been experiencing shortage of water supply, causing untold hardship on the people who have resorted to buying water from vendors. Vatsa, however, advised AEDC to, as matter of deliberate policy in its daily distribution plans, to dedicate certain percentage of the power to the state. He warned that the state government would not fold its arm and watch innocent citizens suffer undue hardship in the hands of the company for no just cause and no fault of theirs.

Sokoto LG poll free, credible, say observers

Nglong Ngas, Mr Gregory Sule, after his Turbaning at Emir’s Palace, Bauchi, at the weekend. PHOTO:NAN

One out of 3 children stunted in Niger – CS-SUNN Franka Osakwe

n Niger State, latest Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS, results have revealed that one out of every three children is stunted due to malnutrition. The report showed prevalence of stunting at 34 per cent, underweight, 11 per cent; and wasting, 18 per cent in children under five years old. This was made known by the Civil Society Scaling-Up Nutrition in Nigeria, CSSUNN, under the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health, PACFaH, during a one-day advocacy/sensitisation meeting for policy makers and nutrition stakeholders to scaleup nutrition, held recently in Minna, Niger State. The group identified the immediate causes of malnutrition in children in the first two years of life in Niger State as inappropriate breastfeeding, lack of breastfeeding (30.3 per cent) and complementary feeding practices coupled with high rate of infections. Its report also shows that untreated cases of malaria and diarrhoea incidence among children under five years stand at 9.3 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively. They concluded that

malnutrition and nutritionrelated diseases remain a serious challenge to public health in Niger State, with under-five mortality rate unacceptably high at 123 per 1,000 live births. The group identified and commended the renewed effort of the international community and the donor agencies to address malnutrition, prompting the Nigerian government to implement new policies and initiatives such as the National Strategic Plan of Action for Nutrition, NSPAN, which sets out nutrition-specific and nutritionsensitive interventions with measurable targets to be achieved by 2019. “The NSPAN targets by 2019, to reduce the number of under-five children who are stunted by 20 per cent; reduce low birth weight by 15 per cent; ensure no increase in childhood overweight; reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 10 per cent; reduce anaemia in women of reproductive age by 50 per cent; and increase exclusive breastfeeding rate in the first six months to at least 50 per cent,” CS-SUNN explained. The group called on governments at all levels to implement the NSPAN 2014-2019 at every level, with emphasis on mater-

nal and child nutrition, increased funding for maternal and child nutrition at the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, Education and other relevant sectors in Niger State;; provide budgetary allocation and timely release of funds for maternal nutrition and

child nutrition practices and interventions at both state and local government levels; and promote accountability and effective management of released funds in implementation of nutrition sensitive and specific interventions in the state.

N’West govs meet on economy, agric James danjuma KATSINA

even governors of North West states met yesterday to discuss how to improve the economic and agricultural sectors in their geopolitical zone. The meeting, which held at the official residence of Katsina State governor, was chaired by Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari. Speaking shortly before going into a closed-door meeting, Yari said the gathering was the first of its kind, and that it followed a resolution among the governors to organise and discuss matters relating to the sectors in the zone. The chairman said not a few persons may be “surprised that the governors of the North West zone are

coming together on how to move their states forward.” He added: “We decided to meet to look inward to come up with an agenda that would improve the agriculture sector as well as the economic sector.” Yari said such a meeting would continue in due course, with the objective of discussing how to “harness the two important sectors to reduce overdependence on federal allocation.” He also said the governors would also discuss ways to tap the abundant mineral resources and introduce ways of maximally utilising modern agriculture/ irrigation farming in their various states. The governors who are expected to issue a communiqué, were still holding their meeting as at time of this report.

orum of States Independent Electoral Commissions, FOSIECOM, and a coalition of local and national election observers have said yesterday’s local council polls held in Sokoto State were free, credible and transparent with the use of card readers. FOSIECOM national chairman, Justice Afolabi Adeyinka, who is also chairman of Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, made the disclosure at a news briefing in Sokoto yesterday. Adeyinka, who was also a former chief justice of Lagos State, said: ‘’I have to commend the courage of Sokoto State Independent Electoral Commission in sticking to its plan to conduct the election, using the card reader machine and permanent voter cards. ‘’We saw the preparations and eventual conduct of the election and we agreed that whoever wins is a reflection of the general wish of the people of Sokoto State. ‘’The decision to allow voters cast their votes immediately after verification has also helped the process. It has reduced voting time and ensured large number of votes at the final count. ‘’Many came out to vote in the morning and

left the polling units immediately after casting their votes without having to wait for some hours as was the case during the national elections.’’ Adeyinka also commended the state government for the support it gave the SIECOM which led to this outcome. On its part, a coalition of domestic election observers led by constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Festus Okoye, has commended the state government for providing the enabling environment that led to the peaceful conduct of the elections. Okoye who is also executive director, Human Rights Monitor, at a news briefing in Sokoto on Sunday also commended the state government for shunning the caretaker committee syndrome. It equally commended the people of the state for their exemplary conduct which enabled the elections to be conducted in a peaceful and transparent manner. “We are convinced that the conduct of the Sokoto State Local Government Elections met national and regional standardsfor the conduct of elections,’’ he said.

Monday, March 14, 2016 CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as KAFILA EJIDE YUSUF, now wish to be known and addressed as KAFILA YUSUF GANZALLO. All former document remain valid,general public take note.

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EMEKA: formerly known and addressed as EMEKA HENRY OKAFOR now wish to be known and addressed as OBINNA HENRY OKAFOR. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

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CONFIRMATION OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Ajibola Joy, now Mrs. Akinte Joy. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

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This is to confirm that OKPE GABRIEL OGBU is one and same person as OKPE STEPHEN. That henceforth, wish to be known and addressed as OKPE GABRIEL OGBU. All former documents remain valid. Union Bank Plc., Diamond Bank Plc. and general public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME This is to inform the general public that my name was wrongly written in my Bank Account and BVN as QUADRI KOLAWOLE ORITOLA instead of ABDUL-KADIR KOLAWOLE ORITOLA. Henceforth wish to be known as ABDUL – KADIR KOLAWOLE ORITOLA. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and General public please take note.

This is to confirm that EGENA ANTHONY is one and same person as JAMES ONOJA. That henceforth, wish to be known and addressed as EGENA ANTHONY. All former documents remain valid. FCMB Plc., G.T.B Plc. and general public take notes.

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Formerly known and addressed as OLANIYI OLUMIDE JONATHAN, now wish to be known and addressed as OLANIYI ADEOLU OLUMIDE NATHAN. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

This is to conrm that MUHAMMAD UMAR RABIU is one and the same person as RABIU UMAR RABIU. That henceforth, wish to be known and addressed as MUHAMMAD UMAR RABIU. All documents remain valid. ECO-Bank Plc, Access Bank Plc and general public should take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as ALLI ADERONKE AYORINDE now wish to be known and addressed as ODUKOYA ADERONKE AYORINDE All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ADVOCACY CENTRE FOR SOCIETY DEVELOPMENT

This is to inform the general public that the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No 1 of 1990. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE:1. Zariyatu Abubakar Chairperson 2. Muhammad Baba Gombe – Member 3. Badamasi Adamu Ali – Member 4. Aishatu Abubakar Hashidu – Member 5. Ibrahim Yusuf – Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To enhance the capacity of our communities in the area of advocacy. 2. To engage in human and community, resource development through educational programmes. 3. To enhance leadership and good values in communities. 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 28 days of this publication.

Signed:

Ibrahim Yusuf

PUBLIC NOTICE

DE-FRIENDS PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

5. Zakaria Dauda 6. Dorcas Habila 7. Hauwa M. Ahmadu

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To provide a platform for peace and reconciliation through awareness creation. 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 28 days of this publication. Signed:

Secretary

Formerly known and addressed as OWOLABI ANIBABA LUKMAN now wish to be known and addressed as ANIBABA LUKMAN OWOLABI AYINDE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

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CORRECTION OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MUSA UMAR, now wish to be known and addressed as MUSA SHUAIBU SALWA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

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Formerly known and addressed as BAMIDELE OLABISI, now wish to be known and addressed as BAMIDELE OLUWASEGUN SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

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Formerly known and addressed as Sunny Ejaro, now wish to be known and addressed as Bathelome Abuo. Born on 15th day of May 1993. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

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Formerly known and addressed as AJUOKWU ECKSON CHIDI, now wish to be known and addressed as AJUOKWU MATTHEW CHIDI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that I, AKINOLA BUKOLA DORCAS is the same person bearing OYEDELE BUKOLA DORCAS. Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OYEDELE BUKOLA DORCAS. All former documents remain valid. F.C.M.B. Plc., FIRST BANK Plc., and general public should please take note.

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I am ABIA JOHNSON VICTORIA and not ABIA JOHNSON JUICY as being wrongly spelt. All documents bearing ABIA JOHNSON JUICY remain valid. General public please take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CENTRE FOR RESEARCH, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT (CRCRD)

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. Dr. Gulleng Daskyes Yohanna - Chairman 2. Professor Jemila Nasir 6. Fwenji Go’ar - Secretary 3. Kiyenpiya Folasade Marilyn Mafuyai 7.Haj. Kaltume M. Onuku 4. Simon Lengdang Suwa 5. Marcatan N. Dongtoe Esq AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To be a rich resource for research and documentation 2. Advancing Peaceful co-existence and socio-economic development 3. To serve as a youth- focused mentoring and training centre 4. Sensitisation on fundamental human rights and advocacy for good governance at all levels of government 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 28 days of this publication. Signed: Secretary

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PUBLIC NOTICE

WILDAN CARE FOUNDATION

This is to inform the general public that the above named Foundation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act No 1 of 1990. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE:1. Dr. Alkali Yahaya – Chairman 2. Umar Abubakar hashidu – Member 3. Dr. Ummu Abubakar – Member 4. Habu Abdu Esq. – Legal Adviser 5. Zariyatu Abubakar – Secretary AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To offer support to orphans and vulnerable children and youth including the caregivers. 2. To advocate for women inclusion on leadership, governance and political participation. 3. To develop and deploy social media platforms to promote tolerance, diversity and peaceful coexistence. 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 28 days of this publication.

Signed:

Ibrahim Yusuf

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, March 14, 2016

Sport I have come to fight for a jersey in this friendly match that is part of preparations for the Rio Olympics.

Watford end Arsenal’s FA Cup dream

–Victor Osimhen

CAF cups

Enyimba, Nasarawa win, Wolves lose

igerian champions Enyimba spanked Vital ‘O of Burundi 5-1 in a CAF Champions League second round, first leg match at the Adokiye Amiesieamaka Stadium in Port Harcourt on Sunday. Stephen Chukwudi gave Enyimba the lead in the 21st minute inside the six yard off Christian Pyagbara’s pass. Nigeria league all-time record goals scorer Mfon Udoh doubled Enyimba lead in the 28th minute, when he curled in the ball from the edge of the 18-yard box to beat goalkeeper MacArthur Arakaza. Stephen Chukwudi made it 3-0 for Enyimba with a powerful shot from the edge of the box in the 38th minute. Mfon Udoh completed a brace in the 56th minute, just two minutes after he was denied a goal by the opposing goalkeeper to make

it 4-0. Vital’O got a consolation goal in the 76th minute through Hussein Shaban, who capitalised on Emmanuel Anyanwu’s error. The Nigeria champions were not done yet as Ugochukwu Leonard scored the fifth goal in the 85th minute. In the 44th minute, Joseph Osadiaye’s effort at goal after a good run into the Burundian team’s box was punched away by the goalkeeper for a corner. The big win assures that the return leg in Bujumbura between both teams next weekend would be an easier session for the People’s Elephant, who led 3-0 at half –time in the Garden City. Nigeria’s only remaining side in the CAF Confederation Cup; Nasarawa United battled hard but could only earn a 1-0 win over Club Sportif Constan-

tinois of Algeria at the National Stadium, Abuja. Philip Azango scored as a goalmouth scramble occurred following a corner kick with only five minutes left on the clock. Tactically disciplined Constantine played with a man down as from the 55th minute, when Hamza Boulemdias was sent off. The Solid Miners also had to overcome a narrow 2-1 win over Generation Foot of Senegal in the preliminary round to reach this stage of the competition. The return leg match will be played in Algeria on Friday. However, Nigeria’s second representatives in the Champions League, Warri Wolves lost 0-1 at the Warri City Stadium to visiting El Merreikh of Sudan. The Sudanese scored in the 18th minute and Wolves could not find a way back into the game.

Osimhen determined to fight for U-23 shirt

IFA U-17 World Cup highest goal scorer ever, Victor Osimhen, has arrived the camp of the U-23 National Team, Dream Team, ahead of the international friendly game against Brazil later this month. The ganging striker who arrived the Star View Palace Hotel camp of the Dream Team at about 1pm on Sunday was received by interim Head Coach, Fatai Amao. Speaking on arrival, Osimhen, who was part of the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations winning team to Senegal last year, told thenff.com: “It’s always fun for me to come to camp and play for my fatherland. I see it as a privilege and will always honour such invitations any time I am called upon. “I have come to fight for a jersey in this friendly match that is part of preparations for the Rio Olympics and I am happy to be among the invited players. You know I was part of the Golden Eaglets team that

defeated the Brazilians at the last U-17 World Cup in Chile and so it will a pleasure for me to play them at their backyard and hopefully find the back of the net, as I did against them in Chile.” With his arrival, Osimhen became the first foreign -based player to arrive camp in preparation for the game. The U-23 are expected to depart the shores of the country on Sunday, March 20, aboard a South African Airways flight.

Osimhen

Sports

Monday, March 14, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Team Nigeria shines at ITF/CAT Junior tourney

Watford end Arsenal’s FA Cup dream

work of Andriamadison 6-2, 6-2 in the girl’s category. Other Nigerians that got impressive wins on Saturday are Christopher Itodo, who defeated Fabrice Toyishime of Rwanda 6-4, 6-4 in the boys U-16 , while Christopher Bulus also brushed aside Shaun Adriamaro of Seychelles 6-2 6-0 in the same category. Michael Osewa also enhanced his chances of progressing to the knockout stage in the boys U-14 by beating Salum Mutabazi of Burundi 6-2 , 6-3. As it stands, Itodo, Bulus and Osewa all need to win their final group matches to qualify for the last 16.

IFEANYI EDUZOR

dike said the championship is very important to both the federation and the athletes as it would be used to select karatekas that would represent Nigeria at the forthcoming African championship holding soon. Agu-Ejidike therefore pleaded with various states and club sides to turn in their athlete’s en mass for this all important championship in order for them not to miss out.

Karate championship holds in Asaba

FA Cup

atford stunned FA Cup holders Arsenal with a 2-1 quarter-final victory that piled further pressure on Arsene Wenger at a mutinous Emirates Stadium. Recent slip-ups in the Premier League title race and the likelihood that Barcelona will complete a twolegged Champions League victory over Arsenal this week left a third consecutive FA Cup triumph as the most realistic prospect of silverware for long-serving boss Wenger this season. But they failed to make first-half dominance count, with Mohamed Elneny the main culprit in terms of missed chances, and Watford without a goal in their previous three matches capitalised on growing anxiety after the break. Hornets’ top scorer Odion Ighalo ended a run of 599 minutes without a goal with an opportunist strike before Adlene Guedioura hit a spectacular second after 63 minutes. Substitute Danny Welbeck reduced the arrears with two minutes to play and then struck the post in a breathless finale, but Wenger’s men could not avoid a first FA Cup defeat

eam Nigeria underlined an intention for a memorable outing at the 39th ITF/CAT African Junior Championships taking place in Pretoria, South Africa with five of the seven players in action on Saturday bagging impressive wins. The duo of Gabriel Friday and Barakat Quadri progressed to the last 16 following wins over Assil Boussairy of Morocco and Finatrina Andriamadison of Madagascar. Sixth-seeded Gabriel, who defeated Cameroun’s Paul Wamba 6-2, 6-3 in his first match in the boys U-14 battled hard to beat Boussairy 7-6, 6-4 while Quadri made light

since Blackburn Rovers left north London with a shock win in February 2013. Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud had the ball in the net after nine minutes but he was marginally offside when collecting Alexis Sanchez’s through ball. Nathan Ake made a vital challenge in the Watford area with Joel Campbell poised to open the scoring, although the hosts were struggling to make much of

an impression in the Watford area. Centre-back Gabriel was incredibly fortunate his rash, two-footed lunge on Troy Deeney went unpunished, while Elneny’s woeful 30th-minute hack over the Watford bar lacked such danger but was similarly unaccomplished. Defeat here to Swansea in early March saw Arsenal’s Premier League aspirations take a serious blow,

and with the gap to leaders Leicester having since moved out to eight points, winning the title looks very unlikely. Then followed their 2-0 reverse at home to Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League. Not many Gunners fans will be betting against the Spanish side progressing at their expense in the second leg on Wednesday. Victory in this year’s

Costa didn’t bite me –Barry

verton midfielder Gareth Barry says Chelsea striker Diego Costa did not bite him when they clashed during Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final. Costa was shown a second yellow card for his part in the incident, in the 84th minute of Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park, but denied biting Barry. The Toffees player, who was later sent off, has backed Costa’s claim. The Football Association is awaiting referee Michael Oliver’s report before deciding if more action is necessary.

Costa responded to a tackle from Barry by confronting the England international, moving his head towards him and in the direction of his neck. Blues manager Guus Hiddink said the 27-yearold striker had been “chased a bit in the game” and was provoked by Everton players. Barry was sent off three minutes after Costa when he was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Cesc Fabregas. Everton manager Roberto Martinez said the 35-year-old had not complained after the match

about his clash with Costa. Former referee Howard Webb told BBC Radio 5 live: “I’ll be amazed if Costa is not punished for his reaction after the second yellow card. “He fails to leave the field of play, he is aggressive again to Michael Oliver and referees are always told to report that situation. That can lead to another match ban.” But on the suggestion Costa had bitten Barry, he added: “From what I’ve seen of the footage, it is not sufficient to support a charge for violent conduct retrospectively.”

arate Stakeholders from across the country will converge in Asaba, the Delta State Capital from March 20-24, 2016 for the National Referees/coaches’ course and the National Senior Open Championship. Secretary General of the Karate Federation of Nigeria, Idaye Anthony Tomo who disclosed this in Lagos at the weekend said arrangement towards having a successful course and national championship has since been concluded even as resource persons have since sent in their various programmes. President of the Karate Federation of Nigeria Chief Donatus Agu-Eji-

Dalung

Mohammed emerges Archery President

ember of Nigeria House Project for RIO 2016 Olympic/Paralympics Games Committee, Mohammed Baba Abdullahi has emerged as the president of the Nigeria Archery Sports Federation. He defeated Boladale Orodele of the Nigeria University Games Association 13-11 in the second round of voting at the keenly contested election held on Thursday March 10, 2016 at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, National Stadium, Surulere Lagos, after both candidates pulled 12 votes each out of the total 24 votes casted during the first round of the election. The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria

Paralympics Committee, Patrick Ibeh was elected the PRO after he defeated Oluwatoyin Ibitoye of the channels Television 14-7 to emerge victorious. Mrs. Helen Osayimwen was elected unopposed as the 1st Vice President, the same with Ayo Phillips of the National Institute for Sports who emerged as the 2nd Vice President while Olugbenga Olatunji Boluji was elected as the Secretary General following his defeat of Dapo Sortiminu by 14 votes to 9. Also elected was Miss. Ogunkoya Florence who defeated Ayodele Ojedokun by 11 votes to 10 to emerge treasurer of the federation while Osaretin Emuze was elected as the Assistant Secretary.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Monday, March 14, 2016

Pitch award

We put premium on credibility, transparency –Philips Shina Philips is the President of Matchmakers Consult International Limited, organiser of the annual Nigeria Pitch Award. He speaks with IFEANYI EDUZOR on the annual event and what makes it different from other awards in Nigeria

hat is the motive behind Nigeria Pitch Award? Nigeria Pitch award is about rewarding excellence and honouring those who have through hard work, creativity and patriotism brought glory to Nigeria. It is also about honouring those who through their profession affected positively the lives of not only those very close to them but also those who are not in any way related to them. So, the whole concept is to avoid what has always been happening in the past when our heroes, icons and legends are not celebrated. It is a well known fact that our heroes are only celebrated when they win laurels for the country and shortly after they are abandoned. So, we designed this award to make a statement that our heroes have a platform. They will not only be honoured or be celebrated but they will also be encouraged to do more for the country. Why did your organisation choose Kaduna instead of Lagos or Abuja for the award? The decision to choose a place outside the economic and administrative capitals of the country goes to show why the award is a very sincere venture that goes beyond rewards and benefits. Ordinarily people will not be comfortable with you holding what I call a showbiz event in an environment where there are fears of insurgency. It is our sincere desire to see that this type of business is promoted in Nigeria regardless of the location. We also know that it is important to get the players who are the ones being celebrated and the administrators available to be nominated especially when Nigeria is playing an important match in the city on the day of the award. It is important that we use the occasion to get across to them. We know how busy they will be but since they are coming to the country to answer a national call, it becomes important we choose Kaduna for the award. Are you not concerned about the security challenges facing the Northern part of the country, with regard to the venue? It will interest you to know that I belong to an organization called Security Watch Africa and International Security Watch Africa Association. In security we are very much aware of what is called intelligence gathering. A lot of people have expressed this fear but then you begin to wonder why NFF took the game to Kaduna. President Muhammadu Buhari told Nigerians recently that Boko Haram has been technically defeated and knowing the president as a man who will not toy with the lives of the citizens, we have no reservation that Kaduna is safe. However, that does not mean we are not concerned about the fears and worries of people but

Philips (r) and Ituah Ighodalo

we are making a statement that the country is one indivisible entity. The fact that something is happening in a place does not mean we should discard that region. We are one nation and everything that happens to one particular place must concern others. So, it is important we stand together with each other and through our own little way help our brothers in the North. We should understand that in this entity called Nigeria, whether you are Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba, we are all one. I believe that the NFF must have done its home work very well before choosing Kaduna as host for the match and we equally believe that with God on our side, we will overcome all the challenges. Have you thought about how the possible defeat of Super Eagles could affect the award negatively? I have come to discover from my little experience in life that nothing good comes easy. You can’t be seating in your comfort zone and get all the best things in life. It is true that the award is taking place when we have a very crucial match against Egypt; a country that is respected in football. Nevertheless, the fact that this is our country, there will be no dull moment. I also believe that if one truly loves his country, such person should be part of its low and high moment. Nevertheless, myself and the Chief Executive Officer of our organisation, Nelson Olafisoye, and other members of the team have resolved to go ahead not minding whether we have

100 or 50 people in attendance. We are not going to Kaduna with the mindset that if Eagles lose the match, everything will be at standstill. If for any reason that happens (God forbids), we shall go into the hall and carry on with the award. But we have the confidence that the Eagles will win. It is going to be a tough match but I can assure you that Nigeria will prevail in the end. What differences are likely to be witnessed in this year’s award compared to the previous editions? The only difference you are likely to see is what the character of the award stands for. Suffices it to say that we didn’t set out for glamour. We basically wanted something that is credible and transparent. We envisaged something that can serve as a role model for other awards. It has long been believed in this country that award is all about money. We cherish the character of our award which is transparency and credibility and that is what you will see. But because we are not static, there will be improvement in the event. We want to have an improvement in orderliness as regards how awards are presented. But we are sure that we have followed this culture of transparency and credibility which will make the award night a night of excellence. What criteria have you used to select your nominees? We got experts from across the country; editors, analysts and some technical peo-

ple. We have a voter’s friendly form that clearly spelt out the criteria for all the different categories such as the best player, best goalkeeper and the rest. Remember, this is one award that rewards those on the pitch and off the pitch, and stakeholders alike. The criteria indicate that you cannot emerge as the king of the pitch if you have not won from your category. What this means is that if you are a striker or midfielder, you cannot be adjudged as king of the pitch if you did not emerge winner of your category and vice versa. So, it is not going to be like other awards where you see Mr B who did not emerge as the best striker in his category being named as the overall winner of the award. So, what makes this award unique in Nigeria? Sincerely, I commend all the awards in the country whether they are sports or movies award. Having said this, I want to say that we try as much as possible to give this particular award its own character and identity. We try to make everything about the award to be credible and transparent, starting from the award plague, the certificate, to the voting process; it is one language and one behavior. It is not politicised. We have 100 experts from across the country; men and women of integrity. They are experts because they are the ones who sleep, wake up, eat and drink the game and they know what the whole process is all about. We also brought in an independent verifying body; an accounting/ auditing firm to take charge of the voting process and on the day of the award come with the names of the winners. In fact it is something laudable. For the fact that the auditing firm is a credible one with a person like Pastor Itua Ighodalo goes to show how credible we are and if our partners like the NFF are not impressed with the process we have put in place, they would not have associated with us. What are the challenges you have faced since instituting this award? The challenges are very obvious. I think at inception, we designed the programme with Night of Stars which was anchored by a great comedian, Julius Agwu. And I remember that Agwu standing on the podium, in Calabar announced before the Cross River and Rivers States commissioners for sports that Shina Philips invested so much in the programme; that I sold houses, land and other property to finance the project. I want to tell you that it was not just my effort alone but the effort of a team that believes in a dream and vision. This team has given it all to ensure we have what can be called a legacy. We are trying to put the right structures in place so that at the end of the day it will not be about me, Nelson, Eleahor or Fred but about the project itself. So that even at old age, we can look back and say we have done something great. It is important to state that we do not liken our award to Oscar or Nobel awards. We are also not trying to be pacesetters but just doing what we believe in and doing it right. We are open to criticisms and corrections as that is the only way to get it right. However, money is a major challenge but kudos must go to bet9ja for believing in us and with their partnering with us since last year, we believe that gradually the apathy corporate Nigeria has had towards awards in the country will begin to change. What are you promising Nigerians as the award date approaches? My promise is that the award will maintain its true character and we will end up giving Nigerians the true winner they deserve; a winner that is in the mind of everybody as well as a night of integrity and excitement.

WORLD RECORD Health &

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Vol. 06 No. 1325

N150

Monday, March 14, 2016

The tallest toilet paper tower in 30 seconds is 28 rolls, achieved by Silvio Sabba (Italy), in Pioltello, Milan, Italy on October 1 2013.

Ooni Ogunwusi, cocoa price and agric sector I must confess I knew next to nothing about the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, until his emergence as the monarch of the ancient town. And pronto, four things really strike me about his personality. The first two are is his youthfulness and attractive look. The others are his deep entrepreneurial skill and stunning wealth. Within just a few months on the throne, emerging details about the youthful monarch indicate that Olodumare did not make a mistake in approving of his ascendance to the exalted throne of Oduduwa. For one, he has demonstrated uncommon wisdom and single-mindedness in his pursuit of unity among Yoruba kings. He also has a burning passion for youth empowerment as well as the industrialization of his domain. However, of all his actions so far, the one that really catches my fancy is his renewed efforts to draw attention to the ailing agriculture sector in the country. While speaking to reporters during a

nglish Premier League club Arsenal has tabled a bid for Nigerian striker Sadiq Umar. Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that the Serie A giants, AS Roma, have rejected

Tayo

Guest Columnist

Ogunbiyi

recent visit to Aso Rock, the monarch expressed a strong conviction that cocoa and other agricultural produce could take Nigeria out of its present economic predicament. He further informed that while crude oil price continued in its downward slide, cocoa price has gone up by over 100 per cent. Going down memory lane, the Ooni recalled that, during the colonial era, Nigeria used to be the largest exporter of cocoa in the world. According to him, since the farmlands and personnel are still available, nothing stops us from replicating same feat again. To demonstrate his resolve to walk the talk, he revealed an ambitious plan he termed “a positive indicator for the nation’s economy’ which is hinged on empowering the youth to embrace agriculture by offering five acres of land per youth in addition to other technical and financial supports. True to the words of the monarch, of late, cocoa price has received huge boost. We are mostly unaware of this because of our thoughtless overdependenceoncrudeoil.NotuntiltheOonidrewour attentiontothecurrentdevelopment,mostof ushave been busy,as usual, blabbing about how the national economy is not fairing any better. Characteristically, everyone has been saying the obvious without actually providing recipes for the way forward. While we lazily howl over our dwindling oil fortune, cocoa, a produce with which we have relative competitive edgehasbeenmakingwaveinglobalmarket. This is partly due to increase in global demand for chocolate, a favourite delicacy in Europe and NorthAmerica.Withtheincreaseintheconsumption rate of chocolate, there is, as expected, a corresponding increase in demand for cocoa beans, the

Contented in its newly found oil

wealth, succeeding governments in the country simply allowed investment in agriculture to decline to a ridiculous state central component in chocolate. Consequently, producers across the globe are assisting farmers to boost harvest, especially in tropical regions where cocoatreesgrow,withthehopeof gettingsufficient supply to meet increasing demand for chocolate. According to market intelligent providers, Euro Monitor International, Europe and America account for about 71% of chocolate consumption. However, other regions, especially, emerging markets in Asia, are fast developing a taste for chocolate. Singaporean commodities trading firm and agribusiness processor, Olam International, had projected that demand will outpace supply as more emerging-markets consumers catch on. The value of the Asia-Pacific chocolate confectionery market is expected to grow from $12.6 billion in 2013 to $16.3 billion in 2018, according to Euro Monitor. Growth in Latin America and the Middle East is also outpacing the global average, which ranges between 1 and 2 percent annually, according to figures from Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest processor of bulk cocoa. This new trend should ordinary be cheering news to us, if only we had made positive efforts,

long ago, to diversify our economy by revitalizing the agriculture sector. Former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adeshina, once revealed that the Federal Government spent N98 trillion on the importation of food for five years. In 2010 alone, the nation spent N635 billion on wheat importation while another N35 trillion was spent on rice importation as well as N217billion on sugar importation and another N97billion spent on fish importation. Despite the fact that agricultural production rose by 28 percent during the 1990s, per capita output rose by only 8.5 percent during the same decade. Consequently, agriculture has not been able to keep pace with Nigeria’s rapid population growth as evident in the sad reality that Nigeria, which once exported food, now relies heavily on imports to sustain itself. Contented in its newly found oil wealth, succeeding governments in the country simply allowed investment in agriculture to decline to a ridiculous state. The prospect of the sector, nevertheless, still reflects in its being accountable for over 26.8% of GDP and two-thirds of employment in the country. To reverse the drift, we must appreciate the potentials of the sector as a catalyst for economic and industrial transformation. There is a need to recreate a modernized professional and commercial farming sector, supported by improved infrastructure and research into high performance seeds and livestock. To encourage the teeming army of un-employed youths in the country to take to agriculture, government should make access to loans meant for agriculture much easier while large scale farming powered by mechanized infrastructures should be the central goal. Equally, local food production needs to be encouraged by making inputs available, giving farmers access to more farm land, providing micro credit at subsidized cost, supporting adequate processing and storage, providing market facilities, and discouraging import of produce with local substitutes through tariffs. It is also important that a significant portion of the country’s annual budget be set aside for the development of the sector. This can be achieved if we reduce expenses on frivolous ventures. Ogunbiyi is of the Features Unit, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

Sport Extra

Arsenal table £10.25m for Umar Arsenal’s initial approach for the 19-yearold thought to be in the region of £10.25 million. Roma will only listen to offers for the Nige-

rian starlet if an improved offer is made by the North London club. It is understood the Rome-based club want at least £11.8 million for the young striker.

Sadiq has impressed at youth level and had scored five goals in nine Uefa Youth League games, plus another 11 in seven matches in Italy.

Despite his relative inexperience, the target man has already made his full first-team debut and has scored two goals in six appearances.

Umar

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