Friday, January 18, 2013 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

N4.7bn money laundering charge:

EFCC arraigns Babalakin, others

DAY TO GO

Granted bail on self-recognition

KENNY ODUNUKAN

Vol. 2 N0. 538

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned the Chairman of BiCourtney Highway Services,

Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), and four others before an Ikeja High Court for allegedly laundering over N4.7bn for the convicted CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Cape Verde has no secrets –Antunes

Friday, January 18, 2013

War in Mali: Senate okays 1,200 soldiers

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...country training ground for Boko Haram –Army chief Many NYSC members US, Canada, EU hail Nigeria’s intervention can’t read, write –DG

GEORGE OJI AND ROTIMI FADEYI

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he Senate yesterday approved the deployment of 1,200 soldiers to Mali for peace keeping operations. The approval was sequel to the request by President Goodluck Jonathan for the troops to join the Africanled force, AFISMA, to participate in limited combat duties in Mali. The action of the Senate was in keeping with Section 4(5) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which requires the President to seek the consent of the Senate before the deployment of Nigerian troops for any foreign operation. In his “Notification to CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Nigerian troops from Battalion 1 ready for Mali for peace keeping operation in Jaji. Kaduna, yesterday.

PDP superior to President, governors, Tukur insists

I’ve nothing more to prove in journalism –Jahman Anikulapo Your

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FRIDAY

Obasanjo denies influencing court case over PDP crisis P.10

Flavour

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Don’t rejoice over Oyinlola’s removal, group tells ACN

Reps mount pressure on Presidency to sack Demuren

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Friday, January 18, 2013

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PDP superior to President, governors, Tukur insists OBIORA IFOH AND ADEOLU ADEYEMO

he National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, yesterday insisted that the party as an institution was superior to any individual, organ or groups within the party. Speaking during a visit to the party’s national secretariat by the Kaduna State Governor, Muktar Yero and his deputy, Nuhu Bajoga, he

said that any support given to anyone holding office in the party should not be misconstrued to be support to the person but support to the institution of the party. Tukur added that the same applied to any support given to the President and vice president “as such support is to the institution they represent.” He said that the party was supreme to the National Working Committee, NWC; the President; the governors and every other member of the party irre-

spective of their status. “We as leaders of your party are here; our job is to ensure that we support all actions being done to help the promotion and development of our people. Let us build the institution of government, it is not the personality, it is the institution. “For us, the party is supreme. It is not the NWC or the President or the governors, it is the institution of the party itself that is supreme because all of us come in and go. “It is not the person, it is

the institution and we have to support that institution of governance; give your governor all the support you can for him to achieve his objectives for the state. “Once that institution is respected and organised and committed, you can be sure that our country will be great and we will be able to raise our heads high before any nation.” He urged the PDP members to continue to be loyal to the administration of President Jonathan stressing that “the total loyal

L-R: British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Pocock; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Olugbenga Ashiru and President Goodluck Jonathan receiving a letter of credence from the commissioner at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

War in Mali: Senate okays 1,200 soldiers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

the Senate on the deployment of members of the armed forces on a limited combat duty in Mali and request for consent,” the President explained that the deployment of Nigerian troops was in line with the Security Council resolution 2085(2012) and the need to combat armed and terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM) and their activities. President Jonathan also based the request on the proliferation of weapons from within and outside the region with grave consequences on the security and stability in the northern parts of Mali and beyond, including Nigeria. He added that Nigeria was currently facing some security challenges and given her proximity to the Sahel region, the crisis in Mali, if not brought under control, might spill over to Nigeria and other West African countries with

negative consequences on collective security, political stability and development efforts. He stated that as a responsible member of the international community and given our recent experiences with insurgency and terrorist activities especially in the northern parts of the country, he felt compelled to urgently approve the deployment of Nigerian troops. After the Senate President David Mark read the letter from Jonathan, the Senate went into a closed door session to discuss the request. About 45 minutes later when the Senate reconvened, and after Mark had reported progress of what took place during the executive session, the Leader, Senator Victor NdomaEgba, moved a motion that the Senate should continue deliberation on the request. In his contribution, the Deputy Senate Leader, Abdul Ningi, supported the

president’s request. He commended the president for conforming to constitutionality by seeking the approval of the Senate on the matter and also for demonstrating leadership. The lawmaker noted that the nation’s foreign policy over the years has been Africa-centered because “whatever happens to any black man anywhere will definitely affect Nigeria.” “When we see danger signal coming from any part of the Africa we get involved. It is in our national interest to get involved in what is going on in Mali” he added. Senator Ndoma-Egba made the point that military regime was no longer fashionable because they do not solve the problems of the country and expressed regrets that in the past, Nigeria has not been able to appropriate the economic gains of its peace-keeping operations. According to him,

“When we deploy troops outside Nigeria, it is to pursue our foreign policy objectives but we must also at the same time tie our economic interest behind our foreign policy as is done by other advanced countries of the world.” He said that the proposed deployment should offer Nigeria the opportunity to redefine its foreign policy. Senator Magnus Abe in his contribution while supporting the request stated that it was almost coming very late. According to him, Nigeria should intervene in Mali without minding whether or not it has any economic gains. He said as Africans, “we should first be mindful of being our brothers’ keepers than putting economic gains first because what happens in that country would have ripple effect on Nigeria.” Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu obCONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

support is to the institution they represent.” Tukur also distanced himself from the position of some elites who at various fora claimed Nigeria is poor and attributed the security challenges to poverty in the land. “When people talk of Boko Haram, when somebody decides on his own not only to kill you but to kill himself, we must distance ourselves from them. It is a thing we must do.” He said there is no justifiable reason why anyone would say Nigeria is poor as the country is blessed with resources that other advanced countries are endowed with. “God gave us what it gave America and Japan. We are not poor; people take poverty as excuse to do what they do. We are not poor.” Tukur harped on the need for PDP governors to place top priority on qualitative education for their people as that will empower them to be more useful to the society. “Educate the people and let them go into the vocation where they can excel. We can move our people from position of want to position of wealth by empowering them through education,” he said. Governor Yero, who told Tukur and members of the NWC that he came to the party secretariat to commiserate with them on the death of late Governor Patrick Yakowa, declared to newsmen after the meeting that his greatest challenge in Kaduna is security. “Our major priority is to ensure security in the state because security is very important and key to any development, so our main focus is security. We want to see how we can secure the state and then how we can unite ourselves because we need to unite to develop the state,” the governor said. Meanwhile, a PDP group christened Progressive Caucus, has warned the Osun State Chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, to desist from rejoicing over the removal of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the National Secretary of the PDP. The group in a statement signed by two of its leaders, Adesoji Efuntayo and Oyelami Rasak and made available to newsmen in Osogbo

yesterday, told the party to mind its own business and stop poke-nosing into PDP’s affairs. The state chairman of the ACN, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, had in a statement claimed that the “PDP is on the road to self-destruct” and that the crisis rocking the party at the national level is a reflection of the rot prevalent in the party. But the group condemned the outburst of the ACN chairman, describing it as uncalled for. “We condemn in strong terms the naïve and very unintelligent reaction of the chairman, Osun Action Congress of Nigeria, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, on the decision of the Federal High Court aired by the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation,” the group said. While condemning the judicial pronouncement by an Abuja Federal High Court which ousted Oyinlola as secretary, the group described the removal as “judicial abracadabra” stressing that the court was wrong “by entertaining a matter over which a higher court has given a ruling staying all proceedings/ execution thereon.” It however pledged its support for Oyinlola, saying he has served the party faithfully and diligently and, as such, did not deserve the treatment being meted out to him. In a related development, Osun State Chapter of the PDP described the judgement of the court on the removal of Oyinlola as erroneous, saying the court was misled by error committed by certain people within the party. The state chapter, which spoke through its Publicity Secretary, Prince Bola Ajao at a press conference held at the party’s secretariat in Osogbo, said: “We are determined and united to fight the battle to a standstill. The court was misled and it must be informed appropriately. “As a responsible corporate body, which has respect for the rule of law and due process, the party has already appealed the judgment of the Federal High Court and we are certain that the erroneous judgment shall be upturned in the interest of fairness, equity and justice”.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

War in Mali

Friday January 18, 2013

49 killed in Algeria’s hostage rescue effort PAUL ARHEWE WITH AGENCY REPORTS

hirty-four hostages and 15 kidnappers have been killed in southern Algeria, according to the group holding the hostages, Aljazeera has reported. Yesterday’s reported deaths came a day after dozens of foreigners and Algerians were taken hostage by heavily armed fighters near the In Amenas gas field. The fighters said they seized the hostages in retaliation for Algeria letting France use its airspace to launch operations against rebels in northern Mali. The spokesman for the Masked Brigade, which had claimed responsibility for the abductions on Wednesday, told Mauritanian ANI news agency that the deaths were a result of an Algerian government helicopter attack

EU approves military training mission to Mali

uropean officials had a message yesterday for French forces fighting on the front lines of the battle against Islamist extremists in the troubled African country of Mali: We’re behind you all the way — and right behind you is exactly where we plan to stay. European leaders agree that the Islamist radicals controlling a vast swath of northern Mali pose a global threat, saying they are capable of developing terrorist plots that could strike any country in the world. The U.S. government shares that view. But after a decade bogged down in Afghanistan, also in a war against jihadists, there is scant appetite either in Europe or the U.S. to put boots on the ground in Mali — however much national leaders say that something needs to be done. At an emergency meeting in Brussels yesterday, EU foreign ministers approved sending a military training mission to Mali to shore up the army and so, it is hoped, enable the country’s government to regain control of all its territory, perhaps with help from neighbouring African countries.

on a convoy transporting hostages and kidnappers. The official Algerian APS news agency, citing local sources, said an unspecified number of people were killed in the military rescue attempt. It said nearly 600 Algerian workers and four foreign hostages - two Britons, a Frenchman and a Kenyan - had been freed during the operation. The Irish foreign ministry said an Irish man had also been freed. In another version of the story, twenty-five foreign hostages escaped and six were reportedly killed yesterday when Algerian forces launched an operation to free them at a remote desert gas plant, Algerian sources said. The Algerian government said the hostage rescue operation was still ongoing as at press time. Three other hostages were later freed by the army, a local source told

Reuters, as the military operation continued after dark. The reported loss of hostages’ lives in the fast-moving events raised a chorus of concern from Western leaders. The standoff began when gunmen calling themselves the Battalion of Blood stormed the gas facility on Wednesday morning. They said they were holding 41 foreigners and demanded a halt

to a French military operation against fellow al Qaeda-linked Islamist militants in neighbouring Mali. The raid increased fears that jihadist militants could launch further attacks in Algeria, a vast desert country with large oil and gas reserves that is only just recovering from a protracted conflict with Islamist rebels during the 1990s which cost an esti-

mated 200,000 lives. A local source told Reuters six foreign hostages were killed along with eight captors when the Algerian military fired on a vehicle being used by the gunmen. He said 40 Algerians and three foreigners were freed by the army as it continued its operation into Thursday evening. An Algerian security source said earlier 25 foreign hos-

Al-Qaida leader, Belmokhtar, behind Algeria attack

The Ain Amenas gas field where the militants raided and took hostages.

PHOTO: AP

French strikes hit key Mali town held by Islamists

ighting erupted between Islamists and Malian soldiers in the city whose capture by militants first prompted French military intervention, while French forces kept up their bombardments of another key town, fleeing residents said yesterday. Mali soldiers claimed to have recaptured the central town of Konna, although this could not be confirmed, while the French continued airstrikes on the Islamist-held town of Diabaly, at least 200 kilometres (125 miles) away. Residents who escaped Diabaly said French bombs continued to hit Islamist positions there overnight but they said the town remained under the control of the radical Islamists who have advanced south after controlling northern Mali for nearly a year.

tages had escaped. Mauritania’s ANI news agency, which has been in constant contact with the kidnappers, had earlier said seven hostages were still being held: two Americans, three Belgians, one Japanese and one British citizen. It quoted one of the kidnappers as saying that Algerian ground forces were trying to fight their way into the complex.

“There were bombardments last night in Diabaly and civilians have continued to come here to Niono, said Oumar Coulibaly, a resident of Niono. “This morning I saw people who came from Diabaly and the Islamists still occupy the city.” Diabaly, a town of some 35,000 people, is just 250 miles (400 kilometres) northeast of the capital of Bamako. Meanwhile, France has increased its troops’ strength in Mali to 1,400, said French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. “The actions of French forces be it air forces or ground forces, are ongoing,” said Le Drian in Paris on Thursday. “They took place yesterday, they took place last night, they took place today, they will take place tomorrow.” Fleeing residents have said that Islamist extrem-

Nigerian troops deployed to join the Africa-led international support mission to Mali demonstrating during the visit of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika to their camp in Jaji, Kaduna State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

ists have taken over their homes in Diabaly and were preventing other people from leaving. They said the militants were melting into the population and moving only in small groups on streets in the mud-walled neighbourhoods to avoid being targeted by the French. “They stationed themselves outside my house with a heavy weapon; I don’t know what sort it was. After that came the bombing, which went on from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and after that, one of them (rebels) jumped over my garden wall to grab the keys to my car,” said Thiemogo Coulibaly. In the narrow waist of central Mali, fighting reignited in the town of Konna, which the Islamists attacked last week and seized a day before French launched its military offensive.

French armoured vehicles driving to the north of Mali, outside Bamako. PHOTO: AP

A Malian military official, who insisted on anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to journalists, said the fighting began Wednesday between Malian soldiers and Islamists from the group Ansar Dine. The official claimed that Malian forces had forced the Islamists out of Konna, a claim that could not be immediately corroborated. Abdrahmane Guirou, a nurse, said four wounded soldiers had been brought to the local hospital. The first troops from Mali’s neighbours are expected Thursday, nearly a week after French forces launched their military operation to dislodge alQaida-linked militants from a harsh desert region the same size as France. Aboudou Toure Cheaka, special representative for the president of the Economic Community of West African States commission, said the troops from Nigeria would be arriving sometime Thursday and forces from Niger are to be deployed soon along the Niger-Mali border. France expects to ramp up to a total of 2,500 soldiers that will include French Foreign Legionnaires.

relatively new al-Qaida affiliate, calling itself “Those who sign with blood,” attacked a BP natural gas facility in Algeria Wednesday, taking dozens of foreigners hostage, along with an undisclosed number of Algerians. The militant group says it was retaliating for Algerian cooperation with the French military operation against Islamist rebels in Mali. The latest reports say Algerian helicopters attacked the BP site yesterday, killing a number of hostages and their captors. The al-Qaida leader has long topped the region’s Most Wanted List. Mokhtar Belmokhtar is a former commander of al-Qaida’s North Africa branch, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, which has been active in northern Mali since 2007 when the Algerian-based Salafist group officially joined al-Qaida. He reportedly broke off from AQIM in December 2012 with the aim of spreading jihad beyond the Sahara. Dakar-based security analyst, Andrew Lebovich, said this new battalion appears to draw a core group of fighters from Belmohktar’s cell under AQIM - the so-called “Masked Battalion.” It remains closely linked to the al-Qaidalinked Islamist militants currently fighting French and Malian forces in north and central Mali.

Belmokhtar

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Friday January 18, 2013

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L-R: Administrator, United States Agency for International Development, Dr. RajIv Shah; Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Minister of State for Agriculture, Alh Bukar Tijjani, during the signing of Memorandum of PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA Understanding between the Nigerian Government and USAID in Abuja, yesterday.

L-R: Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; his wife, Erelu Bisi and an awardee, Chief Wole Olanipekun and others, during the 21st Convocation Ceremony of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, yesterday.

L-R: President of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, Dr. Nasir Fagge; former Director, Nigeria Network of Non-Governmental Organisation, Ms. Yemisi Ransome-Kuti and Convener, United Action for Democracy, Comrade Jaiye Gaskiya, at the Revitalising Nigerian Tertiary Education for 21st Century Challenges PHOTO: NAN meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

L-R: Minister of State for FCT, Chief Olajumoke Akinjide; Director-General, National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Alh Munzali Dantata and President, Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria, Chief Samuel Alabi, during the minister’s meeting with the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria and the National PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA Institute for Hospitality and Tourism in Abuja, yesterday.

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Suspension: Court decides Salami’s fate March 11 EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday, fixed March 11 to deliver judgement in a suit seeking to compel the National Judicial Council, NJC, to reinstate the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, PCA, Justice Ayo Isa Salami. Justice Salami has been on suspension since August 18, 2011, when the NJC found him guilty of “gross misconduct” and refusal to apologise to the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu. Presiding judge, Justice Adamu Bello adjourned for judgement in a suit brought by the Registered Trustees of the Centre for the Promotion of Arbitration. In an originating summons brought pursuant to the inherent rules of the Federal High Court, the plaintiffs (numbering eleven), prayed the court to hold that the NJC, by

virtue of the 1999 constitution, as amended, has the exclusive power to mete out sanctions against judicial officers. Such powers, it added, include discipline and recall. In the light of this, the plaintiffs want an order of mandamus compelling the NJC to recall justice Salami Plaintiffs’ counsel, Mr. Jitobo Akanike argued that, President Goodluck Jonathan (1st Defendant) and the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN, (2nd defendant) have no business in matters of discipline of a judicial officer, pointing out that the earlier pronouncement reinstating Salami by the NJC did not need any approval or endorsement by the president for it to carry the force of law. Akanike further submitted that the only issue for determination was whether or not NJC could share its disciplinary power with the president and

or the AGF. To this end, he urged the court to “discountenance” the preliminary objection raised by President Jonathan and the AGF, challenging their locus standi, insisting in their counteraffidavit that “the facts deposed to in defendants’ preliminary objection are not sufficient for the court to grant reliefs sought in their objection.” Accordingly, plaintiffs invited the court to grant their reliefs as lucidly stated in their originating summons, while dismissing separate objection by Jonathan and Adoke. In their separate responses, counsel to the president and the AGF, Mr. Matthew Echo urged the trial judge to dismiss the plaintiffs’ originating summons on the ground that they lack the locus standi to institute the matter. Echo told the court that 1st and 2nd defendants’ objection were brought pursuant to order 26, rules 1, 2 and 3 of the federal high court rules. He maintained that “the plaintiffs

have not shown any sufficient interest above any other Nigerian in the matter” to warrant grant of their reliefs. The court, was therefore, enjoined to “uphold our counter-affidavit and dismiss the suit as mere academic, indeterminable and a waste of the time of the court.” Counsel to NJC (3rd defendant), Dr. A. A. Kanah urged the court to arrive at a decision that will best serve the interest of justice. But, Salami’s counsel, Chief Adeniyi Akintola, SAN, aligned with the sub-

mission of the plaintiffs, when he persuaded the court to dismiss defendants’ preliminary objection “a s not representing the current status of the law on locus standi.” Akintola told the court that the NJC had “also admitted that that it is they that have power of discipline of judicial officers “This court has the inherent jurisdiction to grant an order of mandamus compelling the 3rd defendant to perform its constitutional duty, to save the judiciary from ridicule.

“The failure of the 3rd Defendant to reinstate the 4th Defendant by wrongly and unlawfully referring it to the 1st defendant for approval when indeed the 1st defendant lacks such power under the constitution has diminished the status and influence of the 3rd defendant in the public domain. “This Honourable court has the unique opportunity to redeem and restore the dented image of the judiciary through the grant of the prayers sought by the plaintiffs,” Akintola added.

Apo Six: FG tenders evidence against police EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

he Federal Government yesterday tendered in evidence some guns allegedly used by some police officers to kill five spare part dealers at Apo Mechanic village Abuja and their female companion. Also tendered and admitted in evidence was a medical report by one Dr

Okoli from Asokoro District Hospital, confirming the death of the victims. Trial judge, Justice Ishaq Bello adjourned the case till today for continuation of trial. It will be recalled that at the last adjourned date on November 15, last year, the criminal case could not proceed, as prosecution counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, said very important witnesses were unable to

attend proceeding. The six police officers standing trial over the Apo six killings on June 8, 2005 are: DCP Danjuma Ibrahim, DPO Uthman Abdullahi, Nicholas Zachariya, Ezekiel Acheneje, Emmanuel Baba and Sadiq Salami. They were alleged to have extra-judicially murdered Anthony Nwokike, Chinedu Merim, Ifeanyi Ozo, Isaac Eken, Paul Ogbonna and Augustina Arebun.

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Friday, January 18, 2013

War in Mali: Senate okays 1,200 soldiers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

served that what is happening in Mali has much more security implications for Nigeria than France, which has been in the forefront of combating the crisis in that country, stressing that, “we need to take this war to their home, we need to save Mali from itself, we need to be our brothers’ keeper.” Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika yesterday said top leaders of the dreaded Boko Haram Islamic sect have their training in Mali. Ihejirika also warned the Army’s special troops being deployed to the country to guard against being disarmed by Islamic insurgents. Addressing officers and men of the First Nigerian Army Battalion being sent to join the African-led International Peace Support Mission in Mali at Jaji, Gen. Ihejirika said the contribution of Nigeria in the restoration of peace in the crisis-ridden country would complement the efforts by the Federal Government in the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency. Ihejirika noted that the unrest in Mali has become a global concern as the African Union and international community are determined to enforce restoration of peace in the West African country. He further expressed regret over Mali’s insurgency, which had affected the northern part of the country since March 2012 saying that if not put under control it might take over Bamako, the capital as well as spread to other neighbouring countries. The Army chief charged the Nigerian troops to stick to the rules of their engagement with the tradition of being the giant of Africa, stressing that Federal Government had deployed the largest number of Special Forces to Mali. He said: “As Chief of Army Staff, I charge you to be resolute, dedicated and disciplined as you deploy into Mali. You must remember that the rules of engagement are designed to guide you and not to restrict you. The Nigeria Army will not entertain any circumstances that would lead to any of you being disarmed. For the commanding officer and offi-

cers of NIBATT 1 AFISMA, you must show exemplary leadership in your operational area as you have always done. “I am aware that you have completed the fourweek pre-deployment training at this centre which was designed to refresh, polish and add some knowledge and expertise in your various fields. I am also aware that deliberate efforts were made to refresh you in the handling of support weapons and others. “This refresher training was to enable you protect yourself, your equipment and the loyal citizens of the host nation in your area of responsibility. I am optimistic that you would confront potential challenges and surmount all obstacles.” Earlier, the Commandant, Jaji Training Centre, Maj. Gen. John Zaruwa, said the training was designed to suit the operational environment and expressed confidence that the battalion would live up to expectation. Gen. Zaruwa while commending the deployed troops for their diligence and hard work during the training tasked them to sustain it in Mali. In a related development, President Jonathan will depart Abuja today for Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire for an Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government ahead of the full deployment of the community’s troops to Mali. According to a statement issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President would be accompanied to the meeting by the Minister of State for Defence, Erelu Olusola Obada and the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim. The meeting is also expected to discuss the situation in Guinea-Bissau. Jonathan is due back in Abuja tomorrow. The President had last Monday at a cocktail party for members of the Diplomatic Corps at the State House, Abuja disclosed that Nigeria would deploy troops to Mali to join forces with other countries to reclaim the country from Islamic terrorist group. “We are presently confronted with a situation in

Mali. Let me assure you and the global community that as a nation we will work with other nations to make sure that the problem in Mali is solved,” Jonathan had told the diplomats. “We can no longer surrender any part of the globe to extremism, because it doesn’t pay and we don’t know the next victim. “We must collectively discourage individuals or group of individuals that will take laws into their hands and make the world a place that is not safe for all of us,” he had insited. Meanwhile, the U.S.,

Canada and the European Union have pledged their support to Nigeria and France for deploying troops to Mali. This is contained in a statement by the spokesman in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ogbole Ode, in Abuja on Thursday. The statement said that heads of mission from the four countries made the pledge when the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru, briefed them on the update of troop deployment under the auspices of the ECOWAS African-led International

Support Mission in Mali, AFISMA. They advised that the military strategy should also be pursued along with the political process, which should involve various parties in Mali. The statement said that Ashiru informed the envoys that the crisis in Mali was an issue of deep concern not only to West Africa but to Africa, Europe and the rest of the world. “It is against this backdrop that the military operations by the French to dislodge Islamic militants and to regain northern

Mali deserved the unflinching support of the international community,” he was quoted as having said. It noted the uncommon international unanimity and endorsement that had greeted the military intervention by France, arising from the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2085. The statement also said the preparations already put in place and the active support of the international community and the military mission would meet its overall objectives.

L-R: Director-General, National Orientation Agency, Mr. Mike Omeri and former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, at the PHOTO: NAN launch of ‘Do the right thing: Keep to time Nigeria campaign’ in Abuja, yesterday.

N4.7bn money laundering charge: EFCC arraigns Babalakin, others CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori, in 2006. The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo however granted Babalakin and his co-defendant, Mr. Alex Okoh, bail in selfrecognition. Babalakin was arraigned along with Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Limited, Bi-Courtney Limited, and Renix Nigeria Limited on a 27-count charge of money laundering and corrupt practices. The EFCC alleged that the defendants fraudulently assisted Ibori to transfer various sums, through various parties, to Erin Aviation account in Mauritius for the purchase of a Challenger Jet aircraft. Besides, the commission alleged that Babalakin had conferred

benefits with the former Delta State governor “to wit N1,356,600,000 on contract awarded to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the sum through a third party to Erin Aviation Account in Mauritius for the procurement of an aircraft.” It also accused the defendants of siphoning $11.3m abroad for Ibori through the Erin Aviation account in Mauritius. The charges read: “That you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni Limited and Bi-Courtney Limited, between May 2006 and December 2006 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did corruptly confer benefit on former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N1,356,600,000 on account of contracts awarded by Delta State.

“That you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni Limited and Bi-Courtney Limited on or about May 3, 2006 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did corruptly confer benefit on former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N145,500,000 on account of contracts awarded by Delta State Government to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the said sum through third parties to Erin Aviation account in Mauritius for the purchase of Challenger Jet Aircraft by the said James Onanefe Ibori. “That you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni Limited and Bi-Courtney Limited on or about May 10, 2006 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did corruptly confer benefit on former Governor James

Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N141m awarded by Delta State Government to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the said sum through third parties to Erin Aviation account in Mauritius for the purchase of Challenger Jet Aircraft by the said James Onanefe Ibori. “That you, Dr. Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni Limited and Bi-Courtney Limited on or about 10th May 2006 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did corruptly confer benefit on former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N118m awarded by Delta State Government to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the said sum through third parties to Erin Aviation account in Mauritius for the purchase of Challenger Jet CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

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Friday, January 18, 2013

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Reps probe ‘disappearance’ of N2.1bn at NSPMC TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

he House of Representatives has mandated an ad hoc committee to investigate an alleged theft of N2.1 billion at the Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company NSPMC. The mandate arose from a motion on the theft raised by Hon. Albert T. Sam-Tsokwa (PDP-Taraba) and 60 others. The sponsors of the motion read by Hon. Sam-Tsokwa, said they were “aware that in the first week of December 2012, a staggering sum of N2.1 billion of newly printed N1,000 notes mysteriously disappeared in the course of production due to secu-

rity breaches as admitted by the management of NSPMC.” The motion said the House was “disturbed that there has been conflicting information on the actual amount of money declared missing; while the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, governor said it was about N2 billion, the managing director of the NSPMC had claimed that the actual amount missing was N1.5 billion, and the media adviser to the managing director claimed that the actual amount missing was N900,000 due to security breach and that a security operative was arrested in Lagos with the said sum of N900,000. The House in adopting the Motion, expressed worries that about 39 workers of the Nige-

ria Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) were summarily sacked from the establishment after news about the theft became public knowledge.”

The House noted that it was worried that “this is the second known time that large sums of monies have allegedly disappeared in the course of production or from the

vaults of the NSPMC”. The House, presided over by Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, then resolved to “constitute a special ad -hoc committee to carry out an inves-

L-R: Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola; Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I and Special Adviser to the governor on Taxation and Revenue, Mr. Abimbola Shodipo, at the 6th Lagos State Taxation Stakeholders’ Conference in Lagos, yesterday.

N4.7bn money laundering charge: EFCC arraigns Babalakin, others CONTINUED FROM 5 Aircraft by the said James Onanefe Ibori.” Other funds allegedly laundered by Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni, Bi-Courtney on May 5, 10 and 26, 2006 were the sums of N100m; N89m; N102m; N35m; N156m; and N67m respectively at various times. The EFCC also alleged that on June 2, 2006, the suspects “did corruptly confer benefit on former Governor James Onanefe Ibori to wit: the sum of N260m on accounts of contracts awarded by Delta State Government to Stabilini Visioni Limited by transferring the said sum through various third parties to Erin Aviation account in Mauritius for the purchase of Challenger Jet. The commission has further indicted the defendants for allegedly diverting the dollar components of the funds laundered by the suspects in company with two others. The EFCC further accused Babalakin, Stabilini Visioni, Bi-Courtney, Renix Nigeria Limited and Okoh of laundering about $11.3m for Ibori. They were also charged for the “retention of proceeds of a criminal conduct,” contrary to Section 17(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act

2004. As soon as the charges were read, the accused pleaded not guilty. After the pleas were taken, their lawyers through Mr. Wale Akoni (SAN) told the court that they had a number of pending applications. Babalakin’s counsel, Akoni (SAN) and Okoh’s lawyer, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) then argued the bail applications of their clients and urged the court to grant the defendants bail based on self recognition and past administrative bail granted them by EFCC. While urging the court to strike out an application dated January 17, 2013, Akoni also prayed the court to consider the motion for bail dated November 29, 2012 and grant his client bail pending the determination of the case. He said that the bail application was supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Dr. Abiodun Layonu (SAN) and supported by a written address. Akoni asked the court to consider paragraph 3(1) (i-ix) of the affidavit in support of the application and prayed the court to grant Babalakin on self recognition. To enable the court grant the request, he prayed Justice Onigbanjo to consider Babalakin’s antecedent which, included his being a SAN, member of the Body

tigation into the alleged disappearance or theft of the over N2 billion from the vaults of NSPMC and other related issues and report to the House within four weeks”.

of Benchers, Pro- Chancellor, University of Maiduguri and Chairman of Pro-Chancellors of all Nigerian Universities among others. He assured the court that the first defendant would not jump bail or take to flight, stressing that he voluntarily came to court yesterday without security or cohesion. Oyetibo, who led other six lawyers, also prayed the court to admit his client to bail in self recognition. Oyetibo said that Okoh was a former managing director and financial consultant to leading banks and some other financial institutions in the country. Besides, the counsel submitted that Okoh had been making himself available in court since the matter started and he was prepared for trial to clear his name. Counsel to the 5th defendant, Mr. Oladapo Akinosun, however drew the court’s attention to the fact they had not received any process and hence could not file any countermotion in court on the matter. Lawyers to the 3rd and 4th defendants, Mr. Rafiu Lawal-Rabana (SAN) and Dr. Joseph Nwobike respectively did not oppose the request of other attorneys for bail for their clients.

The prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), had no objection to the bail applications but asked the court to give conditions that would ensure their appearance in court on subsequent adjourned dates. Ruling, Justice Onigbanjo granted Babalakin and his co-defendant bail on self-recognition based on the arguments of their attorneys. The court further gave all the defendants and prosecution 14 days within which to serve all papers, including processes, interlocutory injunctions, counter motions and affidavits in support of their motions, as the case may be.

Onigbanjo thereafter adjourned the matter till February 25, 2013 for hearing of interlocutory injunctions of the defendants. Babalakin was driven into the court at exactly 10.00am in a black Mercedez Benz ML SUV marked TP 425 AAA. He was dressed in striped navy blue suit over a white shirt with a red striped tie and black shoes. He was not accompanied by any security officer. As he alighted from the car, he took the stairs straight to the courtroom and sat beside the dock from where he conferred with his lawyers. The entire court proceedings however lasted for two hours.

Jonathan seeks robust global response to terrorism ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan has called for a more robust global response to the scourge of terrorism. Speaking yesterday after reviewing recent terrorism-related events in Algeria and Northern Mali with the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Andrew John Pocock, the Presi-

dent said the whole world clearly needed to unite and do much more than was presently being done to contain terrorism with its negative impact on global peace and security. Jonathan condemned the abduction of British, French and other foreign workers at a gas facility in Eastern Algeria by terrorists who claimed to be responding to France’s intervention in Mali.

Motorists groan over gridlock on Abuja airport road MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

here was gridlock on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road in Abuja yesterday, as it took users of the road over three hours to drive into the city’s centre. The road, which has been under construction since 2009, is already nearing completion. It only takes about 30 minutes to drive from the airport, when the road is open for use. Users of the 10-lane highway were caught unawares last Monday when the construction company handling the road, Julius Berger, suddenly mounted obstructions on larger part of the lanes, thus forcing heavy traffic on the road. The situation, however, became worse yesterday morning and evening when motorists and commuters, mainly civil and public servants, could not get to work until 11am. Major sections of the road were blocked to allow for completion. Yesterday’s traffic experience was unprecedented since 2009 when work on the road began.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, January 18, 2013

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National News

Friday, January 18, 2013

Dana crash: Reps mount pressure on Presidency to sack Demuren TORDUE SALEM, ABUJA

he House of Representatives yesterday directed its Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure its report on the Dana Airlines aircraft crash on June 3, 2012 that recommended the sack of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, DirectorGeneral, Mr. Harold De-

muren and the withdrawal of the Aircraft Operating Certificate, AOC, of Dana Airlines is implemented by the executive along other recommendations. The report had besides its call on Demurren’s sack for alleged negligence, recommended among others, that Dana’s current AOC should be revoked, because according to the report, the AOC was not “issued in

compliance with Nigerian Civil Aviation, NCAA, Civil Regulations Guidelines 2009.” The Compliance Committee, headed by Hon. Akinderu Fatai (ACNLagos), is expected to commence work on its implementation immediately. Sponsor of the motion, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, (PDP-Delta), while presenting it, urged the house to

take a drastic measure to get the resolutions in the report across. He said he was surprised that “in January, 2013, while the house was on Christmas break and its resolutions yet to be implemented, the Minister of Aviation vacated the grounding order by authorising Dana Airline to commence operation in flagrant disregard of the reso-

Security Trust Fund: Sue us if you can, Fashola tells PDP MURITALA AYINLA

he call by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to probe the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF, yesterday received knocks from the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola. Fashola, who described the probe call as an attempt by the PDP to ‘dancing naked in public,’ said LSSTF is an outfit set up on voluntary donations to help discharge the obligations which the PDP-led Federal Government has failed to optimally discharged to the police.

Speaking at the sixth Lagos Taxation Stakeholders Conference in Ikeja GRA, Fashola challenged the PDP to carry out its threat and sue the state government, saying he was more than ready to face them in court. He said the state government has constantly and judiciously managed donations received from individuals and corporate organisations to equip the Nigeria Police despite being the primary responsibility of the Federal Government. He said: “I heard that PDP wants to sue the Lagos State government to stop the LSSTF from function-

ing. An outfit set up on voluntary donations, to help discharge the obligation which their party has to the police which they have failed to discharge. I have news for them; they should make my day, because we will meet them in court.” He bemoaned the state of the police in the country, saying despite the huge amount earmarked for the funding of the security outfits yearly, the Nigerian Police remained largely illequipped. “I think they are getting closer to dancing naked in public. This is because the welfare and the provision

of other basic equipments to the police is their responsibility. They budget money every year for security but policemen cannot buy uniforms. They do not have vehicles for patrol. They do not have fuel to power existing vehicles. “Then a government sits down here, create innovative ideas on how to fund the police in the state, a problem that is not its responsibility, it goes to its citizens to plead for fund for the police that are not controlled by the state government all in the interest of protecting the lives of its citizens.

lution directing that Dana’s current AOC be revoked.” It will be recalled that the house had on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 passed a resolution with over 18 recommendations aimed at sanitising the aviation sector. Also the house had earlier on June 5, 2012 mandated its Aviation Committee headed by Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (PDP-Abia) to investigate “the immediate

and remote causes of the Dana Airline crash of Sunday, 3 June, 2012.” The mandate took the committee six months of collating data from all agencies concerned and public hearings in the house and the senate, before a report was finally laid in plenary a day before the Green Chamber adjourned for its Christmas and New Year holidays.

FRSC records 526 deaths, 1, 204 auto crashes SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

he Zone RS 5 of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, yesterday said it recorded a total of 1, 204 auto crashes in states within the command in 2012 The Commander of the FRSC Zone comprising Edo, Delta and Anambra States, Mr. Wole Olaniran, gave the data in an interview with National Mirror in Benin. Olaniran said the figures recorded were crashes captured between January and November, 2012 as against

the 973 auto crashes recorded in the zone within the same period in 2011. He said in 2011, while the command recorded 487 deaths, 2, 635 cases of injured persons with 1, 478 vehicles were involved; “whereas in 2012, we recorded 526 deaths, 3, 120 cases of injured persons with 2, 040 vehicles been involved in the crashes.” The FRSC boss further said Edo State recorded the highest number of death and fatality in both 2011 and 2012 respectively, because of its vantage position as a transit state to all corridors to other states.

Soldier kills bridegroom’s cousin at wedding ceremony GEORGE OPARA ABIA

he Abia State police command has petitioned Army authorities in Abuja for the release of the soldier that shot and killed the cousin of a bride during her wedding ceremony last Sunday in Isieke in Umuahia North council area of the state. State Commissioner of Police, Ambrose Aisabor, told journalists in a telephone interview that a report of murder was received by the command involving a soldier who shot

and killed a fresh graduate, Chijioke Ndubuaku, during a wedding ceremony. “It was gathered that a young man was killed last Sunday during a wedding at Isieke, Umuahia, when one of the relations to the bride went to the canopy of their in-laws from Nekede in Owerri Imo State to open their cooler to take food without permission. One of the relations to the bride, Innocent Nmeregini, said that one Onyiyechi Ekeoma Ijioma, started the problem when she went to the canopy of the in-laws to dish food for herself without the per-

mission of the in-laws. Nmeregini said the inlaws may have felt insulted and when they asked the girl what she was doing, “she slapped the young man who asked her the question and fight started, while guest started running away.” During the fight, soldiers stationed at the Isieke Community Secondary School came to the place to stop the fight. “But, when people saw the soldiers, they ran away and the next thing we heard was a gunshot and the body of Ndubuaku was lying lifeless on the ground.”

Police dislodge robbers dressed in Customs uniform FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

en of the Ogun State police command yesterday dislodged dare devil armed robbers numbering about 17 who had laid siege to the Abeokuta-Ibadan Expressway. The robbers, who were disguised in the uniform of men of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, were said to have positioned themselves in a strategic position be-

tween Olodo and Kila villages in Odeda Local Government Area of Ogun State around 3.30 pm, pretending to be personnel of the Customs service on duty. Speaking with National Mirror on the phone yesterday afternoon, shortly after receiving reports of the police’s exploit at the scene of the robbery, the command’s Public Relations Officer, PRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the robbers took to their heels upon hearing the news about the police’s approach.

Adejobi, who said he was yet to receive a comprehensive report of the incident, further said that the combined team of officers of the Quick Respond Service, QRS, as well as other police officers swung into action upon receiving news of the robbery. The PRO further said that the robbers had wanted to use the advantage of Customs’ hitherto check point along the axis to rob unsuspecting motorists, hence they disguised in Customs’ uniform.

Politics PDP: Battling with odds from all sides All is certainly not well with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The party, in the last few months, has been battling an array of crises that have divided its leadership. Different groups have emerged within the party and these groups are battling for the soul of the party which prides itself as the largest party in Africa. Although many would say that the party has experienced worse times and still emerged victorious in elections, would it be so lucky this time around? Can the PDP put it’s house in order before 2015?

The return of Kel Celebrity

Saturday Starter The Fear of Fire? Is 2013 the Year of Fire in Nigeria?. From Lagos to Sokoto, Awka to Lokoja, palaces to shanties, mansions to markets, offices to stalls; all over the country incidents of conflagration continue to make headlines. Lives have been lost and properties worth billions of Naira destroyed. The question now is: Is 2013 going to be synonymous with fire in Nigeria?

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South West

Ogun school children engaged as change agents FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

gun State government yesterday organised a one-day civic education programme to enlighten citizens on tax administration in the state. The civic education programme which has as its theme; “Understanding Tax System,” principally gathered school children drawn from all public schools across the state who are believed to be agents of change to propagate the message to their parents and neighbours. The programme, which held at the Oba’s Complex in the state secretariat, was also aimed at enlisting the support of all and sundry in the state, particularly the younger generation who are the most beneficiaries of the rebuilding mission of the Ibikunle Amosun administration in the state. Speaking at the event which was jointly organised by the state Ministry of Finance and the Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the event was important towards ensuring that needed funds to execute rapid and meaningful developmental projects in the state was available through the payment of taxes. The commissioner, who informed the student that revenue generated from the federation account is low, further stressed that the state needed more fund in form of tax from individuals and organisations to enable the state balance up its expenditure. Adeosun, who lamented the high number of tax evaders in the state, however, revealed that the programme was put in place to enlighten the wards on the importance of payment of taxes when they start to work. “The tax we generate in this state is very low. The problem we have is that a lot of people don’t want to pay yet everyone enjoys whatever amenity the government provides through taxes. “Please do well at school and study hard and as soon as you start earning money, pay your tax so that we can take this state to a greater level and at the end of the day, we can have a state we will all be proud of.”

Friday January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fayemi to re-establish education varsity ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

t was good news yesterday for residents of Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State as Governor Kayode Fayemi announced that the scrapped state-owned University of Education in the community would soon be reestablished. Fayemi, who assured that he would want worldclass education university in place, said the dream would materialise as soon as the resources of the state improved. The governor, who spoke yesterday at the 21st convocation ceremony of the College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, said his administration would not relent in giving necessary assistance to education institutions in the state in a bid to produce qualitative manpower for the development needs of the country and the world at large. It will be recalled that the scrapped university, established by former Governor Olusegun Oni, was scrapped by the Fayemi administration last

year when the three existing universities were merged on the recommendation of the late Prof. Sam Aluko-chaired Economic Summit in the state in 2011 for effective management and financing. The governor said; “Ikere as a critical component of Ekiti deserves a university. And I want to reassure our people in Ikere Ekiti that establishing a university here will be a reality sooner than later. “But I don’t want to put up a glorified secondary school masquerading as university here in Ikere Ekiti. I want to restate that as soon as the state has enough resources, we shall surely redeem our pledge,” he said. The governor continued: “Teaching is a noble profession and I promise that we do promise to return it to its pride of place. Even when I leave office, I may go to Ekiti State University or other university to display the experiences I have garnered over time”, Fayemi said. Earlier, the Provost of the College, Prof. Francesca Aladejana said; “The

PDP crisis: Obasanjo denies influencing court case FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

ormer President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday described as “a tissue of lies”, the allegation that he has secured an assurance from the presiding judge of the Lagos Division of the Appeal Court to influence the outcome of an Appeal Court case involving the suspended financier of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State, Prince Buruji Kashamu and the party. The former president also said that he has nothing to do with the case in question and has neither spoken with Chief Afe Babalola on any such case nor given him any money to ever give to any judge in respect of the case. In a statement issued and signed by his Media Assistant, Vitalis Ortese, copies of which were made available to journalists yesterday, Chief Obasanjo described the allegation as a clear indication of lies being “prop-

agated by despicable characters like Adebayo Dayo and Buruji Kashamu, who peddle falsehood in the hope of sustaining baseless cases and allegations for the most regrettable and deplorable reasons.” It will be recalled that some national dailies (National Mirror not inclusive) had reported in their January 17, 2013 editions that the former president had allegedly secured an assurance to influence the outcome of an appeal case pending before the court in Lagos State. But, Chief Obasanjo described denied the allegation, calling it “nothing but a tissue of lies.”

College has the vision to produce outstanding educators, scholars and researchers and to advance the profession of education through research in the

science and art of effective teaching and learning.” At the occasion where 21, 000 graduates spanning eight graduating sets were churned out, three

eminent Nigerians - Chief Wole Olanipekun, Senator Sola Adeyeye and Senator Remi Tinubu, were conferred with fellowship awards of the college.

Chairman, Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited, Dr. Wale Babalakin, at the Ikeja High Court during his arraignment on money laundering charges, yesterday.

Some of the counsel, Mr. Funminiyi Oyebamiji; Mr. Lekan Shittu; Mr. Yussuf Ali (SAN) and Mr. Dele Adesina (SAN). PHOTOS: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

Accord Party will bury PDP in Oyo, says Ladoja KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ormer governor of Oyo State and National Leader of the Accord Party, AP, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, yesterday said the party has resolved to bury the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state in future elections. He stated this while receiving a chieftain of the PDP and former Chairman of Ibadan North-West Local Government, Remi Ayodele, and his supporters into the AP. Ladoja while insisting that anybody still in the PDP

is wasting his time, added that the AP can best offer the leadership that the people of Oyo State deserves. He said the party will coast home to victory whenever local government election is conducted by the ACN led government in the state. His words: “We are here to welcome people into our party. Today in Ibadan North-West, everything called PDP is finished. Then there was a party called PDP but now they are finished. PDP, rest in peace in Ibadan Northwest. We buried PDP in Ajaawa and today it is the turn of

the Ibadan North-West. “Many are surprised that people are leaving the ruling party at the centre to come to Accord Party, I have received people from the ruling party into AP. This is unprecedented; those still left in the PDP should join the train. “Baba Awolowo said people of like mind will be together. People makes party, party don’t make people. We don’t use gun and we bring succour to people. Road of success is coming back to Oyo State. We don’t want thugs in our party and there is no discrimination in our party.

Fire disaster: Shops in Ogunpa market sealed KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

etermined to forestall further fire incidents, the Oyo State government yesterday sealed off hundreds of shops involved in the fire disaster at Ogunpa area of the state capital late on Wednesday.

Muyiwa Olaore, an aide of the state Commissioner for Environment and Habitat, Lowo Obisesan, made the disclosure while delivering Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s sympathy message to the traders. It was learnt that the fire which started around 7.30 pm, was ignited by a loud explosion from one

of the shops within the clustered structures. It was gathered that gun powder and other combustible items are sold in the area where the fire started from. One of the victims, Ibraheem Iyiola, while speaking with journalists, said they closed for the day before the incident happened. Iyiola,

who sells children clothes, under wears and similar items, said he lost up N2 million to the disaster. His words: “We had closed for the day around 6.00 pm. It was almost 8.00 pm when a friend called to inform me of the incident. But before I could get here about an hour later, it was too late to save anything.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Friday, January 18, 2013

NNPC officials, security agents behind oil theft –Fasehun OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

ounder and President of Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, has accused the security agencies of partaking in oil theft in the country. Fasehun, who addressed a press conference in Lagos yesterday, said unscrupulous officers of all the

•Says OPC’ll end pipeline vandalism in one year security agencies, paramilitary agencies, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and oil marketers were part of the well-organised cartel behind the “nefarious business of pipeline vandalism and pilfering of petroleum products throughout the country.” The OPC president, how-

ever, said his organisation could stop pipeline vandalism in the South West in one year if given the mandate. He said: “My members are disciplined and once they get their marching orders to guard the pipelines, they will not compromise and there will be no looking back.”

Fasehun disclosed that a proposal to that effect was submitted to the Federal Government two years ago. “The Federal Government has shown no seriousness to fight pipeline vandals and pipeline vandalism in the South-West. “However, if the Federal Government should engage OPC to provide secu-

rity for the pipelines in the South-West, we guarantee we shall wipe out petroleum stealing in one year and oil will flow to all the depots located in the zone through the pipelines,” he said. Fasehun also debunked the allegation reportedly made by the Nigerian Security Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, at the Iwopin area of Epe in Lagos that “armed OPC men who were

employed to guard the pipelines turned round to vandalise them in order to steal petroleum products.” He said: “For the avoidance of doubt, OPC has never been hired to provide security for pipelines or any petroleum installations.” The OPC president described the allegation as “unfounded, contradictory, diversionary, mischievous and self-serving.”

Aregbesola’s feat, a model for others –Ribadu

L-R: Vice-President 1, Nasirulahi-Il-Fathi-Society of Nigeria (NASFAT), Mr. Muhammed Abdullahi; President, Alhaji Sherf Yusuf; Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Deputy Missioner, NAFSAT Imam Onike Azeez; Vice-Chancellor, Fountain University, Prof. Basiru Raji and National Women Secretary, Alhaja Nafisat Arogundade, during NASFAT delegation’s visit to the governor at the Government House, yesterday.

We’re anxious to turn Oyo economy around – Ajimobi

yo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi said his administration was anxious to turn the economy of the state around soon and to satisfy the people’s social and economic needs. Ajimobi said this yesterday while declaring open a two-day retreat organised for commissioners, special advisers, permanent secretaries and heads of nonministerial departments at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan. He, however, said this would require taking a hard look at old established practices, jettisoning those practices that had outlived their usefulness as well as adopting the relevant ones to meet today’s needs. The governor added that at the inception of his administration, he made it clear that the drive for positive change in the lives of the people would be his focus. This drive, he noted, could only be accomplished through effective public service delivery to the citizenry. He said: “The general consensus appears to be that

the public service operates with an impoverished concept of management which over-emphasises routine control and neglects other dimensions, such as managing changes and managing relationships within organisations. “This requires a paradigm shift in the conduct of government business. This explains why our government quickly committed time and money to the re-orientation of the workforce at all levels.’’

Ajimobi, who disclosed that over 13,000 civil and public servants, including teachers, had so far undergone one relevant training or the other, acknowledged the fact that there were already noticeable changes in the service delivery in the public service. The governor thanked the workers for their positive response to his government’s vision. He said: “They have allowed themselves to be trained and to conform to

our own call, vision and style, so that we can fulfil our mandate to the people.’’ The governor also said that the training and reorientation efforts had been at all levels and that his administration would sustain the tempo. The retreat, he said, would further strengthen the relationship between political office holders, technocrats and bureaucrats for the actualisation of his government’s vision.

Ondo suspends education officers over poor IGR HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE

ndo State Government has suspended all its 18 zonal and area education officers, pending the outcome of the audit exercise being conducted by the state auditorgeneral. The Commissioner for Education, Mr. Remi Olatubora, who announced the suspension yesterday, said the action was to enable the office of the auditor-general to audit the officers’ accounts.

Olatubora, however, asked all the affected officers to hand over all official duties and responsibilities to the officers next to them in rank. The commissioner issued the directive in his office during a meeting with the zonal and area education officers and other top education officials. He said the development was in line with the current move by the government to improve its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR. Olatubora explained that what was remitted last year

by the ministry was low compared to its target. He said: “What was responsible for the low performance was that officers were not living up to their responsibilities. “Pending the auditing exercise, the affected officers should step aside and allow their assistants take up all official duties.” The commissioner described a situation whereby revenues were delayed before remittance as unacceptable and unethical and warned them to desist from such act.

he 2011 presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s achievements in Osun State far outweighed the revenue accruing to the state. Ribadu said this on Wednesday in Ila when he was the guest of both the governor and the ACN National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, who marked his 74th birthday and was conferred with an award by the Osun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR. The former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, said Aregbesola’s administrative style was worthy of emulation by all across the country. He described Aregbesola as a reference point for out-

standing achievements in the country for commendable policies in education, health, employment generation, infrastructural development, urban renewal and other appreciable welfare schemes for the people of the state. “The performance of Ogbeni Aregbesola in Osun today is unbelievable, considering the allocation that is accrued to the state. It is only a passionate, a focused and indeed a genuinely committed governor with high sense of prudence and responsibility that can achieve such feat in just two years,” Ribadu said. He, however, said he was not surprised by the governor’s performances as the party, which produced him, ACN, was the only progressive party ready to work for the sustainability of good governance in the country.

Ogun women fast, pray for peace

omen in Ogun State yesterday concluded a threeday interdenominational prayer and fasting session with a call on Nigerians to always prophesy good things for the country. The prayer session was organised by the Women Advancement Forum, WAFO, in the state. Alhaji Imam Abdulfatai Buhari, who represented the chairman of the state Pilgrims Board, called on the people to give total support to Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration as he was set to break new grounds in the state. In his sermon, Pastor Joseph Teniola of Inner Christ Bible Church appealed to all Nigerians to always prophesy good things concerning the country and the state. According to him, positive confession always brings

positive manifestation. He cautioned Nigerians against negative confessions. The cleric also enjoined the people to team up with the government in its effort to give befitting facelift to the state. According to him, women, as pillars of the home, are vital tools in nation building. The Commissioner for Women and Social Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Sonubi, in a brief remark, tasked wives of local government chairmen across the 20 councils in the state to make the prayer a monthly affair. She said: “Prayer should not be a one off thing. It should be intensive and this is why I am asking our leaders at the local government level to make this a monthly affair. We should pick a day in a month to do this.”

South East

CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

here were strong indications yesterday that the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, may dump the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and join a mega party to pursue his political ambition in 2015. It was gathered yesterday in Owerri, the state capital, that the governor’s decision to abandon APGA for the new party that will

ENUGU

ifferent youth organisations have continued to mobilise support for tomorrow’s parallel national election of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo scheduled to take place in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. President of the World Eastern Freedom Movement, WEFM, and coordinator, Igbo Security Council, ISC, Chief Nbubuisi Igwekani, told National Mirror he has mobilised over 2, 000 members of his group for security and in support for the election. Igwekani said Igbo youths across the five states of the South-East are to participate in the factional election and asked Igbo youths to ignore “empty threats” from MASSOB leader, Ralph Uwazuruike. He described the election in Enugu as a sham that did not represent the opinion of the Igbo nation, stressing that the era when a select group of people would gather and choose leaders for the people of the South-East zone is gone. Uwazurike had warned organisers of the factional

emerge after the merger of major opposition parties in the country, may not be unconnected with the series of problems APGA has been facing in recent times. Sources told National Mirror that some of the governor’s close aides and political associates are currently brainstorming to know the way forward as regards his political ambition in 2015, especially his rumored pres-

election to abort the exercise, vowing to unleash members of his organisation to disrupt the planned election. A faction of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo had last Saturday held its own national election with a former Deputy President-General, Chief Gary Igariwey and a former Deputy Secretary-General, Dr Joe Nworgu, emerging as the new president-general and secretary-general respectively.

idential ambition. The source in the governor’s camp, who did not want his name mentioned said; “I can tell you that some people are wooing the governor to consider the option, judging by his political antecedents.” According to the source; “APGA is equally an opposition party that has continued to champion the cause of good governance in the country, so it is not strange if the merging

mo State Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Mr. Collin Nwachukwu, has said that the removal of Olagunsoye Oyinlola by the court as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Secretary has shown that the nation’s judiciary is becoming independent. Nwachukwu told journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday that the

Okorocha

political parties extend consultations to Governor Okorocha, who has worked so hard to build the party.” When contacted, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Ebere

Uzoukwa, said “Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha has been in the fore front of the agitation for good governance in Nigeria, and has never hidden his support for any cause that will engender good leadership and deepen Nigeria’s democracy. “So if the merging parties will achieve that it won’t be out of place for the governor to listen to the proposal, but it is still too early to

NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

human rights group, Ndigbo Peace Movement, NPM, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to order the release of two Onitsha traders that have been in detention for allegedly attempting to murder the former Director-General of the National Agency for Foods, Drugs Administration and Control, NAF-

DAC, Prof. Dora Akunyili. NPM said the call for their release became imperative going by their worsening health condition and reported cases of battling with terminal illnesses at Kuje Prisons in Abuja, where they are being held. In a press statement issued yesterday in Onitsha, the Secretary of the group, Onyeka J. P. Onyeka, said the two traders, Olisaemeka Igbokwe and Chris

Mbah, were merely task force members at Onitsha drug market when some gunmen shot at Akunyili in 2007 and missed their target and they were arrested in connection with the incident. Onyeka said the movement decided to raise the alarm because there is dire need for President Jonathan to save the lives of the two accused persons by granting them pardon on health grounds, since

Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi (middle) and Anglican Bishops, at their meeting at Calvary Chapel of All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha, on Wedneday.

latest court ruling had proved that the judiciary can rise up to the occasion. The ACN chieftain commended the judiciary for uplifting the rule of law, which, he said, was the foundation for good governance. Nwachukwu said the ruling was in order in view of the penchant for disobedience of the law in the country, adding that such era much come to an end. He noted that political

jump to conclusions.” However, the governor’s aide added that Okorocha is currently committed to the rescue mission in the state and may not be distracted by political scheming ahead of 2015. “The governor is very busy delivering his campaign promises to the people of the state and cannot lose sight of the rescue mission agenda of returning Imo State to the part of greatness.”

Rights group wants Akunyili’s attackers released

ACN chieftain hails judiciary over Oyinlola’s removal SAM OLUWALANA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

2015: Okorocha to dump APGA for mega party

Ohanaeze crisis: Igbo youths mobilise support for parallel election DENNIS AGBO

Friday, January 18, 2013

parties had in the past demonstrated pockets of disobedience to the rule of law, which he said was a bad example. According to him, if the judiciary has resolved to be fair in the hearing of electoral tribunal cases and no longer deliberately delay cases, then we are heading to an improved era. He, however, urged Nigerians to support the judiciary in its resolve to engender unbiased and uncompromised judgements.

investigations have failed to link them directly to the offence since the incident happened six years ago. According to them, the traders who had been standing trial before the Supreme Court are being detained at Kuje Prison, where their health condition appears to be deteriorating fast. In the words of the group: “The fact of the matter is that we reliably gathered that the health condition of the two detained persons who are standing trial before the Supreme Court is deteriorating.” The movement contended that the accused need proper medical attention to save their lives as their illnesses are said to be deteriorating fast into complex situations. “We learnt that Olisaemeka Igbokwe is suffering from severe stomach ulcer and chest pain, while Chris Mbah is also suffering from another serious illness; which laboratory result is being awaited. “Having spent too long a time in the course of their trail, NPM is calling on President Jonathan, in the interest of the New Year celebration, to grant them state pardon,” the statement added.

Anambra 2014: Stakeholders root for lawmaker NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

he call by Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to elect his successor from Anambra North senatorial district during the 2014 gubernatorial election in the state may have been embraced by majority of the electorate as various stakeholders are now working towards that direction. Although, other senatorial districts are still questioning the rationale

behind the governor’s call for the choice of his successor from that district, because according to them, Obi is merely a member of the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and as such cannot decide the zoning formula for other political parties in the state. But many who saw the call as a mark of equity, justice and fair play, have already started shopping for an appropriate candidate from the district. One of such groups that reasoned with the governor

is the Ogbaru Stakeholders’ Forum. Ogbaru is one of the seven local government areas of the state that made up Anambra North senatorial district. Boasting that there are many credible candidates from the district that can make good gubernatorial material for the 2014 governorship race, the forum said it has adopted an astute journalist and a member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon. Afam Ogene, as their rightful candidate, at least for now.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Oyinlola: PDP no longer at ease

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Unending leadership crisis in Ohanaeze

ACN slams PDP, says Akande not an ex-convict FELIX NWANERI

he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for denigrating its National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, by referring to him as an ex-convict. The party in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said it is either the PDP is engaging in blatant mischief or wallowing in crass ignorance, as a political prisoner is different from a criminal convict. ACN maintained that any attempt to label Akande an ex-convict in a pejorative sense will be an exercise in futility, because he was neither convicted for abuse of office nor for any corruption-related offence by a duly constituted court. It said the Special Military Tribunal that tried and

sentenced hundreds of politicians, including Akande, in the 1980s cannot be a reason to label all those it tried and convicted criminal ex-convicts, reminding the PDP that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) ordered its members to boycott the proceeding of the tribunal simply because it failed to meet the standard of a properly-constituted court. The party said: “If those who were tried and convicted by military tribunals are indeed deemed to have been properly tried and found guilty of the offences for which they were charged, many of them would not have gone ahead to hold important elective and appointive positions in the polity. “Outside Nigeria, you have the global icon Nelson Mandela, who was tried, found guilty and jailed for life in 1964. Of course it will be laughable for anyone trying to denigrate Mande-

la to tag him an ex-convict, except of course that person is a member of the PDP. “Chief Bisi Akande, whom the PDP has chosen to pick on in its misguided mudslinging, is an embodiment of honesty, integrity, transparency and decency, who is more of a role model to our youths than most members of the PDP. “He served creditably in the private and the public sector, where he held

many top posts including that of a governor. Today, at 74, those rare attributes that have come to define Chief Akande - honesty, decency, integrity and public service - have become synonymous with him. That is why we are proud to hold him up as our chairman.” ACN advised the PDP to expend its energy on “repairing its leaking tattered umbrella,” instead of trying to denigrate a man

whom the people respect and hold up as a sharp distinction of mankind, at a time people are increasingly being defined by their vanities rather than the content of their character. “Part of the reason the PDP has failed Nigeria is that it does not know where to focus its energy. Today in the party, the National Working Committee is fighting the President, and the governors are bent on

dealing with the chairman. The party is crumbling right before the eyes of all Nigerians whom it has pauperized since 1999. And all it can do is to focus on denigrating a man like Akande. “While the legacy of Chief Akande is assured, that of the PDP is not. Therefore, we advise the sinking behemoth to turn its attention elsewhere, as it awaits its Waterloo,” ACN said.

Igbo chieftain commends FG’s delegation to Abia TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

prominent Igbo leader and President of Abia Peoples Assembly, Chief Onyekachi Onyekwere, has commended the visit of Good Governance delegation of the Federal Government to Abia State. He said that the visit will give room for the people to be aware of the performance of Governor Theodore Orji-led administration in the state. Speaking to National Mirror, Onyekwere said that the visit of the Good Governance delegation to Abia will give opportunity to the state government to showcase to the world how the Orji administration has turned around the fortune of Abia State. Onyekwere, a former member of the defunct Constitutional Conference, said Governor Orji should be commended for various

the projects his administration has implemented, especially in the area of agriculture, roads, infrastructure, health, education and workers’ welfare. His words: “I want to commend the visit of Good Governance delegation of the Federal Government to Abia State. I believe strongly that the visit will give many people the opportunities to know what Orji has been doing in Abia State.”

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (right) with the leader of delegation of Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa, Prof. Tadeusz Iwiriski at the National Assembly, yesterday. PHOTO: SPEAKER’S MEDIA OFFICE

House commends Aliyu over poverty rating OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

he Niger State House of Assembly has passed a motion, commending the state government, under the leadership of Governor Muazu

Babangida Aliyu, for its positive rating in the poverty index by the National Bureau of Statistic (NBS). The NBS, in its poverty profile for 2010 rated Niger State with a relative poverty rate of 45 per cent, the lowest in the country and

Party berates call for exco dissolution KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

n end seems not in sight to the crisis in the Oyo State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), as members of the party in Ogbomoso zone, have berated those behind the call for the dissolution of party executive in the state. The members, in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting in Ogbomoso

and signed by five local government party chairmen in the zone, passed a vote of confidence in the executive of the party under the leadership of the state chairman, Akin Oke. The ACN members said the state executive has restored cohesion to the party, urging the national leadership of the party to disregard call for their sack. A group in the party, which called itself “Integrity Parliament,’ had

recently passed a vote of no confidence on the ACN executive in the state and called for the dissolution of the party officers from ward to state level in order to guarantee future electoral victory for the party in the state. But the ACN in Ogbomoso zone described members of the Integrity Parliament as agents of disunity and enjoined Governor Abiola Ajimobi to “publicly denounce” them.

also returned a verdict that in the absolute poverty rating, Niger State recorded the least rate in the country with 33.8 per cent. Moving the motion, cosponsored by seven other members, the member representing Rijau state constituency, Mohammed A. Nazeer, noted that the positive rating of the state is an indication that Aliyu has been delivering dividends of democracy to the people at the grassroots. The co- sponsors of the motion were: Mohammed Lokoja (Wushishi), Jumai Jafaru (Chanchaga), Yussuf Kure Baraje (Paikoro), Ibrahim Ndaman (Katcha), Jibrin Bawa (Suleja) and Jacob Majin Gana (Lavun) Nazeer said that the Niger State government’s achievements in terms of

poverty profile and Gross Domestic Product per capita income is highly commendable, suggesting that the House should pass the motion, which he said will make the executive arm of government to be more committed to the fight against poverty. Seconding the motion, Gana noted that the executive arm of government under the leadership of Aliyu has reduced poverty among the people through the implementation of the Ward Development Programme projects and the execution of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) projects. Speaking before the motion was passed, the Speaker of the House, Adamu Usman, commended his colleagues for being frank in their contributions.

Politics

Friday, January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oyinlola: PDP no longer at ease The sack of former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last Friday by a Federal High Court has further threatens to tear apart the ‘big umbrella’ and put in disarray the self acclaimed ‘biggest party in Africa’. OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU writes on the intrigues surrounding the development.

IF THERE IS ANY ISSUE ABOUT ZONAL CONGRESS, IT WILL

AFFECT

THAN ANY MEMBER OF THE

NWC

BECAUSE HE EMERGED CONTRARY TO THE DECISION OF THE ZONAL CONGRESS

or a long time to come, the centre may continue to be scattered in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which had prided itself as the largest party in Africa. The reason for this may not be unconnected with the sack from office of the party’s National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, by an Abuja Federal High Court last Friday and his consequent removal by the National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur. As things stand, the party seemed polarised along two factions: the loyalists of President Goodluck Jonathan on the one hand and that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo/PDP governors on the other hand. The bone of contention is nothing but the 2015 presidential ticket of the party. Prior to the PDP 2012 national convention, the party zoned its national offices to different geo-political zones. The National Chairman was zoned to the North-East, in a move political analysts opined was to checkmate the presidential ambition of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, whose state, Adamawa, was given the nod to produce the national chairman; while the National Secretary of the party was zoned to the South-West. At the National convention, those known to be in the forefront for the office of National Secretary - former ministers Ebenezer Babatope, Dapo Sarunmi, Tunde Adeniran and Taoheed Adedoja, former deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro, former state chairman of the party in Ekiti State, Bola Olu-Ojo; and Chief Tunde Danmole, Owolabi Silas, Akintayo AkinDeko and former National Legal Adviser, Olusola Oke - were all arm-twisted to step down for Oyinlola. But before the convention, Oyinlola was not among the contenders for the office, but the governors, who saw him as one of their own and their “eye and voice” in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, insisted on his candidature after conceding the national chairmanship to Tukur, President Jonathan’s anointed candidate. The emergence of Tukur and Oyinlola signalled the beginning of simmering crisis in the ruling party and this was to burst out about three months later when Oyinlola accused the former Chief of Staff to Tukur, Habu Fari, of usurping his duties. This was as a result of a memo that emanated from Tukur’s office proposing that some directors in the PDP be redeployed as part of his reform initiatives. The memo was signed by Fari.

TUKUR MORE

Oyinlola

After openly attacking Tukur, Oyinlola fired a memo to Fari on June 8, 2012, titled, ‘Illegal Acts Prejudicial to the Interest of the Peoples Democratic Party’ ‘engaging in acts that were prejudicial to the interest of the party as well as usurping the powers of the national secretary of the party’. Oyinlola specifically accused Fari of writing and sending out external correspondence, a responsibility that was for the National Secretary. Tukur responded to Oyinlola’s memo, informing him that the special advisers under his office were his personal staff, including the principal secretary, Fari. Fari, had engaged Oyinlola in a war of words shortly after he was engaged by Tukur, an action considered by Oyinlola and other NWC members as confrontational. That cold war between the two principal officers of the ruling party, culminated in last Friday’s sack of Oyinlola as the National Secretary of the PDP. Justice Abdu Kafarati has declared the election of Oyinlola as the PDP National Secretary null and void, following a suit filed by the faction of the party in Ogun State, led by Adebayo Dayo. The sack of Oyinlola is believed by many as the consequence of the current infighting among members of the party’s NWC. The Dayo-led faction had prayed the court for an order nullifying the recognition of the candidacy of Oyinlola as the National Secretary. But the sacking of Oyinlola has brought to the fore the simmering crisis in the ruling party, which the leadership has tried in vain to deny. Oyinlola’s sack has further deepened the gulf between the governors elected on the platform of the party and the Presidency on the one hand and the governors and the PDP leadership on the other hand. Therefore, the PDP governors, who had agreed to a truce called by President Jonathan, last week, have returned to the trenches. They met last week immediately after the court ruling and according to National Mirror findings, have resolved to stand by their earlier resolve that Tukur must go. They are expected to meet President Jonathan this week to present their resolution to him. The sack of Oyinlola might have sealed the fate of Tukur as well, as feelers from

the party revealed that despite the vote of confidence passed on Tukur leadership last week, there were underground manoeuvres by the governors that Tukur must go. They are alleged to be rooting for the dissolution of the NWC to be replaced with a caretaker committee. A source confided in National Mirror that the Presidency might have prepared for a post-Tukur era, as it is said to be planning to replace Tukur with another Adamawa indigene, Hassan Adamu. But Oyinlola has also launched a fightback to save his political career. Insisting that “he was not a product of any zonal congress,” Oyinlola said he emerged at the National Convention “after other contestants had publicly stepped down for him.” He threatened that if he has to go, then Tukur must go down with him, saying: “If there is any issue about zonal congress, it will affect Tukur more than any member of the NWC because he emerged contrary to the decision of the zonal congress. Therefore, if they are holding on to the so-called claim of zonal congress, whatever affects Oyinlola will weigh heavily on Tukur.” But in a twist of fate, Tukur removed Oyinlola from office last Monday, asking the Deputy National Secretary of the PDP, Solomon Onwe, to take over with immediate effect. Oyinlola’s removal was contained in a statement personally signed by Tukur. Political analysts see this as a Tukur design to ease out Oyinlola from office, especially since the PDP had filed an appeal against the judgement as well as a stay of execution. But the PDP NWC on Tuesday issued a press statement to correct what it called “erroneous” impression created by the statement removing Oyinlola from office. The NWC said that it was only acting in consonance with the provision of the PDP constitution which it said empowered Tukur to so act and which also supports Onwe’s taking over from Oyinlola. It denied that Oyinlola’s removal “was nothing more than obedience of a court judgement, and the consequential application of the relevant sections of the party’s constitution under the circumstance.” This was even as the party had also filed a stay of execution of the judgement on Wednesday. The motion on notice filed by the party’s counsel, Kwon Victory, at the Registry of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, was brought pursuant to Order 32, Rules 1,

2&4(1), Order 56 Rule 1 of the Court (Civil Procedure) and Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Particulars of the motion indicate that the applicants are seeking an order of injunction (pending appeal), restraining the judgement creditors in the application, “whether by themselves, their agents, privies or assigns or any other person acting through them or howsoever, from giving effect to, or otherwise seeking the enforcement of the judgement of the court delivered on January 11, pending the hearing and determination of the party’s appeal before the Court of Appeal.” Furthermore, PDP wants an order of stay of execution pending appeal of all orders of the court granted by way of reliefs contained in the judgement of the court delivered on January 11, pending the determination of the party’s appeal before the Court of Appeal. Relying on sections 45 and 35 of the PDP constitution, the NWC justified Oyinlola’s removal by Tukur, adding that “for the avoidance of doubt, there is no personal rift between Tukur and Oyinlola.” But analysts are of the opinion that there was no need to push out Oyinlola since the PDP had appealed the judgement that sacked him from office and also filed a stay of execution of the judgement. National Vice Chairman (South West) of the PDP, Segun Oni, speaking through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, told National Mirror: “The fact here is that whether rightly or wrongly, there is a court judgement nullifying the election of Oyinlola as the PDP National Secretary and as a law abiding party, even if we do not agree with the judgement, we must abide by it.” But even as all these played out, there were moves by the PDP to shop for a suitable replacement for Oyinlola from the South West. National Mirror gathered that Babatope, Oni and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ishola Filani, have been shortlisted to replace Oyinlola in acting capacity. But Oni had come out categorical to deny any interest in Oyinlola’s job. A reliable source however told National Mirror: “Once Oyinlola leaves office temporarily, the party will prevail on the South-West to pick a nominee as acting National Secretary among the three candidates to be recommended. The party wants to stick to the zoning formula instead of asking the Deputy National Secretary to act.” National Mirror reliably gathered that Tukur’s loyalists and Jonathan’s camp are favourably disposed to Oni, who they said is “more amenable” than the others, taking over from Oyinlola. As the battle rages, will the governors have their way and carry out their threat of not only sacking Tukur, but also sacking the NWC and put in place a caretaker committee? Will President Jonathan emerge victorious in this battle of wits with entrenched interests in the ruling party? What becomes of Oyinlola at the end of this saga? Members of the party across the country as well as political analysts waited with bated breath on how the PDP would emerge from the quagmire it had found itself.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Friday, January 18, 2013

mobi is the council of elders’ organ of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. It is composed of revered traditional rulers and senior citizens in Igboland. It is a kitchen cabinet and the highest decision making organ of the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Igbo nation. After the four-year leadership of Ambassador Ralph Uwechue as the President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Imeobi met on December 14, 2012 where it among other decisions, set up an electoral committee headed by Chris Asoluka as chairman and Richard Ozobu as secretary, to conduct elections into different offices in Ohanaeze in the three tiers structure from wards/ local governments, states to the national level, between January 4 and 19. Subsequently, the Asoluka-led electoral committee met on December 17, 2012 and articulated schedule and guidelines for the elections. According to the timetable released by the committee and signed by the secretary, Ozobu, the local government election was to take place between December 27 and 28, 2012; the state elections on January 12, 2013 and the national elections slated for between 15 and 19, 2013. The arrangement was contained in a document obtained by National Mirror, where it was equally stated that enough publicity is expected to be given to the entire process. Suddenly a rift ensued among the electoral committee members, and Ozobu, the appointed secretary of the committee was replaced few days to the election. The national election formerly slated for January 19 was brought forward to January 12. Asoluka claimed that Ozobu said that from what is on his table, the committee was not ready for the national election on January 12 but January 19, adding that the other members of the committee did not buy the idea and Ozobu had to bolt out. He was then replaced with Dr. Felicia Eneh. Explaining how it all happened, Asoluka said his committee was an ad hoc committee inaugurated by the National Executive Council (NEC) of Ohanaeze and made progress report to same. He alleged that Ozobu unilaterally decided to shift the election date to January 19 even when the local government and state chapters had concluded their elections by January 4. His words: “He went extra ethically to change the date which the committee did not approve and NEC did not want to prolong the tenure and I reported to NEC and NEC concluded that election must hold on January 12, but Ozobu was not ready to comply with the NEC and he had to pull out and NEC replaced him with Dr. Eneh.” Events that preceded the two days to the election were chaotic as both views divided Ohanaeze. People that went with Ozobu included members from Delta, Ebonyi and Imo states, who filed objections to the processes leading to the election. Some members from Uwechue’s home state, Delta, filed petitions of being shut out while those that ab initio never attended Ohanaeze meetings were brought in as mercineries to replace chieftains like Emma Okocha. There was confusion as at January 11, with most doubting if the election would hold, even with adequate publicity except by text messages. Chairman of Ebonyi State traditional rulers, Eze Agom Eze, raised serious objection to the notice of the ‘sudden election’ being communicated with text message. The Ebonyi State radio

Unending leadership crisis in Ohanaeze DENNIS AGBO writes on the controversies trailing the election of a new leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the claim that the real election would hold this Saturday. THE

JANUARY 12

ELECTION WAS AN EFFORT IN FUTILITY AND DID NOT CONFORM TO DUE PROCESS AND THE PROVISIONS OF THE

OHANAEZE

CONSTITUTION on January 12 aired announcements that absented the state from the election, even when the state was pencilled down to produce the President-General. Governor Martin Elechi was alleged to have raised objection to the process that threw up Gary Igariwey and preferred Ambassador Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu as the new President-General. It was similar complaint from Imo State where Governor Rochas Okorocha was said to be in the dark or was shut out from knowing who would be the Secretary-General from his state. Yet the election went on and was conducted on January 12 with heavy security deployment at the Ohanaeze secretariat along Park Avenue, GRA, Enugu. Two hundred and seventy delegates participated in the election that produced Igariwey as President-General. Two other candidates from Ebonyi whom Ozobu alleged never picked up nor submitted forms, stepped down for Igariwey to emerge unopposed, while Dr. Joe Nworgu was elected the Secretary-General after a keen contest with three others from Imo State, including Peter Orji who was Ralph Uwazurike’s candidate. The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) leader quickly left the venue when he realised that his candidate would lose. Uwazurike was alleged to have planned to hijack Ohanaeze structure by planting his men at the helm of affairs, but when the plot collapsed he quickly left the Ohanaeze secretariat. While the election was going on, the Ozobu splinter group addressed a press conference where they said the purported election was a nullity, claiming that the committee was not ready for the election and that the Imeobi had slated the election for January 19. When the election started, those said to have attended to verify what the matter was, left without voting. They included Senator Uche Chukwumerije, Dr. ABC Nwosu, Col. Joe Achuzia, Chief Nduka Eya, among other chieftains. Others that attended included the outgoing President-General, Uwaechue, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Chairman of South-East

Uwechue

Elechi

Traditional Rulers Council, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, Igwe Gibson Nwosu, Justice Eze Ozobu, Amb. Eddy Onuoha, Commodore Alison Madueke, Prof. Anya O. Anya, Prof. Joe Irukwu, among others. Top Igbo leaders that were conspicuously absent at the election venue included all the governors of the five South-East; former President-General of Ohanaeze, Dozie Ikedife; Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu among others. The newly elected President-General, Igariwey, described the election as credible, promising to run the affairs of Ohanaeze with due consultation. He denied knowledge of any opposing group. But one of the protesting members and leader of a proBiafra group, Ndubisi Igwekani described some of those that emerged in the election as enemies of Ndigbo, who ab initio were

not qualified to represent the Igbo nation. Contestant for the office of the Publicity Secretary of the organisation, Emma Okocha said that the Anioma people stand on the January 19 original date for the election. He alleged that the Uwaechue-led executive hurried into the election to impose cronies that would cover their corrupt practices in the last four years. Ozobu on his part, alleged that due process was not followed in the conduct of the election, saying that was the genesis of the grouse he had with other members of the electoral committee. A day after the election, he issued a press release where he insisted that the Ohanaeze election date remains January 19. He declared that the January 12 election was an effort in futility and did not conform to due process and the provisions of the Ohanaeze constitution. In the statement, Ozobu said that the activities that took place at the national secretariat of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Saturday, January 12, purported to be elections was a vain glory. He said that as the secretary to the National Electoral Committee, established by Imeobi Ohanaeze, as an independent body and mandated to organise and conduct elections at various levels of Ohanaeze from local government to the national executive level, he made bold to say that no such election took place. He said it only came to his notice that some Igbo, including a very few Igbo leaders, were hurriedly invited to what was purported to be an election by text messages on January 11, barely 20 hours to the so-called elections. The statement read in part: “The reasons for moving the election from January 12 to 19 were stated as restated here under: Late return of completed appraisal forms by the contestants; incomplete delegate lists as results of state elections were still coming in; non resolution of many petitions against the conduct of state elections from where national delegate lists are obtained; non screening of contestants standing for elections particularly, those against whom there are serious accusations, especially members of the current National Executive Committee, who are contestants and poor logistic support.” He said that there were no notice of election published according to the provision of the Ohanaeze constitution, even as there were no provision for voters’ cards and voters’ verification to prevent non-delegates from voting in the election among other reasons for holding the election on January 12. Ozobu noted that the electoral committee chairman, Asoluka, is a member of the Ohanaeze NEC, hence the numerous pressure on him to conduct the election in haste, emphasising that the only meaningful exercise in the January 12 gathering at the Ohanaeze secretariat was the dissolution of the NEC announced by the outgone President-General, Uwechue. Declaring that a vacuum has been created in Ohanaeze, Ozobu said that the only authority recognised at the Ohanaeze secretariat is the electoral committee, adding that with the dissolution of the NEC, Asoluka ceases to be a member of the electoral committee, adding: “I have to restate once more that the election for Ohanaeze national officers, fixed for Saturday, January 19, shall hold as scheduled.” How this impasse would be resolved to restore Ohanaeze to its glorious pedestal remains to be seen.

Editorial

Friday, January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

STEVE AYORINDE

MD/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

YELE AKINROLABU

ED OPERATIONS

SEYI FASUGBA

DAILY EDITOR

BOLAJI TUNJI

SUNDAY EDITOR

GBEMI OLUJOBI

SATURDAY EDITOR

DOZIE OKEBALAMA

COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD

ADESOYE ADEKOYA

CONTROLLER, PRODUCTION

CALLISTUS OKE

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

ISE-OLUWA IGE

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

KAYODE BALOGUN JNR

SM, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

FRANK OBOH

HEAD, GRAPHICS

Payment of subsidy to oil marketers

he process of fuel subsidy payment gathered momentum lately as the Federal Government concluded arrangements to settle the bills of 20 petroleum products marketers whose claims of a whopping N94 billion had been verified. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, who gave the indication, emphasized FG’s commitment to ensure prompt and timely payment of verified claims. “We are committed to paying all companies who deserve to get subsidy payments, just as we will not pay undeserving firms. That is the mandate we have from the president”, Okonjo-Iweala stated. We feel the move is a welcome development. Many also believe it will sustain fuel importation and distribution; and will go a long way in removing the hiccups generally being experienced by fuel consumers in the country. But whereas the bureaucracy is reputed for its slowness and bottlenecks that of Nigeria is ridiculously sluggish and inept. Indeed, the general impression has been that the snail speed in verifying the claims could leave room for corruption and manipulations. While we appreciate the need for diligence and due process, there is equally the need to

proceed with the assignment at a pace that would lead to timely achievement of the desired result. A system that causes so much pain to hapless Nigerians; and severe dislocations to the economy, as has been the experience for years, is not worth it. The authorities directly concerned with diligence and due process should come up with a decisive, yet less laborious and cumbersome method to fast-track subsidy verification and payment. This appears the best way to go while the subsidy bogey lasts. So far, the process of verifying and paying genuine fuel importers has remained more of a close-door game than a transparent activity, a development which has not been beneficial to Nigerians who bear the brunt of the nonavailability of fuel on regular basis. It has also not been helpful to the nation’s groaning economy. We agree with the Senate President, David Mark, that the whole subsidy deal is fraught with too much corruption. Importers of fuel are adept at manipulating bills of lading to reflect high market prices in their bid to make outrageous profits. Government officials are also benefitting from the warped process, as they allegedly provide avenues for fake and dishonest ‘importers’ to make

COUNTRIES THAT FOUND THEMSELVES A SIMILAR QUAGMIRE LIKE

NIGERIA DID NOT

ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE BOXED INTO A TIGHT CORNER BY INSINCERE FUEL IMPORTERS false claims for payment. The festering corruption has left many unscrupulous Nigerians and foreigners stupendously rich, on the one hand, and the nation impoverished, on the other; and forced the citizens of an oil producing nation like ours to buy fuel at inflated pump prices. The critical decision that beckons on the nation is how to put an end to fuel importation in all forms and find a lasting alternative solution that would befit an oil producing nation. But while contemplating bringing fuel importation and the antics of fraudulent fuel importers to an end, the FG should also consider workable and sustainable alternatives that will not worsen the plight of Nigerians, but provide the much desired relief.

Our argument has consistently been that there may be no better alternative than the deregulation of the downstream sub-sector of the oil industry. Countries that found themselves in a similar quagmire like Nigeria did not allow themselves to be boxed into a tight corner by insincere fuel importers before taking bold, brave and honest steps to curb the menace. Venezuela is a very good example of a country that optimized the use of its many refineries to ensure regular supply of fuel to its citizenry at reasonable cost. The situation on ground in Nigeria now has made it imperative for the FG to encourage the setting up of private refineries across the country. The government should also rise to the challenge of fixing the nation’s four public refineries and make them function at full capacity. These moves are the least expected from an oil producing nation that truly wants its nationals to enjoy steady and affordable fuel supply. If the President Goddluck Jonathan’s government can muster the political will and take the necessary action, it would go down in history as the administration that saved the nation from the cross of irregular fuel supply and pervasive fuel subsidy frauds.

ON THIS DAY January 18, 2012 Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) was opposed online on internet by Blackout (2012 Wikipedia blackout). On January 18, 2012, a series of coordinated protests occurred against the above proposed laws in the United States Congress. These followed smaller protests in late 2011. Protests were based on concerns that the bills contained measures that could cause great harm to online freedom.

Letters to the Editor

January 18, 2007 The strongest storm in the United Kingdom in 17 years killed 14 people; while Germany saw the worst storm since 1999 with 13 deaths. Hurricane Kyrill, caused at least 44 deaths across 20 countries in Western Europe. The storm crossed the North Sea on January 17 and 18, making landfall on the German and Dutch coasts on the afternoon of 18 January, before moving eastwards toward Poland and the Baltic Sea; and further on to northern Russia.

January 18, 1993 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was officially observed for the first time in all 50 states in America. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a United States’ federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each President Jonathan year, which is around the time of King’s birthday, January 15. The floating holiday is similar to holidays set under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Views

Friday, January 18, 2013

Festus Okotie–Eboh and history BOBSON GBINIJE They have stabbed themselves for freedom-jumped into the waves for freedom – fought like very tigers for freedom! But they have been hung, and burned, and shot-and their tyrants have been their historians -Lydia Maria

articularistic circumstantialities and fastidious exactitude are not the proclivities of most historians. Some historians, cocooned in sensationalistic schmaltzy and tribal, socio-political prejudices, write anthologies of incongruities and consummate calumniating lampoonery, while others write with a gossamer of objectivity. Where does the pendulum of objectivity swing in respect of the life and times of Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh (Omimi-Ejoh)? Nigeria’s political history attained a remarkably eventful crescendo on January 15, 1966, when Chief Okotie-Eboh, Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola et al were assassinated in a military putsch led by Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogu. Major Nzeogu was quoted as saying in a radio Broadcast that “…Nigeria will never be the same again…” The why, where, when, how of the assassination of this crop of political leaders and the subsequent bandwagon effects - the Nigerian/Biafra civil war (1967-1970) - remain a riddle in a conundrum superimposed in riddles. The thematic thrust of the mission of Nzeogu and other coupists was the expunging of prebendalistic graft, psychotic corruption, tribalism, nepotism amongst politicians. The revolutionaries’ lebensraum and redoubtable intrepidity became obstructed by the trajectory of political backstabbers,

ethnocentric prejudices and the killings and massacres that were skewed in favour of one major ethnic group, the Igbo or so most historians adjudged it to be. The Great Zik, Dr Michael Okpara, Kingsley Mbadiwe, Mbonu Ojike and Nwafor Orizu etc, all Igbo, were left untouched. The likes of Abubukar Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello of the North, Akintola of the West and Okotie-Eboh of the then Mid-West, were hacked to death in cold blood. These killings and massacres set the stage for the Nigeria/Biafra civil war. The moralistic and Victorian grundnorm that precipitated the Nzeogu–led putsch became rubbished by the July 29, 1966 counter-coup with JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi as the target. And like the susurration and crepitation of dry leaves, Nigeria became plunged in precipitous debilitating political and ethnic upheavals. Truly, Nigeria has never been the same ever since these cataclysms. Chinua Achebe’s attempt, to put the Nigerian civil war in obverse perspective in his new book There Was a Country, Then There Wasn’t is now suffering under the same sledge-hammer of jingoistic historians and some informed commentators. The multidimensional submissions of Mr. N.U. Akpan in his book, The Struggle for Secession; Adewale Ademoyega’s Why We Struck; Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu’s, Ahiara Declaration and Because I Am Involved; Ben Gbulie’s, Nigeria’s Five Majors and The Fall OF Biafra; Dr. K.O. Mbadiwe’s Rebirth of a Nation; Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s, Travails of Democracy and The Rule of Law, Olusegun Obasanjo’s, My Command’ and Not in My Character etc, are protean views on the political schism of January 15, 1966, the assassinations and the subsequent Nigerian/ Biafra Civil War (1967-1970). I wish to admit that the Nzeogu-led coup

IF CORRUPTION WAS THE GRAVAMEN OF THE COUPS AND

KILLINGS, WE HAVE NOW LEARNT THAT OUR TODAY’S POLITICIANS AND BUREAUCRATS ARE DEFIANT IN PREBENDALISTIC GRAFT AND HAVE UPPED CORRUPTION INTO AN ART AND A RELIGION was imperative at that point in time. But were the assassinations justified? I say capital NO! Nigeria would have been a different nation today, if all the innumerable coups and killings were calculated at making her a different and a better nation. These killings over corruption and nationhood, and the atrocities of present day leaders remains unjustifiable. If corruption was the gravamen of the coups and killings, we have now learnt that our today’s politicians and bureaucrats are defiant in prebendalistic graft and have upped corruption into an art and a religion. Our nation has now apotheosized mediocrity as our totem of honour and created the fecund field for the rise of democratic tyrants. Hence, the late Alfred Rewane grimly refrained: “Yesterday, we yearned for a better tomorrow. But today, we mourn the loss

of a glorious yesterday. How sad!” The killings were unwarranted and an act of bestial military savagery. As we mark the tragedy of January 15, 1966, we recall with a heavy heart the death of our own Chief Festus Okotie–Eboh, who would have marked his centennial where he not killed at the age of 54 years. He remains the lodestone of the Niger Delta as a pioneering federal Minister of Labour and Welfare, and later Minister of Finance. I assert with unequivocal clarity that Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was a victim of the despotism of the majority triumvirates in the then military institution and a guinea pig in the laboratory of military politicians. He was only a jolly good fellow locked in the throes of splendiferous flamboyancy and the theatrics of brummagem. He was never found guilty of corruption by any court of competent jurisdiction and by any interventionist body on graft. The military juveniles, who carried out the coup and the killings, have now been proved wrong and found guilty by the justicability and verdict of history. Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh was a victim of the Sisyphean albatross of myopic and skewed chroniclers. Chief Festus OkotieEdioh was a phenomenal and peerless pioneer, captain of industries, icon, political avatar, institution, oracle, legend, phoenix and an epitome of true greatness. The truth and absolute anatomization of the facts of the killings, pogroms and massacres that took place on January 15th, 1966 is yet to be exhaustively surgeonized. The ghost of that politically tragic and remarkably eventful day will continue to hunt Nigeria and its leadership. Chief Gbinije is the founder of Mandate Against Poverty (MAP), Warri, Delta State

On the quest for LG autonomy MICHAEL JEGEDE Continued from last Tuesday

lso, in his own reaction, the Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Eyinanya Abaribe, said that the position of the governors on local government autonomy was not binding, maintaining that the issue would be settled by the National Assembly and the various state houses of assemblies. He, however, conceded the fact that the governors were entitled to their opinion on the issue. Abaribe further stated that “if at the end of the day, the bill on the autonomy for local government administration passes through the two chambers of the National Assembly, there would be no problem as we will just follow the constitution, and if it doesn’t work, then it is not our fault as we now know who does not want democracy to work at that level.” The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, had equally lent his voice to the raging debate during an interview. An expert in local government administration, Moro was a council chairman for about eight years and one-time chairman of the Benue State chapter of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). Responding to questions in the course of a media chat,

I THINK THE PRESIDENT UNDERSTANDS THAT IT IS NOT ABOUT WHAT OBTAINS IN OTHER PART OF THE

WORLD, AS POSITED BY

AMAECHI, THE NGF BOSS, BUT WHAT THE

PEOPLE WHO ELECTED HIM INTO OFFICE ARE ASKING FOR he had said: “I am an advocate of a holistic autonomy for local governments. I want a situation where the local government will operate as a true tier of government. We are operating federalism, a federalism that is epitomized or encapsulated in the three tiers of government: the federal, state and local government. And so, I expect that the framers of tour constitution would have gone further than the scanty provisions in section 7 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and make firm

provisions that would make the local governments get their statutory allocations direct from the Federation Account; make them exercise jurisdiction over their revenue avenues; and for the local government council chairmen to run the local government areas as a third tier, the lowest tiers of government, in which case they should be free to take their decisions. They should be free to be accountable to the people, who have elected them.” Other prominent Nigerians such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, have likewise not hidden their total support for an autonomous local government system in Nigeria. For instance, Chief Obasanjo, who spearheaded the 1976 Local Government Reforms recently lamented that the essence of creating local governments had been defeated. He made this view when he received the national executive of ALGON at his residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State. While advocating for financial autonomy for LGs, the former number-one citizen of the country had said: “Since the National Assembly is considering constitution amendment, it is also important to amend the local government laws so that there would be no means the states will ‘ambush’ the local government money and there will also be ways we can call the local governments to order or make them accountable.”

Even incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, who was once a governor, is on the side of the people on the debate for LG autonomy. I think the President understands that it is not about what obtains in other part of the world, as posited by Amaechi, the NGF boss, but what the people who elected him into office are asking for. It is my hope therefore, that members of the National Assembly and state houses of assembly, who are constitutionally empowered to effect changes in the constitution on behalf the people, would not pander to the whims and caprices of the governors, in their Machiavellian move to ensure continued emasculation of the local government councils. The legislators must know that the people hold them in high esteem. And so, any attempt to disappoint them (the Nigerian people) in order to favour the governors may lead to loss of trust and confidence. Concluded Jegede, a media practitioner, wrote from Abuja 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.

Mail Mirror

Friday, January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

One year after Occupy Nigeria protest

D Needless war on the way forward

n recent times, Nigerians have been treated to harsh exchanges between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan on the nation’s sliding fortunes. Given the relationship existing between the two leaders, Jonathan would have preferred a well closeted engagement between him and his benefactor where issues like he had raised would be discussed and advice offered. That is one way of doing such things. The former president might have his reasons for choosing this option of going to town with his opinion and ‘advice’. The incumbent president would be showing extreme naivety to ignore or ‘confront’ the caliber of a leader like Chief Obasanjo. A hero of the civil war and three time president of Nigeria, OBJ can safely navigate the entire length and breadth of the country and come out unscathed. So, when he says things are not done properly well, I think President Jonathan should listen to him.

iscerning Nigerians might have taken stock of the affairs of the nation one year after the Great Battle to force the Goodluck Jonathan administration to back down on the mission to crush their indomitable spirit through the ill advised decision to up the pump head price of petrol from N65 to N141 per litre. That battle of resolve and wits, though compromised along the line by the leadership of the civil society groups that mobilised and motivated Nigerians to challenge such impunity, fundamentally forced a

rethink on the perception of political leaders about Nigerians. We may be meek, some would say docile, Nigerians do not take fool gladly. History is there for anybody to check. But it appears not many socioeconomic and political dividends have accrued from the engagement. President Jonathan, in a flitting moment of forgetfulness, almost stirred the hornet’s nest again by a planned increase of the price of petrol. Though he did not do it, Nigerians had a raw deal during the Yuletide and New Year festive period when petrol became very scarce

and the prices sky rocketed. This occurred after N161.6 billion was handed over to the Ministry of Finance and CBN, through a supplementary budget, to pay fuel importers responsible for supply disruptions. I watched the pains the Senate President, Senator David Mark, went through in assenting to the request of Mr. President for the N161.6 billion subsidy supplementary budget. He bemoaned the corruption in the oil subsidy scheme and would have wanted the entire charade ended. The challenge to change things goes to

him also. He should mobilize the National Assembly to stand up to the Presidency and call for a more transparent fuel supply template. More importantly, NASS should force a decision on the fate of the four public refineries. Nigerians can live with full deregulation of the oil sector if there is guarantee that this could translate into better life for them. After all it is an open secret that in many parts of the country, petrol does not sell at the official price. Comrade John Adams, Benin City, Edo State

That Lagos BRT might excel

No, Fayemi

Moses Agbi, Ondo State

Iwaro-Oka,

ayelsa State is like the story of Bethlehem in the Bible. Though small, it is so big it could produce the president of the entire Nigeria; just like Jesus Christ emerging from Bethlehem, a town in one of the smallest tribes of Israel. But the political advantage Bayelsa has enjoyed is being turned into instrument of ‘evil’. One time governor Sylva Timipriye fell to these demons that have overrun the state. The next target is the Speaker of the House of Assembly and number three citizen of the state, Hon Konbowei Benson. He might be on his way down from the Olympian height he has been. His sin, too many sins for that matter, is that he is still very close to Sylva. This is a big sin in politics, particularly, when the body language of the biggest man of the state suggests it. Heineken Obi Odi, Bayelsa State

Edwin Cudjoe, Lagos

here is a comic ring to the well reported dissolution of Ekiti State cabinet by Governor Kayode Fayemi. According to the report in the yesterday’s edition of your beautifully designed newspaper, the normal state executive council meeting was held, banters exchanged and with only entertainment or ‘Item 7’ left, the governor released the bombshell: “All of you have been relieved of your positions. Hand over all government property in your possession to your permanent secretaries. Thank you for your services to the state” (Not his exact words, please). The commissioners could not eat. Who can eat in that atmosphere of depression? I object to the governor’s method. It is too militaristic and so much unlike the amiable and ever smiling people’s governor. Ekiti oni baje o!

Bayelsa melodramatic politics

POOR SALES: A street trader take time to rest away off the low sales.

INEC’s strange fire

he bad news is that the evil spirit of fire is roaming the complex housing the Independent National Electoral Commission’s headquarters, Abuja, looking for what to consume. Last Monday, the office of Director of Voter Registry was torched by fire, believed to have been caused by electrical fault. Not much dam-

Letters to the Editor

PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

age was done as the men of the Federal Fire Service and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) responded promptly to the challenge. What is, however, curious is the clean bill of health given to the Commission by the Senate. What conclusive evidence does the chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, Senator Andy

Uba, have to have said he was convinced there was no act of sabotage involved? He is not trained on matters like this and he should refrain from making categorical statements until he gets the full report of the probe to be initiated. Barely 18 months ago, part of the chairman’s office and some computers were destroyed in a similar in-

cident and tax payers’ money was used to fix the damage. Investigation might not only be for witch hunting or fault finding, it could assist in problem solving. So, let there be serious investigation on this particular incident to enable the right measures to be fashioned out to put a stop to it. Samson Abuja

Udoh,

thank Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, immediate past governor of Lagos State, and incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola for the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT). No right thinking Lagosians and even visitors to the state would fail to recognize how this intervention in the transportation system of the state has helped to crash transport fares. However, for we in Ketu, a very important terminus, the rigmarole from the depot between Ojota and Ketu to Mile 12 before buses come to ‘berth’ for commuters to board, is taking a toll on our patience and economy. Last Sunday, for example, passengers waited from 1.05 pm to 1.45 pm before some of us ‘boarded’ a CMS bound bus. While waiting, I told people around that there would be buses in Ojota waiting for passengers. That was the situation we found when we got to Ojota. There were five buses waiting for passengers while in Ketu, there were passengers but no buses! What a painful irony. This is a constant development. It is not good for the moral of the passengers nor is it good for the economy of the two companies operating BRT services. The management of the blue BRT buses must find the solution to the rigmarole of buses going to turn at Mile 12 before coming to pick passengers in Ketu. Comfort Lagos State

James,

Ketu,

Send your letters or mails to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mirrorlagos@yahoo.com and info@nationalmirroronline.net or 08056180209, 07033375481 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject letters or photographs. Psuedonyms may be used, but must be clearly marked as such.

Your

FRIDAY

Flavour

Friday, January 18, 2013

SHOWING THE MOST EROTIC PORTIONS OF HER BODY

Cossy

Cossy goes ‘gaga’ with photos …psychologists, sociologists react outrage over the latest postings also shocked the actress, who quickly went on Twitter again to show remorse. According to her, “Now, I wish I didn’t upload them last nite. I bet I was soooo in d mood. My bad”. After this, Cossy has been elusive, even amongst close friends. The attitude has been getting analyses from sociologists and psychologists indeed. A sociologist, with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Amaefula Nnachi, told Friday Flavour that Cossy Orjiakor’s attitude falls under what is sociologists term ‘behaviours con-

trolled by norms’. According to him, “these norms vary relative to social situations, time and groups and could sometimes qualify as deviant and at other times not. While so many people will view nudity outside the bedroom as bad, others, like the nudists, will see it as proper. In the case of this actress, I see someone who is influenced by the social trends in her society. I see someone who is out to attract attention by showing the most erotic portions of her body”. But another psychologist told our reporter that Cossy’s attitude smacks of a psychological disorder. According

to Rotimi Animashaun of the University of Ibadan, it is an animalistic behaviour. “Yes, celebrities may seek popularity, but I can tell you that it is an animalistic behaviour, because it is at variance with the norm and culture of the society. Take, for instance, that you are walking on the road and you see three girls: one is clad in Iro and buba and the second is clad in a suit, while the third is completely naked. Attention will naturally go to the one that is naked because it is unusual for one to appear that way. But Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory explains it from the point of view that most human behaviours are directed towards sexual appeal. Nudity in the case you have asked me is as a result of super ego. Generally, it is an animalistic behaviour,” he said. While another psychologist, Ayo Ahmed, called it a personality disorder which could be classified in line with bipolar tendency. “It’s a disorder, it’s not acceptable in our society. And it is not part of the 5Cs-competence, character, confidence and the rest. It is a product of low self-concept, shows a feeble mind; whoever indulges in this should wonder what it would do to relationships like parents, husband and siblings”. Could Cossy Orjiakor be generating interest in her music career? Friday Flavour notes that she has, in the heat of this controversy, also announced the birth of her record label, Play Girl Records.

Denrele’s Day

ATTENTION BY

P. 32-33

TO ATTRACT

Escape

WHO IS OUT

ctress Cossy Orjiakor is in the news again. This time, it is also not different from what made her notorious among followers of the nation’s movie industry, otherwise called Nollywood. Fans and colleagues of the industry are currently seething in angst over the actress’ latest postings on Twitter, which are semi-nude photos of her on a bed. Clad in red briefs, the actress had posted five lewd shots of herself in a bedroom in different postures and this act is drawing unprecedented outrage from an audience that was only two months ago inundated with similar shots of the actress doing a lap dance at her Lekki, Lagos residence, to celebrate her birthday. As the photos continued to be shared online, they drew wide-ranging comments and concerns, making them ‘one of the hottest issues online at the moment’. Friday Flavour gathered that in some web portals, the photos have garnered as many as 2,000 comments, mostly condemning the actress’ appetite for nudity. Some of the comments also called to question Cossy’s upbringing which incidentally is fairlyprivileged. Meanwhile, her colleagues in the movie industry are not sparing her as well. The movie producer who offered her the first role in Nollywood and who spoke with Friday Flavour under anonymity expressed utmost disappointment at Cossy’s latest postings. “I have been meaning to talk to her since yesterday when I saw those pictures making the rounds online. But her line has remained switched off. I have managed to send her an e-mail though. I am disappointed with this new trend. I do not approve of it and I see it as an attitude that is most uncalled for. It started like a joke and it is gradually getting out of hands,” he said. Checks, however, showed that the

SOMEONE

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16 PAGES OF ARTS, REVIEWS, LIFESTYLE AND BUZZ TO START YOUR WEEKEND

Mirror Mongers

VOL. 3 No. 538

ahman@50 celebrations continue today Since December 2012 when the Committee for Relevant Art, CORA held its annual year end party in Festac Town, the celebration for Jahman Anikulapo, who turned 50 on January 16, has continued. Today at Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos the iREPRESENT International Documentary Forum, of which Mr. Jahman is an

executive director, will celebrate the former editor of The Guardian on Sunday. The party will be staged in conjunction with Friends of CORA beginning from 7.00 p.m. On Sunday, January 20, The Guardian will host Jahman to an invitation only dinner. Organised by his former colleagues in the Guardian group of newspapers, it will be an evening of dining and tributes.

Awoko @ Alliance Francaise

anuary 11 was supposed to start the year in style with the showcase of Àwòko with his flute and guitar at Alliance Francaise, Yaba-Lagos, but that didn’t happen in what

Awoko

was to be the return of ‘Unplugged’. However, the child of Makoko will perform at the same venue today from 4.30 p.m. prompt. Entrance is free, but with open donation to the artist.

Lottery Ticket on stage

azobia Theatre House, an independent performing arts company dedicated to the growth of the theatre, is set to put up one of Prof. Ahmed

Yerima’s plays, titled The Lottery Ticket, on stage this Sunday at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island Lagos. Directed by Ikenna Jude Okpala, the play journeys into the

chances of winning a lottery ticket against the intrigues of wanting to win and the nature of man. Time is 3.00 p.m and 6.00 p.m. for two shows.

10 Cities concert berths

he Ten Cities project which brings together about 50 DJs, producers and musicians from Berlin, Bristol, Johannesburg, Cairo, Kiev, Lagos, Lisbon, Luanda, Nairobi and Naples, will make a stop at Freedom Park, Lagos, tomorrow evening. The project has enabled participants produce music together and exchange knowledge about the club scene in their different countries.

Inside FCT

Jahman@50 celebrations continue today

P. 23

WEEKEND STARTERS

Artman In The House

Friday, January 18, 2013

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I’ve nothing more to prove Just this Monday, ace theatre practitioner, arts writer, culture proponent and film enthusiast, Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo wound up his 23 years of active, meritorious journalistic career to coincide with his golden jubilee birthday two days later. Given the momentous nature of both occurences, Friday Flavour went after the media egghead to unravel his motivation behind quitting the enviable seat of Editor of the Sunday Guardian and his plans for life after newspaper work. Speaking with ADENRELE NIYI, in the first major interview after leaving his job, Jahman holds very little back. Excerpts: Why, after 25 years, did you decide to leave The Guardian? Let me use a diplomatic answer, I got tired and I want to move to other things. And an undiplomatic answer would be..? The only place I have ever worked is the newsroom since 1987 when I started my working life, aside my other engagements in the Arts and Culture landscape. But the newsroom is no longer what it was and I found I was disconnecting spiritually, intellectually and emotionally and tottering towards some measure of professional compromises and depression. So, I sought an exit to live another life. Besides, the newsroom culture in which I was nurtured is going through a new managerial phase that may not accommodate my life of free- spiritedness and the notion of free, creative, family-like space under which one had been working; it’s better to step away, so I do not become nuisance to the new agenda. Above all, I needed a break; qualitative rest that I believe I richly deserve-- after quarter of a century of street and beat pounding. What other things are you looking at, considering the platform Guardian gave you for those years? Well, I’m going to miss the newsroom because it is where I have ever worked. The first time I came to the Guardian newsroom was as a Youth Corper because I didn’t take the employment letter until a year after. I was doing literature and society for Radio Nigeria then, which was paying well. I was doing weekly book reviews in context of what was happening in the country. Don’t forget, 1987 was the height of SAP, IMF loan and Nigeria started the journey downward. People were leaving the country; a lot of things were happening and all these had been captured in books like Man of the People by Chinua Achebe. I was getting about N100 a week per review. l was also an actor in NTA, a top flight actor on three dramas, Moving Finger, Whirlwind and a third I can’t remember. I was on junior quiz as moderator and I had many sources of fund coming in and then I was going to join the Guardian at the salary of N340, it didn’t make sense to me, so I would send them articles. My teacher, Ben Tomoloju, was there as the first person to set up an arts desk where people were recruited to work on the desk. So, for one year, I was oscillating. But after a year, Ben could not take it anymore because he lost all the people on his beat. I think they had issues with what they were being paid in The Guardian. Before then, he had literary contributors in such people as Odia Ofeimun and

Jahman’s last day at work

others. These were literary people from university writing on the arts for the desk. But I came in with a guy called Basil Chukwueze as an art desk journalist. I met Ben Tomoloju when he came to my school as a Youth Corper in my graduating year. By this tme, he was already writing for Punch and he already formed a group called Kakaaki. When he was my teacher, he taught us to write scripts and reviews of our own play. People like Antar Laniyan went on to be commentators of the arts, but I was the only one that took it up as a journalist. I have worked in the newsroom all my life, I have never worked in any other place in terms of formal employment; but I was doing others, I was an actor, a set director, an organiser and member of the Committee for Relevant Arts, CORA. So after Guardian, are you going back to the old format of your life or is it a total retirement from media? No more newsrooms for me, but not total retirement. I’ll be dealing with the media, but not working in newsroom environment. I don’t see the newsroom where I want to work again, I don’t see any point I want to prove. I’ve proved all the point– from news reporter to arts reporter to assistant arts editor to arts editor, deputy editor of the newsroom to being an editor of the Sunday Guardian which I have edited for 10 years. So, if I go to another place, what point am I trying to prove? Your decision to resign came barely three months after a new daily editor was announced for The Guardian. Does it have

IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING MY COLLEAGUES AND

I HAVE WRITTEN, NOLLYWOOD IS A SUCCESS

any bearing? I have heard that before. The first thing I actually did was call the daily editor, Martin Oloja, who happens to be my very good friend, to congratulate him. Martin was the first journalist in Abuja as editor. We used to admire him in Lagos; Abuja is quite large and there was this character that was writing about the place. We all believed that Abuja was dead– we were so Lagos-oriented and this guy would dig stories out of there. He is a fantastic journalist and a brother. Once I’m in Abuja, he literally abandons his family. So, why would I leave because of him? I’ve always told myself that I don’t want to be an editor of the daily Guardian; I won’t have time to do others things. One of the things Guardian has given me was the time do others things. I’m sure many people in the arts will be complaining they never saw me on Saturdays because of the Sunday paper. Exhibitions open on Saturdays, but in the last 10 years, I can count how many of them I attended because on Saturday, I have to be on my desk. But as a daily editor, your Saturdays

should be free? Yes. But I wasn’t interested in the job. If they had offered me, I would have told them no. I was already choked and the MD knew it was not something I wanted. When they offered me a job of editing Sunday, I kept on making excuses, but the MD sees me as a task master and he sent me to where there is some kind of trouble. He believed when I get there, I have capacity to handle it. Talking about my resigning from the Guardian at the same time; if I want to be honest with myself, I started questioning my stay there a long time ago. When I joined the Guardian, I told Ben Tomoloju then I just wanted to spend five years because I believe I am a born performer and culture mobiliser; I just believe that’s my natural field. I ended up spending 25 years and I’m always asking why? In those years, I had started making moves. I went to Germany to do a course in language programming and every time I wanted to move, responsibility would come. I wanted to spend a short time, but it is surprising; maybe because what I thought journalism would take from me, which is my cultural life, journalism never interfered. That was the ambience under which I worked in the Guardian; nobody inferred with what I was doing. I travelled many times, not as a journalist, but as an actor; which newspaper would allow you to do that? Between 1996 and 2002, I was constantly in Europe performing as an actor. I even performed with the National Troupe of Nigeria and I was a staff of Guardian. When Internet came, I could send my story

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Artman In The House

Friday, January 18, 2013

as a journalist –Jahman and edit the paper from wherever I was. So, if I now became a daily editor, how would I be able to manage that life? I can’t leave that life; that’s the kind of life I sacrificed my family for. Let me rectify one thing; leaving had nothing to do with Martin. In fact, I left Guardian mentally in 2007 when we were disengaged, we had workers’ problem. We had to be re-employed and even though I was part of it, but mentally, I started disengaging. Eventually, the operational mode of Guardian started changing; I couldn’t connect with it again. Talking about mentors, how instrumental was Ben Tomoloju to shaping your career? I had done some personal interviews where I said (and I believe it) that if I did not encounter Ben Tomoloju, I probably would have been an ‘area boy’ because I didn’t know what life had in stock for me. The reason is this; my parents were not poor, at least on the side of Agege-Lagos where I grew up, my father was one of the few car owners. We were driven to school and we had all the privileges But that is the same environment which encourages ‘area boyism’. In fact, you had to be trained as a boxer because there was always street to street fighting. We were fighting over frivolities like somebody from another street is toasting a girl from our street and we’ll go there and fight them. My first big fight was fighting over a girl. It was an environment that if you weren’t careful, you could slip into that mode. In a house next to ours, all of the musicians that ever reigned in Nigeria came there in those days and I’m talking of Ayinla Omowura, who happened to be my mother’s relative. My dad was a distributor of Top beer and we had a beer parlour set up for those guys. There was a man, my dad’s friend, who sold all kinds of smokes and Fela’s Shrine wasn’t too far away. People like Alado and ‘No Banger’; I used to be his favourite child! He would carry me on his back with his axe to commit havoc. People like young Shina Peters who we used to wonder how he could somersault with his guitar and Barrister Ayinde were all coming to our house. Maybe that is where the cultural awareness came from, plus the fact that my grandmother was a priestess. But the real social environment was the one that encourage the life people could easily lose it. So, how did you meet Ben? My dad insisted we went to school. In hindsight, the reason my dad insisted on driving us to school himself was to ensure that we got to school. It was my final year in my secondary school that Ben came to teach. He was an artist; a bohemian one with his unique dressing and guitar. He was serving in NTA, Makurdi and had a popular programme there. He was reposted to Lagos to work in Punch and teaching in my school in Saka TInubu which was the commercial arm of Anwarul Islam Seconday School. I played a lot of football in school and also liked the drama club (because the girls

Jahman with daughter Tolu.

Norbert Young (L) and Jahman during a dated stage production

Oluwaseun

were there anyway). One day, I just came from the football pitch and was looking in on a drama rehearsal as one of my school mates was trying to play the role of an old priest, but he couldn’t bend his back. Ben was trying to beat him to shape and I was saying “look at him, you can’t even play Baba Falade”. I didn’t know Ben had come up behind me, he grabbed me and said “since you have mouth to be talking, you must play that role”. I got there and mimicked the character and he said “okay, you are good, you will play the character”. But I kept dodging and he always would look for me and from there, I got into literary and debating club. Soon I found it interesting and by the time I was graduating, Ben decided to form his Kaakaki interschool art group. He started training us on acting and performing, but he ensured we also wrote and that we went back to school. In fact one of the criteria of joining Kakaaki was that you must continue school after secondary education. Ben insisted you must get some form of training.

Toyin is older than me; he must have graduated in University of Ife in 1983 or so. Now, Ben had influenced people like Toyin. Anyone who encountered Ben then had to become a journalist, theatre artiste or writer; he was like a father figure. When Jide Ogungbade teamed up with Fred Agbeyegbe to start AJO Productions and they started rehearsals in 1982 just before I got into the university, I was invited as an actor and performer. Ben was Jide’s assistant and he insisted that all of us who were in Kakaaki with him must come and be part of AJO. So, the trajectory continued for me from secondary school. In 1983, I got into the University of Ibadan to study Sociology and then I went to meet Dapo Adenugba and said I must be a student of Drama and he said I must do all the courses in Drama. So I started doing full time Sociology and full time Drama. After my courses in Sociology, I will run down to the theatre for rehearsals dragging to 2.00 a.m. and by 7.00 a.m., I was back in class for Sociology. AJO also trained us to become writers and in that period, there were people like Richard Mofe Damijo from Benin, Norbert Young from Ibadan and other young people

You mentioned a definitive relationship with Ben Tomoloju already, another is with Toyin Akinosho. How did this happen?

who were attracted to what we were doing. We also had elders like Remi Layinka, Ayo Lijadu, who were the top actors. We were camped for nine months in preparation for our productions and between RMD and myself, we were writing about this experiment. But there was a very consistent journalist who was coming around. He was a science reporter with The Guardian, he read Geology but he would always come to the camp to write about what we were doing; reviewing our plays. He wrote in such a fantastic way and unconsciously, I just took Toyin Akinosho as a mentor. Ben is my real mentor in writing, but the person on the field who I could relate to was Toyin and somehow, we became friends. Toyin is a great conversationalist, he can engage anyone and he always used to come to AJO rehearsals and the friendship grew. I wasn’t even aware he was older than me, but we were going clubbing together, getting drunk and doing all the usual guy things. However, when he formed Committee of Relevant Arts, CORA, on June 2, 1991, I was one of the first critics. It started at his house in Festac, Lagos and I went there as a reporter. I looked at what they were doing and thought the forum was good, but was not sustainable. I wrote about it saying these guys were just a bunch of ‘layabouts’ who wanted to get drunk in the name of discussing the arts. They held a second event, but after a while when I saw they couldn’t sustain it as I thought, I came into the picture. I’ve always been an organiser, more or less with my directorial background and what I was doing in Kakaaki then, I tried to put some structure around CORA. And Toyin became a life mate ever since. He is the first person with whom I will share anything; I had to live in his house at point too and he corrupted me (laughs). So, those two people, Ben and Toyin are significant. In a way, Ben was also Toyin’s mentor in journalism. Toyin is an inspiration for me any day; he may consider me a friend, but I see him as my big brother who is always protecting, directing me. You’ve mentioned Toyin, Odia and I’ll introduce a fresh name, Kole Ade-Odutola all in their 50’s and all single men. Is it accidental that they are your close friends and why have you also chosen to stay single? Let me try to rationalise it, I’m not sure I’m convincing myself. I think when you are involved in arts advocacy, it keeps you always busy, and it takes a lot. But where that theory may be defeated is the fact that people like Ben Tomoloju got married and he was an advocate himself. Probably because Ben got out of it, in the formal sense, at a time when his children were still young. There was the case where Ben’s son was calling him ‘Uncle’ and referred to his dad’s younger brother, Kayode, as ‘daddy’ because of Ben’s unavailability to his family. I remember when Ben was leaving Guardian, they promoted people who were below him over him and one of them who couldn’t even speak English well became CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Artman In The House

Friday, January 18, 2013

I’ve nothing more to prove as a journalist -Jahman

create the right environment for these artists. Soyinka won the Nobel and there’s no writing prize existing then we’ve not won. So, if people live here, they excel; we send doctors and writers abroad and they become best, it means this environment builds the arts. If an endowment fund is available to take care of the artists, then people, who would otherwise sell their personal belongings for work, would bend over backwards to produce a standard and qualitative production. Why do you think journalists are not going after Boko Haram? Because they are not insured and they know if anything happens to them, who will take care of their own? But the CNN journalist is insured and is ready to take risks.

CONTINUED FROM 21 like a god, playing dirty politics. Ben then said to himself that his son is calling him ‘uncle’, looked at his bank account with N41 inside and working in a place where he was supposed to be a ‘big man’ and they’re playing politics. He quickly realised and withdrew from The Guardian in 1992; then I was just undergoing training under him. Kole had a good job in Ibadan before he left the country; he is a professor today and that is the life he wanted to live. Toyin had been like that too. He worked in the Guardian till 1988 and went to Chevron; he was earning good money in Chevron and he could have lived in the best part of town or driven the best cars if he wanted to, but everything he made, he poured back into the arts. It is the same life I have lived. From what I have heard from my mum when I was young I had always said I didn’t want to marry. Do you believe in marriage? I don’t share the idea, but once you are happy with it, do it. If two people say they are happy living together, let them live together. As a Yoruba boy, I tried it due to the pressure from my mum and it didn’t work. I’m a free bird and I don’t like tying people down. Then my mum told me that she’s sick but won’t die till I have a child. Eventually, I got into a relationship and we had a son. Even when we went to see her parents, she had already delivered and they said she had to come and live in my house. Then, it was a case of you have to return home at so-so time and I said ‘sorry, it won’t work’. After a while, it was like I was making someone unhappy. Sometimes, when people review it, they say maybe she was younger to me. But I think it just wasn’t meant to be. Unfortunately, when she came to live with me was about the time I got the job to go to Sunday Guardian which was then a greater problem. I needed to revive the paper and I disappeared to Italy for three months to think and look at other newspapers. I had to be a newsroom rat, living in the newsroom. This was the time we had desk crisis and my little boy was about two years old then. One day, we summoned a family meeting and I said, ‘see this thing is not working and let us have a little break’; she has her freedom and I, my own freedom. Are you going to write a memoir about your life and work? I started one many years ago, but after a while, I couldn’t continue it. Tell us about your family identity, were you born Jahman Anikulapo? I wasn’t born Jahman, I was Oladejo but I have a name called Eniolorundakosefarawekoselupakosefenutembelewiwolanwo (he who God has created is incomparable, is indefatigable, is unlimited; let’s

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With Toyin Akinosho (R)

just watch) that’s the way my grandmother called me and it is a name I really cherish. So, in those days when I committed some atrocity, she would use the name and that name later became ‘Jah man’. In ‘Kakaaki’ then, we were giving ourselves names. I can’t fully remember details, but Jahman stuck from my years on TV and stage. But, Anikulapo is my surname– the Anikulapo family of Temidire community in Abeokuta, Ogun State. On Lagos Island, there are still some Anikulapo families close to where my father used to live before he went to build a house in Agege area of Lagos; although, we are not related. With the success you recorded combining art advocacy and art journalism, would you recommend this model to practising art journalists? I don’t know what the changing paradigms are now, but as at the time I began to do art journalism, I decided on this. I have written quite a few papers on it, asking if we are committed to art advocacy. When I came into art journalism, people were not interested in writing about theatre. Yes, writers were doing book reviews but no theatre or visual arts. It was easy to do literature, it was popular, especially after Wole Soyinka won the Nobel Prize; but who was going to write theatre? Even before the Nobel Prize, Literature was accepted. People like Richard Mofe Damijo, RMD, started writing for reasons like ‘’how could we be doing so much work and nobody is hearing about what we were doing?’. But the culture consciousness came later. In 1988, Nigeria decided to have a cultural policy, which had endowment for the arts and other lofty things for the artists. With this kind of environment, we thought the policy should give the artist latitude in order to produce quality works, but these things were not just there. I got tired of criticising and commenting. I used to be very tough on art works; I was one of the most acidic and acerbic critics of Nollywood. I remember the first story I wrote titled, “Kill all the Witches”, Ade Afolayan, Kunle Afolayan’s father, met me at a workshop in Jos and said; “N’igba te ba pa gbogbo witches ati film makers, ari nkan te’e ma je” (when you kill all the witches and film makers, we wonder how you’ll make a livelihood). That was the kind of critic I was. I started to think about it that I was using canons from the West to judge artists in this environment. I trained as an artist and I know if I have time to do a proper re-

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FACT FILE

•

Jahman was born on January 16, 1962.

•

He was raised on Lagos Island and Agege area of Lagos state

•

Jahman is the father of two children; a son, Oluwaseunrereninuaiyemitinkolegbabgelailai and a daughter, Malia T’oluwalase (who he fondly calls his Obama)

•

The culture advocate believes in another live he was German.

•

He is related to Fela AnikulapoKuti on the maternal side

•

Jahman got an offer to go into the Police Force after his University education

•

He is an executive director of iRepresent International Documentary Film Forum alongside, Femi Odugbemi and Makin Soyinka.

hearsal of my show, I’ll give the best. There is no environment, no cultural policy and the university training was going down. This people now gather their own money to produce a film and then we judge the film like we would judge Django Unchained. Truly, criticism has to take root from the society that gave birth to it. You have to think developmental and think in terms of what is being done. I can’t bring Hollywood to judge films produced here because the cultural parametres and consciousness are different. You may quarrel about bad acting, but the cultural environment in which you are is how you see those films. In terms of the context and content, you can’t apply Western canons because that product is not meant for that audience. That’s why in spite if everything that we wrote, Nollywood was a success. So, I’m a failed critic; in spite of everything my colleagues and I have written, Nollywood is a success. What does that tell us? That the public does not believe us, they believe the film. I come from the angle that criticism must be related to the experience of the people who own the creative work. If the man you’re criticising does not buy into what you are saying, then you’re speaking over his head, thus criticism is a dead art! After this introspection, I thought let’s step back from all we have written and

Are you satisfied with the level of art journalism in Nigeria? I’m definitely not. There is a paper I wrote when I was asked to speak at the NICO workshop where I was saying: ‘Why have we stopped asking questions’?. Even with the tempered critical discourse we’ve been having, we should be able to ask questions. If you write on culture, you should be able to ask questions from administrators of that sector. For ‘Bring Back the Book’, they took me to meet the President. But at the end, I just felt that they used me and I need to query that. What art journalism is not doing now is to ask questions, But I think journalism as a whole must ask questions, not just art journalism. In fact, that was one of the frustrations which led to my exit; I saw the newsroom wasn’t ready for questions anymore. We clamoured for FoI Bill, but now, how many journalists have gone for informative documents? Given your reservations with art and culture administrators, would you be willing to take up a call to serve? Olorun ma je, God forbid bad thing, as we say. I can ask as a consultant on projects if they have a project they want me to take. Some of my best friends who I’ve benefited a lot from like George Ufot and Jide Ajibola they are older than me. These are people I have known all my life and when I go to Abuja, their families treat me like a king. At some point, I just said I wouldn’t relate with them again officially. I still talk to them as friends; one of them even called to congratulate me on my birthday. I don’t discuss anything official because on that level, they are like enemies. They are reason why we are not making progress. When they started rising in their career, we gave them all the support and even used CORA, a non-partisan and pseudo antagonist platform, to boost them. When one of them was likely to become a director, we were excited and brought him to Lagos. Some people were making snide remarks that maybe he had paid us money, but we thought if one of us should get there, at least he would listen to us. He turned out to be a disappointment. Now imagine me going to work under such conditions; that’s why I said “Olorun ma je” (God forbid). What is your immediate plan? I just want to sleep now; if I have a drug to sleep it will help. I have a lot of projects to finish too. I’m editing books and I’m involved in some festivals.

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Inside FCT

Friday, January 18, 2013

Youth Corps members initiate self-help projects JOEL AJAYI

arsha and Idu, two suburbs of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, are wearing new looks, courtesy of the various Community Development Projects and self-help project embarked on by some of the ‘Batch A’ National Youths Service Corps, NYSC, members. In order to enhance this activity, there are specified groups, Community Development Service, under which this selfless service are rendered to the host community. The CDS group help to ingrain the spirit of teamwork in the corps members through participation in group projects of various kinds. In line with this, some corps members posted to Abuja FCT have embarked on a variety of laudable projects that will have great impact on the lives of people living in the community, as well as put a smile on the faces of residents of Abuja area. Some of the corps members, who are serving under the FCT administration, while speaking with Inside FCT, explained that passion for the people at grassroot level gave birth to the initiatives to help and give back to people. They believe the initiated self-help projects will catapult development at the grassroots level with its positive effects on the overall development in the nation. Kingsley Sintim, who initiated Community Library project at Tasha Primary School, hails from Cross River state and finished from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Department of Civil Engineering. He built a modern community library for the people of Tasha in Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC. Sintim said the idea is to help children with fundamental issues of comprehension and equip them with basic tools to study English, Mathematics and other subjects. “The performance of students from this area has been very poor and I think this community library will go a long way in helping students from the primary school to the junior secondary school cadre. “In fact, the building will also be equipped with lots of new gadgets received from some international donor organisations and NGOs to complement normal reading for children”, he said. Sintim said he was motivated to make sure the community library was built for the benefit of Tasha community and the society at large by the need to inform people, adding that people of this particular environment must have access to information. A ‘Batch A’ NYSC member posted to Idu community area of Abuja Municipal Area, Ifeoma Uzendu, is a grad-

Abuja court impounds phones, amid protests OUR REPORTER

here seems to be no end to evolving measures aimed at containing terrorist sects in Nigeria, as the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja now compels lawyers, litigants, journalists and others to drop their mobile phones at the security posts in the court’s complex before entering the court room. The latest development took many unawares as there was no prior notice to indicate this ‘novelty’. For instance, our correspondent, who had no idea of what many have described as ‘unpopular’, -having entered the court about 9.10 a.m. last Tuesday, - was shocked when he returned later the same day to be literally disposse-

Some of the building materials to be used to construct projects.

uate of Health and Environment from Wilberforce University, Anambra State. She has embarked on building 10 toilets and 10 bathrooms respectively for the benefit of the Iju community. Ifeoma revealed that the idea behind building toilets and bathrooms came as a means of solving the problem of sanitation facing Idu community. Explaining, Ifeoma said when she was posted to the community, she discovered that people of the community were using bushes to defecate and the community’s river for bathing. “And we were thought in the school that cleanliness is next to godliness. An environment without proper hygiene is bound to face so many diseases”, she stated. Speaking further, Ifeoma said that she started the project with her personal monthly NYSC stipends, adding that individual organisations they have written to

so far for assistance are not forthcoming. She, however, called on spirited Nigerians to assist in their own little way. Meanwhile, the FCT Administration has given its assurance to reposition community and skill development in FCT for rural infrastructural development. The Minister of State for the FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide, stated this in Abuja last week at the flag-off exercise for the distribution of statutory contribution to communities for the completion of self help-projects across the six area councils. The minister, who commended the ‘Batch A’ Corps members for their selfless effort in pursuance of the mission and vision of the NYSC scheme and various groups for assisting the administration with the projects, said the role the corps members played will go a long way in grassroots development and poverty eradication. “Indeed, it is our intention to institutionalise a sustainable people-centred development and attaining efficient and effective service delivery”, Akinjide reiterated. However, she called on people of the community to take the opportunities of the project provided by youth corps member to improve their lives. Hundreds of gas cookers, cements, sewing machines, gas cylinders, doors, zincs, ceiling boards and wheel barrows, among others, were distributed to communities in AMAC.

sed of his phones. It was at this point that Inside FCT observed a notice signed by the court’s management and dated January 2, announcing the new policy regime. The said release, pasted at the gate of the court as well as the entrance, reads in part: “This is to inform the general public that phones will no longer be allowed into the court complex. “This measure is taken for security reason; please your cooperation is highly requested in this regard”. An insight into what will confront this policy came by way of spontaneous protests from some lawyers and litigants, who vowed to take their frustration to the Chief Judge, CJ, Justice Ibrahim Ndahi Auta. In an interview with a senior lawyer at the court complex, our reporter learnt that there was really no prior notice to prepare the minds of the public for this. The lawyer-activist, who craved anonymity, said: “This policy, with due respect to the CJ, is unpopular, anti-public, retrogressive and not well-thought out. My Lord, the CJ is a very respectable, honourable, incorruptible and progressive judge that he will not allow this to stand for long. “You do not need to confiscate phones in order to check security in and around the court premises; all you

need is for security operatives to be on top of their game, especially gathering of intelligence. “I know that my Lord, the CJ, had recently fortified the courtrooms and others with surveillance cameras and other hi-tech devices that can easily detect criminal tendencies. Why this crude measure?”, he asked rhetorically. When reminded that it was the management that signed the notice and not the CJ, he added: “Yes, that is the more reason our very upright CJ will overrule it”. He observed further that, “My Lord will not allow very respected Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SAN, and even eminent Nigerians who will be coming to court, to be subjected to this”. Also speaking in confidence with Inside FCT, a journalist lamented: “How can they seize my phones that I use for interviews and other important recordings? Even if this policy will continue, it should not enjoy general application; let journalists, especially, be exempted from this draconian policy”. One thing that is as sure is the fact that Inside FCT will keep a “religious tab” on this boiling cauldron, especially as activities peak in court which just resumed from the last Christmas holidays.

THE CORPS MEMBERS EXPLAINED THAT PASSION FOR THE PEOPLE AT GRASSROOT LEVEL GAVE BIRTH TO THE INITIATIVES TO HELP AND GIVE BACK TO PEOPLE

Critics

Friday, January 18, 2013

Film

Peace comes to the screen

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Book

The world, more than ever before, needs peace and like the artist, Mudi Yahaya, said at the films4peace screening event at the Amphitheatre, Freedom Park, Lagos on December 28 2012, peace is not just the absence of violence, but rather the presence of justice.

A shot from the film

TERH AGBEDEH

eventeen short films were screened at the Amphitheatre, Freedom Park, Broad Street, Lagos on the evening of December 28, courtesy of Video Art Network, VAN, Lagos in the annual films4peace short film commission by PUMA. Peace. So short were the films that even though they showed over and over, one viewer, not knowing that the screening was underway was heard to ask when the films he had come to see would start showing. But for the rest of the crowd that included Bisi Silva of Centre for Contemporary Art, CCA, Lagos; artist Ndidi Dike; Jude Anogwih, Oyinda Fakeye and Mudi Yahaya of VAN, Lagos, it was an epoch making event. Anogwih, who introduced the event, welcomed the guests and bid them a happy New Year, saying that the significance of peace in the lives of humans cannot be overemphasised. “We can be who we want to be in life only when we have peace in our hearts”, he said. It’s something we need to work for, he stated, and the voices in the films which have been screened since September 21, 2012 during the World Peace Day celebration, are from individuals that are not Lagosians.

Music NGOZI E MEDOLIBE

here is something intrinsically connected between music and film that makes practitioners feel they can easily and seamlessly swing from one to the other. The truth, however, is that by the time one is established in one, fans tend to doubt the person’s ability to fly in the other. For some few greatly talented artistes like late Christy Essien-Igbokwe, it worked. But that cannot be said aptly of the younger generation of actresses like Genevieve Nnaji, Omo-

THIS CONTRIBUTION BY PUMA TO MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE IS A WELCOME DEVELOPMENT Undeniably, none of the 21 filmmakers chosen from all the continents in the project curated by Mark Coetzee is a Nigerian. Perhaps this was an oversight on the part of the organisers, or maybe Nigerian video artists, who are heavyweights in their own rights (although the art form is more or less a novelty here), have not been very visible on the world video art scene, hence their being left out of consideration. However, that is not to indicate that the viewers who understood the concept of video art did not lap it all up. The films, too, were a wonder to behold, particularly the one by Joe Lawlor and Christine Molloy, set in the London Fields park in their neighbourhood in Ireland. The filmmakers said they asked the residents to think about peace in the context of the idea of a park and green space and the result is remarkable. The opening scene is a young girl who looks into the camera and says:

“Peace starts with me. This is something I can believe in. Can you?”. The camera then pans clockwise capturing park goers of different ages, all of them standing still and looking into the camera in a stance a person struck by wonder would assume. The backdrop is rich with huge trees and a carpet of grass. The camera completes a circle when the focus returns on the girl and suddenly, everyone runs away, the girl leaving last. Not only is their action (or lack of it) overwhelming, the greenery is perplexing. The other film that has this kind of effect on the viewer is the one by Hank Willis Thomas and Terence Nance of the United States of America. Perhaps, it is because it is set in the woods displaying to good effect, trees, rocks, earth, water and light. This is peace and it is interesting how each of the 17 films interprets the one thing that has eluded most of humanity. Peace in isolation, stars that become galaxies, a flock of birds, five ‘people’ sitting at a table, sharp objects stringed together and queues. It is rocks surrounding still waters and men in the astounding expanse of a quarry, but it is also so much more than that, most importantly, it is how each individual, whether a video artist or not, interprets it. It is also the medium adopted, cartoon or not. Launched through the dedicated films4peace.com website, the initiative encourages the films to be screened and shared across the world, through social networking websites, blogs and media channels and the Lagos amphitheatre screening is perhaps the only one done outdoors. “Artists confront us with the challenges of our time”, said Coetzee and one can only agree with him that “films4peace are both disturbing and inspiring, responsive to the reality of our time, but they also ask us to be responsible for our actions”. This contribution by the sports company, PUMA, to making the world a better place is a welcome development and takes the world a step closer to a safer, more peaceful and more creative place to live.

You and the rest of us

Jennifer Eliogu proves with her new single, ‘You and I’, that Nigerian actresses do not always record songs to stir controversies. tola Jolade-Ekeinde, Tonto Dike and of course, Cossy Orjiakor. For all they have done, they seem to have more fans from their acting than from their singing. The blame cannot be heaped on their doorsteps though. Getting out of the bathroom, where most people

nourish their confidence about ‘being able to sing’, and going into a studio takes a lot of courage, which they need to be commended for. But with this single released by Jennifer Eliogu in the New Year, such perceptions may be changed. Listening to the song, which is a

Ways to save the heart K AYODE FASUA

ndubitably, the heart is the most vital organ in the human body. But only few people are aware that this love-shaped organ in the chest region is so tenuous it could snap, if badly managed. On regular basis, one hears of high calibre personalities yielding to the cold hands of death under circumstances that are befuddling. Someone could just slump in the public place and die. Why? Post-mortem examinations have often linked their deaths to heart failure or what is also known as heart attack. However, in medical parlance, diseases associated with the heart are called cardiovascular diseases. But they do not also occur like the simple drop of fruit from a tree. Certain factors must have precipitated such life-threatening ailments. These factors range from sheer negligence to wrong consumptions. And these are what this new book, Heart for Life, published by MITH Health Support Ltd, which can be reached on mithealth101@gmail.com, copiously addresses. What is more? Its author, Mrs. Folashade Daniel, a medical doctor of 24 years, who bagged a Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, is sure-footed, having spent these longish

cross between highlife and afro-pop, one can discern that Jennifer did not just decide to sing because it could avail another stream of income or pummel her further into limelight. It is a mission borne out of talent and passion. Her great vocals lend credence to this fact. You and I, is not positioned to be a runaway hit on the dance floors; it is a song crafted to stand the test of time, which Jennifer needs to work on and improve upon in the other songs that would eventually make up her album. She must follow this pattern of voicing lyrics that convey messages.

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Critics

Friday, January 18, 2013

Theatre

CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE BOOK IS ABOUT WHAT TO DO TO KEEP THE HEART IN A HEALTHY STATE years attending to heart patients. In his foreword to this 109-page book, a medic of remarkable prowess, Professor David Oke, remarks, “As at 1990, cardiovascular disease was estimated to cause five million and nine million deaths in developed countries and developing countries respectively. “It is (also) projected that six and 19 million deaths will occur by the year 2020 respectively.” He is thus of the conviction that the book “has provided much information about cardiovascular risk factors, the process of heart attack and its prevention”. The book, which has nine chapters of two sections, in the introduction section, notes that “while every part of the body is very important, there is one vital machine that pumps blood (and) supplies nutrient to other parts. “This machine is called the heart. It is expected to be in a functional state from the day we are born to our last day on earth. It could work for over 100 years. However, if it is not maintained adequately, it packs up early”. Chapter 1 of the book dwells on various heart diseases ranging from coronary heart disease (CHD) or coronary artery disease (CAD) which causes angina and heart attack, to aschaemic cardiomyopathy, an aftermath of a heart attack. The succeeding chapters dwell on the working of the heart, the process of heart attack, symptoms of heart attack, prevention of heart attack and medication, respectively. The central focus of the book, apparently, is about what to do to keep the heart in a healthy state: the diets that can keep the heart functioning well, the need for physical exercise and the need to shun smoking, as it poses a debilitating effect on the heart’s functions. The book, made attractive with requisite graphic illustrations with apposite colours, is also well edited as it has no typographical error. Through and through, Heart for Life is a must read.

The actress and singer (as she would probably be addressed onwards) must be commended for her songwriting skills if she is responsible for the lyrics. Her ability to make sense and create rhythm, swinging between Igbo and English languages could not have come from anything, but deep thinking. Listeners to this her love song, You and I would certainly be enthralled by a line that goes thus: When I look into your eyes; they sparkle like ice; I’m worth the price; you roll the dice. In this era when commerce is rated above creativity for some artistes, lots of lyrics bereft of sense have been

A scene from the play

The king who wouldn’t quit Lovers of the theatre who converged at the Agip Hall, MUSON Centre Onikan, Lagos in December 2012 to see the production of Ayo Jaiyesimi’s Mad King of Ijudiya, were fascinated by the colourful costumes, folklore, display of culture, dance and music. The array of popular Nollywood actors cum budding theatre arts practitioners on stage to tell the Christmas story added sparkle. OLAYIWOLA AWAKAN

THE CAST WAS AN

ARRAY OF POPULAR

he theatre is gradually gaining momentum again. Contrary to the moribund state of the theatre business, the present status of stage productions by standard independent theatre companies in the country shows that stage business has finally regained its stance. People have started to appreciate rich stage productions by paying to get entertained, enlightened and educated through theatre performances. Thespian Family Theatre, TFT, organisers of rave stage production, Five Maids of Fadaka, recently enthralled lovers of theatre who were on ground to see another anticipated TFT play, titled Mad King of Ijudiya, as written by Ayo Jaiyesimi, a Human Resources Personnel who is making great impact in theatre realm through her powerful storytelling.

NOLLYWOOD ACTORS AND ACTRESSES ALONGSIDE A SHOWCASE OF FRESH TALENTS The venue for the play, held on Saturday, December 29 and Sunday, December 30, was filled to capacity as performers served the audience a dish of cultural display, beautiful costume, striking rendition, folklore, good music and dance. The cast was an array of popular Nollywood actors and actresses alongside a showcase of fresh talents.

THIS SINGLE CAME OUT WELL-ARRANGED WITH AN INTERLUDE OF HORNS AND SAXOPHONE, WHICH BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF HIGH LIFE GREAT, CELESTINE UKWU laced with rhythmic beats to make hits. But this kind of success is usually short-lived, which is where You and I would stand out. Another highpoint of this singer is her voice. While noting the great similarity between her singing pattern and Onyeka Onwenu’s, it will play out as

a two-edged sword. Maintaining this Onyeka’s pattern will make fans see her as a replacement for Onwenu, but what happens when Onwenu suddenly decides to leave the coolers to record a brand new song? The competition would be fierce and it is easy to figure who would blink first.

Mad King of Ijudiya, an adaptation of the Christmas story retold in a Nigerian setting, is a vivid interpretation of the country’s situation where issues are held to ransom by various orders and systems. It spotlights leaders who, at times, get so engrossed in the power and splendour their positions bestow on them, that they become self-seeking tyrants who turn towards crushing their citizens and silencing their voices. It also mirrors the citizens and their sycophantic nature – too timid to demand good leadership and blindfolded by tribal, religious or class divides. The stage interpretation gives account of a king, Ero bani se played by Segun Arinze, who regarded himself as the Almighty one in the kingdom of Ijudiya. He uses power to molest, subdue and rashly control other smaller kingdoms within his jurisdiction. Enraged and caught in a web of confusion when he learns of the coming of another king to be born in Ijudiya, Ero bani se seeks all means to frustrate the new king who poses a threat to his dastardly reign. The king’s knowledge of a rival in his territory causes him to ‘flip’ completely and go to an outrageous extent to prove that he alone is destined to rule forever without interference by any other force. However, his entire schemes prove abortive and his rule is abruptly brought to an end, while the new king is born. According to the playwright, the play “showcases the rich diversity that we have in Nigeria. It is simply the Christmas story retold; how I imagined the story if it were to have happened in Nigeria. The theatre has a very powerful way of passing across a message, it has immediate feedback and there is direct reaction from the audience. Theatre engages the audience to participate in the story to enhance the understanding of the message. The bottom-line in the story is that there is a baby that takes over, that is an explanation of my belief in young minds. I believe in the generation of young Nigerians who will add value to the society to change the country around for good. I see a future in Nigerian youth; they are active, energetic and passionate”. Aside Arinze, the production also featured Joke Silva, Monalisa Chinda, Akin Lewis, Gloria Young, Iyke Ikechukwu, Shafi Akinrimisi, Florence Umaleke and over 60 fresh stage performers who exhibited a high sense of professionalism.

This single also came out well-arranged with an interlude of horns and saxophone, which brings back memories of high life great, Celestine Ukwu who passed on in the early 70s. It would be wise for Jennifer to avail him credit by the time her album is ready. But as she gets set to do this, one great challenge she would have will be the stage name to adopt. Jennifer Eliogu? Well, a lot of people who have followed the entertainment industry in Nigeria will see that as a brand in home videos. She definitely would have to build the name as a brand in music and the journey has just begun.

Arty News

Friday, January 18, 2013

Arojah storms FESTINA 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Dimeji Obey causes ripples in London

TERH AGBEDEH

hen the 2013 edition of Festival of Nigerian Plays, FESTINA, in its second year and organised by the National Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners, NANTAP begins on January 25, the Abujabased Arojah Royal Theatre, ART will participate in a big way. The theatre group, that has already announced its exciting line up of activities for the 2013 season, made this known in a press statement signed by its Artistic Director, Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo who explained that despite the challenges facing theatre and art in general, “we are poised to treat theatre lovers in Abuja and beyond to a variety of drama, classics, comedies, musicals and festival productions”. Among the plays audiences will enjoy this year is Seyi Adigun’s Call for Me My Osheni, which will kick off the ART theatre season with its participation at FESTINA 2013 at the National Theatre, on Saturday, January 26. Directed by Zubairu Jide Attah and Adesewo Fayaman Bay, the company’s director of productions, Abuja audiences will have the opportunity of seeing the play between February 14 and 16 as part of celebration for the annual festival of love –Valentine’s Day. Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo’s new play, Ssoommaalliiya will grace the stage in Abuja in March as part of activities marking the 2013 International Theatre Day celebration. It will run till the end of April at different locations in Abuja and is to be directed by Adesewo Fayaman Bay. ACTIn, Abuja Children Theatre Initiative, will be launched in June with the production of a stage adaptation of Onuora Nzekwu’s classic, Eze Goes to School, to celebrate the Day of the African Child 2013. It is to be staged with the aim of drawing attention to quality and accessible education as a basic right for every Nigerian child and the role that theatre can play in achieving same.

Ada

Ehiz

Kemi

N10m deal, new car for MTV VJ Search winner … As three finalists battle for the top job

TV Base has revealed the names of the three talented newcomers battling it out for fame and fortune in the MTV Base VJ Search competition. Going head-to-head in the last stage of the channel’s search for a new MTV Base VJ are; 26-year-old Ada Ogunkeya; 25-yearold Ehizojia Okoeguale and 22-year-old Kemi Owatemi. The ultimate victor will win a contract with MTV Base worth N10million to present their own chart show on MTV Base plus a brand new car and other exciting prizes. Ada, Ehiz and Kemi were hand-picked by judges Bankole ‘Banky W’ Wellington, Tolu ‘Toolz’ Oniru, Funke ‘Jenifa’ Akindele and Tim Horwood after competing against thousands of applicants in the MTV Base VJ Search - Nigeria auditions in December. Smart and witty Kemi (Dahlia to her friends) loves dancehall music and Rihanna in equal measures. The personal motto of this young lady, who describes her per-

sonal style as ‘more denim than silk’, is “happiness is key”. Lagos-born Ada, a presenter with urban radio station, Inspiration FM 92.3, is a selfconfessed ‘life enthusiast’, knowledge fiend, natural hair lover and dancer. According to Ada, ‘I feel like I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life –it feels right!” Jobseeker and computer electronics graduate, Ehiz, a.k.a “Special Slim”, is always the life and soul of the party. Ehiz names Fela Kuti, Born Jamericans and LL Cool J among his favourite artistes. The winner of the Nigerian competition will be selected by the judges during the Grand Finale in Lagos next Friday, January 25 and revealed on MTV Base on Tuesday, January 29. MTV Base VJ Cynthia C-Von Okpala and MTV’s newest South Africa VJ, Nomuzi Mabena, will share emcee-ing duties at the gig, while celebrity artists, Iyanya, Ice Prince and Burna Boy will be helping the three finalists to complete their final challenges.

or those who do not know Shola Oladimeji, the young man who sounds very much like Juju music legend, Chief Ebenezer Obey, it would be a surprise to encounter Dimeji at a public function. This is because Dimeji’s vocals and music style is a familiar recall of Ebenezer Obey, the Juju music colossus who bestrode the Nigerian music industry for several decades. “I started my music career 15 years ago in Abuja, before moving to Lagos. While in Nigeria, people believed I was Obey’s son and they were usually surprised that I’m not even related to him”, he said. Thus, having plied his act in Nigeria for several years, Dimeji is currently making an impact in the United Kingdom, and filling the Juju music void like a breath of fresh air to the Nigerians in Diaspora. What makes Dimeji’s style different is that he is the only artiste who plays the ‘Miliki style’ in Queensland, soaring his popularity. However, Dimeji says he had the chance to meet Obey at a national function where Obey performed for former president Olusegun Obasanjo, and had the privilege of receiving his blessings. “He treated me like his son when I met him. I can never forget that experience in my lifetime”, he said. Dimeji’s debut album, “Breakthrough” was released five years ago and he is planning to release a new one this year. “I have a lot of interesting songs on the album, which is in the making and I hope these songs will appeal to music lovers in Nigeria and beyond”, he said. Signed to Godfather Promotions, London, under the stage name, Dimeji Obey and a moniker, Miliki Prince, the young act revealed he owed his musical success to Hon. Oluwole Oni and Mr. Kent Uche, Chairman of Godfather Promotions, who have been very supportive of his music career.

Niffer lifts Aba with music talent hunt TERH AGBEDEH

pcoming artiste and entrepreneur, Niffer, whose birth name is Ekpereamaka Jeniffer Iro, is worried by the spate of negative activities ravaging Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State and has decided to restore the glory of the city. She is doing this by engaging the youths, who are mostly associated with the vices, with an engaging and beneficial package tagged: “Niffer Music Tal-

ent Hunt”. The project is slated for the Easter period in the city. Born and raised in the city, Niffer said it is no longer funny that Aba, the good old Enyimba City, has suddenly become a ‘no-go’ area because of robbery and kidnapping, among other vices that have become its hallmark. “I was born in Aba, where I also had my primary and secondary education before proceeding to the university and I know that nefarious activities were alien back in the days. So, I want to join in the crusade to

sanitise and re-invent the city with a project that will impact the youths positively and take their minds off negative acts”, she said. The pretty artiste said majority of youths in Aba are artistically talented, but lack support to go on. That is why the English graduate of Abia State University, who is also a blogger and businesswoman, is calling on support from corporate organisations and influential individuals to enable her bring the project to fruition. “It is a capital-intensive proj-

ect and we’ve written to a couple of organisations and individuals for sponsorship. They have a lot to gain by partnering with us and at the same time share in the glory of helping to save Aba from turning into a Harlem city”, she explained. Music stars like Flavour, Raw Nwanne, Channel O presenter, Denrele and a host of others have already been pencilled down as resource persons for the show that promises on-thespot grooming, cash rewards, recording deals and other incentives for the winners.

Niffer

Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Awwal 6, 1434AH Friday, January 18, 2013

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Call to Worship

On the authority of Anas bin Malik, the servant of the Messenger of All, the prophet said: “None of you [truly] believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.” RELATED BY BUKHARI AND MUSLIM

his architectural work of art is one the world’s largest mosques, with a capacity for an astonishing 41,000 worshippers. It features 82 domes, over 1,000 columns, 24 carat gold gilded chandeliers and the world’s largest hand knotted carpet. The main prayer hall is dominated by one of the world’s largest chandeliers –10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing twelve tonnes. Reflective pools surround the mosque, amplifying its beauty. The striking white and gold colours shining in the sun are transformed at night by a unique lightning system which reflects the phases of the moon. Visitors’ Tip: Why not finish sightseeing or shopping for the day and take the 5pm ‘Sunset Tour’? Get to the mosque around 4:30pm – a wonderful time to take photos – to wind down and chill out for 20 minutes in the lovely, afternoon breeze before the tour. Opening hours: Unlike other mosques in Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is open daily to visitors, except on Friday morning, which is for worshippers only. Complimentary one hour guided tours run (Sun-Thurs) at 10am, 11am and 4.30 / 5pm. Friday times are 5pm and 7.30 /8pm and Saturday 10am, 11am, 2pm, 4.30 /5pm and 7.30 / 8pm. The times for the last two tours of the day vary between 4.30 and 5pm, and 7.30 and 8pm, depending on the time of the year.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Hadith Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, (PBUH), said, “Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbour. Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should honour his guest Anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak well or be silent.”

Zayed Grand Mosque

Leaders urged to use God’s manual to rule …as FCF prays for Nigeria

n erudite scholar has reiterated his call on mankind to make use of the manual provided by the almighty Creator to rule the world in order to achieve success. Barr. AbdulHakeem AbdulLateef who spoke at a special prayer session and lecture organized by Fatima Charity Foundation at the Muson Centre, Onikan yesterday added that Nigerians and many people all over the world abandon God’s manual and expect success. Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) represented by the Commissioner for Education, Mrs.Seliat Olayinka Oladunjoye, urged women to be good role models to the young ones and commended members of the foundation for their great

efforts. He said if Nigerians truly want their prayers to be answered, they must return to God and discharge their duties. He stressed the attainment of a peaceful nation does not start and end with regulatory authorities but also lies with the people. Scholars prayed for Nigeria and commended the Foundation for organizing such a worthy event. The National Missioner of AnsarUd-Deen Society of Nigeria, Imam AbdurRahman Ahmad said Nigerians need to be prayerful always. In her address, the President of Fatima Charity Foundation, Hajia Bintu-Fatima Tinubu urged all to continue their prayers CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

Too late for Man 28

Means of attaining object of man’s life

ifferent people, being short-sighted and lacking high resolve, appoint different purposes for their lives and limit themselves to worldly goals and ambitions. But the purpose that God Almighty has appointed for man in His Holy Word is as follows: I have created men and jinn so that they may know Me and worship Me. Thus, the true purpose of man’s life is the worship of God, His understanding and complete devotion to Him. It is obvious that man is not in a position to appoint the purpose of his own life, for he does not come into the world of his own accord, nor will he depart there from of his own will. He is a creature and the One Who created him and invested him with better and higher faculties than those of all other animals, has also appointed a purpose for his life. Whether anyone penetrates it or

‘Courtship is for interview, not intercourse’ 29

Every Friday with

Khalifatul

Ahmadiyya not, the purpose of man’s creation without a doubt, is the worship and the understanding of God and complete devotion to Him. At another place, God Almighty has said in the Holy Qur’an, that the religion which provides true understanding of God and prescribes His true worship is Islam.Islam is inherent in man’s nature and man has been created in accord with Islam. That is CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

2013 Hajj: Ogun sets for improved pilgrimage 29

Call to Worship

s the thinking of man that all his sins will go into oblivion? Does he think he will not be held accountable for his actions? This is against the purpose for which Allah has created him. He is created and appointed for a great responsibility. If there is no accountability, then his appointment becomes useless. He is not left in this world without any instruction to follow or prohibitions to avoid. If man is left without directives to follow, then he cannot be taken to account. This is in line with the test of his freewill. He will not also be left in his grave without resurrection. It is inevitable to return to Allah. And even if instructions are given but for man’s life to end in the grave without resurrection that will be unfair to those who have lived their lives doing good deeds. From this, Allah has made it clear to man that his abodes of this world and the grave are stages in a return journey to Him. Allah informs that He has made all He created good. He perfects all His creations. “Allah’s creation in itself is good; it is beautiful in proper proportions, and adapted for the functions it has to perform. There is no evil or disorder in it. Such evil or disorder as creeps in is due to man’s will (as far as the world of man is concerned), and spiritual teaching is directed to train and cure

Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Awwal 6, 1434AH

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Too late for Man SUCH WILL BE THE FATE OF MEN WHO FAIL TO HEED THE WARNINGS OF THE MESSENGERS OF TRUTH that will and bring it into conformity with the universal order and plan.” There can be no doubt then that man must have been created most perfect since he has been appointed as a viceroy as well as a trustee in this world. It is thus obligatory for him to maintain this perfection and work towards it where it has been corrupted. This further teaches that a true man must always work towards perfection in every good thing he does. It also reminds man that his Creator is a Lord of perfection. It is an attainment of man’s true nature to see the perfect creation of Allah in the universe. Rightly, He has in another portion of the Qur’aan informed man thus: “He who created the seven heavens one above another; no want of proportion will you see in the creation of (Allah) most Gracious. So turn your vision again: Do you see

MSSN, sharing glad tidings ll over the world, there seems to be no hope left for the salvation of humanity from the abyss of socioeconomic crisis that man finds himself. At our local level here in Nigeria, it has reached a point of absolute hopelessness that you often hear people say the country’s poor condition is irredeemable. This is predicated on the fact that evils, sins and vices have become the norms in our daily existence. Corruption seems to be the only way out of poverty. Malpractices are now the only shortcut to success in examinations. Smoking and alcoholism are seen as symbols of maturity and civilisation. Zina reigns among both the old and the young. Pornography is the pastime of the youths. Cyber fraud is another means to wealth in the circle of unemployed graduates and idle youths. Riba is now part of everyday life. The leaders are greedy, wicked and merciless towards the masses. Funds meant for the common good of the people are being embezzled with sheer impunity on a daily basis and the perpetrators confidently walk free. The Faruq/Otedola subsidy scam, power probe, pension probe and some others are examples of the level of degeneration in justice dispensation in the country. However, terrible, worst and hopeless as the situation may appear at the moment, there is still hope of redemption for the nation. And this was the thinking of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Lagos State Area Unit at the just concluded 94th edition of the Islamic Vacation Course (IVC) held between December 22, 2012 and January 1, 2013 at the Human Capital Development Centre (HCDC) in Epe and Towergate Private School, Ipaja, Lagos. Participants, drawn from secondary schools, higher institutions and working class, were taken through series of lectures, workshops and tefsir sessions by

Friday, January 18, 2013

eminent scholars and professionals with a view to reassuring them that all hope is not lost after all. Some of them include the Grand Mufti of the Conference of Islamic Organisation (CIO), Sheik Dhikrillahi Shafi’, Director, Vanguard Academy, Ogun State, Dr. Zafaran Adeniyi, Director, Centre for Islamic Reawakening, Yaba, Lagos, Ustadh Sa’eed Salman, Director, Hajj Mabrur Ventures, Alhaji Abdulhameed Solate and immediate past Amir of the Unit, Captain Abdulhameed Bankole. With the theme; ‘The Glad Tidings,’ the camp sought to spur the youths, particularly Muslims, to change the current deplorable situation in the country for better. It also encouraged participants to have the belief and conviction that no matter how bad the situation appears at the moment, it could still be remedied. Participants were told that they are the hope and bearers of glad tidings of the nation. Speaking at the formal welcome ceremony at the HCDC, the Amir of the society, Alhaji Qasim Badrudeen, charged participants to imbibe the lessons of the camp and spread the message to the society and illuminate it with the light of Islam. ‘We are the hope of the world. We have to go out and change the world. We need to work tirelessly to change the society,’ he said. Highpoint of the camp activities was the fundraising ceremony for the construction of a 10,000 capacity multipurpose hall at the Human Capital Development Centre (HCDC). It is our prayer that our youths will continue to engage in fruitful endeavours like this. Sheikh Abdul Ganniyy Umar Arikunkewu is the Founder/National Chief Missioner of Jubatu Rohfatu Llahi Islamic Society of Nigeria (JUBFAT)

any flaw? Again turn your vision a second time: your vision will come back to you dull and discomfited, in a state worn out”33 This verse states assertively that Allah makes all He creates good. Then, the questioner may ask: what good creation is in the creatures like ant, lizard, octopus, kangaroo, baboon and chimpanzee? Some may even go to the extent of ascribing imperfection to Allah in the creation of some men. The Quranic address is for those who can reason. One should not be surprised then when men of low intelligence quotient could not even understand the wisdom behind Allah creating an animal like pig and still go ahead to prohibit its eating. In their deluded perplexity, they may conclude that at least as a wise Creator, He knows the nature of man, that he may be tempted, so such things should not have been created! May Allah save man from mental delusion and spiritual disease. A Believer in Allah knows that he cannot absolutely understand the will of Allah behind every creation. Second, his thinking cannot even encompass the wisdom behind just one out of the many creations of Allah. Third, how would man who is one of the things created, be able to judge the goodness, perfection or otherwise of what has been created? So, what one can say here is that those gifted with spiritual insight alone will be able to appreciate the perfect touch of Allah in all that are created. Allah, for example, chooses to originate the creation of man with nothing more than clay. He does not create him as He has of animal or any other creature or vice versa. The wisdom behind this could be to make man reflect over his humble beginning. That he was from a piece of earth (apart from his soul) and nothing more. So, who is man in the scheme of things? He is created to worship Allah and ensure the entire earth is devoid of sin. His failure to attain has serious consequence in the hereafter. At that time, there will be no room to do what he should have done while

on earth. Talking about this, the Qur’an says: “On that Day MAN will say: “Where (is the refuge) to flee?” [75: 10] On coming face to face with the deadening realities of that Day, man will, in total dismay and bewilderment, want to escape and thus inquire if there is any way he could be saved from Jahannam. Unfortunately, there will be no escape for him from the chastisement of Allah, which is before him. It is such a terrible situation that Allah Himself informs or replies man that: “By no means! No place of safety! Before your Lord (alone) that Day will be the place of rest” Beyond that, man will be fully intimated with all he had perpetrated, while enjoying his freewill, the climax of which is that man himself will realize his folly. It will dawn on him that he has wasted his earthly existence. It will become crystal clear to him how he had harmed himself by failing to benefit from admonition. It will become manifest to him how he has been beguiled by the world and misled by friends, societal norms and Shaytaan. His regret will be boundless. His shedding blood as tears cannot win him mercy before the Just Merciful Lord. He had misused the golden opportunity of coming to this world. He has woefully failed the test. Just like a man forewarned of a danger but disregarded the danger signals, he will be desperate to escape when the danger faces him. He will remember the warning and blame none but himself. Such will be the fate of men who fail to heed the warnings of the Messengers of truth. They will become like criminals and look melancholy. Dr. Zafaran is the Director, Vanguards Academy

Representative of Osun State Governor, Dr. Ade Ipaye and a Special Adviser to Gov. Fashola, Hon. Muslim Folarin at the prayer session organized by FCF in Lagos yesterday.

Alhaji Ibrahim Ademola Fashola and former Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Musiliu Smith at the prayer session organized by FCF in Lagos yesterday.

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Friday, January 18, 2013 Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Awwal 6, 1434AH

Call to Worship

‘Courtship is for interview, not intercourse’ SEKINAH L AWAL

clarion call has gone to those ripe for marriage to see the courtship period as that of interview and not for intercourse. Speaking at the Criterion’s annual seminar, held at the MRC Hall of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), the chairman of the occasion, Shaykh Muslihudeen Kalejaiye advised intending couples, married couples and

parents to ensure that they are on the same page in terms of faith, they are true friends, there is mutual fidelity and that questions regarding finances and family matters are well-ironed out. The Chief Clinical Psychologist, Department of Psychiatric, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Dr. Tajudeen Suleiman delivering his lecture on ‘Preventing and dealing with psychosocial problems in marriages’, urged them to remember that Mustafa al-Badawi

opined that marriage is one of the pivotal instituitions in Islam and, therefore, one of the most regulated instituitions. “Young men and women are therefore enjoined to marry as early as possible as a safe-guard against immorality and sociallydisruptive relationship. Devotion, obedience, spending on one’s family, patience, love of Islam, encouragement, spending quality time with the family, love and kindness are some of the qualities that can help marriage to

work.” The former Dawah Officer of Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Alhaja Sidiqot Binuyo xrayed; ‘Building and sustaining harmonious relationship among couples’ and called on mothersin-law to mind their own business as much as possible in order to ensure harmonious relationship with their daughters-inlaw. Also speaking, Hajia Fatimah Oyekan urged women to have their eyes on the ultimate goal

which is to be good wives and mothers in order to gain Paradise. “We must enjoy playing our marital roles and doing them ourselves.” Also speaking, Alhaji Ali Oluwafuyi enjoined both parties in a marriage to strive for its success. “If there is need to keep certain things secret to make your marriage work, please do so as Almighty Allah has also permitted that.” “The proposal of samesex marriage is therefore against the will of Allah

2013 Hajj: Ogun sets for improved pilgrimage FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

he Ogun state government recently said that it has set machineries in motion towards ensuring improved and qualitative welfare for pilgrims that will be partaking in the 2013 Hajj exercise. A statement issued by the Information Officer of the state Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board (MPWB), Alhaji Qudus Kafidipe said that government considered the move necessary in order to surpass the success achieved at the 2012 Hajj exercise. He further quoted Secretary to the Board, Alhaji Sefiu Rasheed as urging intending pilgrims from the state to obtain their application forms for the 2013 Hajj exercise immediately at the

rate of N5000 each. Alhaji Rasheed noted that all forms purchased are expected to be completed and returned on or before March 15, 2013, with a minimum deposit of N400, 000 as initial deposits by all pilgrims. He maintained that all intending pilgrims are enjoined to take advantage of the early commencement of the operation schedule to secure their slots, as placements would be on first come, first serve basis, owning to limited number of slots given to the state by the National Hajj Commission, Abuja. The secretary further hinted that the application forms could be purchased at the Board’s Headquarters, Block B, New Secretariat Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta from 9am daily.

Alhaja Muinat Alake Shopeyin, the President of Fatima Charity Foundation (FCF), Hajia BintuFatima Tinubu, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and representative of the State Governor, Mrs. Yinka Oladunjoye at the prayer session organized by FCF in Lagos yesterday.

FACES OF DIGNITARIES AT THE CRITERION’S SEMINAR, HELD IN LAGOS RECENTLY

L-R: The Lagos Amirah of the association, Alhaja Rahmat Bola Egbeyemi; the chairman of the occasion, Shaykh Muslihudeen Kalejaiye; Dr. Tajudeen Suleiman and Alhaji Ali Oluwafuyi

Qareeb remembers late founder OLADELE LUQMON

l-Fathiu Qareeb Muslim Organisation recently celebrated the 2nd year remembrance of its founder, late Sheik Abdul-Muhim Taye Tijani who died two years ago. The event, took place at the Qareeb headquarter’s mosque at Ajayi Farms in Ikeja-Lagos. In his sermon, the current missioner of the organization, who is also the twin brother of the late founder, Sheik Abdul-Rahmon Kehinde Tijani, extolled the virtues of his late brother as peace loving and religious person. Prayers were held for members and

the country as a whole. He also admonished the Ummah to be thankful to Allah always; no matter the condition they might found themselves. The Guest Lecturer, Sheik AbdulWahid Shittu (Al-Araby), who is also the society’s branch missioner in Oyo State, berated Muslim faithful to be mindful of their sojourn on earth as this will be the yardstick to measure what will become of them in the hereafter. He went further to warn faithful to be wary of what can cause conflicts among them and do away with behaviours that can cause acrimony among clerics, the executive arm and the society at large.

3rd L-R: Prof. Fatimah AbdulKareem; Hajia Serifah Yusuf Hajia Fatimah Oyefeso and others

L-R: Hajia Aminah Muhammed, Hajia Faoziah Bakare, Hajia Bilqees Jolaade and Hajia Muhidat Bello

and every well-meaning Nigerian should stand up against this. A woman must, as a matter of responsibilIty, respect her husband in totality, respond to his needs at all time, seek his permission and advice in all matters, be patient, refrain from making negative statements about her husband, be a good mother and role model to her children. Women should remember the Hadith that states that if a woman prays five times daily, fasts in the month of Ramadhan, obeys and respects her husband; paradise will be her reward in the Hereafter.” Dr. Suleiman listed incompatibility, Illness, childlessness, religious differences, financial problems, infidelity, sexual dysfunction, breach of privacy, children, in-laws, friends, drug abuse, over domineering of one partner, physical abuse and assault, poor communication, poverty, anger or withdrawal and lack of care as some of the sources of psychological problems that can cause marital disharmony. “Disharmony in marriage most of the time could lead to divorce, broken home, neglect of children or single parenting phenomenon. This is not healthy for both physical and psychological wellbeing of the couple. Couples must therefore learn to solve their differences based on the suggested coping strategies. Couples should also seek help from specialists trained to help them.” Marriage sustainability is said to be achieved and nurtured through love, care, prompt crisis resolution, forgiveness, intimacy, interest in each other, humour, self satisfaction and appreciation of one another. The Lagos Amirah of the association, Alhaja Rahmat Egbeyemi said because the home is an important unit that makes up the society, healthy homes will result into healthy society. According to her, research has shown that many are building houses instead of homes. Women are the centre point in every home, when there are challenges, they are the worst casualties, hence, there is a dire need for women to maintain their mental balance.”

Call to Worship

Yaum al-Jumu’ah, Rabi Al-Awwal 6, 1434AH

Maulvi Abdul Lateef Ilori (2nd left), Abdul Rasheed Sanni, right with the Grand Mufti, (Ahmadiyya Muslims Jamaat Worldwide-Maulana Mubasir Ahmad Kahlon (2nd right) at the Qadian Jalsa ( International Islamic Conference) held in India recently.

Friday, January 18, 2013

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Nigerian delegates with Maulana Safdar Nasir Goleki, (left ) former Amir and Missionary in charge Benin Republic and a delegate from Pakistan.

Leaders urged to use God’s manual to rule CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 for the nation. She also requested for daily prayers for Lagos state and others for the wisdom of Almighty Allah to endow them with the right attitude that will produce the right result. Hajia Tinubu said that everybody has a positive role to play in ensuring the growth, development and peaceful co-existence of all. Retired Justice Ibrahim Olorunnimbe Ishola also commended the foundation and emphasized the power of prayers. The event was attended by many dignitaries, clerics and Muslims from various organizations. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27 the everlasting faith. This means that God has desired that man should devote himself to His worship and obedience and love, with all his faculties. That is why He has bestowed on man all the faculties that are appropriate for Islam. These verses have a very wide meaning, a part of which we have set out in the third part of the answer to the first question. Here we wish to state briefly that the true purpose of the internal and external limbs and faculties that have been bestowed on man, is the understanding of God and His worship and His love. That is why, despite occupying himself with diverse projects in this life, man does not find his true welfare except in God. Having had great wealth, having held a high office, having become a great merchant, having ruled a great kingdom, having been known as a great philosopher, in the end he departs from all these involvements with great regret. His heart constantly rebukes him on his total preoccupation with worldly affairs, and his conscience never approves his cunning and deceit and illicit activities. An intelligent person can appreciate this problem in this way also, that the purpose of everything is to be determined by its highest performance, beyond which its faculties cannot operate. For instance, the highest function of a bullock is ploughing or irrigation or transportation. Its faculties are not adapted to anything else. Therefore, the purpose of a bullock’s life is just these three things. It has no power to do anything else. But when we look into the faculties of man and try to discover what their highest reach is, we find that he seeks after God, the Exalted. He desires to become so devoted to God that he should keep nothing as his own, and all that is his should become God’s. He shares with

According to Hajia Tinubu, the organization has been helping many less priviledged and called on well-meaning Nigerians to always assist the less-privileged in order to be forgiven by Allah (SWT) and be shown mercy too. She called on the Muslim Ummah to imbibe those doctrines of worship as mandated by Allah by being firm in faith, observing regular Salats, giving out in charity among others. FCF is a non-governmental organization made up of professional Muslim women who are conscious of the state of the nation and the need to contribute to her greatness through prayers, charity, empowerment and lectures to re-orientate the generality of the people.

First Batch of Students of the international University of Theology, Jamia, Ghana

Means of attaining object of man’s life THE PURPOSE OF MAN’S CREATION WITHOUT A DOUBT, IS THE WORSHIP AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF

GOD AND COMPLETE DEVOTION TO HIM the other animals his natural urge towards eating, sleeping etc. In industry some animals are far ahead of him. Indeed, the bees extracting the essence of different types of flowers produce such excellent honey, that man has not yet been able to match them. It is obvious, therefore, that the highest reach of man’s faculties is to meet God, the Exalted. Thus, the true purpose of his life is that the window of his heart should open towards God. It may be asked how can this purpose be achieved and through what means can a person find God? The very first means of achieving this goal is to recognise God Almighty correctly and to believe in the True God. For if the very first step is not right, for instance, if a person believes in a bird, or an animal, or in the elements, or in the issue of a human being, as god, there can be no hope of his treading along the straight path in his further progress towards God. The True God helps His seekers, but how can a dead god help the dead? In this context God the Glorious has set forth an excellent illustration: Unto Him alone is the true prayer, as He has the power to do all things. Those, on whom they call beside Him, do not respond to them at all. Their case is like that of one who stretches forth

his hand towards water that it may reach his mouth, but it reaches it not. The prayers of those who are unaware of the True God are but a delusion. The second means is to be informed of the perfect beauty of God Almighty; for the heart is naturally drawn to beauty, the observation of which generates love in the heart. God’s Beauty is His Unity and His Greatness and His Majesty and His other attributes, as the Holy Qur’an has said that God is One in His being and His attributes and His glory. He has no partner. All are dependent upon Him. He bestows life on every particle. He is the source of grace for everything, and is not in need of grace from any. He is neither a son nor a father, for He has no equal and no one is like unto Him. The Qur’an repeatedly draws attention to God’s Greatness and Grandeur, and thus impresses upon the minds of men that only such a God can be the desired objective of the heart, and not any dead or weak

or pitiless or powerless being. The third means of approach to God is knowledge of His Beneficence; for beauty and beneficence are the two incentives of love. The beneficent attributes of God are summed up in Surah Fatihah as follows: God creates His servants from nothing, out of perfect Beneficence and His Providence is available to them all the time. He is the support of everything and every type of His Beneficence has been manifested for His creatures. His Benevolence is without limit as He has said that if you try to count the bounties of Allah you will not be able to number them. The fourth means of achieving the true purpose of life appointed by God Almighty is supplication, as He has said: call on Me, I shall respond to you.8 We are repeatedly urged to supplicate so that we should find God, not through our power but through God’s power. CONTINUED TO BE NEXT WEEK

Baba Adinni of Lagos, Sheikh Afeez Abou, Chief Imam of Lagos State, Sheikh Ibrahim Garba Akinola and others at the prayer session organized by FCF in Lagos yesterday.

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Mirror Mongers

Friday, January 18, 2013

A task for the Nigerian Army

he past few days have left some bitter pills for the Nigerian Army to chew onwho is out to tarnish the image of the very revered institution? Only a week ago, someone, clad in army camouflage, pulled a James Bond kind of stunt usually seen in American action movies at the traffic light section of Anthony Village in Lagos. He approached a young medical doctor, Irawo Adamolekun, waiting in the traffic and shot him dead, causing a stampede that also saw security agents at the scene fleeing for safety. Up till today, the only description available is that the gun man was dressed in ‘army camouflage’. As if that was not enough, some reports are also coming from Gwarimpa area of the nation’s capital about a ‘group of army officers’ who usually operate in the early hours of the day, with the sole aim of ‘dehumanising’ women. This group, according to the buzz, specialises in arresting women, who they accuse of prostitution,

he last time, it was commercial motorcycle operators popularly called ‘okada’ that ‘saw the other side’ of the different governments beginning with the FCT; eventually others like Imo, Rivers, Delta and lastly Lagos, followed suit. The outright ban and restrictions (in some cases) have

but at the end they are robbed and raped by the men in uniform. MM learnt that aside some NYSC members, the group has arrested married women, who are first of all given the phantom charge of prostitution. Of course, these two recent incidents (as well as others in the past) should push the Nigerian Army to unravel these people tarnishing the image of the institution. The petition before the military authorities in this regards should stimulate activity against this menace.

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General OA Ihejirika

igerian music and musicians have come a long way. From the days of Yvonne Maha, who sang ‘If I have wings like a dove’ in the early 80s to Majek Fashek in the late 80s to the present crop of musicians who are reaping loads of cash from the business in a manner that is obviously leaving their predecessors bewildered. That is the more reason why Majek Fashek really needs ‘wings so he can fly’, at this point. This is because the stories from his Gowon Estate, Lagos residence are quite unpalatable. And this is coming a few weeks to his supposed date of re-launch being planned by A-Plus Entertainment, owned by Hajia Remi Dangaji. MM gathered that Fashek was ‘whisked away from his Gowon Estate residence, first to

Okada to Araba made the operators redundant, raising issues about the escalating unemployment situation vis a vis the rising cases of pipeline vandalism. Now that okada operators are almost extinct like the di-

nosaur, attention is gradually shifting to the ‘araba operators’ (as bus drivers are called in Abuja). Residents of the FCT woke up earlier this week to a ban of commercial buses at the major city centres of Abuja.

Buzz from Washington

W Majek

Offering Majek wings to fly an unknown destination and finally to Ghana, by one Mr. Uzor, who for a long time now have had unfriendly cross deals with A-PLUS Entertainment’. The present circumstance is threatening Fashek’s relationship with his managers.

This action of the FCT authority is said to be raising insinuation that this ban, may be a prelude to the plot to get rid of commercial buses and replace them with government-owned buses. FCT Minister, has however suspended the decisiion for 3 weeks.

ith USA headlining feats in technology, one would assume that the Nigerian Embassy located at the capital of this great nation would, have by, now, adapted to these digital breakthroughs. But the story from Washington, where one of the three Nigeria Mission offices operates from, shows something on the contrary. And some people are crying over it already. While the Nigerian flag, the symbol of the country’s nationhood hanging at the premises is a shade of what it should be, simple operations that ought to be done with computers are still being done manually. MM gathered that simple things like applying and getting a passport drags for long because the embassy staffers could still be seen carrying heaps of files around, like they were doing at the Cabinet Office during the administration of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. But a far more grievous disclosure is the allegation being made by one Onyema Uche, who is set to petition the Senate. The bone of contention is that anyone making payments at the Mission will first be made to pay money online, before being given a form to fill manually. However, there are claims now that the online payments only end up in the account of a private company, operating in Lagos! The grouse now is that the company should be investigated to know why they collect money on behalf of the Mission in USA from Lagos. However, no one knows how expedited this action will be considering what has been going on with the Farouk Lawan/Femi Otedola matter.

ONE-SECOND Q&A

CHRIS OKOTIE

The Governor of Central Bank, Sanusi Lamido, in a recent call advocated the ban of all ethnic and religious organisations, blaming them for further polarising the country’s polity. Reverend Chris Okotie, reacts in this line to agitation for minority presidency. How will you react to the agitation from the South East for the presidency?

Okotie

It never ceases to amuse me the extent to which these politicians could go. Nigeria has been balkanised, polarised along religious line, along ethnic line. ‘Wazobia’ is the greatest evil that ever emerged in this country. In every setting, what is federalism, the manipulation of the centrifugal and centripetal forces? You enter into a union because you want to be strengthened. The true Nigerian today in this county is the minority. There are Hausas in Africa, there are Yorubas in other parts of Africa; I am not saying these people are not Nigerians, but the uniqueness of our nation is unity in diversity. But for you to say because you have majority numerical strength, you must lead this country, is diametrically opposed to the philosophy of federalism. Nigerians must look for a man that inspires unity, that pulls Nigerians together, that brings cohesion of all ethnic nationalities. That is what Rev Okotie represents, that is why I have not joined the PDP because all of these arguments are coming from the same party. Today, it is North, tomorrow it is the South West; that is the politics of PDP’s divide and rule.

Escape

Friday, January 18, 2013

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Original FCT settlers in G EORGE O JI

he nine tribes who originally inhabited what is today known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on January 5, showcased some of their very rich cultural heritage during the maiden FCT heritage day. The event, according to the organisers, the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA), the umbrella body for the indigenous people of the FCT, was originally planned for January 4. However, because the day fell on a Friday, the organisers decided to push the event a day forward, as a result, it held on a Saturday. The maiden event, which the organisers pledged would subsequently be held every year, was used to showcase to the whole world and Nigerians in particular , the rich cultural heritage of the original inhabitants of the FCT that make up the 8,000 square kilometres of Abuja. The nine tribes are, Amwamwa, Bassa, Egbura, Gade, Ganagana, Gbagyi, Gbari and Gwandara and what they had on display that day was mainly their rich masquerade heritage. The masquerades appeared in varying colours, shapes, designs and dance steps. Though there was no price money for the best masquerades, the various tribes put up good performances to out-do one another. The excited spectators endured the scotching sun and dusts without minding the resultant health hazards. Aside from the indigenes, the event which held behind Karimaji, a Gwari community along the National Military Cemetery, Abuja, also had in attendance Nigerians from various walks of life, including some expatriates. The Gbagyi people demonstrated through their masquerades, the merry-making material that they had before Abuja came into existence; likewise Gwandara and Gade tribes. Even the Bassa tribe displayed their traditional medical magic through their masquerades exhibitions that day. The pictures depicted that the original inhabitants of Bassa are secure people; a very well protected tribe. Speaking with Escape, President of the OIDA, Pastor Danladi Jeji, said, “through this expression of culture, we were just explaining who we are; the way of life of the people”. He said the major thing that came out of the heritage festival was that the original inhabitants had been in existence long before 1914, during the amalgamation of Nigeria. Commenting on the enthusiasm shown by all the tribes at the event, Jeji said, “All of the original inhabitants showed his or her commitment by coming for this event, nobody sponsored anybody to the place. We were all there because we knew that FCT has a serious case if they don’t handle our situation very well”. The president also commented on plans to leverage the festival in the future stating that, “We are just beginning the heritage now. Our target is to grow it to international standards that will portray the FCT’s culture to the entire world”. Jeji, in his address during the festival, raised some political concerns about the original inhabitants of the FCT. He spoke about their demand on the government to democratise the system of governance in the territory. In particular, he talked about the full autonomy for the city as contained in Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which states that, “The provisions of this Constitution shall apply to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as if it were one of the States of the Federa-

Gbagyi man shows his strength as the woman pounds in a mortar balanced on his stomach.

Gade masquerades at the festival

THROUGH THIS EXPRESSION OF CULTURE, WE WERE JUST EXPLAINING WHO WE ARE; THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE tion.” In the speech that was intermittently interrupted by applause, Jeji said, “we are not asking for a new state but we are asking for the President of Nigeria to relinquish his powers as the Governor of FCT and the National Assembly to also relinquish its powers as the House of Assembly for FCT so that we can have the right to elect our governor and have an FCT House of Assembly driven by our people to make laws for our people. We are also asking for the establishment of an FCT Original Inhabitants Development Commission”. In what appeared as the presentation of his scorecard, Jeji said some of the achievements of the socio-cultural group include the sensitisation of their people in the 13 chiefdoms of FCT and a sizeable portion of the 858 communities in FCT on developmental challenges facing them and the submission of a memoranda to the National Assembly for the full implementation of the provisions of Section 299 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). He also revealed that OIDA was packaging a professional documentary film to tell the story of the displaced original inhabitants of the territory and their level of statelessness since the inception of the FCT. He concluded by saying that, “as we celebrate our rich cultural heritage to show how peaceful we are, we call on the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Minister of FCT, to rectify the developmental challenges facing FCT original inhabitants by not taking our patience for granted. As the

Koro tribesmen displaying huge native yam tubers

nation embarks on another constitution review, we are calling for the democratisation of governance structures in the FCT to fit our huge population”. One of the guest lecturers, a former Independent National Electoral Commission, commissioner and one of the two lawmakers who represents the FCT at the House of Representatives, Musa Salihu, while presenting a paper entitled, “Abuja at 37: An insider’s assessment of the problems and prospects of the Original Inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory”, also called on the government not to shy away from owning up to the fact that it had woefully failed to compensate, resettle or reintegrate FCT original inhabitants. ”It is 37 years today and the people were neither resettled nor left in their own right to live as citizens of FCT. They have been short-changed, dehumanised and made to pay very dearly for the things they did not bargained for”, the lawmaker said. Salihu traced the hardship and challenges facing the original inhabitants of the territory to the defective legal framework known as Decree No. 6 of 1976 (now FCT Act, Cap 503 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.) He concluded by averring that, “In legal par-

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Escape

Friday, January 18, 2013

heritage day festival A young female snake charmer at the festival

Koro tribesmen on horseback

lance, the provisions of Section 6 of the FCT Act is null and void because of its obvious inconsistencies with the constitution. But be that as it may, the Act has remained the only legal instrument that is being used by the Nigerian government to administer the FCT”. In another paper presentation, Professor Mailafiya Filaba of the Nasarawa State University in a paper entitled: “Annihilation of the indigenous inhabitants of the FCT, Abuja”, cautioned the Federal Government of the consequences of neglecting the original inhabitants of the FCT. “The denial of the indigenes the right to fully participate in the political, economic and other rights granted to other Nigerians is tantamount to denial of their fundamental human rights. Their rights should be restored and their properties be adequately compensated for justice”. There were goodwill messages from the government by the Minister of State FCT, Mrs. Olajumoke Akinjide who was represented by Mallam Aminu Ibraheem at the occasion. The FCT Heritage day was organised by OIDA in conjunction with the Alliance for Credible Election, (ACE).

More masquerade display

Gbagyi women displaying their culture

Travel News

Runsewe seeks international partnership for Calabar carnival OKAY OSUJI

ith continuing international interest in Nigerian tourism, the Director-General of Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, (NTDC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has called for strategic partnership in the annual Calabar Carnival. The Director-General made the remark at the 2012 edition of the event in the Cross River State capital just as he commended organisers for the wonderful outing. Runsewe, who was at the festival with leading American travel expert, Mr. Paul Cohen and others from Botswana, expressed happiness at the huge turnout of indigenes and visitors to the 32-day event.

The NTDC DG, who was at the Margret Ekpo International Airport to receive the Brazilian Samba band, commended the state for giving the carnival global appeal, thereby bringing diverse and international flavour to a Nigerian spectacle. Speaking during a visit to the acting Governor, Mr. Efiok Cobham, Runsewe commended the hard work put into making the carnival a world class event, as he promised more support from the agency in future. Stressing the importance of tourism in wealth and job creation, he expressed satisfaction with the huge amount generated at the event, saying that more than 4000 hotel rooms were occupied, while crimes figures were low during the period. “The Calabar Carnival has become a success story, even as the NTDC has supported it alongside other festivals and events in Nigeria, he said”. According to Runsewe, NTDC is happy that the carnival is now yielding fruits, as he called on other state governments to work with it in packaging and promoting local events to attract international tourists.

Denrele’s Day Adenrele Niyi Denrele’s Day is a collection of witty & sincere articles inspired by a zany imagination

Dee’s introspection

Sounds too movie-like to be real, abi? but the corpse six-feet underground is indicdenrele@nationalmirroronline.net Twitter: @mizniyi ative of the actuality. One starts to think that maybe, govhese three men, lawyer and former ernment isn’t the answer to our problems Abia State politician Chinwengozi in this country. Obike in his 40s; newly-married How about Emmanuel’s pathetic case? Edlyne Records’ Artiste/Repertoire Apparently, he consumed something manager and artiste LKT’s manager, Em- which introduced poison into his bloodmanuel Okoi, in his 30s and doctor, Irawo stream, but the hospital where he was Ademolakun, in his 20s, though from di- taken to for treatment only conducted a verse ethnic roots, are bound in one simi- toxicology test after he failed to respond lar fate –untimely death. to treatment. By then, it was too late. I have never been as distraught about My question is this? Why is it that the young people dying as hearing of these first treatment you receive in Nigeria is three who lost their lives in the most puz- for malaria even when you complain of zling circumstances. Apart from Chin- stomach pain? I know we live in a tropiwengozi whom I knew intimately like a cal, malaria-prone belt, but really isn’t it brother and friend, the other two young about time we stepped up on our diagnomen were absolute strangers to me, but sis and treatment methods? news of their demise C h i n we n g o z i troubles me greatly. D LIKE TO USE THE too suffered a mediWhy are young cal ailment which POWER OF THREE people, between the defiled treatment ages of 20 and 45, sudfor many weeks. TO PROVOKE A denly dying in our At the end of the country? The paradox SPIRITUAL REVERSAL day, his slipped into confounds me within a a coma and went OF THE SPIRIT OF vehemently traditional away from it. nation where across Today is my UNTIMELY DEATH our multi-ethnic perbirthday and I suasions, the frequent thought rather untimely death of young people usually than do something for me, I’ll do it for triggers introspection and perhaps, ag- others. I pray we have a definitive end gressive spiritual remedy. to premature deaths. Personally, I want This is a modest list of youthful deaths, to live to a full and ripe old age. After all, but one too many for a New Year which is I have a promise from God that I would barely 18 days gone. Some other names leave an inheritance for my children’s I cannot mention because I’d like to use children and these offshoots I want to see the power of three (in Biblical terminol- with rheumy old eyes. ogy signifying perfection on one level), to May that also be the lot of every young provoke a spiritual reversal of the spirit person out there as I sign out today on the of untimely death hovering over people lyrics from Bob Dylan’s Forever Young who should naturally be the next step in song. the progression of Nigeria’s nationhood. Love and peace for the weekend I was in the nail studio last Saturday giving my feet and hands the muchForever Young– Bob Dylan deserved pampering and enjoying the May God bless and keep you always, aimless banter among fellow customers May your wishes all come true, when a middle-aged woman walked in May you always do for others with red-rimmed eyes and a heavy air of And let others do for you. grief. Her mood caught everyone’s attenMay you build a ladder to the stars tion- but before we had a chance to pry And climb on every rung, why, she had broken down in a heap of May you stay forever young, loud wailing. She is Irawo’s aunty- someForever young, forever young, one I previously had no encounter with May you stay forever young. but by chance, I had to be at the salon less

I’

than 24 hours after her nephew was murdered in daylight on the streets of Lagos. The woman had been driving to the salon for nail treatment when a family member called to tell her about Irawo’s killing. Upon realising the woman was behind the wheels, the quick-thinking caller waited till she had parked in front of the salon to break the tragic news. So, what I witnessed was perhaps her initial traumatic reaction to the news. The circulating news is that Irawo was the murder victim of a botched armed robbery by a man wearing what eye witnesses described as a black T-Shirt over army fatigue pants (camouflage). It happened exactly a week ago. The killer calmly shot him point blank in the head, strode to a waiting motorcycle ‘okada’ and left the scene without any challenge.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, January 18, 2013

May you grow up to be righteous, May you grow up to be true, May you always know the truth And see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, Stand upright and be strong, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young. May your hands always be busy, May your feet always be swift, May you have a strong foundation When the winds of changes shift. May your heart always be joyful, May your song always be sung, May you stay forever young, Forever young, forever young, May you stay forever young.

CLAPPERBOARD with

Eddie Ugbomah www.edifosafilm.com

We have to salvage culture if...

aheed Olagunju–a former sports commentator with Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, who joined Bank of Industry, BOI, as a Corporate Affairs Officer and has now become General Manager, is putting his leg in his mouth by dabbling with movie production and distribution. On New Year day, January 1, this joker and a former cinema manager, Kene of Odion Cinema in London, were insulting hardworking Nollywood boys. Kene was telling his Dorchester Hotel guests that there was millions of dollars in Nigeria begging to be accessed and they should ignore stakeholders in Nigeria. This man ran home to screen films after he saw the success of two Nigerian films; Mirror of Beauty and Mission to Nowhere, both produced by Mr. Adrian Gbinigie. With his big talk and flashing proposals, this man and his White lady friend can access the cash to build cinemas and produce a rubbish film. I ask this question whose film will he be screening while abusing us the producers? BOI and NEXIM Bank say they want Nigerian films for export. There are 150 million Nigerians we have not conquered even if it is just to get one million viewers at N1000 gate fee and we are expecting our poorly financed films to compete globally. I can guarantee BOI and NEXIM that they will throw our money into the basket on films like Dr Bello, Half of a Yellow Sun and these other people they fund. I want to warn them that they need experienced producers with track records who will invest the funds on box office hits. How can Dr Bello or Half of a Yellow Sun ever compare with stories like Aba Women Riot, Black Blood and Niger Delta which are box office hits? It is only in this gullible Nigeria that some of these misplaced people mislead us and when the harm has been done, we start with the usual enquiries and probes. Five Nigerian films made N600m last year and how much did the owners make from the gross? After paying VAT, tax and other deductions, they will be lucky if they earn N250m. This is an industry privately supported with so much pain and the government and cinema owners are creaming from where they did not sow. The only way to solve this is a special rebate; exemption should be given to film makers to encourage investment, more cinema loans to be given to cinema owners who will join hands and commission movies that can pay back loans in six months. With only 10 top box office films made and screened in 50 cinemas, we can easily earn N20bn in Nigeria and over $1bn abroad. If we are 150 million Nigerians, we should be aiming at 5 million viewers at an average of N1000 for gate fees making each film earning N500m. This is possible; there should be control on production and people should be encouraged to go to cinemas. Film produc-

IF ONLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY KNOW THE VALUE OF CULTURE AND ARTS IN

NIGERIA, THEY WILL VOTE MORE MONEY INTO THE ARTS

tion is big business, no country will allow foreigners to come and take over their market except half-baked film businessmen misleading foreigners to come and get money from BOI. Eddie Murphy and John Singleton were disciplined by the Jews. These two Hollywood men made box office but there were no cinemas to screen them, so they were forced to beg big distributors to hurdle their films. Ms Oputu was telling film makers to go to Lagos Business School– to do what? I have made 13 celluloid films without Lagos Business School. Ms Oputu was just saying what she hardly knows anything about. When I left the University, film college and other media institutes, the owners and founders of all the Business Schools in Nigeria were still wearing baby napkins. Ms Oputu and Waheed Olagunju have misinformed and misfired with their total ignorance of the movie Industry. I request them to challenge the producers with film records, give them loans with the conditions of six months payments. All these sentimental rubbish films NEXIM and BOI have sponsored will only discourage them from getting involved in giving loans to other filmmakers. I am sure there are better ways and reasonable conditions where the funds can be given to well-established movie makers whose films have made big sales; people like Kingsley Ogoro, Teco Benson, Kenneth Nnebue, Amaka Igwe, Kunle Afolayan and Tunde Kelani. As for celluloid, I can say I am the only living icon that can make world class contemporary Nigerian films like Black President, The Mask, Oil Doom and Oyenusi; these are unbeatable classics. I am sure I can produce three world class films from my achievements, not these novel films the kids are shooting and nobody takes them serious. I pray that all my agitations will not be in vain. I single-handedly changed the face of music and film in this country but most of today’s children don’t know my input and contribution. It is one of the main reasons I set up the Movie Makers and Music Icons’ Galleries. It will be disposed after the March exhibition. I pray that movie makers wake up now and hear my cry about our mistakes and how we are not being taken seriously.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

People In The Mirror

Friday January 18, 2013

Laide Bakare’s glam 3-in1 event Popular Nollywood actress, Laide Bakare, last Sunday, took the industry by storm with a three-in-one classy event of premiering of her movie, Jejere, produced by her film and entertainment company, Simline International, also launched on same day at the Orchid Hotel in Lekki, Lagos. Bakare also unveiled T-Code, the new artiste signed onto Simline Int. An array of stars in film and music industry, among who were casts of the movie, was on ground to add gloss to the evening.

Laide Bakare giving a speech.

Eselu of Iselu, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi (left) and Balogun of Iwareland, Otunba Olanrewaju Subair.

Ronke Adeniyi.

Artiste and Jejere co-star, 9ice.

King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall and Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Idowu Senbanjo.

L-R Actresses, Fathia Balogun, Tayo Odueke (Sikiratu Sindodo) and Iyabo Ojo.

Comperes, Lolo and Denrele.

Olajide Aderibigbe (L) and Alhaji Kazeem Afolayan.

Simline Records signee, T-Code.

Actress Mercy Aigbe and another guest. PHOTOS: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Echoes of Lagos’ crossover concert Over 100,000 Lagosians converged on the reclaimed Eko Atlantic City on the eve of 2013 to welcome the New Year in true Lagos style, while millions others experienced the event via the mass, as well as the social media. The Lagos Countdown activities, conceived by the Lagos State Government, came to a climax with thrilling display of spectacular fireworks, laser beam and water projection. There were also musical performances by an array of A-list Nigerian artistes, including 2face Idibia, D’Banj, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, M.I, Burna Boy, Ice Prince, Brymo, Dr. Sid, Davido and Darey, among others.

L-R: Lagos State Head of Service, Adesegun Ogunlewe; Oba of Lagos, Oba Riliwan Akiolu and Executive Secretary, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Fola Arthur-Worrey, during the Countdown festival.

2face performing.

Yomi Fabiyi.

Omawumi on stage.

Friday January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mirror Drive

Cadillac ATS

2013 Detroit Auto Show:

Mini JCW GP

ADENRELE NIYI WITH AGENCY REPORTS

he North American International Auto Show, world’s biggest and best car show, kicked off this Monday in Detroit, Michigan, USA, with media and industry previews. It opens to the public tomorrow, January 19 and runs through Sunday, January 27 displaying more than 500 vehicles, representing the most innovative vehicle designs in the world. Stand-out styling, performance and luxury were on display on Monday as global automakers sought to stake out ground in the high-profit premium car sector at the Detroit auto show. The unveiling of the first new Corvette model in nine years a day early was the first surprise, but it was not the last. From an ultrafast Bentley cabriolet to a clutch of new BMWs and Audis, car makers were confident that lower-volume, higher-margin cars would find buyers in the coming year despite the slow global economy and

the recession in Europe Auto makers are also increasingly taking aim at younger buyers no longer seen as bound to their parents’ brands and –according to Infiniti chief Johan de Nysschen– not wedded to the idea that only the Germans get it right. Despite the slowdown in Europe, manufacturers are optimistic that the rebound in the US market and the still-strong China market will be enough to keep them going. US sales are expected to rise five to 10 percent in 2013 after jumping 13 percent in 2012, the biggest yearly gain since 1984. Luxury was not everything: the global battle is still on among the moderately priced cars which make up the bulk of sales, numbers released on Monday showed. Toyota regained the world sales crown lost when the 2011 Japanese tsunami devastated its supplies, as US rival General Motors saw its share of the global market shrink. The largest US automaker, where sales have been hit

Toyota Furia

by the Europe downturn, fewer fresh offerings and a decision not to chase market share with costly incentives and fleet sales, shrugged off the bad news. Meanwhile, Honda laid out an aggressive goal of boosting its total sales by 50 percent to six million units in 2016. The Japanese automaker introduced a stylish

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mirror Drive

Friday January 18, 2013

MAINTENANCE TIPS

How to check accessory belts Continued from last week To adjust the vehicle belts, it is always advisable for users to check the owner’s manual or a service manual for the vehicle’s make, model, and year to see what is involved in adjusting the accessory belt. If you cannot reach the adjusting mechanism without removing other parts, if adjusting the belt requires special tools, or if it looks as though releasing the tension may be risky, you should have a mechanic deal with it. However, if you can see an accessory belt easily, here is what to look for: If the belt “gives” more than 1 2 inch when you press on it, but otherwise is in good condition, it may just need to be adjusted. If the belt is glazed or has oil on it, the slick surface will slip where it winds around the pulleys and it won’t be able to efficiently drive the components connected to it. Your engine may overheat because the water pump is not operating properly or the air conditioner may fail to cool the interior of your vehicle. Have the belt replaced. If you see chunks missing from the belt or many cracks across its surface or if it is frayed or tearing, debris may be embedded in it or one of the pulleys may be out of alignment. The safest move is to replace the belt. If the belt squeaks, it may have been contaminated by water, coolant, oil, or another fluid. If it is just water, check around the water pump and the hoses to see where the leak is and eliminate the cause of the leak. The water will dry up on its own. The belt needs to be replaced if the contaminant is coolant, oil, power-steering fluid, or some other substance or if the belt has broken, is frayed, or has a large crack or pieces missing. Concluded

Hyundai donates to orphanages, homes

yundai Motors Nigeria last week restated its commitment to the socio-economic welfare of the less privilege with the donation of hundreds of thousands of mosquitoes’ repellent supplies to orphanages and psychiatric homes in Nigeria to commemorate the 2012 anti-malaria campaign, which seeks to stem the scourge of malaria parasites. Donating the items, which include treated nets and insecticides at a brief ceremony at the Little Saints Ophanage, Ekoro Road, Abule-Egba Lagos, the Director, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motors Nigeria Limitd, Mr. Jatin Nadkarni, said the initiative was part of Hyundai’s contribution to the welfare of the less privileged. He said the relief materials donated to select homes in various locations across Nigeria were also in fulfillment of the automaker’s global campaign values of ‘touching lives.’ Nadkarni who lamented the spate of lives lost to malaria scourge annually advocated for the wellbeing of children in orphanages and psychiatric homes. He said it has become imperative to forestall the

fearsome risks of malaria scourge that threatens more than 90 per cent (about 150.3million) of Nigeria’s 167 million people. Handing over the supplies to the managements of Little Saints Orphanage and Parcelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Suru-Lere Lagos, Nadkarni said; “We are highly encouraged by this recognition, which will reinforce our commitment to giving something back to the society that drives our sustenance and commitment towards social responsibility which is firmly rooted in Hyundai philosophy”. In her acknowledgement, Reverend Christiana Bamidele George, founder, Strong Tower Mission owners of Little Saints Orphanage applauded Hyundai gestures. Also receiving the gifts on behalf of the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted, Surulere Lagos, Reverend Sister Benedicta Ogike, Principal of the school commended Hyundai Nigeria for extending relief support to the home, remarking that “the school has been able to check malaria scourge and keep the inmates free from the deadly scourge”.

2013 Bentley Continental GT speed convertible

new “urban SUV” concept car aimed at providing the flexibility, performance and function of a sport utility vehicle in a much smaller package. Toyota, meanwhile, offered a concept car, the Furia, which seeks to deliver the styling lines and some of the bells and whistles of premium level cars to the humble, long-lived Corolla, to better fend off challenges from low-cost models from South Korean and US producers. On Tuesday, Cadillac ATS was named North American Car of the Year at the International Auto Show. Here are some of the new cars and experimental concept vehicles that will debut at the show: • Acura MDX concept • Audi SQ5, R8 and RS5 convertible • Bentley GT Speed convertible • BMW 4-Series concept, Z4 • Cadillac ELR • Chevrolet Corvette • Honda urban SUV concept • Hyundai HCD-14 concept • Infiniti Q50 • Kia luxury sedan • Lexus IS • Lincoln MKC concept • Mercedes-Benz E-Class • Mini John Cooper Works Paceman • Nissan Versa hatchback • Tesla concept • Toyota Furia concept • Volkswagen Passat performance concept

Porsche sales up by 18.7%

orsche AG sold more sports cars in 2012 than ever before: 141,075 customer deliveries equal an increase of 18.7 per cent compared to 2011’s record of 118,868 vehicles sold. The President, Porsche AG said that 2012 was the most successful year in the history of the company and attributed this to the commitment of its entire workforce and assured that the team was well equipped to guide Porsche successfully through 2013. Over the past three years, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer has increased the number of vehicles delivered to customers by 83.9 per cent. Porsche showed double-digit growth in all sales regions in 2012. The Asia/Pacific region tops the

list with 50,376 delivered units (+23.6 per cent compared to the previous year), closely followed by Europe, where the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer sold 49,639 new cars (+13.5 per cent). The Chinese market posted over 30,000 deliveries for the first time: exactly 31,205 new cars were handed over to the customers. The most successful single market in 2012 was the United States: A total of 35.043 customers in the U.S. opted for a model by Porsche (+20.7 per cent). The 911, Cayenne, Panamera, Boxster and Cayman sports cars are still also very popular in their home market in Germany; they were sold 17,487 times (+16.9 per cent). The seventh generation of the 911 Carrera sports car classic was highly coveted in 2012 and achieved the

greatest growth with 31.4 per cent: a total of 25,475 vehicles were sold. The Boxster was also very popular, achieving sales of 9,253 units, an increase of 29.1 per cent compared to the prior year. The Porsche model most in demand worldwide was the Cayenne: 74,763 cars of this model were handed over to customers last year (+24.8 per cent). With nearly 19,000 units of the Cayenne S, Cayenne GTS and Cayenne Turbo sold, Porsche remains the leading manufacturer of high-performance SUVs. At the Detroit Motor Show, which started during the week, Porsche unveiled the Cayenne Turbo S. With an engine power of 550 hp (405 kW), it ranks at the very top in the sports car manufacturer’s SUV model range.

Cocktail

Friday, January 18, 2013

FOR YOUR SUCCESS

WITH DR. DEJI FOLUTILE

Today's Tonic (83)

You must ensure that there are five times more positive, loving interactions than negative, painful interactions between you and your spouse. If you don’t adhere to this formula, serious unhappiness ensues. –Dr. John Gottman *** MY NOTE: We should strive to keep the home front in shape all the time by the practice of love. When the home front is in great shape, anything positive is possible. A determination to have a deeper rapport with our spouses on constant basis will always yield great results with increasing harmony and incredible progress. TEL 08104942999 E-MAIL deji.folutile@gmail.com Follow me @TwitterOWOTIDE

Woman’s two guinea pigs reproduce 100

ritish woman who obtained two guinea pigs four years ago had to get help from animal rescuers when their numbers grew to more than 100. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said the Sittingbourne, England, woman, whose name was not released, came to the group for help when the animals’ breeding got

out of control and she was saddled with more than 100 guinea pigs, The Mirror reported Wednesday. The RSPCA said it left the woman with four guinea pigs of the same sex. “You couldn’t fault the care. Some were living in very nice cages,” the group said. “It just got out of hand. She was embarrassed.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oddities

Couple sharing same name on Facebook splits

he couple, who met, fell in love and married over a shared name, have now filed for divorce. Kelly Hildebrandt and Kelly Hildebrandt have gone their separate ways. The pair with matching names made news when they tied the knot in 2009. But the couple came to realize that sharing a name wasn’t enough to keep them together. “She’s a Florida girl, and I’m a Texas guy,” Kelly Carl told Miami news station NBC 6. “We really did come from pretty different worlds.” The romance started in the same world: Facebook. One night in 2008, Kelly Katrina was curious and bored. Wondering if anyone on the website shared her name, she typed it into the search engine on the social networking site and up popped Kelly Carl. The then-20-year-old emailed the 24-year-old about the coincidence. Emails led to phone calls, phone calls to visits, and

the whirlwind romance led to an engagement ring hidden in a treasure box on a Florida beach. The two wed in 2009, and their news made People magazine and the “Today”

show. But even sharing a name, blond good looks and worldwide attention was not enough to save the marriage. “How do they term it at the courthouse?

Couple with same name, Kelly Hildebrandt

‘Ir reconcilable differences,’ that is what I would say,” added Kelly Carl, who has since returned to his native Texas. “We gave it our best shot.”

Friday, January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance Banks should see agricultural financing as a serious business that can impact positively on their balance sheets Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Adesina Akinwunmi

With our current population, our potential vehicle market is about a million vehicles a year. This is more than suﬃcient to support an automobile industry -

National Automotive Council (NAC) Director-General, Alhaji Aminu Jalal

Inflation rate drops to 12% in Dec TOLA AKINMUTIMI (ABUJA)

he composite Consumer Price Index (CPI) which measures inflation dipped to 12 per cent in December compared with the 12.3 per cent of the preceding month. The CPI report released by the National Bureau of Statistics yesterday however attributed the relative increase in the headline index during the month under review to higher prices in the Core Index. The headline inflation is made up of Core Index and Farm Produce Items. The Bureau pointed out that December’s inflation rate reflected the second consecutive month in which the Core index has deviated from the downward trend it exhibited since the month of July, rising to 13.7 per cent (from 13.1 per cent in November). On the other hand, statistical agency reported however that food prices moderated during the month under review, giving temporary respite from the lagged effects of the floods which occurred from July to Mid-October,

as well as other demand and supply conditions. The Food index increased yearon-year to 10.2 per cent from 11.6 per cent it rose to in the preceding month. A further analysis of the CPI on Urban and Rural basis showed that Urban inflation rate was 14.5 percent year-on-year, reflecting a decrease of 130 percentage points from the 15.8 per cent recorded in November, while the Rural index increased by 40 percentage points to 10.2 per cent on a year-on-year basis. Analysing the trend

further, the NBS disclosed that on a month-on-month basis, the Urban All-item index increased by 0.8 per cent from levels recorded in November, while the Rural All Items index increased by 0.7 per cent between November and December, adding that the percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve-month period ending December 2012 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve-month period was recorded at 12.2 percent. On the Composite Food

Index, it was reported that the index “increased yearon-year by 10.2 per cent to 141.2 points, representing 1.4 percentage points higher than 11.6 percent recorded in November while it also increased by 1.0 percent from November to December on a month-on-month basis. Similarly, the Bureau reported that the “All items Less Farm Produce” index which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural products rose by 13.7 per cent year-on-year, indicating 0.6 percent-

age points higher than the 13.1 per cent recorded in November. On monthon-month basis, the Core index increased by 0.7 per cent from levels recorded the preceding month. The NBS added that the increases in the Core index were as a result of increases in the Housing, Electricity, Gas and other fuels division, particularly liquid (kerosene), solid fuels (firewood and charcoal) rental and imputed rent prices, clothing prices, garment prices, and air transport fares.

he Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has recovered 10 landed properties, a vessel and other assets from Tanzila Petroleum Company Limited and

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LAGOS: 01-8446073, 08094331171, 08023133084, 08034019884 ABUJA: 08033020395, 08036321014

Lag-Abj:07.15, 09.15, 10.20, 13.05, 15.20, 16.20, 16.50,18.45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun). Abj-Lag: 07:15, 09.40,10.20, 12.15, 15.15, 16.15,17:10, (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun); 12.15, 15.15, 16.15 (Sun)Lag-PH: 07:15, 11.40, 14.00, 16.10, 17.15 (Mon-Fri) 07.30, 11.40, 15.50 (Sat) 11.50, 3.50, 17.05 Sun) Abj-PH: 07.15, 11.20, 15.30 (Mon-Fri) 07.15, 16.00 (Sat) 13.10, 16.00 Sun) PH-Abj: 08.45, 12.50, 17.00 (Mon-Fri) 08.45, 17.30 (Sat) 14.40, 17.30 (Sun) AbvBeni:08.00, 12.10 (Mon-Fri/ Sat)08.56, 12.10(Sun)

Aero Contractors Lag-Abj: 06.50, 13.30, 16.30, 19.45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun), 12.30 (Sun) 16.45 (Sat) Abj-Los: 07.30, 13.00, 19.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat, 10.30, 14.30, 19.30 (Sun, 18.30 Sat) LagBenin: 07.45, 11.00, 15.30 (MonFri/Sat/Sun) 12.30 (Sun 15.30 (Sat) Ben-Lag: 09.15, 12.30, 17.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) 17.00 (Sat) L-R: Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; Chairman, Steering Committee on National Code of Corporate Governance, Mr. Victor Odiase and Representative, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Yunusa Sanusi, during the inauguration of Steering Committee for the Development of the National Code of Corporate Governance in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

N27bn debt: AMCON recovers properties, vessel from oil firm JOHNSON OKANLAWON

Arik Air

its Managing Director, Alhaji Shehu Badamasi. A statement issued by AMCON, said the recovery followed a court order granted on the 19th of October 2012 by Hon. Justice Idris of the Federal High Court and executed on 16th January 2013. It explained that counsel to AMCON, Olisa Agbakoba & Associates, secured the court order to take over the movable

and immovable properties as well as freeze bank accounts of the debtors, pursuant to provisions of the AMCON Act 2010. Tanzila Petroleum Company Limited and its Managing Director reportedly have an outstanding of about N27bn in AMCON’s books. “The Act empowers AMCON to undertake recovery measures against debtors who have refused to pay

Banks to commence checks on drivers’ licence Feb 40

up their debts that have become non-performing and inimical to the financial system. The non-performing loan was acquired by AMCON under its mandate to clean up non-performing loans from the Nigerian financial system,” the statement said. The corporation was established in 2010 to buy non-performing loans and assets of banks in the country in order to

avoid systemic financial failure. So far, AMCON has purchased about N4.5 trillion worth of non-performing assets and loans from the banks covering about 13,000 debtors in order to stabilize the Nigeria banking system. Also, the corporation had restructured and recovered about N1.5trn as at December, 2012 and now targets the recovery of about N2trn in 2013.

Maritime stakeholders gear up for better regulatory framework 42

IRS Lagos-Abuja 7.30 8.30 7.45 8.45 09.30 10.30 10.30 11.30 12.30 13.30 14.30 15.30 16.30 17.30 Lagos-Kano 08.00 09.15 10.30 11.45 14.30 15.40 18.15 19.30 Los-Maid&Yola (Mon-Thur) 09.30 11.30 Fri- Sun 10.30 12.30 Kano-Lagos 07.30 08.45 14.00 15.15 17.30 18.45 Kano-Abj 10.45 11.30 Abj-Lagos 09.00 10.30 11.00 12.00 12.00 13.00

Business News

Friday, January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Banks to commence checks on drivers’ licence Feb CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

he Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has said it plans to put in place a machinery which would enable banks run a check on every drivers licence presented with a view to establishing its validity or otherwise. The measure may now be an antidote to fraudulent use of drivers licence for financial transactions as fraudsters cash in on the inability of bankers to identify genuine licenses as identification tool for banking transactions. The Corps Marshal and Chief Executive Officer of FRSC, Mr. Osita Chidoka who disclosed the plan during an interview with National Mirror in Abuja, said the exercise will commence on February 2013. “You cannot declare a licence fake until you have run a check on FRSC system, there is no way of knowing if any licence is fake or valid until a check has been run on our system. But very soon when you take drivers’ licence to the bank as ID, the bankers would be required to make a check on our system, from

February, the bankers would be required to make a check and print out a valid or not valid document, as part of, know your customers” he stated. During his campaign for a new licensing regime, Chidoka, had disclosed that Nigeria is currently losing over N15bn annually to vendors of fake vehicle licences. The FRSC boss said the new driving licence, as well as new number plates carry new security features, in order to make it difficult for fraudsters to continue to forge the documents. The Corps Marshal said the organisation was disturbed by the growing number of syndicates engaged in the illegal production of driving licences and other vehicle documents in the country. He said, “We find it necessary to introduce the new driver’s licence because the current one has lots of loopholes, which have made it practically impossible for us to continue to rely on it. “The new one has many features that will curb insider abuse and make it (the licence) valid as an identity card when necessary. It will also improve our comprehensive data base, which makes crime traceable.” smiley

L-R: General Manager, DStv, Mr. Mayo Okunola; General Manager, Trade and Distribution, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. Akinola Salu and winner of Renault Duster SUV, in the DStv Mega Promo, Most Rev. Charles Oderinde during the prize presentation in Lagos yesterday. PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

Chidoka stressed that the new driving licence was driven by critical factors, such as integrity, accessibility, quality and cost effectiveness. The new arrangement, according to him, will also address the problem of lack of acceptable data base for the number of drivers and vehicles available in different parts of the country. The FRSC boss added that drivers below 25 years would be re-

Naira falls on speculation of interest rate

he naira dropped against the dollar on speculation that Central Bank (CBN) will hold interest rates at a record high as inflation stayed above the regulator’s target. The currency slid 0.1 per cent to 157.045 a dollar by 2:58 p.m. in Lagos yesterday. The naira gained 3.9 per cent last year, the strongest performance among African currencies tracked by Bloomberg. Nigeria’s inflation rate eased to 12 percent in December, from 12.3 percent a month earlier, the first decline in three months as the effects of flooding that damaged agricultural output began to recede. The bank’s target is below 10 percent. Core inflation, which excludes agricultural products, rose 13.7 per-

cent in December from a year earlier, compared with 13.1 per cent in the previous month, the nation’s statistics bureau said yesterday. The Central Bank of Nigeria’s Monetary Policy Committee kept the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 12 percent in its meetings last year to curb inflation and support the naira. Yields on naira debt due 2022 fell seven basis points to 11.37 percent, according to yesterday’s prices compiled on the Financial Markets Dealers Association website. Borrowing costs on the nation’s $500 million of Eurobonds due January 2021 were little changed at 3.741 per cent yesterday. Meanwhile Nigeria plans to

raise between 210-360 billion naira ($1.34-$2.29 bn) in sovereign bonds ranging between 5 and 20 years in the first quarter of the year, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said in a statement. The amount being proposed is higher than its 2012 fourth quarter debt issuance and a great amount than the debt issued in the corresponding period of last year. The Debt Office said it plans to auction between 85-135 billion naira each in 5-, 7- and 10-year paper on Jan. 23, 75135 billion naira in 5, 7, 10 and 20-year paper on February 13 and sell 50-90 billion each in 5 and 10-year bonds on March 13.All the bonds were re-openings of previous issues.

WAMZ to inaugurate council of sub-regional capital market body TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) member-states will today inaugurate a Council for the purposes of facilitating improved integration of capital markets with a view to boosting investment, trade and other economic activities long-term funding in the West African sub-region. The Council which is called the West African Capital Markets Integration Council (WACMIC) will be inaugurated as the

WAMZ leaders continue their meeting in Abuja. A Technical Committee is also expected to be constituted later to provide technical support to the Council which will oversee the capacity-building and operational integration agenda amongst the existing capital markets in the WAMZ member-countries. Giving the hint at the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Governors of the WAMZ yesterday in Abuja, the Acting Director General of the West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), Dr. John Kitcher, said the initiative was among the key components

of the financial sector reforms agenda being pursued to ensure financial and macroeconomic stability in the region. Kitcher, who spoke on other measures being adopted to strengthen the sub-regional financial system, noted that though remarkable progress was being made by most countries in terms of their efforts to align their monetary and fiscal policy systems with international best practices the challenge of the high non-performing loans and excess liquidity remain major problems across the economies.

quired to renew their provisional driving licences until they clocked 25. Similarly, those above 65 years will undergo strict verification every year at states’ vehicle inspection offices before being issued with the licence. He, however, warned that any driver under 25 years would not be allowed to drive at night. “On those under 25, they will be issued with graduate licences and it is renewable annually until they

get to the required age. And the current one is for three years, just like the one we currently use. The new regime we want to roll out is even more advanced than what they use in some European countries,” he noted. Chidoka said that the new driving licence would cost N6,000; while vehicle owners would pay N15,000 for a new number plate, each of which could be processed online or manually.

FAAN to commence evacuation of abandoned aircraft next week OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he management of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria yesterday said it is commencing the evacuation of all abandoned aircraft scattered all over the country in the next one week. The agency said that unlike the former threats issued to the owners of abandoned aircraft without the desired results, FAAN will this time around march words with action. The evacuation exercise commences in Lagos next week while the contractor would move to Abuja airport the following week. Taking journalists round the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos where no fewer than 13 of the 65 aircraft are scattered, the Director of Operations, FAAN, Capt. Henry Omeogu, who also doubles as the chairman of the committee, informed that the contractor would move to site next week. Some of the abandoned aircraft belong to Bellview, Space World, Capital Airlines, IRS, EAS, Dasab and Fresh Airlines and are at Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Owerri, Kano and Kaduna airports. Omeogu insisted that the agency would not provide any graveyard to any of the operators

as being demanded by some of them. He stated that where the aircraft are presently abandoned, they constituted threats to the airports and said the government would not trade safety of airport users for any selfish and personal reasons. He explained that some of the operators like Space World, Capital Airlines and others had already given the agency the go ahead to remove the airplanes. He said, the airplanes have been littering the airport environment for almost 10 years now. He said, “None of them is serviceable because most of their owners have closed shop, but unfortunately, their owners don’t want to evacuate them for reasons best known to them. Today, we are ready to remove them from here. “The contractors are ready to move in and there is no going back. Anyone that wants to take anything away from them now can do so between now and the next one week.” Explaining the conditions of some of the aircraft before abandonment, the Domestic Terminal Manager, MMA, Mr. Olatayo Oginni said that some of their owners abandoned the aircraft when they closed shop while some were seized for conveying contraband goods.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business News

Friday, January 18, 2013

FG, USAID sign MOU to boost bank lending to agric sector TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he Federal Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which is aimed at boosting banks’ lending to the agricultural sector of the economy. The deal, which in the immediate term, is expected to help leverage $100m loan guarantee to farmers, was signed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, on behalf of the Nigerian Government while Dr. Rajiv Shah, signed for the USAID. Anchored on the Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) project, the partnership will enable the parties to use co-guarantees, joint technical as-

sistance, combined training and workshops for local banks and agriculturally-linked enterprises, an intervention to encourage the growth of the agriculture sector in Nigeria. The minister described the agreement as a landmark initiative in government’s efforts to transform the agricultural sector as it will help to reduce the risk of commercial banks in their agricultural sector lending. Adesina said: “We are expecting that NIRSAL will be able to unlock up to $3billion worth of investment in to the agriculture sector. We are running agriculture in Nigeria as a business. It is not a development activity. “In the last one year that we have launched the Agricultural Transformation Agency of the FG, we have significant transformation in this sector. We have been able to attract $8billion worth of private sector invest-

ment into the states. We have done very significant reforms that would enable banks to lend to farmers. “We launched the growth enhancement scheme last year, where we actually ended four decades of corruption in the sector using mobile phones. We reached 1.2 million farmers and this year we intend to reach five million additional farmers,” Adesina said. Shah said the partnership underpins United States Government’s commitment to end hunger and extreme poverty across the world. “President Obama, when he first took office said his primary commitment to development would be to end hunger and extreme poverty through business investments and self sufficiency and through a vibrant agriculture system as a first step to building vibrant and diversified global economy”, he said.

L-R: Programme Officer, Alliance for Credible Elections, Ms. Moboni Luguja; Deputy General Secretary, Mr. Asuzu Echezona and General Secretary, Mr. Emma Ezeazy during a press briefing on emerging concerns on public accountability in Nigeria, in Abuja recently. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

FAAN redeploys 61 security officers OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) last Friday and this Monday issued redeployment letters to 61 Aviation Security (AVSEC) and equally touched commercial and transport departments with the latest re-organisation in the agency. Among those redeployed were the Chief Security Officer (CSO), Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, Mr. Nathaniel Onoigbora and the head of security for arrival and departure of MMIA whose name could not be ascertained as at the time of filing in this report. The General Manager, Corporate Communications, FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati confirmed the rede-

ployment exercise and said that it is an ongoing exercise, which will continue for some time. Also affected in the redeployment exercise according to a reliable source close to the Ministry of Aviation was the Head of Department (HOD), Commercial, one Mr. Kola who is yet to secure new portfolio in the agency and the Head of Transport Department, one Mr. Nwoye. The reliable source confided in our correspondent that the latest redeployment may not be unconnected with the plans of the ministry to engage some trusted persons in strategic areas and department in the agency. To replace Onoigbora at MMIA was a retired colonel engaged in October by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah while Onoigbora was redeployed to

FAAN’s headquarters in Lagos while the other retired colonel was transferred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja. The two retired colonel engaged in October by the minister of aviation are Col. Mobutu Geoffrey and Col. Onalo Cari Dalud. The source emphaised that despite the recent security changes in the agency, no security personnel was redeployed to Aminu Kano International Airport (AKIA), Kano by the ministry and attributed this to the volatile condition of the state. Our correspondent gathered that the redeployed staff were caught by surprise with the letters despite the fact that the rumour had been making the rounds in the last couple of weeks.

ATCON increases membership strength to 93 KUNLE A ZEEZ

he Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria said it has increased registered member companies with the association to 93 at the close of work in 2012. ATCON’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Jibola Alude, who disclosed this in a chat with National Mirror yesterday, said as at the end of August, 2012, “Our membership strength was 85 in 2012.” He, however, noted that the coming on board of eight new member-companies increased the membership as “We were closed 2012 with a membership strength of 93. Olude listed the new eight companies to include Supdate Holdings Limited, Danimex

Nigeria Limited, Mikado Communications Limited, Pop Broadband Limited, Cobranet Limited, Basnik Telecom Limited, Anchore Telecom Nigeria Limited and Oxygen Broadband Network Limited. Meanwhile, Olude has stressed the importance of members leveraging the association online platform to disseminate information about their products and services in 2013 and beyond. Olude, who gave a preview of the activities of the association in the new year, observed that most ATCON members did not make available to the Secretariat, news of their businesses which could be circulated by ATCON News to hundreds of thousands of key industry contacts in the association’s data base.

Aero commences Lagos-Sokoto flights OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he oldest domestic airline in the country, Aero, yesterday announced the commencement of flight operations from the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos to Sokoto via Abuja airport. The airline said that the daily flight operations will commence from January 28th 2013. An online statement signed by the Managing Director, Aero Airline, Mr. Obaro Ibru stated that the flights to Sokoto will originate from Lagos at 06:05 to Abuja, and depart Abuja at 08:00 while departure from Sokoto is 10:00 daily to arrive Abuja at 11:15 and then onward to arrive Lagos at 13:15. Ibru explained that over the years, Aero has become the first

airline of choice offering excellent value for money fares and making travels easier and convenient through its electronic products: book and pay online, online check in, online insurance and many others. He said, “We are excited to launch a new service to Sokoto, which gives our customers more options and also widens our domestic network. Sokoto is an important historical city, and Aero is committed to its growth and development. “Flying can never be easier than we have made it for our customers. We have launched leading customer focused products into the Nigerian market and we are proud to be a market leader in this sector. We are determined to continue to offer excellent customer service and maintain reliable and high safety standards.”

New data centre designs will deliver 50% cost saving –Experts KUNLE A ZEEZ

areful decisions by businesses to design and deploy a new data centre can result in savings of 20 and 50 per cent of the electrical bill, and with systematic effort up to 90 per cent of the electrical bill can be avoided, thereby boosting a business’s bottom-line. This was disclosed by the Founder and the Chief Technical Officer, American Power Conversion, APC, Mr. Neil Rasmussen and officials of KITS recently. According to him, electricity usage costs have become an increasing fraction of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for data centers. However, Rasmussen, “It is possible to dramatically reduce the electrical consumption of

typical data centers through appropriate design of the networkcritical physical infrastructure and through the design of the IT architecture; that Simple ‘no-cost’ decisions made in the design of a new data center can result in savings of 20- 50 per cent of the electrical bill, and with systematic effort up to 90 per cent of the electrical bill can be avoided.” He explained that managing energy actively results in 40 per cent or more energy savings in the data center. “As such, when you consider that a data center can consume 10 to 100 times more energy per square foot than the average office building, and in some cases up to 40 per cent of an organisation’s carbon footprint, it is clear that managing energy in the data center is of paramount importance.”

Maritime

Friday, January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FRANCIS EZEM

igeria’s maritime industry has in the last few years been bedeviled by the near absence of regulatory framework, occasioned by the non-passage of the Ports and Harbour Bill nearly nine years after the completion of the port concession programme and the coming on stream of private terminal operators. This; apart from making policy implementation a herculean task; has led to imposition of some unapproved fees and charges by the terminal operators on port service users.

In August 2012, it took the intervention of the Nigerian Ports Authority to avert a strike action proposed by a coalition of the National Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders over the imposition of 20 percent hike in their charges by members of the Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria. Chairman of the association, Mrs. Vicky Haastrup, had while justifying the hike, argued that it was designed to discourage importers from using the terminals as storage facilities. In 2011, the Nigerian Shippers on the orders of the Minister of Transport, Yusuf Suleiman abolished the seven illegal charges imposed by the terminal operators These illegal charges include service charge, bank charge, Commission on Turnover (COT), Concessionaires’ service charge, tally clerks, port administrative charge and sorting charge. The intervention of the minister was also to evade a strike by freight forwarders under the aegis of Joint Action Committee of Freight Forwarders (JACOFF). In addition to preventing the strike action, the minister had also constituted a technical committee on the review of terminal operators’ handling charges headed by Otumba Kunle Folarin, a maritime technocrat, which came up with several recommendations. But president of NAGAFF, Mr. Eugene Nweke believes that the only way out of this recurring decimal is the passage of the Ports and Habour Bill, which would among other issues create a commercial regulator for the industry. He argued that without which the gains of the port reforms, which is to reduce cost of operation, which incorporates cargo clearing cost and also reduce cargo dwell time would continue to be elusive. Another area of great expectation for the stakeholders is strict implementation of the 2013 Budget, which they believe would give the needed impetus to diversify the economy as against the current over dependence on the petroleum industry for foreign exchange. President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2013 fiscal policy, which he said was designed to promote Nigerian agriculture and industry, announced that machinery and spare parts imported for local sugar manufacturing industries will now attract 0 percent duty and a five-year tax holiday for ‘sugarcane to

Umar

Haastrup

Jolapamo

Maritime stakeholders gear up for better regulatory framework sugar’ value chain investors. The president had also announced that import duty and levy on raw sugar will be 10 percent and 50 percent respectively, while refined sugar will attract 20 percent duty and 60 percent levy even as a 10 percent import duty and 100 percent levy will be applied to both brown and polished rice. Other fiscal policies designed to diversify the economy include that on solid minerals development, which specifies that machinery and equipment imported for use in the solid minerals sector will now attract zero percent import duty and zero percent Value Added Tax respectively. Similarly, in order to encourage the production of mass transit vehicles in Nigeria, duty on Completely Knocked Down components (CKD) for mass transit buses of at least 40-seater capacity will henceforth attract zero percent duty as against the five percent charged before now. “Government is desirous of supporting green growth and in this regard, will explore options for providing incentives for energy efficient vehicles from the 2014 fiscal year”, the president had said. Meanwhile, project coordinator, Multimix Academy, a global trade, logistics and supply chain management, Dr. Obiora Madu, observed that though Nigeria’s non-oil exports rank among the best in the world, the non-oil sector has remained under-developed due to over-dependence on oil revenue. This, according to him compares to the over 93 percent contribution to the nation’s GDP in 1960, when she attained political independence. He also said that the situation is more dicey when you consider that the United

GOVERNMENT IS DESIROUS OF SUPPORTING GREEN GROWTH AND IN

THIS REGARD, WILL EXPLORE OPTIONS FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENT VEHICLES FROM THE

2014 FISCAL YEAR

States of America, which is the largest consumer of Nigeria’s crude oil, has cut down on the quantity she purchases. “I bet you that this is likely going to continue because people continue to talk about renewable energy here and there”, he observed further. He, therefore, noted that urgent measures should be put in place to diversify the economy beginning from 2013. He had also noted that the current infrastructure decay in the country, which has made the dream of achieving a multimodal transport system impossible, increases the cost of logistics in the country. In terms of indigenous capacity building, stakeholders expect a serious action on the on-going amendment of the Coastal Inland Shipping Act, which is expected a usher in a fresh window of opportunity for the indigenous ship owners. Chairman of Indigenous Ship owners Association of Nigeria, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, while commenting on how the shipping industry fared in the previous year,

noted that it is by building indigenous tonnage that Nigeria would be ranked as a true maritime nation. The ISAN-boss said: “The domination of Nigeria’s maritime trade even in the coastal waters by foreigners more than nine years after the enactment of the Cabotage Act 2003, should constitute a major source of concern to any well meaning Nigeria”. It is against this background that most stakeholders expect a radical departure from this culture of dominance by foreign shipping lines to the detriment of the indigenous shipping companies, many of which have closed shop and the attendant job loss. Basically, most stakeholders are of the consensus that the waiver clause in the Cabotage Act, which had made it possible for foreign shipping companies and their Nigerian cronies to subvert the main thrust of the Act, which is promoting indigenous participation should be expunged. Meanwhile, the government has assured of a better maritime industry in terms of turn around time of ships and reduction in the dwell time of cargo. Senior Special Adviser to the President on maritime service, Mr. Leke Oyewole, who spoke in a telephone interview in line with the yearnings and aspirations of maritime stakeholders assured of a better industry in 2013. He also assured that the government was working on a security framework that would checkmate illegal activities like illegal midstream discharge by foreign shipping firms and the international oil companies. It is expected that government would match its promises with concrete action.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, January 18, 2013

Maritime

Friday, January 18 , 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arbitrary charges: Importers, agents set to fight shipping firms STORIES: FRANCIS EZEM

trong indications emerged that importers, their agents and multinational shipping companies operating in Nigeria might be heading for a collision course over the imposition of arbitrary charges on imported goods for services not rendered. The Nigerian Shipping Council had two years ago abolished about seven illegal charges imposed by these shipping companies and some terminal operators, some which are Commission on Turnover, tally charge and container cleaning fees. President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr. Eugene Nweke, who gave the indication, said all the freight forwarding associations and importers associations are working out a scheme to resist exploitation and imposition of arbitrary charges. According to him, the importers and freight forwarders would vehemently resist such impositions, which have over the years, fuelled diversion of cargo to neighbouring African seaports and attendant loss of revenue to the Federal Government. “The year 2013, will be one in which the freight forwarding associations intend to unite with the importers associations to resist arbitrary charges by the shipping companies as obtains presently”, he said emphatically. While calling on the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN), umbrella association for all the multinational shipping companies operating in Nigeria to warn its members to desist from such illegal impositions of charges warned that ignoring such a clarion call would lead to a serious crisis.

“We implore the Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) to advice her members to drop all manipulative practices that negate international best practices and to unconditionally jettison charges that have no services attached to”, he further warned. Apart from imposition of arbitrary charges for services not rendered, the shipping companies have also been accused of delaying the refund of the container deposit paid by the importers for several months even after the containers had been returned in good condition. Many stakeholders have argued that these shipping companies, which are not regulated by any government agency do whatever they like because most retired Army General have shares in them. They therefore called on the government to create a regulator for the shipping companies in order to forestall a breakdown

of law and order, as the importers and freight forwarders are no longer prepared to tolerate such arbitrary behavious. On service delivery, Nweke, who doubles as chief executive officer of Virtues Marine and Freight Services Limited pledged that the freight forwarders would continue uphold best international practices with a view to facilitating and promoting international trade and commerce. While commending the management of Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria for undertaking the training of over 100 chief executive officers of freight forwarding firms, noted that such training would promote discipline and professionalism. “Trade facilitation will continue to be our focal point and as such freight forwarders are adequately positioned to give listening ear to the shippers’ complaints, ensuring that their services and opera-

tions suite the needs of the in line with international best practices”, he said “However, total compliance to professional code of conduct should by progressively monitored by the CRFFN and the professional associations. Generally, the freight forwarding industry last year scored 60 percent in the area of adherence to high standards and professionalism compared to the previous years”, he further stated. He also urged importers to make honest declarations for the consignments to eradicate delays experienced in the issuance of debit notes, which delay the release of cargo and also tends to congest the ports. Nweke said“Though importers’ compliance level to international trade laws attained an appreciable level last year as evidenced in the increase in cargo throughputs and bumper revenue collection.

L-R: Executive Director, MRS Oil and Gas, Mrs. Amina Maina; Minister of Transport, Mallam Idris Umar and Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, during the minister’s inspection of MRS facility gutted by fire in Lagos, recently.

We lost 25, 000 metric tonne-capacity barge to blast, says MRS

RS Oil and Gas Limited is still counting its losses over the blast and subsequent inferno that engulfed its storage facility at the Tin Can Island Port last Wednesday, saying the company lost a 25, 000 metric tonne-capacity barge to the disaster. Group executive director of MRS, Hajia Amina Maina, who spoke in Lagos, during an inspection visit of the facility by the Minisster of Transport, Mallam Idris Umar, also said the disaster would disrupt the business of the company, given the magnitude of its impact on the facility and the loses incurred. According to her, in addition to the destruction of its 25,000 tonne- capacity barges and parts of the company’s premises, several imported products awaiting collection by their importers were also destroyed by the inferno, which also spilled over

to Five Star Logistics’ car park, a neighbouring vehicle terminal, which is located 500 metres away. She however assured that the company would resume normal operation as soon as possible, as it has already commenced a clean-up operation on all aspect of the company’s premises affected by the inferno. She also said the entire facility as well as the office premises of the company would have been completely razed by the inferno but safety measures on ground at the tank farm, saying that the blast was of a very high degree. “The company has adequate safety measure at its product facility, especially against fire outbreak and that is why the effect of the blast was minimal because it would have been far worse than this if we did not

have those safety measures in place”, the executive director told the Minister. She however restated the company’s earlier claims that no life was lost in the course of the disaster, which most stakeholders have doubted, considering the magnitude of blast, which destroyed vehicles in a neighbouring vehicle terminal located 500 metres away. The minister had promised the company that the Federal Government will remove the wreckage of the barge destroyed by the disaster. While describing the incident as a major maritime disaster, the Minister disclosed that the government has already instituted an investigation to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the inferno in order to forestall a reoccurrence. No fewer than four persons

were injured by the blast even as property worth millions of naira including newly imported vehicles at a near Roll-On-Roll-Off terminal. An eye-witness at the scene of the incident had told National Mirror that there was a massive explosion, which shook buildings not only in Apapa but as far a Lagos Island following a fire outbreak at facility used for the storage of Automotive Gas Oil, also called diesel. The earth tremour caused by the explosion was felt in areas like Victoria Island and Ikoyi and other parts of Lagos, thus raising fears of possible earth quake. It was gathered that the tank, which is a major receiving facility located on a barge was discharging products from vessel tankers for onward distribution to the surface tanks located at the farm when the incident occurred.

Sea deaths, piracy reduction should be targets for 2013, says Imo

peaking at the opening of the IMO’s first meeting of the year, the Sub-Committee on Fire Protection, IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu told delegates that it was his vision to half lives lost at sea and eradicating pirate attacks, as well as ensuring the release of all hostages can, and should, be legitimate targets, for the Organization and for shipping in the years to come. Sekimizu said that the number of lives lost annually at sea has been over 1,000 for each of the past five years. Despite the difficulty in obtaining precise and reliable data for such losses, he said that approximate figures for 2012 included approximately 100 lives lost in the fishing sector, 400 in domestic operations, and around 500 in other categories, including international shipping*. An ambitious, but achievable target, he said, would be to aim for a 50 per cent reduction, to no more than 500 lives lost annually, by 2015. He said that the matter could be addressed at the IMO Symposium on Future Ship Safety in June, and went on to identify a number of mechanisms that could help the target to be reached, specifically: implementation of the Torremolinos Protocol through the Cape Town Agreement, to improve fishing vessel safety and IMO’s Technical Cooperation activities in the field of domestic ferry safety. The Secretary-General’s own initiative for an “Accident Zero” campaign, in conjunction with the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA). He added that, in the first instance, IMO should consider establishing a mechanism for the collection and collation of statistics on lives lost to enable formal, official figures to be produced. With regard to piracy attacks and hostage taking, Mr Sekimizu said that 2012 had been an encouraging year, having witnessed a sharp reduction in successful piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia and in the Indian Ocean. However, 12 ships and 159 people were, at the time of speaking, still in the hands of Somali pirates. He said that complete eradication of piracy off the coast of Somalia and the release of all hostages would be more ambitious targets, but, nevertheless, should be the aim. He identified continuous protection by navies in the Gulf of Aden, consistent application of Best Management Practices (BMP), and proper handling of armed security guards under national policies, taking into account discussions at IMO and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), as key factors in achieving the first of these.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, January 18, 2013

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, January 18, 2013

Diamond Bank shares gained 158% in 2012 JOHNSON OKANLAWON

iamond Bank Plc, a leading commercial bank in Nigeria, recorded capital appreciation of 158.4 per cent to emerge third best performing stock out of the 10 best in Sub-Saharan African stocks of 2012in a research conducted by InvestingInAfrica.net, a field guide to profitable opportunities in African stock markets. The bank recorded 158.4 per cent US dollar capital appreciation compared with International Breweries 172.5 per cent and Cadbury Nigeria Plc’s 159.5 per cent capital growth respectively.

The research which excluded South African stocks, noted that after posting a loss in 2011, Diamond Bank put up great numbers in 2012, remarking that over the first nine months, the management of the bank more than doubled operating profits, and investors obviously liked what they saw. The report observed that even after its 158.4 per cent US dollar gain, the stock still trades at just 4.2x trailing earnings. “Moreover, unlike its peers on this list, Access Bank (90.7 per cent) and UBA (78.5 per cent), Diamond Bank actually appeared to have laid the groundwork for exceptional performance in

2013. The bank increased its lending to customers by 38 per cent over the past 12 months and deposits have surged 29 per cent,” InvestingInAfrica. net said. The performance was measured as of December 14, 2012 and each stock has average trade volume greater than $10,000 per day over the previous 30 days. The report noted that Nigerian companies dominated this year’s list of the best-performing stocks in frontier Africa, adding that in fact, domination may be an understatement as first, second, and third place all went to Nigerian stocks and all but four of 2012’s 10 big-

gest gainers hail from Africa’s most populous nation (Nigeria). InvestingInAfrica.net remarked that many investors still find the words “profitable” and “African” to be a startling juxtaposition. And who can blame them? The news media is saturated with images of famine, war and disease on the continent. “But there’s another side of Africa that gets a lot less press. It’s a place full of hopeful and enterprising people who are confident of a better future. This is the Africa that I believe is home to some of the most attractive investments in the world today,” concludes the report.

Source: NSE NIBOR QUOTES 16 JANUARY 2013 & 17 JANUARY 2013 20.00 19.00 18.00 17.00 16.00 15.00 14.00 13.00 12.00 11.00 10.00 9.00 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00

16-J an-13

Source: FMDA

Market indicators All-Share Index 30,324.86 points Market capitalisation 9,698trn

‘Citigroup’s goal is to stop shareholder capital destruction’

itigroup Incorporated Chief Executive Officer Michael Corbat, who took over at the third-largestU.S. bank in October, said one of his goals is to “stop destroying our shareholders’ capital.” Corbat was asked on a conference call with analysts what he hopes to have achieved when he looks back on his accomplishments five years from now. He said “We’ve got to get to a point where we

stop destroying our shareholders’ capital.” Bloomberg. The third-biggest U.S. bank by assets posted a profit increase that was less than analysts estimated as litigation costs rose and benefits from releasing loan-loss reserves declined. “We’ve got to get to a point where we stop destroying our shareholders’ capital,” said Corbat, who replaced Vikram Pandit after the former CEO was ousted last year. “I’d

say that would certainly be at the top of our list. That we run a smart and efficient business that’s good at its allocation of its resources around its customer and client segments.” Citigroup’s shares have declined 92 percent in the past six years. The bank survived the financial crisis with help from $45 billion of rescue funds from the U.S. government, which it later repaid. Citigroup trades at 67

percent of its book value and 81 percent of tangible book, it’s theoretical liquidation value. The firm earned a 4 percent return on equity, a measure of how well it invests shareholder money. That’s below the bank’s estimated cost of equity of about 10 percent. Corbat also said he hopes that Citigroup “served a social purpose.” He said the bank’s “primary focus” is on boosting the stock price.

European stocks rise on retailer rally, U.S. housing data

uropean stocks gained the most in a week as retailers climbed on increased revenue and U.S. housing starts jumped more than forecast to a four-year high. Carrefour SA, France’s biggest retailer, Delhaize Group SA, the Belgian owner of Food Lion supermarkets, and Associated British Foods Plc (ABF) advanced more than 3 percent. Petropavlovsk Plc surged the most in four months after the gold producer reported betterthan-forecast output. SAP AG fell 1.5 percent as Citigroup Inc. lowered its recommendation on the shares. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index (SXXP) rose 0.5

percent to 287.35 at the close of trading, the biggest increase since Jan. 9. The measure has rallied 2.7 percent this year after U.S. lawmakers agreed on a budget that avoided most tax increases and spending cuts, extending the advance from its June 4 low to 23 percent. “This is further confirmation that the market is recovering in many regions of the U.S.,” said Michael Morris, who oversees $1 billion as head of European equities at Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management in London. “It’s another sign that we are in an upward phase. For some time now, there have been positive signs and we are well past a trough.” The volume of shares changing hands in Stoxx 600 companies yesterday

was 6.7 percent greater than the average of the last 30 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The U.S. economy picked up across much of the country last month, boosted by auto and home sales, even as the outlook for unemployment showed few signs of improvement, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday in its Beige Book business survey. U.S. builders broke ground on more houses than forecast in December, capping the best year for the industry since 2008. Starts climbed 12.1 percent last month to a 954,000 annual rate, exceeding all forecasts in a Bloomberg survey of economists and the most since June 2008, the Commerce De-

partment said yesterday. The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment insurance payments fell more than forecast last week to 335,000, the lowest level in five years, Labor Department figures show ed. “The U.S. economy will progressively improve in the course of 2013,” Tim Harris, who manages about $25 billion as chief investment officer at Lloyds TSB Private Banking Ltd. in London, said Of the 52 companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to have reported results since Jan. 8, 71 percent beat analysts’ earnings estimates, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

17-J an-13

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

JBERGER

35.20

38.72

3.52

10.00

ACADEMY

2.11

2.32

0.21

9.95

MOBIL

109.25

114.71

5.46

5.00

ETERNA

3.01

3.16

0.15

4.98

10.32

10.83

0.51

4.94

CCNN

7.29

7.65

0.36

4.94

BERGER

9.42

9.88

0.46

4.88

HONYFLOUR

2.30

2.41

0.11

4.78

RTBRISCOE

1.70

1.78

0.08

4.71

CONTINSURE

0.85

0.89

0.04

4.71

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

UBA

6.60

6.15

0.45

-6.82

DIAMONDBNK

6.80

6.40

0.40

-5.88

WAPIC

0.80

0.76

0.04

-5.00

JOHNHOLT

2.52

2.40

0.12

-4.76

AFRIPRUD

1.68

1.60

0.08

-4.76

OKOMUOIL

51.45

49.02

2.43

-4.72

MORISON

2.99

2.85

0.14

-4.68

FIDSON

1.29

1.23

0.06

-4.65

SKYEBANK

5.90

5.64

0.26

-4.41

ABCTRANS

0.54

0.52

0.02

-3.70

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

90-Days

49,874.02

14.08

17-Jan-13

91-Days

97,481.64

14.10

17-Jan-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$120m

N/A

$108.4m

16-Jan-13

$50m

N/A

$11.8m

14-Jan-13

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Friday, January 18, 2013

Transition

Friday, January 18, 2013

Tejumade Kehinde Ajao

ejumade kehinde Ajao was born on February 21, 1950 in Lagos to the illustrious family of Samuel Adeinto Ajao and Ruth Fapeju Ajao. The family originally hails from Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria. She had six siblings of which she was the last born. She died on December 13, 2012 after a brief illness and was buried on January 11, 2013. She was aged 62. Kehinde was a twin, but sadly, her twin brother Taiwo, died when he was six months old. As a child, she was a determined goal-setter and achiever. This was evident in her academic achievements from her primary school education at Saint Stephen’s Primary School, Akure between 1958 to 1962 and her secondary school education at Fiwasaye Girls Grammar School, Akure, Ondo State between 1963 – 1967. In 1969, she was admitted to the College of Education, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State and in 1972, she obtained her National Certificate of Education from the university. Kehinde’s relentless pursuit for academic excellence saw her admitted to the University of Miami, Corel Gables, Florida, USA between 1977 and 1979; where she bagged a Bachelors of Education Degree B. ED in Physical Education.

Upon returning to Nigeria, she performed the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Kaduna State between 1979 and 1980. In 1980 after her National service, she was offered an appointment as an education officer with the Ministry of Defence. She was redeployed to Command Secondary School, Kaduna, Kaduna State as a physical health education teacher and sport teacher. At Command Secondary School, she saw to it that the Department of Physical and Health Education was well equipped with sporting facilities for training and practical classes. She also ensured that there were sufficient learning materials for both teachers and students. After spending twelve years in Kaduna, in 1992, she was transferred to Command Day Secondary School, Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos State. In June 1994, she was appointed as the Vice Principal, Administration, a position she held till 1999. In 1999, she became a Chief Education Officer and in 2002, she was made an Assistant Director of Education with the Ministry of Defence between 1999. Kehinde retired from the Ministry of Defence in 2010 after 30 years of fulfilling and satisfactory service to father land. On retirement, she was involved in private businesses until she passed unto glory.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Florence Oredola

a m a Flore n c e Oredola Aofolaju was born in the year 1918 to the family of late Pa. Lamikanra and late Mrs. Lydia Awoseyi. She died on September 12, 2012 after a brief illness at the age of 94. Mama had her elementary education at Otapete Methodist Primary School, Ilesa, Osun State, but could not further on her educational pursuits because of the generally held apathy for girl child education at the time. She, however, left the legacies of serving the Lord without comprise to her children. During her lifetime, she was a staunch and pioneering member of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church and supported the church materially, physically and spiritually, contributing immensely to its growth and development.

Friday, January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

“If the regime collapses and there was another exodus of refugees, we will stop them and keep them in their country” – Jordan’s Prime Minister, Abdullah Ensour

Zimbabwe’s Vice President, Nkomo, dies PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

imbabwe’s Vice President John Landa Nkomo died early yesterday after years of battling cancer. Nkomo was 78 years old and is Zimbabwe’s fourth vice president to die in office, after Joshua Nkomo, Simon Muzenda and Joseph Msika – who passed away aged 82, 80 and 85 respectively. President Robert Mugabe expressed his sorrow at the loss of the Vice President, during a joint press conference on the new constitution at State House. The president said: “On behalf of cabinet, our sincerest condolences to his family, to his dear old mother, to his relatives and to all his friends. We are together with them. “They have lost a real revolutionary, a fighter for freedom, a friend of the people” Nkomo was a founding member of nationalist leader Joshua Nkomo’s ZAPU, before its merger with ZANU PF in 1987 following the Gukurahundi massacres. He held several portfolios as a cabinet minister before being appointed one of Mugabe’s deputies in 2009, following the death of Msika. The United States embassy was the first to announce his death in a condolence statement. “Whether as a teacher, a politi-

cian, an advocate for Zimbabwe’s independence, or as a public servant, Vice President Nkomo was a patriot who dedicated his life to Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and prosperity. “As a leader of PF Zapu and Zanu PF, Nkomo played an important role in shaping the course of Zimbabwean history. May he rest in peace,” the embassy statement read. The second of two vice presidents, Nkomo had not appeared at meetings of Mugabe’s party or state functions for several

months. A former opponent of Mugabe, he joined a unity government formed in 1987 at the end of an armed rebellion in the western Matabeleland province by fighters loyal to his party who opposed Mugabe’s domination of the first black government after independence from Britain in 1980. A former teacher, Nkomo began his political activism against colonial rule in 1958. In recent years, he was not seen as a political heavyweight with influence over Mugabe.

Initially there were conflicting reports as to where the vice president was when he died, with some reports saying he died in South Africa after treatment for cancer. But the president revealed that his situation deteriorated on Wednesday and he was rushed to St Anne’s Hospital in Harare where he passed away. Some observers have pointed out that it is unfortunate that senior government leaders are still in office when they are old and ill, and die before they are able to enjoy retirement.

Denis Allex

African Union troops mistakenly opened fire on a religious school while pursuing militants, killing five children and two adults, a Somali legislator said yesterday. Dahir Amin Jesow, who visited the scene of the attack at Leggo village, said all five children were less than 10 years old. Jesow said the attack in the village 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, took place around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Students of Islamic schools in Somalia often attend class in the early morning. The AU soldiers were earlier attacked by militants, Jesow said. The African Union Mission for Somalia, known as AMISOM, said it is investigating the incident.

Pakistani cleric, government strike deal

L-R: Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe with the late Vice President John Nkomo in Harare in 2009.

Somali al-Shabaab executes French agent

he Somali Islamist group, al-Shabab, says it has killed French intelligence agent Denis Allex in retaliation for a failed French operation to free him. The French government has said it believes Mr. Allex was killed during last week’s raid, in which two French commandos

WORLD BULLETIN ‘AU troops mistakenly kill seven civilians’

also died. Mr. Allex - a French spy - was kidnapped in Somalia in July 2009. Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda, said on its Twitter account that Mr. Allex had been killed on Wednesday. Al-Shabaab had earlier threatened to kill Mr. Allex and said that

because of the rescue attempt, France would be responsible for his death. The group has also cited France’s intervention against Islamists in Mali in its decision to kill Mr. Allex. On Friday, about 50 French commandos launched an assault by helicopter on the al-Shabaab stronghold of Bulo Marer, believing Mr. Allex was being held in the town. Al-Shabaab said it had advance warning of the attack and Mr. Allex - a codename for the French intelligence agent - was not in Bulo Marer at the time. France says 17 militants were killed during the fighting, which witnesses said was intense and lasted for at least an hour. Several civilians were reported to have been killed in the clashes. Al-Shabaab said it has taken

PHOTO: AP

the decision to execute their hostage to avenge the civilians killed during the French operation. France said it launched the mission after repeated attempts to negotiate Mr. Allex’s release failed. Somalia’s government said it had no prior knowledge of the raid and it regretted the loss of civilian lives. On Monday, al-Shabaab published a photograph of a French soldier who the group said had died of gunshot wounds after being captured during the raid. France has a large military base in neighbouring Djibouti, including army, marine and air force units. For more than 20 years Somalia has seen clan-based warlords, rival politicians and Islamist militants battling for control of the country.

Pakistani officials struck a deal late Thursday with a fiery Muslim cleric to end four days of anti-government protests by thousands of people that largely paralyzed the capital and put intense pressure on the government. The cleric, Tahir-ul-Qadri, galvanized many Pakistanis with his message alleging that the nation’s politicians are corrupt thieves who care more about lining their pockets than dealing with the country’s pressing problems, such as electricity shortages, high unemployment and deadly attacks by Islamic militants. But his demand that the government be dissolved and replaced by a military-backed caretaker administration raised concerns that he was being used by the nation’s powerful army to try to delay parliamentary elections expected this spring. The army has a history of toppling civilian governments in military coups and has done little to hide its disdain for the country’s politicians.

S’Sudan withdraws troops from border with Sudan South Sudan says it is withdrawing its troops from a disputed border region with Sudan so that a demilitarized zone can be established. The decision could be a first step toward South Sudan getting its oil industry online again. The south hasn’t pumped oil since early in 2012, depriving its impoverished government of needed funds. The oil flows through pipelines in Sudan, and Khartoum has also seen a steep drop in revenues because of the south’s oil shutdown. South Sudan’s troop withdrawal is in line with a security agreement reached with Sudan in September. At a meeting between the countries’ presidents earlier this month the two agreed to implement the September deals to get the oil flowing again.

South South

Friday January 18, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Abductors of Bayelsa Speaker’s mother demand N40m ransom EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

ndications emerged yesterday that the kidnappers of the mother of the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Madam Benitha Benson, have demanded a ransom of N40 million from her family

to release her. Investigations by National Mirror revealed that the family of the speaker is in negotiation with the kidnappers to peg the ransom. But, an aide of the speaker who did not want his name in print said no ransom would be paid to the kidnappers. Also, a source that did

not want his name mentioned, said Madam Benson may be freed by the weekend if the agreed ransom was paid to the gunmen. The whereabouts of the victim is still unknown five days after her abduction by gunmen at her country home in Korokorsei, Southern Ijaw Local Government

Area of the state. Relations of the septuagenarian are disturbed over her health condition since she was whisked off by the armed men in the coastal community. Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, Fidelis Odunna, confirmed to our correspondent that the

L-R: Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wemimo Ogunde (SAN); the Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and the Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Olatokunbo Olopade, after a court assessment visit of the governor to the Customary Court in Ogun Central Judicial Division...yesterday.

Crisis: Uduaghan denies ‘war’ in PDP Says govs are not against Tukur

SAM OLUWALANA

elta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, has denied reports that his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is in turmoil and that the crisis in the party is rather imaginary than real. Uduaghan said this in Asaba, the state capital, during the week while chatting with journalists. He said the PDP governors who were part of the emergence of Alhaji

Tukur

Bamangar Tukur as the ruling party’s chairman would not deliberately want to pull him down. Uduaghan implied that the media have been misrepresenting the under current in the PDP by concluding that the governors were the mastermind of the recent rupture in the ranks of the party. His words: “There was no time that the governors sat to contemplate moving against the national chairman. Alhaji Bamanga Tukur is important to our party. He is an elder statesman and we have a lot of respect for him. “The so called war in the PDP is imaginary rather than real. Whatever is being published in the media was probably being pushed by some interests in Abuja.” The governor suggested that the furore in PDP

of late was the making of the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party which he said issued two conflicting statements on the sack of the Kugama-led executive council of the PDP in Adamawa State. According to him, the NWC has issued a statement announcing the sack of the PDP executive in Adamawa State and capitulated later with a counter statement on the re-instatement of the sacked executive. Uduaghan said it was on the basis of the last statement of the NWC of the party in the state that the governors waded in, not necessarily to move against Tukur as widely reported by the media, but to salvage the situation within the party. He said the recent development would not affect the fortune of the PDP in future elections, stating that the election

year of 2015 is still far for party members to begin to engage in bickering. He continued: “PDP is still a national party; it is still the only democratic party in the country as all of us have known. The other parties are just pretending.”

family of the speaker had established contact with the kidnappers. The PPRO said the police are still combing the creeks in search of the kidnapped mother and grandmother. Odunna said no suspect linked with Madam Benson’s abduction have been arrested as investigation is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the embattled speaker yesterday opened up that he had spoken with his abducted mother, Benitha, on his cell phone. Benson spoke to journalists in an interview in Yenagoa that he had also established contact with the kidnappers, stressing that his mother was fine in incarceration. The speaker confirmed that the kidnappers were demanding for a ransom before they could release his mum, but, declined to specify the ransom. According to him, negotiation for the payment of ransom was ongoing with the kidnappers. On why his mother was kidnapped, Konbowei said the abductors were not happy that he was meddling into the election of Korokorosei Community Development Committee election. Benson also said the kidnappers observed that there was no unity and love among members of the state legislature, coupled with the passing into law of the state Anti-Cult Bill by the House.

Bayelsa to introduce digital attendance register EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

ecretary to the Bayelsa State Government, SSG, Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru , yesterday said a digitalised attendance register is to be introduced in the state civil service to monitor the movement of staff during working hours. Allison-Oguru, made this known in Yenagoa yesterday at the formal launch of “Do The Right Thing, Keep To Time Campaign” by the state office of the National Orientation Agency, NOA and the state Ministry of Information and Orientation. The government official reminded civil servants of the need to always keep to time to enhance efficiency. “The recent decision by the state government to introduce the daily attendance register for civil servants in the state was to bring a new culture of discipline in the service and to eliminate ghost worker syndrome. Government will soon introduce an integrated digitalised clock-in and clock-out cards for all civil servants in the state for effective monitoring,” he said. While lauding NOA for the initiative, Allison-Oguru, noted that time management was key to the success of any organisation. Earlier, the state Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Mr.Markson Fefegha, said that the culture of impunity in the civil service and among youths in the state must be checked to reshape the society.

A’Ibom workers to get 50% of planned housing units

kwa Ibom State government said that about 50 per cent of its envisaged 10,000 housing units would be allocated to civil servants in the state. The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Renewal, Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, disclosed this in Uyo in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN. Enoidem said the target beneficiaries would be civil servants nearing retirement and that the houses would be given to them at the “builders’ cost.” He said beside the 500

units housing project at Idu Uruan, near Uyo and the 235 units at Ikot Ekpene, another estate of 200 units had started at Eket. “We will have housing estates of 200 units each in Abak, Ikot Abasi, Oron and another estate near the Airport,” the commissioner said. He also said that each of the estates would have well designed road network, water supply, electricity and community centres. According to the commissioner, the planned 10, 000 housing units by the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio

will be low cost houses. He added that the state government was planning to build a standard highbrow housing estate in Uyo, the state capital. Enoidem said that construction work at Idu Uruan and Ikot Ekpene housing estates was at 75 per cent level of completion. NAN reports that the housing, urban and land development sector was allocated N34.6 billion in the 2013 budget as against N64.9 billion budgeted for in 2012. The total budget size for 2013 is N470 billion as against the revised budget of N533 billion in 2012.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Friday, January 18, 2013

One dies in Dankwambo’s convoy crash •Gunmen kill Gombe lawmaker

DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

ne person died, while six others sustained injuries in an accident involving the convoy of the Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State. This is even as gunmen on Wednesday night killed the Minority Leader of the state House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulhamid Waziri Doho. Dankwambo’s convoy was involved in an accident on Gombe - Yola Road, when the driver of a pickup van lost control at a sharp bend and hit a police van in the governor’s convoy returning from a constituency tour in Shongom Local Government Area about 9:15pm on Wednesday night. The accident claimed one life while six others, who sustained various degrees of injury, were, at press time, receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Gombe. The state Mobile Police Commander, Superintendent G. S. Yaro, whose official vehicle was also involved, told journalists that none of the occupants of his vehicle was injured.

Meanwhile, close friend of the minority leader, Mallam Adamu Yakubu, who spoke with journalists shortly after the incident, said “six strange looking men arrived the residence of the lawmaker opposite Gombe State University about 8:30 pm and shot him at close range. “Three of them immediately went into the sitting room, where they met the late Waziri and rained

several shots on him, leaving him in a pool of his blood, while his married daughter that rushed to assist escaped with a gunshot wound on her left arm.” When contacted on telephone, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Fwaje Atajiri, told journalists that he was still compiling facts on the incident. However, Doctor Mishelia of the Accident and Emergency Unit of the

FMC, Gombe, where the late lawmaker was rushed for medical attention, certified Waziri dead. Governor Dankwambo, his deputy, Tha’anda Jason Rubainu, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Inuwa Garba, who all rushed to the hospital, were too devastated to speak to newsmen. The body of the deceased has been deposited at the mortuary while his daughter was receiving treatment at the FMC.

FCTA reverses self, suspends ban on minibus OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

verwhelmed by the deluge of criticisms it received following the ban on minibuses in the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Administration on Wednesday suspended the ban for three weeks. The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, made the reversal after hours of meeting with stakeholders, including officials of the

Bauchi State Governor Isa Yuguda, during the state General Sanitation on Muslim and Christian cemeteries in Bauchi, yesterday.

Minibuses Union, FCT chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress, TUC, the FCT Police Commissioner as well as the FCT Director, Department of State Security Service, SSS, in Abuja. The minister, according to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Hazat Sule, directed the setting up of a committee to be chaired by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Anthony Ozodinobi, to fine-tune the implementation of the policy. The statement reads in part: “All the stakeholders, including the FCT chapters of the NLC/TUC respectively, the police, Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIO, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, and a member of civil society organisations are being represented on the implementation committee. “Senator Mohammed insisted that there is no going back on the policy as it is for the good of all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory. “He announced that other transportation-related policies, including but not limited to car mart, car wash and illegal motor parks scattered in and around the Federal Capital City already banned will also be enforced.

Many NYSC members can’t read, write –DG Four die in JTF, terrorists’ shootout in Kano WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

he Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brigadier General Nnamdi Okore-Affia, yesterday said there were many corps members who could neither read nor write. The DG, who made the disclosure at the opening of the 2013 Batch ‘A’ Pre-Mobilisation Workshop holding in Ilorin, Kwara State, however, promised that institutions producing half-baked graduates for NYSC would henceforth be sanctioned. Okore-Affia, who painted a sordid picture of illiterate-graduates churned out by the universities and polytechnics, said this had culminated in mass rejection of corps members in their places of primary assignment. He said: “We have corps members who can hardly communicate in English Language, let alone being able to teach in the class-

rooms. The level of academic deficiency among corps members has heightened corps members’ rejection and redundancy. “This worrisome development has resulted in a situation whereby members of the public wrongly condemn the NYSC for the poor academic standard displayed by these corps members.” Okore-Affia accused some Corps Producing Institutions, CPIs, of deliberately producing more graduates than their quota thereby making records unsuitable and causing problems for the directorate. He said many of the ‘illiterate’ corps members are “graduates who ordinarily are either overaged, underwent part-time programmes or products of internally introduced unaccredited courses/programmes.” According to him, some institutions extort money from their graduates before giving out call-up letters or

include names of graduates on the master list. As a way out, the DG said the national Universities Commission, NUC, the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, would henceforth be involved to identify erring institutions for appropriate sanctions.

AGUSTINE MADU-WEST KANO

he Joint Task Force, JTF, in Kano yesterday killed suspected members of Boko Haram and arrested five others. Two civilians, who were hit by bullets, also died in the encounter. The incident was said to have happened at the JTF checkpoint on Wudil – Mai-

duguri Road, Mariri quarters about 5.30pm during a stop-and-search operation. It was gathered that the terrorists had prepared to launch an attack on JTF members, but were repelled. The residents of the area said that in an attempt to attack the security operatives the terrorists had disguised in a vehicle, while others rode on a mo-

torcycle. The JTF members, according to sources, who acted on a tip-off, launched an aggressive attack on the terrorists. The JTF spokesman, Captain Ikedichi Iweha, confirmed the incident. He said: “Our men were able to repel an attack by this terrorist group who had stormed the JTF Mariri checkpoints.

INEC ready to issue permanent voter cards –Jega HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

he National Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said the body was ready to begin the process of issuance of permanent voter cards. Jega said INEC would this year embark on the continuous voter registration and delimitation of constituencies to prepare the commission for the 2015 general elections.

He made the disclosure at a three-day workshop organised for public affairs officers with the theme: “Managing the media for successful electoral process,” at the Benue Hotels in Makurdi, in collaboration with Nan-Bizcom. The chairman, who spoke through INEC Resident Administration Secretary in Benue State, Mr. Bankole Oladapo, emphasised the importance of these projects to the

democratic process before the eventual conduct of the general elections and sought the cooperation of stakeholders. He said to accomplish these tasks, INEC was restructuring and reorganising at all levels in line with the desire of the National Assembly and the executive to improve the commission and make it one of the best electoral management bodies in the world.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, said the agency was committed to enhancing capacities of image makers in the country. She urged the participants at the workshop to take advantage of the training to acquire new skills. The workshop was attended by over 300 officers and public relations practitioners.

North

Friday, January 18, 2013

Northern govs’ peace talks will fail –Clerics AZA MSUE KADUNA

he Fellowship of Churches of Christ in Nigeria otherwise called Tarrayar Ekklisiyar Krista a Nigeria, TEKAN, yesterday said that the 19 northern governors’ peace talks aimed at ending insurgency in the region would fail, as genuine grassroots Muslim and Christian clerics were being ignored. The Northern States Governors’ Forum, NSGF, had on Monday hosted the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Bishop Mathew Kukah of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, among others, at a meeting of its Peace and Reconciliation Committee in Kaduna to proffer solution to the unrest. But 10 TEKAN member churches, the Church of

Christ in Nations, COCIN; Christian Reform Church of Nigeria, CRCN; Evangelical Reform Church of Christ, ERCC; United Methodist Church of Nigeria, UMCN; United Church in Nigeria, UCCN; Nongo Kristu Hen Sudan Hen Tiv, NKST; All Nation Christian Assembly, ANCA; Nigeria Reform Church, NRC, among others, asked the governors to stop wasting resources in bringing people who had no direct bearing on the issue of reconciliation in the region. Addressing a press conference in Kaduna, the TEKAN President, Rev. Emmanuel Dziggau, said the 25 million communicants and worshippers affected in the North were not aware of the peace meeting organised by the governors. Dziggau, who spoke through his Media Assistant, Elder Sunday Oibe,

said for lasting peace to rain in the North, leaders must bring clergies who had bearing on people in the grassroots rather than ‘progovernment’ clerics. He said: “The governors of northern states should stop wasting our resources in bringing people who have no direct bearing with the issue of reconciliation or peace in the North. “These people that they gathered together have been on their comfort zones in Sokoto and Abuja, having the federal might protecting them. How will they know about what is happening in our churches? “If they are honest and sincere and if it is not double speaking, they should involve the real stakeholders so that we can talk about peace. As I am talking to you now, a reverend of one of the TEKAN churches, Church of the Brethren,

Jerry Gana, others head varsity governing councils OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan has approved the governing boards of four federal universities, with Professor Jerry Gana being

Gana

KATSINA

wners of illegal structures, particularly mini-shops located near major streets in Katsina, the Katsina State capital, are bemoaning their fate. Many of them have complained to government officials and traditional rulers about the demolition and asked them to intervene in the matter. The shop owners said the demolition had deprived them of their means of livelihood, adding that their living conditions could nosedive if

INEC fixes Feb 2 for Kano Assembly by election AUGUSTINE MADU-WEST KANO

resh elections into the vacant seats of Gaya and Garko constituencies in the Kano State House of Assembly have been scheduled for February 2 this year. The Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the National Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, Abdullahi Danyaya, who made the announcement, explained that the steps became necessary following a notice from the speaker of Kano House of Assembly declaring the seats vacant. Danyaya disclosed that the former members representing the two constituencies, Abba Garko, PDP, and Danladi Isa Kademi, ANPP, were murdered by gunmen on November 17 and December 14 respectively. The REC said stakeholders in the election approved the date at a meet-

ing with the electoral body in Kano. He said: “We had a fruitful discussion with the stakeholders on our readiness to conduct the by-election by January 2nd, and I am happy to announce that they have given their consent.” Danyaya also disclosed that INEC required N26 million for the exercise, adding that no fewer than 196,000 voters were expected to exercise their franchise across 313 polling units in the two local government areas. He said a senior lecturer from a university had been appointed to serve as Returning Officer, adding that Youth Corps members would also be used as ad hoc staff. The REC said electoral materials for the by-election were ready, adding that sensitive materials had been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in line with the provision of the Electoral Act.

appointed as Chairman of the University of Lagos Governing Council. In a late evening statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, the President also named Prof. Anya O. Anya as chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike. The Governing Council of the University of Benin has Senator Bob Dickson Effiong as chairman, while that of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is headed by Prof. Rowland Ndoma Egba.

L-R: Chief of Kaltungo, Alhaji Sale Mohammed; Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and Speaker, House of Assembly, Hon. Inuwa Garuba, at the funeral of member of a the Assembly representing Kwami East, Alhaji Abdulhamid Doho, who was killed by gunmen in his house on Wednesday night in Gombe, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

nothing was done to address the issue. The Ministry of Environment had ordered the illegal structures and shops to be pulled down as they contributed to the defacing of the environment. Following the complaints, however, the state government has decided to relocate affected shop owners away from major streets. The government has set up a committee to look into the problems associated with the demolition and address issues raised by all concerned. Speaking with journalists on the issue yesterday, the

Commissioner for Information, Gide Batagarawa, said following the “removal of illegal structures by the Ministry of Environment, some people had raised issues of concern. “This led to the decision by the State Executive Council to approve the constitution of a committee that would present its report to government in due course.” Batagarawa said the committee would be headed by the commissioner for lands, adding that the committee would “look at problems and issues raised by all those concerned”.

Business owners cry out over demolitions in Katsina JAMES DANJUMA

was slaughtered and his wife shot, they are still in the hospital. Their house was burnt down. These are the people who should be involved in these issues. “The TEKAN churches cut across the entire NorthEast. Who represent Yobe, Maiduguri, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna and Plateau? Our concerned and worry is the recent gathering of some clergy under the office of the Peace and Reconciliation Committee put in place by the northern governors. “We have the COCIN president in Plateau State, he was not involved; the president of TEKAN churches in Nigeria was not involved. “As at today, we have over 25 million registered members and communicants in TEKAN churches and you did not involve them; you are bringing people like Sultan of Sokoto, Bishop Mathew Kukah, John Cardinal Onaikan, among others.

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SSS arrests two for extorting money through SMS INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

he State Security Service, SSS, yesterday warned Borno State residents to be wary of a syndicate using text messages to extort money from innocent people. The state SSS Director, Alhaji Ahmed Abdullahi, gave the warning while parading two suspected members of the syndicate in Maiduguri. Abdullahi explained that the syndicate usually masquerade under

the guise of being members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect to perpetrate their crime. He said: “For sometimes now, the SSS has been inundated with complaints from members of the public on threat messages aimed at extorting money. “Perpetrators, who operate in cliques, exploit the security situation in the state to intimidate their victims while masquerading as members of the sect.” The director said after a series of investigation,

the SSS apprehended two suspects, Mohammed Garba and Luka Dogonyaro, believed to be leaders of separate cliques. “Garba is a 39-year-old Babur man who grew up in Kano, he specialises in extorting money from private individuals. “Among his victims are some present and past chairmen of local government councils in the state,” he added. Abdullahi disclosed that Garba was trailed to his hideout in Kano after a series of investigations by the service.

Friday, January 18, 2013

Cape Verde has no secrets –Antunes

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

I think we are ready for the Nations Cup and I believe we will make our compatriots proud

– SOUTH AFRICA STRIKER, KATLEGO MPHELA

FIFA ranks Nigeria 6th among AFCON finalists IKENWA NNABUOGOR

Members of the Nigerian community at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, welcoming the Super Eagles to South Africa, yesterday for the Africa Cup of Nations, PHOTO: NAN

Eagles land in SA, Maigari upbeat

uper Eagles E l landed l d d in i South Africa yesterday, with President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari, declaring that Nigeria is in the country to fight for the Africa Cup of Nations’ trophy. Maigari told reporters at the Oliver R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg that nothing short of the Unity Cup that had eluded Nigeria since the country won it last in Tunisia 19 years ago, would be good enough. The NFF boss, who arrived at the airport from Nigeria just as the Eagles touched down from their Faro, Portugal camp via Paris, however added that Eagles would take no prisoners or hostages at the Cup finals. “People have been talking about the chances of the different teams. It is nothing out of the ordinary. Some persons have gone ahead to name their favourite teams for the trophy. My own favourite team for the trophy will be the Super Eagles of Nigeria. “We have come to the finals with a fine blend of

experienced and ambitious competitors; only few of them have been at the Nations Cup before. But the bulk of them have been together over the past 15 months and blended very well,” Maigari told newsmen.. Players and officials of the Super Eagles, who had been in a final training camp in Faro since December 28, and played four tune-up matches, arrived in Nelspruit yesterday evening and immediately checked into the Ingwenyama Conference and Sport Resort. The Eagles’ delegation,

which was led by b NFF Executive Committee member, Chief Felix Anyansi-Agwu, was received at the Nelspruit Airport by NFF Executive Committee member and Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee, Chief Emeka Inyama, NFF’s Director of Competitions, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, Director of Marketing Idris Adama and Store Manager Tajudeen Tiamiyu. Head of Protocol, Ibrahim Abubakar, had earlier received the Eagles at the OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg.

orld football governing body, FIFA, yesterday released its latest ranking of countries for the month of January, with Nigeria still rated 52nd globally. The Super Eagles thus retain the same position they were ranked in December as they open their AFCON campaign on Monday. Nigeria is now ranked as the 9th best team in Africa, while the Super Eagles go into the AFCON finals as the sixth best among the 16 finalists Cote d’Ivoire takes the driver’s seat as the number one soccer nation in Africa with her 14th spot global rating. The Elephants are also rated the premier team going to the SA 2013 AFCON, while Algeria is second with its 22nd ranking. Top 2013 AFCON favourite, Ghana, gained four places to catapult themselves to 26th best in the world but did not do well enough to topple surprise 25th placed Mali who maintained their previous ranking last month. Both Mali and Ghana are ranked 3rd

for Nigeria to win a third Nations Cup title in South Africa. “Leaving today for South Africa for AFCON with the squad hope to come home with the trophy,” Moses tweeted before the team’s departure on Wednesday night. He has shone for the Eagles after a tentative start to his national team’s career in Rwanda last February. He scored two goals against Liberia in a final 2013 AFCON qualifying match in October.

Finalists’ rating 1 C’d’Ivoire 2 Algeria 3 Mali 4 Ghana 5 Zambia 6 Nigeria 7 Tunisia 8 Cape Verde

9 Morocco 10 Togo 11 Angola 12 S/Africa 13 Burkina Faso 14 Niger 15 DR Congo 16 Ethiopia

Keshi explains dropping Dike

oach Stephen Keshi has explained why he left out Portland Timbers’ forward, Bright Chinedu Dike, from Nigeria’s AFCON squad. Keshi said the 25-year-old striker impressed him but he felt Dike still needed more time to fit seamlessly in international football. He described leaving out

Dike as a difficult decision, saying the ex-Indiana Invaders striker worked hard during the pre-Africa Cup of Nations camp in Faro, Portugal. “Bright like other strikers we had worked really, really hard. But I think he still needs time to play more international games. It was a difficult decision as we couldn’t take everyone with us

Keshi

to the Africa Cup of Nations. But he remains a member of this team,” Keshi told supersport. com. The former Mali and Togo coach added that Dike would have the chance to feature in future games for Nigeria’s Super Eagles. “Definitely he still has a chance to play himself into the team again. There will be (FIFA) World Cup qualifiers this year and hopefully friendly matches too. So he will have more opportunities in the team,” Keshi said.

Moses resumes training

helsea’s winger, Victor Moses, has resumed training with the Super Eagles after he suffered a knock in a warm-up game against Sparta Rotterdam. As a result of the injury, Moses missed the Eagles final AFCON warm-up game against Portuguese club, Farense. Moses is widely seen as the Eagles top star and will make his AFCON debut in South Africa. He has restated his resolve

and 4th in Africa. Nigeria’s AFCON group opponents, Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia are ranked 39th, 92nd and 110th respectively. In the continental ranking, the Chipolopolo are ranked 5th, Dalyarak Ciha 23rd while the Walya Antelopes are placed 31st. Central African Republic is the biggest country outside of the 2013 AFCON participating countries in the top ten ranking for Africa. The CAR gained a place to shoot to 8th place in Africa and 51st in the world European and World champion, Spain, continues to top the ranking followed by Germany, Argentina and Italy. The next ranking will be published by FIFA on February 14.

Sport

Friday, January 18, 2013

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Cape Verde has no secrets –Antunes

In just 24 hours, Cape Verde Islands will celebrate a major milestone in their footballing history. Tomorrow, this modest nation of barely half a million inhabitants will go up against South Africa in the opening game of the 29th Africa Cup of Nations. The setting will be Johannesburg’s Soccer City, a venue that could hold one sixth of the entire Cape Verdean population. Coach Lucio Antunes tells FIFA.com how they defied the odds to qualify for the AFCON South Africa 2013. What does football mean to Cape Verde? owadays it’s the leading sport. A decade ago, when our chances of reaching a major tournament were almost non-existent, the fans here supported countries like Nigeria, Cameroun and Côte d’Ivoire. Today, everyone from ministers of state to farmers are talking about football and our national team.

With a population of around 500, 000, Cape Verde is the smallest ever country to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations. What’s been the secret? Truth be told, there are no secrets. Our federation has been working successfully in developing players as part of the ‘Cape Verde 2008-2014’ project. This has been a global effort. As well as the work carried out by our federation, the success of the national team owes much to the development projects implemented by FIFA. Specifically, the construction of a Technical Centre in Praia and the completion of a significant number of artificial pitches have enabled the game to be much more widely practiced here. Do you see Cape Verde as a model for other countries that face difficulties in the development of their footballing infrastructure? Yes, I think Cape Verde is a good example, both in footballing terms and in

Line-up of the Cape Verdean national team. Inset: Coach Antunes

general. With limited resources our country has achieved a great deal, not just in football, but in other areas like education and health. On Saturday you’ll make your Cup of Na-

ROUND ONE FIXTURES GROUP A Match

Date

Time

Venue

Result

19-01-13