Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Jonathan signs 2013 budget into law A

GEORGE OJI, ROTIMI FADEYI AND TORDUE SALEM

Vol. 3 N0. 566

2015:

fter several months of disagreement between the executive and the legislature, President

Clinton carpets Nigerian leaders over wasteful spending P.6

Goodluck Jonathan yesterday signed the 2013 Appropriation Bill into law.

The signing of the CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

N150 OBIORA IFOH AND AZA MSUE

Buhari, Tinubu woo F PDP governors Four more parties to join APC –Shekarau

We’ll flush out Judases in our midst, says Akpabio BALLOON CRASHES IN EGYPT, KILLS 19 TOURISTS P.51

Police and rescue officials at the scene of a hot air balloon crash in Luxor, Egypt, yesterday.

Reps to probe killing of Nasarawa varsity students P.55

ormer military Head of State, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday met in Kaduna to strategise on the possible defection of some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors to the All Progressive Congress, APC. Tinubu told journalists after the closed-door meeting held at Buhari’s residence in Kaduna that stratCONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Tambuwal

Critics of Eko Atlantic project are ignorant –Fashola P.8

We won’t negotiate with Boko Haram over abduction –France Gunmen kill seven, injure three in Yobe P.2,12 N1.6bn fraud: Oyo arraigns alleged pension thieves P.9

L-R: Events and Sponsorship Manager, MTN Nigeria, Dola Bamgboye; President, Lagos Polo Club, Habeeb Fasinro and Manager, Corporate and External Affairs, Guaranty Trust Bank, Oyinade Adegbite, at the pre-tournament press conference held at the Lagos Polo Club, yesterday.

News

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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We won’t negotiate with Boko Haram over abduction –France PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

F

rance yesterday vowed it would not negotiate with the gunmen claiming to be members of Boko Haram Islamist sect and masterminds of the abduction of her nationals.

A French family of seven, comprising three adults and four children, were seized in north Cameroun near the Nigerian

border last week. Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that children were among the hostages but ruled out talks with their captors.

“We do not play this bidding game because that’s terrorism. We do not negotiate on that kind of basis and with such group,” he told RTL radio.

“We will use all (other) possible means to ensure these and other hostages are freed,” he said.

In a video posted online, the gunmen threatened to kill the captives unless authorities in Nigeria and Cameroun freed Islamist militants detained in the two countries.

The video posted online on Monday showed the hostages, including the four boys, surrounded by three gunmen wearing turbans and camouflage gear.

The kidnapping brought to 15 the number of French citizens held in central and

West Africa and highlighted the danger to French nationals and interests in the region since Paris sent troops to Mali last month to oust Islamist rebels.

The abduction was the first case of foreigners being seized in the mostly Muslim north of Cameroun, a former French colony.

But the region - with typically porous borders - is considered within the operational sphere of Boko

President Goodluck Jonathan (left) with members of the Economic Management Team during a meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Haram and fellow Nigerian Islamist militants, Ansaru.

Boko Haram, one of the al-Qaeda linked groups in the region, has killed hundreds of people in an attempt to establish an Islamist state in Nigeria.

“The principle of terrorism is the same whether you are in Somalia with the Al Shabaab, in Mali with Ansar Dine or in Nigeria with Boko Haram or Ansaru,” Le Drian said. “It’s the same system, the same methods, which threaten us here in France and so we must eradicate them.”

He said that the fighting in Mali was not close to an end and troops were facing stiff resistance from the “strongest and most organised” rebels, underscoring the risk of French and African forces becoming entangled in a messy guerrilla war.

“The president of France has launched a war on Islam and we are fighting it everywhere,” said one of the apparent kidnappers, identifying himself as a member of Boko Haram.

In Mali, French and Chadian troops are encountering strong resis-

tance from die-hard al Qaeda-linked Islamists in the mountainous north, Le Drian said.

Chadian troops launched an offensive at the weekend against fighters holed up in the Adrar des Ifoghas Mountains near the Algerian border but suffered the heaviest losses since the international offensive began last month.

Chad’s armed forces said 23 of its soldiers and about 90 rebels were killed in the fighting. French fighter jets and helicopters were forced to support the Chadian offensive.

“The most fundamentalist elements are there,” Le Drian said. “The strongest and most organised forces.

We expected resistance and we’ve had some extremely violent battles.”

Paris intervened in its former West African colony last month to stop a southward offensive by Islamist fighters who seized control of the north last April.

After quickly driving the rebels out of major urban areas, France and its African allies have focused

with General Buhari on the new APC that has come to be; looking at the various other options for a ‘one man one vote’ in the country.

“The merger will definitely work out this time around. I have been very consistent about it; it is only through strong determination and commitment and the sacrifice of the people; it is not only about us or an individual. You have a lot of speculations going on this time around, they have even chosen our presidential candidate for us and all of that, to determine all the sorts of things that we do...

“But that is the story of people who are already afraid and scared of the unity of purpose that is coming up in the country.

“In essence, we are all committed to democratic principles and values for this country, and to rescue the nation, united body, ready to rescue the nation, one mission, vision, one single commitment to alleviate the problems of the masses.”

On his part, Buhari said

that his claim that PDP merged with government agencies ahead of 2015 was factual.

He said: “If they are going to counter me, go and study the three judicial or Supreme Court judgements of 2003, 2007 and 2011 and get the hearing on NNPC pension scheme and whatever I said is factual.”

Tukur also lambasted the opposition parties, saying many of them are being run like a cult.

Speaking while some PDP governors paid him visit at the party’s headquarters in Abuja, Tukur predicted a two-party system comprising of the PDP and the APC for 2015 general elections.

He also said that the election of Chief Tony Anenih as the chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and the emergence of Governor Godswill Akpabio as the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, means that the party is now repackaged and ready for the opposition political par-

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Buhari, Tinubu woo PDP governors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

egy to woo PDP governors was in top gear.

Reliable sources at the meeting said the APC leaders were catching on the crisis rocking the PDP and had begun talks with some of the aggrieved governors.

“The meeting centred on the merger. It is part of the confidence-building process. The need to have some of the PDP governors in our fold was extensively discussed. The meeting was extremely successful,” a source at the meeting said.

National Mirror learnt that the duo agreed to personally engage some of the governors, particularly those from the North on the need to join APC. Ten opposition governors in the newly-formed APC have provided shield for the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, Rotimi Amaechi, in his face-off with President Goodluck Jonathan as part of the plot to strengthen the opposition’s camp.

The source added that some of the PDP governors

were already in talks with the leadership of APC. But the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, said the plot by the APC against the ruling party would fail in 2015.

Tukur also confirmed speculations that PDP governors had been giving him and the Presidency sleepless nights as a result of their combative attitude.

He said with the election of Governor Godswill Akpabio as the Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum and Chief Tony Anenih as chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, President Goodluck Jonathan could now sleep with his two eyes closed.

“Now I can sleep very well because I know behind, in form of leadership of PDP Governors’ Forum, they are for us. I can tell President Jonathan, if he was sleeping few hours in the night because he does not know how the party is going, he can now go and have siesta,” he said.

Anenih also described the APC as a “weak block”

that poses no threat to the dominance of the PDP in 2015 elections.

Anenih said: “The merger called APC is not a threat to PDP. We never had a strong opposition, let’s see how strong APC will be and there will be many opposition.

“If you are building a house and you find out that the block you laid yesterday is weak then you go to the same block maker to buy two or three more weak blocks to add to the one that was very weak. They remain weak; it doesn’t matter whether you are buying more blocks of the same strength, sooner or later the building will collapse,” he added.

The national leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, said the meeting was also aimed at making APC to remain strong.

Yesterday’s meeting of two major opposition leaders, which lasted for hours, was third in a series since the merger arrangement last year.

Assuring Nigerians that

the merger would work this time round, Tinubu averred that APC was not about Buhari or himself but to rescue the country from imminent collapse under PDP rule.

The former governor added that insecurity, unemployment and massive corruption would end if APC was ushered into power in 2015.

He said: “Wooing some PDP governors to APC, if that is a strategy on our part should I tell you? The fact remains that we must talk to everybody and must woo them. If Bamanga Tukur is interested, let him look through; we will invite him and talk to him.

“APC is a party to stay with, work with and to share the vision of eliminating corruption, ineptitude in governance and lack of employment for our people.

“If you are threatened by lack of security, enter an APC, if you have migraine or persistent headache, use APC. “I am here just to consult

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Midweek Interview Osita Okechukwu is the National Publicity Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP). The governorship candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 election in Enugu State tells OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU why the newly formed All Progressive Congress (APC) is the only alternative to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Excerpts: How would you describe the emergence of the All Progressives Party (ACP) from the merger talks among the major opposition parties in the country?

The emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the merger of three main opposition parties, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), is bottom-up; that is, the people of this country earnestly yearned for the progressives to come together under a national platform capable of voting out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Indeed, the clamour by the people, members and supporters of the merging parties serially questioned our inability in 2003, 2007 and 2011 general elections to unite and vote out the PDP. The merger therefore is borne out of national consensus and collective rationality, with the aim of rescuing Nigeria from the inept and despicable rule the PDP has subjected Nigerians to in the last 13 years. A rationality of revamping decayed infrastructure and dilapidated social services.

But hasn’t the ruling PDP been revamping decayed infrastructure and dilapidated social services in the past 14 years it has been in power?

If PDP had revamped our decayed infrastructure and rehabilitated our social services, the insecurity in the land and the pervasive poverty in the land would have disappeared. A cursory glance at the terms of reference released to the sub-committee on the APC manifesto is a sign-post of what to expect from an APC government come 2015.

How do you think the new party, if it eventually gets registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), would forestall the infiltration of fifth columnists, especially from the PDP, who may want to truncate the dreams of the proponents?

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the APC will be registered before long; if all that is legally required is to fulfil the provisions of Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2010. The commitment of the leadership of the merging parties is highly resounding and reassuring. Don’t forget that the failure of previous alliance exercise was a tonic for the surge which characterised the rapid consummation of the new merger. A surge in the sense that we are no longer talking of four political parties, but 10, with civil society organisations and individuals, forming the bulk of the new party.

On the issue of fifth columnists, one cannot vouch for anybody, the little one is sure of is that nobody can halt the progressives’ train. It is about leaving the station and anybody who is interested should join now, so as not to blame anybody for being denied the opportunity to be a member of the party, which ultimately is redefining the political landscape of the country.

Political analysts believe that one big hurdle before the new party is the choice of its presidential candidate in 2015. What is your take on this fear?

Political analysts are bound to speculate and they must speculate, it is one of the hallmarks of their calling, so one will not stop them from speculation. However as they say, when we get to the bridge of who becomes the presidential candidate of APC, we will decide how to cross it.

Buhari, Tinubu’s ambitions won’t hamper APC –Okechukwu would be disappointed, because that is where they hope that we would falter, we surely would disappoint them.

So much has been said about corruption in the land. With the recent Federal High Court judgement giving an option of fine of N750,000 to someone alleged to have stolen over N2 billion of Police pension fund, do you foresee any hope for Nigeria?

On corruption, the manifesto of the APC is in favour of a sustained and strident war against corruption.

We are of the view that nothing can be achieved if the sleaze and wanton looting that had characterized our political landscape continues. By the time the manifesto is finalised, it will be crystal clear that the war against corruption will be fought with zeal and political will.

How can we administer free education, create jobs, transform agriculture and improve the lives and welfare of the generality of Nigerians, if the looting continues.

We are aware that more than anything else, corruption is the bane of underdevelopment and poor performance of the PDP. Our manifesto is being modelled to avoid the pitfalls of the PDP, otherwise how do we win and sustain power if it is business as usual?

Okechukwu

The truth of the matter is that our preoccupation from now till next year is how to construct a national progressive platform, with pro-people message, capable of voting out the PDP in the next general election. The fear is not as horrible as they will want people believe.

Are you saying that the ambition of General Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and others will not truncate the merger?

If you listened to the statement of Buhari, there is an underscore of the ‘if ’ clause, ‘if I am chosen’, this shows that Buhari, as a democrat, will honour the position of the party. You will also agree that he is more concerned on how to mobilise Nigerians to halt the dangerous drift of Nigeria into a failed state. He is unequivocal as usual that if he is nominated he runs, if not, he supports whosoever is nominated. His political capital is honesty and integrity, so there is an underscore of the ‘if ’ clause, and this shows that Buhari as a democrat will honour the position of the party. If he is not chosen he is ready to support any candidate of the party, provided that the dangerous drift of Nigeria to a failed state is halted. This is an indication of jettisoning personal interest for the national public interest. I believe other leaders of the other merging parties also share the same view with General Buhari on the issue of who flies the flag of the party at election time. And I can assure you that our detractors

THERE IS AN UNDERSCORE OF THE ‘IF’ CLAUSE... BUHARI, AS A DEMOCRAT, WILL HONOUR THE POSITION OF THE PARTY...

HE IS MORE CONCERNED ON HOW TO MOBILISE

NIGERIANS

TO HALT THE DANGEROUS DRIFT OF

NIGERIA INTO A

FAILED STATE

What do you think is the way out of the quagmire that corruption has put the country in?

In my candid opinion, the only way out of the corruption matrix is regime change. Nigeria cannot advance under one-party state. History of liberal democracies is that of two dominant political parties, where the electorate chose whichever one they prefer, not one-party state which aims to rule for 60 years whether it performs or not.

In your opinion, do you think the local governments in Nigeria deserve to be autonomous?

The constitution and manifesto of the APC will advance and motive the rural areas. To achieve this, we shall support the autonomy of the local government councils. Indeed, we support the devolution of power. The autonomy of the local government councils will expand the democratic frontiers, take back power to the people and hence development of the rural areas.

What is your assessment of the Goodluck Jonathan administration and the National Assembly?

One finds it difficult to assess the National Assembly and even the Jonathan administration; for if they are performing, the insecurity in the land won’t be there, the gross unemployment won’t be there and the pervasive poverty won’t be there and there wouldn’t have been need for the emergence of the APC. The London-based Economist magazine’s Intelligence Unit recently rated Nigeria as the worst place to be born in 2013. Some patriots have debunked such assessment, some have kicked against it and few of us reflect on it, but none has defended the assertion with superior argument, all that had been done was splashing of sentimental mud on the organisation.

The truth of the matter is that President Jonathan inherited the inchoate economic policy of his party; that government has no business in business. The over-dependence of the party on the private sector in the midst of unprecedented oil revenue is a paradox, which messed up the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration. Chief Obasanjo depended on the captains of industry, 98 per cent of which has no industry. They paraded the foreign exchange market with their briefcases chasing the petrol-dollar. This is why Jonathan is wasting billions on the importation of petroleum products; instead of building new refineries.

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Photo News

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

L-R: Convener of Save Nigeria Group, Pastor Tunde Bakare; Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Onyekachi Ubani; author of the book, Malam Nasir El Rufai; Publisher and Executive Chairman, Safari Books Ltd, Chief Joop Berkhout and Regional Head, South, ASO Savings and Loans Plc, Mr. Ifeanyi Ozoh, at the launch of The Accidental Public Servant in Lagos, yesterday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Chairman of Forte Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola; Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede and Chairman, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote during the Economic Management Team meeting in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

L-R: Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqqayatu Ru’fai; wife of the Vice President, Hajia Amina Sambo; wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan and wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Helen Mark, at the graduation ceremony of Aruera Reachout Foundation in Abuja, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Director General, Office of Economic Development and Partnership, Osun State, Dr, Charles Akinola; Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Chief Executive Officer of Alleghery Country, Mr. Rich Fitzgerald, during the presentation of Tablet of Knowledge, Opon Imo, to Chief Executive Officer of Alleghery Country at the Harvard University, United States, yesterday.

National news

‘Newswatch sustained losses for years before rescue’ KAYODE KETEFE

A

Federal High Court sitting in Lagos was told yesterday how Newswatch Communications Limited, NCL, publisher of Newswatch magazine, had sustained losses for four years before being rescued by a new investor, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, OFR. This was revealed at the continuation of the hearing of the substantive suit instituted by two persons, Nuhu Wada Aruda and Prof. Jibril Aminu, claiming to be former directors of the company.

Aruda and Aminu, who claimed to be representing minority shareholders of the company, had filed the substantive petition accusing the new management team led by Dr. Ibrahim of assuming control of the company “illegally” even though they admitted that there was a Share Purchase Agreement, which transferred the majority of the shareholding to Ibrahim.

The petitioners were, therefore, praying the court

to quash the powers of the current management of the company elected by majority of the shareholders.

In their petition No. FHC/L/CP/1367/2012 brought pursuant to sections 310 (a), (b) and (c) and 311 (1), (2) (a) and (b) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, the applicants also prayed the court to, among others, set aside the Share Purchase Agreement on the basis of which Dr. Ibrahim assumed majority shareholding in the company.

Joined as respondents in the matter are; Newswatch Communications Ltd and Global Media Media Mirror Ltd. At yesterday’s proceedings, one of the petitioners, Aruda, while being crossexamined by the respondents’ lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, had insisted that the NCL was not under financial distress at the time it was acquired by the new investors in May 2011.

Aruda further claimed that the invitation of new investors by Newswatch was dictated by the need for expansion.

However, Ayorinde applied to the court that the accounting documents earlier filed in the case should be given to Aruda and that he should read out the portions summarising the financial position of the company at the end of the year 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Aruda then read out the information to the effect that Newswatch Communications Ltd had sustained losses for the said years.

Specifically, he said the company sustained losses of N36 million in 2007, N20 million in 2008 and N93 million in 2009.

Ayorinde then put a poser to the witness: “Are you still saying that in spite of all these serial losses the company was not in financial trouble at that time?

Will you for instance say a loss of N93 million in a year is not big?”

Aruda then said “I think it is big” Earlier, Ayorinde had tendered as exhibits, four old copies of the Newswatch magazine comprising the editions of January 15, 2007, April 3, 2009, April

19, 2010 and December 2011 which were all accepted as exhibits after the court had overruled the objections of the petitioners’ lawyer, Mr. Adekunle Oyesanya, SAN. Ayorinde also asked Aruda who claimed to be one of the former directors of the company to point to any page in the four editions, where his name was featured in the list of directors.

Aruda looked through all the four editions and sighed, saying he could not find any place where his name was listed among the directors.

After Aruda’s testimony, another witness who used to be a former director of

the company, Mr. Ray Ekpu, was called by the petitioners.

Ekpu adopted his witness statement on oath and was briefly cross-examined

by Ayorinde. His cross-examination would continue today.

Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, revealed to the whole court that after the proceedings of February 12, 2013, an unknown person came to deposit two copies of Newswatch magazine to his secretary as complimentary copies.

The judge, who was visibly angry over the development, said such things could make right-thinking

members of the public to doubt the integrity of the judge to objectively adjudicate the matter.

He warned all the parties to desist from any such action.

In his reaction, Ayorinde said the unsolicited presentation could have come from any quarters.

The judge asked the two counsel if they wanted him to continue handling the matter or that he should send the file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another judge.

Both Ayorinde and Oyesanya said they had confidence in the judge to adjudicate the case without any bias.

Kidnapped expatriates regain freedom in Bayelsa EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

T

he six expatriates abducted by gunmen along the coast of Koluama, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have regained their freedom at Azuzuama community.

The expatriates were

kidnapped on January 17 on board a vessel, Armadah Tuah 101, belonging to Century Group of Companies, a marine and oil servicing firm based in Lagos.

The 15-man crew was on board the vessel when the gunmen struck.

Investigations showed that the foreign oil workers, two Indians, one Russian

and three Ukranians, were released on Monday after the leader of the kidnappers, known as Ngopi, allegedly collected a ransom of N1 million.

Ngopi reportedly said that the N1 million was the expenses incurred on the upkeep of the expatriates while being held hostage.

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News

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Jonathan signs 2013 budget into law CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

N4.987trn budget followed consultations and an agreement between the Presidency and the National Assembly.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said that part of the understanding reached with the leadership of the National Assembly was that the observations made by the executive about the bill as passed by the lawmakers would be given further consideration through legislative action to ensure effective and smooth implementation of the budget.

Although the statement was silent on the actual budget figure the President signed into law, the National Assembly had on December 20 last year passed a budget of N4.987trn into law. President Jonathan had presented a total of N4.92trn and reassured Nigerians that the consultations with the National Assembly had been in the best interest of the country and in the pursuit of understanding and mutual cooperation between both arms of government.

The President said the present administration remained committed to the positive transformation of the country and effective and efficient service delivery for the benefit of citizens.

Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of the Federal

Government were also directed to work hard to ensure that all the services, projects and programmes contained in the budget were successfully delivered on schedule in spite of the slight delay in its enactment.

Earlier, journalists were invited to witness the signing of the budget but were later told that it was a closed-door session and that an official statement would be issued later.

But moments after journalists were excused out of the President’s office, Senate President David Mark and House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, came out together and left the Presidential Villa in a jeep that brought them without speaking to journalists about what happened at the signing ceremony.

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Director-General, Budget Office, Bright Okongu and Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Joy Emordi also did not make any comment on the budget.

Emordi, who responded to journalists’ questions, said Abati would be the best person to speak on the matter.

The Senate had earlier in the day refuted the claim that the National Assembly planned to veto President Jonathan over his refusal to sign the budget proposal into law.

We won’t negotiate with Boko Haram over abduction –France CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

on the remote northeast desert and mountains – an area the size of France that includes networks of caves, passes and porous borders.

Asked about the timing for pulling out the 4,000 French troops, Le Drian said it was hard to give a precise timetable, stressing that it would take a “certain amount of time” to secure the north-east completely.

“The intervention was very fast and enabled the entire territory to be liberated in 45 days. What’s left is the hardest part,” he said.

“It’s pretty much meter by meter, in a vast territory, but that’s where these groups are hiding out.

“If things evolve normally, we could begin leaving before the end of March. As soon as this operation is over, then we will begin the withdrawal,” Le Drian said.

Rebels have staged bombings and raids mainly targeting Mali’s poorly trained and equipped army in northern cities.

The minister said Paris had already spent “a little more than 100 million euros ($132 million)” on the operation.

Former Managing Director, Intercontinental Bank Plc, Dr. Erastus Akingbola (middle) with officials of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission during his re-arraignment at Ikeja High Court yesterday.

PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

Buhari, Tinubu woo PDP governors CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

ties in the 2015 elections.

Tukur said that with the plans by the opposition political parties to merge into APC, Nigeria is gradually drifting into a two-party system that would contest the 2015 general elections.

Speaking on the implication of the emergence of Anenih as PDP BoT Chairman and Akpabio as the chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum, Tukur said: “It then means that the PDP is a repackaged political party to really face all the challenges ahead of the party as the 2015 draws nearer.

“With a repackaged PDP as you can now see, the implication is that it will enable us mobilising our members ahead of the 2015 general elections and face elections and win.

“Most of the people in APC now are original members of the PDP and I can assure that we have commenced talks to bring them back to where they originally belong, which is the PDP. They are coming back, because some of them have told me that their aspirations may not be met in the APC because of the burning ambitions of some individual members.

“They don’t want a party that is being run like a cult.

They are gradually commencing a return to the PDP, because the PDP is the only national party in Nigeria. Three of us (Tukur, Akpabio and Anenih) will

put our heads together and make PDP move ahead and remain formidable to face the opposition party called the APC.” Also, Akpabio declared that the party will soon commence the cleansing of Judases in the party who are working against its interest.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the national leadership of the PDP, Governor Akpabio attributed the internal crisis in the party to parochial interests and the huge size of the followership of the party.

He advised those who have been working against the interest of the party to retrace their steps as the fresh internal cleansing that will soon commence in the party will see then out of the party.

“His words: You know we are having challenges but the challenges for me, with what we have started now, has always been a function of PDP. What you saw was an explosion.

What has happened to PDP is because of self explosion.

“When there is an explosion, where there is treachery, where there is more Judases than you have disciples, we want to have good disciples. We know that even in Christendom when Jesus Christ has 12 disciples there was one Judas, but if the Judas were up to nine then Jesus could have been in trouble, the gospel would have been in

trouble today.

“What the PDP is trying to do now is to cleanse its house, to try to identify the ones they called Judas and whisper it to them and said go out, the train is moving and you cannot stand otherwise we will crush you.”

Meanwhile, former Kano State Governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who is the leader of the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, merger committee, yesterday disclosed that four more political parties have indicated interest to join APC. Shekarau, who presented the progress report to the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party said beyond the four parties that are being mentioned in the merger, “the committee is in receipt of four other parties that have written to express their interest to be part of the process.”

Speaking while receiving the interim progress report of the Re-building and Interparty Contact Committee yesterday at the party headquarters in Abuja, National Chairman of the ANPP, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu said the APC will clearly show that there is a difference between the ruling party and the progressive coalition party.

He said by the time the manifesto and logo of APC is released, it will be clear the difference between the new party and the PDP is a clear as daylight and dark-

ness.

“When the 2015 contest comes it will be between the conservatives and the progressives and when the people makes their views known it will be clear which of the two they prefer,” he said.

He said ANPP is very committed to ensuring that all major opposition parties come together to work together.

According to Onu, although some people have said that the merger may not succeed like past ones, what we all know that what we are doing presently had never been done before.

Onu said this is the first time parties who have many things in common are coming together to challenge the party in power.

He said the merging parties have identical ideological leanings and that contrary to critics views that the merger will not succeed because it is a marriage of strange bed fellows, the merger will succeed.

Onu assured Nigerians that once the APC is registered that the party will not disappoint them, adding the party will protect the interest of the ordinary man.

“We will put the interest of ordinary Nigerians in the affairs of governance because this is what has been causing problem in the country’s governance,” he said.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Clinton carpets Nigerian leaders for wasting resources FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

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nited States former President Bill Clinton yesterday blamed Nigerian leaders for squandering the country’s resources.

Adding that money realised from oil had been mismanaged.

Clinton, who spoke at the 18th Annual ThisDay Award for Teachers in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, noted that the country could have invested her earnings from oil in other entrepreneurial endeavours rather than squandering it.

The former US president said that Nigeria would be one of the greatest 10 countries of the world only if her leaders could effectively manage her natural resources well in a way that would reduce poverty across the land.

He noted that the future of Africa depended on Nigeria and South Africa, but regret-

• Says poverty fuels religious violence ted that Nigeria had not done well with her oil money.

“When I became president, my Secretary of Commerce did a lot of work in Africa before he was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1995 and I said he should make the list of the 10 most important countries in the world for the 21st century and Nigeria was in the list.

“Imagine the future of the entire continent if Nigeria fails or South Africa fails. So, you are a country of potential,” he said.

Clinton lamented the apparent inability of the country’s leaders to harness the opportunities available for Nigeria to become great.

“I would say you have about three big challenges.

First of all, like 90 per cent of the countries who have one big resource, you haven’t done well with your oil mon-

Maina: Court grants Mark, IGP time to respond to motion EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

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Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday granted two separate applications brought by the Senate President, David Mark, and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, on the case instituted by the Pension Reform Task Team, PRTT, Chairman, Abdulrasheed Maina.

The motions sought an extension of time within which to file counteraffidavits and other processes in opposition to the motion on notice filed by Maina.

The PRTT chairman, through his counsel, M. A. Magaji (SAN), seeks to enforce his fundamental human rights against possible arrest by the police, in compliance with a February 2 warrant of arrest issued by the Senate.

When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, counsel to Mark, Mr. Ken C. Ikonne, and that of Abubakar, Rachael Ohabo, informed the court of their intentions to move their respective applications for extension of time, to enable them file processes in reply to the subsisting motion on notice.

They urged the court to

deem the motions as properly filed and served.

Based on the “no objection” response from Magaji, the presiding judge, Justice Adamu Bello, granted the applications and accordingly adjourned the matter to March 5 “for adoption of all addresses”.

An earlier attempt by Maina to stop the police from arresting him failed, as the court on February 15 dismissed an ex parte application on the grounds that the plaintiff ’s counsel granted an interview to the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, a day before the motion was heard, thereby robbing the court of its discretion to grant the prayers contained therein.

Refusing another application for maintenance of status quo on February 18, Bello held that the court was “functus officio,” stressing that granting the prayer will see him sit on appeal over his own decision.

Bello added that his earlier ruling could only be upturned by the Court of Appeal.

He said: “The very point which has not been contradicted is that this court on February 15 refused to grant an ex parte application brought by applicant’s counsel.”

ey. You should have reinvested it in different ways; now you are at least not wasting the natural gas, you are developing it in pipelines. You don’t do a better job of managing natural resources.”

He advised policy makers in Nigeria to ensure that they bring economic opportunities to those who did not have so as to reduce poverty in the country.

Emphasising that the revolution witnessed in the telecommunication industry has not been able to reduce poverty and illiteracy, Clinton urged governments at all levels in Nigeria to empower citizens with education and the needed capital so that they could make a success of their individual lives.

He also charged Nigerian leaders to harness the “staggering” intellectual and organisational ability in the country which her citizens exhibit in every country of world where they are immigrants and to bring such to

bear at home in order that the country could realise her potential for greatness.

“One of the people on my trip with me today who unfortunately could not come up here because he had to go visit his family is a young Nigerian-American named Nnamdi. He is an all proquarter back footballer for the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s a wonderful man; he does great work in America for poor kids in Arkansas City and he became a friend of mine.

“His parents have PhDs, his sister has a PhD; he often says ‘I’m the failure in my family and I only have a university degree and I play football.’ My point is: there are Nigerians who are like this all over the world.

“What you have to figure out is how to keep those people in Nigeria and how to ensure their success leads on into the rest of the country,” he said.

Clinton also said that the

country must evolve a national policy that would make local governments tackle poverty at the grassroots.

“Prosperity is heavily concentrated in and around urban areas. So, you have all these political problems and now violence problems, religious differences and all the rhetoric of Boko Haram, but the truth is the poverty rate in the North is three times greater than what it is in the Lagos area. And to deal with that, you have to have both powerful stake in the local governments and a national policy that work together,” the former American president added.

Clinton also said that the country must do more to alleviate the extreme poverty in the North to halt the wave of bombings, shootings and kidnappings by Islamic extremists.

He said that poverty remained the main driver for the attacks and needed to be addressed by strong local and

Federal Government programmes.

“You have to somehow bring economic opportunity to the people who don’t have it. You have all these political problems — and now violence problems — that appear to be rooted in religious differences and the all the rhetoric of the Boko Haram and others, but the truth is the poverty rate in the North is three times of what it is in Lagos,” he said.

Clinton advised that Nigeria must not take a “divide the pie” approach toward attacking poverty. “That appeared to be a subtle reference to the endemic corruption that envelopes government and private industry in the country. It’s a losing strategy, the former president said.

“You have to figure out a way to have a strategy that will have share prosperity.”

He advised Nigerian leaders to pay more attention to agriculture and education of her citizens to be able to actualise her potential on the African continent.

Gridlock on Olusegun Obasanjo Way by Wuse Zone 7 owing to road rehabilitation in parts of Abuja metropolis, yesterday.

LPPC strips Aribisala of SANship, privileges EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

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he Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee, LPPC, has suspended Chief Ajibola Aribisalaa from the prestigious rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Aloma Mukhtar, is the chairman of LPPC. The National Judicial Council, NJC, under her chairmanship at an emergency meeting held on February 20, suspended two judges of the High Court for engaging in acts

of “professional misconduct.”

They are Justice Charles Archibong of the Federal High Court, Lagos, and Justice Thomas Naron of the Plateau State judiciary.

The NJC recommendation for Archibong’s compulsory retirement has since been endorsed

by President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of LPPC, Sunday Olorundahunsi, Aribisalaa was said to have been suspended following the consideration

of a petition by Fidelity Bank of Nigeria Plc. The suspended silk is also prohibited from enjoying all privileges accruing thereto, pending the determination of a suit he instituted against the Sub-Committee set up by the LPPC to investigate the allegations against him by the bank.

The statement announcing Aribisala’s suspension reads in part: “The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee at its meeting held today the 26th day of February 2013, considered the petition by Fidelity Bank against the person of

Chief Ajibola A. Aribisala (SAN) together with his response to same and after due consideration of the said response has decided in its wisdom to suspend him (i.e. Chief Ajibola A. Aribisala) from the use of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and all other privileges attached to that rank pending the outcome of the court case impeding investigation by the Sub-Committee set up by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee.”

The first casualty of the purification in the judiciary is Archibong, who was sacked on February 25.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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ICPC to clamp down on illegal varsities nationwide TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

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roprietors of illegal tertiary institutions and others running satellite campuses in defiance of the National Universities Commission, NUC’s policy directive on the issue may soon face the full wrath of the law.

To this end, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, yesterday unveiled plans to begin investigations and subsequently prosecute any of them involved in flagrant

violation of the policy directive.

Giving the hint at a media briefing on the Report of the University Systems Study and Review which was established by the commission in collaboration with the NUC a few months ago, ICPC Chairman, Barrister Ekpo Nta, said the planned investigations of illegal institutions and other universities over their failure to comply with the NUC policy guidelines would help in tackling some of the rot in the country’s university system.

Ekpo, who disclosed that the commission would also come up with appropriate actions on sexual harassment menace in tertiary institutions, which was the worst among the abuses identified by the Study Team’s report in order to protect the integrity of young Nigerians, particularly female students, who remained the primary victims of sexual harassment, from predatory advances of lecturers.

The chairman explained that the findings of the Study Team confirmed farreaching corrupt practices

that range from contract inflation, examination malpractices, inadequate facilities to meet teaching needs, non-compliance with admission policy guidelines, commercialisation of lecture notes by lecturers, racketeering of hostel allocations and many other vices.

His words: “Let’s look at corrupt practices under the heading ‘Teaching and Learning Services and Facilities.’ The main problem identified by the Study Team include, noncompletion of teaching by lecturers, non-adherence

to student-lecturer ratio which is also over-crowding of classes.

“I am sure that you know that in some universities, you have students standing outside the lecture rooms and inside, continued defiance by institutions of the ban on satellites programmes and campuses by NUC. “Every month if you check the NUC website and the NUC newsletter, you will find a list of illegal universities that are still operating and you have people being warned against those kind of universities.

“From this year we are going to go beyond what they are used to. We are going to begin to invite the proprietors of such institutions to come and explain certain things here and if we are not satisfied, we intend to prosecute such cash-factories.

I called them cash factories because the young men and women who go to such institutions and spend two, three, four years and at the end of the day, they come up with unusable qualifications which cannot be matched with anything”, Ekpo added.

Ondo election marred with You’ve mismanaged our economy –Fashola tells PDP irregularities –Akeredolu OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

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he Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, governorship candidate in the October 20 gubernatorial election, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday told the Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal that the poll in the state was marred by irregularities.

Akeredolu, who appeared as a witness in his case, pointed out exhibits P52A, P1H12, P16G12 which included the voters’ register, tried to persuade the tribunal that the election was fraudulent. He said the irregularities discovered were perpetrated in all the units in the state.

He added that the tribunal must and could only understand his case by going through the exhibits and relate them with the findings of the experts,

noting that both must be connected since his case was clear.

The former Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, President, alleged that there were cases of double registration, where voters appeared twice with different VIN number, citing the example of one Abdulai Idris, who appeared two times on the voters register with different VIN numbers.

Akeredolu said there were people who were marked to have voted but who were invalid registrants whose thumbprints were not captured.

The lawyer, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Oluwole Aina, said his claims before the tribunal were as contained in his petition.

He said his agents were chased from most of the polling units, adding that the ACN only had few agents in few polling units.

MURITALA AYINLA

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agos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday berated the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led Federal Government for failing to manage the nation’s economy.

Speaking while marking his 2, 100 days in office held at the LTV8 Blue Roof house, Governor Fashola said his administration’s performance has revealed the inefficiency of the party at the centre despite their criticisms.

His words: “Especially in the way that our national economy has been mismanaged by their party they have the temerity to accuse us of fraudulently reporting performance.”

The governor, who reeled out areas the Federal Government had faltered said; “The first is how over N2 trillion of our national budget of about N4 trillion

N1.8bn scam: EFCC rearraigns Morah, Wagbatsoma, others KENNY ODUNUKAN

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he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday re-arraigned two other sets of defendants for fuel subsidy scam involving about N1.8billion.

In the first set of arraignment before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of the Ikeja High Court, three oil marketers, Emmanuel Morah and George Ogbonna, Adamu

Aliyu Muhammed, were charged with over N1.5 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

The marketers were rearraigned alongside their firms - Downstream Oil and Gas Limited and Rocky Energy Limited before Justice Okunnu on an eight-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and uttering.

The defendants had earlier been arraigned on October 5, 2012, before Justice Habeeb Abiru, who has now

been elevated to the Court of Appeal.

EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, informed the court of the development and asked the court to order defendants to re-take their pleas.

Jacobs alleged that the defendants had between March 2011 and January 2012 in Lagos, fraudulently obtained the sum of N1.5 billion from the Federal Government through forgery of bills of lading and other documents to facilitate the fraud.

in 2011 ended up being enmeshed in the most monumental fraud of fuel subsidy that has ever been recorded.

Over 50 percent of a country’s budget enmeshed in fraud and yet there are no answers.

“It is understandable that our success will embarrass their party. We implemented 89 percent of a budget that had 53 percent capital content and 47

percent recurrent content and they have been unable at the national level, where their party is in control, to implement a budget that has over 70 percent recurrent provision.”

Fashola, who alerted the residents of the state of the impending raining season, assured that the state government has started work in cleaning existing drains, accelerating the completion

of those under construction, even as new drainage channels were being constructed.

“All the tankers and trailer drivers had turned the newly constructed roads into parking space, so we had to stop and re-access the road but I am happy to inform you that before the end of the first quarter, we will resume our rehabilitation work on in Apapa.

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Alaafin writes Kwara govt, urges end to Offa/Erin-Ile crisis KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

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he Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi, has called on the people of Offa and Erin-Ile in Kwara State to stop the perennial boundary dispute between them with the attendant loss of lives and property.

In a letter he sent to the Kwara State Government yesterday, Oba Adeyemi regretted the wanton destruction of lives and property by the two neighbouring

communities, adding that after many years of being together, it was painful that the people could still resort to the use of arms and ammunition to settle their differences.

The letter reads in part: “The recent boundary dispute between Offa and ErinIle in Kwara State might have come and gone, but the sour taste it puts on our mouth will remain bitter for a long time.

“To me in particular as the Alaafin, the pains are too burning to heal soon. This is

more so, when I remember the loss of lives and property suffered by both parties in the dispute.

“The pains even become more agonising when viewed against the backdrop of the fraternal kinship between them as with other Yoruba communities.

“It is on a very sad note that I recall the series of fratricidal and internecine wars that ravaged the Yoruba land towards the end of 19th century. The ravages so encountered at the time made my illustrious great prede-

cessor and grandfather, Oba Alowolodu Adeyemi 1, to specifically invite the British for intervention and adjudication in the disputes across the land.”

Commending the prompt response by the Kwara State Government to resolve the crisis, the monarch said he would be ready to intervene in the matter if invited to bring a lasting solution to it.

He urged the state government to be dispassionate and impartial in treating the matter with the utmost urgency it deserved.

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Osun reviews workers’ car loan by 75% ADEOLU ADEYEMO OSOGBO

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he Osun State Commissioner for Finance, Economic Planning and Budget, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, yesterday said that the state government has approved an upward review of 75 per cent car loan for workers.

Dr. Bolorunduro, who made this known in a statement made available to journalists in Osogbo, the state capital, stated that the gesture was an affirmation of the government’s commitment to the welfare of the workers and recognition of the major role they have been playing in the development of the state.

The statement reads: “The upswing affected workers

from Grade Level 1 to 17. Workers who were entitled to N100, 000 can now take up to N170, 000 and those on N200, 000 hitherto will now have N350, 000 pegged to their names.

“Grade Level 17 workers’ car refurbishing loan entitlements is up by N250,000 to N750,000 from the initial half a million naira. The loan is to be paid back in 60 generous installments spanning five years.

“The upward review of the car loan was in recognition of the central role the workers have to play in achieving the administration’s main goals and an upsurge of up to 75 per cent in car refurbishing loan has been approved for Osun workers by the administration of Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola.”

Ekiti more committed to war against polio –Govt

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L-R: Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola; Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Oluranti Adebule; Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Lagos State, Chief Henry Ajomale; former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Prince Abiodun Ogunleye and Asoju Oba of Lagos, Chief Molade Okoye-Thomas, at the ceremony to mark Fashola’s 2,100 days in office in Lagos, yesterday.

he Ekiti State Government has appealed to caretaker chairmen in the 16 local government areas, faith-based organisations and traditional rulers to support its effort to eradicate polio virus in the state.

The state Deputy Governor, Mrs Funmi Olayinka, spoke yesterday when members of the State Task Force on Polio Eradication and Routine Immunisation visited her.

She said the government was more committed than before to ensure that the people are healthy so as to contribute their quota to the

development of the state.

Mrs. Olayinka said major stakeholders in the health sector had been given a marching order towards the realisation of the government’s agenda as it concerns primary healthcare delivery.

The deputy governor told the task force that the local government areas had been told to support effort to eradicate polio from the state.

She added that specific instructions had been given to concern individuals to participate fully in all activities aimed at assisting all agencies that are involved in the fight against polio.

Eko Atlantic project critics are ignorant –Fashola MURITALA AYINLA

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agos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday lambasted the critics accusing him of using former United States President Bill Clinton to propagate his infrastructural renewal programme, saying they are ignorant of global developments.

Fashola also flayed the Federal Government’s on-going good governance tour, describing it as ill-conceived.

The governor spoke at a ceremony marking his 2,100 days in office at the LTV8 Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Ikeja.

He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing him of using the former US president to gain cheap propaganda is naïve of the climate change initiative of the 42nd US president.

Fashola said: “That party seems never to be ashamed to roll in the mud. The party has demonstrated a lot of ama-

teurism and it is that amateurisms that is on display. If the party is following development, it will know that Clinton, immediately he left office, launched a climate initiative to help provide support for environmental sustainability such as waste management, ocean surge and so on and so forth.

“The Eko Atlantic Project is one of the projects that won award in 2009 in New York.

But because Clinton’s initiative is serious and the visit was a confirmation that Clinton was in touch with global projects across the world.”

Condemning the good governance tour, Fashola said the nationwide tour was an attempt by the Federal Government to appear busy, saying the Federal Government controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not point to a 100 kilometer road that connects two states in the country.

“The PDP has embarked on

an ill- conceived good governance tour in Lagos because it has no project to inspect. The question to ask is whether Nigerians need a tour to know good governance to know that they are well governed?

“We do not need good governance tour in Lagos before citizens know that their lives are improving. Completed projects such as the Ibeshe Road in Ikorodu, the mother and child care centre in Amuwo Odofin and Alimosho, the completed school of nursing are examples of good governance. The progressing road projects from Mile 12 to Ikorodu, Yaya Abatan/ College Road, Okota Ago Palace way, Ejigbo Ajao Link Bridge and road network are examples of good governance.”

Fashola, who also justified Ijora eviction of slum residents for the construction 1,008 flats, said his administration has nothing against the poor and the downtrodden, but passionate about improving their lives.

This Day in African American History

February 27: On this day in 1872—First Black Woman Lawyer, Charlotte Ray Graduates from Howard University!

Charlotte E. Ray graduated from Howard Law School on February 27, 1872, becoming not only the first female AfricanAmerican lawyer in the United States but also the first practicing female lawyer in Washington, D.C. Ray was born in 1850 in New York City, where her father worked as a minister and was a prominent abolitionist.

She attended the Institution for the Education of Colored Youth in Washington, D.C., one of the few educational institutions in the country that educated African-American girls.

In 1869, Ray began teaching at Howard University, which was established in 1867 to educate emancipated slaves and their decedents. During her first year of teaching, Ray was accepted into the Howard School of Law, where she applied under the name “C.E. Ray” because the university was reluctant to admit women to its law program.

Upon graduating in 1872, Ray opened

a law practice, specializing in commercial law. However, Ray was unable to maintain her practice due to race and gender discrimination. She returned to New York in 1879 where she worked as a teacher in Brooklyn. She was active in the women’s suffrage movement until her death at age 60.

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South West

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Queens College PTA fails to settle rift, opts for trial WALE IGBINTADE

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L-R: Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Emeritus Prof. Akintunde Osuntokun; guest lecturer/ visitor to the university, Governor Kayode Fayemi; and Vice Chancellor, EKSU, Prof. Patrick Aina, during a public lecture titled, “Reflection on Values and the Building of Successor Generation in Nigeria” in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Fayemi’s N5m donation tears Anglican bishop, cleric apart

ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

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fresh crisis is brewing in the Ekiti-West Diocese of the Anglican Communion as a N5 million donation by the Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to Saint Paul’s Millennium Anglican Church, Odo-Owa Ekiti, is tearing the diocese apart.

Reports said some worshippers and members of Saint Paul’s Millennium Anglican Church, Odo Owa Ekiti, on Sunday, sealed off the church premises following protests by some members over the demotion of the Vicar-in-Charge, Rev. Mike Ogunniyi, from the position of archdeacon to a canon.

The members said the Bishop of Ekiti-West Anglican Diocese, Bishop Oludare Oke, was wrong to have taken such action over what they termed “a right decision by the vicar to ensure the growth and development of the church.”

Trouble started when the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, donated N5 million to the church for the promotion of evangelism in the church. The donation was made last month during the burial ceremony of the former Primate of the Anglican Communion, The Most Revd. Abiodun Adetiloye.

While the bishop believed that the money belonged to the entire diocese and should be kept in a fixed deposit account for future use,

the vicar-in-charge said the money was donated to the local church for its development.

Following the tension created by the action in Odo Owa community in the Ijero Local Government Area, the monarch of the community was compelled to intervene to restore peace in the church and town.

The bishop was said to have wielded the big stick against his subordinate over alleged “insubordination, indiscipline and failure to carry him along in the spending of the donation.”

Sources said that the bishop gave an order that the donation should be kept in a special fixed account, saying it was an endowment fund and not a gift to the Odo-Owa

church alone.

But some church members disagreed with the position of the bishop when Rev. Ogunniyi disclosed the bishop’s position on the donation and insisted that the money should be used to purchase a new bus for evangelism and for renovation of the church.

According to sources, the archdeacon, having got the support of the church members, bought a new bus at the cost of N3 million, while N1 million was used to renovate the church and the remaining N1 million was kept in the church account.

Dissatisfied with the way the archdeacon defied his order, the bishop decided to demote him as a mark of punishment.

N1.6bn fraud: Oyo arraigns alleged pension thieves

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o fewer than 10 thieves, who allegedly defrauded the Oyo State Local Government Pension Board of the sum of N1.6 billion, were yesterday arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court 4 in Iyaganku, Ibadan.

Arraigned before Mrs. Tijani Durosaro, the alleged pension fraudsters were charged on a nine-count charge of conspiracy to steal, abuse of office and stealing of Local Government Staff Pension Fund to the tune of N1, 590, 783, 671.47k.

They include Hakeem Muili, Alhaja Iyabo Giwa, Adeduntan Johnson, Oguntayo Banji, Adesina Jimoh, Johnson Bosede, Adebiyi Olasumbo, Kareem Rasheed,

Muili Adedamola and Salewa Adedeji.

They were all arraigned under charge No: Mi/238C/2013 in Commissioner of Police Versus the 10 accused.

After hearing their pleas, all the alleged scammers were ordered by Mrs. Durosaro to be remanded in Agodi prison custody for their inability to perfect their bail conditions.

All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the three count charge.

The prosecution team was led by the Attorney-General of Oyo State, Ojo Adebayo, who led Mr. Ademola Ojekunle and Miss Olumide Ojo, both senior legal officers of the Ministry of Justice in

the state.

Yinka Okunade appeared for the accused persons except the second accused, who was represented by O. Makinde.

On the application of the defence counsel, each of the accused persons was admitted to bail in the sum of N2, 000, 000.00 with two sureties in like sum.

According to the magistrate, each surety is to have a certificate of local government origin, or a Certificate of Occupancy, C-of-O, in respect of a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, or an account with any of the reputable banks in Oyo State, or a certificate of business registration.

The matter was thereafter adjourned to March 19, 2013 for trial.

In August last year, the Oyo State government had discovered a pension fraud in its Local Government Service Pensions Board totaling, at the initial stage, N2, 608, 398, 709. 29 but which later skyrocketed to N6.4 billion.

Making this disclosure was Chief Lasisi Ayankojo, the chairman of the board.

According to him, the interim investigative report of the commission into the account of the board between September 2010 and March 2011, which unearthed the colossal fraud, had indicted 10 civil servants who were allegedly involved in the scam.

ollowing the inability of parties to resolve the dispute rocking Queens College Parent Teacher Association, QCPTA, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Philips, has assigned the case file to a trial judge, Justice Adedayo Oyebanji.

At the pre-trial conference, Justice Olateru Olagbegi, of a Lagos High Court, had urged parties in the suit filed by the former PTA Chairman, Mr. Olujide Iyanda, to resolve their differences and avoid going to trial, but they failed to reach amicable settlement.

Justice Olagbegi held that it was vital for parents and teachers to work together amicably in the interest of the students and urged parties to exploit amicable resolution of the dispute.

However, the suit which was slated for mention yesterday could not be heard due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Oyebanji.

Iyanda had instituted a N130 million suit instituted against the principal of the college, the current QCPTA Chairman, Alhaji Farouk Mogaji and six other members of the association over an alleged libelous publication by the defendants.

He is seeking, among others, a perpetual injunction restraining the association

from publishing any defamatory publication against him.

The claimant in his statement of claim alleged that the defendants on September 22, 2011 printed, signed and distributed to over 2, 500 parents that attended PTA meeting a report that contained libelous publication against him.

The claimant is asking the court for N130 million as compensation for the injury caused him as a result of the alleged publication.

But the defendants in their statement of defence urged the court to dismiss the suit, describing it as unmeritorious, vexatious, frivolous and baseless.

The defendant stated that contrary to the allegations made by the claimant, they (defendants) did not publish any libelous publication that could injure the claimant’s reputation.

They added that the information which the claimant termed libelous was meant for the consumption of the Queens College Parent Teacher Association community and not for the general public.

They stated that the removal of the claimant as chairman of the association was as a result of a report of a duly constituted fact-finding committee set up to investigate the issues and problems in the association. The matter has been adjourned till April 17.

Group tasks FG on indigenous airlines OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

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he National Committee of Yoruba Youths, NCYY, has called on the Federal Government to put more incentives in place to encourage private indigenous airlines in the country.

The group, which also called on the government not to relent in its efforts at revolutionising the aviation sector in the country and make it safe, said the sector has the capacity to considerably reduce youth unemployment if functioning well.

NCYY, in a communiqué issued yesterday after its quarterly meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, lamented the soaring rate of joblessness in the country, noting that if serious attention was paid to all the vi-

tal sectors of the country’s economy, the problem of unemployment would reduce.

The communiqué was signed by the group’s National President, Comrade Oladimeji Odeyemi; the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Bashiru Bello; the National Director of Strategy and Planning, Prince Oseni Bamisile and the patron of the organisation, Pastor Tunde Orundami.

NCYY commended the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, for what it described as positive changes that had taken place in the industry since she came into office, congratulating her on her Champion Man of the Year Award.

The body said her 18 months as the head of the ministry has been eventful, adding that the award would encourage her to turn the aviation sector around.

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Ojukwu’s absence, big political vacuum for Igbo –Group I’m the CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

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pressure group, Transform Nigeria Movement, TNM, has decried the vacuum created by the absence of the late Igbo leader, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, in Nigerian politics.

The group said Ojukwu’s death had impacted on Ndigbo in the contemporary politics of merger and realignment of forces ahead of 2015 general elections.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Awka, the TNM leader, Comrade Obi Ochije, said if Ojukwu were alive, he would be among the key actors like the former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, now spearheading the restructuring of Nigeria’s politics along national lines, especially as it concerned protection of Igbo’s interest.

He, however, said Senator Chris Ngige had the potentials to become Igbo leader if the competing forces chose to close ranks and act as a group to protect Igbo’s interest in the merg-

er arrangement.

Ochije, who described the fusion of the four main opposition parties into the All Progressive Congress, APC, as the biggest thing that would ever happen in the present democracy, said the party would present a good platform for Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa to form a common front

against the hegemony of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Speaking on the import of Ojukwu’s absence in Nigerian politics, Ochije said: “The death of Ojukwu is the hardest thing that has ever happened to Ndigbo with the alignment of political blocs in the country.

“His absence has cre-

ated a big gulf in Igboland and we believe that the only person who can replace him to talk for Ndigbo now is Senator Chris Ngige, who has also been tried and tested.’

He said it was a thing of joy that APC was not going to be a sectional party like it had been the case with some parties in the coun-

Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon Emeka Ihedioha ( right) receiving Award of Leadership and Good Governance from former Secretary General of OPEC, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, at the African Achievers Award Ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, recently.

NDHS: NPC seeks Enugu residents’ cooperation DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

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he National Population Commission, NPC, has sought the cooperation of the residents of Enugu State to ensure the success of the ongoing Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, NDHS. The commission also assured its staff involved in the exercise of their safety.

The Federal Commis-

sioner of NPC in Enugu State, Dr. Festus Uzor, gave the assurance at a press conference in Enugu to mark the commencement of field work on the 2013 NDHS. Uzor disclosed that the commission had, in collaboration with all the relevant security agencies, made adequate security arrangement.

The commissioner explained that the safety of the NDHS officials was paramount to the commis-

sion, adding that everything possible would be done to spare the country the kind of unfortunate incident recorded in Kano State during the immunisation exercise.

He said: “With all these arrangements put in place, I have no doubt in my mind that the conduct of the 2013 NDHS will be a huge success and make positive contributions to the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan as it relates to

healthcare service delivery and human capital development.”

According to him, the conduct of the 2013 NDHS will complement existing demographic data in providing relevant, detailed and up-to-date information for planning purposes.

He added that there were lingering social and health challenges militating against the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals,

NDLEA arrests Thailand-based Nigerian with drug OLUSEGUN KOIKI

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fficials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested a 22-year-old Nigerian Ilechukwu Ejikonye Jude, who lives in Thailand for being in possession of 1.295kg of substances suspected to be methamphetamine.

The suspect, who was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, on his way to Thailand, said

try.

According to him, the merger holds a lot of advantage for the people of South-East.

Ochije, who predicted that APC would take over the South-East and the country, advised Igbo leaders to bury their personal interests and work collectively as a group.

he invested N750,000 on drug trafficking business.

The NDLEA said the suspect hid the drug inside his luggage but was detected during the screening of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight at MMIA, Lagos.

The NDLEA Commander at the MMIA, Mr. Hamza Umar, who spoke with journalists yesterday, said the drug was carefully hidden in the suspects’ luggage.

He said: “Like several factory modes of drug concealment, we had to prac-

tically cut the bag open to detect the drugs.

“Ordinarily when you open the bag, you will not see the drug. We found two brown parcels of drugs weighing 1.295kg.”

In his confessional statement, Ilechukwu said he was lured into the drug deal by a friend he met in Thailand.

He said: “I am a businessman. I relocated to Thailand last year where I buy goods and send to Nigeria.

“It was in Thailand that I met a man who in-

troduced me to drug business. He gave my number to his partner in Lagos who lodged me in a hotel.

They made me to contribute N750,000 as my contribution and promised me a handsome reward on arrival in Thailand.

“My focus was on the profit that will accrue to me. It was when I was arrested that I realised I had made a big mistake.”

Ilechukwu attended Okija Community Primary School and Okija Grammar School before he started business.

MDGs. Uzor, however, said the country must tackle all the challenges within the ambit of the transformation agenda of the government.

The commissioner said the 2013 NDHS would provide the necessary data that would aid evidence based programmes to combat these challenges.

He, therefore, sought the cooperation of all stakeholders, including the other tiers of government, to ensure its success.

In another development, a 36-year-old suspected drug trafficker, Akpata Martin Chukwudi, who was also arrested by the anti-drug agency, said he was given $800 for ingesting 20 wraps of cocaine.

The suspect, who said he ingested the drug in Brazil before he was arrested at the Lagos airport, also narrated his ordeal in the hands of his sponsors.

According to NDLEA, the suspect tested positive to drug ingestion during the inward screening of passengers on Qatar Airline flight.

authentic AD chairman –Obioha DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

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chieftain of the Alliance for Democracy, AD, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of attempts to cause confusion in the party by failing to recognise him as the authentic national chairman of AD. Obioha was the acting national chairman of the party when the former National Chairman, Chief Michael Koleoso, led some members of the party’s National Executive Council, NEC, to join the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. He said he was the authentic chairman of the party having been elected at a convention held in Abuja on January 14, 2011.

Obioha, who spoke with journalists in Enugu yesterday, said he was shocked to see a newspaper publication where Chief Mojisola Akinfenwa appeared at a conference organised by INEC and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, as the AD national chairman.

He said: “I decided to speak out as the national chairman of the party because INEC directed us to have a convention which held on January 14, 2011.

“It is worrisome that INEC could recognise Chief Akinfenwa who took Koleoso and his executive, which I was part of, to court after the convention of 2006 and a judgement was delivered in May 2008 in favour of Koleoso and INEC recognised him as the then chairman of the party.

“Chief Akinfenwa went to the Appeal Court and the case is subsisting up till today.

“So I wonder why INEC would go ahead to recognise someone who was never a chairman.

“Again I saw in the newspaper where Chief Koleoso was speaking for AD; that AD will work for the success of APC… he has no locus to speak for AD because he left the party for ACN and INEC acknowledged that in a letter - INEC/DPPM&L/ AD/001/VII/159 - dated 12th January 2011.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Ex-militants loot, destroy vehicles in protest EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA.

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bout 10 vehicles had their windscreens smashed and one other razed yesterday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, as over 400 former militants of the “Third Phase Amnesty” protested the proposed slots to be allocated to them.

The former militants

also looted shops along Otiotio and MbiamaYenagoa roads at Yenezuegene axis of Yenagoa.

Some apprehensive business outfits in the area hurriedly locked up for fear of being attacked by the former militants.

It will be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan last year approved 3,642 former militants for training in amnesty programme.

The protest, which erupted at about 9:am, lasted for almost three hours thereby causing traffic gridlock on major roads in the city as residents scampered for safety.

But intervention by the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF), anti-riot policemen and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) put the situation under

control.

JTF spokesman, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed that the protest had been put under control.

When National Mirror visited the scene of the protest, broken bottles littered the road, including the burnt and smashed vehicles.

Trouble, however, started as the inter-agency taskforce headed by

Air Vice Marshall Gbum reportedly notified the former militants that 15 guns submitted by a militant camp would be entitled to one amnesty slot training.

The former militants rejected the slot allocated to them and described it as meager and inhuman.

Spokesman of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Daniel Alabrah,

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condemned the violent protest by the former militants, saying that the destruction of the vehicles was misplaced.

Alabrah clarified that the Amnesty Office had no hand in the allocation of slots to the former militants, stressing that the inter- security agency would only recommend number of slots to them after its verification exercise.

Kidnap: Edo Assembly workers protest non-release of driver

Akpabio’s emergence as PDP govs forum chair lauded

SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN

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BENIN

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or several hours yesterday, nobody could enter or come out of the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly on Ring Road in Benin, following a protest by the Assembly’s chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).

National Mirror reliably gathered that the protesting workers were joined by the family members of the kidnapped driver of a lawmaker to protest his non-release after his boss regained his freedom some days ago.

As the protesters stood at the three main gates of the Assembly with various placards and different inscriptions lampooning the lawmakers for inaction and unsympathetic, effort by some leaders of the House, such as the Majority Leader, Hon Peter Shaibu, to pacify the protesters achieved no result.

It will be recalled that the lawmaker representing Esan Central Constituency, Hon. Victor Edoror, was kidnapped with his driver on January 27, 2013 by some gunmen.

Hon. Edoror was later released by the kidnappers after a negotiation by his family, but the driver is yet to be released till date even as the abductors were said to have frustrated attempts to contact them.

No official of the Edo State Police Command could be reached on the matter as at the time of filing this report.

L-R: Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh and Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, at the naval retreat held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Monday.

PHOTO: NAN

Oyerinde: Oshiomhole, Falana to tackle police at public hearing today SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

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public hearing on the killing of Olaitan Oyerinde, the Private Principal Secretary of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, is holding today at the House of Representatives in Abuja.

Governor Oshiomhole, rights activist Femi Falana and the National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Peter Esele, will confront the police on investigation of the killing.

There are had been contradictions in the police investigative report on the murder and an alleged attempt to cover it up, especially through the framing

of Olaitan’s bosom friend.

National Mirror, however, gathered yesterday in Benin that Oshiomhole, Falana and Esele petitioned the House of Representatives, accusing the police of attempting to cover up the killing.

Sources said that the governor and the others would ask the police some questions pertaining to the investigation of the killing.

It will be recalled that Oyerinde was murdered in his house on Ugbor Street in Benin on May 4, 2012, a day before Oshiomhole’s re-election campaign was to begin.

The police arrested Rev. David Ugolor Ugolor, who was with him the evening before the murder and pros-

ecuted him with nine others on allegation of sponsoring the murder in order to take over the aide’s official position.

An Edo State High Court presided by Justice Esther Edigin on September 14 awarded Ugolor the sum of N5 million against the police for unlawful detention before another court absolved and freed him on the advice of Edo State Director of Public Prosecution.

The police had neither paid nor appealed the judgement.

A twist was, however, added into the matter as investigation by the State Security Service (SSS) also accused six other persons for the murder.

As a result, Governor Oshiomhole accused the police of masterminding the killing, which necessitated today’s public hearing.

It was learnt that while Oshiomhole had stayed back in Abuja after the Nigerian Governors’ Forum meeting to attend the hearing, Falana, would be lead the legal team of the petitioners to the public hearing.

Speaking yesterday in Benin, Ugolor said he heard from a credible authority that the police shot the main suspects who alleged that he (Ugolor) sponsored the murder.

He said the police shot the suspects three times to implicate him.

Chevron donates chest clinic, science lab to Bayelsa EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

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hevron Nigeria Limited yesterday donated a chest clinic to the leprosy and tuberculosis hospital at Igbogene, Bayelsa State.

The oil giant also com-

missioned a science laboratory building and empowerment for students of St. Jude’s Girls’ Secondary School, Amarata.

Speaking at both events, Group Manager, National Petroleum Investment Manager Services, (NAPIMS) Mr. Chineka

Nwogu, said the projects were the company’s social development strategy to the country.

Nwogu said the firm was committed to improving the quality of healthcare in the society, stressing that Chevron had invested much funds on

the sector through the provision of infrastructure.

He said: “This project has enjoyed our support and backing not only because health is wealth, but also we have come to realization that it is only healthy citizenry that produce a strong nation”

ayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson; former Oyo State governor, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala; the Akwa Ibom Progressive Forum (AIPROF) and the Centre for Awareness on Good Governance have hailed Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State for emerging as the chairman of the newly-created Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum.

In a statement, Dickson congratulated Akpabio on his selection as the PDP governors’ forum’s chairman, saying it was a testimony to his vision, purposeful leadership and contributions to the party’s growth.

Akpabio was chosen as the chairman of the PDP governors last Sunday, while he was also appointed as a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).

Describing the developments as welcoming, Alao-Akala said it was important for the PDP to have its own governors’ forum.

He said: “Akpabio has the pedigree and integrity to lead the PDP governors.

He is someone that can be trusted. In fact, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum should allow him take over the leadership of the forum in May.” The Akwa Ibom Progressive Forum (AIPROF) and the Centre for Awareness on Good Governance lauded Akpabio’s emergence as the PDP governors’ chairman and BoT member, saying they were proofs that men of excellence would always have their due recognitions.

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North

Older generation’ll continue to rule, unless…–Aliyu PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

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iger State Governor, Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, yesterday said unless youths in the nation wake up to the challenges of leadership, the old breed politicians would continue to rule the country.

Governor Aliyu was speaking against the backdrop of comments that old breed politicians such as the former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Murtala Nyarko of Adamawa State, among many others, have refused to quit the stage for younger politicians to take over the affairs of the nation.

At the graduation ceremony of students of Talba Vocational and Skill Acquisition Centre in Minna, the governor emphasised the need for younger politicians to be ready at all times to take the baton from the old politicians.

He also listed good training, honesty and abiding by the laid rules and regulations as the guiding principles that would help them in achieving their goal.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Arsonists torch another church in Ilorin WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

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he Prayer, Faith and Miracles Ministry, a church located in Asa Dam area of Ilorin, Kwara State, was yesterday burnt down by yet to be identified people.

The development brought to two this year the number of churches that had been torched in the state. This was coming after the burning of a Living Faith Church a.k.a Winners Chapel in the city.

At that time, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, had pointed accusing fingers at the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Ilorin, Prof.

Isha’q Oloyede, who was reported to have visited the church and threatened to make Muslim students pull the church down.

The church was reportedly burnt down few days after the alleged threat by the former vice-chancellor.

The Prayer, Faith and Miracle Ministry, which is also known as Ori-Oke Majemu Agbara, was said to have been set ablaze at about 12.30am when none of the church members or security guard was around.

The suspected arsonists also set ablaze musical instruments and the church’s public address system but spared the bible and

portraits of Jesus Christ which they removed to the frontage of the church.

They also reportedly carted away plastic chairs, about 400 in number which members of the congregation and clerics of the church use during service.

The Pastor-In-Charge of the church, Paul Adekeye, while briefing journalists on the incident said the building had been badly burnt before they got wind of the development and invited the fire fighters to douse the fire.

He said the part-time security guard they employed to watch over the church did not report for duty when the incident

INUSA NDAHI DAMATURU

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HENRY IYORKASE

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enue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, yesterday swore in a new Head of Service for the state’s civil service. He is Mr. Terna Ahua.

Also sworn in yesterday were two new special advisers, Mr. Peter Igba and Mr. Henry Ihwakaa. The ceremony was held at the Government House, Makurdi.

At the occasion yesterday, the governor warned that acts of truancy, absenteeism would no longer be tolerated. He also warned lobbyists for commissionership and other positions to stay clear as Godfatherism would not influence any appointment in the new cabinet to be reconstituted soon.

The governor said civil servants nursing political ambition should resign henceforth or be shown the way out, stressing that he would not want to have obstruction in the second and concluding part of his eight-year sojourn in the State House.

occurred on the excuse that his wife was indisposed.

Adekeye said they had no quarrel over the land, save about five years ago, when a man from Baboko area of the town, who claimed to be the estate agent in charge of it, asserted that the land was not meant for church building.

He said the man had, since about that time, stopped coming to disturb them when he was told that the owner of the land, who conveyed it to them, had disowned him and disproved his claim.

The pastor, who said the church has not suspected anybody, added that the church has reported the matter to the police and the

Department of Security Service.

Adekeye who said property destroyed in the arson was worth millions of naira urged the state government to come to the aid of the church in reconstructing the building.

Also reacting to the development, the Secretary of CAN in Ayetoro/Jooro district, in Asa Dam area, Gabriel Olasunkanmi Taiwo, said while they suspected nobody yet as the brain behind the arson, they appealed to the people to fear God and repent of their evil acts.

He also urged the state government to intervene in the matter to ensure that an end is put to burning of churches in the town.

Again, gunmen kill seven vigilance members in Yobe

Suswam appoints new Head of Service MAKURDI

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

GOC 3 Division, Maj.-Gen. Ebibonna Awala (right) presenting equipment to Mrs. Salamatu Abdullahi, at the official presentation of equipment to beneficiaries of the Defence Skills Acquisition Programme in Jos, Plateau State, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Yero visits victims of Kaduna bloody attack • Vows to fish out perpetrators A ZA MSUE KADUNA

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aduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, yesterday visited victims of last Saturday’s attack in Aduwan village, Zangon Kataf Local Government Area in the southern part of the state.

The governor, during an on-the-spot assessment, described the carnage as unwarranted, promising to ensure that those behind the attacks are arrested and prosecuted.

It will be recalled that gunmen, allegedly in military uniform, at the weekend, invaded the community and killed five residents while 10 others were injured.

While condemning the attack, Governor Yero condoled with the bereaved families as he reassured them of government’s commitment to safeguard the people of the state.

In a statement by the governor’s Director-General, Media and Publicity, Ahmed Maiyaki, the governor also paid a condolence visit to the traditional ruler of the area, Agwam Bajju, Malam Nuhu Bature, at his palace where he vowed to deal decisively with any person or group found attempting to breach security in the state.

Yero, who visited victims of the attack at St. Louis Hospital, Zonkwa, directed that those with severe injuries should be

transferred to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, for medical treatment, adding that the state government would bear the cost.

While reiterating his administration’s commitment to genuine peaceful coexistence in state, Yero appealed to the people to remain calm as government will leave no stone unturned in its efforts at bringing the perpetrators of the attack and all other such attacks to book within the shortest possible time.

On his part, the Agwam Bajju commended the governor for the visit and assured him of his people’s readiness to cooperate with the government in bringing lasting peace to the area and the state.

arely 48 hours after killing seven residents of Ngalda village in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe State, gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect, again attacked another town in the state, killing no fewer than seven vigilance group members.

The attack on Ngelzarma Motor Park in Fune Local Government area of the state also left three other people injured.

Ngelzarma is 50 kilometres west of Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.

An eyewitness and resident, who did not want his name in print, also said that the gunmen stormed the motor park while the vigilance group was holding its inaugural meeting to strategise against the armed hoodlums that had been terrorising the residents in the recent past.

He said the community recently constituted a vigilance group to complement the efforts of security agencies to protect lives and property in the community.

Speaking on the incident yesterday in Damaturu, the Council Chairman, Alhaji Digma Gana, in a telephone chat said seven members of the council’s vigilance group were shot dead at the motor park, while holding their inaugural meeting. He said besides those

killed, three others were also injured in the attack.

Gana’s words: “These gunmen had been terrorising residents of this town. They take refuge in the bush during daytime and sneak into the town at night to perpetrate evil acts, attacking and killing people, including soldiers and policemen that patrol the town.”

He, however, pleaded with the Joint Task Force, JTF, and the police to deploy more troops to the town, so as to prevent further attacks and killings.

Spokesman of the JTF in Yobe State, Lt. Lazarus Eli, who confirmed the attack, said there was an attack on Ngelzarma motor park, where seven people were feared dead.

He said he is attending an emergency security meeting at the Government House, Damaturu, promising that as soon as the meeting was over, he will get back to journalists on the issue.

Yobe Gov. Ibrahim Geidam

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Unending lamentation over marginalisation

OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

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he Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, yesterday felicitated with the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio on his emergence as the inaugural chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum (PDPGF) as well as his appointment as a member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT).

In a letter personally signed by Kuku, he said: “It is with immense joy that I write to warmly congratulate you on your deserved election as the Chairman of the Governors Forum of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Your emergence as the first among equals within the family of PDP governors did not come to me and several other discerning Nigerians as a surprise, given your pedigree as an uncommon achiever and a worthy torch-bearer for our party. We are all exceedingly proud of you.”

He added that it was also an attestation of the fact that Akpabio was among the few performing governors in the country.

Kuku urged him to use his new office to assist the leader of the party, President Goodluck Jonathan “to attain the desired goals as he continues to qualitatively transform our party and our beloved country.”

ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

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ew Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Tony Anenih, has said that the merger of opposition parties to form the Alliance for Progressive Congress (APC) was not a threat to PDP, describing the merger as weak block.

Anenih returned as PDP BoT chairman through consensus at the early hours of Tuesday.

Speaking on Tuesday after he emerged as PDP BoT

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Politics

APC, no threat to PDP –Anenih Says party is a weak block

chairman at a meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Anenih said: “The merger called APC is not a threat to PDP. We never had a strong opposition, let’s see how strong APC will be and there will be many opposition.”

“If you are building a house and you find out that the block you laid yesterday is weak then you go to the same block maker to buy two or three more weak blocks to add to the one that was very

weak. They remain weak; it doesn’t matter whether you are buying more blocks of the same strength, sooner or later the building will collapse,” he added.

Anenih succeeded former President Olusegun Obasanjo who voluntary resigned the position last year for personal reasons.

Announcing the decision of members of the BoT, the Secretary of the Board, Senator Walid Jubrin said based on the pro-

visions of the Board which allowed regulations and amendments on some areas of tenure, establishment of special committees and the selection by consensus, Anenih was chosen as the Chairman.

Anenih told State House Correspondents after the all-night meeting which ended at about 12:44a.m. that he was happy to be the Chairman of the Board, saying that he believed he still has meaningful contribution to make to the growth and development

L-R: Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson; National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur; PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio during the governors’ visit to the PDP national secretariat.

of the party.

“I was the chairman of BoT for about two years and since then, I have grown, gathered experience, made more friends and I believe I still have more to contribute. The BoT is the conscience of PDP and it is body of elders, men with integrity, honour and experience,” Anenih said.

Speaking on the situation in PDP, Anenih said there was no way there would not be frictions and disagreements because it is a large party “As large as PDP is, one should not be surprised if there are frictions and disagreements. That is what BoT is for reconciliation, discipline, raising of funds.

BoT is the conscience of the party, reconcile issues in state chapters. Where there are problems, we move in there. With the situation in PDP and restructuring of BoT, good things will begin to happen to the party,” he said.

Last January 8, the party could not come up with a new BoT Chairman at its meeting but rather set up a committee to streamline membership of the board in preparation for the election of a new chairman.

Osun 2014: Ex-minister takes campaign to Ijesa land ADEOLU ADEYEMO OSOGBO

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ormer Minister of Youths Development and governorship

aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, yesterday began statewide consulta-

PDP BoT: Kalu hails Anenih’s emergence founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has hailed the emergence of Chief Tony Anenih as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PDP. Kalu, in a statement made available to National Mirror yesterday, described Anenih as a Political Emeritus, whose contributions to the party as the BoT chair-

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Want to be a terrorist? Think again 14

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Kuku felicitates with Akpabio

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

man would be innumerable and immeasurable.

He said the reconstitution of the BoT of the PDP could not have come at a better time than now that other parties are forging alliances to push it out of power, especially at the federal level.

He said: “I couldn’t have expected a better decision at any time other than now.”

Kalu admonished Anenih to continue with his disposition to an open door

policy to all, adding that the political situation in the country now demands fairness to and justice for all.

He said: “Over the years, you have come to be known as Mr. Fit It. You have simply been able to fix things because of your openness, accommodation of all shades of opinion, willingness to bend over backwards in extreme situations and courage to speak truth to power.

tions with stakeholders and members of the party, ahead of the 2014 governorship election.

He promised that if given the ticket of the “Your Excellency, please carry on in this spirit because this is what is required at this period of great political turbulence.

A man of your capacity is needed by the PDP now to move into the 2015 elections and come out of it successfully and unscathed.”

Kalu appealed to all members of the party, including those holding political positions, to assist Anenih in the onerous task by cooperating with him.

party for the 2014 governorship election in the state, he would not let the party down.

The campaign team of the former minister met with leaders and elders of the party in Ijesha land.

In a statement made available to journalists, the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Sunday Onifade, said: “Akinlabi has an intimidating credential that will enable him win the party’s ticket having being elected a senator for Osun West Senatorial district between 2003 and 2007 and minister during former President Olusegun Obasanjo sec-

ond term in office.

“It is only Senator Akinlabi that can today boast of having a full record both as a senator and member of the Federal Executive Council that can defeat the incumbent governor in the state, Rauf Aregbesola and this is the reason why we are appealing to all party members to rally round him.”

He stated that all nooks and crannies of the state would be visited by Akinlabi and his team, saying “this is imperative because without the people, Akinlabi is nothing. It is only through these people that Akinlabi will actualise his political dream.”

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Politics

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Want to be a terrorist? Think again The Senate has legislated terrorism as a high risk act, as the Red Chamber last week passed a bill that makes terrorism punishable by death. GEORGE OJI writes on the salient issues raised in the bill by the lawmakers.

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he anti-terrorism bill otherwise referred to as the, “Terrorism (prevention) Bill and Other Related Matters,” which was just passed by the Senate is partly to fill domestic legislative lacuna regarding the prosecution of growing offenders of terror in the country. It is also to meet international pressure, particularly from the Western world, who are impatient with Nigeria’s delay in coming up with this piece of legislation to complement the global fight against terror.

The Senate President, David Mark, aptly captured this global pressure in his closing remarks after the passage of the bill when he observed that: “The international community is waiting for it and I think we have conferences outside this country where our members who attend it are now subjected to some degree of ridicule and sooner than later, if we do not pass this bill they may even stop our members from attending those conferences.”

The fight against terror assumed a global dimension following the growing series of attacks against America’s interest worldwide in the 90s, particularly after the September 11, 2001 bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York and other targets in the United States by agents of the dreaded Al Qaeda terror network.

In Nigeria, it was not until the October 1, 2010 independence anniversary bombing that serious and concerted attention was paid to the crime by the Federal Government. It was also not until then that it became obvious that there were lacuna in the nation’s existing legislation to prosecute this class of offence. A combination of this factor and the pressure from the international community prompted the National Assembly to hastily come up with the Terror (Prevention) Act 2011 and other related matters.

However, the Terror Act 2011 was hardly put into true test before the inherent shortcomings in the act became obvious. This prompted the move to take another look at the act, with a view to addressing those observed shortcomings in the Act. The result was that on Wednesday October 17, 2012, the Senate passed the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (Amendment) Bill, 2012. A week earlier on Thursday, October 11, 2012, the House of Representatives had passed the same bill.

But between the bills passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives, there were noticeable differences. Consequently, both chambers of the parliament constituted their conference committees to reconcile the areas of differences in the bills on October 18 last year.

Thus the purpose of the conference committee was to harmonise the areas of differences that were observed in the two versions of the bill.

The first obvious concern in the original act, which the amendment has now addressed is the scope and definition of the offence of terrorism. In the new bill, the offence has now become more broadly and widely defined and thus it now covers, “all acts of terrorism and financing of terrorism.”

Also, unlike the original act, the new bill has now introduced stiffer penalty for the offence of terrorism. Terrorism now attracts maximum sentence. While the Senate had recommended life imprisonment for anybody convicted under the act, the House on its part recommended death penalty. At the conference committee, the recommendation of the House was jointly adopted. Thus in the new bill, anybody who commits an offence under this act, which results to the death of another person or persons, is liable upon conviction to death sentence.

However, where a person is convicted of act of terrorism but without any resultant loss of life, the person will be liable to life imprisonment. But upon the establishment of the commitment of the act of conspiracy, the per-

Mark

THE NEW BILL HAS NOW INTRODUCED STIFFER PENALTY FOR THE OFFENCE OF TERRORISM.

TERRORISM

NOW ATTRACTS MAXIMUM

SENTENCE... DEATH PENALTY son will be liable to an imprisonment for a term not less than 20 years. Also if a person is convicted of aiding and abetting, that is where a person who knowingly, directly or indirectly aids and abets, induces, incites, instigates, instructs, counsels or pressures another person by any means whatsoever to commit an act of terrorism, commits an offence and shall be liable on conviction, where an act of terrorism is committed to life imprisonment and where the offence of terrorism is not committed to and imprisonment for a term of not less than 20 years.

The new bill also empowers security agencies to eavesdrop on private calls of suspected terrorists with a view to obtaining useful information to avert the act.

The bill, however, provides that such interjection must be authorised by a high court judge through an ex parte application for an “interception of communication order.”

According to the bill, “Without prejudice to any other law, the relevant law enforcement agency with the approval of the Attorney General of the Federation may, for the purpose of the prevention of terrorist acts or to enhance the detection of offences related to the preparation of a terrorist act or the prosecution of offenders under this act, apply ex-parte to a judge for an interception of communication order.”

The new bill also introduced the “National Coordinating Bodies,” and designates the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) as the coordinating body for all security and enforcement agencies under the act.

The ONSA in the new bill will be responsible for the following tasks; providing support to all relevant security, intelligence, law enforcement agencies and military services to prevent and combat acts of terrorism in Nigeria. It will also ensure effective formulation and implementation of a comprehensive counter terrorism strategy for Nigeria as well as build capacity for the effective discharge of the functions of all relevant security, intelligence, law enforcement and military services under this act or any other relevant law on terrorism in Nigeria. Finally, the ONSA will do such other acts or things that are necessary for the effective performance of the functions of the relevant security and enforcement agencies under the act.

The new bill also makes the office of the Attorney General of the Federation the sole authority for the

effective implementation and administration of this act by strengthening and enhancing the existing legal framework to ensure the following; conformity of Nigeria’s counter terrorism laws and policies with international standards and United Nations convention on terrorism. The AGF will also under this new bill maintain international cooperation required for preventing and combating international acts of terrorism and the effective prosecution of all terror matters.

In the original act, the law enforcement agencies were made responsible for the gathering of intelligence and investigation of the offences provided by the act. But in the new bill, the agencies’ functions have been fully defined to have powers to enforce all laws and regulations on counter-terrorism in Nigeria, adopt measures to prevent and combat acts of terrorism in Nigeria, facilitate detection and investigation of acts of terrorism in Nigeria and establish, maintain and secure communications both domestic and international, to facilitate the rapid exchange of information concerning acts that constitute terrorism.

In addition, the law enforcement agencies shall under the new bill conduct research with the aim of improving preventive measures to effectively and efficiently combat terrorism as well as partner with civil society organisations and the Nigerian public to provide necessary education, support, information, awareness and sensitisation towards the prevention and elimination of acts of terrorism.

The new bill now removes the power to apply for the forfeiture of any funds or property belonging to any terrorist from the NSA, IGP and president and vests same on the Attorney General of the Federation. Such application, according to the new requirement will be made by the AGF to the judge in his chambers.

It added: “Where the Attorney General has reasonable grounds to suspect that a person has committed, is committing or is likely to commit an act of terrorism or is in possession of terrorist property, he may for the purposes of an investigation under this act apply to a judge in chambers for an order compelling the accused person to deliver to him any document relevant to identifying, locating any property belonging to or in the possession or control of that person.”

The forfeiture order, according to the bill, must not only be gazetted but published in at least two national newspapers.

The bill also provided that the notice of the forfeiture order must be served on banks, financial institutions and cash dealers or any other person who may hold or be vested with property belonging to or held on behalf of any suspect. The forfeiture order will remain in force until the determination of any charge or intended charge under the act.

The new bill also provides the maximum period within which anybody arrested under the suspicion of terrorism would be kept in detention before being charged to court or application for a formal detention order would be sought.

It states that where a person is arrested under reasonable suspicion of having committed any offence under this act, the relevant law enforcement or security officer may direct that the person arrested be detained in custody for a period not exceeding 48 hours from his arrest, without having access to any person apart from a medical officer of the relevant law enforcement or security agency or his counsel or any phone or communication gadget.

The new bill has a new provision, which states that any person who without reasonable excuse fails to comply with the requirement of a detention order, or intentionally obstructs or hinders any person acting in accordance with the relevant sections of this bill commits an offence under this act and shall on conviction be liable to a fine of N5 million or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years.

With the concurrence of both chambers of the National Assembly to the amended terrorism bill, it is expected that President Goodluck Jonathan would accordingly append his assent to the bill to make it immediately operational.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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16

Politics

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Unending lamentation over marginalisation Stakeholders in the South-West have accused the Goodluck Jonathan administration of marginalising Yoruba. In this report, SINA FADARE examines the veracity of this claim.

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t a recent Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, one of the topmost agenda was the marginalisation of the Yoruba by the Jonathan administration.

Declaring the gathering open, Bishop Bolanle Gbonigi, the convener of YUF, regretted that the marginalisation of the South-West in the distribution of political positions was an attempt to relegate the zone in the federation.

The retired Anglican Bishop of Akure Diocese regretted that at his old age, he found it painful that the Yoruba were marginalised due to the selfishness of some of its leaders who are pursuing personal agenda.

Speaking in the same vein, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and presidential candidate of the All Peoples Party/ Alliance for Democracy (APP/AD) alliance in 1999, Chief Olu Falae, regretted that no Yoruba person occupies any of the top 12 political offices in Nigeria.

Giving a breakdown of YUF grouse, Falae lamented the absence of a Yoruba person in apex political positions such as the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of the Federation, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the acting President, Court of Appeal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President, National Security Adviser and Head of Service of the Federation, as well as the service chiefs.

According to him, “while other zones may make routine complaints of marginalisation with a view to having a better deal, the degree of marginalisation of the South-West borders on attempts to excise the zone from the federation.”

Not done with the lamentations, Falae noted that at the moment, people from the race are experiencing ethnic cleansing and other discriminatory acts in the federal civil service as well as the armed forces.

His words: “Because the Yoruba are thin at the topmost ranks of the Federal Government. Yoruba in the federal public service have been frequently subjected to arbitrary sacks, humiliating deployments and discriminatory actions.”

Falae pointed out that “in the dying days of the Umaru Yar’Adua administration, when there was a lot of reluctance to make Jonathan the acting President, it was predominantly Yoruba activists who led the march to the National Assembly to force our lawmakers to pronounce Jonathan acting President.”

Irked by the precarious situation the politicians, especially those in PDP South-West found themselves, a member of the Board of Trustee (BoT) of the PDP, Bode Olajumoke, regretted

Jonathan

Gbonigi

YORUBA ARE THIN AT THE TOPMOST RANKS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. YORUBA IN THE FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE HAVE BEEN FREQUENTLY SUBJECTED TO ARBITRARY

SACKS, HUMILIATING DEPLOYMENTS AND DISCRIMINATORY ACTIONS that the issue at stake is an open wound which may not be easily healed from the mind of the people from the area.

According to him, “I and other Yoruba people, who are BoT members of the PDP, are making efforts to talk to the President on the matter. We are leaders and are ashamed of always defending the defenceless.”

Similarly, Third Republic senator, Anthony Adefuye, corroborated Olajumoke’s stance, saying that efforts were in top gear to urgently discuss the issue with the President. He said: “We have never been able to discuss this issue with the President in private. We must do that because we are accountable to our people, who are in a hurry to see the anomaly corrected. We are hoping that he will listen to us very soon.”

Adefuye also regretted that “in the history of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), no Yoruba man has ever been appointed as the Comptroller General of Immigration (CGI), out of the 15 CGIs that have headed the service.

Indeed, this is not the best of times for members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the South-West as the zone has been battling with its alleged marginalisation in the political scheming of the country. At different fora, the subject matter comes to the front burner.

Members of the PDP from the zone are worried that they are mere birds of the passage in the party they claimed to belong, as they are left in the lurch and cannot boast of a slot in the first 20 topmost important positions in the polity.

From the president, to the leadership of the National Assembly and the party as well as the civil service top echelon, no one from the zone occupies any important position. Same applies to the judiciary, armed forces, Central Bank

of Nigeria (CBN) and other major offices like the chairmanship of the anticorruption agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the leadership of the paramilitary forces like the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Prisons Service; among others.

Against this backdrop, there is a cold war between the top hierarchy of the ruling party from the South-West and the rank and file from the zone, who have continued to ask questions on how they found themselves in this mess.

To add salt to injury, the only position the zone had, the National Secretary of the PDP, occupied by the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, which ordinary could have been the link in the missing gap, was taken from the zone, via a court order, due to internal crisis in the party.

However, political analysts from the zone placed the blame for the marginalisation of not only PDP members but the entire zone at the doorsteps of political gladiators from South-West, irrespective of which political party they belong. They argued that majority of the politicians were carried away by the power of the offices they occupied and forgot about the common interest of their people.

This school of thought based its argument on the conspiracy theory, where in instead of the political gladiators to present a common front in order to get the political office allotted to the zone, to wit the speakership of the House of Representatives, they decided to toy with the fortunes of the entire Yoruba

race on the altar of political ego.

This, according to this school of thought, denied the zone one of the positions it could have occupied on a platter of gold, had they played politics of common interest rather than that of ego tripping.

Corroborating this assertion, Senior Special Assistant to the President, Doyin Okupe, noted that politicians from the zone should be blamed for the lapses, and not the President, saying that they refused to rally round Mrs. Mulikat Adeola-Akande, who was the candidate of the PDP and the Presidency for the office of the Speaker.

According to him, rather than rallying round Adeola-Akande to become Speaker, politicians from the zone, especially those from the ACN decided to support another candidate because of personal interest. This led to the emergence of Aminu Tambuwal as Speaker.

But the ACN through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said that the Presidency’s defence was a cheap way of exposing PDP’s folly.

According to Mohammed, “if the PDP had indeed wanted a Yoruba as Speaker, the party should either have won enough seats in the South-West or use its majority in the House to push through its anointed candidate. Failure to ensure the election of its candidate is a reflection of the insincerity of the PDP about the zoning of the post to Yoruba and the gross indiscipline in the party.”

He pointed out that even if the PDP had not succeeded in giving the post of House Speaker to Yoruba in accordance with its so-called zoning formula, it should have rewarded the race with known choice ministries or other top appointments, instead of totally relegating the race into irrelevance in its scheme of things The party said: “The PDP is playing ethnic card and crying wolf where there is none. We are a national party and our spread attests to it. We have shown by supporting the election of Aminu Tambwal as Speaker of the House that our agenda is not sectional but national, and we have no apologies to offer for that.”

Political pundits are of the view that the PDP is economical with the truth on the issue of marginalisation. They hinged their argument on the fact that if the zone lost the Speaker of the House on technical ground, there are other appointments that could have been given the zone to balance the equation.

But the comment of the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, is food for thought, especially when the issue of power sharing comes to bear.

Tukur at a meeting with PDP stakeholders from the South-West said: “You people in the South-West must remain united to be relevant. Use your energy in coming together and stop fighting.

That is the only way to get power.”

Political pundits are of the view that the PDP in the zone should go back to the drawing board instead of shedding crocodile tears and meditate on the observation of Tukur which is enough food for thought.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Nigeria’s rudderless leadership HABU DAUDA FIKA

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ecent events in the country have underlined the inextricable need for reducing poverty, increasing security, combating unemployment, providing health care and strengthening the foundation for a democratic ‘rights-based’ society.

We all agree that Nigeria needs a sincere, capable, competent, and focused leadership.

Many have said that President Goodluck Jonathan has neglected his mandate to govern and be a leader for all Nigerians. He is mostly viewed as the leader of the PDP and the Niger Delta. The tendencies of a ‘worstthan-military’ dictatorial proclivities and brazen authoritarian behaviour are fingerprinted all over the actions of the president and his obsequious cabinet.

Many decisions taken by the Federal Government or its principal partner, the PDP, are suspect after careful examination.

Common sense is deeply lacking for those who assume Nigerians will accept the motivations of this government as honest, especially since it is the innocent citizens that continue to pay the very high price of a government that has failed to understand its role. If Mr. President is serious, then his starting point must be to saddle up and lead ALL Nigerians! Most importantly he should be willing to ask and encourage all Nigerians to make substantial inputs. And I mean ALL NIGERIANS! Advice and criticisms must be sought and welcomed at all times.

Most of the things that Nigerians want

are easy to accomplish if the president behaves like a true leader. No doubt the resources to meet our development goals are abundantly available and sufficient. From common aims in the fight against poverty, from concerted action on the decaying educational system, and from the provision of security to protect life and property, to the gigantic issue of providing gainful employment for all those who want to work, there is ample opportunity for this government to provide true leadership. Instead, the past two years have provided many examples of conceited and misdirected guidance from Aso Rock.

In Nigeria today, the belief that the democratic experiment needs a radical overhaul is commonplace among our people.

But the current drive for a constitution amendment is a joke and out rightly dishonest. The principal actors are engaged just for themselves. No one is seriously doing it for the good of Nigeria.

The rights and privileges of Nigerians are not even being debated. No guarantees of civil liberties are being strengthened.

The checks and balances inherent in a democracy are not being reviewed. All they talk about is how to divide the MONEY, how to deny the weakest tier, and how to create more states!

The most independent office in the world is the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria! No one except God can question what the president does today! Nothing else is independent in Nigeria today. The constitution amenders

MOST OF THE THINGS THAT NIGERIANS WANT ARE EASY TO ACCOMPLISH IF THE PRESIDENT BEHAVES LIKE A TRUE LEADER must busy themselves with how to make the presidency dependent and impervious to advice. It is a mistake for our constitution to put the President next to God!! I agree with another writer who stated that “the gesture to have a truly people’s constitution is commendable, and even though a few Nigerians have been given the chance to have a say, they would not be present on the floor of the National Assembly when the final decision is made! And having a say will not amount to the people’s constitution; their wishes must be entrenched in it for it to be a truly “we the people of Nigeria” constitution.”

Nigeria as a federation has too many states! But to satisfy our selfish ends, it is likely that unless we have 774 states, there will be no way to make everyone happy. I submit that the best administrative boundaries of the old 19 states are probably the best structure that unites enough of us to have a common destiny where no tribe can really feel cheated. But who can tell us what is good and right?

In the November 18, 2012 media in the

CNN, Mr. President treated us to a disappointing episode of self-confessions, incompetence and helplessness. His answers were evasive, rambling most times and full of presidential lamentations. He assigned blame to everyone else but himself regarding the blatant and endemic levels of corruption in Nigeria today.

Now Mrs Oby Ezekwesili has shut the mouths of Mr Doyin Okupe and Mr Reuben Abati! All she is asking for is a “full disclosure and accountability by the federal government on the issues of poor management of oil revenues, especially the Excess Crude Account and the Foreign Reserve Account totalling $67 billion. Instead, the government retorted to declaring Mrs Ezekwesili was given N458 billion for education without justification. They forget that while the government can hold a minister accountable, it does not vitiate a citizen’s right to question his/her government.

Very cloudy is the prism through which the rest of the world views Nigeria today. The need for us to effectively change many of these legitimate and some mistaken perceptions rest with us all, but the greatest duty is on the current leadership to ‘man up’! The situation is really calamitous and unpredictable for us and for Nigeria. It is therefore, delusional for any leader to think he or she can take Nigeria and Nigerians for granted.

We are too big for that impertinence.

Fika wrote from Gwarimpa, Abuja

Auctioning of Igbo presidency OBINNA AKUKWE

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t is obvious that all is not well within the fold of the South East Governors Forum over the Igbo Presidency Project 2015. In Anambra State Governor Peter Obi is at loggerheads with Imo’s Governor Rochas Okorocha over who controls APGA; Obi derides Okorcha’s attempt at uniting the Igbo for his presidential bid either for 2015 or 2019. Obi cannot comprehend how Okorocha can surface from nowhere and be laying claims to APGA political machinery and Igbo presidency when he, a two term governor, had been treading softly on the issue.

Okorocha believes that the Igbo have a good prospect of becoming president in 2015 if there is unity, hence his attempts to unify APGA and give it a national outlook.

He also supports APGA’s infusion into the All Progressive Congress (APC). This has put him in the shit list of President Goodluck Jonathan’s apologists, who are sparing nothing at pulling him down.

In August 2012, the former national chairman of PDP, Okwesilieze Nwodo, under the aegis of South East Forum, canvassed support for Igbo presidency at meeting held in Enugu. This stance of Nwodo killed Governor Sullivan Chime’s presidential ambition. Abia State Governor Theodore Orji had shown little commitment to the Igbo presidency project except perhaps, through occasional fine speeches without commensurate momentum. The move by his former boss, Orji Uzor Kalu to

WHAT IS OBVIOUS IS THAT SOUTH EAST GOVERNORS HAVE NOT FORMED ENOUGH FORMIDABLE ALLIANCE NECESSARY TO MOBILIZE OTHER REGIONS OF

NIGERIA TO SUPPORT THEIR PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATION form Njiko Igbo, an umbrella organization to unite Igbos for the presidency, further raised Theodore Orji’s suspicion over the entire Igbo presidency project.

Governor Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State has maintained silence over the issue; his body language has not suggested any interest in the project. However, his attempt to support Aja Nwachukwu for the Ohaneze top post was based on ensuring that an Ebonyi man that can articulate Igbo interest without pressure from the outside is enthroned, especially for the rainy day.

What is obvious is that South East governors have not formed enough formidable alliance necessary to mobilize other regions of Nigeria to support their presidential aspiration. While some school of thought believes that Chime, Orji and Obi are jealous of Okorocha’s “acclaimed national popularity”, another school believes that

they are afraid of EFCC prosecution and as such must swim with President Jonathan to avoid harassment after they leave office.

There are others who still believe that their interest in the senate seats as retirement benefits after their tenure as governors could be jeopardized if they openly support Igbo presidency.

I wrote an article titled ‘Ohaneze crisis and the auctioning of Igbo presidency’, where I argued that presidential largesse had torn Ohaneze apart and the Igbo presidency project was being auctioned. A week after the second part of article was released, the new leadership of Ohaneze made it clear that it was not interested in 2015 Igbo presidency. Ohaneze Publicity Secretary, Prince Tonnie Ogonna had argued that ”if President Jonathan declines to run in 2015, it then makes it quicker for the Igbo. The bottom line is that Ohanaeze supports Jonathan in whatever decision he takes in 2015”. This means Ohaneze support for any Igbo presidential candidate in 2015 is foreclosed.

The northern governors are seriously challenging President Jonathan’s second term bid, insisting that he promised to run only one term. While reacting on the issue, the chairman of Northern Nigeria Governors Forum and Niger State governor, Dr Babangida Aliu, had recently said: “What will be, will be in 2015. We must remind people of the promises they have made. When he (Jonathan) was going to declare, the governors of PDP were brought together to ensure that we were all in the same frame of mind. Some of us, given the PDP zoning

system, were expecting that the northern states would produce the President for this number of years, but God has done His own.

“At the discussion, it was agreed that President Jonathan would serve one term and we all signed and when he went to Kampala, he said the same thing. But for now, President Jonathan has not declared his candidacy and we must not be speculating based on those are benefiting from such a thing. I believe that we are all gentlemen enough and when the time comes, we will all sit down and see what the right thing to do is.”

In the South South, apart from Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, the rest are not interested in any Jonathan 2015 project.

Rotimi Amechi in Rivers State is at loggerheads with the president on the issue.

The governors in the South West are reaching out to their counterparts in the North to form an alliance in preparation for 2015. The result of this move is the APC. We in the South East are chasing rat while the house is burning.

Obinna Akukwe wrote through Profetobinna2@yahoo.com Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs.

Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

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Editorial

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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HEAD, GRAPHICS

Mitigating the challenges of flooding

he rainy season is here, and for most Nigerians, it represents a nightmare.

In the 2012 season, it was horror personified. Several parts of 27 states were submerged under water, hundreds of people perished, major highways closed, farmlands wasted, close to two million people rendered homeless, et cetera. The International Center for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED), a non-governmental organization, put at N300 billion (the equivalent of two percent of the GDP) the cost of assets lost by Nigeria to the flood disasters. The heavy human and material tolls inflicted on the nation were attributed largely to both the poor response of the country’s political leaderships and the obvious capacity problem of the agencies saddled with such responsibilities. We hope that the hard lessons learnt from last year’s unfortunate development would come handy in our approach to the forthcoming rainy season.

If the 2013 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) would serve as an indication of what to expect this year, the authorities and Nigerians should prepare hard to avert the predicted worst case scenario. The NIMET report indicates there will be heavy rainstorms that may lead to se-

MOREOVER, THE FEDERAL AND STATE MINISTRIES OF ENVIRONMENT SHOULD SYNERGISE WITH

NEMA ON

MEASURES NECESSARY TO CONTAIN THE EXPECTED FLOODING rious flooding between August and October in at least 12 states in the North East, South South and South West regions of the country, and that the rains will have incalculable devastating consequences like that of last year. The meteorological agency has therefore, warned the authorities in the regions to proactively put in place appropriate measures to forestall another disaster this year.

If a repeat of the devastation caused by the 2012 flood disaster in the country is to be avoided this year, the oracular warnings of the NIMET must be heeded. Forebodingly, the signs of the things to come are already showing. Just last week in Ibadan, Oyo State for instance, rainstorm affected most of the modern parts of the ancient city, including the State High

Court complex at Ring Road and destroyed some houses while the roofs of some building were blown off.

We urge the authorities to begin in earnest the mobilization of the people to attend to the needful. Clearing the drainages during the environmental sanitation exercises; warning against dumping of wastes in drainages and roadsides; timely removal of refuses and creating more drainages and channelization for water passage, particularly along roads, house networks and neighbourhoods, as well as waterways, could be tasks made easy and cost effective, if all the stakeholders are involved. These could serve as the timely stitches necessary to save all from unbearable collateral damages.

It is hoped that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the agency saddled with the responsibility of coordinating resources towards effective and efficient disaster management in the country, is well mobilized for the task ahead. Moreover, the federal and state ministries of environment should synergise with NEMA on measures necessary to contain the expected flooding. The three tiers of government must get ready contingency funds well ahead of the rainy season to ensure seamless operations this year.

If the experiences of the past, especially that of last year, are anything to go by, it should dawn on the authorities that NEMA alone cannot cope with the problems associated with flooding. We recommend that special units of the military and police should be set up in all the states of the federation well ahead of the season. Other stakeholders needed in this concerted national effort to protect Nigeria and Nigerians from unmitigated flood disasters are the NEMA’s floated Grassroots Emergency Volunteer Corps (GEVC), Emergency Management Volunteer Corps (EMV) for youth corpers and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) clubs in secondary schools. They are needed at the grassroots level in reorienting the people to the dangers of flooding and helping to reduce the communities’ vulnerability.

They should be mobilized and properly drilled ahead of the season.

There is the National Climate Change Commission Bill. President Goodluck Jonathan should sign it into law. The law will significantly help to address some of the environmental problems in the country caused by climate change, including flooding. On a final note, we dare say that disaster prevention is certainly more desirable than the provision of relief assistance.

ON THIS DAY February 27, 2006 A London high court is told that Dan Brown, the author of the Da Vinci Code, ‘lifted the central theme’ of his bestselling novel from a non-fiction book about Jesus and the Catholic Church. Writers Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh have claimed that Dan Brown appropriated the themes and ideas they explored in their 1982 book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.

February 27, 1991 US forces enter Kuwait City, Kuwait, with the Army’s 1st Armored Division fighting the last major battle of the Gulf War against the Iraqi Revolutionary Guard, in an operation later dubbed the Battle of Medina Ridge. This resulted in the destruction of hundreds of vehicles and the deaths of many of their occupants. An elated President George Bush declares Kuwait officially liberated from Iraqi occupation.

February 27, 1922 The Nineteenth Amendment to the American Constitution was passed. The right of women to vote, as well as the right of women to engage in many other activities, was declared constitutional by all of the members of the U.S. Supreme Court. It took 70 years of fighting and petitioning to make this women’s suffrage legislation a reality. The battle for this dated to the early 19th Century.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Health & Wellbeing Uncertainty looms over sickle cell drugs production agenda

‘We should keep talking about cancer’

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VICTIMS: Many people don’t know they suffer from mental disorder

Most mental illnesses are manageable –Psychiatrist MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

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midst report that no fewer than 18 million Nigerians suffer from one, mental-related ailment or the other, a UK-based Nigerian Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Vincent Udenze has said that contrary to the general belief, such ailments can be managed if the individuals are taken to the hospital for timely treatment In an exclusive interview with National Mirror, Dr. Udenze who is also the Chief Executive Officer of a psychiatric hospital, Synapse Specialist Hospital, Abuja disclosed that mental illnesses are medical conditions like diabetes or malaria which could also be adequately treated such that the individual could live a normal life.

“There are some physical illnesses like malaria, you get anti-malaria and you feel fine – though you might get a mosquito bite and it comes back again. There are some others like high blood pressure that you need to take medication consistently to just keep your blood pressure stable. So also, most of mental illnesses are manageable. Take your medication, stay compliant and most time you are fine, functioning like any other person,” he said.

Dr. Udenze described mental illnesses as conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. According to him, they are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. He added that such illnesses are not restricted to “madness” alone.

Serious mental illnesses, he said, include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder. Not only that, the illnesses are not limited to a particular group of people. According to him, they can affect persons of any age, race, religion, or income.

“Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character or poor upbringing and they are treatable.

Dr. Udenze “The person that takes off his cloth is just a marker of severity. The same way you have a headache, which can be mild, moderate or severe; you can have a headache that would not allow you to go to work. It may be so severe until you take a medication. Even though some people may have gone very extreme, if you are able to guide them and give them medication, it will settle and they will be fine.

“Unfortunately, we stigmatize mental disorder because we only think that those that suffer from that are those on the streets. That is not correct. Majority of people that have mental disorder, probably 90 percent of them, do not live on the street. They have normal lives, go to work like you and I. It is just that a good percentage of them might not even know the symptom that what they are suffering from is a mental disorder.”

Indeed, the Psychiatrist believes there’s hardly any family in the country without anyone suffering from one mental disorder or the other.

“If you look around you, in your family, among your

neighbour, there are people with diagnosable mental disorder. And I think part of what causes difficulties here is that people don’t appreciate what are mental disorders and what the types are. If you keep thinking that only the man on the street constitutes mentally-ill person, do you know that people who feel just anxious and desire to panic – sometime, you just panic without even knowing why you are panicking – could even have been diagnosed of panic disorder; that is a mental disorder that is treated by a psychiatrist.

“Do you know that some people have thoughts coming to their mind that if they touch a door and the door’s handle is dirty, they have to wash their hands and they have the compulsion to keep washing their hands all the time? Ask the right question, which could be obsessive compulsive disorder. That is a mental disorder. Do you know that some people will feel down sometimes, not feel like eating and not feel like sleeping? Ask a few more question, they have depression.

“Having depression depends on severity. It does not stop someone from going to work. That is a mental disorder that is treatable. So, if you start going into all these things, you will now realize that it is quite common. Some people have social phobia. They go into restaurants and think that people around there are looking at them, judging and talking about them. Ask the right question, it might be a social phobia; a mental disorder managed by a mental professional.

According to him, causes for such disorders, could be due to several factors ranging from bio-psychosocial, biological to social factors.

“If it is a biological factor, we are talking about biological factors such as genes. There are some genes that will give you vulnerability which means that if you have those genes, you might be more likely than the ordinary person to get that sickness. Being more likely, being more vulnerable does not mean that you will definitely get it.

“Other factors could be social factors like when somebody has an accident, lose their car, or their children lose their house or their job, there is possibility the person becomes depressed and such depression may result into mental illness. When you have stressors like, if that can happen to someone who is not vulnerable, then you and I will not be surprised that they can come down with a mental disorder.”

Unfortunately, Dr. Udenze disclosed that there are too few psychiatrists in Nigeria to cope with the huge number of people suffering from the condition. Also, people suffering from mental disorders are still being subjected to stigmatization, even among health workers.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Top London university asks for volunteers to take cocaine for research

The Health Beat Sam Eferaro

eferaro@yahoo.co.uk 08094082123 (sms only)

Goldie: Between embolism and hypertension

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Cocaine

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top London university has asked its students to snort cocaine as part of a clinical trial into the effects of the Class A drug.

In an email to hundreds of students sent last week, a professor at King’s College London seeks ‘healthy male volunteers, 25-40 years of age, to take part in a clinical study involving nasal administration of cocaine’.

The university wants to better understand how the Class A drug effects the body, calling it an ‘important scientific study’.

The college is one of the most prestigious in the country and can count 10 Nobel Prize laureates among its alumni It will not accept volunteers who use the drug recreationally, nor those studying medicine or dentistry, while participants will not be able to cut or dye their hair for 120 days during the study as scientists investigate a wide range of affects the drug has on the body.

Those who are accepted will be given ‘reasonable financial compensation’ for the time and expenses incurred.

The email explains the study will mean that: ‘After cocaine administration, repeated biological samples (blood, urine, hair, sweat, oral fluid) will be taken to compare and investigate how

cocaine and its metabolites are spread through the human body.’

The project, which has been approved

by London Westminster Research Ethics Committee, will be supervised by the clinical toxicology department at St Thomas’ Hospital.

A spokesman for the university said: ‘This is an important scientific study to investigate how cocaine and its metabolites are spread through the human body.

‘All the relevant ethical approvals were received for this study. The study will be conducted under the highest level of medical supervision in a dedicated clinical research suite. Further information about the NHS ethical approval process, which was followed, is available on our website.’

An estimated 700,000 people in Britain took cocaine last year, making it the second most popular drug after cannabis.

Founded in 1829 and named to indicate the patronage of King George IV, King’s College has about 18,600 full-time students and was ranked the 12th best university in Europ e in the 2012 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

There are 10 Nobel Prize laureates among King’s alumni and current and former faculty.

SCIENCE

Source: Daily Mail

Mediterranean diet helps cut risk of heart attack, stroke

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esults of the PREDIMED study, aimed at assessing the efficacy of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases, have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

They show that the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or tree nuts reduces by 30 percent the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

A total of 7,447 people following major cardiovascular risk factors participated in the study. They were divided into three dietary intervention groups: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), and a low-fat diet (animal and vegetable).

A dietician visited the patients every three months and they attended dietary training group sessions, in which they received detailed information about the Mediterranean and the low-fat diet, and

the food included in each one. Moreover, they were provided with shopping lists, menus and recipes adapted to each type of diet and each season of the year.

During the study, those participants who followed any of the two types of Mediterranean diet received freely extra-virgin olive oil (one litre per week), and nuts (30 grams per day; 15 grams of walnuts, 7.5 grams of almonds and 7.5 grams of hazelnuts).

After five years, it has been proved that participants who followed any of the two types of Mediterranean diet showed a substantial reduction in the risk of suffering a cardiovascular death, a myocardial infarction or a stroke.

According to the researchers, the results of PREDIMED study are relevant as they prove that a high-vegetable fat diet is healthier at a cardiovascular level than a low-fat diet. The authors state that the study has been controversial as it provides new data to reject the idea that it is necessary to reduce fats in order to improve cardiovascular health.

can see Prof. Dapo Obafunwa, Lagos State University (LASU) Vice Chancellor and the state’s Chief Medical Officer, trying to suppress a smile if he should see the autopsy report for the late music star Bimpe Harvey popularly known as Goldie. Contrary to the widespread report that the lady died of pulmonary embolism, autopsy had revealed the real cause: Bleeding in the brain as a result of a long standing hypertension (this is what all the medical jargon on the death certificate is saying).

You ask what Prof. Obafunwa has to do with this? As one of the most vocal advocates and sponsors of the Lagos coroner law, he would have been amused knowing he has scored a point on why we cannot ignore the role of autopsy in our general health care delivery system.

Just imagine, until the autopsy, we were all talking about the jaw breaking medical term, pulmonary embolism.

Seeing the confusion the term was already causing online, I had to assign someone on the health desk here to contact a cardiologist so we can get more information about the dreaded condition.

Indeed some doctors had granted interviews telling us about its very deadly nature.

Oh we all pitied Goldie. For such a vibrant youth to be cut down suddenly in her prime because she had to travel the world to carry out her business was such a big blow. We prayed for the family and some of us even went further to plan newspaper articles and stories not only to educate Nigerians but also to offer tips on how to prevent embolism if you have to embark on a long distant journey.

But Goldie did not die of pulmonary.

That was the doctors’ guess work. Of course, they (the doctors) had to rely only on the history of her last activities to arrive at a diagnosis since she was already dead before she got to the hospital. They could not have done any test to confirm their diagnosis. Only an autopsy could

Late Goldie

have revealed the reak cause.

We now know the music star lost her life to another killer, a silent one for that matter. In most cases, hypertension does not give any warning before wrecking havoc on its victims. According to the experts, the sign of headache, which late Goldie complained of before she gave up, is usually a late complication. Some people would even give up before then.

There are some lessons to be learnt from this tragic incident. First, we must learn to do things the right way as in other parts of the world. When the inevitable happens, let’s strive to know the cause of death through autopsy. Come to think of it, the dead don’t really need an autopsy. It is the living that needs it to learn one or two things and use the information to prolong and enhance the quality of life.

The other lesson we must learn from knowing the cause of Goldie’s death has to do with the silent but deadly nature of that condition called hypertension.

From what the experts say, we are all so vulnerable with our kind of crazy, wild, dog-eat-dog, hustle and bustle lifestyle.

To worsen the situation, we don’t care about our health. Like the proverbial cat with ten lives, we carry on every day without a thought or care for our body and health. Meanwhile, for many of us (about 40 million Nigerians actually), our blood pressure is rising beyond the normal level. Sadly, the doctors tell us that out of the estimated 40 million Nigerians with hypertension, only about 30% (between 9-12 million) are aware they have the deadly condition. As if that is not bad enough, experts also tell us that only about 30% of those who are aware they have it are currently on any form of treatment. Guess what, experts have also revealed that only one out of ten patients of hypertension in the country has their condition well controlled.

Yet, hypertension is said to have some serious complications when it is not controlled. It has been identified as a major cause of heart attack or stroke in Nigeria and indeed, elsewhere in the world.

When it is not controlled, hypertension may result in heart failure or cause severe damage to vital organs of the body like the kidneys. It even affects the individual’s ability to think, remember or learn and it may also lead to a loss of vision.

I think we should give more attention to this deadly condition than we all do at the moment. And this should start from individuals. Please check your blood pressure today and save yourself from an untimely death!

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Sokoto spends N3bn on MDG projects

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L-R: Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu and Founder, Kanu Heart Foundation; Kanu Nwankwo at the event in Abuja recently.

Kanu Heart Foundation to build N5bn cardiac hospital in Abuja MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

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he Kanu Heart Foundation (KHF) has proposed to build a N5billion Cardiac Specialist Hospital in Abuja.

The decision was made known recently in Abuja by the Coordinator of the KHF, Pastor Onyebuchi Abia during a visit to the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu.

He said the Foundation was planning a N5 billion naira appeal fund for the construction of the Cardiac Centre which President Goodluck Jonathan had accepted to be its Chief Launcher.

The project, he said, was borne out of the need to fill the yawning gap in the health sector for the treatment of heart-related ailments, especially those requiring open heart surgeries.

The Coordinator pointed out that since inception of the Foundation in 2000; it had successfully helped 425 children get free open heart surgeries in hospitals across the world from Europe to Asia, adding that the Foundation had spent about $4.2 Million, an average of $10,000 per person, for surgeries outside Nigeria.

He hinted that the project which is the first in the country is expected to perform at least 250 openheart surgeries annually

when completed.

Abia expressed optimism that the Centre, when operational, would save more lives and curb capital flights, stressing that it would also provide prevention services that would include public education and health promotion campaigns as well as screening services for early diagnosis.

He added that the Centre

would also provide heart surgeries for 0-12 years free of charge and 12 years and above at subsidized rates.

According to him, the Federal Government had given the Foundation a piece of land in Abuja for the construction of the project, while it had secured the services of foreign and reputable heart hospitals in India and Africa as partners.

“The launching of the appeal fund is scheduled for March 14, 2013 in Abuja,” he added.

In his remarks, Prof Chukwu commended Kanu Nwanko for establishing the Heart Foundation which he said had brought succour to those suffering from the heart ailment describing him as an icon of the country.

‘We should keep talking about cancer’ TOBORE OVUORIE

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e should keep talking about cancer. The prediction is that HIV and all the other infections will reduce while cancer is increasing. We need more awareness.”

Such was the comment of Dr. Kin J-Egwuonwu, National Coordinator, National Cancer Prevention Programme, NCPP, during the recent breast cancer and cervical cancer screening carried out for 10,000 women in Surulere local government area of Lagos State.

Egwuonu who lamented the alarming incidence of cancer in the country, said: “We need to increase awareness about cancer screening so that people will go for screening at the right time and not wait. People are re-

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ally dying untimely deaths and unnecessarily, and at a young age. People need to take their health seriously.

“Cancer is the number one killer of mankind, and in today’s world, one in every three persons is diagnosed with cancer,” notes Egwuonwu.

About 100,000 Nigerians are diagnosed with cancer annually, and about 80,000 die (10 deaths every hour).

The Nigerian cancer death ratio (4: 5) compares unfavourably with other nations. Most of these deaths can be prevented, through awareness, early detection and first-class treatment.

On the outcome of the screening exercise, Egwuonu opined that those who participated had been better informed about the precautions to take with cancer, as well as where to go to seek help.

“We had people that were positive, we had abnormal cervical cases, there were breast problems, lumps, and other complications.

This was combined with eye screening, to encourage the screening and of course because the eye is also important and vulnerable to cancer.

“There were many people with glaucoma at advanced stages, which means they did not know because glaucoma is silent and the affecetd person may go blind in one eye before noticing it.

There were also people with growths in the eye that were not cancerous.

“Many women had changes in the cervix. Usually about 4 out of 100 women will be positive for cervical cancer, but incidence for breast cancer is higher. It was not surprising we found those changes.”

he Sokoto State government has disclosed that it has spent N3 billion so far to execute various Millennium Development Goals projects in its 23 local governments within three years.

The state Commissioner for Local Governments, Alhaji Faruk Malami, told newsmen recently in Sokoto that the projects were on health, water supply, women and youths empowerment .

According to Malami, several hospitals and primary health centres had been rehabilitated and constructed, while others were equipped.

“Several other health facilities

were also upgraded to the status of general hospitals and others were expanded.

“Assorted drugs and hospital equipment were also provided to several health facilities.

Pregnant women and children under five years are also being provided with free drugs across the 23 local governments of the state.”

Malami further said the measure was aimed at drastically reducing maternal and infant mortality across the state. “The state government is committed to ensuring the attainment of the MDGs by 2015 in line with the efforts of the countries in the comity of nations.”

Oral-B continues mobile dental clinic programme SEKINAH L AWAL

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rocter and Gamble (P&G), the world’s largest manufacturer of household goods has begun another phase of its ‘Oral-B mobile dental clinic’ programme.

The new phase of the program features traditional elements of the mobile clinic such as dental health checks by accredited dentists, in addition to the new‘Oral–B Winning Mouth Test’ which asks consumers to express why their dental hygiene routine leads to having a winning mouth.

The Oral-B mobile dental clinic was held recently at the Mega Plaza mall, Lagos; where consumers were given the opportunity to receive free dental consultation and a chance to participate in the ‘OralB Winning Mouth test’. Speaking on behalf of the brand, Mrs. Mokutima Ajileye – Brand Opera-

tions Integration Manager, Procter & Gamble Nigeria, stated that Oral-B is dedicated to improving the oral health of all Nigerians through these programs, most especially the mobile dental clinic.

“We are pleased that Nigerian consumers trust OralB when it comes to the dental health of their families because at Procter & Gamble it is our purpose to touch and improve the lives of consumers with our brands.

Oral-B Pro-Health contains an antibacterial fluoride technology based on Stannous complex, a compound which is clinically proven to prevent tooth sensitivity, provide protection from tooth holes, limit bacterial build up, prevent tartar build up and reduce gum problems. In addition, the product whitens teeth and aids fresh breath.”

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Uncertainty looms over sickle cell drugs production agenda MARCUS FATUNMOLE ABUJA

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here are strong indications that plan by the Nigerian Export-Import (NEMIX) Bank to partner government in the production of Niprisan, a drug used in the management of sickle cell anaemia may have been aborted on the altar of political and bureaucratic inexpediency, six months after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was sealed between the bank and Federal Ministry of Health.

Investigations by Na-

tional Mirror indicated that contrary to assurance by the Minister of State for Health, Dr Muhammed Pate, that an Inter-Ministerial Committee would be set up within a week after the signing of the MoU, there is nothing in place to show that government is interested in getting the resuscitation of the local production of the drug effected.

The MoU with the bank, which was signed on behalf of the government by the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development for the production, would have al-

lowed the bank to provide the funds required to reactivate the production of the drug which, for now, is costing Nigeria substantial foreign exchange on import.

The agreement would enable NEXIM provide funds for the commercial production of the sickle cell drug which is to be made from four botanical species indigenous to Nigeria.

NEXIM Bank Managing Director, Robert Orya, who signed the agreement for his bank, while the Minister of State for Health, Dr Muhammad Pate and Di-

rector General of NIPRD Prof Karniyus Gamaniel signed on behalf of the ministry and the institute respectively, said the signing of the MoU was strategic as it had set the tone for the production of the drugs.

According to the Bank’s boss, the partnership would ensure the drug is not only consumed locally but also exported to other countries in demonstration of the bank’s concern for sickle cell patients and the need to minimise the scourge of sickle cell anaemia in the country and in other parts of the world.

He said, “This is a project that we are excited about because we have been committed to the resuscitation of this project and to us at NEXIM bank, we don’t have purely indigenous product to export so this product is one of the purely indigenous product that we can export.

“Aside from that, NEXIM has been at the forefront for restarting the production of this product for so many reasons and we are not just looking at the monetary gains but from the perspective of the social gains for the country.

The Minister of State

for Health said that an inter-ministerial committee would be set up a week after the pact to supervise the production of the drugs.

He explained: “There are millions of Nigerians who are living with sickle cell and at the same time there are remedies that in many cases we will not be able to reach them.

“But we are fortunate now that a Nigerian product–Niprisan has been found effective at alleviating this and it’s as a result of the research that NIPRID had done. This will help millions of Nigerians get succour.

Nigeria develops plan to tackle Neglected Tropical Diseases TOBORE OVUORIE

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igeria has reiterated her commitment at ending the scourge of Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs, by developing an integrated multi-year national plan for the control and elimination of the NTDs in the country.

The plan which will serve as blueprint for massive scale up of activities for the elimination of several NTDs by 2020 was launched recently.

In a statement presented in London in line with the multi-year plan for NTDs in Nigeria, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu recalled that the plan was developed with support from the World Health Organization African Regional Office.

He reiterated achievements such as elimination of guinea worm, maintenance of four consecutive years of zero-case reporting, interruption of onchocerciasis transmission, interruption of lymphatic filariasis transmission and achievement of the WHO elimination target of less than 1 case per 10,000 population for leprosy with successful multi-drug therapy (MDT) since 1996.

“These indicate commitment by the government of Nigeria to increase momentum in action for the control and elimination of NTDs in the country and also part of the follow up from the London declaration which affirms the commitment of the global community to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases worldwide,” he asserted.

L-R: Consultant, Senate Committee on Health, Dr Wale Okediran; National Coordinator, People Living with HIV in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Ogenyi and NACA Director-General, Prof. John Idoko, at the stakeholders’ forum on the proposed HIV/AIDS anti-stigma and discrimination bill in Abuja recently.

National Health Bill: Health workers call for further amendment TOBORE OVUORIE

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ollowing the recent public hearing on the National Health Bill organized by the Senate committee on health, Association of Medical Laboratories Scientists of Nigeria, AMLSN, have appealed to the Senate to amend the health bill to ac-

commodate existing laws in the health sector and also remove offending clauses and sections in the bill to avoid conflict and confusion.

President of the association, Dr Godswill Okara, stated in a statement made available to the press recently that the National Health Bill is full of contradictions, conflicting legal clauses and sections capable of worsening the declining condition of the Nigerian health sector.

“All the professional groups, Medical Labora-

tory Scientists, Pharmacists, Nurses, Physiotherapist, Radiographers and all the five registered labour unions in the health sector are calling for the removal of the identified offending clauses and sections of the bill and the insertion of clause and section to recognize the existing laws in the health sector to avoid conflict and confusion.

“The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the health reform foundation of Nigeria are pushing for

a quick passage of the bill without the amendment being sort by others. This is an open invitation to crisis of the worst dimension in the health sector.”

Dr. Okara further stated that the health coverage all over the world is provided through health insurance mechanism, but the proponent of the health bill is advocating for two percent of the federation consolidated fund to be allocated to heath care service in Local Government Areas.

Bauchi MDG office spends N1.2bn on hospitals, others

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President Health Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HEWAN), Mr Azoma Chikwe 3rd left presenting material and food items to head, Mother of Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice; Mrs. Laja Adedoyin 4th left. With them are from left Treasurer (HEWAN)Mrs. Appolina Adeyemi; Auditor, Miss Angela lroh; Social Secretary, Mrs. Tosin Odusola; Secretary, Mrs Chioma Obinna, and Member, Mr. Job Osazuwa as part of the activities of the association to mark Valentine’s Day at the Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice Surulere in Lagos recently.

n an effort to provide good health care services to the people, the Bauchi State Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office has so far expended over N1.28 billion on the provision of health care facilities in 20 local government councils of the state.

Speaking to newsmen on the activities of his office recently, the Perma-

nent Secretary and state focal person MDGs Bauchi State, Alhaji Sambo Umar Jimberi said that 20 brand new Primary Health Centres (PHCs) were constructed with 20 units of staff quarters attached to each of them.

Jimberi said that 20 hand-pump boreholes, one in each of the facilities, multi-million naira hospital equipment,

furniture’s and drugs, among others were also provided for them.

Other items in the package include supply of library equipment for the school of Nursing, School of Midwifery Bauchi, College of Health and Technology Ningi and the construction of School Clinics at the College of Health Technology, Ningi.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Arts Lounge It’s a record-making Oscars as Argo wins best picture

Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards is a ‘renaissance’ moment

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Marketing Nigeria’s culture to global audience The general belief is that Nigeria has so much to showcase as regards her rich cultural heritage; but how much of this came to the forefront at the 33rd International Tourism Trade Fair in Spain?

NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

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very year, the world comes together to exhibit what makes the individual nations tick in terms of crafts, food and tourism. From Europe to America, to Asia and Africa, each participating nation’s flags would be hoisted at the entrance of the gigantic auditorium. Countries’ delegations would have spaces allocated to them according to their continents to erect their stands in their national colours, in a way it would be endearing to visitors, tourism enthusiasts and art collectors.

This global platform is called the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR. It is one of the biggest tourism exhibitions in the world and holds between 30th January and 3rd February of every year. Over 150 nations and about 100,000 individuals participate on this global stage, where nations showcase their products and discuss with potential investors for the overall good of their individual economies.

Nigeria was part of this year’s edition which ended last week in Spain. The delegation led by the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Olusegun Runsewe came with the slogan, *Tourism is Life*. Quite apt, considering the hidden potentials in this sector, the fair was adjudged to have lived up to its expectation, especially with the wide array of resources on display at the Nigerian stand. But some stakeholders believe that more still needs to be done, to exploit this channel in projecting the totality of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

Archie Abia, a visual artist told Arts Lounge that he was not aware of the fair but urged the officials involved to endeavour to throw such opportunities open so that the country would have works of arts to display at the fair as well. “This year’s fair has come and gone. But we need to focus on the fair that is coming next year.

That is a good platform to show the various works of art Nigeria has. The coordinating agency of government should involve more interests because Nigeria as a nation has so much to showcase to attract tourism”.

Such view was also shared by the national president of the Society of Nigerian Artists, Oliver Enwonwu, who harped

on the need to broaden the scope. “Actually the Society of Nigeria Artists, SNA, ought to have been alerted about this, but we were not. Next time they should do so, to increase the bouquet of what the nation is offering to the outside world”.

This year’s fair in spite of these insinuations, would mean so much for the tourism industry judging from the feelers Arts Lounge gathered. For instance, Kuwait may shift the attention of her tourists to Nigeria as the State of Kuwait has indicated interest to sign a pact on tourism exchange with Nigeria.

Director of Tourism for the State of Kuwait, Majdash Behbhani revealed that her country is keen on opening new frontiers in business and tourism and have discovered Nigeria as a new preferred destination and as such pleaded with the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) to facilitate the deal as soon as possible.

Behbhani, according to Arts Lounge sources added that the State of Kuwait was always willing to partner with nations with potential and opportunities like Nigeria.

Runsewe could not agree less. According to him, Nigeria is a veritable platform for cultural tourism, ecotourism and sport tourism and many more, urging the Kuwaiti people to come and invest in Nigeria, because Nigeria is a country where they can have quick and long term returns on their investments particularly in the area of tourism.

On her part, the Nigerian Ambassador to Spain, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu expressed delight at the Nigerian stand. She said the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is committed to partnering with tourism related organisations and institutions because they have emerged as a veritable platform capable of alleviating poverty in the country.

“I want to state that the Nigerian stand is impressive and eye catching.

With a big logo proclaiming Nigeria with an inscription ‘Tourism is Life’, and painted in our national colours, it is obvious that this concept will endear exhibitors and tourists to our stand. The inscription encapsulates the essence of tourism indeed because tourism is life.

Nigeria is proud to showcase her rich cultural heritage and with Runsewe, the

Nigeria’s stand at FITUR

NTDC boss, Chief Runsewe and Majdash Behbhani, Kuwaiti Director of Tourism

message is clear which is making Nigeria a preferred destination for tourism.

This administration has taken a lot of steps to facilitate investment because the nation has a lot to offer especially with focus on ecotourism. We wish to expand the frontiers of tourism and enlarge our business coast to improve our economy.”

The team also seized the opportunity to pay a visit to the Nigerian Embassy in Spain where ideas were exchanged especially as regards projecting Nigeria’s image in positive light. There, Runsewe harped on the need for Nigeria to tell her own story in the midst of the various misrepresentations.

His words: “ Nigeria is a great nation but the problem is that we allowed people to tell out stories for us and as such, they misrepresent us. In 2007, there was a Spaniard who wanted to transfer 600,000 Euros to someone who claimed to be a Nigerian.

When they called my attention to it, I asked the man if he had contacted the embassy to ascertain the identity of the man and he said, no. I made calls and checked all the documents and discovered that the con man was not a Nigerian but from neighboring country who wanted to use Lagos as a platform to dupe him. I stopped the payment and the young man was spared of losing such huge amount of money.

There are many instances of mistaken identities and misrepresentations which

is putting our reputation in bad light and that is why it is necessary to always emphasise our strength as a nation by using SWOT analysis which is strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Instead of dwelling on the weaknesses, it is high time we narrated our strengths and let the world know that Nigeria is a safe haven for tourism and business.”

This view was shared by Bianca Ojukwu who also extolled Runsewe’s reign as the DG of NTDC. “This team led by Runsewe has made Nigeria proud and over time, the Director General has demonstrated a very clear vision of tourism and has told the world at different fora that Nigeria is an attractive place for investment and tourism. I am particularly pleased that he has travelled to all parts of the country even where I have never heard before. I am also impressed that Nigeria has actively participated in this big tourism event and has consistently made a mark as a result of his ingenuity. Tourism generates a lot of jobs not only in the hospitality industry but in health, sport, businesses and other areas of the economy. The economic benefits of promoting tourism cannot be over evaluated.”

Now that the benefits of this industry cannot be over-evaluated, it would be insightful to see the NTDC channel its resources in 2014 to involve everyone who has something to contribute for the good of Nigeria’s virtues.

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Arts Lounge

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

MIDWEEK JUMP

LET’S

T AL K FAD

Poetry feast entries close tomorrow

A

rojah Concepts and the Korean Cultural Centre, Abuja will join the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Poetry Day with the annual KoreaNigeria Poetry Feast and calls for entries from interested poets for the Volume II of its cross-cultural anthology.

This year’s edition, the third in the se-

South Korean President Park Geun-hye

ries, will focus on the celebration of womenfolk and is in honour of Korea’s first ever female President Senator Park Geun-hye.

Organisers said each poet may submit between one to five poems, which must all focus on appraisal of the womenfolk – mothers, wives, daughters, sisters, daughters, women in politics and women in leadership.

Also, entries are to be in any poetic form of the poet’s choice, should be emailed with a 100-word bio data and must be in English or local languages accompanied with English translation. The entries should be submitted as a single word document file attachment, with subject: Korea-Nigeria Poetry Anthology to arojahconcepts@yahoo.com on or before February 28.

Ten poets will emerge to receive the Korean Ambassador’s commemorative plaque, certificate, cash reward and other branded materials at a brief ceremony in Abuja on March 21.

From Here To There, a cross cultural anthology edited by Jerry Adesewo and Denja Abdullahi (from the 2011 and 2012 editions of the Korea-Nigeria Poetry Feast) will be presented during the event.

Deadline for AAF’s The Maker: New Contemporaries approaches

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eadline for the submission of works in the African Artists’ Foundation, AAF’s maiden project titled: The Maker: New Contemporaries is March 1.

The project is a platform for budding artists to present their portfolios via projections to a wide audience of curators, collectors, patrons, art critics, academics and the press, the foundation said. Each selected artist will be a recent graduate (up to three years) or final year student of art, design, architecture, or any related or relevant course of study in a Nigerian tertiary institution. Participants will have a maximum of 10 minutes to present their portfolios via projections. However, applicants without academic background who show strong conceptual depth will also be considered.

There will be seven participants per session.

Those interested should send an “email with name, date of birth, course of study/ discipline, school/school attended/year of graduation and five digital images of recent works and a short synopsis of your practice to themaker@africanartists.org,” the statement from AAF said.

The curatorial departments of the AAF will shortlist outstanding entries. This selection team will be headed by the artist, Professor El Anatsui.

Venue for the presentation is The Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Opposite 1004, Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria on March 13 from 7p.m.

Artists will be shortlisted based on originality, strong conceptual direction, honesty of creative expression and an overall commitment to the practice. Emphasis will be placed on the creative process; this may involve studio visits in certain cases. A total of 14 participants will be selected with seven showing in the first edition and the other seven showing later in the year. Meanwhile, names of shortlisted participants will be posted on the AAF website and there will be an end of year exhibition to showcase the works of all 14 participants at the AAF gallery.

Art enthusiasts at an exhibition at AAFgallery

Afro house dub dance party holds at City Hall

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oethe-Institut Nigeria, which only just held a successful Author’s Talk and screening of Jens Wenkel’s film: Lagos, Note of a City on Saturday, will in conjunction with Afrologic, host Afro house dub dance party tomorrow at 6p.m.

The invitation-only event features alternative club music, visual arts and percussion, and will take place at the rooftop, City Hall, Catholic Mission Street, Lagos Island,

where Goethe-Institut’s office is located.

Managed by BrowneHill Entertainment company, the event is an outcome of the recently held Ten Cities Project that brought together 50 DJs, producers and musicians from Berlin, Bristol, Johannesburg, Cairo, Kiev, Lagos, Lisbon, Luanda, Nairobi and Naples to produce music together and exchange their knowledge about the club scenes in their countries.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

with

Fidelis Duker

fidelisduker@yahoo.com; 08055662925(SMS ONLY)

Nollywood: When death came calling

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have had cause to argue at different forum that the deaths in Nollywood in the last year are not in any way different from what happens in other sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Several commentators have had reason to express their contrary opinion that the spate of deaths is simply alarming and therefore calls for spiritual cleansing. My question is simply if we have considered the population of those practising this profession in the entire country and the answer is in the neighbourhood of over 200,000 people. As at the last count there are over 50,000 actors registered with the Actors Guild of Nigeria, not mentioning the producers, directors, cinematographers, editors etc.

Those who have called for prayers have forgotten that there have been several prayer sessions and I am convinced that God has been answering our prayers. Ironically, I will prefer prayer sessions that will help improve our business. I have always said that most of those who have died so far are in their late 60s to 70s apart from the likes of Bisi Komolafe and Goldie Harvey who are in their early 30s. For people like the aforementioned, we can grieve and feel extremely sad because death is only cutting them short at the prime of their life. But you can’t compare them to the likes of Sam Loco, Pete Eneh, Enebeli Elebuwa, and lately Justus Esiri who were in their very late 60s and early 70s or Akin Ogungbe who was in his late 80s.

It is obvious that the recent public outcry about deaths in Nollywood is simply an exaggeration of the happenings and this cry is simply to draw undue attention to the industry. Why should the industry be scared that its veterans are leaving.

These veterans are grand fathers who have become national icons and created legacies we can all tap from and also build on, it is therefore important we begin to celebrate them.

It is also important we realise that as human, we get to a certain age where we are not as strong as we use to be and can not withhold many health issues prevalent today.

It is important we know that because we live, we must also die.

Many of us will live to 70, 80, 90 or 100 years. Despite how long we live, death will come because death is the prize we pay for living. Even when we say it is “not our portion”, it is certainly an eventuality that must occur. What is important is that we should be ready when death comes; some will ask, how can one be ready

THE INTERESTING PART OF DEATHS IN

NOLLYWOOD IS

SIMPLY BECAUSE WE ARE IN PUBLIC EYE when death comes? It is simply the ability to live an enriching and inspiring life, by this I mean you have lived your life for others, your country and for humanity so that when you are gone people can say glowing and beautiful things about your life.

To me, it is not the dying but what legacies you have bequeathed while alive.

The interesting part of deaths in Nollywood is simply because we are in public eye and therefore society tends to see us more that the average person. It is interesting because whatever happens to entertainers is a subject for public discuss and often times, it is news. Everyday, people die in the aviation, banking, politics, academic and even the media. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing strange about the deaths in Nollywood and the entertainment business in general but only sad when the very young are cut short in their prime.

The growing cynicism about these deaths can not be over-emphasised due to global attention Nollywood and many of our entertainers have gained. These deaths become a subject of concern and debate that there is something wrong in the industry and we need spiritual help or cleansing. However, it is a known fact that the entertainment industry is a leveller for its practitioners when you look at the age disparity of its practitioners in comparison to how they mingle and hibernate together. It is only in this business that you will see a 70-year-old man and a colleague in the early 20s exchanging banters like mates simply because the industry has no age disparity. Rather, what you find is that no member of the industry wants to grow old. Therefore, when a man in his 70s passes on you, hear the public looking at him as if he is a young man.

In summary, we must realise that the only constants in life are the day we are born and the day we will die.

There is no need to be alarmed but rather it will be good that when you die, a nice memory of you remains with the present and future generation.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Arts Lounge

VOICES

Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards is a ‘renaissance’ moment FEMI ODUGBEMI

MUSINGS You go to my head (For Moni) You go to my head Like new wine in old wineskins.

It is the light beneath your smile that shines with the strength of a thousand full moons in the dark night.

Your smile is a safe habour I take refuge.

T

he Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA, will take place from March 8 to 9 with lots of pomp and pageantry. It will be an important and magical moment in the development of the content industry for Africa.

If there is something I am passionate about as a content producer and a former president of an industry body, it is the fact that attention to shaping the “stories” of the African experience, growing its audiences and supporting the development of our content and creative industries will be how Africa wins the future. Today, many of Africa’s economies are failing, but I believe strongly that the emerging creative thrust of Africa holds a lot of hope for the social rejuvenation and economic rise of the continent. The AMVCA will highlight for the world –in a spectacular way– all the works and workers that are driving the economy of Africa into its new future.

For many years, Africa has struggled with the irony of its ‘wealth’ which is almost entirely concentrated under the ground. The irony being that Africa’s wealth under the ground has not translated to wealth above the ground.

Many nations of the world have built and advanced their societies on the wealth of resources found in Africa; yet, the continent is acutely challenged with underdevelopment, poverty, disease and wars, with a visible decline in its share of World trade over the years.

But there is a growing realisation that economic competitiveness is no longer largely dependent on natural resources. Economic viability and wealth distribution order of the World are evolving on new grounds that are not predicated on wealth under the ground. Given current economic realities in the World, it is increasingly difficult for any country or continent to compete entirely based on natural resources.

Economic competitive gaps in the world now depend on exploiting human capabilities, rather than natural resources. The industrial age is giving way to a knowledge economy and Africa is rising to the challenge of this new economic order in its own unique creative way.

Africa is pressing its advantage in storytelling, culture and creativity. Chinua Achebe is quoted to have described Man as “a story making animal. He rarely passes up an opportunity to accompany his works and experiences with matching stories…”. It is clear from many indications that Africa’s entry/contribution in the knowledge economy might be through storytelling, especially at a time that the continent is economically challenged from many fronts; this is even more valid considering that Africa has a heritage of storytelling that reaches way back into pristine times. African history and culture have been passed on through oral tradition that is largely dependent on storytelling, we have created governments by storytelling, we live and breathe storytelling.

With the exponential increase in technology development, Africa has a greater opportunity to exploit its unique advantage in storytelling. Until now, the cost of technology has not been to the advantage of Africa; but with

25

You go to my head like strong cologne sprayed in the right places.

The kisses come to me in my slumber I plunge Head first, body and soul and drink from the river of you I quench my thirst but must drink again and again.

It is a kiss that surges through my veins to the ocean of me I revel in its earthy tang I die a little.

Odugbemi

AFRICAN FILMS HAVE BECOME THE BACKDROPS OF OUR HISTORY IN A TIME WHEN THE GLOBAL INFORMATION ORDER HAS NOT BEEN TO OUR ADVANTAGE the current explosion in technological development, Africa is by providence being positioned to exploit the possibilities of technology for the purpose of its innate capabilities –storytelling. The impact of this technological explosion is already evident in the creative industry in Africa; the result of that is what we see with Nollywood. The fact that you don’t need to have all the big machines and huge capital to tell your story or to access an audience has expanded the frontiers of the film industry in Nigeria and indeed in Africa. It is, therefore, not a surprise that among those of African ancestry, across waters and across borders, Nollywood is not an isolated incident in Nigeria; it is a phenomenon that is identifiable wherever the African experience exists.

In the last 20 years, Nollywood has expanded, if not reinvented, the art of storytelling as we know it in Africa. Our fathers told their stories (folktales) to a small gathering of generations of their family, sitting in circles on wooden stools in their compound they passed on great stories to the eager minds of the young ones.

Stories that embedded in them values that have kept Africa together through wars, colonialism, economic deprivation and unsettling moments that have challenged our existence to its roots.

The values in those stories have kept hope in the hearts of Africans, constantly reminding us that there is a better day in spite of the oddities of colonialism and despondent leadership –the African spirit stands undeterred. It explains why you will find that it is difficult to find an African that is committing suicide; we always think tomorrow is another day.

Nollywood has capitalised on the inherent potential of African stories to penetrate individual cultures on the continent, breaking down colonial structures that keep us apart.

It has opened new opportunities for Africans, regardless of their geographical distance, to reconnect and find an appeal in the common values taught to us in our stories. This, to my thinking, is a singular success of the film industry in Nigeria. Africans, both on the continent and in the Diaspora, now have a sense of connection that speaks to the values that are peculiar to them and cannot be replicated in American, Indian or Chinese movies.

Beyond this, African films have become the backdrops of our history in a time when the global information order has not been to our advantage. We have been able to demonstrate in our movies that our lifestyles are different, our ways of seeing the world are different, our spirituality is different and we have passed that on even as we migrated to cultures that are foreign to ours. Interestingly, these films are fast becoming a cogent reference for our identity as we move into new worlds. We have used these films to teach our children and expand our capacity to recognise ourselves as Africans.

The AMVCA comes at a time when it is most important to take the African storytelling experience to a new level of reckoning and celebration. But above all, it presents a prime opportunity for the voice of the large community of content consumers in Africa to be heard.

Love disconnects me from myself and binds me to you.

It is the sound of drums in the distance a thunderbolt on a stormy wet day the sun after a rainy day a trace of cool breeze on a hot hot day a blissful cry at the little death.

Your gay laughter at a joke I have not quite spoken.

I gaze on you and I am seduced by visions clouds of promise gifts of sweet nothingness.

I hear voices I discern yours clear like stream water bubbling over the rocks in an exotic grove.

Your words come from a long time ago an era predating time.

You go to my head You are euphoria that comes with rain after a long drought On your lips a smile that conquers me beckons me to discover myself I am only a savage training to tame my lust.

Terh Agbedeh

26

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FAR AND NEAR

We must accentuate culture for development –Duke IJEOMA EZEIKE ABUJA

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he Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke has said if Nigeria must be one of the top 20 economies in 2020, the country must take a step in the direction of accentuating her culture as a veritable tool for the growth and development of the country.

The Minister stated this while declaring open the meeting of the Chinese Cultural Experts delegation to Nigeria on Monday in Abuja.

The meeting, Chief Duke said, was part of the country’s efforts to enhance cultural relations and promote cultural exchange between both countries. It was also a follow-up to the interactive technical meeting of cultural experts on strategic implementation of Nigeria’s agreement with friendly countries hosted by the ministry in November 2012.

It would be recalled that the cultural and educational co-operation between Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China was signed on March 28, 1990.

It is also interesting to note that Nige-

ria has successfully established a cultural centre in Beijing, China and the only African country to have done so.

The Minister said: “It is gladdening to note that our cultural exchange have been vibrant as evident by series of exchange in the fields of music, dance, exhibition; capacity training for cultural experts, cultural troupes, arts and crafts.

“This exchange significantly enhance and promote mutual understanding and appreciation of our dynamic cultures and afford our experts opportunities to exchange ideas and global best practices in all aspects of our cultural heritage”.

The meeting, Duke said, was an opportunity for both stock-taking and interaction where present challenges and constraints can be shared and discussed in order to strengthen and broaden future implementation strategies of the countries’ agreements.

Duke, however, reiterated that his ministry will give serious attention to the outcome of the meeting as the role of cultural diplomacy is fostering mutual understanding and socio-economic development cannot be over emphasised.

In his words, “it is therefore my sincere hope that we have more collaborations and networking, having at the back of our minds that the world is relying on soft power as opposed to hard power in solving global issues.

Achieving this in view of our diversity depends on inter-cultural dialogues such as this. On this premise, I wish to state that my ministry will continue to provide subsequent platforms for such interface with China”.

He also invited China to join Nigeria in her Centenary celebration by presenting cultural performances in at least three states in Nigeria together with other friendly countries.

“This meeting is for me particularly extremely gratifying as it will deliberate on future co-operation between our two countries. It is important for us to state that Nigeria has a very robust relationship with China not only in the development of our railways and other infrastructure, but also in the aviation sector where we are about to see huge infrastructural development. It is important for us in culture to leverage on all of

TERH AGBEDEH

TERH AGBEDEH

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

M

these because the most critical element of Chinese development is the utilisation of Chinese culture as the pillar for growth and development of economy”.

Responding, the Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy, Mr. Jin Hong Yue, who spoke through an interpreter, said the cooperation between both countries has been very successful through indispensable effort.

Mr. Yue assured that China will send a delegation that will participate in the forthcoming Arts and Craft Expo and the annual Abuja carnival which he said would help the Chinese to know more about Nigeria.

Also, the Head of Chinese Cultural delegate, Mrs Jiao Yunhua donated 250 books written in English by Chinese authors to the National Library of Nigeria, NLN.

It’s a record-making Oscars as Argo wins best picture

2face thrills at Super Eagles’ victory concert any other musicians performed at the victory concert for the African Cup of Nations, AFCON-winning Super Eagles but the moment 2face Idibia stepped on the stage at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos, the crowd went wild with excitement. It was a perfect climax to the thrill building up from early evening when numerous upand-coming musicians, as well as known ones like Sound Sultan, Terry G, Mr. Raw and Kola Soul, among others, performed for the crowd on the evening of February 15. People had come from all walks of life, most of them following the convoy that took the victorious team from one end of Lagos to the other.

2face sang not only for the team but also for those who had come to cheer the team thrilling them with some of the songs from across his earlier albums and songs yet to come. Even though like most of the other musicians he lip-synched, it came across as if this was a live performance.

Together with his backup singers, 2face gave a performance to remember.

The day-long activity to honour the African champions started at a reception held at the State House in Lagos after which, the tour continued in a procession with the trophy on display through major locations in the city. At every point of the journey, the team

Duke

2face

was greeted by cheering fans who expressed appreciation to Guinness Nigeria Plc for bringing the Champions of Africa and the trophy to Lagos.

At the Teslim Balogun Stadium, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Guinness Nigeria Plc, Mr. Seni Adetu announced that the team would be presented a total of $50,000 representing the earlier promised $5,000 for each goal scored from the team’s second match against Zambia. Adetu also mentioned that each member of the entire team including the technical crew and staff would receive a year’s supply of Guinness products in varying proportions.

The company is perhaps the only one that never lost faith in the team and will, from all indication, continue to support it.

“Guinness had at no point doubted the Super Eagles’ resilience and strong determination to counter the challenges in South Africa because we believe in what the team is made of. Our joy in Guinness Nigeria Plc knows no bounds; we are simply ecstatic,” Adetu said.

Among other things, the company produced the world’s largest jersey, which went on display in two key cities in Nigeria.

N

ominated one out of the eight movies for best picture at the 85th Academy of Motion Picture Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, Argo clinched it over Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, which was perceived as the films biggest competition. Argo is the first best picture winner not to be nominated for best director since 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy. The other nominees this year were Life of Pi, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserables, Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Django Unchained.

Jennifer Lawrence, 22-year-old former cheerleader, became one of the youngest best actress Oscar winners ever for her role in Silver Linings Playbook.

This is her second time but she only got a nomination in 2011 for Winter’s Bone.

Also to win best actor for a record third time is the British-Irish actor Daniel Day-Lewis for his role as

the 16th U.S. president in Lincoln. He won his first in 1990 for his role in My Left Foot. The 55-year-old actor is known to have made only four films in the last decade.

Anne Hathaway won her first Oscar ever in the supporting actress category for her role in the movie, Les Miserables, while Life of Pi won Ang Lee second directing Oscar. Taiwanese-born Ang Lee was the first Asian ever to win an Oscar for directing in 2006 for gay cowboy movie Brokeback Mountain.

The 85th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with host Seth MacFarlane and were aired live.

Anne Hathaway

LIST OF OSCAR WINNERS

• Best Picture: “Argo.”

• Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln.”

• Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook.”

• Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, “Django Unchained.”

• Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables.”

• Directing: Ang Lee, “Life of Pi.” • Foreign Language Film: “Amour.”

• Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, “Argo.”

• Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained.”

• Animated Feature Film: “Brave.”

• Production Design: “Lincoln.”

• Cinematography: “Life of Pi.” • Sound Mixing: “Les Miserables.”

• Sound Editing (tie): “Skyfall,” ”Zero Dark Thirty.”

• Original Score: “Life of Pi,” Mychael Danna.

• Original Song: “Skyfall” from “Skyfall,” Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth.

• Costume: “Anna Karenina.”

• Documentary Feature: “Searching for Sugar Man.” • Documentary (short subject): “Inocente.”

• Film Editing: “Argo.”

• Makeup and Hairstyling: “Les Miserables.”

• Animated Short Film: “Paperman.”

• Live Action Short Film: “Curfew.”

• Visual Effects: “Life of Pi.”

27

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

I have had several club managerial offers, but I have decided to take my time to weigh all the options

Udoh resurfaces at Heartland

- FORMER NIGERIA INTERNATIONAL, MUTIU ADEPOJU

30

F/Eagles’ keeper undergoes scan

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lying Eagles’ goalkeeper, Samuel Okani, was expected to undergo an MRI scan yesterday, to ascertain the extent of his right hand injury.

Okani has returned to full training after he injured his right hand during a recent test game, but he has continued to complain about pains in the hand.

The Enyimba shot stopper was first choice and skipper during the qualifying series for the 2013 African Youth Championship.

Enugu Rangers goalkeeper, Emmanuel Daniel, and Jonah Usman from ABS have now moved up in the goalkeeping pecking order in the Flying Eagles on account of Okani’s injury setback.

Police Games: 132 represent Zone 3

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Nigeria’s striker, Brown Ideye (in front) will be available for the match against Kenya.

W/Cup qualifier: Keshi to release Eagles’ list March 9 S

uper Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, will release the names of his players who will battle the Harambee Stars of Kenya in a World Cup qualifier in Calabar on March 9.

Nigeria will host Kenya in a Group F Brazil 2014 World

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Cup qualification match at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, Cross River State on March 23.

“The list for the Super Eagles for that game against Kenya will be released on March 9, exactly two weeks before the game against Kenya so

Nigerians can see who is in and who is out,” Keshi told supersport.com.

The ‘Big Boss’ however failed to reveal if there would be any surprises on the cards.

“Will there be any surprises in that list? Well, I guess Nigerians will have to

wait to find out if there are any surprises but we are still working on this team to see that it becomes the complete article,” he stated.

Nigeria currently tops Group F comprising Kenya, Malawi and Namibia with four points from two matches.

he Zone 3 Police Command, comprising Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba states is sending a 132-man contingent to the 10th Nigeria Police Force Games, tagged “Port Harcourt 2013.”

The Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in charge of the Zone, Alhaji Mohammed Tambari, disclosed this in Yola at the zonal headquarters.

Tambari said the zone was fully prepared for the competition and hoped to perform well, adding that the Games, apart from keeping policemen and women fit, also provide them the opportunity to contribute to sports development.

The AIG named policemen and women like Samuel Peter, Kikelomo Ajayi, Chioma Ajunwa and the late Sunday Bada as some of those who made the police and nation proud in sports.

Inspector General of Police, Abubakar

…Men’s basketball league starts same day

he 2012/2013 men and women’s basketball leagues will dunk off next month in Lagos and Abuja respec-

tively.

President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Tijani Umar, who disclosed this in Lagos, said the NBBF and its major partners, Multichoice Nigeria Limitedd and Zenith Bank Plc, sponsors of the competitions had endorsed the commence-

ment dates.

Umar said that the DStv Premier League for Men will dunk off on March 9 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, adding however, that games would be played on the opening day across the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences.

The Zenith Bank League will begin on March 23.

“This season, the DStv League will wel-

come back returnees, Plateau Peaks, and new-comers, Mark Mentors, will replace Tapgun Rockets in the Savannah Conference .

“Debutants Oluyole Warriors of Ibadan will also taste premiership action in the Atlantic conference,’’ he said.

Umar added that the Indoor Hall, National Stadium, Abuja would host the commencement phase of the Zenith Bank

League for Women from March 23 to April 6.

He said that teams for the female competition were expected to arrive on March 21 in time for the technical meeting on March 22.

“The NBBF and Zenith Bank have finalised arrangements for a pre-season press briefing and cheque presentation ceremony at the Press Centre, National Stadium, Lagos on March 28,” Umar said.

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Sport Tit bits...

Fabio QPR’s on-loan defender, Fabio, has revealed how he almost celebrated his twin brother Rafael’s stunning strike against the Hoops.

Fabio struggled to hide his emotions when Rafael’s shot flew past keeper Julio Cesar as he was sat next to QPR owner Tony Fernandes.

“I was pleased to see my brother score a goal like that.

Naturally I wanted to celebrate.

But I was sat next to the QPR president,” he said.

Vidic

Manchester United captain, Nemanja Vidic, is confident that he will soon be available for every game as he seeks to overcome a troublesome knee injury.

Vidic admitted he is currently managing the problem that has limited him to only 14 starts since December 2011.

“With playing Wednesday and Saturday, some games I have to think if it’s good for myself to play or not. After every game I feel better and better, which is a good sign,” the Serb said.

Dyer

Nathan Dyer has spoken out about his penalty spat with Jonathan de Guzman by claiming he should have been allowed to take the spot kick in the Capital One Cup final.

The 25-year-old winger scored twice against Bradford City before an embarrassing row with De Guzman over who would take Swansea’s penalty after Bantams goalkeeper Matt Duke was sent off.

Jerome

Tony Pulis has praised Cameron Jerome’s attitude after insisting he never considered letting the Stoke City striker head out on loan in January.

Jerome has started only one game in the Premier League this season, but has come off the bench to score crucial goals against Newcastle United, Southampton and Reading.

He has consistently been linked with a temporary switch to the Championship in order to play regularly, with Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United reported to be keen on the 26-year-old.

Weimann

Aston Villa’s league position is hampering the club’s attempts to tie up striker Andreas Weimann to a longterm deal.

The Austria international, 21, has just 18 months to run on his existing contract and Villa is keen to extend his stay at the club.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Among the trio of Crist Lionel Messi and Andr would you say is most in your playing days?

Certainly, it is Ini most similar to me in style and the way he pl touch football. He’s a string-puller and, like score that many goals who lays them on for to enjoy setting up a g scoring one. I’d love c team-mate to celebra scored from one of my

‘Gunners can get the best players’

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rsenal Chairman, Peter HillWood, insists the club is in a position to compete with its bigspending Premier League rivals in the transfer market.

The Gunners on Monday announced half-yearly profits of £17.8million to the end of November last year and cash reserves of £123.3m, prompting the fans to demand more money be spent on the team, having lost key figures such as Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas in recent transfer windows.

Manager Arsene Wenger said last week the club could afford to buy Atletico Madrid ace Falcao, thought to have a price tag of £40million, should the club choose oose to go after the striker.

“We are in a position where we can compete with most people.. If there is someone we really want, then the price guide is secondary ondary,” Hill-Wood said yesterday sterday.

“I understand that they y want us to win everything, erything, but so do I. But we are in a sight ight better position n than a lot of people. ople.

“Let me be quite clear ar that our intention n is to keep our best players yers and recruit new w talent to make us stronger.” onger.”

Wenger has come under der fire from some fans ns over the club’s barren rren run and has been en linked with an exit, with his contract ntract set to expire e at the end of next season. n.

Benitez, Blues’ players trade blames Rafa Benitez (r) and Eden Hazard in training

C

helse helsea Manager, Rafa Benitez, was involved in a training volve ground bust-u bust-up with the club shell-shocked squad on Monday.

Less than 24 hours after they were beaten 2-0 2- by champions Manchester City, the Spaniard told his players their attitude had cost a series of managers the sack, ma then lectured them on their failth ure to grasp tac tactics and a lack of effort.

But the interim manager was stunned when one senior player sugs gested he might be at a fault, given the club’s success in winning the Europewin an Cup last May. “We won the European Cup with this Europ team,” the player said.

Title chase not over–Hart

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anchester City goalkeeper, Joe Hart, insists the club is still committed to chasing down title rivals United, despite a daunting 12-point gap.

City’s hopes of retaining its Premier League crown look slim with just 11 games left to cut the deficit.

The champion boosted confidence after a winless run of three league games by seeing off third-placed Chelsea on Sunday and Hart is determined to keep the dream alive.

“We’ve got to keep fighting, you never

know. We have just got to keep going. It’s going to be really hard, we’ve got a lot to do but we’re going to have a damn good go at doing it,” the England goalkeeper, who saved a penalty from Frank Lampard in the 2-0 victory, said yesterday. “It’s going to be really hard, we’ve got a lot to do but we’re going to have a damn good go at doing it,” he added.

City will not be in action again until the side travels to struggling Aston Villa next Monday, by which time the Eastlanders could be 15 points behind United.

A furious Benitez also accused the squad of under-performing since he replaced Roberto Di Matteo in November.

It’s understood that he began a pretraining discussion with the players by calling them into a huddle at their base in Cobham, Surrey.

After picking up on a comment made by skipper Terry in the dressing room following their defeat at City, Benitez attempted to single him out. Terry defended himself and reminded the Spaniard that senior players have spoken to him about his managerial methods since he arrived after Chelsea’s shambolic loss in the Champions League against Juventus.

Sources at the club, however, played down the nature of the exchange and maintained that it did not have an impact on the quality of the training session that followed.

Why do you think there players in your mould a The way the game ferent. Traditional No to be, are stuck out nowadays so they ca and back again. And t pear a little out there, cally they have to put enal amount of work, much time to think. I very unlikely they wil ly extinct, because eve players with that creat

Do you think the emerg James Rodriguez in Co solved that problem?

James has done a r I’m one of the peopl who really admire him defend him. That’s du of play and everythin achieved in his short c lad who went to Arge a championship with who’s now a first-choi has made a differenc been weighed down national-team jersey. W because he’s only just and we have got a qual long time to come.

How would you say Jo has done since taking helm?

It’s been positive. man, who can play who, in his own way, lombian football its The players have adap are getting the results and the world like to se not just won games; t by playing good footba of Edwin Valencia, res, Carlos Valdez and he’s put in four or fiv weren’t getting in the before. He’s assembled the foundations are la we can keep going like

Mata ca cal

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helsea helsea hels e midfield says the Blues cent disappoin source of motivation set up an FA Cup quar our tie with Manches The European ch second-tier Middlesb fifth round today, thr 2-0 loss at Mancheste

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

iesta. He’s the n terms of his lays one- or twoan organiser, a me, he doesn’t s, he’s a player r others. I used goal more than chasing after a ate a goal he’d y passes.

gence of olombia has

really good job. le in Colombia m, who always ue to his style ng he’s already career: this is a entina and won h Banfield, and ice at Porto. He ce and he’s not by the senior We can rest easy getting started lity player for a

ose Pekerman the Colombia

He’s a football the game and y, has given Coidentity back. pted to him and s that Colombia ee. And they’ve they’ve done it all. In the likes Macnelly Tord Teo Gutierrez, ve players who e national side d a strong team, aid. Let’s hope e this and make

EVEREST ONYEWUCHI

P Valderrama

Iniesta reminds me of myself –Valderrama

Very little fans will doubt that Carlos Valderrama remains the best-known face in Colombian football. The 51-year-old former playmaker spoke with FIFA.com on the revival of the country’s football fortune that tilts towards an appearance at next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil every Colombians’ dream come true, by reaching the World Cup again.

Do you think the euphoria that has built up around the team is justified or over the top?

It’s exciting! And it’s to be expected after so long away from the World Cup. It’s what we’re all hoping for, because we’ve always had generations of very good players who’ve somehow got lost along the way. But I think this generation will manage to get us back to the World Cup, and by playing good football to boot.

Can you compare this crop of players with the stars of the 1990s?

It’s different, because this whole group of players play outside Colombia. I only left just after the ’90 World Cup while and Lionel Alvarez, Rene Higuita and the rest went later. The current players have been abroad a long time and that gives them a bit more international experience, the taste of a different culture and way of life. I think this generation has the edge on ours because of that. I hope they can prove it by taking the national squad to World Cups, like we did.

Do you think this Colombia squad could rest on its oars like the team of the 1990s?

We didn’t rest on our laurels, quite

the opposite in fact. What happened is we didn’t play as well as we should at the World Cup and the other teams played better. In Colombia they’ve never been able to accept that. And I, as a player, have always said that’s football: you have peaks and troughs.

And that’s what happened. These players know that they haven’t achieved their objective yet, but they are playing well and the country’s very happy with them.

What emotions does Radamel Falcao’s current success stir in you?

He’s writing a beautiful story.

I personally, and Colombians as a whole, are very proud of what he’s achieving. He’s managed to carve out a successful career in a short space of time. He’s a lad who’s still young! He was a leading scorer and champion at River Plate and he did the same at Porto. Before, personally, I couldn’t wait for the weekend to watch Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Now I look forward to seeing Falcao too.

Do you think Falcao might one day overtake you?

Yes, yes, he’s proving that with the goals he’s scoring. And on top of that, I love the way he is: despite being a young man, his down-to-earth nature and humility shine through in everything he achieves. He’s on the right track.

lls for Chelsea cup reaction

der Juan Mata, der, Mata s must use rentments as a n as they bid to rter-final glamster United. hampions visit brough in the ree days after a er City that left

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Maigari challenges leagues to produce more stars

tiano Ronaldo, res Iniesta, who similar to you

e aren’t many anymore? is played is difo10s, like I used on the flanks an drift inside they can disapbecause physit in a phenombut without as In any case, it’s ll become totalery team needs tive ability.

Sport

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

them th seven en points poiint nts adrift ad drift f of the top ft two in the Premier League.

It leaves UEFA Champions League qualification as Chelsea’s only realistic objective in the league this season, but the Blues remain in contention for honours in both the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League.

The draw for the last eight in the

FA Cup dealt Rafael Benitez’s side Ra a possible trip to Old Trafford in the next round and Mata believes that should provide enough motivation to cast recent setbacks into the shade.

“We’re sorry for our fans. The way to overcome the disappointment is winning again,” Mata said yesterday.

resident of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari, yesterday, in Abuja challenged the various Leagues to produce more stars for Nigerian football, in the mould of Super Eagles’ Cup of Nations heroes, Sunday Mba and Godfrey Oboabona.

The NFF president spoke at the opening ceremony of the Congress of the Nigeria Nationwide League, which held at the West Point Hotel, Abuja.

“The Leagues have the responsibility to work even harder now to produce heroes for Nigerian football, following the excellent performance of some home boys at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

“Surely, the reward for our success in South Africa will be more work on the part of all of us - the NFF, State FAs, the Leagues and our various clubs.

“In football, you are as good as your last result. Today, we are the champions of Africa.

To maintain that status, we need to work even harder than we have ever done previously.

Staying at the top is a lot more difficult than getting there,” said Maigari.

The theme of the congress, which also

took in the Draw Ceremony for the season, is: ‘Using Football As A Tool Of Fighting Current Challenges Facing Our Country.’

The Minister of Sports/Chairman National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who was represented by the Director of Grassroots Sports Development, Mallam Alhassan Yakmut, laced his address with encomiums for Maigari and the NFF for the Super Eagles’ triumph at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Maigari

Tech director: Keshi’s job safe–NFF JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

G T/tennis: Ojo set for Adeboye battle YEMI OLUS

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igeria junior international, Onaolapo Ojo, is hoping to commence his 2013 campaign on a winning note as he features in the maiden Pastor Enoch Adeboye U-20 Table Tennis Championship which served off yesterday at the Redeemed Camp on Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway.

The Ondo State player is regarded as a major contender for the Men’s Singles title of the tournament following his exposure to international competitions in recent months.

“I expect the competition to be very tough because we have a lot of players from different parts of the country,” Ojo told National Mirror yesterday.

“I will not underestimate any player because I believe that they are all good. I have trained very hard for this competition as well and the prize money of N1.5 million is the major motivation for me,” he added.

Qualification matches commenced yesterday with the finals scheduled for Saturday.

eneral Secretary of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Barrister Musa Amadu, has downplayed the role of a foreign technical director for football in the country, insisting that the appointee will not interfere with the work of Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi.

Amadu, who spoke to National Mirror in Abuja yesterday, said it was the norm in other football nations as was also accepted

by FIFA. “Appointment of technical director is a global trend,” Musa defended.

“Nations all over the world have their football technical directors and ours cannot be any different because it is part of FIFA’s programme to develop the game.

“The technical director will not sit on the bench of the Super Eagles; neither the Flying Eagles or even the Golden Eaglets, Super Falcons, Flamingoes and Falconets.

“Instead, he will be saddled with the responsibility of fashioning out developmental policies for the general good of our football.

“This starts from the grassroots level down the line. The NFF leadership is committed to laying a strong foundation for the growth of the game in the country.”

Amadu also denied reports that the new appointee would supplant the plans advanced by Keshi ahead of the World Cup 2014 qualifiers.

“He will have a different but specified role to play, although he will have an input in the programmes of the various national teams and cannot go beyond that level,” the general secretary explained.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Nigeria Premier Nig League

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cricket

with

IIKENWA NNABUOGOR ikenwa.nnabuogor@gmail.com

Dolphins happy with Ajagun’s progress

Nasarawa United players lament untold hardship

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layers of the newlypromoted Nasarawa United have threatened a showdown with their management over unpaid sign-on fees, National Mirror has been informed. The players said they were yet to receive any money since they resumed camping at their Lafia base last December ahead of the new season reported to start on March 9.

Some of the players, who pleaded anonymity, lamented to National Mirror the deplorable condition of their camp in Lafia which they described as killing and lacking any form of comfort. It was alleged that the players lacked training kits to train, making life difficult for the players.

“We’re dying here in Lafia because we don’t have money to feed and take care of our families,” lamented one of the new players.

“We have not received any money from the club and our condition is getting more difficult by the day.

“I’m tired of the whole thing because I can’t continue like this unless something is done quickly. I’m even looking beyond Nasarawa United and would jump at any offer at a drop of a hat.”

Kingsley Udoh with the ball in a match

Udoh resurfaces at Heartland

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ormer Golden Eaglets star Kingsley Udoh has rejoined Heartland after fruitless search for clubs in Peru and Colombia. Udoh had spent weeks in the South American countries testing with Peruvian club Penarol and later at Colombian second division side Llaneros.

Udoh and Eagles team mate Usman Amodu were alleged to have signed for the Colombian second division as reported by a local website but the deal ap-

peared to have stalled, forcing the former schoolboy international to return to Heartland.

It appeared Udoh and Amodu would continue their careers in South America, as their London-based representative, Akinyemi Olubusola, worked frantically to get them pen contracts in Colombia. It’s not clear what reason for their not signing contracts was, but the fact that Udoh has returned to Heartland, meant there was no deal on the table for him.

Udoh, National Mirror learnt, rejoined Heartland in December shortly after his misadventure in South America and has since started training with the two-time Federation Cup winners.

He had earlier spent some time at Spanish side Atletico Madrid, joining their youth ranks shortly after winning the U-17 World Cup in Korea in 2007. He returned home without a contract soon afterwards.

eneral Manager of Dolphins Football Club, Dumbo Awanen, says he is happy with the progress Abduljeleel Ajagun has made in football.

Ajagun was recently named substantive captain of Nigeria’s U-20 national team, the Flying Eagles and Awanen insists it shows the quality of players at Dolphins.

“It is not just about being a good player which we know Ajagun is, it is about having leadership qualities and being named captain of a national team no matter what cadre shows that he has the ability to able to lead the team in their quest for glory,” Awanen said.

Apart from Ajagun being named captain of the Flying Eagles, two other Dolphins players in the team, Chidi Osuchukwu and Chizoba Amaefule were named as vice captains and an elated Awanen continued to extol the virtues of Dolphins.

“I think from the latest developments at the Flying Eagles it is clear that Dolphins have a certain quality of players, a quality seen by the national team coaches.

“I on behalf of Dolphins Football Club congratulate Ajagun for being named captain of the Flying Eagles as well as Chidi Osushukwu and Chizoba Amaefule for their positions as vice captains,” Awanen said.

Meanwhile, Sunday Rotimi has been named acting captain of the club following the departure of long time player and former captain of Dolphins, Emah Godwin to Akwa United. The former Super Eagles goalkeeper joined Dolphins in 2004 and has won the league twice and two FA Cups with the team.

Rangers insist on signing Okonkwo

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Okonkwo

angers have insisted they have signed released Heartland defender Chibuzo Okonkwo despite reports that they are yet to complete his signing.

Reports emerged yesterday that the former Bayelsa United star was still not yet a Rangers player contrary to reports that he had signed for the coach City Antelopes last week.

It was widely reported that Rangers had acquired the former Bayelsa United star on loan from non-league Nsukka-based side Oak Zeel FC but close sources revealed to National Mirror that the 24-year old was yet to officially pen on paper for the

Antelopes.

Sources added that Okonkwo who arrived Rangers last week, had only been training with the club. But Rangers spokesman Foster Chime rubbished the reports, insisting that the former Gabros star had been signed by Rangers.

Chime said the picture regarding Okonkwo’s reported Rangers signing would get clearer later this week when the club secretary returned from an official trip to Abuja, but the Rangers spokesman declined to indicate if the club secretary’s mission to Abuja was connected to Okonkwo’s signing.

“I can confirm to you that Okonkwo has signed for

Rangers and has been training with the team,” he insists.

“I don’t know where the reports that he’s yet to officially sign for Rangers are coming from but I can confirm that he’s our player.

“We’re still waiting for the secretary to return from Abuja and until then I wouldn’t want to dwell much on the issue.”

Okonkwo, who has been capped 10 times at senior level, was on the verge of finally taking his game abroad before Finnish side Inter Turku pulled out on the deal due to the player’s indecision. He was reported to be on way to Asia for yet another trial but he ended at Rangers.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Business & Finance We’re are not prepared to play the size game Group Managing Director, Enterprise Bank Limited, Ahmed Kuru

Pension fund, unclaimed dividends should be invested in secondary mortgage market PRINCIPAL PARTNER, AKIN OLAWORE AND COMPANY, AKIN OLAWORE

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CBN extends deadline for bank account update till April JOHNSON OKANLAWON

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ny designated non financial business that have not registered with the special control unit against money laundering on or before April 30, this year will not be allowed to operate, the Central Bank of Nigeria has said.

The CBN in a circular to the banks yesterday, directed that Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBPs) that are existing financial institutions’ customers to update their account information with evidence of registration.

The circular signed by Acting Director, Financial Policy and Regulation Department, Mr. Nwaoha I.T. stated that following representations made by some stakeholders for an extension of the deadline, the CBN hereby extends the deadline by three months, from February 1 to April 30, 3013.

According to the CBN, DNFBPs refer to dealers in jewellery, precious

metals and stones, cars and luxury goods, audit firms, tax consultants, clearing and settlement companies, lawyers, notaries and other independent legal practitioners and chartered accountants, trust and company service providers (who provide services to third parties), hotels, casinos (including internet and ship-based casinos).

Others include supermarkets, real estate

agents, non-governmental organisations, religious and charitable organisations or such other businesses and professions as the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment or appropriate regulatory authorities may, from time to time designate.

It further explained that the DNFBPs customers include sole practitioners, partners and employed professionals

within firms.

The CBN, however, pointed out that the circular does not refer to internal professionals who are employees of others types of businesses nor to professionals working for government agencies wwho may be subject to anti-money laundering/ combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures.

The CBN in another circular entitled, “Three

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he president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mr. Adedoyin Idowu Owolabi, has said that the Appeal court

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L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited, Mr. Oladele Sotubo; Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema, at the 2013 Standard Bank West Africa Investors’ Conference in Lagos recently.

ICAN insists members can practice taxation UDO ONYEKA

Tiered KYC Requirements Implementation Strategy,” said that the tiered KYS regime would not only promote financial inclusion but increase the effectiveness of KYC requirements and improve the quality of KYC information.

The circular said, “Further to our circular dated January 18, 2013, introducing the Three Tiered KYC requirements for adoption by financial institutions under the regulatory purview of the CBN, we wish to draw your attention to the need for the proper implementation of the policy to ensure its success.

judgement did not stop ICAN members from practising taxation as erroneously believed by many stakeholders.

The president in a statement made available to National Mirror said that the attention of the institute has been drawn to the various newspaper reports on the recently delivered judgement of the Appeal Court on the matter

of the right of Chartered Accountants and other eligible professionals to practise Taxation in Nigeria unhindered.

The statement said “To set the records straight, we wish to state that, contrary to the impression erroneously and mischievously created in the media and among stakeholders ever since, the court’s judgement did

not restrain ICAN members who are not Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) members from practising taxation in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, the two key reliefs sought by CITN, which form the kernel of the controversy between the two bodies (reliefs 3 & 5), were actually set aside by the court, namely: a declaration that it is illegal

for any member of the defendant (ICAN) who is not a member of the Claimant (CITN) to practice or hold himself out to practice as a tax administrator or practitioner for or in expectation of reward in Nigeria, and an order restraining members of the Defendant (ICAN) who are not members of the Claimant (CITN) from practicing, representing or holding themselves out as Tax Administrators.

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Group petitions FG over Customs’ extortion, duty imposition

MAN advocates robust manufacturing sector

Stakeholders raise new issues in Petroleum Industry Bill, seel early passage

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Finance

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Group petitions FG over Customs’ extortion, duty imposition FRANCIS EZEM

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reight Forwarders under the aegis of Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria, have petitioned the Federal Government over extortion and imposition of arbitrary duty by the Nigeria Customs Service.

The Presidency last year ordered the cancellation of the controversial duty benchmark policy imposed by the management of the service under the guise of blocking revenue leakages.

The group in a letter dated

February 13, 2013 and addressed to the Minister of Transport through the Director, Commercial Shipping department of the Nigerian Shippers Council, drew the attention of the government to what it described as extortion and imposition of duty.

The letter signed by the president of the association, Dr. Frank Ukor questioned the decision of the management of the service impose what it called ‘Customs value’ of imports as against the transaction value, which is the internationally accepted standard value of imported goods.

“A practice whereby after the

payment of duty and other taxes or fees are made on imported goods, Customs either externally (from Abuja) or internally (from the area controller) triggers an alert on the transaction indicating either low value or any other problem which could be solved when money exchanges or in extreme cases, a debit note is raised for further payment is not acceptable”, the letter reads.

“It is to be noted that the transaction value is the valuation of import used in Nigeria and most other Customs Administrations in the world. We do not know where the Nigeria Customs Ser-

vice imported its own valuation system from”, the letter continued.

The group argued that this practice contributes significantly to the failure of the government to achieve the ever elusive 48-hour cargo clearance at the seaports.

The association had also drawn the attention of the minister to the double examination carried out on imported goods after every other process had been concluded.

“After imported goods have been examined by the relevant agencies, reports submitted,

goods released and exited by both the Customs Intelligence Unit and the Enforcement Unit of the service, at the exit gate, the container is subjected to another round of examination for whatever reason, But the ultimate aim is to collect more bribe”, the letter also alleged.

The group noted that it had drawn the attention of the management of this service to these illegal practices severally without any response, as the practice had continued, which informed the decision of the association to seek the intervention of the minister.

Lighting of roads will improve driving and security at night – Fashola DAYO AYEYEMI

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L-R: Director, MTN Foundation, Mrs. Aishatu Sadauki; Secretary for Education, FCT, Mallam Kabir Usman and Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, at the commissioning of a Science laboratory for Government Secondary School, Kwali, Abuja, yesterday.

Liberian Central Bank, Hasal MFB parley on financial inclusion strategies TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

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he Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), has engaged Hasal Microfinance Bank Limited, one of Nigeria’s micro finance institutions with strong operational thrust on financial inclusion, in a fact-finding parley with a view to learning from Hasal’s practical experiences in financial inclusion drive over the past year.

The Liberian apex bank team, which had earlier visited the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), was at Hasal MFB in company with the Nigerian apex bank’s officials as part of its initiatives targeted at gaining some insights into how the Nigerian apex bank and other financial institutions are implementing the financial inclusion strategy and how such experiences could be used to design appropriate framework for the implementation of financial inclusion strategy in Liberia

The Managing Director of Hasal MFB, Mr. Rogers Nwoke, took the delegation through core areas of the bank’s operations, including product development and marketing strategies which, he noted, had been responsible for the modest achievements recorded so far in the bank’s financial inclusion agenda.

Nwoke spoke on some of bank’s products like the Mobile Banking which enables transactions through the use of POC (Point of Collection) terminals

by HASUSU Savings Executives who carry out door-to-door cash mobilisation from micro customers.

In addition, he explained the introduction of POS (Point Of Sale) terminals to both SME and Micro customers which enable them use their Debit Cards for purchase and payment for goods and services, amongst others.

According to him, the bank “has also built a large network of branches and Cash Centres,

across the Federal Capital Territory with several Correspondent Banks for easy deposit/ withdrawal of cash mobilized”.

In his remarks, the leader of the LCB team,Tefleh Wollor, who obviously was impressed by the well-informed explanations of the Hasal Bank boss, said the visit was made to the MFB “to understand their role to Financial Inclusion in Nigeria” Similarly, in her remarks the Executive Director/CEO Universal Empowerment Mission of Liberia, Irene Konneh George, said she was “happy to be in Nigeria and to get information to take back home to help improve my own work” Saye Bujie of Liberia Credit Union National Association in a similar tone said he was “impressed with facilities, programmes presented and processes” In Liberia the Micro finance sub sector comprises, Microfinance Deposit Institutions (MDIs) and operates basically non-deposit banking as their market is made up of Credit unions (cooperative societies).

agos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has restated the commitment of his administration to ensuring that the state is lit up to improve driving and security at night.

The governor gave the assurance while dedicating the 7 kilometres traffic light from Jibowu to Maryland, yesterday.

He noted that the completion of the projects has enabled lighting-up programme that spans critical parts of the state from Marina to Western Avenue through to Agege motor road to Oshodi.

He explained that the choice of Ikorodu Road for the light up was symbolic because of the strategic position, not only for the state but the country as

a whole.

He also reeled out the impact of the light up, stressing that it would improve the safety of drivers and pedestrians, reduce accidents that are caused by poor visibility, to keep citizens safe in their vehicles from attacks of gunmen.

According to him, last year, over 40 such streetlight projects were completed, adding that every road project now has a streetlight component when rehabilitation, reconstruction or upgrading is undertaken.

He added that the coming on stream of Mile 12 - Ikorodu town road rehabilitation programme will further extend the state’s effort to Ikorodu town.

Fashola reiterated his administration’s commitment to realising goals of development through the provision of infrastructure.

Federal Roads Authority to manage road infrastructure nationwide - Minister DAYO AYEYEMI

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f the ongoing reforms in the road sector sail through with the emergence of a Federal Roads Authority (FRA), all roads infrastructure in Nigeria will be under the management of the new agency.

The Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, while stating this, said the on-going road sector reforms would lead to the emergence of a Federal Roads Authority, adding that it would also empower the authority to take over the professional management of roads infrastructure nationwide.

This, he said, would include roads design, construction, rehabilitation and maintenance.

According to him, roads maintenance which is the present duty of the Federal Roads Main-

tenance Agency (FERMA), would be under a department in the authority.

The minister stated this while conducting the National Good Governance Tour Team led by the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, through the construction of an additional new 25kilometres carriageway from Agbede and passing through Ewu, Irrua, Ekpoma to Iruekpen in Edo State.

The carriageway of 7.30metres width with 2.75m outer shoulders form part of the Benin end of the dualistion of AbujaLokoja-Okene-Auchi-Benin road.

The dualisation of the AgbedeEwu section of this highway and the construction of a flyover at Ewu junction, the minister added would reduce the fatal accidents that occur frequently there resulting in loss of lives and properties.

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Business Finance

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

AfDB approves $200m trade facility for Standard Chartered Bank

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he Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB), have approved an unfunded $200million Risk Participation Agreement (RPA) with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB).

The facility will help address critical market demand for trade finance in Africa by providing support for trade in vital economic sectors such as agribusiness and manufacturing, AfDB said in a statement yesterday.

It will foster financial sector development, regional integration, and contribute to government revenue generation, it added.

According to the statement, “The RPA between the two banks will allow them to share the default risk on a portfolio of

qualifying trade transactions originated by issuing banks in Africa and confirmed by SCB. As a 50/50 risk sharing arrangement, SCB will match AfDB’s undertaking in every transaction, thereby creating a maximum portfolio of up to $400m.

The Risk Participation Agreement will be for a period of three years.”

AfDB noted that majority of African banks have small capital bases which constrain their ability to obtain adequate trade limits from international confirming banks and to undertake sizeable transactions that have significant development impact.

It also observed that despite the growth in trade risk distribution globally, local banks in Africa have not significantly benefitted from this growth.

“The AfDB’s value added lies in the use of its “AAA” rating to share trade risk and expand the trade finance capacity of banks in Africa, thereby expanding trade and strengthening regional integration. This facility will result in the provision of significant support to African banks and SMEs. Counting roll-overs, it will facilitate approximately $2.4bn of trade in intermediate and finished goods, raw materials and equipment to support economic growth.

“The facility is in line with AfDB’s Regional Member Countries’ priorities to promote trade and in accordance with the African political objectives as reaffirmed during the 18th African Union Ordinary Session held in January 2012. It also aligns with the Bank’s

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Glo pre-order campaign for BB Z10 ends tomorrow

L

eading telecommunications operator, Globacom, has announced that the pre-order period for the new Blackberry Z10 (BB Z10) on its network will end on Thursday, February 28.

Marketing Co-ordinator of Globacom, Niyi Olukoya, said Glo subscribers can walk into any Gloworld or Glo zone outlet and pre-book to get the device on priority basis before the end of the pre-booking campaign.

Subscribers can also pre-book online by visiting www.gloworld. com/blackberry10 and filling the pre-booking online form.

With the development, Glo subscribers thus have the chance to be among the first set of Blackberry users to own the latest Blackberry smartphone, which was launched in South Africa recently. The handset would be made available for N100,000 with a very convenient N3,000 monthly subscription fee.

The BB Z10 offers a faster and smarter experience than other

BB handsets in the market and is designed to continuously adapt to the subscriber’s personal and business requirements. The core hardware features of the Z10 include a 4.2-inch display, dual-core 1.5-GHz processor, 8-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, microSD card support, and a removable battery.

Olukoya said the decision to empower Glo subscribers with the latest BB smartphone is in line with the company’s longstanding tradition of availing its customers the latest telecommunications technology to smooth their social and business transactions.

The Z10 smartphone being launched in the Nigerian market by Globacom has a new messaging centre called BlackBerry Hub. Every type of message including email, text messages, instant messaging and social networking are funneled into the Hub, giving users one place to see absolutely all their messages.

Steel company bags NIS certificate KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

I

Ambassador of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Amb. Enrique James (left) and President, Nigeria -Venezuela Chambers of Commerce and Chairman, Global Ocean Engineers Limited, Dr. Vincent O. Ebuh, at the Nigeria Oil and Gas Conference in Abuja, recently.

MAN advocates robust manufacturing sector KUNLE A ZEEZ

T

he Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, (MAN), has urged the government to put in place policies that can engender robust manufacturing sector in the country.

Speaking at function in Lagos, President, MAN, Chief Kola Jamodu, insisted that only through a healthy manufacturing sector will Nigeria as a country would be able to solve two of its socioeconomic problems.

Jamodu attributed the problems of insecurity and unemployment in Nigeria to the poor state of most manufacturing sectors, where companies that are supposed to absolved the teeming number the Nigerian youths into active employment are deprived

from doing so, due to the challenges inhibiting the companies’ expansion.

He identified poor state of infrastructures in Nigeria as one of the major challenge confronting the manufacturing sector.

According to him, “On account of the prostate condition of our infrastructures, particularly where huge chunk of an organisation’s expenses the poor electricity su is spent on power generating equipment to run their business round the clock, some companies have had to close shops.”

Another problem facing the manufacturing sector, according to the MAN President, is the poor access to reasonable funding.

“Many companies in the manufacturing industry find it difficult to access funds

at reasonable interest rate.

At, double-digit, it is our believe that businesses may not do well. What we are seeing, therefore, is a situation where companies go for loans offshore.

“Unfortunately, because we do less of exports, those companies ended up getting loans in dollars to produce products sold in Naira, which is not sustainable both in shortterm and in long term.”

He tasked the Central Bank of Nigeria on the current double-digit interest rate, saying “the current rate is not good for businesses,especially in an operating environment such as Nigeria.”

He also called on the government to join hands with the private sector to strengthen campaign aimed at boosting patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products.

badan based steel firm, Allah’s Will Steel and Construction Company has been awarded the Nigerian Industrial Standards, NIS certification by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria for its compliance with relevant Quality Management System Standards.

According to a company statement, he NIS Certificate will be presented to the company today in a short ceremony at its factory in the Oyo State capital.

In a letter from the organisation and made available to journalists in Ibadan by the CEO of the company, Dr. Muritala Odesola, SON said the certificate was

based on the quality of facilities, materials and products of the company which werefound worthy of the NIS certification.

He said, “We thank God that our products after many years of trial have passed all the process of the SON and would henceforth carry NIS certification badge.

“This award is going to be a catalyst that will spur us to improve on the quality of our products and services delivery”.

Please find attached and also pasted below the ICAN Statement signed by the Institute’s 48th President on the Appeal Court judgement of February 15, 2013 on the right of Chartered Accountants to practise taxation.

BA offers Nigerian customers discounts to Canadian cities ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

T

ravelling on British Airways to choice Canadian destinations has become a lot more affordable for Nigerian travelers, after the global leading airline announced a series of Discover Canada fares, with return flights starting from as low as $630.

In a release yesterday, the airline stated that the special which runs until 9 March, includes fares to Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver, with outbound travel between 15 and 30 April, and return anytime within the next 12 months.

The new offer comes hot on the heels of its just ended

Valentine Special Offer to the UK and select destination to Europe, the United States and Canada.

According to the airline, the new offer, which is valid for flights from Lagos or Abuja to the select Canadian cities, affords its Nigerian customers the opportunity to make fantastic savings while travelling on its award-winning World Traveller (economy) cabin.

Giving details of the current offer, Country Commercial Manager (Nigeria), British Airways/Iberia, Mr. Kola Olayinka said the airline’s customers can now travel to Toronto from just $630. For those travelling to Calgary and Vancouver, he said, the fare starts from $880.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

35

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Energy Week

udemea@rocketmail.com 07031546994

Stakeholders raise new issues in Petroleum Industry Bill, seek early passage The Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB has remained a dream for about four years because of many issues, including disagreement among parties. UDEME AKPAN and CHIDI UGWU report that a lot of work still needs to be done as stakeholders, who gathered in Abuja last week, spotted more issues that need to be addressed.

Oil export terminal.

W

hen stakeholders in the global petroleum industry met for this year ’s Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in Abuja last week, there were strong indications that discussions would focus more on the nation ’s Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), more than any other subject. The reasons were not farfetched. First, the PIB which is central to the development of all gamut of the industry has been in the drawing board since 2008.

Second, the conference took place at the nation ’s capital, thus, bringing curious interest groups and individuals around the world much closer to know more about major issues, especially the PIB. Third, the organisers of the event, CWC Group Limited had listed the subject for thorough examination, thus enabling participants to fulfill that curiosity. Specifically, the major postulations of the group were: “How will Joint Ventures evolve in Nigeria going forward?

Where will the drive for new exploration project be and how will the PIB

THE NEW PIB SHOULD ALSO ENSURE INCREASED PROTECTION OF HUMAN CAPITAL, ESPECIALLY CONTRACTORS CARRYING OUT A BULK OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE

IOCS IN THE INDUSTRY

impact future exploration and production activities in Nigeria? ” Commenting on these issues, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which represents government interest in the Joint Ventures expressed optimism that the ventures would continue to play crucial roles in exploration and production of crude oil and gas for many reasons. For instance, it expressed confidence that the Joint ventures are operated by big international oil companies, IOCs, including Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Chevron Nigeria Limited and Nigerian Agip Oil Company who have sophisticated technologies, equipment, human capital and capacity to ex-

ecute big projects.

The corporation also expressed its commitment to working closely with all parties, especially the IOCs in ensuring that set targets are realised. The Corporation ’s Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production, Mr. Abiye Membere who expressed these and other sentiments remarked that the offshore promises to hold more reserves. Consequently, he tasked operators to invest more of their resources targeted at making new finds in the area. Membere stressed that it cost less to explore and produce oil and gas offshore than deep offshore because of the location and challenges associated with it.

The IOCs seemed to think differently.

The Managing Director of Total E&P

Nigeria Limited, Mr. Guy Maurice remarked that there is need to focus on the deep offshore because the IOCs have many pending projects in the area.

He said that the deep offshore has the promise of yielding more finds and by extension, output in the future, which had become more certain as a result of new technologies.

Addax Petroleum Nigeria was not left out. The Vice President and Managing Director of Addax Petroleum Nigeria, Mr. Cornelis Zegelaar remarked that the PIB should encourage increased funding of projects. He said the new PIB should also ensure increased protection of human capital, especially contractors carrying out a bulk of activities for the IOCs in the industry.

The Country Chair/Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu noted that the government needed to ensure that the PIB provided increased air of CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

36

Energy Week

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stakeholders raise new issues in Petroleum Industry Bill, seek early passage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 freedom for operators to concentrate on core operations with minimum interference. He said: “All we need is for the government to replicate what it has done in the telecoms industry, which allows investors, including MTN, to run operations as seamlessly as possible in order to fast track the development of the industry. ” Sunmonu said the nation had great potential, which should be properly harnessed to maximise value for all stakeholders, including operators, communities and the entire nation. He said the slag in exploration and production as a result of the PIB had impacted in many negative ways on the industry and government which needed more funds to catch up in the coming years.

He noted that the tax provisions in the PIB is ‘uncompetitive ’, stressing that they are capable of stifling investment and making offshore oil and gas projects unviable. Sunmonu who believed that a good bill should, “take local business challenges into consideration as well as the impact on existing investments, ” remarked that: “What we have seen of the draft PIB to date does not indicate a bill that fits these criteria. And this is the opinion not only of the major players in Nigeria ’s oil and gas industry, but, as I mentioned earlier, industry analysts as well. What we have seen and what we know of the current draft PIB requires significant improvement to secure Nigeria ’s competitiveness, and attract the required level of investment to enable exploration to increase Nigeria ’s reserves and then foster development of the projects to monetise them. ” Sunmonu, who argued that an unbalanced bill could hinder investment stated: “The PIB will likely render all deepwater projects and all dry gas projects – whether for domestic or export markets – non-viable, added that many opportunities will be lost. The Country Chair who noted that the opportunity to monetise some of the world ’s best gas reserves will be lost also stated that the opportunity to kick start the power sector – “the key to economic growth – using easily accessible gas will also be lost. ” The Shell boss remarked that the PIB needs to address long term industry issues, including funding, particularly as funding requirements have constrained production growth in the industry. He stressed that the nation needs a strong national oil company, capable of partnering with others to enhance its competitiveness. He remarked that: “While the economy in general is on the path of diversification it should not be denied that the oil and gas sector remains the driver of this process providing not only the funds to enable the diversification but also the gas that could and should be used to regenerate the power sector to provide reliable electricity which is the backbone of industrial growth.

The Chairman of Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Mark Ward observed that the fiscal terms in the PIB are not favourable to their operations.

Alison Madueke

Ward stated that operators are presently working in line with government ’s aspirations, targeted at achieving $104 billion (N15.6 trillion) for oil production between 2012 and 2015, another $30 billion (N4.5 trillion) for gas development in the next five years, including the establishment of construction of Afam and Okpai independent power plants.

He stated that operators are also working to accomplish a significant growth in crude oil capacity through investment of about $29 billion (N4.3 trillion) on the Production Sharing Contracts and $39 billion (N5.8 trillion) on the Joint Venture Projects over the next five years. The chairman observed that an unbalanced PIB would likely encouraged commercial oil and gas production without significant investments in the next 10 years.

The Chairman of the Indigenous Oil Producers, Abdul Razaq Fadahunsi, noted that the provisions of the bill would likely impact negatively on indigenous operations. Fadahunsi who observed that the PIB was partly planned to boost indigenous participation noted that: “the document negated that laudable motive, because there was no clause in the bill that sets aside any acreage category for indigenous participants. ” Recently, participants at a recent e-conference of Spaces for Change in Lagos noted that the PIB is weak in the area of transparency and accountability. Consequently, the body documented that: “The new bill authorises the newly created regulatory agencies to receive gifts, including money or other property upon such terms and conditions as may be specified by the person or organisation making the gifts provided such gifts are not inconsistent with the objectives and functions of the Act. It documented that there is no distinction between a gift and bribe in the PIB. Specifically, it stated that: “Because of the difficulty of drawing a line between a gift and a bribe, a blanket ban on receiving gift by any of the agencies is not only appropriate, but will go

Membere

Sunmonu

ALL WE NEED IS FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO REPLICATE WHAT IT HAS DONE IN THE TELECOMS INDUSTRY, WHICH

ALLOWS INVESTORS, INCLUDING

MTN, TO

RUN OPERATIONS AS SEAMLESSLY AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO FAST TRACK THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY a long way in inspiring confidence in the proposed reforms. Independent studies and probes, such as the KPMG report, the Faruok Lawan, Aig Imokhuede fuel subsidy probes, all the NEITI reports have shown, transparency and accountability are the core issues with the current set-up. Failing to tackle the current transparency concerns will leave a big question mark on the proposed legislation.

It faulted the proposed Fund because there is presently no distinction between it and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). According to the report, “The bill does not indicate how this differs from NDDC, except in terms of source of funds. By also making provisions for communities to be punished by withholding their entitlements under the fund in case of disruptions, it negates the very constitutional basis of criminal justice by dishing out collective punishment. ” Spaces for Change noted that the environmental laws as documented in the PIB are weak and not capable of making much impact in the industry. For instance, they maintained that: “Asking operators in consultation with the Ministry of Environment to come up with an environmental plan does not deal with questions of the gap between the policies and practices which has been

the problem.

The body maintained that: “The provisions relating to gas flares gives by one hand and takes from the other. After banning gas flaring from end of this year, it creates room for exceptions to be granted by the minister. That is not effectively different from what is happening under the current regime. It turns gas flaring into discretionary permitgranting. Environmental justice advocates believe that the gas ban should be absolute. They also insist that operating companies should not only be made to get insurance covers to cover cases of environmental disasters arising from their operations and this should be a condition precedent to the operation of any license.

The report noted that the new PIB vests enormous powers on the Minister of Petroleum Resources, especially by placing all the newly created agencies and regulatory institutions under the control and supervision of the minister.

It documented that: “Section 5 of the bill provides that the Minister of Petroleum Resources shall be responsible for the coordination of the activities of the petroleum industry and shall exercise general supervision over all operations and all institutions in the industry. ” Despite the shortcomings, stakeholders have generally agreed that the PIB constitutes a bold step ever taken to produce a comprehensive legislation for the industry. They also feel that the various issues would be addressed.

For instance, the Chairman of Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Mr. Ledum Mitee remarked that: “It is my hope and wish that together, we would be able to come out with concrete suggestions that would enrich the PIB with a view to fashioning it into a comprehensive and reliable legislation that can complement the NEITI Act, both in principles and practices which would in turn lead to improved revenues for government, halt oil theft, and check degradation of the environment in the host communities through stringent and enforceable legal provisions. ”

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Energy Week

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

37

OPEC daily basket price falls to $111.27 per barrel UDEME AKPAN

WITH AGENCY REPORT

T

he price of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC basket of 12 crudes has crashed from $113.28 to $111.27 per barrel, com, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela).

However, Brent crude rose above $115 a barrel on Monday as the dollar declined ahead of testimony by the U.S. Federal Reserve chief on the economic recovery of the world ’s top oil consumer.

Markets were also boosted after exit polls gave a lead to a pro-reform coalition in Italy ’s elections, helping to ease concerns over the sluggish recovery of the euro zone.

Brent was 90 cents higher at $115.00 a barrel, after earlier reaching a high of $115.87. U.S. oil rose 32 cents to $93.45.

“The dollar decline allowed some correction after last week ’s sharp declines but after the initial surge we returned to the fundamentals, which are concerns over the economic recovery, ” said Global Insight analyst Simon Wardell.

A weaker dollar makes dollartraded commodities such as oil more attractive for investor in foreign currencies.

Investors are awaiting Tuesday ’s testimony from U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for clues on whether and at what levels the Fed will maintain its bond-buying stimulus programme.

“The latest U.S. data on employ-

Oil storage tanks

(PMI) for February slipped to 50.4, down from the previous month ’s best reading since January 2011. The weak number also weighed on Asian shares and base metals.

“This hints at the first worsening of economic activity in the country in five months and also serves as a reminder that the road to economic recovery will remain bumpy, ” analysts at Vienna-based JBC Energy said.

Prices remained rangebound partly because of caution ahead of talks on Tuesday in Kazakhstan between Iran and global powers to resolve the crisis over Tehran ’s disputed nuclear programme.

The six powers, known as the P5+1, are set to offer Iran some relief from international sanctions if it agrees to curb its production of higher-grade enriched uranium.

The West said Iran ’s enrichment of uranium demonstrates its intent to develop a nuclear weapons capability, an allegation the Islamic republic denies.

Worries over an escalation in tension and disruption of supplies have kept Brent above $100 a barrel through most of 2012 and this year.

“Any progress in these discussions could be positive for equity markets and modestly bearish for crude oil prices, ” Jason Schenker of Prestige Economics said in a report.

ment, manufacturing and inflation suggest that the Federal Reserve will not change direction anytime soon, ” said David Hufton from PVM brokerage.

Financial markets were rattled last week after minutes of the Fed ’s January meeting suggested some Fed officials were mulling scaling back its strong monetary stimulus earlier than expected.

“Expectations of further U.S. bank stimulus ahead of Bernanke tomorrow is weakening the dollar against commodities and we are seeing a bit of an uptick, ” said Michael Hewson, analyst at CMC Markets.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the unit ’s performance against a basket of currencies, was down 0.35 percent.

Italy ’s centre-left coalition led by Pier Luigi Bersani was leading Silvio Berlusconi ’s centreright bloc, according to polls for SkyTG 24 news television and state broadcaster RAI issued after voting closed.

The results increased risk appetite among investors, who viewed them as supporting fiscal reforms, with the euro trading at $1.3286, up 0.7 percent on the day. It rose as high as $1.3313 after the exit poll results.

Italy is the third largest economy in the 17-member bloc and the prospect of political stalemate could reawaken the threat of dangerous market instability.

Oil prices dropped earlier on Monday as China ’s HSBC flash purchasing managers ’ index

Source: Oilprice.com

HYPREP partners American University on pollution restoration projects SAM OLUWALANA

T

he management of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) has gone into a partnership with two American Universities in order tackle pollution in the Niger Delta.

According to the National Coordinator of the body, Mrs. Joy Nunich-Okunnu who disclosed this in Yenagoa while paying a courtesy visit to the state Governor that was represented by his Deputy, Rear Admiral Jonas John, the American Universities, John Hopkins and Crawford will assist the body to conduct a socioEconomic Assessment.

The assessment is targeted at determining the extent of exposure of the people of the region and to also determine the level of economic deprivation suffered by them through oil spills, theft and vandalism.

She revealed that John Hopkins is the world ’s number one body when it comes to Environmental restoration and Re-

Energy & Oil Prices

Source: Bloomberg

OIL ($/bbl) Nymex Crude Future Dated Brent Spot WTI Cushing Spot

PRICE*

CHANGE

% CHANGE

TIME

85.95 111.01 85.54

0.41 0.90 -0.74

0.48% 0.82% -0.86%

07:42 07:52 10/29

PRICE*

CHANGE

% CHANGE

TIME

310.55 275.30

-0.97 -0.38

-0.31% -0.14%

07:37 07:41

OIL (¢/gal) Nymex Heating Oil Future Nymex RBOB Gasoline Future

NATURAL GAS ($/MMBtu)

PRICE*

CHANGE

% CHANGE

11:19

New York City Gate Spot

3.77 3.43 3.57

-0.03 0.09 0.11

-0.84% 2.69% 3.18%

07:43 10/29 10/29

ELECTRICITY ($/megawatt hour)

PRICE*

CHANGE

% CHANGE

TIME

% CHANGE

09/24

Nymex Henry Hub Future Henry Hub Spot

Mid-Columbia, firm on-peak, spot Palo Verde, firm on-peak, spot

32.95 35.23

-0.40 -0.76

-1.20% -2.11%

10/26 10/29

BLOOMBERG, FIRM ON-PEAK, DAY AHEAD SPOT/ERCOT HOUSTON

30.25

2.04

7.23%

10/26

vegetation and that it has been involved in this field for 25 years.

Nunich-Okunnu said her body will soon commence the construction of Centre of Excellence for Water solution in various areas in the Niger Delta while also engaging in a massive awareness campaign for the people.

She added that Secondary School students will also be beneficiaries of the project ’s expertise as they will be educated on the dangers of hydrocarbon exposure.

Nuchi-Okunnu told her host that her body will also develop a master plan for Ogoni restoration soon while it will also carry out an extensive assessment study in Bayelsa State together with two experts that will arrive the country within the next four months.

Another American University, Crawford University will also assist in training personnels and organize a retreat to prepare the master plan for Ogoni restoration.

38

Energy Week

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Oil & Gas pledges to boost fuel distribution UDEME AKPAN

T

he management of Capital Oil and gas Industries has pledged to boost petroleum products distribution in the nation despite some challenges.

The firm stated that: “We are more focused and committed than ever before to render services to our country. Our facilities are fully functional and we will continue to work hard to sustain our stakes in the daily petroleum distribution in Nigeria. We will continually strive to bring innovations that will touch the lives of Nigerians.

It stated that the operations of the firm were greatly crippled when the firm was shut for several weeks. Capital Oil maintained that: “It was indeed a very distressing period for us. Our business was nearly crippled. Our members of staff were not paid for months. We suffered untold difficulties and set-backs while many of our friends and supporters deserted us owing to the falsehood.

The firm stated that even though it was unfairly treated, it decided to stay action against all persons. Capital Oil who pledged to watch events as they unfold stated that: “It was our sincere belief that Access Bank will honour the terms of settlement signed by the parties on February 9, 2013 by avoiding any further media attack against us.

It stated that it was saddened to note that: “Access Bank still gives the erroneous impression that our legal disputes with her are on-going. It is our hope that the recent media onslaught against us is not an indication that Access Bank intends to back out of the terms of the settlement agreement. If so, we expect

Queue at a filling station.

them to publicly make it clear so that we will revert to the status quo.

The firm wishes to inform the general public that the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force has cleared Ifeanyi Ubah and Capital Oil & Gas Industries Limited of the indictment by the Presidential Committee on the Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments (PC) chaired by Aigboje AigImoukhuede, the Managing Director of Access Bank.

It stated that: “The clearance by the Police was contained in a letter dated February 12, 2013 written to the Minister of Finance, a copy of which was made available to us, the Inspector General of Police, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Debt Management Office and PPPRA.

The company stated that the police investigation found that there was no inference of a prima facie case of the alleged offences against us. It quoted the police as sting that: “Investigations have laid bare all issues in the 15 complaints against Capital Oil & Gas by the Presidential Committee on the Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments. After due analysis and consideration of the team ’s findings, we found out that there is no inference of a prima facie case of the alleged offences ”.

It maintained that the Police investigation found as untrue and unsubstantiated the allegations by the Presidential Committee against Ifeanyi Ubah/ Capital Oil & Gas Indus- tries Limited

of collecting subsidy payments without importing or discharging any fuel.

Capital Oil stated that: “With Access Bank ’s renewed media campaign which violates the terms of the February 9, 2013 Settlement Agreement between us, one wonders what the Bank is trying to achieve by provoking an unnecessary media war tending to suggest that we have anything to fear about the AigImoukhuede-led Presidential Committee Report or our business transaction with Coscharis through Access Bank.

The firm maintained that: ”It is therefore with a heart filled with gratitude that we share with the general public this report which cleared us of any wrong-doing or financial impropriety.

Despite the accusation of embezzling funds the equivalent of the revenue of eleven states as well as constituting a threat to national security, we have finally been vindicated. We can only thank God as truth has once more prevailed over falsehood.

It stated that the clearance by the Police has been further justified by a judgment delivered on February 18, 2013 by the Federal High Court of Nigeria sitting in Lagos, which absolved Capital Oil & Gas Industries Limited and Ifeanyi Ubah of all purported allegations of subsidy scam made against them by the Presidential Committee.

The firm stated that: “The court voided and set aside an Interim Report by the Police dated November 2, 2012 and the Presidential Committee report which purportedly indicted Capital Oil & Gas Industries Limited/Ifeanyi Ubah and staff. The court awarded N10 million damages in favour of Capital Oil & Gas Industries Limited and Ifeanyi Ubah.

CSR: NDDC inaugurates 20 projects in Cross River State

T

he Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has inaugurated 20 projects in Cross River State.

The projects, acknowledged by leaders of beneficiary communities as having improved the living conditions of the people include roads, classroom blocks, electrification and solar-powered water supply.

Inaugurating the projects, NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Christian Oboh, represented by Cross River State Representative on the Board of the Commission, Dominic Edem, said the Commission was determined to complete its projects.

Oboh said gone were the days when children learn under trees and trek long distance to fetch water from the streams, disclosing that “NDDC will bridge the gap by ensuring that the people have adequate classrooms to learn and potable water to drink ”.

In his remarks, Head of Akim Akim Qua clan in Odukpani Local Government Area, Chief Francis Omin, thanked the Commission for bringing the projects to the community.

“We really thank the NDDC for their intervention. The light will attract investors and open the way for economic activities ”.

Oboh

Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of Abi Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Elemi thanked the Commission for finding his community worthy of the projects, and pledged maximum utilization.

The Paramount Ruler, Ikot Ansa Community, Barr. Patrick Oguagbo while thanking the NDDC said the road will reduce traffic congestion and open up the state for development.

On his part, Rev. Fr. David Udo, Vice Principal (Administration), St. Patrick ’s College thanked the Commission for

meeting the needs of the school.

“We are happy that we have water now. Our students used to go out to look for water trekking several kilometers; NDDC has brought life to us because water is life ” he said.

The NDDC has also commenced the construction of six road projects in Imo State.

The roads include Osina internal roads in Ideato North, Umunakara road in Nkwere, Amaudochukwu-Amachikere-Amaegbu road and Umuhu-OkabaIhitenasia road in Orsu Local Government Areas.

Others are the Amiyi Mission road in Amiyi-Akah and Umunaka road in Nkwere Local Government Areas.

Speaking during the flag-on of Osina internal roads in Ideato North, NDDC Managing Director stated that the Commission was determined to spread development to all parts of the Niger Delta region.

He assured that the project would be well funded to ensure that it was completed on schedule.

Oboh, who spoke through Barrister Peter Ezeobi, representative of Imo State on the Board of the NDDC, charged the community leaders and youths to cooperate with the Commission ’s contrac-

tors.

“If you have issues with the contractors don ’t hesitate to inform the NDDC because the present board of the Commission will not tolerate indolence or abandonment ”, he said.

On his part, Senator Hope Uzodima, representing Imo West Senatorial district in the National Assembly thanked the NDDC for fast-tracking the development of the rural areas in the Niger Delta.

Senator Uzodima, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta, disclosed that he was happy to see joy on the faces of the people.

Saying, “I want to thank the NDDC for coming to execute this road project in Osina ”.

The traditional ruler of Osina, Eze Ben Igwilo said the road will open the area to more development and lauded NDDC for spreading joy to rural communities.

Other traditional rulers of the benefiting communities, among them Eze Michael Ozoma Ebighi, Amara I of Okwu-Amaraihe, Eze of Amazu, C. A. Olewu Abeoha III, and Eziani of Mgbiani H.R.H Isaac Ezeocha who spoke, were also full of praises for NDDC bringing development to their doorsteps.

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Energy Week

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Nigeria produced 220.06m barrels in 2012

39

Avuru speaks at NAPE, Lagos

T

he Managing Director of Seplat Petroleum, Mr. Austin Avuru is scheduled to speak in Lagos to-

Refinery in Nigeria

UDEME AKPAN

A

total of about 220.06 million barrels of crude oil and condensate was lifted for export and local refining in the second quarter of 2012.

The latest data released by the Nigerian national Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), showed that oil companies lifted about 124.09 million barrels (56.39per cent), while NNPC lifted 95.97 million barrels (43.61per cent).

The corporation stated that in terms of fiscal regime, JVC lifted about 118.32 million barrels, PSC/SC 85.04 million barrels, while Independent/Sole and Marginal fields lifted 16.70 million barrels.

It stated that: “Out of NNPC ’s liftings, 81.571 million barrels was for Federation Account, which includes 5.94 million barrels for Qua Iboe liftings Modified Carry Agreement Escrow account, 14.03 million barrels for PPMC Crude Exchange Liftings for Escrow Account and 23.66 million barrels for FIRS (PPT) & DPR (Royalty), 3.99 million barrels for Usan trial marketing, 4.78 million barrels for NPDC ’s Forcados equity and 6.69 million barrels for PPMC Offshore Cargo Lifting.

The corporation stated that alternative Funding (AF) lifting was about 21.652 million barrels. NNPC lifted 10.84 million barrels (50.09per cent), while the Three JV companies (SPDC, Mobil and Total E&P) lifted 10.80 million barrels (49.91per cent). AF liftings are part of the JVCs export while the lifting by NNPC contributes to the Federation account lifting.

It maintained that: “Five major re-

THE MAJOR AND INDEPENDENT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS MARKETING COMPANIES DISTRIBUTED ABOUT 1,424 MILLION LITRES OF DIFFERENT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IN THE 36 STATES AND FCT IN SECOND QUARTER 2012 gions namely; North America, Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia continue to dominate the destination of Nigerian crude and condensate export.

The total production of natural gas in the quarter was 589.79 BSCF. This was lower than the first quarter figure of 632.50 BSCF by 42.71 BSCF. About 17.71 per cent of the total production was flared. The balance was utilised.

The Corporation maintained that in Second quarter 2012; about 939 thousand mt of dry Crude Oil/Condensate was pumped to the three Refineries, KRPC, PHRC, and WRPC. With an opening stock of 446 thousand mt, total Crude Oil available for processing was 1,385 thousand mt, out of which 1,355 thousand mt was processed.

It stated that the respective average capacity utilization during the quarter stood at 36.46per cent, 2.86per cent and 51.25per cent for KRPC, PHRC and WRPC. The firm stated that the three refineries produced 1,202 thousand mt of finished and intermediate products. PPMC evacuated 1,171 thousand mt of products which include PMS, DPK, AGO and Fuel Oil. The Corporation stated that the three refineries recorded 149,459 mt of products as refinery fuel and loss. Consumption as fuel was 8.70per cent while loss

and flare accounted for 2.33per cent of production.

It stated that: “The Major and Independent petroleum products marketing companies distributed about 1,424 million litres of different petroleum products in the 36 states and FCT in Second quarter 2012. This shows a decrease of 405.36 million litres or 22.16 per cent when compared with the total volume distributed in First quarter 2012 (1,829 million litres).

The Corporation stated that Independent Marketing Companies sold 942.59 million litres (66.19per cent of the total sales) of petroleum products, while Major Petroleum Products Marketing Companies the sold the remaining 481.52 million litres (33.81 per cent).

It added that: “In the petroleum products distribution slate, Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) had the highest figure of 1,022.42 million litres (71.79per cent) of the total reflecting average daily sales of 11.24 million litres. This was followed

by Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) with total sales figure of 178.01 million litres (12.50per cent) averaging 1.96 million litres per day. Household Kerosene (HHK) came third in the petroleum products distribution slate with total sales figure of 146.30 million litres (10.27per cent) giving an average daily sales figure of 1.61 million litres. ”

day.

Avuru, fellow and former President of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE), will be delivering the association ’s February 2013 technical session paper at the Lagoon Restaurant in Lagos.

The Managing Director will be speaking on how government policies impact oilfield activity in the industry.

The programme abstract stated that: “Because oil and gas are non-renewable, rent-generating resources, especially for an Emerging Economy like Nigeria. ” The abstract stated that: “Two major contending forces are permanently at play to determine the activity level in the Industry. The bulk of the benefits accruing to the host country derives from the economic rent it earns in the form of taxes, fees and royalties. On the other hand, the technology and fund providers look to the profits and return on their investments as the incentive for their participation ” Avuru stated that if treated as a zero sum game, the one ’s loss is the gain of the other, making negotiations for the creation of an enabling investment environment difficult.

He also stated that: “But it need not be a zero sum game. Somewhere between the contending needs of these two parties can be found a compromise of appropriate policy and stimulation of investments and activity in the Industry ”.

Angola to seek bids for 15 onshore oil exploration blocks

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ngola has delayed plans to begin exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) because of technical problems at its $10 billion plant, a senior executive at state oil firm Sonangol said on Monday.

Sonangol board member Baptista Sumbe told the company ’s annual briefing a new start date for the project, called Angola LNG, will be announced in six weeks once repairs have been completed.

Angola was initially expected to start exporting LNG in the first quarter of 2012, but the date was pushed back to the first quarter of this year after several delays..

“To our regret, the project has been delayed. In October, we faced another technical problem, ” Sumbe said.

“The repairs are being carried out now, and as soon as they are done, within five to six weeks, we will be able to announce publicly when the project can start, ” he added.

The 5.2 million tonnes-per-year project is led by Sonangol, which has a 22.8 percent stake and Chevron, which holds 36.4 percent. Eni, Total and BP each hold a stake of 13.6 percent.

40

Energy Week

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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Local content initiative creates 30,862 jobs for Nigerians UDEME AKPAN

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arely two years after the implementation of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, over 30,862 jobs have been created in the oil and gas industry.

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board that has the responsibility to implement the Act stated that: “The NCDMB said the figure covered the period between 2010 and December 31, 2012. For marine vessels servicing the oil and gas industry 3,000 jobs were created; while 1,500 Nigerians got employed to man rigs; the number of Nigerians in fabrication yards servicing the industry was put at 10,792; while 3130 jobs were created in design engineering firms, with the number of Nigerians in petroleum technology companies put at 3,000.

It stated that Nigerians in oil and gas equipment manufacturing were 1,500; and for post training employment as part of industry capacity development initiative, 6,797 jobs were also created The body stated that the number of Nigerians occupying managerial positions in operating companies was put at 2,143, which brings the total number of jobs so far created 30,862.

The NCDMB also said it was working towards ensuring that oil and gas producing states in the country got industrial parks of global standards.

This is part of the new initiatives endorsed by the Governing Council of NCDMB under the chairmanship of the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deziani Alison-Madueke.

The industrial parks will be established in each of the oil-producing states in partnership with the respective state governments, according to NCDMB. In this way, over 100,000 productive jobs would be created across the communities for persons with skills and the social employment prevalent in communities would be deemphasized, the board said in a recent statement.

This, it stressed, would stimulate the participation of communities in the local

Oil workers on duty.

THE FAIR WILL IDENTIFY SMES WITH CAPACITY, WHICH WILL BE SUPPORTED AND ACCOMMODATED IN THE NEW INDUSTRIAL PARKS TO MANUFACTURE GOODS USED IN THE INDUSTRY WITH THE ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF THE TRADITIONAL ORIGINAL

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS

supply chain and provide a direct platform for collaboration with original equipment manufacturers, which are now required to manufacture a minimum proportion of components in Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary, NCDMB, Mr. Ernest Nwapa, explained that the board would collaborate with major operators, service companies and relevant state governments to build industrial parks to support operations of the industry and help achieve service efficiency through shared services.

Other benefits of the industrial park concept include the reduction of start-up investment cost for new business, stakeholders ’ collaboration and industry commitment to utilise manufactured products from the parks.

The parks are expected to host manufac-

turing activities driven by the oil and gas industry demand, and service other sectors of the economy as they grow organically into integrated industrial zones.

The start-up product slate will include steel pipes and allied fittings, switch gears, panels, skids, pipe racks and brackets, environmental protection equipment, chemicals, industrial gases, computers, telecoms and other Information and Communications Technology equipment components, furniture, liquefied and petroleum gas cylinders, bolts and nuts as well as drilling fluids.

The NCDMB, which was established to oversee the implementation of the Act, was mandated to, within four years; ensure the retention of over $10bn out of an average annual oil and gas industry expenditure of $20bn in the Nigerian economy, compared

to the current sum of less than $4bn.

It is also expected to facilitate the creation of over 30,000 direct employment and training opportunities, considering the scale of activities to be domiciled in Nigeria; establish three to four new pipe mills to service the demands of the industry and other ancillary manufacturing plants for coatings, valves, fittings and components.

According to the executive secretary, the strategy has been successfully deployed to stimulate small and medium scale enterprises focused on the oil and gas technology into sustainable engines for technological growth and employment at the grass roots level.

Nwapa said the major operators would benefit from increased entrepreneurial activities in their host communities and announced that the board had reached out to state governments to participate in a Small and Medium Enterprises fair to identify companies with potentials to incubate and grow.

“The fair will identify SMEs with capacity, which will be supported and accommodated in the new industrial parks to manufacture goods used in the industry with the active involvement of the traditional original equipment manufacturers, ” he added.

The board said it would activate the provisions of the Act to provide specific incentives for OEMs that would embrace the initiative such as locking in orders for equipment or components manufactured/ assembled in the parks for extended periods.

Nwapa said Nigerian companies were committed to investing over $600 million in the manufacture and assembly of various equipment and components.

He said expatriates working in the Nigerian Oil and Gas industry would, henceforth, undertake biometric registration as part of conditions they must fulfill before their organisations could secure expatriate quota approvals from the NCDMB. The exercise will capture details of all foreigners working for operating and service companies in the country on the electronic platform, Nigerian Content Joint Qualification System, being operated by the board.

Shell adopts new method to escape vandalism

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hell Petroleum Development Company Limited has adopted a new method of burying its pipelines deeper to avoid vandalism.

The feat was achieved through the deployment of horizontal directional drilling, a technology used to burry pipelines underground at levels deep enough to thwart saboteurs.

Authoritative report stated that: “Horizontal directional drilling in the Nigerian pipeline sector was first used on a route from Escravos to Warri in the Niger Delta, as a part of which a 17.-kilometre section of 24-inch-diameter pipeline was laid under the Escravos River.

It stated that the pipe, partially owned by Nigerian National Petroleum Company ’s subsidiary Nigerian Gas Company, will be used to transport natural gas extracted by Shell and Chevron for processing.

The report stated that: “Even better for Nigeria is that the company that provided

the technology is and indigenous one, Fenog Nigeria, making this an example of local content and capacity building, which is another high-priority area for the country.

It stated that Fenog ’s drilling rig, a $15 million piece of equipment imported from Germany and customised for local usage, has the capacity to burry pipes as deep as 60 metres underground.

The report stated that this is despite the fact that oil bunkerers are generally not able to dig more than just a few meters below the ground in order to tap existing pipes.

It maintained that: “An additional benefit for those dependent on the river is that going underneath it instead of over it means that the waterway did not have to be shut down for the duration of construction, which could have been for as long as nine months.

The report added that Fenog ’s progress

will help achieve the larger goal of establishing Nigerians oil field services companies as legitimate partners to upstream energy outfits.

It also stated that: “The firm and others

Vandalised pipeline

such as Nestoil ’s pipeline commissioning with Shell, have won contracts that have brought them credibility. Indigenous companies are now increasingly part of the long term plans of those in upstream. ”

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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42

Executive Discourse

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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We’re not prepared to play the Group Managing Director, Enterprise Bank Limited, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, speaks of efforts to reposition the bank on the path of profitability for the first time since its takeover by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, the implementation of the financial inclusion strategy and regulatory oversight of the Central Bank of Nigeria in a recent interactive session with senior financial journalists.

AYO OLESIN was there. Excerpts: What specific figures can you give us to show that you have improved the fortunes of the bank in the last one year?

We have grown our deposit by 27 per cent. As you know, the industry average growth rate is 15 per cent, but we have grown ours by 27 per cent between last year and now.

On loan book, the industry growth rate is 16 per cent; we have grown ours with 200 per cent. In the area of total asset, the industry growth rate is 15 per cent; we have grown that of Enterprise Bank by 26 per cent. On Return on Investment (ROI); which is also important, the industry rate is 7 per cent; we have achieved about 20 per cent. By any standard anywhere in the world, if your ROI is 20 per cent, it shows that you are not destroying value. In the previous year, the bank was in a loss situation, now we have reported profitability in billions, I do not want to mention figures; because the auditors and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials are currently checking our books. I can tell you that in the next couple of weeks we will.

Sometime ago, the CBN intervened in some banks because they were adjudged insolvent; the apex bank appointed some managers (your predecessors) that were later sacked for non-performance. But the same CBN went ahead to pay those managers huge sums of money only to appoint a new set of managers. Why pay these sacked managers that did not perform well?

Every management has a different mandate. When the previous management came on board, after the CBN’s special examination of 2009, the banks were almost collapsing. So the CBN sent those managers to stabilise the situation and find core investors for the ailing financial institutions. So, their mandate was simple; stabilise the situation and find core investors.

At the end, they succeeded in stabilising the banks.

Five out of the 10 institutions succeeded in finding core investors. The apex bank only intervened and appointed new management for the three that could not meet the CBN deadline with another responsibility to complete the cycle. But we were appointed to run these institutions as commercial entities. When we came on board, we were not challenged by issues of negative assets or inadequate capital. By the time we came, all those issues have been addressed by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). So, we were given the institutions and mandated to run them commercially and competitively and I think that that is what we have done and what we are doing and we are on the right track.

These three banks are strong enough today to compete favourably with all other operators in the industry. Anybody that was appointed was based on contract. So they are ultimately compensated at the end. I will not define the amount paid to them as huge, but I think they were adequately compensated based on their assignment.

The last pronouncement by AMCON was that the three nationalised banks would be sold by next year, would this announcement have any kind of setback on your current operations?

AMCON made a statement that the banks would be sold either next year or this year or anytime they like. For us the statement is not affecting us. What is important to us is to run the institution commercially, profitably and put all the structures on ground to ensure that business continues according to the mandate given to us. This is because whoever steps in to buy the bank is not coming to buy just structures. He is coming to buy the value that is in the structures, the quality of the customers that the bank has, the balance sheet, quality of staff and infra-

EVERY ORGANISATION HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY

TO PROTECT ITS WORKERS.

HOWEVER, PART OF THE

STRUCTURE WE WANT TO LEVERAGE, BESIDES THE BANK BRANCHES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THOSE LOCATIONS ARE THE POST

OFFICES, WHICH WE HAVE IN ALMOST ALL THE

774 LOCAL

GOVERNMENT AREAS IN

NIGERIA.

structure among others. Those are the things that a buyer will want to see. To run the bank profitably, these are the areas we are concentrating on and our projections are in three and five year plans.

Looking at the decision of the Bankers Committee to pioneer and kick off the Financial Inclusion (FI) initiative in Borno State, would any chief executive send a staff to Borno State, considering the current security situation in that place?

The issue of insecurity is not peculiar to Borno State.

If you go to New York, the security risk is very high.

These days in New York there are certain streets you cannot walk at night. Yes the issue of security in Borno is a problem, but I can say that you do not just employ people and send them to a volatile area just because you want to prove a point. Every organisation has the responsibility to protect its workers. However, part of the structure we want to leverage, besides the bank branches that are currently in those locations are the post offices, which we have in almost all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria. How does this work? Post offices were manned by local people that speak the local dialect. So in the Financial Inclusion initiative, local people will be recruited for the project. There are people that hail from those volatile areas. You do not need to carry people from other locations to a different place. So, what we need to do is to build capacity and train them. You need to be conscious of the lives of those people that are going to manage it and try as much as you can to ensure that you eliminate any kind of danger that may befall people you are bringing from outside. If we are able to succeed in doing something in a state that has so many issues, then it becomes easier for us to replicate those things in other locations.

The security issue has been taken into consideration.

It is always at the top of the agenda and that is why the federal and state governments, the Bankers Committee and security agencies are involved to ensure that no life is lost in the process. Some of us strongly believe that it will work and we pray it works because some of these security challenges also have linkages with economic empowerment and economic activities like youth restiveness and so on. We believe that the banking industry has the capacity to do something that will benefit the society.

You mentioned that you have put structures in place; I want to believe that one of the major challenges that led to the collapse of the former bank

was the challenge of structure. I want you to be specific on what you have done so far?

What has happened is that when the CBN intervened, they realised that most of these banks got affected because of lack of good corporate governance structure. At Enterprise Bank, the first thing we did was to initiate a very strong corporate governance structure. And we insisted that there must be strong policies to this regard. Again the level of regulation has gone up. In our bank as small as we are, we have a 16-member board. We have five executive directors in addition to the managing director. We have 10 non-executive directors. The least amongst them was a former executive director in a bank. We brought credible people and put them on the board so that the corporate governance structure will be strong to avoid any abuse of process. So, everybody on the Board is an independent character. They are professional people. The Chairman of the Board is the former Managing Director of Diamond Bank. He is a professional and disciplined banker. So, CBN has ensured that what happened in the past will not happen again. It is usually the abuse of process that allows banks to engage in unethical practices. Now proper and due process is followed in whatever is done.

Last December, you said you wanted to be a medium-sized bank. Now, considering all the achievements you highlighted, are you still a medium sized bank?

We are still a medium-sized bank. If you look at the unverified figures that I gave you in absolute terms, you will see that if I grow by 20 per cent of N200billion or N40billion and another bank, for example, grows by one percent of say N5.0 trillion, in terms of size, I am still a mediumsized bank and I want to be a medium-sized bank. Like I said in December 2011, we are not here for any size game or size war. We want to be an efficient bank and that is our strategy.

What is the current number of depositors in En-

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Executive Discourse

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

43

size game – GMD Enterprise Bank

Kuru

terprise Bank?

In December 2011, we said we had about 1.5 million customers. What happens in the industry is that you always have five to 10 per cent dormancy and deposits continue to go down. We have not gone farther than the 1.5 million, because immediately we stop managing dormant accounts, you realise that naturally we have to drop so many accounts. In those days, what banks do is to go for mass market appeal. They go to the market and start opening accounts with zero N20.00 balance. When you start evaluating some of these accounts you see that in many years, their owners are not maintaining them in spite of incessant appeals by the account officers. So because of administrative costs you need to remove them so that you will continuously have a realistic number to work with.

We are aware you have a relationship with Union Bank UK. What is the relationship like now?

Union Bank UK has continued to support us. Last week, we had a major transaction with them. They are happy with us and we are equally happy with them. We will continue to maintain a good relationship with them and similar institutions that we work with.

You have listed the things you have done so far for the bank, which ones have you not done yet?

There are so many things that we will want to do. All those things that we highlighted are already work-inprogress. I am working towards having a cost income ratio of 50 per cent. When I came, the cost income ratio was around 180 percent. Now I am around 88 per cent, which is a very good progress.

On loan to deposit ratio, industry average today is about 80 per cent and I am looking at making it 15 per cent. I have not reached the level of efficiency that I want to achieve.

To train staff is not an easy task. It takes time; you cannot

SO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEREVER YOU ARE, YOU CAN REACH US EVEN LEVERAGING ELECTRONIC INFRASTRUCTURE BUILT BY OTHER PEOPLE.

YOU CAN

REACH US ON THE INTERNET OR GO TO THE

ATM.

turnaround all sectors regardless of whatever you have on ground in one or two years. The only thing you can do is to put those things that are necessary on track and then you start to measure them. I think that is what we have been able to do. I want to have a traditional institution. In terms of percentage, maybe only five percent of my customers will come to my bank. I want to be a traditional institution that is leveraging innovation and technology to deliver an efficient service. We have not achieved that yet, but we are on track.

Where do you think that the bank will be at the end of 2013?

We want to be a formidable bank; where you can identify with me and know when you come into my banking hall, all staff will be able to answer and give you an efficient service; this takes time; but we are on track. I am happy with the progress we have made so far and happy we are on the right track to be anything that we want to be in the industry. We must continue to innovate; invest in our human capital; invest in technology and have the freedom and process that we are able to do what we want

to do. Once we are able to put those things in place, I am sure we will be where we want to be.

There is no going back in Nigeria. For us first and foremost, we want to take it to the next level. At the end of this year, I want to have about three per cent of the market. I do not want to be like bank ‘A’ or bank ‘B’. I want to have my own market share. I want to know that I am making profit. I want to concentrate on the target I set for myself regardless of what every other person feels. At the end, I will then achieve my target of being an efficient and service delivery oriented bank.

How many branches have you opened since coming on board?

When we were appointed, our mandate was to consolidate the bank. On the number of new branches that we have opened, you will agree with me that this is an era where we are gradually phasing out the idea of having 10 branches on a particular street because people now increasingly want to transact banking business in their homes and offices. So, instead of spending so much time in opening new branches, our strategy is to consolidate the 152 branches that we have, before the end of this month. We are going to open in five states because we did not have any presence in those five locations. We want to be represented in all the state capitals, so we are going there as a strategic move not one driven by profitability; but ultimately, it must be profitable.

So, we want to make sure that wherever you are, you can reach us even leveraging electronic infrastructure built by other people. You can reach us on the internet or go to the ATM. I believe things are changing; because if you go to developed countries, hardly will you find the kind of banking halls that you find in Nigeria. You will see one little place, sometimes, you have to ring the bell before you go in. But you will marvel at the volume of transaction that is going on in that office because everything is now technology driven. As a banker, 80 per cent of my transactions are done on the telephone. So the moment I have to go to the banking hall, I feel a little constrained.

You do not want to go to the banking hall to waste time just because you want to collect cash. For us at Enterprise Bank, the emphasis will be more on technology driven channels rather than the kind of branch banking that we are used to.

What are you doing with the assets of the legacy bank you inherited?

The ACB International Bank assets, just like those of the other bank assets in the merger that produced the legacy financial institution are huge assets to the bank. What we are trying to do is to ensure that we get maximum benefit out of them because at the end, when the institution is valued, they will also count in that process. We are trying to extract maximum benefit out of our premises. The buildings we are not using, we will maintain them and rent them out. The plan is not to sell any asset but to use them as a basis to earn some income.

How do you cope with overregulation by the Central Bank of Nigeria?

What happened in 2009 has made CBN to intervene and tighten their regulatory processes. All over the world, regulations have increased tremendously. I think the financial sector, mostly the banking industry, is the most regulated in the world. The most important thing is that it is for the good of the industry because what the CBN is trying to do is to remain alert and alive to the function of monitoring so as to avoid the mistakes of the past. That is why they continue to roll out guidelines. I can also tell you that most of the circulars they put out are also discussed at the Bankers Committee meeting. They carry everybody along and as partners, together; we see how to position the industry so that it is not driven by individuals but by structures. If anybody comes into the system, regardless of what happens, the structure will mould his conduct. No, we are not distracted by the regulation but rather encouraged by it. So, we will continue to operate in a way that we do not go contrary to the CBN rules and regulations.

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Global Business

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anufacturing probably teetered between growth and contraction in August, a sign the pillar of the recovery is now struggling, according economists surveyed before a report Monday.

The Institute for Supply Management’s factory index was little changed at 50 compared with 49.8 in July, according to the median estimate of 70 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. A reading of 50 is the dividing line between shrinking and expanding. Spending on construction projects probably rose in July, other figures may show.

The possibility that taxes will rise and government outlays will fall if U.S. lawmakers don’t act by January may shake confidence and cause consumers and businesses to curb spending. The European debt crisis represents another stumbling block that threatens to limit orders to American factories.

“Domestic uncertainty and global weakness are both restraining growth in manufacturing,” said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an economist at BNP Paribas in New York.

“It’s a weak sector of the economy right now. We don’t expect a lot of pickup in in-

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Manufacturing in U.S. probably stagnated amid global slowdown

Obama

vestment activity this year.”

The Tempe, Arizona-based ISM released the report Estimates ranged from 48.7 to 51.5. The group has said that an index (S15MACH) reading above 42.5, while signaling contraction in manufacturing, is generally consistent with an expanding overall economy. The gauge averaged 55.2

Japan’s fiscal impasse threatens stimulus to spur growth

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apan’s political gridlock threatens to curtail the government’s ability to apply fiscal stimulus as a rebound falters in the world’s third-largest economy.

Opposition parties in the upper house of parliament stymied legislation approved in the lower house August 28 that enables the issuance of 38.3 trillion yen ($490 billion) of deficit- financing bonds, seeking to force Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda into an early election. The government could hit a spending ceiling as soon as October, according to the Finance Ministry.

The freeze may suspend outlays from this year’s budget for the first time, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and limits Noda from proceeding with the supplementary spending package he mooted in July. With economists increasingly seeing an economic contraction this quarter, the deadlock adds to risks facing global expansion that include a so-called fiscal cliff of spending cuts and tax increases in the U.S. at year-end.

“The impasse on deficit-covering bonds may delay the compilation of a stimulus package and would be a drag for the economy,” said Taro Saito, Tokyo-based director of economic research at NLI Research Institute and a past winner of a Japan Center for Economic Research award for accuracy in forecasting. “This is not as severe as the U.S. fiscal cliff but could be said to be Japan’s fiscal slope.”

Japanese stocks headed for a fourth day of declines, the longest losing streak in more than a month, on pessimism about the global expansion. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average was down 0.4 percent Monday in Tokyo. The yen was at 78.37 per dollar, about 4 percent from its postwar high, underscoring the threat to exporters of a strong currency.

Besides exchange-rate appreciation, Japan’s manufacturers are facing diminishing demand abroad, hurt by the European crisis, China’s slowdown and stunted

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

in 2011 and 57.3 in 2010.

Other reports show manufacturing, which accounts for about 12 percent of the U.S. economy, weakened last month. Factory activity in the New York region contracted in August for the first time in 10 months, and production in the Philadelphia-area shrank for a fourth month, Federal Reserve

Hong Kong may boost spending on poor as income gap widens

H

Yoshihiko Noda

American growth. A government report yesterday showed capital spending rose 6.6 percent in the second quarter from a year before, less than the 7.8 percent median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey.

This report spurred economists to cut forecasts for Japan’s second-quarter gross domestic product, initially reported at an annualised 1.4 percent gain. Officials may pare that calculation to 0.9 percent on September 10, according to the median of seven projections in a Bloomberg survey.

reports showed.

The Institute for Supply ManagementChicago Inc.’s business barometer also fell in August, indicating manufacturer’s pace of expansion was slowing and that companies may hold the line on production until sales pick up.

“Many districts reported some softening in manufacturing, either a slowdown in the rate of growth or a decline in the level of sales, output or orders” the Fed said last week in its Beige Book business survey, which reflected information collected on or before August 20.

The slump at factories comes as 8.3-percent unemployment restrains consumer demand and slowing global growth reduces new businesses orders. Household spending increased at a 1.7 percent annual rate in the second quarter, the smallest advance in a year, Commerce Department data show.

Corporate spending on equipment and software rose at a 4.7 percent pace in that period, the weakest since the third quarter of 2009.

ong Kong’s government may boost spending on the poor and elderly in its first budget under Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying tomorrow, as record home prices and falling ratings add pressure to narrow a widening income gap.

The government may report a surplus of HK$55 billion ($7.1 billion), boosting reserves to a record HK$724 billion, according to Marcella Chow, an economist at Bank of America Corp. in Hong Kong. The budget, presented by Financial Secretary John Tsang, will probably trim one-time measures and focus spending on alleviating poverty and helping the aged, Chow said.

Hong Kong’s doubling of a propertysales tax last week underscored Leung’s failure to tame a market that has surpassed its 1997 high, spurring warnings of a bubble and stoking social tensions. Leung, 58, may need to refocus on his campaign promises to make housing affordable and narrow the rich-poor gap as opposition efforts to oust him over illegal additions to his home contribute to record-low popularity ratings.

“The government needs to spend more to tackle the deep- rooted issues in Hong Kong such as the wealth disparity,” said Kevin Lai, an economist at Daiwa Capital Markets

Hong Kong Ltd. Leung “still has a long way to go. Most of the pledges he made in his election platform don’t look to be fulfilled soon.”

Tsang tomorrow will give his latest estimate on the budget surplus for the fiscal year ending March 31 and outline the following year’s budget. The government will also announce fourth-quarter and full-year data on gross domestic product.

Leung Chun-ying

South Africa’s economy expands 2.1% in fourth quarter

S

outh Africa’s economy, the continent’s largest, grew at a faster pace in the final quarter of last year than the previous three months as manufacturing and agricultural output expanded, the statistics agency said.

Gross domestic product rose an annualized 2.1 percent from 1.2 percent in the third quarter, Statistics South Africa said in a report released yesterday in Pretoria, the capital. The median estimate of 20 economists in a Bloomberg survey was for growth of 1.7 percent. The economy grew 2.5 percent for the whole of last year, down from 3.5 percent in 2011.

South Africa’s economy is expand-

ing at less than half the pace President Jacob Zuma said is necessary to slash a 24.9 percent jobless rate, the highest of more than 30 emerging- market nations tracked by Bloomberg. Work stoppages that began at platinum mines in August spread to gold shafts, while thousands of truck drivers went on strike last quarter over higher pay, disrupting output.

“While better than expected, overall growth remained sluggish over the final quarter,” Adenaan Hardien, chief economist at Cadiz Holdings Ltd. (CDZ) in Cape Town, said in e-mailed comments.

“The manufacturing sector performed better than was expected. Although mining remained a drag on overall GDP, it

was less so than over the third quarter.

Transport and financial services also performed better. We expect growth to continue its recovery through 2013.”

Mining strikes cost the economy more than 10 billion rand ($1.1 billion) in lost output and exports and shaved about 0.5 percentage point off GDP last year, according to estimates from the National Treasury.

Mining fell an annualised 9.3 percent in the fourth quarter, while electricity slumped 2.2 percent, the statistics agency said. Manufacturing expanded by 5 percent, agriculture by 10 percent, finance by 2.9 percent and transport by 1.9 percent.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

45

46

Capital Market

CBN to extend cashless policy to Rivers, Ogun from July 1 JOHNSON OKANLAWON

T

he Central Bank of Nigeria has concluded plans to extend the cashless policy to Rivers and Ogun States from July 1.

The decision to extend the cashless project to these states was made at the last Bankers’ Committee Meeting held in Abuja.

The CBN had earlier announced that the policy will take off from July 1 in four additional states after the Lagos pilot scheme. The states are Kano, Anambra and Abia States as well as the Federal Capital Territory.

The CBN’s Head, Shared

Services, Chidi Umeano said the states and the FCT were chosen because of the large volume of cash transactions in some of their major cities such as Aba, Kano, Port Harcourt and Onitsha among others.

The cashless policy, whose implementation began in Lagos in January, last year, is aimed at reducing the dominance of cash in the system.

The policy specifies penal charges for individuals and corporate organisations that want to withdraw or lodge cash above prescribed limits.

Under the policy, the CBN pegged the daily cumulative cash withdrawal or deposit limit for indi-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

vidual accounts at N500, 000 per day and N3m per day for corporate accounts.

Umeano explained that the policy earlier planned to be implemented in other states in January 2013 was deferred due to some infrastructural challenges.

He said the CBN is also being careful to ensure that it makes use of resources in a smart way.

This was corroborated by the CBN Deputy Governor Operations, Mr. Tunde Lemo who explained that the bank is careful on the nationwide roll-out, to ensure that resources are used in a smart way.

He said, “Cash doesn’t flow in the same volume in

every state of the federation. What we would do in July is to look at those other market clusters where large volumes are transacted and add them to Lagos”.

According to him, it is cheaper that way because resources needed to cover the entire 923 square kilometres in Nigeria are huge, adding, “But you can achieve almost the same thing by looking at the pattern of cash distribution and you can cover about 90 per cent of that by adding about more locations to Lagos.

“That is basically what we want to do. We would get those clusters and add them to Lagos. When we add those locations to Lagos, then we would have covered about 90 per cent of the cash volume. We would see how far that goes and once we perfect that, we then begin to look at contiguous.”

Source: NSE

Source: Afrinvest

Market indicators All-Share Index 10,756.2 points Market capitalisation 33.7 trillion

Index dips further by 0.6% on profit taking JOHNSON OKANLAWON

T

rading in equities continued on bearish note on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, as more speculators sold their holdings.

Specifically, the All Share Index dropped by 0.58 per cent to close at 33,613.87 points, compared to the decline of 0.25 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 33,811.08 points.

Market capitalisation shed N6bn to close at N10.76trn, higher than

the dip of N3bn recorded the preceding day to close at N10.82trn.

The Banking Index led the sectorial indices with 0.45 per cent to close at 1,605.75 points, followed by the Oil and Gas Index with 0.54 per cent to close at 187.53 points.

The Consumer Goods Index appreciated by 0.28 per cent to close at 980.41 points, but the NSE 30-Index declined by 0.45 per cent to close at 1,605.75 points.

The Insurance Index dipped by 0.49 per cent to close at 151.42 points,

while the Lotus Islamic Index shed 1.31 per cent to close at 2,157.39 points.

DN Meyer Plc led the gainers’ table with 22 kobo or 10 per cent to close at N2.42 per share, followed

by Presco Plc with N2.01 or 9.99 per cent to close at N22.13 per share.

Transcorp Plc gained 16 kobo or 9.70 per cent to close at N1.81 per share, while Ashaka Cement Plc appreciated by N1.49 or 6.77 per cent to close at N23.49 per share. NRC Plc rose by 87 kobo or 4.95 per cent to close at N18.45 per share.

On the flip side, Pres-

Stock Updates GAINERS tige Insurance Plc lost eight kobo or 10 per cent to close at 72 kobo per share, while Sterling Bank Plc shed 25 kobo or 9.62 per cent to close at N2.35 per share.

Wema Bank Plc dropped by nine kobo or 9.09 per cent to close at 90 kobo per share, while Royal Exchange Plc dipped by eight kobo or 8.99 per cent to close at 81 kobo per share. PZ Cussons Plc fell

by N2.50 or 6.17 per cent to close at N38.00 per share.

A total of 473.2 million shares valued at N3.95bn were traded in 6,265 deals.

US stocks, dollar up on Bernanke, Italy vote weighs

U

nited States stocks rose and the dollar extended gains against the yen yesterday, after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke strongly defended the Fed’s bond-buying stimulus.

Bernanke, whose comments came in testimony to Congress, also urged lawmakers to avoid sharp spending cuts set start taking effect on Friday.

Financial markets were rattled last week when minutes of the Fed’s January meeting showed some officials were thinking of scaling back its monetary stimulus earlier than expected.

“What Bernanke is saying, bottom line, indicates

that there will not be a reversal anytime soon in the stimulus program,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York.

Data showing new US single family home sales hit a four-and-a-half year high in January and consumer confidence rebounded in February also boosted US stocks and the dollar.

But the uncertainty generated by Italy’s elections was still rattling most other major risk asset markets.

The MSCI world equity index was down 0.7 per cent, while the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index was down 1.0 per cent.

Southern European government bond prices sank. Italy’s 10-year bond yields were up as much as half a point to 4.86 per cent, their highest since mid-December.

Investors are fearful that the strength of the vote for anti-austerity parties in the election will weaken efforts to reform Italy’s public finances and its labour laws, damaging the euro zone’s efforts to resolve its three-year old debt crisis.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 60.20 points, or 0.44 per cent, at 13,844.37 points. The Standard and Poor’s 500 Index was up 0.93 points,

or 0.06 per cent, at 1,488.78 points. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 1.37 points, or 0.04 per cent, at 3,114.88 points.

In the foreign exchange market, the dollar last traded at 92.18 yen, up 0.4 per cent. It had been trading at about 91.98 before the data and Bernanke.

The euro last traded at $1.3064, flat on the day. It earlier had been trading at about $1.3108, according to Reuters data.

US Treasuries widened losses after the homesales and consumer confidence data and headlines on Bernanke. The 10-year note yield stood at 1.868 percent, up from 1.86 per cent late on Monday. It was down 1/32 in price.

COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

DNMEYER

2.20

2.42

0.22

PRESCO

20.12

22.13

2.01

TRANSCORP

1.65

1.81

0.16

ASHAKACEM

22.00

23.49

1.49

NCR

17.58

18.45

0.87

VITAFOAM

3.66

3.84

0.18

ETERNA

3.90

4.09

0.19

CONTINSURE

1.03

1.08

0.05

JOHNHOLT

1.66

1.74

0.08

NEIMETH

1.04

1.09

0.05

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

PRESTIGE

0.80

0.72

0.08

STERLNBANK

2.60

2.35

0.25

WEMABANK

0.99

0.90

0.09

ROYALEX

0.89

0.81

0.08

PZ

40.50

38.00

2.50

UAC-PROP

16.00

15.12

0.88

MRS

29.00

27.55

1.45

CCNN

10.57

10.05

0.52

CILEASING

0.61

0.58

0.03

RTBRISCOE

2.45

2.33

0.12

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Days

39,647.81

12.40

21-Feb-13

182-Days

20,000.00

15.08

21-Feb-13

364 -Days

85,000.00

15.55

21-Feb-13

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

358-Days

15,764.00

15.55

21-Feb-13

332-Days

33,948.62

15.37

21-Feb-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$120m

N/A

$120m

18-Feb-13

$120m

N/A

$120m

13-Feb-13

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

47

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at February 26, 2013 1st Tier Securities

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Cocktail

48

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

FOR YOUR SUCCESS

WITH DR. DEJI FOLUTILE

Today's Tonic (103) The greatest power we have in avoiding the worst is to focus on what we want to happen.

–Dr. Robert Anthony * * * Be Irredeemably Positive!

I love the quote that says I will keep my face to the sunshine so that I will not see the shadows. It is better to be a positive person than to be negatively minded. It is better to focus on the rose than the thorns bearing the roses.

It is better to say the glass is half full than to say it is half empty. Life is many times a self fulfilling prophecy. Things will happen for us according to our faith. It is what you believe that you will become.

We will get things done beyond our expectations if we can get the ideal picture of what we want and persistently focus on this day and night.

TEL 08104942999 E-MAIL deji.folutile@gmail.com Follow me @TwitterOWOTIDE

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oddities

Man tries to swallow fake bank notes

A

man in Abu Dhabi who was allegedly promoting and selling fake bank notes attempted to hide them by swallowing them, United Arab Emirates officials said.

The incident came after the man, an engineer, allegedly consumed snacks he pretended to shop for at a local grocery store in a mall, Gulf News reported.

Video cameras recorded the man, identified as M.A.A.,

adding items to his shopping cart and then consuming them in the store, Gulf News reported.

He also allegedly hid three cigarette packets in his pock-

ets before leaving.

Security guards caught the suspect after he left the store, Gulf News reported.

Officials discovered he was selling fake bank notes

to new immigrants, Gulf News reported.

The case has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department.

Boy calls 911 to protest bedtime

A

10-year-old Massachusetts boy got a stern lecture from police after calling 911 because he didn’t like his mother’s order for an 8 p.m. bedtime.

Dan Davis of Brockton was upset at having to go to bed at his normal time despite not having school the next morning, his mother Shamayne Rosario, 34, told the New York Daily News.

When the boy threatened to call the police, his mother

responded by saying “Go ahead!” and Dan showed he wasn’t bluffing by dialling 911.

Though he hung up without saying a word, dispatchers called back to check on the situation Wednesday evening. Rosario explained what had happened but under police protocol, a patrol unit was dispatched to confirm she wasn’t being forced to lie over the phone.

When officers arrived and

found nothing amiss, Rosario asked officers to speak to her son to make it a “learning experience.”

After a stern talking-to about what can happen when calling 911 without an emergency, the 10-year-old was sent to bed.

Though he didn’t face any legal repercussions, the boy didn’t get off scot-free, either. Rosario said her son is grounded for two weeks after the stunt.

A U.S. marine drinking the blood of a cobra during a jungle survival exercise with the Thai Navy, at a military base in Chon Buri province, recently.

PHOTO: REUTERS

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

49

Community Mirror Property scam: EFCC arraigns ex-governor’s son

“We keep killing ourselves, we keep destroying our economy and in the long run, we would have to come and rebuild it.”

FORMER MILITARY PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA, ABDULSALAMI ABUBAKAR

50

Residents protest forced eviction MURITALA AYINLA AND FRANCIS SUBERU

A

ngered by the sudden demolition of their homes, hundreds of evicted residents of Iganmu-Alawo community in Apapa Iganmu Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s office to register their displeasure at the action.

Community Mirror had reported that the land on which more than 10,000 residents were evicted was meant for the 1008 housing estate to be built in the year.

The evictees, who complained of nowhere to go, also demanded alternative accommodation form the government.

Speaking, head of the community, Chief Lucas Owoseni admitted they were tenants on the land, but frowned at the sudden demolition exercise, only 48 hours after they were served quit notice.

According to him, the land belongs to the Ojora family and they have been living on it for decades.

He said: “Our place is one of the host communities for slum upgrade activities under the $200 million World Bank funded Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP).

The state government has failed to abide by the specific terms of the World Bank policies that mandates it to minimise involuntary resettlement and, when displacement is absolutely unavoidable, ensure prior consultation, adequate notice, compensation, and resettlement which are what we are demanding for now”.

He said the Federal Government of Nigeria acquired the land in 1929 to build rail line, adding that the land was returned to the Ojora family after it was not utilised.

“The state government has no right to carry out mass evictions in flagrant contravention of international law and the fundamental rights guaranteed by the country’s constitution,” he said.

Speaking in his palace, the Oba of Ojora land, Oba Fatai Aromire, explained that the land in question belongs to his ancestors and the evictees are tenants who leased the land.

He debunked the insinuation that the family was behind the demolition exercise. “We never sold the land to those people. They are

on lease on the land and they are my tenants. The land belongs to my ancestors. We are in support of 1008 units of housing estate the state government plans to build”, the monarch said.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, Mr. Olatunji Odunlami explained that the land would be used for the proposed 1008 housing units as a way of re-developing the city.

Odunlami said the place has been demolished twice because it was acquired by the government.

He said: “It is an acquired land and now the government wants to build housing units on it. Over time, the evictees knew they are not supposed to live there. People

should obey the laws and regulations so as not to turn Lagos into a jungle. Meanwhile, one of the evictees, Mr. Olayinka Ogunyemi, urged the government to relocate them to another place.

He claimed that some of his belongings were stolen in the night under a bridge.

He added “This shows what government we have in this country.

I have no job. All I could do was to relocate here to survive. I want the state government to assist by giving me N4, 000 to transport myself back to the village. I am tired of living in Lagos.”

Meanwhile, the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre, SERAC, has condemned the demolition exercise at Oke-Ilu-Eri Area

of Badia East by the Lagos State Government.

The demolition exercise, which started last Saturday, continued till yesterday.

The group said the exercise illustrates the intention of Lagos State Government to continue “to collude, to deceive and mislead, while heartlessly destroying the homes and lives of poor citizens”, saying the residents were neither served with proper notice nor consulted regarding the exercise.

In a statement, SERAC noted that the land in Badia East is still subject to ongoing litigation in the Lagos State High Court between the Ojora Chieftaincy family and residents of the community.

Some of the evictees with their belongings

The statement further reads: “SERAC and the community have also been contacting and visiting the Ojora Chieftancy family, which claims to be the traditional owners of the land and is suspected of foul play in collusion with the government.

“We believe that the only notice of the demolition, possibly backdated to February 13, 2013 was served on the Ojora Chieftaincy family through its representative in the Oke-Ilu-Eri Area of Badia East, Baale Medonye and his secretary, on February 20, 2013.

“Despite this, the Ojora family has refused to share any such notice or information with the residents whose homes are being demolished.”

PHOTO: MURITALA AYINLA

Murder victim’s family cries for justice OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

T

he family of a murder victim, late Adesewa Toki, has called on the police and the Ondo State Government to ensure that the killer of their daughter is brought to book.

Adesewa was, until her death, a staff of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, and was allegedly shot dead by her husband, Ojo Toki, at Ibulesoro in Ifedore Local Government Area.

The 45-year-old accused, a

hunter and staff of the state Ministry of Agriculture, was said to have been fond of assaulting the deceased before the recent murder.

Father of the deceased, Pa John Oyinlusi, described the incident as shocking, saying his daughter was a peace-loving and caring woman.

He appealed to the government and police to ensure that justice is done and the accused punished accordingly.

Speaking with Community Mirror, the 80-year-old farmer said: “This is wickedness to humanity.

He killed my daughter over nothing. This woman was the source of my life. She would always buy foodstuffs and give me money and other things I needed. The government and police must ensure the culprit is brought to book.”

Pa. Oyinlusi said he never accepted the accused marrying her daughter, adding that he was forced to give her out in marriage to Toki after several interventions by friends and family members.

Narrating how often Toki assaulted the deceased over minor issues, Pa Oyinusi said: “I am not

the one who gave my daughter to him for marriage. Severally, he would beat and send her away from the home over little misunderstanding. I would invite the entire family to a meeting and plead on her behalf and we would settle their quarrels”.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Igbaraoke Division, Ogunmoyole Olu-Ojo, said the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department,CID, Akure for further investigations and would soon be arraigned in court.

50

Community Mirror

Vehicles get moratorium on number plates ADEOLU ADEYEMO OSOGBO

T

he Osun State Government has given a three month moratorium to commercial motorists and motorcycles operators to obtain the state new number plates or have their vehicles impounded.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Mr. Femi Balogun, who said this in Osogbo, the state capital at a stakeholders’ meeting with the leadership of commercial motorcycle operators, commercial buses and others, threatened that the administration would deal with violators of the law.

Balogun, therefore gave the operators till May 31 2013, to obtain the number plates or face government’s sanction.

“It is important for the residents to register for new number plate or revalidate existing ones for it is illegal to carry old number plate on your vehicles as from October 1, 2013.”

Usage of old number plate expires on September 30, 2013 and following the lifting of embargo by the National Assembly on July 15, 2012, it is necessary for everyone to revalidate old number plate to new one for N10, 000.” Besides, “we have discovered alot of fake number plates in circulation and since January 2012, Lagos State has stopped issuing number plates to motorcycle operators and buses and any number plate newly procured from Lagos and other neighbouring states is fake.

I appeal to commercial motorcyclists and buses against patronising illegal agents for number plates, because such action may be additional burden on the operators”.

The government has discovered that most of the foreign number plates are fake and the commercial motorcycles and buses preferred to use them rather than obtaining those of the state. This leads to huge revenue loss and this would henceforth be checked”.

In response, the state Chairmen of ACOMORAN and Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria (MTUN), Prince Isaac Agunsoye and Gbenga Ajenifunja, commended the government for dialoguing with stakeholders on the development and pledged not to let the government down on the matter.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Property scam: EFCC arraigns ex-governor’s son

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned the son of former governor Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, Mustapha Audu, his wife Zahrah M. Audu, alongside their company, Constructor Guild Limited before Justice Abubakar Sadiq Umar of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja for obtaining N18 million under false pretence.

One of the charges against the accused persons read, “That you Mustapha Audu, Zahra M.

Audu in your capacity as Directors of Constructors Guild Limited and you Constructors Guild Limited on or about the 7th day of January 2010, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, obtained the sum of N3million from one Nike Kolawole under the pretence of helping her to get a four bedroom townhouse at Ruskin Terrace, situate at Katampe Extension Abuja, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offenc-

es Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3)of the same act.”

The accused persons, who pleaded not guilty to the three count charge, were alleged to have falsely obtained the money in their capacity as directors in the said company under pretence that they will get her a four- bedroom house at Katampe Extension, Abuja; and another property at Caemly Estate, Idu Sabo, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Following plea, their counsel, Kingsley Akpokona moved a motion for bail on behalf of his

clients, but was opposed by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Samuel Ugwuegbulam, who prayed the court for time to respond to the application.

While consenting to the prosecution’s request for time to respond to bail application, Justice Umar remanded the first accused, Mustapha Audu in Kuje Prison but allowed the second accused, Zahrah M. Audu, to continue to enjoy the administrative bail earlier granted her.

The case has been adjourned to Thursday February 28, 2013 for hearing on bail application.

Katsina to recruit youths for sanitation exercise JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

M

ore than 3, 400 youths are to be recruited in Katsina State to assist in ensuring smooth conduct of recently- introduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Yau Gwajo-Gwajo stated while flagging off the end of month sanitation exercise in Maiadua Local Government Area.

Gwajo-Gwajo said total of 100 youths are to be recruited from each of the 34 local government councils and that they would work at ensuring environmental cleanliness in their community areas.

He said the move is to not just to ensure successful conduct of the sanitation but to provide employment for the teeming youths.

Mustapha and Zahrah in court, yesterday

Araromi youths honour monarch FRANCIS SUBERU

R

esidents of Araromi communityi in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, have honoured the traditional ruler of Egbeda , Oba Samson Balogun for his development efforts of the area.

The monarch was at the 2013 edition of the community Youth Day, presented with an award in recognition of his selfless service to Alimosho.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Balogun of Araromi community, Chief A A Salako, showered praises on Oba Elegbeda , who, according to him, detests tribalism and enjoined other rulers to emulate him.

The Balogun of Araromi, noted that Oba Balogun had, before ascending the Egbeda throne, demonstrated his commitment to humanity and a strong desire to develop the town and other communities in Alimosho.

The Baale of Araromi, High

Chief Mufutau Morankinyo, described the award as well deserved, saying the monarch has been a source of inspiration to traditional rulers in Alimosho kingdom Oba Balogun, expressed surprise at the honour bestowed on him by the community and assured them of his support, whenever the need arises.

“I am really surprised by what you have done for me today. Nobody has done anything like this since I became an Oba. You have done even beyond my expectation,” Elegbeda said; even as he commended Araromi youths for the initiative.

He also stated that “I will never forget what you have done, I am really proud of what Araromi community has done for me. It is for God because I am a representative of God” The president of Araromi Youth Association, Sunday Olude Oyebode noted that the award was to celebrate the monarch and other individuals, who have always contributed to the development of the community.

Oba Ile residents lament poor road HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE

T

he people and residents of Oba Ile community in the Akure North Government Area of Ondo State have called on the state government to hasten work on the dualisation of the AirportOba Ile Road.

Lamenting the slow pace of work by the construction company, the people commended the Commissioner for Works, Adegbenro for ordering the contractor back to site.

A community leader, Deacon Samuel Alabi, noted that commercial vehicle operators have been avoiding the area due to some bad portions on the road He said “the contractors handling the road are just adding to the plight of our people,even as the rain is fast approaching”.

He observed that the current unbearable condition of

the road has discouraged intending landlords, while disrupting business activities.

He said the road has caused untold hardship to students, as parents had to convey their wards to the school by commercial motorcycles. He, however commended the government for providing free transport to the school children adding that most commercial vehicle operators have been shunning the road as some of the drivers complained of the damage to their vehicles.

The Commissioner for Works, Gboye Adegbenro, in his remarks said the government was making efforts to ensure the road is completed within a short period.

He appealed to the people to give the government time, saying all arrangements have been concluded to complete the road, even as the government would not relent in providing infrastructural facilities to people of the state.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

51

World News

Benedict XVI to be known as pope emeritus

52

“You (Nigeria) have to somehow bring economic opportunity to the people who don’t have it” –FORMER US PRESIDENT, BILL CLINTON

Balloon crashes in Egypt, kills 19 tourists PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

A

t least 19 people, most of them Asian and European tourists, died on Tuesday when a hot air balloon caught fire and crashed near the ancient Egyptian town of Luxor after a mid-air gas explosion, officials said.

The balloon came down in farmland a few kilometres (miles) from the Valley of the Kings and pharaonic temples popular with tourists. Rescue workers gathered the dead from the field where the charred remains of the balloon, gas canisters and other pieces of wreckage landed.

One Egyptian was also killed, Health Minister Mohamed Mostafa Hamed told Reuters, listing the other victims as tourists from Japan, China, France, Britain and Hungary. Earlier, officials had said all the dead were foreigners.

The balloon crashed on the west bank of the Nile river, where many of the area’s major historical sites are located.

Konny Matthews, assistant manager of Luxor’s Al Moudira hotel, said she heard an explosion at about 7 a.m. (0500 GMT). “It was a huge bang. It was a frightening bang, even though it was several kilometres away from the hotel,”

US Secretary of State John Kerry holding a press conference with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague in London, yesterday.

PHOTO: THE MAIL

she said by phone. “Some of my employees said that their homes were shaking.”

Ahmed Aboud, head of an association representing Luxor balloon operators, said the fire had begun in the pipe linking the gas canisters to the burner. He said it was an accident.

The deaths were caused by burns and injuries sustained in the fall, said Mohamed Mustafa, a doctor at the hospital where the injured were treated.

The pilot survived by jumping from the basket, Aboud said.

The British government said two British citizens and a British resident of Egypt had been killed. “We can also confirm that one other British national was involved and is in a stable condition,” a British foreign ministry statement said.

Two French citizens were killed, according to France’s foreign ministry. The Japanese embassy in Cairo said it believed four Japanese had been aboard and had sent staff to Luxor to confirm this.

Transport accidents are frequent in Egypt. Dozens of chil-

dren were killed in November when the bus they were on collided with a train. Accidents affecting foreign tourists are rarer, but not unusual. Five Germans were killed in December in a bus crash near a Red Sea resort.

U.S. photographer Christopher Michel, who was on board another balloon, told Britain’s Sky News television that the balloon was one of eight flying at the time. “We heard a loud explosion behind us. I looked back and saw lots of smoke.

It wasn’t immediately clear that it was a balloon,” he said.

ECOWAS reaffirms common position on arms trade treaty

D

elegates to the just-ended regional Abuja Roundtable on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) negotiations have reiterated support for the ECOWAS Common Position (ECP) on the Treaty, especially the provision to curb indiscriminate circulation of arms and associated armed violence and abuse that threaten peace in the society.

ECOWAS Defence and Security Ministers in 2010 adopted the ECP which among key points,

ECOWAS Commission President, Kadré Ouédraogo

frowned against irresponsible transfer of arms as well as the inclusion of ammunition in the scope of the Treaty.

The ECP insists that the transfer of conventional arms to entities out of State control should be subject to prohibition in any future treaty, and also canvassed the recognition of Regional Economic Communities and the definition of their roles.

The 21-22 February 2013 Roundtable at the ECOWAS Commission, Abuja, was called to ensure that Member States and Civil Society Organizations in the region identified language in the draft ATT text that could be preserved or improved upon in order to advance the ECP, ahead of the March 2013 negotiations in New York, to facilitate an ATT agreement.

Another key objective of the meeting is to help raise public awareness amongst ECOWAS Member States and citizens about the process, towards arriving at a

mutually agreeable treaty.

Addressing the delegates, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Mrs. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman noted that some “elements critical for the ECOWAS region” were absent from the draft report of the ATT currently in circulation.

These include the “absence of reference to Non-State actors and their role in the illicit circulation and misuse of conventional arms,” as well as the need to ensure that the ATT recognizes the role of Regional Economic Communities such as ECOWAS and the incorporation of ammunition in the scope of the ATT. Commissioner Suleiman expressed gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the British High Commission for providing technical support and funding, respectively, for the meeting.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs represented by Ambassador Ali Ocheni welcomed the

delegates to the meeting, which he described as another opportunity to ensure the passage of a robust ATT, and reaffirmed Nigeria’s support to the process.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Baffour Amoa, President of the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) highlighted the importance of the meeting and the urgent need to develop and accept binding international standards to regulate international arms transfers.

He said the cost of irresponsible arms transfers was alarming and called for urgent concerted action to agree an ATT under the UN umbrella.

Mr. Amoa said the Treaty should reinforce the efficacy of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials, adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government in 2006, and which entered into force in 2009.

WORLD BULLETIN West African leaders meet in Abidjan peace, security summit

Regional peace and security issues including the situations in Mali and Guinea-Bissau will dominate the 42nd Ordinary Session of the Summit of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government scheduled for 27 and 28 February 2013 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The leaders will consider a Memorandum to be presented by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo on developments in Mali, in the wake of on-going military offensive against armed terrorist groups in the North of the country.

President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, the regional Mediator on the Mali crisis, will also make a presentation to the summit, which will be preceded by an Extraordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council, scheduled for 25th February 2013 also in the Ivorian capital.

In addition, the summit will consider a memorandum by the ECOWAS Commission President, a presentation by the Chairman of the Regional Contact Group, and report of the Mediation and Security Council meeting.

Guinean president picks ally to replace army chief

Guinean President Alpha Conde named Brigadier General Namory Traore as head of the West African state’s armed forces yesterday, replacing General Souleymane Kelefa Diallo who died in a plane crash with five other top army officials on February 11.

Traore is seen as a close ally of Conde’s who will carry on a U.N.-backed reform effort to rein in the notoriously undisciplined and bloated Guinea armed forces, blamed for killings and coups since 1958 independence. “(Traore’s) nomination can be seen as a move for continuity as far as the army reform effort is concerned,” a high ranking army officer told Reuters on condition of anonymity, following the decree announced on state television.

ICC to delay Kenyatta trial till August

The trial of Kenyan presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta for crimes against humanity is unlikely to begin until August; international prosecutors said yesterday, a delay that would leave him freer to run in the election’s second round.

Kenyatta is running neck and neck with Prime Minister Raila Odinga in opinion polls ahead of the March 4 election. A second-round run-off would take place in April.

A former finance minister and the son of the country’s founding president, Kenyatta is one of four accused at the International Criminal Court (ICC) of orchestrating tribal fighting that killed 1,200 people after the last vote in 2007.

52

World News

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Benedict XVI to be known as pope emeritus B enedict XVI will be known as “pope emeritus” and will retain the honorific “His Holiness” after he abdi-

cates on Thursday, Vatican official say.

He will also continue to be known by his papal title of Benedict XVI, rather

than reverting to Joseph Ratzinger.

He will wear his distinctive white cassock without any cape or trimmings.

He will surrender his

gold ring of office, known as the fisherman’s ring, and his personal seal will be destroyed in the same way as when a pope dies.

Benedict XVI will also

Space For Sale

give up wearing his specially-made red leather loafers, instead wearing brown shoes hand made for him by a Mexican craftsman during a brief visit to Mexico last year, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said on Tuesday.

His resignation is the first by a pope for some 600 years.

The title “emeritus” is

used when a person of status, such as a professor or bishop, hands over their position so their former rank can be retained in their title.

The Pope is to spend his final hours at his Vatican residence saying farewell to the cardinals who have been his closest aides during his eight-year pontificate, says the BBC’s David Willey at the Vatican.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

53

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

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54

North

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insecurity: Traditional rulers need greater role –STF JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

T

he Special Task Force, STF, on Jos crisis has called on the government to assign greater roles to traditional rulers in the ongoing efforts to restore permanent peace to Plateau State.

The STF Commander, Major-General Henry Ayoola, made the call in Jos yesterday while speaking at a symposium tagged: “Way forward for Nigeria’s peace and unity,” organised by the National Association of Ondo State Students,

NAOSS, at the University of Jos, UNIJOS. Ayoola, who spoke through Lt. Col Ayuba Baningo, argued that since traditional institutions were highly revered in that part of the country, the government should take advantage of their influence in promoting peace in the North.

He said: “They will also assist in checking the influx of illegal aliens in their domain or quickly report any breach of peace to security agencies.”

The commander said it was very vital to maintain peace and unity in Nigeria’s

multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, adding that the country’s unity was being threatened by ethno-centricism and religious fanaticism.

He said: “We must stop making generalisation on other ethnic tribes, there is need to eschew ethnic sentiments and respect each other’s culture and tradition.”

Ayoola said that strategies to restore peace to the North should include the need for state governments to be able to generate enough revenue to sustain themselves and be less dependent on the Fed-

eral Government.

He also said that the Federal Government should endeavour to address the minority question in the constitution to avoid frequent agitation by minority groups.

The commander urged the northern state governments to take steps to “regulate preaching and activities of radical religious scholars to mitigate religious extremism.”

According to him, federalism is widely regarded as the appropriate form of government for countries with huge ethno-cultural diversity.

Ayoola, however, said that

government at all levels had failed to fulfil their obligation of good governance anchored on equitable political arrangements, transparent administrative practices and accountability.

He said: “In fact, failure to encourage power sharing has triggered dangerous rivalries between the government and 36 states over revenue from the country’s oil and other resources.

“The defective federal

Niger bans commercial motorcycles in Minna PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

N

Students of the Federal University, Kashere, during a lecture on HIV/AIDS in Gombe State, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Slain Kano MOPOL commander buried amid tears AUGUSTINE MADU-WEST KANO

T

he Kano Mobile Police Force Squadron 9 Commander, Superintendent Dahiru Majiya, who was shot dead by terrorists in Kano on Monday night was buried yesterday at the Tarouni Cemetery in Kano, amidst tears by family members and colleagues.

The MOPOL boss was buried about 9.am, according to Islamic rites.

Those present at the burial included the Assistant Inspector General of Police, David Omojola, the Kano State Commissioner of Po-

Police arrest suspected killers lice, Musa Daura, Senior Police Officers attached to the state Police Command, as well as men and officers of the Squadron.

On Monday night, gunmen shot dead the commander close to his family house at Gandu Albasa quarters in the state capital.

Dahiru was said to have been ambushed by suspected terrorists as he was approaching his house.

The late superintendent was said to be coming from the Squadron Headquarters in Hotoro when he met his untimely death in the hands

of the terrorists operating on motorcycles.

Majiya was said to have been shot several times as he disembarked from his car and was walking towards his house.

Meanwhile, police authorities in Kano yesterday gave an account of how the commander was killed.

The police also said that a number of arrests had been made in connection with the incident, and described Majia’s death as unfortunate and a huge loss to the Force.

Daura told a press conference in his office yesterday

Emulate Wada, NLC urges governors OYEWALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

T

he Kogi State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has called on other governors in the country to emulate Governor Idris Wada for having faith in the Nigerian health system.

This is contained in a statement signed by the state NLC Secretary, Mr. Monday Oseni, and made available to journalists in Lokoja yesterday.

Oseni said Wada had demonstrated that Nigeria was not a failed country as people were made to believe.

He said the State Execu-

tive Council, SEC, of NLC acknowledged Wada’s patriotism and genuine zeal for the transformation of the state as well as the manner he had handled the affairs of the state so far.

The NLC secretary also commended the state Head of Service, Dr. Moses Atakpa, for creating atmosphere

that the attack was devastating to his men.

He said: “On 25 February, 2013, at about 8p.m., unknown gunmen ambushed the Commanding Officer, MOPOL 9, Hotoro, Kano, SP Dahiru Ibrahim Majiya, while returning home from office at Sabuwar Gandu Quarters, Kano.

“The assailants opened fire sporadically on the officer, killing him instantly.

On hearing the gunshots, policemen were immediately deployed for cordon and search in the area as a result of which some suspects were arrested and are undergoing investigation and screening.”

of love and cordiality between the organised labour and the government.

He urged Atakpa to sustain the trend to create industrial harmony in the state.

Oseni also commended the leadership style of the state NLC Chairman, Comrade James Odaudu, saying his conduct was satisfactory.

structure has also promoted bitter struggles between interest groups to capture the state and its wealth and this has facilitated the emergence of violent ethnic militias, wild politicians to exploit and exacerbate inter communal tension for selfish reasons.

“Thus, communities throughout the country increasingly feel marginalised and alienated from the Nigerian state.”

iger State Government has banned the operation of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, in the state capital, Minna, and its environs.

The ban, according to Governor Babangida Aliyu, takes effect in the next three weeks.

To cushion the effect of the ban, the government has purchased 283 tricycles worth over N176.8 million at a unit cost of N624,750 to replace the Okada.

Commissioning the tricycles in Minna, Aliyu said the ban would come into effect in the next three weeks.

The governor added that the tricycles would be sold to members of the state chapter of the National Union Road Transport Workers,

NURTW, at a subsidised rate.

He explained that though the tricycles were bought at N624,750 each, they would be sold to beneficiaries at the cost of N400,000 each and payable in 18 months from the date they were released to them.

The governor added that those with private motorcycles would be allowed to move around between 7am and 7pm.

Aliyu also said that buses would be dedicated to ply various roads in the town to augment the services offered by the 283 tricycles, promising that the same gesture would be extended to Bida, Suleja, New Bussa and Kontagora towns soon.

He said the decision to ban commercial motorcycles was not to punish anyone, but to ensure the security of lives of the people.

Borno, Indian firm partner on irrigation scheme INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

T

o boost food production, the Borno State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, with Jain Irrigation System of India, JISI. Signing the MOU on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftain Affairs, Alhaji Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai, said Governor Kashim Shettima’s administration had given priority attention to the agricultural sector.

He added that the administration had established a pivot irrigation scheme in each of the three senatorial districts.

The scheme located in Konduga, Yumilgo and Gora provides employment for thou-

sands of youths and many families across the state.

Garbai said this was in addition to the cultivation of 5,000 hectares of land at Kirenuwa and Marte, which he described as unprecedented in the history of the Chad Basin Development Authority, CBDA. According to the commissioner, the initiative has provided job opportunities and income generation for over 4,000 families living along the river basin.

He disclosed that already, 50 graduates/youths had gone to Thailand for training, adding that more would soon go to Egypt for additional training in irrigation technology to acquire modern technological knowledge on how to operate the equipment already installed at all the irrigation projects in the councils.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Reps to investigate Nasarawa varsity killings TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

T

he House of Representatives yesterday passed a motion to investigate the killing of four students of Nassararwa State University by the Nigerian Army.

The students were murdered for protesting a prolonged poor power and water supply on the school’s campus.

The motion for the probe was raised by

Hon. Kingsley Chinda under matters of urgent National Importance.

The motion was entitled: “Killing of students of the Nassarawa State University by men of the Nigerian Ar my”.

Reading the motion, Hon. Chinda said: “Students of the Nassarawa State University, Keffi, had on Monday 25th February, 2013 embarked on a peaceful demonstration to pro-

test the non-provision of water and electricity supply to their campus by authorities of the school during which road block was mounted by the students.

“Following this, some soldiers deployed to bring the situation under control began shooting sporadically, beating up and manhandling as well as throwing tear gas canisters indiscriminately at the protesting students.”

The lawmaker, how-

ever, urged his colleagues to condemn the deployment of armed policemen or military men to the university campus in the guise of quelling students’ protest, describing the action as nacceptable.

He said: “The present case is one too many in cases of extra judicial killings by men of the Police and the Armed Forces that daily take place in University campuses and several parts of the country

against defenceless, innocent students and citizens.

“The incident has led to serious tension within the university community and its environs as many people are reported to have deserted their homes for fear of further attacks by men of the Nigerian Army and/or reprisal attack by the students.

“The situation is already generating ill feelings and bad blood between the students

55

and men of the Nigerian Army and, if not immediately checked, could lead to further escalation of violence.”

The House, however, observed a minute silence for the slain students.

The House condemned the deployment of the soldiers to quell the peaceful protest.

It also directed the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and other relevant security agencies to prevent further breakdown of law and order in the university community.

JAMB candidates complain over scarcity of exam centres MOJEED ALABI

C

andidates for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) but are yet to register now complaining of unavailability of examination centres, particularly in the South-West.

The candidates, who had thought the registration would be closing today, stormed registration centres before they learnt that there were no more available spaces at the centres for the paper, pencil testing (PPT) mode.

Isaiah Lateef, who had chosen to write the examination in Lagos, was shocked to be offered spaces in locations as far as

northern part of the country.

But JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, said the examination body had provided alternatives for those who could not secure space at PPT centres by offering them the dual-based and computer-based options.

Ojerinde, in a telephone chat with National Mirror, said the body had so far registered 1,345,000 candidates for all the testing options.

He said: “If anyone complains of inadequacy of spaces, it is a lie. We had done our homework properly before setting out. But the only thing we will not take is to allow our centres to be crowded which can give room for malpractices.”

EFCC re-arraigns Akingbola, aide for N47.1bn theft KENNY ODUNUKAN

T

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Intercontinental Bank PLC, Erastus Akingbola, and one of his aides, Bayo Dada, before an Ikeja High Court for alleged theft of N47.1 billion.

The re-arraignment before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo was sequel to the elevation of Justice Habeeb Abiru, formerly handling the matter to the Bench of the Court of the Appeal.

In the fresh information, the defendants were charged with 22 counts unlike the old charge that con-

tained 29 counts.

Justice Onigbanjo, however, granted the defendants bail based on the previous conditions imposed on them by the former trial judge.

Before yesterday’s proceedings, which lasted one and half hours,, Akingbola was driven into the court at exactly 9.30am in a white Toyota Hiace marked GW 482 AG. He was dressed in a black jacket and trousers with a blue shirt. The former bank chief also spotted a blue stripped tie and wore a pair of black shoes. He was accompanied by EFCC security operatives.

Akingbola spoke briefly with his team of lawyers before entering the courtroom where he sat behind the dock.

Some of the affected shop owners at the shut Ladipo Market in Lagos, yesterday.

PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

Jonathan off to Cote D’ivotire for ECOWAS summit Congratulates Shagari at 88

ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

P

resident Goodluck Jonathan will join other leaders of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Yamassoukrou, Cote D’Ivoire, today for the 42nd Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

Ongoing efforts to restore peace, democracy and political stability to Mali and Guinea-Bissau in which President Jonathan and Nigeria are playing key roles will top the agenda of the two-day summit at which a new ECOWAS Chairperson

will also be elected.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said Jonathan and other participating Heads of State and Government would also receive and consider the 2012 annual report of the President of the ECOWAS Commission as well as the report of the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.

At the conclusion of the Summit tomorrow, Jonathan would, at the invitation of President Alassane Ouattara, embark on a three-day state visit to Cote D’Ivoire.

He is accompanied by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Hon. Isa Hassan, Hon. Nkeiru Onyejiocha.

Also on the entourage are Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; the Minister of State (Foreign Affairs), Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed; representatives of the Nigerian private sector and other officials of the Federal Government.

Various agreements aimed at fostering trade and relations between Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire would also be concluded and signed in Abidjan before the end of the visit.

Jonathan would also

meet with Nigerians resident in Cote D’Ivoire before returning to Nigeria on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Jonathan has congratulated former President Shehu Shagari on his 88th birthday.

Shagari marked the birthday on Monday.

Jonathan recalled Shagari’s leadership during Nigeria’s Second Republic and his contributions to the growth and entrenchment of democracy in the country.

He expressed appreciation to the former President for supporting efforts by the governments to improve the lives of all Nigerians.

He wished Shagari good health and more years of service to Nigeria and humanity.

WORLD RECORD

Oldest Usenet post Vol. 03 No. 566

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

F

Days of long knives

or now, Governor Chibuike Amaechi remains chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) till next May when a new election would choose his successor. Incidentally, one week is a very long time in politics. And since the Rivers State governor has survived what would have turned out a bloody spectacle, the days ahead will not only be rough and uncertain, the shenanigans and hostilities from some of his compatriots will become more pronounced, corrosive and even abrasive. The battle line is drawn and the long knives are out.

The scale of political intrigues between those too impatient in seeing him out of office and those too enamoured of his stewardship, especially in the undeclared face-off with the presidency is bound to be messy. All the shibboleths point to a wider confrontation both within the ruling PDP and the array of opposition parties.

W

ilson Chandler scored 23 points yesterday as the Denver Nuggets claimed a 119-108 victory to heap more misery on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Chandler, in the side as Danilo Gallinari had a thigh injury, received sup-

N150

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Okay Osuji (okayosuji@nationalmirroronline.net) 08034729256 (sms only)

The puzzles and political calculations on all sides remain a guarded secret. But as the days draw near, such game plan would become public. In view of political developments in recent days, it would not take a clairvoyant or soothsayer to discern the intentions of President Goodluck Jonathan and the mass weapons he has arrayed to take on anyone or group seen to be posing obstacles to his reelection bid. It is no secret that in spite of photo opportunity and smiles before the cameras, including effusive shows of camaraderie between Amaechi and Jonathan, there are hidden daggers in all their motives.

Like prostitutes, politicians are grandmasters at public deception and will put up with any inconvenience to satisfy an immediate gratification. Given the dramatic reelection of Chief Tony Anenih as PDP Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman, no one is now in doubt that Aso Rock is stealthily tightening the noose and taking control of the party’s machinery in expectations of more vicious conflicts to come. And whether there is any public denial or not, the fact remains that Amaechi has vaulting ambition of running for Vice Presidency in 2015. Incidentally, this is seriously grating against those of President Jonathan. With the present political arrangement, both Amaechi and Jonathan cannot run on the same ticket, coming from the same geopolitical zone.

This realisation is slowly turning them into sworn enemies. Therein lays the ker-

LIKE PROSTITUTES, POLITICIANS ARE GRANDMASTERS AT PUBLIC DECEPTION AND WILL PUT UP WITH ANY INCONVENIENCE TO SATISFY AN IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION nel of their not so friendly disposition towards each other. Amaechi knows he is capable of derailing President Jonathan’s political train, using his vantage position as chairman of the NGF. Such reality stands out like sore thumb before the once “shoeless poor boy” from Otueke. And for this, the presidency has been making every overture to anyone with political clout to convince the Ikwerre-born politician to give up his own ambition. But with a new found confidence, it would take more than a visit and backslapping to dissuade Amaechi from roiling the waters and back the second term bid of his next door neighbour.

Give or take, the coming fight would not end with a friendly handshake as both combatants are aware of the stakes involved.

A more mortal danger lies in wait for the President from within his party, especially when the Governor’s Forum decides to back a northern candidate at the primaries.

This scenario is not lost on Amaechi, which is why he is seen by other Turks from the South- South geopolitical zone of cuddling to the interests of rebels scheming to take over Jonathan’s job in 2015. For this reason, the Jonathan camp is making concerted efforts to create a parallel forum with the likes of Governors Godswill Akpabio and Dickson Seriake as devil’s advocate. In doing so, Aso Rock is banking on the assumption that coming from the same geopolitical zone, both governors are popular enough to nullify whatever influence Amaechi has in the area.

Given the manner in which the two South-South governors have been approaching their mission, it would be something of a miracle, if Amaechi wins reelection as NGF’s chairman next May. What if Jonathan triumphs in this high stake game? Then, the danger is still not over given that those who feel aggrieved and short changed could easily decamp to the opposition party, if it ever gets beyond hot noises.

But will those now opposed to President Jonathan’s second term bid in the PDP get a rousing welcome in a new party and even get tickets to pursue their political ambitions? That is the Catch 22 and poser for Amaechi and fellow travellers.

As it stands, the long knives are everywhere, and with elections fast approaching, more persons will be stabbed and even beheaded to make way for the more ambitious and daring. The sorry situation in the PDP is that many are not only ambitious, but violently rebellious. Such centrifugal tendencies manifest themselves in those who want to be president and vice president, either due to a natural sense of entitlement or a feeling of superior political qualification than the present incumbents.

Governor Amaechi falls into one of these categories. But the Otueke born politician is hell bent on seeing that only one gladiator comes out of the arena alive.

Sport Extra

B’ball: Chandler compounds Lakers’ woes port from Ty Lawson, who added 22 points, while Andre Iguodala had 14 points and 12 assists.

The Nuggets recorded their ninth straight home win as a sluggish Lakers outfit could not handle

the pace despite 29 points from star player Kobe Bryant.

Elsewhere in the NBA, Paul Pierce poured in 26 points to lift the Boston Celtics to a 110-107 overtime win over the Utah

Jazz.

Pierce came up big in the extra session, scoring seven straight points to tip the contest in Boston’s favour. Avery Bradley added a total of 18 points for the Celtics, while Gor-

don Hayward led the Jazz with 26.

The Washington Wizards beat the Toronto Raptors 90-84 to claim their third straight win, DeMar DeRozan socring 25 points.

Wilson Chandler

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