Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Banks to provide low interest loans for SMEs

LCCI raises concern over Nigeria’s N7.5trn debt

TOLA AKINMUTIMI AND JOHNSON OKANLAWON Sanusi

Vol. 3 N0. 596

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he Bankers’ Committee yesterday said it would soon announce a special interest rate regime on credit

Dubai 2013: Effective communication, key to business growth, says Ibrahim

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for Small and Medium Enterprises, SMEs, as part of its efforts to enhance the productive capacity of such CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

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NLC suspends planned protests over pension ... Jonathan orders payment of N1bn arrears N7.8bn scam: EFCC arraigns ex-police accountant

ROTIMI FADEYI, OLUFEMI ADEOSUN AND EMMA GBEMUDU

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he Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday called off the planned protest over the unpaid arrears due to pensioners follow-

ing President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive that the backlog be cleared immediately.

The NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and civil society groups had few days ago announced that a solidarity protest would be staged in Abuja and Lagos CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

10 bodies of slain policemen recovered P.9

Kenya’s new President Uhuru Kenyatta receiving the country’s constitution which represents the instrument of his power and authority from his predecessor Mwai Kibaki during his inauguration in Nairobi, yesterday.

PDP crisis deepens as members want NWC declared illegal ...call for dissolution of Tukur-led executive

Detained Leadership journalists freed

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Abubakar

INEC announces reorganisation, retires directors

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Thatcher for burial April 17 France begins troops withdrawal from Mali P.54,55

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PDP crisis deepens as members want NWC declared illegal OBIORA IFOH, SAM OLUWALANA AND EMMANUEL ONANI

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he lingering crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, deepened yesterday as some aggrieved members of the ruling party asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dissolve the National Working Committee, NWC. The plaintiffs in the suit, Hon. Abba Kale, Alhaji Aruwa Sule and Bashir Maidugu asked the court to declare that the 18 members of the NWC were illegally elected into their respective positions, having fail to comply with the provisions of Articles 2, Articles 16 (1) and (3) of the party constitution.

Also, the plaintiffs said Sections 6.6, Section 6.0 (ii), and the contents of pages 17 of the Guidelines for the Conduct of Year 2012 Ward, LGA, State, Zonal Congresses and National Convention of the PDP were violated in the election of the NWC members.

Specifically, the aggrieved members contend that five members of the NWC were unqualified for election of account of age and academic qualification among other issues raised.

The plaintiffs claim that Hon. Bala Bawa Kao’je, the

party’s National Treasurer; Chief Olabode Akeem Mustapha, National Auditor and Senator Umar Ibrahim Tsauri, Deputy National Auditor, all joined as defendants in the suit, were in breach of the party’s constitution when they were elected into their offices as they were not accountants by training.

Similarly, Alhaji Garba Chiza, the National Youth Leader and Chief Dennis Alonge Niyi, the Deputy National Youth Leader, through their lawyers, Barrister Joni Icheka, would also be expected to explain to the court how they got into their positions in violation of the age limit of 40 years for such posts.

The plaintiffs are therefore asking the court for a declaration as to “whether by the provisions of Article 13 (6); 13 (14) and (15) and Article 27 (2) of the PDP constitution, the composition and or continuous composition of the PDP by the unqualified defendants 2nd to 6th defendants is a nullity.”

They are also asking the court to declare null and void, the election of the remaining 11 defendants on the ground that they were elected in contravention of the party’s constitution, election of national officers manual, announcement of result procedure and the

guidelines set out for the national convention of the party in 2012.

In a 27-paragraph affidavit sworn to by Kale, it was alleged that the 2nd to 6th defendants were not qualified to hold the positions they currently occupy in the PDP and so, should be relieved of such portfolios.

In particular, Kaoje was said to be a graduate of Building Engineering of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and not an accountant as required by the PDP constitution for him to become the National Treasurer.

Mustapha, was equally alleged to be a B.Sc holder

in Criminology and Security Studies of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and not an accountant as required by the party’s constitution and other guidelines, just as Senator Tsauri was said to be appointed the Deputy National Auditor while not being an accountant as required.

Also, Chiza, the National Youth Leader was said to be above 40 years, having been born on July 25, 1960 whereas the PDP constitution and guidelines stipulates that the holder of such an office should be between 18 and 40 years.

It was this same issue

that was drawn up against Niyi, who is Chiza’s deputy as he was said to have been born on August 12, 1970, which makes him to be above 40 years as at 2012 when he assumed the office.

As for the other members of the NEC who were listed in the suit, they were all alleged to have been elected by affirmation in contravention of Article 16 of the party’s constitution.

In the deposition, Kale averred: “I know as of fact that the process leading to the election of new officials was by motions moved and seconded for the return of candidates into each of the vacant national offices.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

this month, NLC should embark on the protest without notice.

The communiqué issued at the end of the CWC meeting reads in part: “In consideration of the fact that the Federal Government has sufficiently met with the demands of the Congress and National Union of Pensioners, NUP, including the setting up of a joint Committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to harmonise payments as well as resolve sundry matters connected with pension payment and administration of pension funds, CWC resolves to suspend forthwith the work stoppage/protest match billed to take place on Wednesday, April 10 in Lagos and Abuja.

It however said the unions would “resume without warning the suspended action if by the end of April or thereabouts,

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Cars wading through flood along Wemco Road in Ikeja, Lagos, after the downpour, yesterday.

NLC suspends planned protests over pension today over the failure of the Federal Government to pay pensioners’ arrears as well as other pending issues affecting their lives.

However, President Jonathan waded into the matter on Monday night and ordered the payment of the backlog of the arrears, forcing the Central Working Committee of the NLC to hold an emergency meeting yesterday where the decision to suspend the strike was agreed upon.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said that the decision to suspend the strike was based on President Jonathan’s assurance that all the issues raised by the pensioners would be addressed.

He, however, noted that it was also agreed by both parties that if the demands were not met by the end of

“All the motions were carried through resounding voice vote with the exception of the offices of the National Chairman, National Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Auditor, National Treasurer and Deputy National Treasurer.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitoring team observed and reported that ‘the mode of election adopted for single candidates was not in accordance with the mode of election stipulated in paragraph 6.0 (ii) of page 17 of the Guidelines for the Con-

the Federal Government fails to implement all it has promised to do.

“Congress wishes to commend its workers and civil society allies for promptly mobilizing for this action.”

The communiqué reads further:“It will be recalled that, at the joint meeting with the Congress and the Trade Union Congress on Monday night, April 8, 2013, the Federal Government among other things accepted to restore the check-off dues of the NUP which had been withheld for one year; ordered the withdrawal from the court the case between the Federal Government of Nigeria and NUP in respect of the pension payment/matters; set up a joint Committee of Labour and Government, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to resolve all issues pertaining to: Immediate payment

of all pension arrears to deserving pensioners; revisitation/resumption of inconclusive verification exercises of 2010/2011 that left scores of pensioners off the payroll.

“The review of pension payment to reflect 53.4 per cent wage increase to workers in 2010 and the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage; perfect and fast-track the process of pension payment.

“The committee has till the end of April or first week of May at the latest to complete its work.

On Monday night, President Jonathan met with labour leaders over the pension debacle and ordered the immediate payment of all outstanding arrears of pensioners in the country to starve off the mass protests.”

The President also set up a government team that would meet with represen-

tatives of organised labour on other issues raised during the meeting.

Members of the government team include the SGF; Minister of Labour and Productivity; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, the State Counsel; and the Director-General of the Budget Office.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, announced at the end of the meeting that Jonathan had directed the relevant ministries and agencies to ensure that the check off dues of pensioners are paid immediately.

The decision, according to him, was based on the presentation made by the organised labour about issues on the payment of pensioners.

Present at the meeting were the leaders of the NLC, TUC and the NUP. Organised labour and

civil society groups had declared today work-free day for the mass protests in Lagos and Abuja to draw the attention of government towards the plight of pensioners, whose pension arrears estimated at over N1bn have not been paid.

According to the President of the NLC, the mass protest was targeted against corruption and impunity in government across states and federal levels, explaining that it was decided that the Lagos and Abuja mass protests hold under the joint umbrella of Labour and Civil Society Coalition, LASCO. The NLC urged Nigerians across the country to participate actively in the rallies and protest marches to support the demand for a review of the pension fund in order to ensure living pensions and its prompt payment to senior citizens.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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Photo News

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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4TH ANNUAL GMD MANAGERS’ CONFERENCE, DUBAI 2013

L-R: Guest lecturer, Prof. Amos A. Idowu; Group Managing Director, Energy Group, Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim (OFR) and Chairman, Nigeria Re-Insurance, Chief Amos Akingba at the conference.

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Nicon Properties, Mr. Ayodeji Alonge; Managing Director/Editorin-Chief, National Mirror, Mr. Steve Ayorinde and Managing Director, Air Nigeria, Mr. Akeem Balogun.

L-R: Mrs. Kemi Esanola of Global Fleet; Managing Director, Newswatch Magazine, Dr. Bolu Folayan and General Manager, Nicon Hotel, VGC, Mrs. Oluwaseun Olatunji.

L-R: Business Development Manager, Facilities, Global Fleet, Oil and Gas, Bola Adekanye; Business Development Manager, Human Resource, Global Fleet Oil and Gas, Tolulope Fabunmi; Finance and Accounts Manager, Worldwide Fleet Consultancy, Mrs. Aminat Baruwa; Head, Supply and Distribution, Global Fleet Oil and Gas, Mr. Adeniyi Arogundade and Business Development Officer, Funmi Lawal.

L-R: Senior Manager, Strategic Development, National Mirror, Mr. Gani Balogun; Regional Manager, South West, Nicon Insurance, Mr. Sunny Beyioku and Regional Manager, National Mirror Abuja, , David Adeagbo.

Special Guest, Dr. Segun Ayodele (left) and Dr. Ibrahim.

L-R: Members of Staff of Nigeria Re-Insurance, Head Administrative Services, Innocent Nwagboso; Acting General Manager, Operations, Chucks Ndubisi and Head, Domestic Technical Operations, Mr. Udeh Dennis.

L-R: Personal Assistant to the GMD, Pastor Williams Famodun and Head, Projects, Global Fleet Oil and Gas, Mr. Peter Ekpo.

Editor, Saturday Mirror, Gbemi Olujobi (left) and Legal Officer, Global Fleet Oil and Gas Limited, Barrister Moni Adebiyi.

Cross section of participants, during a tea break at the conference.

PHOTOS: OLUFEMI AJASA

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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NLC suspends planned protests over pension CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Meanwhile, aggrieved pensioners in Bayelsa State yesterday said that they were experiencing difficult times occasioned by the backlog of arrears owed them by the state government.

To this end, the pensioners who are currently undergoing a biometric data registration and verification exercise in Yenagoa, the state capital, appealed to government to offset these arrears and benefits to enable them cope with life after retirement.

Some of the pensioners who spoke with National Mirror noted that they had passed through turbulent times before their pensions were paid.

Investigations by our correspondents revealed that some of the senior citizens were unable to find their names in the federal pension’s payroll.

Non-payment of death benefits to next of kin and nonimplementation of the 53.4 per cent salary review were also some of the problem being faced.

In an interview, a pensioner, Mr. Soba Ogbitum, recounted that he retired from the civil service since 1986, noting that he receives his state share of pension , but was yet to be paid the 30 months arrears of the federal share.

For Mr. Obolo Akana, he said his arrears were paid in 2011, stressing that it was the last time he received his pension.

When contacted, a top official of the state govern-

ment who pleaded anonymity assured that the pensioners’ arrears and other benefits would be settled by the state government.

The official appealed to the pensioners to be patient with government, stressing that modalities were being worked out, adding that government was not insensitive to their plight.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has concluded arrangement to arraign a major suspect in the multi-billion naira Police Pension scam, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang, today.

According to a statement made available to National Mirror last night, she will be docked before Justice Hussain Baba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja on charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust.

According to EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, Attang allegedly abused her position to enrich herself while she served as Chief Accountant in the Police Pension office between 2003 and 2008.

She is to be arraigned alongside Esai Dangabar, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, and Christian Madubuke.

The other six suspects will be taking fresh pleas having previously been arraigned before Justice Abubakar Talba on January 28, 2013.

Attang, who was absent

PDP crisis deepens as members want NWC declared illegal CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

duct of Year 2012 Congresses and National Convention and therefore unacceptable to the Commission,” the plaintiffs stated.

Several documents including the INEC report, the party’s guidelines on elections as well as the forms filled by each of the defendants at the convention were also attached as evidence.

The Chief Judge of the FCT is yet to assign the matter ostensibly because the courts are on vacation.

In a related development, the PDP has denied the existence of any rift between the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur and its Board of Trustees,

BoT, chairman, Chief Tony Anenih.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said contrary to the claim by “a faceless association”, Anenih has not in any way usurped the power of the party’s NWC, hence, no need for bickering between the two bodies.

The party said the group, “Forum for Equity and Justice”, is a “meddlesome interloper”, allegedly hired to pitch the BoT against the NWC, thereby creating the impression that the party was “working at cross purposes”.

Metuh said: “For the avoidance of doubt, the CONTINUED ON PAGE 10>>

in court when the others were first arraigned, was in charge of the police pension fund when N7.8bn was stolen through 10,863 cheques.

She was also discovered to have personally signed 1,042 cheques to the tune of

N1,141,309,080.25.

“Investigation revealed that Mrs. Attang used several companies to defraud the Police Pension Office.

Some of the companies which she allegedly used are Royal Diadem Busi-

ness Logistic Limited, Amazing Grace Property Development Company, Enyiuzo Ventures Limited, Status Symbols Rentals Limited, Status Travels and Tours Limited, Quillponte and Anifon Nigeria

Limited,” EFCC said in the statement.

According to Uwujaren, operatives of the Commission have traced more than 20 assets to her, which are currently under investigation.

L-R: Chairman, Governing Council, University of Calabar, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu; Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie and Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, at the inauguration of the Governing Councils of Federal Universities in Abuja, yesterday.

Banks to provide low interest loans for SMES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

entities.

This is even as it also assured that in response to complaints by bank customers and other stakeholders over problems associated with using mutilated currencies for transactions, new lower denomination currencies would soon be in circulation for easier transactions.

The Bankers’ Committee is comprised of chief executives of banks and top Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, officials with the CBN Governor as chairman.

Briefing the media on the proposed plan to enable micro enterprises to access bank credit at lower interest rates amongst other decisions taken at the end of the Bankers Committee’s meeting in Abuja, the Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Otti, said the move would help in addressing one of the constraints militating against optimal performance of small businesses and create more jobs with the attendant multiplier effects on the economy.

Otti, who said that the modalities of the proposed lower interest rate regime for the SMEs were being fine-tuned by the Committee, promised that the new interest rates would become operational

within the next few weeks.

He explained: “We held extensive discussions on how banks can begin to support the real sector, the retail sector of the market, the micro, medium and small scale industries. We underscored the need for banks to support those areas of the economy that have hitherto not benefited as much as other sectors for the simple reason that it would help to reduce social tension and by generating a lot of employment and empowering a lot of people in the economy.

“Banks also discussed ways and means of reducing interest rate to this sector of the economy, which we believe is the life-wire of the economy. Further discussions are going to hold among banks to see how we can collectively make lending cheaper or lower in the industry so that we can encourage the micro, medium and small scale industries to thrive and generate employment, reduce inflation, reduce social tension and increase productivity generally in the country,” Otti added.

Director-General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Muda Yusuf, welcomed the decision of the bankers saying it will create more employment opportunities in the country.

Speaking with National Mirror last night, the Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Muda Yusuf, said there is no way the Federal Government could create jobs for youths except through the SMEs. He said: “When the SMEs get credit at lower rates, they will be able to create more jobs. More importantly, access to credit should also be addressed because it is when they have access to credit that they can talk of lower interest rate.”

Yusuf however urged the committee to extend the lower credits to agricultural sector because many of them have challenges of getting loans.

In his comments, the Managing Director of Citibank, Mr. Omar Hafiz, also spoke on the discussions of the committee as they affected the ongoing structural reforms in the country, particularly with specific reference to power and oil and gas, which he said the Committee believed must be completed in order to ensure foreign direct investment inflows to crucial sectors of the economy on a sustainable basis.

On the issue of the

mutilated bank notes, the CBN’s Director of Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins, in response to questions, said the apex bank was already aware of the problem and working on plans to get new notes into the system within the next few weeks even as she refuted insinuations that coins had been officially withdrawn from circulation.

National Mirror had reported a few weeks ago that traders and commercial vehicle operators have been rejecting worn and faded polymer notes printed in N5, N10, N20 and N50 denominations, often resulting in disputes.

The polymer notes, introduced in 2005, were touted as more durable than paper notes but have not lived up to that billing as they become faded over time. Torn notes are not usually accepted even after being taped.

The polymer note contract, which was awarded to Australian firm, Securency, was the subject of a scandal as Nigerian officials were accused of taking bribes to award the contract. The Australian government penalised Securency, a subsidiary of the Australian Central Bank and it official in relation to the scandal.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Chief Ayirimi Emami

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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Effective communication, key to business growth, says Ibrahim SEGUN FATUASE AND OBIORA IFOH DUBAI

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ffective communication has been identified as one of the key factors to achieve rapid growth in business.

Speaking on the third day of the 4th GMD Managers’ conference in Dubai yesterday, Group Managing Director, GMD, of Energy Group, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, also told the Chief Executive Officers, CEOs, and managers of the corporation that customer loyalty management is a necessary tool to effective communication.

Dr. Ibrahim while ad-

dressing over 200 delegates from Nigeria, also said that most corporations collapse because managers fail to separate personal interests from corporate interests.

According to him; “It is important to note that crisis set in gradually. Most crises are self imposed.

We must at all times understand that when we compromise employment standard, you are creating crisis in the organisation.

“You must take personal interest away from business. Self-invited crisis should be avoided through effective communication.”

Speaking on the up-

grade effect of customer loyalty management, Dr. Ibrahim advised the managers on the need to design the organograms that supports appointment of a Customer Loyalty Manager in each company, whose responsibility would be to ensure a smooth and rewarding relationship between the organisation and the public.

“There is the need for effective communication between the company and your customer. Customer loyalty takes away the burden of financial crisis.

This can only be achieved through effective communication. If you don’t have

financial crisis, you can’t have labour crisis. When you prevent financial crisis, you prevent a major trouble,” he noted.

The group managing director also canvassed the need for employee loyalty through an effective reward system. In addition, he advised the managers to encourage the building of a good data bank on information to prevent crisis.

According to him; “There should be a data bank on information to prevent crisis. Crisis must be solved by information exchange.”

The GMD also harped

L-R: First civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande; former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and Governor Babatunde Fashola, at the Emeka Anyaoku Housing Estate in Ikeja, yesterday.

FG budgets N30bn for completion of 2nd Niger Bridge

•States to get N20bn refunds on federal roads’ rehabilitation

EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

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inister of Works, Mike Onolememen, yesterday, disclosed that the Federal Government has earmarked a total of N30 billion for the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Also, weigh bridges are to be deployed across the country as part of measures to ascertain the weight of goods and materials that are conveyed on roads.

These were part of the disclosures that were made during the presentation of the Ministry of Works’ performance report to the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by Onolememen and the Minister of State, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda.

Meanwhile, the National

Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the minister, even as he described ministers as “representing a very important link between the government and the governed.

Tukur, however, encouraged ministers to “do more” to deliver the dividend of democracy, more so that they are “executors of the manifesto of the party.”

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, described Onolememen as a “showcase for the transformation agenda of the Federal Government.”

Tagged, “Transformation of Nigerian Roads: Progress Report Presented to the Peoples Democratic Party,” Onolememen said that the N30 billion is already there for the construc-

tion of the second Niger Bridge, which he said is “undergoing geo-technical survey.”

The amount, he said was the Federal Government’s counterpart funding of the multi-billion naira project, adding that “the ministry has concluded the process for the award of the Public Private Partnership,PPP, and a successful concessioner has emerged, JB-AIIM Consortium.”

As part of measures to ensure the successful completion of ongoing road construction and rehabilitation across the country, “The ministry is currently working out modalities towards the execution of projects with funds from the ExportImport Bank of China.”

More importantly, the works minister revealed that; “The enhanced funding from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empower-

ment Project, SURE-P, has helped to reduce the funding gap.”

Speaking against the backdrop of claims by some state governments that funds used in rehabilitating federal roads in state capitals are hardly refunded, the minister blamed the development on the state governments’ failure to comply with established guidelines.

Interestingly, he promised that out of the verified N40 billion, N20 billion “is going to be paid out,” even as he declared that federal roads within 10 kilometre radius in state capital cities, will be “deleted as federal roads, so that that confusion will no longer be.”

On efforts made so far to forestall a repeat of the 2012 flood disaster that ravaged Lokoja, the minister said government was on top of the situation.

on the need for every organisation to maintain a good relationship with its shareholders to ensure growth.

In his paper titled; “Achieving Effective Communication in Turbulent Times: What New Development for Managers,” Prof. Taiwo Ajayi, a visiting Professor of Geology at the Osun State University, urged delegates to use persuasive communication to maintain a good relationship with workers

and their customers.

According to him, managers have to understand that crisis and corporate turbulence are regular occurrences, stressing that their prompt response to these issues would ensure the survival of their organisations.

As a first step, Ajayi advised the managers to go beyond the old fashioned mode of ‘face to face’ communication and come up with enduring and meaningful solutions.

PIB: We’re not under pressure, Reps insist TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

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he House of Representatives Special Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, yesterday debunked claims that it was under pressure from oil companies and the Northern caucus of lawmakers to include or drop certain clauses in the PIB. Chairman of the Committee and Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Ishaka Bawa, made the denial at a press briefing to announce the commencement of zonal public hearings on the bill on April 22 and 23.

He, however, revealed that many oil companies, non-governmental organisations and individuals have sent memoranda and letters to the committee, lobbying for or against aspects of the bill.

“Nobody is mounting pressure on me or the committee. So far I can authoritatively tell you that I am not under any pressure. Yes, we have received some letters and memoranda from oil firms,” the committee claimed.

Asked if his committee had received the position paper by Northern senators on the bill, Bawa said the panel was not concerned about the stand of the Northern senators or any other group on the bill. He promised that his panel will examine and debate every clause of the bill dispassionately.

It will be recalled that senators from the North had opposed the bill during a recent debate on it on the floor of the Senate as Senator Ita Enang, from Akwa Ibom State, accused the region of dominating the oil sector with 83 percent of oil blocks.

He also explained that the committee chose to go for zonal hearings to give individuals and agencies at the grassroots the opportunity to make input into the bill.

He said the zonal hearing, which is scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, Ilorin and Gombe, will be done simultaneously.

His words: “The public hearings will also provide ample opportunity for state governments, state legislatures, professional/ interest groups to participate in the crafting of a petroleum industry legislation that will hold something for everybody.”

He continued: “These public hearings will be capped by a three-day grand finale to be held in Abuja on dates to be announced in due course.

The Abuja hearing is intended to provide the final opportunity to the committee to collate the views of other stakeholders, who might have been unwittingly left out of the zonal hearings.

“At the conclusion of these hearings, the committee will move into the next stage of examining the bill in its entirety within the context of the preponderance of views collated at the public hearings and distilled from the memoranda to be submitted to the committee.”

The bill scaled through second reading in the House more than six months ago.

But, the PIB Committee was set up last November and was inaugurated three months ago by the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal.

It held a stakeholders’ conference on the bill in Lagos in February.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Slain policemen: 10 bodies recovered in Bayelsa EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

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combined team of soldiers and the police yesterday recovered 10 decomposing bodies of the 12 policemen killed last Friday along Azuzuama creek, Southern Ijaw local government by aggrieved ex-militants.

Their bodies have been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, in the state capital amid tight security, as journalists were barred from entering the jetty and the hospital.

Stench from the decomposing bodies permeated the air as they were conveyed in a Government House ambulance to the FMC. The bodies arrived the Ministry of Transport jetty at 6.30pm as relations and friends of the deceased waited patiently with mournful looks.

Sympathisers had waited at the Marine Police Jetty for almost two hours before they relocated to the Ministry of Transport jetty where the gate to the premises was locked and barricaded by stern looking policemen.

One of them, who identified himself as Victor Ebebi told our correspondent that his younger brother, Constable Lucky Ebebi, 31, was one of those killed.

According to him, the constable had served the police for four years before meeting his untimely death in the hands of the militants.

He said: “We are natives of Esama in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State. I just arrived Yenagoa from the

village.”

The 12 policemen were killed by former militants on their way to Azuzuama to beef up security at the burial ceremony of a former militant leader in the state, Kile Torughedi, alias Gen. Young Shallgrow.

It was gathered that the policemen were stripped naked and burnt beyond recognition.

The state Commissioner of Police, Kingsley Omire, who con-

firmed the recovery of the bodies, said the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, had no hand in the killings.

Omire warned that the culprits would be made to face the full weight of the law.

He said: “Yes, the corpses of the slain policemen have been recovered and are being brought to Yenagoa.

“It is unacceptable for persons who committed very grievous crimes

to only walk the streets as free men, because of lack of adequate investigation and prosecution of such criminals, who after a while return to their bad ways and threaten the peace and wellbeing of law-abiding citizens of the state.”

In the same vein, the Media Coordinator of the Joint Military Task Force, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the JTF assisted the police in the search and rescue operation for the bodies.

L-R: National Coordinator, National Malaria Control Programme; Dr. Nnenna Ezeigwe, Chairman World Malaria Day Committee, Sir Patrick N. Ikemefuna and Malaria Ambassador Nigeria, President/Chief Executive, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, during a visit to Dangote, in Lagos.

Police release arrested journalists Ex-DIG Ekpoudom, others head FMC boards

•NPAN, MRA condemn clampdown on media ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

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he four journalists working with Leadership newspapers, Mrs. Chinyere Fred-Adebulugbe (Director, Human Capital and former Editor, Sunday Leadership); Mr. Tony Amokeodo (Group News Editor); Mr. Chibuzor Ukaibe (political reporter) and Mr. Chuks Ohuegbe (Managing Editor) who were arrested and detained by the police have been released.

The four were invited and detained at the Force Headquarters, Abuja on Monday on the orders of the Presidency over a story titled: “Outrage trails presidential directive on Tinubu, APC.” Two of the journalists were, however, released on Monday night, while the remaining two, Amoekedo and Ukaibe were released yesterday.

However, Amokeodo and Ukaibe were asked to

be reporting at the Force Headquarters daily for further investigation.

The two had earlier filed a suit against the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, claiming N10 million damages for breach of trust.

Meanwhile, the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigerian, NPAN, and a non-government organisation, Media Rights Agenda, MRA, yesterday condemned the arrest of the journalists.

NPAN, in a statement signed by its General Secretary, Comfort Obi, expressed worry over the arrest, especially in a democratic dispensation.

The statement reads in part: “We are concerned and worried because we had thought that by now, the police and other similar organs of state, would have weaned themselves of the carry-over of military mentality of intimidation, harassment and arrest of journalists.”

OMEIZA AJAYI ABUJA

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resident Goodluck Jonathan has approved the composition and appointments of the Management Boards of all Federal Medical Centres in the country.

Each of the 23 medical centres has a five-man board.

The Board of the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Ebutte-Metta, Lagos, has

Prof. Durosimi-Etti as its chairman. Members are Adamu Mukthar Aliyu, Mr. Ajadi Adeoye, Hajia Aliyu Aisha Udah and Chief Oliver Akubueze.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Prince U. U. Ekpoudom (rtd) is the chairman of the Board of the FMC, Keffi, Nasarawa State while members are Mr. Okolo Paul, Dr. Charles Iwara, Dr. Ebenezer Okorodudu and Mr. Tanimu Adabson.

A statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and made available to National Mirror in Abuja yesterday indicated that Alhaji Bara Bauchi will chair the Board of the FMC, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Other members of the board are Mrs. Nkechi Sackey, Mrs. Gladys M. Sasore, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan and Mrs. Josephine Soboyejo.

Apapa, for a service of songs at 5 p.m.

On April 18, the body will depart Apapa at 7 a.m. for Tribune House in Ibadan for another lyingin-state and tribute session at 10a.m. It will be followed by entertainment of the Ikenne community at Ikenne Town Hall in Ikenne Remo, Ogun State.

Still on the same day, there will be a Christian wake at the Obafemi Awolowo Memorial Anglican Church, Ikenne, where the deceased was an active church official for many

years.

According to the committee, on Friday, April 19, a funeral service will be held at Our Saviour’s Anglican Church, Ikenne Remo after which interment will follow.

Entertainment of guests is slated for the Obafemi Awolowo Square, Ikenne Remo.

Chief Oluwole Awolowo, who died on March 27 in the United Kingdom, is survived by wives, children, grandchildren, sisters and an aged mother.

Oluwole Awolowo for burial, April 19

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he late Chief Oluwole Awolowo will be buried at his hometown, Ikenne Remo, Ogun State, on Friday April 19.

According to a funeral arrangement released by the Oluwole Awolowo Burial Planning Committee, the body of the publisher of the Tribune titles is expected to arrive Nigeria from London on April 17, while a valedictory session and lying-in-state hold at the Lagos State House of Assembly, before the body leaves for 31, Park Lane,

9

‘NOUN not accredited to run Law programme’ ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA

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he Council of Legal Education yesterday said the National Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, had not been accredited to run Law degree programme.

The Chairman of the Council, Mr. Onueze Okocha, who disclosed this in Abuja, said anyone studying Law at NOUN and hoping to secure admission to the Nigerian Law School was merely wasting his time and resources.

Speaking at a briefing to kick-start the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian Law School, Okocha said NOUN did not have the necessary prerequisites such as moot court, lecturers among others to run a degree in Law. Okocha advised those already studying Law at NOUN to transfer to accredited universities.

He said: “It is foolhardy for someone to establish a university, put in his money and then choose to run an illegal Faculty of Law.” The chairman said the Council of Legal Education operated under the law and therefore would continue to implement the law.

Okocha also dismissed claims that the Council might eventually accredit the Law programme being run by non-accredited universities.

He said: “I don’t want them to waste their monies and time. They should seek transfer to accredited universities.”

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Tahir Mamman, said anyone who only wanted to have an acquaintance with the law, could go to a non-accredited university to sturdy Law. He said: “But if they want to become legal practitioners, they have to go to accredited universities.”

Mamman said the list of universities accredited to run law programme had been published and anyone interested should endeavour to look for it before putting in for Law in any of the universities.

Speaking on the proposed amendment of the law establishing the Council of Legal Education, Okocha said it would allow the Law School to be best administered.

10

South West

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Ogun govt, Assembly trade blames over N8bn contract FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

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here was a mild drama in the committee room of the Ogun State House of Assembly yesterday as officials of the state government and lawmakers traded blames over who leaked official documents on the award of an N8 billion road contract to the media.

The duo of the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and her Works and Infrastructure counterpart, Olamilekan Adegbite, had appeared before the House, presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Suraju Ishola Adekunbi, to clear the air on the actual debt profile of the state.

The lawmakers had also demanded explanations from the Commissioner for Finance, the repayment plan for another loan of N15.6 billion for which the governor was seeking approval of the House.

In the course of looking at the nitty-gritty of the previous loan of N25 billion already approved and the award of a 7-kilometre road in Shagamu for N8 billion as reported in the media, the state Commissioner for Works,

O

Police arrest 10 over vandalisation of vehicles

the recurring gang war in Shomolu and Mushin areas of the metropolis is becomo fewer than 10 sus- ing a source of concern to pects, who allegedly the Lagos State Police Comparticipated in the missioner, Umaru Manko, vandalisation of some 100 who has vowed to tackle the vehicles in Shomolu area menace of urchins in the of Lagos on Monday, have state headlong.

Confirming the arrest been arrested. of the suspects, Police PubThe suspects, whose lic Relations Officer, Lagos identities were not made State Command, Ngozi known by the police, were Braide, said investigations picked up at different joints into the cause of the disin Shomolu while still huntturbance in Shomolu has ing for other fleeing suscommenced; saying everypects who participated in one involved in the violence the attack. Police sources would be dealt with accordtold National Mirror that ing to the law.

She, however, refrained from stating the number of suspects arrested so far; saying police officers have been deployed to the area to ensure that peace and stability is maintained.

It was reported yesterday that about 100 vehicles were vandalised by hoodlums who invaded four streets in Shomolu in the metropolis.

The hoodlums were said to have been protesting the killing of one of their own identified as ‘Old School’ by a rival gang of urchins at a rally organised by the Somolu Local Government Chairman, Mr. Gbolahan Bago-Stowe, to mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ L-R: The Ekarun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Eddy Oyewole; Osi Olubadan, Chief Lekan Balogun and President, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Chief Bayo Oyero, addressing a news conference on the 99th birthday anniversary of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, on Solanke Street during the Easter period. yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Adegbite accused the House Committee on Works of leaking the details of the contract forwarded to the House to the media.

In response to the accusation, the lawmakers contended that the controversial memo titled: “Re: Request for Information on Capital Projects,” dated March 21, 2013 signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, Engineer K. Ademolake was possibly leaked from the commissioner’s office.

The document was said to have indicated that the government awarded the 7-kilometre Shagamu-Benin Expressway Junction-Oba Erinwole Junction for N8 billion to P.W. Nigeria Ltd with a mobilization fee of N2 billion.

Fielding further questions from the legislators, Adegbite confirmed that the Shagamu road was awarded at N8 billion, stressing that the report was “mischievous, lopsided and politically motivated.”

The commissioner, who insisted that the contractor had been on site since No-

Amosun, firm sign MoU on light rail project

gun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, on light rail mass transit that will link major cities in the state and help boost its economy.

While signing the MoU in his Oke-Mosan Office, Abeokuta, Governor Ibikunle Amosun, said there can be no development without putting necessary infrastructure in place, adding that; “We have been doing our best on roads but it is high time we pay attention to rail as well.”

“We are starting the mass transit within Abeokuta metropolis. We will also put this light rail in place in all our major towns including Ado-Odo/ Ota axis which will encompass all the border areas with Lagos State.

“Our first focus is intracity rail, thereafter we will embark on linking the cities together. Within the

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

next couple of years, you will begin to see some efforts in what we are trying to do to enhance transportation of our people and goods,” he said.

Governor Amosun, who said that the present administration envisioned that within the next two years, the population of the Gateway State would rise and its economy would blossom, pointed out that; “The era of government officials looting and siphoning public funds is over in Ogun.”

In his remark at the signing ceremony, the Manag-

ing Director, CCECC, Mr. Cao Bao Gang, thanked the Ibikunle Amosun administration for its development vision, saying; “The project on completion will enhance the transportation system of the state and contribute to its economic development.”

He assured that the project would be of high quality and speed at a low cost, adding that; “It will provide job for the local people and help the unskilled ones to gain adequate knowledge through training and involvement in the whole process.

vember, said the government paid the contractor in February 2013.

Adegbite insisted that the contractor had worked beyond the stage government has paid.

His words: “Anybody that lives in Shagamu will know that there is heavy government presence. Yes, the sum there (in the publication) is correct, we sent the document here, but the PS brought the document to the House Committee; I don’t know how that got to the media. Of course, the figure was picked up from this hallowed chamber.”

FRANCIS SUBERU

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PDP crisis deepens as members want NWC declared illegal CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

NWC and the BoT are united and committed to providing the necessary political direction for the party.

“The leadership of the party reiterates that the Chief Tony Anenih led-BoT has in no way usurped the functions of the NWC. His reconciliatory visits complement the reconciliation and consolidation tours embarked by the NWC and they have been yielding desired results.

Meanwhile, Anenih has described the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as a force and one of the leaders of the ruling PDP.

The former Works Minister, who led a delegation of other BoT members of the party to Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday, said: “We are here this morning to meet the Governor of Rivers State to discuss issues that are important to the corporate existence of this country, issues that will help us stabilise the system, issues that will make the PDP stronger and issues that will make us live in a decent society. We are here to consult with him as one of the leaders of the party and again I think I am a part of Rivers State.

We are here also to appre-

Fashola inaugurates health centre, names Estate after Anyaoku MURITALA AYINLA

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agos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday flagged-off the second comprehensive Primary Health Centre, PHC, in Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area, LCDA, just as he

named a 76-unit housing estate after the former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyoku.

Governor Fashola, in his keynote address at the inauguration of the medical facility, charged the residents in the area to take ownership of the health centre and maximize its use.

He said the two-storey building would carry out 24-hour medical services at the grass root level, adding that the facility and others like it, are designed to make cases of malaria, ante-natal care, child delivery, a local affair while difficult cases which the PHCs cannot cope with will be referred to general and teaching hospi-

tals.

Fashola commended the chairman of the development council for taking the initiative, urging other 56 local government and development council chairmen to emulate him and key into the partnership of the state government to support the setting up of flagship PHCs in their locality.

ciate the governor for what he is doing for the people of Rivers State,” Anenih said.

Responding, Governor Amaechi said the PDP in Rivers State is peaceful.

He said: “Chairman, we formally welcome you and your delegation. There was no welcome over there; it was just straight to the point.

Now it is the time to welcome you before my colleagues in government and my friends in the party. Like we did say to you, PDP in Rivers State is peaceful. We also have told you that we produced two million votes for the President.

“So we thank you for coming. All we are saying to you is tell the party to please treat us well so that we can encourage our people to continue to vote for PDP. We are members of PDP and we will remain members of PDP. We wish you God’s blessings and to say have a safe trip.”

Among other members on the delegation were the PDP Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja; Prof.

Jerry Gana, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas and Chief Ebenezer Babatope.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

11

Ikuforiji: EFCC’s lawyer withdraws from corruption suit K AYODE KETEFE

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he prosecution of the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, and his personal assistant, Alade Atoyebi, for alleged money laundering suffered another setback yesterday as the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Godwin Obla, withdrew from prosecuting the case.

Ikuforiji and Atoyebi are standing trial before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on a 20-count charge of money laundering.

Obla, who had been absent in court in the last four consecutive sittings, yesterday sent a representative, Mr. A. M. Yusuf, to inform the court of his decision to withdraw his representation as a counsel to the EFCC. Yusuf told the court that

Obla’s withdrawal letter had been filed and served on all parties on April 8, 2013.

Yusuf subsequently urged the court to grant three weeks adjournment to enable EFCC procure the services of another counsel to take over prosecution.

But counsel to the de-

ADO EKITI

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kiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday likened the death of his deputy, Mrs Funmilayo Olayinka, to the plight of a pilot who loses his co-pilot mid air.

Fayemi, who described Olayinka’s death as “a lot of challenge,” said: “We will make her happy by ensuring that her dreams for better and more prosperous Ekiti are realised.”

The governor spoke in Ado Ekiti while receiving traditional rulers who paid condolence visit to him on the loss.

The monarchs, led by the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers Chairman and the Owa Ooye of OkemesiEkiti, Oba Adedeji Gbadebo, urged the governor to ensure that the vision for the development of the state, jointly conceived with his late deputy, were actualised as a befitting memorial for her contributions to the development of the state.

The monarchs said the deputy governor’s death was a great loss to Ekiti and Nigeria as a whole because of her rare virtues of forthrightness and loyalty.

Youths and Sports Minister, Mallam Bolaji Abdulahi, said the cooperation that the governor enjoyed from the late Olayinka probably translated to the positive development being witnessed in the

by Obla, who was in the habit of asking for frivolous adjournments.

They consequently prayed the court to dismiss the charge against their clients whom they said were being made to undergo unnecessary ordeal while EFCC kept showing lack of seriousness

in the prosecution.

It will be recalled that the EFCC’s lawyer had been absent in court on four previous consecutive occasions on November 6, 2012, November 20, 2012, February 18, 2013, and March 25, 2013.

Obla had, however, kept sending letters of apology to

L-R: Mother of the deceased, Mrs. Adetutu Famuagun, a member of House of Representatives, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, and father of the deceased, Chief Festus Famuagun, during a condolence visit by the lawmaker on the death of Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

Olayinka’s death is like a pilot losing colleague mid-air – Fayemi

ABIODUN NEJO,

fendants, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) and Mr Tunde Akinrimisi, told the court that the prosecutor had shown a high level of indifference in handling the matter since its commencement.

The defence lawyers insisted that the case had not been diligently prosecuted

state.

The minister spoke during a visit to Fayemi. He prayed God to grant the government and the people of the state the fortitude to bear the loss.

Also, Oyo State Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo, described the death of his Ekiti State counterpart as a great loss.

Adeyemo described late Olayinka as a very amiable, hard working and courageous woman whose virtues of loyalty and frankness are worthy of emulation.

Court remands kidnappers of Osun Speaker’s wife ADEOLU ADEYEMO OSOGBO

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ix suspected kidnappers of the wife of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Alhaja Muibat Salam, have been remanded at Ile-Ife prison.

Alhaja was allegedly kidnapped in Ejigbo on October 9, 2012.

The suspects were accused of conspiracy and kidnapping of Alhaja Muibat Salam and thereby committing felony which is contrary to Section 364 (1) and (2) of

the Criminal Code Law, Cap 34, Vol. II laws of Osun State 2002 at the High Court sitting in Ejigbo The accused persons namely: Chukwudi Okereke, Ogbole Ochijile Elijah, Okonkwo Lucky, Chukuma Osifo, Kaikire Mahah, Uwdiunor Philip and others now at large were further accused of unlawful possession of firearms which is also contrary to Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision Act), Cap. R II, Vol. 14 Laws of the Federation 2004.

The suspects, however,

2014: PDP faults deployment of police boss to Ekiti ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

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he Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the deployment of an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Sunday Faleye, to the state as an attempt to rig the forthcoming 2014 governorship election.

Ekiti State PDP Secretary, Dr Tope Aluko, who appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, to reverse the deployment, said it was wrong to have posted the former aide-decamp (ADC) to former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo, an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain, to the state at a crucial time like

the court while requesting that the matter should be adjourned to another dates.

Ruling on the issue, Justice Okeke who observed that the case had suffered numerous adjournments especially at the instance of the prosecution nonetheless held that he would allow the EFCC time to find a new prosecuting lawyer so that the case could continue.

The judge then adjourned the case till April 24, 2013.

EFCC had on March 1, 2012 arraigned Ikuforiji and Atoyebi on an amended 20-count charge bordering on allegations of money laundering.

The commission alleged that Ikuforiji and his aide committed money laundering offences by accepting cash payment from the Assembly to the tune of N501 million without going through financial institution.

this.

In a statement issued yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, Aluko said: “PDP suspected the posting, especially coming at a time when political parties are preparing for 2014 election, coupled with the desperation being displayed by ACN to win re-election for Governor Kayode Fayemi.”

The party, which said Faleye’s posting was unacceptable, requested that “a neutral ACP be posted to avoid further blood-letting and cover up by police in the state”.

The statement reads: “The PDP wishes to draw the attention of the IGP, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, to the strategic, calculative and orchestrated posting of ACP Sunday Faleye, cur-

rently of Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad to Ekiti State Command.”

“The posting is not only suspicious, but must have been influenced and tailored to Ekiti Command for an agenda beyond the police legitimate assignment.”

“Mr Sunday Faleye was the ADC to the former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo and the posting is likely to carry out hatchet and mischievous assignment as we approach the 2014 governorship election “Please, recall our several complaints in the past and recent violent activities of the ACN-led government in the state that led to the arrest and detention of the party chairman, Chief Jide Awe.”

pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge prepared against them.

The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wale Afolabi; the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Abiola Adewemimo and a Principal Counsel in the Ministry of Justice, Mr. M.O. Adedokun, represented the state at the prosecution yesterday.

Mr. Samuel George, Mr. B.O. Aderieje and O.C. Adewale appeared for the first, third and fourth suspects while F.O. Nwose stood for

the sixth accused person.

Mr. George said the first suspect sustained serious gun shot in the course of arresting him, and that he requires serious medical attention.

Mr. Nwose said that he would file an application for the bail of the sixth accused person before the adjournment date.

The presiding judge, Justice J.O. Ogunleye, adjourned the case till April 29, 2013 for hearing while the accused persons are to be kept at Ile-Ife prison.

Why 36 states are not developing -Ajimobi

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overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday explained why the 36 states are not developing.

Ajimobi said that some contemporary practices by the Federal Government hampered, rather than advance, the states’ development.

He specifically identified such practices to include the lopsided revenue allocation formula, the constitutional delineation of power between the federal and state governments and the issue of security.

The governor spoke while presenting a paper entitled: “The Challenge of State Development in Federal Nigeria’’ at the Island Club, Lagos Business Session.

On the lopsided revenue allocation formula, Ajimobi

noted that while the Federal Government takes 52.8 per cent of all federally-collected revenue, the 36 states and the 774 local councils share 26.72 per cent and 20 percent respectively.

He said: “The simple implication of this is that the Federal Government is surfeit with resources while state governments face serious financial challenges.

“This is in spite of the fact that the states are responsible for basic needs that impact on the social well-being of the citizens and their development.”

The governor said that issues of education, health, infrastructure and security at the state level were borne more by the states rather than the Federal Government.

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South East

NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

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n Onitsha High Court in Anambra State yesterday adjourned further hearing in the kidnapping case levelled against seven suspected abductors of an Onitsha-based businessman, Chief G. U. Okeke, till May 6, 2013.

The suspects - Emeka Eze, Chukwudi Agu, Chinonso Maduka, Kelechi Okafor, Ndubuisi Ogbuji, Anthony Okafor and Alexander Onyinanya - had

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Court adjourns kidnap case till May 6 •Victim accuses prison officials of frustrating trial

been arraigned before an Onitsha Chief Magistrate’s Court late in 2009 and were remanded in the prison for allegedly kidnapping Chief Okeke in the premises of the All Saints Cathedral Anglican Church, Onitsha, on Sunday, August 9, 2009.

Okeke was kidnapped as he and his wife were about to enter their vehicle shortly after a church service.

Before the case was

called up yesterday, none of the accused persons was brought to the court and on enquiry, the prison officials told the complainant that there was no vehicle to convey them to the court.

But when Okeke sent a hired vehicle to the prison to convey the suspects to the to the court, the prison officials turned down the offer and insisted that only an official vehicle from the

prison could be allowed to convey them to court.

When the case was called up, the prosecution counsel, Mr Chris Ajugwe, told the court what transpired between the prison officials and the complainant.

The presiding judge, Justice Chudi Nwankwo, therefore, adjourned the matter till May 6, for hearing.

Director-General of National Action Plan on AIDS, Prof. John Idoko (right), observing something of interest when he visited Anambra State Governor Peter Obi at the Governor’s Lodge in Akwa, yesterday

2014: Old Aguata Union plans to produce Obi’s successor the “David of our time,” Eze commended him for identifying with the aspiration of the people.

He also praised him for contributing to the development of Anambra State, including the donation of Godwin Ezeemo International Press Center to the state Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Earlier, Ezeemo told the meeting of OAU at Umunze that he planned to contest the governorship poll because of his desire to correct the wrongs perpetrated past administrations.

The aspirant said: “I will present myself to do any-

thing humanly possible in order to be in the position to change things positively in Anambra State.

It is a passion and I have willingly decided to serve the people of Anambra State and I am only asking for your support to enable me achieve that dream which I have for the people”.

Ezeemo listed some of his priority to include provision of regular power supply, water, quality education and robust healthcare services.

He said that if power supply improves, industries would spring up to create bobs for youths.

he Old Aguata Union (OAU) has declared its intention to produce Anambra State Governor Peter Obi’s successor next year.

The Old Aguata Union comprises the present Aguata, Orumba North and Orumba South local government areas in the Anambra South Senatorial District.

The union has, therefore, planned to begin the screen of all the governorship aspirants from the senatorial district in the next two weeks with

a view to select a person that will be accepted by the people.

The National Chairman of OAU and Traditional Ruler of Umunze community in Orumba South Local Government Area, Igwe Promise Eze, yesterday declared the union’s intention to produce Obi’s successor when an aspirant, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, visited the monarch to inform him of his intention to contest the 2014 governorship election.

Eze said that “by right, the next Anambra State governor should come from the Aguata area.”

Describing Ezeemo as

CHARLES OKEKE

Anambra gov hailed for promoting people’s welfare

NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

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AWKA

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irector General of National Agency for the Control of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) NACA, Prof. John Idoko, has commended Anambra State Governor Peter Obi for his many developmental initiatives.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Speaking yesterday when he led other NACA officials on a visit to Obi in Awka, Prof. Idoko praised the governor for promoting people’s welfare.

Idoko, however, promised that NACA would now do more of field work by visiting states that have AIDS prevalence as often

as needed.

He told the governor of NACA’s plans to intensify war against AIDS prevalence.

Calling for more political will to fight the scourge, Idoko said AIDS prevalence in Anambra State was unacceptable, especially when the

scourge was on decline in other countries in the last 10 years.

Responding, Governor Obi, who presented three operational vehicles and a trailer load of AIDS testing kits and other essentials to NACA, thanked the agency for its commitment to end the scourge.

Addressing journalists shortly after the adjournment, Okeke accused the prison officials of applying delay tactics to frustrate

the prosecution.

He said it was misconduct for the prison officials to have deliberately failed to produce the suspects in court, even after they were served hearing notice in

Okorocha hasn’t dumped APGA for APC –Umeh CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

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mbattled factional National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has described as false the alleged defection of Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Chief Umeh said there is no truth in the report that Okorocha has dumped APGA for APC. Addressing journalists at Nnewi during his visit to the tomb of the late Igbo leader,Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Chief Umeh said: “All the people who are nurturing the APC are still retaining their individual parties and identities.

“Governor Okorocha is still a member of APGA and the day he will leave APGA, we will know”.

Chief Umeh, who said he was at Nnewi to inform

Ojukwu of his victory at the Court of Appeal, also praised the late Igbo leader for standing by his people.

He said he came to invoke the spirit of the late Ojukwu to help his group overcome political adversaries and contenders.

Chief Umeh, who was supported by the son of the late Igbo leader, Chief Emeka Ojukwu Jnr, said they invoked the spirit to guide them because he (Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu) played a key role in all the political battles they fought as APGA leaders when he was alive.

Stressing that the late Ojukwu was a shield to APGA, Umeh regretted that one year after Ojukwu’s death, the party has not known peace.

He said: “The Court of Appeal has answered our prayer, I have told him that we are back and I have assured him that we are now working with his son who is now our new leader.”

Why nation’s health sector is in crisis –Orji GEORGE OPARA ABIA

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overnor Theodore Orji of Abia State yesterday identified the major problems confronting the nation’s health sector as disharmony among various departments and workers’ unions.

Orji, therefore, urged the health workers not to depend on the government for all their needs, but to generate funds internally.

He spoke in a keynote address he presented at the 2013 Health Week programme organised by the Abia branch of Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in Umuahia.

Represented by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Okechukwu Ogah, Orji said apart from clamour for enhance pay, workers should seriously work to recoup huge investment made in the sector by the

government.

He said: “Everybody must not depend on federal allocation as the only source for revenue to pay workers. The state government has been investing much in equipping hospitals.

“We have installed dialysis machines at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba, we also have dialysis machines at Abia State Specialist Hospital in Umuahia among other equipment and these could help generate revenue.’’

The governor, however, said his administration had constructed and equipped 250 primary health centres in addition to other existing ones across the 17 local government areas.

Orji hinted that the state Ministry of Health would soon begin free screening of more than 10, 000 persons to ascertain if they have diabetes, hypertension and blood pressure.

Wednesday April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

13

Politics

My involvement in politics is a minus but…, says Kalu

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he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday announced a massive reorganisation involving redeployment, transfer and retirement of some of its 67 directors.

The reorganisation also involved the reduction of the departments from 26 to nine while the directorates were reduced to 10, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, who confirmed the reorganisation, told NAN that INEC had

14,15

INEC announces massive reorganisation, retires directors over 20 departments which had been reduced to nine.

“There are now fewer departments in the commission being headed by people who are considered best suited to make the departments functional.

Idowu explained that some departments were merged, adding the civil society, gender, voter education and public affairs,

becomes the department of voter education, public relations and civil society.

He said under the exercise the leadership would be reconfigured because the commission had a number of directors in the system and a lot of options had been put on the table.

Idowu said that the new departments would be headed by directors and

there would also be directorates, adding that all the directors could not be accommodated with what was on ground.

According to him, there has been a lot of mind robbing and nobody will be short-changed.

He said part of the options that was put on the table was that those who had a short time left in the service

were giving an option of taking their pay upfront or stay and to be reassigned.

The press secretary said the reorganisation was as a result of INEC consultant (PriceWater) observation that there were overbloated staff in the commission.

However, Idowu said the commission required a large number of staff due to its large volume of work across the country.

According to him, the commission will soon commence continuous voter’s registration in 8,809 wards in the country.

He said when the commission did the recruitment exercise in 2012, only 1,500 people were recruited and to do the exercise there was need to deploy more workforces across the country.

Idowu said that many people would be required to work for INEC, adding that there was no excess staff in INEC. “The number of staff we have is not sufficient, because if you are looking at the number of wards, everybody at INEC will be fully utilised.

Lagos lawmakers accuse council boss of fraud

‘It’s the handwork of my detractors’

OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

S Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi (sixth from left), Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih (fifth from right) and members of the board, during a visit to the governor in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

2015: ACN replies Fasehun over threat of violence FELIX NWANERI

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he Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has described as worrisome and revealing, the ‘fire-for-fire’ threat issued by the founder of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Frederick Fasehun, in response to its outcry over attempts to destabilise the country, especially the South-West and scuttle the 2015 elections.

The ACN, in a statement, yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said Fasehun’s blatant threat of violence and his resort to personal attacks, in response to a statement that neither threatened violence nor attacked personality, has confirmed that it was indeed right to have raised the

alarm in the first instance.

However, it said no amount of overt or covert threat or uncouth verbal attacks against its leaders will force the party to stop its continuing efforts to alert Nigerians to the do-or-die antics of those at the helm of affairs of the nation.

The party said: “Fasehun’s statement has confirmed our worst fears. We never imagined we will be proven right so fast. First, he threatened to unleash violence on those whose offence, as it were, was alerting the country to the evil machinations of those who are scheming to destabilise the country to achieve their selfish ends.

“Secondly, the verbal punches he threw at ACN leaders in general and the party’s spokesman in particular, and his undis-

guised threat of violence against a party that has never resorted to violence for whatever reason, opened a window deep into his mind, to his unbridled hatred for the party and all it stands for and to the fact that he is indeed a willing tool to be used.

“It never occurred to Fasehun that Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the legend whose party, he (Fasehun) is now seeking to revive in a gratuitous and self-serving act, never believed in violence and never lent himself to be used against his own people, no matter what juicy carrot was dangled before him “Thirdly, when his response to the pipeline contract issue is stripped of all semantics, he simply owned up to our accusation that the pipeline protection contract award is closely linked

to the attempt to revive the UPN and, when viewed against his threats, showed that indeed, those who want to plunge the South-West into crisis have found a willing tool to be used.”

Insisting that the constitution guarantees freedom of association, ACN said such freedom should not be abused by those seeking to exploit it for the sole purpose of attacking democracy.

According to the party, Fasehun has effectively asked to be held responsible for any crisis in the South-West by threatening violence against a party that never issued a threat of violence and resorting to crude and unbecoming language against a party known for its decent language and principled stand on issues.

ome councillors, under the auspices of Oshodi-Isolo Legislative Council, have accused the local government chairman, Idris Bolaji Muse-Ariyoh, of fraudulent activities and insensitivity to the plight of the people of the local government.

Specifically, the lawmakers, in a statement signed

by Adeyinka Corsim, Okanlawon Semiu, Mejindade Ganiu, Adebari Alani and Ayinla Lookman, accused Muse-Ariyoh of obtaining a loan of N280 million without legislative approval, inflation of contracts and misappropriation among other sundry allegations.

The councillors also accused Muse-Ariyoh of forcefully collecting huge sums of money from the campaign funds of the councillors in the last local government elections, which they said, led to the “defeat of the ACN in Shogunle ward.”

They added: “The chairman spent a whooping sum of N150 million on the construction of drainage and road at Mutiat Kayode and Ayodele streets, both of

which are less than 200 metres in length.

“Most of the projects he claimed to have implemented are now in different categories of abandonment.”

For example, Wuraola Street, Neighbourhood Watch building and Area Council building (inside council secretariat). He has also abandoned the construction of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Legislative building.”

But in a reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman, Gbenga Falodu, said there was no truth in the allegation.

He said: “The story is a ruse, likely to have emanated from detractors and faceless entities who mischievously want to use the media to distract the enviable developmental strides of our administration!

“I have met with the councillors after your enquiry and they have vehemently debunked the story as untrue, just as it came as a big surprise to the chairman despite the unity, harmony and love that exist within the system in a bid to galvanise the great works we have embarked upon since assumption of office unto an unequalled height!”

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Politics

Wednesday April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

My involvement in politics is a Former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu is pained about development in Nigeria, especially the growing spate of insecurity and corruption. This probably informed his present anti-graft campaign in Africa. In this interview, he speaks on his losses in politics, prediction of Nigeria breaking up, corruption, among other national issues. AYODELE OJO reports.

You are coordinating an anti-corruption war in Africa. How far with the programme?

We are still working out the programmes.

We are supposed to be in South Africa this May. We are working out the programme with all stakeholders – part of European Union, the United Nations, some diplomats from the United States and other Western countries. We are working out the details.

We are working out the process because since government agencies in Africa have failed to fight corruption, we are trying to use Non-Governmental Organisations to fight corruption. You can see people who became ministers, governors and president who never owned anything. They have never been in business. You see retired Army Generals, who own billions of naira; their salaries couldn’t have been that. So, it is everywhere. When we talk about corruption, people think it is only those in government. If you see what happens in the federal and state governments, you will know that most of the things they say are jokes.

It is not good for people you entrusted with public funds to begin to steal it and I never supported such.

Most agencies must review themselves and their cases because most of these cases are political. If you are for the government, they will not prosecute you. We fought third term; we said no to third term and I am sure those are some of the reasons I am where I am today but it’s not a regrettable thing. I was the only politician, who came to office with two banks and I lost those two banks. I came into office with an airline and I lost that too. I came to office with offshore companies, building platforms and I lost them.

The anti-corruption agencies in the past were not good. I am sure they are doing reviews now with the relevant agencies who are telling them to follow due process. I will give you an example with myself. I called Ibrahim Lamorde in 2007 when they said the EFCC was looking for me. I was with Ambassador Howard Jeter in Washington.

I talked to some of our friends in the State Department, then Secretary of State and all others. I called Lamorde and said I am coming; that instead of landing in Lagos, I will go to Abuja; that I am landing by 5a.m.

I am just giving you this story so that you can know the level of injustice. I told him that by 11a.m., I would be in his office. But Nuhu Ribadu came to the airport with an army of journalists and cameramen to arrest me when I landed with the British Airways; when I was the one who made the call. Lamorde is alive. Lamorde is more civil than any other officers I have seen.

He wants to go through due process. So, I called him and told him when I will come.

So, did you need to dramatise arresting me, when I have called you and told you I am coming? If you are a good intelligence man, what you would have done is to make sure I landed and follow me with surveil-

lance. You only follow me and know where I am staying, so that if it passes 12p.m. or 1p.m., and you don’t see me, you can then come and dramatise whatever you wanted to do. I did not say people should not fight corruption but you have to fight it with your conscience.

With your losses in politics, I mean coming into politics with banks and airline and leaving without them, is your involvement in politics, a plus or minus for you?

My involvement in politics is a minus but I thank God that I went into politics. It is a minus because I came in with a lot of hope and forward looking but I never knew the kind of pettiness I have seen since 1999 till date from people, I have never seen in the corporate world. You see in the National Assembly, we have taken in people who are doing 419, armed robbery, drugs and all sorts of things, both in government houses in all places that it seems politics is no longer a thing for men of honour.

So, my going into politics is a big minus in terms of business. But in terms of reaching out, it is a very big plus for me because I have a platform now to say what I want to say. As far as I am concerned, I am not a super statesman. There are about three classes of statesmen; the class of Obasanjo, Babangida, Abdulsalami, Shagari; the class of Gen Danjuma and that group. At least, I belong to a level of statesmen in the country today. I am not afraid of who will lock me up or use rules that are not in line with the constitution to chase me.

Are you happy with what is happening in your state, Abia?

I am not happy at all. I don’t believe that anybody created by God will be this petty.

But I leave it to his conscience; I leave it to the hands of God. For eight years, you were in office as a governor. Today, what are your fears ahead of 2015?

My fears are that Nigerian people might march out on the roads one day and what happened in Romania will happen here, if our leaders are not able to come together and address this issue. My fear is that we are gradually coming to a point where anybody can do anything he likes. That is what we are seeing. Law and order are being broken down, which is not supposed to be.

We must have a strong Army and a strong Police. Any country that wants to survive, should not joke or play politics with the Armed Forces. It is the pride of any nation.

Any nation that does not give its Armed Forces a place of honour is not a serious nation. So, we should just stop using the army for little things. They should be on standby. We should have a quality mobile police force and enforce quality rule of law to ensure the growth of our society.

Since 1999, what have politicians done to

Kalu

restore hope for the future?

They have done nothing. They are even worse today. That’s the truth.

I WAS THE ONLY POLITICIAN, WHO CAME TO OFFICE WITH TWO

What are the qualities of the president you are looking for in 2015?

Well, most of you continue to think of civil servants and all these people but the president I am looking for is one that can take a decision; a president that can stand and say I have made this decision, whether it is right or wrong.

WITH AN AIRLINE AND

Are you back in PDP? Yes, I am back in the PDP.

CAME TO OFFICE WITH

What about the opposition against your return from your state?

They are not democrats. If they are democrats, they will not oppose my return.

There was a prediction of a possible break-up of Nigeria in 2015. Do you see this happening to Nigeria?

Yes, the person who made that prediction is a very good friend of mine, John Negroponte. It is not only him that said that.

Most American diplomats have been saying that over a long time. John Campbell has been warning Nigeria to be very careful. I am disturbed because the indices on the table show that if not properly handled, what the Americans are saying might come to pass. That is why I said we are all part of the problem and we should also be part of the solution because it is not too late to find a solution.

Nigeria is in trouble really. Yes, we have a lot of problems but I have always said that if we are all part of the problem, we should all be part of the solution. We should not

BANKS AND I LOST

THOSE TWO BANKS.

I CAME INTO OFFICE I LOST THAT TOO. I

OFFSHORE COMPANIES, BUILDING PLATFORMS AND I LOST THEM

allow a country like Nigeria to break. We cannot allow that because it is not the right thing to do. We must understand that this country is our country and we must try and keep it together, no matter the price we have to pay. We have fought a civil war and no country that is intelligent enough wants to fight a second civil war. We should stop all these rubbish we are doing and talk about how to stabilise our economy. If we see our economy stabilised, we can then talk of stabilising the polity. Why we are going forward and backward is because we have no strong economy.

Beside insecurity, what other factor constitutes problem in Nigeria?

Well, the major thing is the massive corruption in the system; it is massive. People are not looking at anybody at all levels of government from the local government

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Wednesday April 10, 2013

minus but…, says Kalu posed to be there. I leave everything to the court since the matter is in a court of competent jurisdiction. I accept it as my fate.

Even the day I was born, God knew I will go to court for these things.

Recently you said that security agencies were responsible for throwing of bombs in the North. How do you come about this conclusion?

The government knows so much about it. In fact what I am saying is not new. Nobody should say I did not say so. I said so.

Even President Goodluck Jonathan has indicted the security agencies by saying there is Boko Haram in his cabinet. So, if there is Boko Haram in his cabinet, they should work on it. It is beyond carrying guns and standing on the road. This is intelligence. I want the president to take the issue of insecurity very seriously because it is paining me as an Igbo man; it’s paining me as a Southerner; it’s paining me as a Christian. It is paining me because whenever you have a problem in Pakistan, they will go to the North and kill the Igbo, kill the Southerners and kill the Christians for doing nothing. Whenever there is a problem in my village, Igbere about Islam, they will go to the North and burn Southern people’s and Igbo’s’ shops. This should not be accepted by anybody.

I mean, we have lost more people than we did during the civil war and we should be taking these things seriously because we cannot live in the same country and not go anywhere we want to go to. The constitution guarantees us to go to anywhere we want to go and live anywhere we want to live in the country. I am calling on military and security chiefs to work on this matter. It’s a serious matter. People should stop trivialising this matter because it’s a serious one. President Jonathan came out openly and said there is Boko Haram in his cabinet. So, the security agencies should work on that and stop paying lip services to it.

level to the federal level; nothing is talking about budgets again. Nobody regulates budget. Commissioners don’t even do their jobs now. If you see commissioners, permanent secretaries, they have no jobs to do any longer. All contracts are awarded on the same table and people deceive themselves and say there is this or that. Hunger is a major problem here. I am only telling those who claim to be leaders to lead with conscience. They should give the middle class and the poor justice. In any system that there is no fairness and justice, that system will collapse. In Nigeria, there is no justice and fairness.

You mentioned corruption as one of the major problems Nigeria is confronted with.

Would it be right to say the anti-corruption agencies are not doing enough?

Most of those agencies are not even doing any work. They are not even addressing the issues involved at all. If people like me are taken to court, it means there’s no anti-corruption because I have no reason to be in court. They know those that are sup-

How do you see the coming together of major opposition parties under the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

It is a good thing we are having an alternative party. It is good for the country. That also shows you that Ibrahim Babangida was a very visionary leader. I have always said that we need two parties, not three or more. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must look for people; people don’t look for parties. But I am sure that with the tour of Bamanga Tukur to all the zones, the PDP will be better. We are not afraid of speaking the truth; we are not afraid to tell those who have done wrong that they have done wrong. But I can assure you that the PDP will come out stronger than it is today.

People have accused the governors of constituting a very powerful cabal?

I do not agree that they are very powerful. The constitution has given them very powerful roles to play. The seat of the governor is very, very powerful and that of the President of Nigeria is the most powerful in the world, where the president can wake up and do anything he likes. I have called for a review of the powers since I became a governor in 1999.

NIGERIA IS IN TROUBLE. WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD TO

WORK ON THE TROUBLE WITH NIGERIA. IT

IS BEYOND HAUSA,

FULANI, IGBO OR YORUBA; IT IS BEYOND ROADS. WE MUST GO BACK TO TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC STABILITY How do we remedy that?

The National Assembly are not making laws that will benefit the people. They are making laws that benefit themselves.

Until the National Assembly make laws to put themselves on part-time, abolish one chamber of the Assembly and have only one chamber, we cannot make progress. We cannot be spending 25 per cent of our income on only 469 people. Even the US Congress is not earning the kind of money we are spending here. Our lawmakers should be able to sit on part-time basis.

Do you support the removal of immunity clause from the constitution?

They should remove immunity. Even as a sitting governor, I called for the removal.

If a governor has committed an offence, he should go to court. They said they will have many lawsuits, why not? The minister, does he have immunity? Has he had so many lawsuits? People must respect the laws of the land. The constitution must specify how anybody does anything. I don’t believe there should be immunity for anybody. You should be prosecuted if you do anything wrong. When Bill Clinton was president, he was prosecuted. That immunity did not stop them. I believe we should start being an open society. We are too closed; we are not a communist country. We should be open, not claim to be open. If we continue this way, what you people are saying might happen. There might be a re-think of Nigerian ethnic groups, which is not good for the country. People are building BRICS. Nigeria is supposed to be a major player in BRICS. If Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are meeting, why not Nigeria?

We are supposed to take a front seat there, because we have a strong economy which can be the strongest economy in the world, if well managed. It is shameful.

Let me tell you, the new name for prophesy is data and the new name for priest is analyst. In America, when they are in trouble, they bring data and analysis and solve the problem. Let’s take Nigeria as a company in trouble, take it into Harvard Business School, Stanford, and diagnose what is wrong. There will be no more prophesy to say the prophet said this. Bring the data and the analysis together, you have the result. Nobody wants to talk about Nigeria.

Nigeria is in trouble. We need to go back to

Politics

15

the drawing board to work on the trouble with Nigeria. It is beyond Hausa, Fulani, Igbo or Yoruba; it is beyond roads. We must go back to talk about economic stability. We must talk about how we are going to bring back agriculture. A country of over 200 milion people without railways; a country that has no postal services, no inter-link roads; a country that is not talking of transporting the people through ferries? No inland waterways? How do we hope the country will work? People are hungry. Politicians have no jobs. Ninety per cent of those who call themselves rich men in Nigeria have no jobs. They live by the government. That is why they cannot say the truth. They wait for the governor to bring money for them or the minister who they appointed. How can a system develop like that? No system on earth will develop in this manner. A system can only develop when we put our young ones, our old ones and the middle class into active productive sector. Unless that happens, we are nowhere. This economy is supposed to be one of the five biggest economies in the world. Nigeria has everything and we are only mining oil. Nobody is talking about any other thing. Everywhere I go, I see these things. The president should fight for power and against insecurity.

But the government is saying that the economy is growing at seven per cent.

No, I am not contradicting them. What I am saying is that the basic things have not been done to bring this economic growth they are shouting about. On which electricity are they producing the growth? On which communication are they producing the growth? Telecommunication companies are not investing their money and you even see security agencies in part of Abuja jamming the lines without knowing the economic consequences. That is not how security is done. The companies that own these businesses are losing money. The companies that signed agreements with these companies are also losing money. You must find another way of protecting the people. Even when presidents are landing, they keep commercial airlines in the air for 40 minutes to one hour. Do you know it is also killing the economy of the airlines?

Do you know the amount of money lost by hanging in the air? The airport can just be closed for five minutes with priority to his airplane, which I support because he is the president of Nigeria. There’s nowhere in the world you close the airport for presidential movement. What I am saying is that Nigerian people only see the economy from the dress they are wearing and the cooperation amongst them. I want them to see the reality. If we don’t see the reality, what is happening now will consume all of us. The revolution that will come might not look at faces. It might not see face of religion, it might not see face of tribe. It will only see the face of have you been there before? This is the truth. It is not a laughing matter. It is something people should take seriously.

Even those that have not been there will be joined in the revolution.

What’s you view about the Jonathan administration?

No, I cannot discuss President Jonathan.

He came out and said we should give him up till the end of 2013 to see miracle in power, roads, security and I am in support of this. It will be wrong for me to start discussing his administration now. It will not be fair. I believe the President should be given time to perform.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

17

National Arts Theatre must stay PUBLIC DOMAIN

DELE

SETEOLU

deleseteolu@nationalmirroronline.net (08033137577 SMS only)

T

here are reports in the media on the plan to sell the National Arts Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos; and the rumour is strong that it is likely to be converted into a hotel. This plan has elicited the reactions of art connoisseurs and critics of the Nigerian state’s market policy. The art practitioners argue that the edifice is a national pride, a collective heritage and platform for the interaction of languages and cultures. There are fears that it’s conversion into a hotel would impact negatively on the nation’s art entertainment industry and vitiate a critical phase in the country’s art history.

Recall the National Arts Theatre was completed in 1976 under the administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo. This monument was built in time for the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, otherwise referred to as FESTAC, which Nigeria hosted in 1977.

Festac’77 attracted participants and personages from different parts of the world.

It placed the country on global art map and leverage in the comity of nations.

The county’s capacity to build the arts

I

just could not fathom the rationale for the new position of President Goodluck Jonathan on amnesty for Boko Haram.

So, I turned to a colleague for help. Captured below is what transpired between us.

O’boy, have you heard the latest news in town?

‘What is it again? You like raising unnecessary alarms every now and then’.

No, no… come off it. This is not an alarm, it is for real. The latest, if you must be patient, is that the leaders of the North and even some sponsors of Boko Haram have used their influence and nuisance value to finally coral the Jonathan government into agreeing to negotiate with the Islamic religious sect and give them amnesty. In fact, I wasn’t surprised because I read an epistle from one of their bishops on the need for forgiveness.

‘You mean Mathew?’

No, I am talking about Hassan. I don’t know of any Mathew. He is a Bishop. He is very brilliant, and of course, loquacious. I don’t know why he decided not to be in the university system.

‘Please forget about the Nigerian university system and tell me something important. I thought you were interested in the Boko Haram matter. May be Hassan saw through the emptiness of the university system and decided that it was better to permanently be on the pulpit where he could have access to Nigeria’s who-is-who.

And he is having the best of it.’

You know my problem with some of these priests is that when the chips are down, they identify with their people irrespective of their religious persuasions. Otherwise why would Hassan be preaching profusely, quoting many verses of the Bible on the need for forgiveness? But I didn’t see him talk about repentance. Forgiveness and repentance are not mutually exclusive. Repentance begets forgiveness. The question is: Have the Boko

monument and other monuments such as the National Stadium, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, FESTAC Village, Durbar Hotel, et cetera, all in Lagos, then the Nigerian capital, were enhanced by its oil-economy and statebased economic system. The Murtala Muhammed and Obasanjo military administration played leading roles in the anti-racist and anti-apartheid struggles in Southern Africa, decolonization struggles in Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and international peace keeping operations in the contexts aforementioned. The oil economy and state-led capitalist economy thus offered the country leverage to engage the West and challenge its imperialist penetration of Africa. The nationalization of British Petroleum by the Obasanjo administration in July 1979 should also be understood in this context.

The intended sale of the National Arts Theatre is a component of the state’s market policy since the General Ibrahim Babangida administration. The implementation of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986 meant the withdrawal of state in direct economic activities and ascendancy of the market.

The policies of privatization, de-subsidization, concessioning, liberalization and commercialization were pursued in this context. The Nigerian state has been withdrawing from its social service delivery function, embarked on the sale of public utilities and concessioning of some.

The National Arts Theatre is planned

THE TBS, NATIONAL ARTS THEATRE, NATIONAL STADIUM BOTH IN ABUJA AND LAGOS MUST NOT BE TRANSFERRED TO PRIVATE ENTITIES IN WHATEVER GUISES for sale in consonance with the privatization policy of the Nigerian state. The state has sold the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, bungled the sale of Nigeria Telecommunications limited (NITEL), and plans to concession the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, and Abuja and Lagos national stadia. It is preposterous that the state is selling a critical national sector such as energy to foreign investors despite the risks to the country’s national interest. The telecommunications sector has since been dominated by MTN, Airtel and Etisalat which rip off clients through outrageous charges and poor services.

The state’s plan to concession TBS has attracted intense criticisms. The British Union Jack was lowered at this square on October 1st, 1960 thus culminating in the country’s flag independence. The historic significance of TBS has been lost on Nigerian state actors with their prebendal

mentality. The TBS, National Arts Theatre, National Stadium both in Abuja and Lagos must not be transferred to private entities in whatever guises. The private sector should build its resources and compete with state enterprises rather than pursue what Professor Kayode Soremekun has described as “Drove Capitalism”.

There have been mass transfers of commonwealth to cronies of state actors and state officials at ridiculous prices.

These are aspects of the tragedies of a predatory, rentier, neo-colonial, peripheral capitalist state in Nigeria. The state has not conducted plebiscite on the transfer of public wealth to private sector in Nigeria. The concession policy is externally defined, and it suggests the arrogance of bourgeois capitalist states and their financial hegemons - IMF and World Bank - in prescribing economic measures for developing economies.

Regrettably, the country cannot develop within a dependent, peripheral capitalist framework. We must radicalize the state to ventilate the interests of Nigerian masses. The challenge is how do we radicalize this state and vitiate its neo-colonial character? Nigeria requires a transformation of its political economy and this is realizable through a mass revolution of working people, artisans, students, new middle class and others.

The objective conditions for a revolution exist in the country except the contradictions among the ‘catalysts’ of revolution must be mediated.

Amnesty for Boko Haram?

I THINK THE

GOVERNMENT OF

JONATHAN IS

PERSUADED TO NEGOTIATE AND OFFER AMNESTY TO THE

BOKO HARAMISTS SO THAT HE WILL NOT BE BOOTED OUT OF OFFICE Haramists and their sponsors repented? Do they see Nigeria now as a secular state? Have they renounced their violence which has sent many people to their untimely graves?

Have the churches willfully destroyed been rebuilt? What of compensations for the victims?

‘I don’t want to talk about any priest.

Hassan, Mathew, Luke, Oritsa, Chris, Tunde, etc. They are too many and appear to be an unnecessary distraction.’

Alright! Since you are now priest phobia to the point that you don’t want to hear their names, let me say that Nigeria is on the tenterhooks. This Boko Haram thing will shape or shrink Nigeria.

I don’t see anything new about Nigeria’s crises. Right from when Sir Fredrick Lugard cobbled it together for Britain’s convenience Nigeria has witnessed one crisis after another. Our country is a child of crisis, an abiku’.

But the Boko Haram conundrum appears to be a great challenge. Can you imagine the audacity with which these elements strike, killing their victims and engaging in self -immolation with a view to enjoying a Nirvana somewhere? This is criminality pure

and simple! And to think that the government is willing to negotiate with this group and offer amnesty!

‘But the late President Umaru Musa Yar Adua negotiated with the Niger Delta militants who were killing security men and women, kidnapping expatriate staff working for the oil companies and sabotaging oil installations. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Nigeria is a turn-by-turn country. Its activities, including ethnic relations, are driven by this principle’.

Then we won’t have a country. This is not how to build a nation. This latest arrangement is capable of provoking more crises.

Do you know that each geo-political group has its own militants? The South- West has Oodua People’s Congress (OPC); the SouthEast, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).

More groups based on ethnic affiliations will emerge ultimately pulling at the heart of Nigeria.

‘Do you think what you are saying is possible? I think the government of Jonathan is persuaded to negotiate and offer amnesty to the Boko Haramists so that he will not be booted out of office. You remember he was not wanted in the first place by a section of the northern elite? The Ciromas and Ango Abdullahis did everything humanly possible to stop him from realising his presidential ambition. This same group is also flying the amnesty kite. In fact, I saw Ango Abdullahi on the television and I read his pontifications on the need for amnesty and the establishment of a commission for amnesty affairs in the country. The deal is already sealed’.

Then, as I said, the other ethnic nationalities with their armies of dissent will also ask for one form of amnesty or another. There can’t be an end to agitations and demands

Point Of Order er

CHIJIOKE

UWASOMBA

cjsomba@yahoo.co.uk (08037058775 SMS only)

for amnesty and compensations. Nigeria is deeply enmeshed in ethnic politics. What is going on in the North-East and other parts of the North is high stake politics masquerading as religious war.

‘But do you think in all sincerity that the Jonathan government can defeat this rag-tag army? Since 2009, the group has been pummeling Christians and southerners in the North-East and the other parts of the North. I thought that in conceptualising amnesty, both those who are calling for it and the government needed to think through it thoroughly. The truth is that the consequences are too grim to contemplate’.

Don’t you think that you are being too hard and dismissive of this latest gambit?

‘I am happy you have labeled it correctly.

It is a gambit and this nation will pay for it either now or latter.

Dr. Uwasomba, cjsomba@yahoo. co.uk, is of English Department, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife 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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Alleged police killing of NSCDC men

eports late last month alleged that some unscrupulous men of the Nigeria Police Force ambushed and opened fire on men of the anti-pipeline vandal squad of the Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), killing two officers, one Inspector Innocent Aigbe and an Assistant Inspector, Gabriel Adaji, on the spot, while others escaped with gunshot wounds in the Ikorodu area of the state.

Shocked NSCDC officials said their slain colleagues were returning from a successful anti-vandal operation, where some vandals and their booty were arrested and were being transported back to the state headquarters of the Corps. The vandals were said to have made frantic calls to their police collaborators for support to free themselves from the grip of the anti-vandal NSCDC team; and on getting hints of the plight of the vandals, the policemen allegedly laid ambush and opened fire on the NSCDC patrol vehicles used for the operation, killing Aigbe and Adaji. Others colleagues of the deceased escaped with gunshot wounds, while the police released the vandals in the process. Some incriminating documents recovered from the scene of the incident, according to re-

THERE APPEARS TO BE A MISSING LINK, ESPECIALLY IN THE STORY AS WAS TOLD

BY THE POLICE ports, included a police staff identity card number belonging to a policeman attached to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), a pistol, as well as radio communication equipment.

The immediate reaction of the police to the incident was that the police officers involved in the killing had been arrested and detained at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja. But in a more comprehensive response later, the police gave a different version of what happened, suggesting that the killer officers were summoned by the security manager of the NNPC depot in the area who reported a drop in the pressure of the pipeline which indicated that some vandals could be at work. The police said it was in the process of establishing what went wrong that their men and the anti-pipeline vandal team of the NSCDC clashed.

President Goodluck Jonathan promptly intervened and had summoned the authorities of

both the police and the NSCDC to Abuja for proper briefing on what truly transpired between the officers of the two security agencies on the ill-fated day.

Yet, it is unfortunate and regrettable that two sister security agencies established by the government and charged with the responsibility of protecting life and property should be engaged in such a despicable disorderly conduct that ended up with the violent killing of two NSCDC officers. The hostile response of the policemen to whatever grouse they had against the civil defence officers seemed an indication that the security agencies that ought to be operating as one family in combating crime are either working at cross purposes or are carried away by very unpatriotic vested interests. This will assist in explaining why many crimes against the state may never get resolved. How can the job of securing the nation be effectively accomplished when security agencies view themselves as dangerous rivals, instead of complementing one another’s efforts?

Indeed, there appears to be a missing link, especially in the story as was told by the police.

Many Nigerians hold the view that the high level of crime in the country has persisted because the police are either inept

or are collaborating with criminals. Past incidents abound, where policemen proved to be as complicit in crime perpetration as the criminals they were employed, armed and paid to fight. We may recall the robbery kingpin, Lawrence Anini and George Iyamu (a Deputy Superintendent of Police) saga in Benin, Edo State in the late 1980s.

There was also the 2009 incident in Oyo State, where the head of police’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) allegedly operated three different armed robbery gangs that specialized in stealing cars and taking them to buyers in the neighbouring Republic of Benin. Just last year, too, the governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, alleged that a police officer that was supposed to be the head of the state’s anti-kidnapping squad turned round to be the head of several kidnap gangs.

Considering the huge losses the country has been experiencing as a result of oil theft and the activities of oil pipeline vandals, the police – NSCDC violence deserves proper investigation to determine the real culprits. Only by so doing can the government fish out the vandals and their backers for punishment. Every needed effort should not be spared to rein in the creeping culture of impunity in pipeline vandalism.

ON THIS DAY April 10, 2010 Polish Air Force’s ‘Tu-154M’ crashed near Smolensk, Russia, killing all the 96 people on board, including President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, former president Ryszard Kaczorowski, the chief of the Polish General Staff and other senior Polish military officers, the president of the National Bank of Poland, Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Polish government officials, 15 members of the Polish parliament, senior members of the Polish clergy and others.

April 10, 1991 Italian ferry, Moby Prince, collided with an oil tanker in a dense fog off Livorno, Italy, killing 140 people.

The ship, at about 22.23, collided with the oil tanker, Agip Abruzzo, in the Livorno harbour and caught fire.

However, not all the deaths were caused by the fire. It was reported that a large portion of the victims died intoxicated by massive toxic inhalations, while they were gathered in the main internal room of the ship.

April 10, 1963 About 129 American sailors died when the submarine, USS Thresher, sank at sea. The second USS Thresher (SSN593) was the lead boat of her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the United States Navy. Her loss at sea in the North Atlantic during deep-diving tests approximately 220 miles east of Boston, Massachusetts, on April 10, 1963 was a watershed event for the US Navy, leading to a rigorous submarine safety program known as SUBSAFE.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Health & Wellbeing Leprosy resurgence: Nigerians should be more sensitive to changes in their skin

‘Children with autism can still excel’

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21 SAM EFERARO

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ighty-year old “Mama”, as she is fondly called, is a popular patient in a Lagos private hospital. She has to be.

For 16 years since she was first brought to the hospital and diagnosed as hypertensive, she has been in and out of hospital admissions that the doctors have lost count of the number of her hospital visits.

Mama’s condition deteriorated again in two months ago when she was brought to the hospital with a complaint of progressive difficult breathing and cough. She also complained of difficulty sleeping flat at night and easy fatigability. She was managed at the hospital as a case of “left-sided hear failure secondary to hypertension.”

Mama, who is also known to be diabetic, has since been discharged but doctors are sure it is only a matter of time before she’s brought again. She neither takes her drugs as prescribed nor complies with instructions that could help to control her hypertension.

27-year-old Adolphus Ibe (not real names), a resident of Enugu, first visited the hospital in February this year. According to him, his problem began two years ago when he started experiencing difficulty breathing, easy fatigability, palpitation and intermittent leg swellings. At the hospital, his blood pressure reading was 160/120. Further examination by doctors confirmed his case as heart failure precipitated by severe hypertension.

However, like Mama in Lagos, Ibe has been in and out of hospital in Enugu. Doctors say he has been down with severe symptoms and other complications of hypertension because of poor compliance with the recommended treatment regimen. Another patient, Madam Dorcas (nor real name) was diagnosed as hypertensive five years ago. Her hypertension was discovered last year when she was admitted at a highbrow private hospital in Victoria Island, Lagos with a high blood pressure of 160/100. She complained of difficulty in breathing , cough and orthopnoea – breathing difficulty occurring when the individual lies flat. His case was described by her doctor after a comprehensive assessment as that of “acute pulmonary oedema secondary to left ventricular failure in a poorly compliant hypertensive patient.”

Although she has since been discharged and is being managed as an out-patient, doctors fear she could still come down with worse complications since it’s likely that she, like many Nigerian patients of hypertension, will not adhere strictly to doctor’s recommendations regarding her medications and lifestyle.

For Alhaji Garba (not real name) a Kanobased businessman, frequent hospital admission has become a way of life he has to cope with. He has been hypertensive for 8 years and was also diagnosed as diabetic in 2010. His doctor confirmed that his frequent admissions are due mainly to his inability to control his blood pressure. Often, he com-

WHO Executive Director Dr. Margaret Chan checking her blood pressure during this year’s World Health Day.

How Nigerians underrate hypertension

•Poor compliance with treatment regimen common among patients plains of severe headache and difficulty sleeping.

On his last admission early this year, his blood pressure reading was 180/110. Then he complained of a sudden attack of dizziness, loss of consciousness and weakness of the left side of the face and mild weakness of his left upper limb. He was assessed to have experienced a subtle stroke. Doctors had to battle to control his surging blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid levels while he was made to undergo physiotherapy to improve the function of his facial muscles.

Alhaji Garba has since been discharged though still undergoing physiotherapy. But the question doctors are asking is: How soon before he develops another stroke or a different complication out of several other complications often associated with hypertension? Will he adhere to instructions about his medication and lifestyle to save himself the agony of further complications of hypertension?

Doctors’ views across the country about hypertension management in Nigeria are the same: More Nigerians are developing hypertension and those who already have the condition are getting worse with severe and deadly complications such as heart

failure, kidney failure, stroke, progressive visual deterioration and blindness because of their inability to control their blood pressure effectively. “Poor compliance with treatment regimen” is a common phrase to be found in case notes of many Nigerian hypertensive patients.

Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, a Lagos-based Consultant Physician told this reporter in an interview that this is a common problem doctors have to contend with in Nigeria in their management of hypertension.

“A good number of the patients don’t like being labeled as hypertensive. To them, this is like a death sentence so they will do anything not to identify with the condition. In fact, many come to the hospital believing that they can be cured after taking their medications for some days or weeks so they stop taking their drugs after a while, leaving the disease to get worse.

“Fact is, Nigerians generally don’t appreciate the severity of hypertension. Most people don’t even appreciate how widespread it is and that it’s a condition that has no symptoms. Many people are walking about with very high blood pressure, oblivious of the danger that lies ahead. When hypertension is not treated, complications set in and even

more deadly conditions such as kidney failure, heart failure, stroke could occur.”

Dr. Adadevoh also disclosed that many Nigerians unwittingly allow their condition to deteriorate when they refuse to face the truth that hypertension is an incurable disease.

“Our task of convincing them that hypertension is a condition they have to deal with for the rest of their lives is complicated by people who claim all sorts of things including permanent cure either through herbs or supplements.

Nigeria joined the rest of the world to mark the World Hypertension Day on Sunday amidst reports by the World health Organisation that one in three adults worldwide has raised blood pressure – which causes around half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease. It is considered directly responsible for 7.5 million deaths in 2004 – almost 13% of all global deaths.

In Nigeria, experts estimate that about 50 million Nigerians suffer from the condition. More frightening however is the revelation that only about 30% of this number are aware they suffer from the deadly condition. Also, only about 30% of the patients are currently on any form of treatment, while only one out of ten patients in the country has their condition well controlled.

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Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cerebral Palsy: Experts meet to address needs of special children

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Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health (right) addressing Prof. Temitope Alonge, Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, UCH, (middle) and other members of staff of the hospital when he paid the teaching hospital a visit recently.

Leprosy resurgence: Nigerians should be more sensitive to changes in their skin STORIES BY TOBORE OVUORIE

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ollowing recent reports of gradual resurgence of leprosy in the country, Dr. Daniel Onwujekwe, a public health expert and researcher at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, has advised Nigerians to be more sensitive to changes in their skin.

Addressing newsmen recently in Lagos, he said Nigeria before now had tackled and achieved the elimination target set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on leprosy.

Onwujekwe, however, said that new cases of leprosy have been detected in some parts of the country, adding that “it called for more vigorous strategy to stop the spread of the disease”.

He advised those who noticed white patches on their skin that were not sensitive when touched to seek early medical attention.

According to him, all forms of disabilities manifesting in leprosy could be controlled through early diagnoses and treatment to avoid its spread.

“Nigeria has done very well in leprosy control in

recent past. Numbers of cases were so few that Nigeria was classified as one of the success stories in the world. But recently, we are hearing that there is a gradual resurgence in cases of leprosy.

“So, there is no room for relaxation; we have to be on the alert to make sure that this does not come

back. Health workers need to be re-educated; they may still come in contact with leprosy.

“Nigerians should watch out for any strange lightening of the skin, skin lesion, white patches on the skin that has loss of sensation, persistent upper respiratory infections and swelling of any part of the

nerve of the body.

“Those might be early forms of leprosy and it is better to tackle them at that stage; they can be arrested, they can be treated, and the person can be cured. Consult your general health worker, seek for a skin specialist. So, Nigerians should be on the lookout” he advised.

Obesity predisposes children to hypertension –Ednocrinologist L ATEEFAH IBRAHIMANIMASHAUN

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s the world marked the World Health Day last Sunday with a special focus on hypertension, a consultant endocrinologist from Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Dr Femi Fasanmade has urged parents to protect their children against saying obese children are more prone to having hypertension.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, Dr. Fasanmade said more children now come up with hypertension due to high level of obesity in the country.

“Such a child can develop hypertension in a much younger age. Smoking early is also a factor. For example, some who started smoking form their teens can be predisposed to hypertension; depending on too much of junk foods can also lead to hypertension and diabetes.

No wonder we now find hypertension in people in their twenties”.

He cited a type of hypertension called idiopathic which occurs in people of middle age which he said could be cured through change in lifestyle.

“It is most common and usually occurs in the middle age. It occurs in a way that one cannot pin point

the real cause. Other types of hypertension can occur in any age, we also have an hypertension that is secondary to kidney disease.

That could occur even in a child”.

He urged Nigerians to go back to traditional agrarian diet which includes diets made of cereals, plenty of fiber vegetables, avoiding alcohol, reducing smoking, and preventing obesity which he said could reduce the prevalence of hypertension n the country.

Dr Fasanmade also urged Nigerians to always measure their blood pressure so as to prevent sudden deaths as a result of hypertension.

ealth experts and socio-economic stakeholders would be meeting tomorrow in Lagos to come up with action plans to strengthen the system of health care delivery for children and adolescents living with cerebral palsy in the country.

The meeting, which would extend to April12th, 2013 is being put together

by Benola: A cerebral Palsy Initiative which seeks to address the needs of such children.

According to the founder of the initiative, AVM Femi Gbadebo, the meeting which is a roundtable talk to help improve the lot of special children and their families would be graced by the government, multilateral and bilateral organizations, civil society, youth and the private sector.

“We want to identify those geographical areas with limited medical resources and perceived unmet needs. Thereaf-

ter, we plan to use the information to provide guidance for new service programmes and also establish an agenda for action” Gbadebo disclosed.

Some of those expected at the roundtable include Professor I. J. Ihenacho, Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Jos, Dr. Saad Tajudeen, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Kaduna Polytechnic, Mrs Josephine Nwabueze, Department of Special Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Dr. Ikani Egaga, Department of Special Education, University of Calabar, Mrs Olasimbo Oyekoya, Department of Physiotherapy, Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, Mrs Grace A Ademola Sokoya, Department of Speech Pathology, Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos and Mr Akinola Olabisi, Centre for Learning Disabilities and Audiology, Abuja.

NAFDAC arrests suspected smugglers, counterfeiters

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irector-General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii, has disclosed that the agency has arrested seven suspected smugglers and drug counterfeiters.

The NAFDAC helmsman made this known when he briefed newsmen in Lagos recently, noting that it is in line with the agency’s commitment at eradicating drug counterfeiting in the country.

According to him, one of the suspects was intercepted on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway with four trucks of suspected fake McDowell Reserved Whiskey, adding that “the goods made their way into the country through the land border”.

The director-general added that it arrested another suspect found manufacturing fake drugs and recovered fake products worth N31.28 million.

``Also recovered are dry-ink coding machines used for blister packaging and printing of labels and codes on the counterfeited medicines,’’ he said.

He further disclosed that the agency also arrested a woman who had been operating a pharmacy with a forged Pharmacists Council license and arrested another suspected drug dealer with drugs valued N19.5 million.

In addition, he revealed that two other suspects had confessed to illegal manufacture of fake Red Label Whiskey and Carlo Rossi wine. ``Five packets of Jonny Walker, five cartons of Carlo Rossi Wine and 46 cartons of Red Label Whiskey were also recovered from them,” he said.

Though investigations are still ongoing with regards to the arrests made, the NAFDAC chief said that the suspects were arrested based on tip-off from members of the public.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Health & Wellbeing

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

21

Children with autism can still excel

Dr Yewande Oshodi is a Consultant Child Psychiatrist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and also a lecturer at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. In this interview with LATEEFAH IBRAHIM ANIMASHAUN, she pleads with parents not to neglect children living with autism, saying such children could still live a meaningful life if supported early.

As a medical professional, how will you describe autism?

It is a disorder that occurs in children. It is a developmental disorder because it affects the central nervous system which has consequences on the development of a child and it makes the child unable to cope with life. He is not able to acquire language, he is not able to interact or communicate and he’s not able to reciprocate a relationship.

It is getting more and more popular these days, not because it is a new disorder but because it has been discovered several years ago but there is a lot more awareness and knowledge going on about it. Physicians are also diagnosing it better which makes it appears like it is a new disease. It is not a new problem. It has always been there. We don’t call these children autistic children we call them children living with autism because it is a challenge and they are living with it.

What are the likely causes of autism?

The exact cause is still very unclear but It appears that it may be a genetic thing.

Also, research has shown that there is high rate of recurrence on the siblings of children with autism. This does not mean that once somebody has a child living with autism, all other siblings too will have it, but what we are saying is that in genetic studies where we have the family studies, there is the possibility of recurrence. Other causation includes possible prenatal challenges which are problems during pregnancy and around delivery; there must have been some factors that must have gone wrong in the central nervous system affecting the spinal cord. There have also been some myths attributed to autism in the past which research has also shown.

It is a myth that vaccines causes autism.

Vaccination has no link with autism at all.

This has since been refuted internationally so that people don’t begin to hide their children away from vaccination and the child now comes down with other treatable disorders. I also want to dispel the myth that some children comes down with autism because their parents are bad parents or because the parents did not raise them well. Autism’s real cause is still unclear but it has high linkage with genetics.

What are the symptoms?

Children living with autism have IQ challenges. There is communication problem. The child does not develop language or uses language in an awkward way.

Oshodi

Sometimes, they refer to themselves in pronouns. They don’t maintain eye contact; they are preoccupied in their own world.

The word autistic was actually borrowed from the fact that these children are being engrossed in their own world. In fact when some adults behave in a strange way, he can also be referred to as being autistic.

They are preoccupied in their own world and they do not reciprocate warmth and love. Most children raise their hands to be carried but autistic children will never do that. They do not show warmth nor express empathy. They don’t involve in social interactions.

They like sameness, repetition. Most children when playing with cars wants to see it driving, but autistic children don’t want this. They also don’t respond well to change. They don’t feel well when you come and disrupt their repertoire. That is coming to introduce something new without preparing them. They enjoy sameness and repetition. A lot of people cannot differentiate between autistic children and Down syndrome for example. You need enough curiosity to be able to differentiate between the two. In autism these children stay alone. They don’t stay with other children. They like monotonous things and repetition. We have the high functioning autism and the low functioning ones. Such a child understands a bit of language. The low functioning ones are those that have a very low IQ and they don’t know how to use language at all.

When you are talking about autistic children you talk about language, social interaction, they play alone; they don’t play with other children. They don’t relate with people with warmth and they like repetition. We have the high functioning autistic children whose problems are not as bad as some of the others. They have acquired a bit of language. The low functioning ones are so bad that they have mental retardation. Their IQ is so low and they are unable

THE MOST INTERESTING THING ABOUT AUTISM IS THAT IT DOESN’T

CARE WHETHER YOU

ARE RICH OR POOR. IT AFFECTS BOTH THE RICH AND THE POOR to learn. The functioning ones can learn under a special condition because they need a teacher who understands their condition and who also structure their learning in such a way that the child who is not interested in the outside world can be taught. This is why they need special education. A lot of things that a lot of children pick on their own will not be easily picked by autistic children. That is why they need special support.

Are there habits that pregnant women involve in that can predispose their unborn babies to autism?

There is none of it that I know of. Although, there are bits of speculations that metals, mercury and led could be part of the causations. Research has not shown a clear cause of the disorder.

What do you think should be done about the issue of stigmatization of autistic children?

One of the roots of stigmatization is ignorance. Some refer to them with different names because they are not aware. We need to counter stigmatization with education and education is part of advocacy. We must enlighten the publics as we are doing and I believe that a few people will have a little more understanding about autism based

on awareness and with knowledge comes power. Once you are knowledgeable, you are armed with necessary tools on what to do and how to help. The onus is on us, the medical practitioners and the media practitioners to portray conditions like this correctly because a lot of ignorance could portray this condition in a wrong way. Like some people in African countries throw away autistic children. Those who manage to keep them lock them up. Education will enable mothers living with autistic children to seek for early intervention because some children learn very early and once they have passed through the stages of early learning, it could be difficult. With this the children can have better chance than if they don’t do all these.

Government can also do a lot by creating awareness, making sure that interventions are available to the common man.

The most interesting thing about autism is that it doesn’t care whether you are rich or poor. It affects both the rich and the poor.

It affects male children more than female children. Statistics has shown that it also affects male children before it affects a female child. At times, an autistic child can have mental retardation; he can have hyper activity disorder along with the autism. He can also have other genetic disorders. In the assessment of these children, this is what we, as professionals, will want to know.

So how can one care for an autistic child?

The care of an autistic child is multi disciplinary. We first of all try to observe if the child can feel the difference between when the mother is there and when she is not there. Ideally most children will.

A child that doesn’t play with other children. A perceptive mother will realise this child is not behaving like all other children. Autism has to do with a constellation of symptoms which implies that several symptoms are coming together to form. After observing the aforementioned symptoms, they can see a paediatrician, a child psychiatrist and a child psychologist. Most times, we need to check and be sure whether the child does not have any other problem. This is because at times, it could be that the child is deaf and cannot even hear what is going on. The child will be made to go through some genetic evaluations; he has to be assessed for language. These are done to rule out the fact there are other factors causing it. Does your child take interest in other children when you call her name, does she respond?

We usually have questionnaires to see if a child has autism or not. We also have international diagnostic criteria. It might require that we get a behaviour analyst for the child. Each and every child is unique.

The behavioural pattern in an individual autistic child may differ in kind but the generality of the symptoms is what I have described. Some of them react to some certain type of clothing, and sensory moods such as sounds and light. These could trigger reactions on them. They are a bit more easily stimulated or under stimulated. We encourage parents to ensure that the children have certain hours of structured intervention. He could need a psychologist or could be a person in another field who has received a special training to do that.

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Health & Wellbeing

Ailing Nigerians seek help • 2year old boy needs N2.8m for hole-in-the heart surgery • Civil servant, 45, also in need of N5m for kidney transplant MURITALA AYINLA

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Baby Lawal

You are the chairman of Association of table Water Processors in Ondo state, what are the efforts of the association in providing hygienic table water for the people of the state Let me start by telling you that we have some people that set the standard of production of water. |We have some bodies that regulate what we produce and monitor to ensure that we strictly adhere to set as standards. The one that sets the standard is Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the one that makes sure that these standards are complied with is the National Agency for Food and Administration and Control (NAFDAC). NAFDAC sets all the rules and regulation of water business which water processors must strictly follow and in our association, we try as much as possible to comply with these directives and requirements. In Ondo state, anybody who does not register with NAFDAC cannot be a member of our association, and since the agency is recognized by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a standard maintainer in the country, we strongly believe that any company being registered by the agency will surely produce and provide potable and drinkable water in this state. Again, in order to ensure that hygienic water is produced by members of this association, we go round to ensure that our members follow the procedures laid down by the regulatory body.

So all the water processing companies in Ondo state registered with NAFDAC? I am not saying this, but what I am saying is that anybody who is our member must register with NAFDAC. As far as we are concerned you cannot produce table water in this state without being a registered member of our group because one must have gone through all the necessary procedures and requirements, though there are some people who are producing table water illegally we don’t reckon with them as members of our association.

Is there any way of checking such illegal producers?

By law, we can only do some little things by reporting them to the regulatory body

two year-old boy, Muhammed Lawal diagnosed with “tetralogy of fallot” (a hole in the heart) has about two weeks to live unless his parents could raise the sum of N2.8 million needed for a surgical operation to correct the defect.

Doctors who carried out series of diagnosis on the little boy, said he needs to undergo an urgent heart surgery in India as the operation cannot be performed in Nigeria.

However, in spite of the urgency and delicate state of Muhammed’s health, his parents could only raise N5, 000 even as his condition deteriorates daily.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Speaking with National Mirror, father of the ailing boy, Lawal Musa who was a former cadet member of OYES, an Osun state youth empowerment programme, appealed to well meaning Nigerians to help save his son’s life.

He said: “We have tried and we are still making efforts, we could only raise N5,000. We are calling on well meaning Nigerians to help save his soul through their financial assistance,” he said amid tears.

Musa added that he had made several appeal to some prominent Nigerians in Osun State to come to his aid but the response has not been impressive.

Musa who earns N10, 000 at a private Nursery and Primary School in Oshogbo where he teaches, said he had also written letters to the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Osun State House of Assembly but yet to get favourable response. He appealed to public spirited Nigerians for generous donation to save Mohammed’s life.

Lawal Musa can be contacted on 08066507620 or 0806208801

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

... Omale too

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damu Hassan Omale, 45, who is currently receiving treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital has also appealed for help. He requires N5 million for a kidney transplant. Omale, a civil servant and father of five was admitted to the hospital in June 2011 for kidney failure and doctors have recommended kidney transplant as the only way out for him to regain his health.

Adamu Hassan Omale can be contacted on 08051215744 for urgent assistance.

Omale while undergoing dialysis in LUTH

‘People should be wary of their water source’ Engineer Olu Temishe is the chairman of the Association of Table Water Processors (ATWAP) in Ondo state. He spoke to HAKEEM GBADAMOSI in Akure on the importance of International Water day and the efforts of his association in making available hygienic, potable water to the society, Excerpts:

Does your association enjoy any support from the state government to ensure that potable, hygienic and drinkable water is made available in the state.

There has never been any support from the state government. There was a time we had a meeting with the state government though not to solicit for support but in the area of environmental sanitation, that is, how to go about disposing the waste from our products, like the nylon of sachet water, disposal bottles and others. At the end, there was nothing concrete from the meeting though we will always be ready to collaborate with the state government in many other areas.

who can now invite the law enforcement agent to either seal off their company and persecute them. We cannot solely fight this war unless the people of the state, who are the consumers, join us in the fight to keep these fake producers from our state. This is one of the reasons why we work hand in hand with NAFDAC to ensure that anybody who produces water illegally is kept where he belongs because water is life and we must be cautious and careful of the quality of water we produce for the people of the state. Diseases can be easily contacted through water and this is one of the reasons why we make sure our water is well treated before it gets to the final consumers.

Why do we mark the World Water Day? Water, they say, gives life and because of the importance of water in human life, the usefulness of water cannot be over emphasized. Without water, our world will be useless. A greater percentage of our activities require water – in our domestic activities, offices, industries, and everything we do – all these point to the fact that water is truly life. And because of the importance of water to the living, I think it’s not too much if a special day is set aside for the celebration of water all around the globe today.

Again the setting of the World Water Day will create more awareness on the usefulness of water and how to make available hygienic water for human consumption.

When we were in school, we were made to understand that 80 percent of our body fluids consist of water and if water must be part of us, we must also set a day like this aside for water by celebrating International Water Day. What they are trying to

tionary but I pray that the government will be able to provide drinkable water for the citizens of this country again. This is one of the reasons why we have taken it upon ourselves to provide drinkable water at a more affordable price for the people of the state.

Temishe

tell us in essence is that every water that is being given to people to drink should be safe, hygienic, potable and drinkable.

If you notice, in our major cities and towns nowadays, you hardly find water running in most of our homes, unlike before when we had public taps in every part of our cities.

What do you think is responsible for this?

Are we running short of water?

Although I’m a private business person and wouldn’t know what is responsible for this, I can guess that one of the factors responsible for this is the growing population in our major towns and cities and lack of our maintenance culture. Yes in those days there were public taps made available for people but I may not be able to answer why government is not making it available now because I am not a government func-

Which is safer, the government water from the water corporation or the table water produced by your association?

The water from the water corporation is as good as the water we produce. We, the association of table water processors and the government are working towards the same goal of producing good drinkable water for the people of the state. Water is life and it is part of government’s responsibility to provide drinkable water for its citizen and make it available at all time. It is also our responsibility too to make sure that water treatment follow the standard recommended by SON and WHO. We should regulate the amount of acidity or alkalinity and other contents like what we call ph, or whether there is chloroform – these are what we do to ensure that good drinkable water is produced. We also ensure that whatever water is being produced by members of this association is safe thus, most of the water produced by our members is treated, just like the treatment given by water corporation, before getting to the public.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

23

Arts Lounge

Adunni Nerfertiti celebrates 7 years on stage

AMAA 2013: Alhaji Dantata leads fund raising dinner event

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L-R: DG, Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa; DG, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Mr. Frank Nweke Jr.; Emir of Askira, Alhaji Mai Ibn Askirama; Rep. of Minister of Information, Alhaji Bala Ahmad; DG, National Broadcasting Commission, Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa and MD/CEO, News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo at the launch of Reel Views and Behind the Scenes.

Afolabi (r) presenting copies of NFC publications to DG, NLRC, Peter Igho.

Consolidating on gains at Nigerian Film Corporation NGOZI EMEDOLIBE

W

ith the recent retirement of Afolabi Adesanya as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation, NFC, the film sector is indeed agog with intrigues towards a possible replacement. This becomes more apparent in view of the present attention the industry is getting not only outside the shores of the country but in the Presidency prompting the announcement of some intervention funds for the progress of industry.

While the ultimate goal of government is to make the motion picture industry in the country an income earner, comparable to other sectors like oil and agriculture, it is pertinent to note that several factors need to be in place for this goal to be attained.

There is no gainsaying that the many intervention strategies, geared towards the development of the movie industry, which were championed during the past eight years at the NFC have in no small measure contributed to what is today seen as ‘boom in the industry’. As one of the key agencies in charge of the needed rebranding of the Nigerian image, it is important that the Federal Government takes more than a passing interest in what happens there, especially at this time in the history of Nigeria.

Many stakeholders believe that a step in the positive direction about finding a replacement at the NFC would be to severe politics from the appointment of a new managing director. Many believe that leaving a sensitive and technical position as this to the whims and caprices of political interest will do the industry, albeit the

The past eight years have been eventful at the Nigerian Film Corporation, NFC, prompting the clamour for a continuation of policy as the post of the helmsman becomes vacant at the agency. What could be done to consolidate on these gains? nation, more harm and possibly take back the hands of the clock in this sector.

Alex Eyengho of the Association of Nollywood Core Producers, ANCOP told Arts Lounge that the government needs to look inwards into the agency and the movie industry in finding a possible replacement. “Government should select eminently qualified practitioners in the industry for the vacant position of the managing director of not only the NFC but also the National Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB. We do not want aliens to be imposed on us as the heads of these two federal regulatory agencies.

We wear the shoes and certainly know where they hurt. We have eggheads in the industry, who have both relevant academic credentials and wealth of experience to man these offices”.

While funding is one of the challenges confronting the movie industry, the need for the new helms man to be vast in negotiating financial interventions for the industry as was being done during the past administration cannot be over overemphasised. Aside from the agreement with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, the NFC also signed a pact with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC. The pact conceived to boost film production activities for the nation, took place at the Board Room of the Abuja Headquarters of the SMEDAN on June 8, 2011. There, the two helmspersons expressed optimism that much would be

achieved if adequate training and funds were available to practitioners in the film industry, especially in the area of job creation for the youths.

While going into talks with the NLRC, Peter Igho, a veteran of the television industry who now oversees the Lottery’s Commission, disclosed that the Nigerian motion picture industry was still in dire need of both direct and indirect funding to enable the sector sustain its growth. Of course, he equally lauded the giant strides in the industry in the past eight years.

Other areas where the NFC recorded giant strides are capacity building, where over the years the agency has organised several workshops to empower movie practitioners on other distribution platforms as well as the commerce of copyrights in association with the Nigerian Copyrights Commission, NCC, and the World Intellectual Property Organisation, WIPO. These can be applauded for breeding the idea of having a Collective Management Organisation, CMO, for audio-visual works in Nigeria, which is presently at an advanced stage and seen as very essential for the operations of the industry.

NFC also consolidated in the area of bringing recognition to film practitioners. While the film industry was hitherto viewed as an industry for ne’er-do-wells, the past eight years have seen national honours being given to many actors. The likes of Justus Esiri, who would be buried this week, Chinedu Ikedieze, Olu Jacobs, Stephanie Okereke and Genevieve

Nnaji amongst many others, were availed national honours during this period.

It is apparently the need to engender this streak of success stories that NFC has complied three books to articulate her activities in the past eight years. The books, Reel View, is a collection of essays and reviews on the Nigerian and African Film Industry; Behind the Scenes, a collection of selected speeches and papers

by Afolabi Adesanya on the Nigerian, African and global film industry during his tenure as the Managing Director/ Chief Executive. The third, 8 Years of Reel Transformation, catalogues, with pictures, the various transformation at the NFC as evidenced in intervention projects, programmes and infrastructural development at the her headquarters in Jos, Plateau State, and at the Lagos, Abuja and Kano offices of the corporation, within the past eight years.

Already the acting managing director, Tekena Benibo, who is equally a partner in this cycle of progress over these years at the NFC believes there is need to have stakeholders key into the goals of the publications by the corporation. According to him, “It will afford all stakeholders unhindered access to the resources, with a view to sharing in the success story of the NFC. Within the past eight years, the corporation has invested appreciable transformation and repositioning which has enabled her play a more proactive and developmental role in the industry; there is the need to document these landmark projects and programmes executed by the corporation for the consumption of the general public and show that the transformation agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria is indeed working and achieving remarkable success in the film sector”.

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Arts Lounge

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

MIDWEEK JUMP

MEMORABLE READS

Celebrating We are the World at 30 O

n April 5 1985, the American music industry and the world came together under in an unprecedented outpouring of generosity in response to a tragic famine in the Horn of Africa to record We are the World (WATW).

The recording of the original WATW, 28 years ago, sold more than seven million records worldwide. The sales generated more than $60 million which has been used to assist Africa and Africans affected by the famine and other critical issues.

USA for Africa is the organisation born out of this effort. In partnership with African organisations, it continues to focus on opportunities to help advance people and communities in Africa.

Now, AllAfrica and USA for Africa, invites everyone across the world to join artistes and entertainers in a twoyear initiative in advance of the 30th anniversary of the iconic song, which played simultaneously on 8000 radio stations on April 5, 1985 and was a number-one hit in both the United States and United Kingdom.

Participants can initiate a range of

BASKET MOUTH Award winning comedian, rapper, TV host

Group of artists in 1985 at the recording of the original WATW track in a Los Angeles, USA studio

actions to spotlight goals through this effort. Among planned actions are choral submissions, celebrity-led community actions, museum-based activities and classroom competitions.

A five-minute launch video is available on allafrica.com websites which everyone has permission and rights to use; broadcasters too may use it for radio and television. The video includes interviews with Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Harry Belafonte and Salim Amin, whose father’s reporting from Ethiopia sparked WATW. AllAfrica will work with participants to facilitate discussions and

K-Pop dance contest entry opens

T

he Korean Cultural Centre, in collaboration with Arojah Concepts and the NTA Entertain is inviting interested schools and professional dance groups to participate in the second K-POP Dance Competition (the Nigerian National Championship) which will hold in Nigeria between May and July 2013, while the World Championship holds in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2013.

K-POP Cover Dance Festival is an event to celebrate and embrace the current craze for the Korean pop culture around the world. The Visit Korea Committee is hosting the ‘2013 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival’ globally to commemorate the Visit Korea Year Campaign.

Around the world, schools and professional groups compete in national championship to select its representative, who will then compete in Korea for the final

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

round of competition with the opportunity to also meet other K-Pop stars who will converge in Korea in September.

In 2011, Nigeria was represented by The Elevators, a group of young dancers who went all the way to Korea to emerge third runners-up. In 2012, having won the National Championships, the same group moved a step further emerging the second runners-up at the world stage (beating Japan, China, India, USA and others).

Free registration forms are available at the Korean Cultural Centre office in Abuja till the April 30. Information is also available online at ngr.korean-culture.org or at arojahtheatrengr.com.

The preliminary competition is schedule to hold in Abuja on May 16 at the Korean Cultural Centre while the final competition will hold on July 13 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.

The contestants will be evaluated in

The Elevators with a Korean Cultural Centre official after the 2011 K-Pop dance finals in Abuja

events around the critical issues facing Africa over the next two years. The uniting theme will be how all of us can make the We are the World spirit a reality - all around us - today. African artists and thought leaders will spearhead a broad dialogue leading to engagement activities -both on mobile devices and in participating communities.

AllAfrica’s reporting for this initiative in 2013 will focus on four areas where enormous progress to save lives is within reach: reducing maternal mortality; promoting food security and child nutrition; fighting malaria, TB and HIV; and eliminating polio. the areas of not only songs and choreography but also costumes, makeup, styles and creativity and the team of judges will then select winners in this format: The best three groups in the school category (1st, 2nd & 3rd Positions); the best three groups in the professional troupe category (1st, 2nd & 3rd Positions) and the overall best group.

While the Overall Best Group will represent Nigeria at the Korea competition, the other finalists will receive various categories of cash and item prizes as consolation.

Kakadu announces arrival tomorrow

K

akadu the Musical, a dynamic production with music from different genres is set to premiere in Lagos next month. The stage project by The Playhouse Initiative is an original concept production; completely home grown with a fresh and fully Nigerian cast.

However, tomorrow in Surulere, Lagos, the show’s organisers will host select members of the media to a press conference and sneak preview of scenes from the production.

According to a statement from the organisers, signed by Ifeoma Williams of Fruition Image Consultants, “Kakadu the Musical is Nigeria’s story in a nutshell. It is set in the famous Lagos night club of the sixties, named Kakadu, a place where all the musical greats of Nigeria once performed. Kakadu the Musical is a story told through both the drama of the period and the ‘lens’ of the music of the time”.

Which is your all-time best book?

Robert Ludlum’s The Matarese Circle.

Why is the book a hit with you?

I loved Ludlum’s approach, the storyline, the theme, the mental picture he painted with his words, the suspense and it was extremely intriguing; one of my best books.

All time best writer?

Just like music, I don’t have a best writer, but it ranges from Robert Ludlum, Sidney Sheldon, Jackie Collins, Michael Crichton, Danielle Steel, Steven King and many more.

If you were to author a book what would be the theme?

I honestly can’t tell what the theme would be; I’ve not had a chance to think towards that angle before.

Impression about the reading culture in Nigeria?

We are not as religious as we used to be when it comes to reading. Libraries are not really functioning and managed the way they should be. Also, the web has created an avenue where people can access any and every book needed, but then, I’ve realised that 70% or more of the time we are online, it’s mainly for gossips than news or reading educative books. Social Media has consumed us teenagers (if I’m allowed to call myself one) but I know that with time, it will all balance out eventually.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Arts Lounge

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

25

ARTISTE UNCENSORED

We’re called olosun for our dressing – Adunni

Adunni Orobiyi founded Adunni and Nefertiti, an all-female singing group, seven years ago while she was studying Theatre Arts at the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Akoka. She admits it has been a rollercoaster ride in entertainment for her and members of the group ever since. To celebrate the seventh anniversary this weekend in Lagos, the all-female folklorist have joined forces with Renegade Theatre and Mediacraft, among other individuals to do Femi Fatoba’s Yoruba play, an opera titled: Iyan Lounje. In this interview with TERH AGBEDEH, the group leader talks about the last seven years on stage and what the audience is to expect at the anniversary.

When did Adunni Nefertiti start doing drama?

This is opera and because this is our seventh anniversary we decided to start it with an opera. We have never done opera but we have done productions with different groups. This is the first one that is not an all female singing group.

sic in your album?

The album is called Ayeraye and you can find your own rhythm in it. It has six tracks of different rhythms. Seven tracks if you count the Acappella song.

Does that mean that from now on you are going towards the opera direction?

Not all the time but let’s see how it goes; let’s show this to the people and see how they take it.

Why did you pick the play Iyan Lounje?

We started thinking of the project last year so Sukanmi Adebayo suggested that there is a script we should work on. I decided to read the script and it was fine by me.

It is melodious, has comedy and though all the songs there were not really interesting, I rearranged and added more songs.

How did the idea of Adunni Nefertiti come about?

When I was still at the University of Lagos, I looked through the theatre and there was no singing group. They just merge everybody and call it total theatre. You should be able to sing, dance and act but dancers have trouble singing. We are just singers.

There are five ladies in the group, is that correct?

There is more. It depends on the number they ask for.

You have been at a lot of shows in Lagos and beyond and one is forced to ask you if there are shows you don’t perform at?

We are singers and that is what we do for a living except for anything fetish. If it is symbolic, no problem, but if they are going deep into it, we are not going to be part of it.

You went to Benin Republic for an event recently, how did that go?

It was for an album launch of a friend and it was fantastic. We started the project together and when she was ready to do the launch we were there together.

Adunni (1st right) and Nerfertiti and their male drummers at a recent event

taken three days, but Crown Troupe will be performing at Freedom Park on Sunday that is why we are having two days there. And again, if you miss the Friday event, you cannot afford to miss Saturday. We really thank Freedom Park, we have been to some other venues but it is Freedom Park that came through for us.

How do you come about your songs?

I compose some of them.

The cast includes the actress Carol King, who else is in the play?

There is Funmi Ajila Ladipo and Yinka Akanbi. Wole Oguntokun is also directing, while Sukanmi Adebayo is assisting him.

What role are you playing?

I’m doing the songs for the play.

Does that include arranging the songs?

Yes. I’m also in one of the choruses.

What should those who come to Freedom Park for the two-day celebration expect?

We are going to have our friends celebrate with us like: Ayanbiri, Yinka Akanbi, Akeem Lasisi, Ropo Ewenla, Segun Adefila of Crown Troupe of Africa and Footprints. We also have my ladies and because we have a lot of friends I cannot now mention all of them. But we love them and know that all of them will be available.

Talking about albums, do you have one?

We have one already but we have not done the video for it. We are taking our time and we are definitely going to start work on a second album after we do the video for the first.

Doing theatre for seven years, what sacrifice would you say that you have made?

I have made a lot of sacrifices but what can we say? There have also been a lot of challenges. Some people call us ‘oloshun’ because of the way we dress up. In Africa we are heavily beaded and we cover our hair.

How would you describe the kind of mu-

But is being called oloshun derogatory?

PHOTO: ADENRELE NIYI

Adunni

Not really, it is just that they say we are Oshun worshippers. I don’t know why some people look at us and just draw conclusions.

This talk has not stopped you from getting shows, has it?

We don’t listen to them and we have been getting shows. We have been all over the place; we were in London at the Tony Allen Opera House and we are still going on tour this year. We are also going for festivals like the Gelede Festival.

On being called Oshun worshippers perhaps it is the songs that you sing?

We sing highlife, we sing traditional, we sing folk songs. We sing in different languages. Language is part of our culture; the way we dress, food are all part of our culture. I won’t change my person because of what you say, negative or positive.

What you are doing here is a collaboration, but is there a troupe in Adunni Nefertiti’s future?

Why not? If God says yes, may He spare our lives. We will have an empire and do everything that has to do with art.

The play is in Yoruba but should the nonYoruba speaking public come to the event?

They will enjoy it. It is the same thing like watching an Indian film even without subtitles.

Why is the event taking place in two days?

If we say we should do one day, it will not be enough since it is like a festival and carnival for us. In the last seven years, we have not done anything for our group, this is our time. We would have

How did you get into theatre considering that parents still feel that their children should steer clear of the stage?

It was tough, my father particularly resisted but I know where I’m going and the Holy Spirit is there; He leads and I follow and here we are today. Now, my father takes me for who I am. If I had chosen another career, I don’t think that I would have been to the places I have been in my life. Ever since I entered entertainment, I have been to almost all the corners of the world.

What would your father rather you are doing?

A banker or something else, I don’t know. But his mum and elder sister all helped me. At times, I would sneak out of the house and do my thing and come back.

What would you say are your challenges so far?

Charity shows, ‘no money, please come and do it for free’. And they have paid for a hall of N1m or N2m but when it comes to paying the artiste that is where they always have problems. Or you get to the event and there will be no water or food.

But if I’m coming to your show, whether you have paid or not, no matter how little, food and water is very important. You shouldn’t deny someone a drink of water.

In the last seven years, which of your performances would you regard as most memorable?

All of them; but the one we did at the American Embassy for former U.S. Ambassador, Walter Carrington. We were the major performance for the night.

All eyes were on us, to God be the glory.

Eventually, it was a grand finale. That was two years ago I think.

You come across like a kind family person. Do you plan to have one soon?

I’m a kind person. Definitely, I think I have worked enough, I have tried. I will relax a bit and still be working but I need to have children. I need to have my husband; I need to plan my marriage this year.

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Arts Lounge

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

FAR AND NEAR

2013 AMAA: Dantata to head fund raising event

Celebrating Kole Omotoso at 70 TERH AGBEDEH

N

ovelist, playwright and biographer, Professor Bankole Omotoso, will be 70 on April 21 and activities to commemorate the milestone, according to a statement from organisers of the birthday celebration, will take off on Wednesday, April 17 with a Special Reading: Kole Omotoso in Person at lifestyle and arts centre, Jazzhole, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi Lagos.

Omotoso was the founding general secretary and a former president of the Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA. “The event offers us an opportunity to draw attention to and appreciate his many-sided commitment to the literary arts as well as celebrate those with whom his path has crossed”, said the

poet Odia Ofeimun in the statement.

The Kole Omotoso Exhibition, ‘Akure to Jo’burg’ will be on display from April 19 to 21. A reception, ‘An Evening for Uncle Very Very’s Nephew’ will be held at the Cultural Centre, Akure on the exhibition’s opening date, April 19.

A Special Birthday Lecture, ‘Radicals, Literature and Nigeria: Just Before 1914’, will be delivered by Prof.

G.G. Darah of Delta State University, DELSU, Abraka, and will be chaired by Prof. Akinwumi Isola, at the Cultural Centre, Akure, on April 20. It will be followed immediately by Kole Omotoso’s South African play, ‘Yes and ‘Know’ to the Freedom Chatter’, directed by Felix Okolo and produced by Hornbill House.

Akure to Jo’burg will be donated to a cultural establishment in Ondo State after the celebrations, in order

T Omotoso

to motivate a permanent means of attracting literary enthusiasts to the city that has featured so much in the celebrant’s many novels and short stories.

“Quintessentially, there is a need to view Omotoso’s achievements as a creative writer also in the context of his role as a pioneering activist in literary journalism. His literary editorship of Afriscope in the 1970s, his Writer’s Diary in West Africa magazine, his travelogues in National Concord, and his Uncle Very Very series in the now defunct Daily Sketch, bear

Kite-flying festival debuts

he Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, has appointed Alhaji Sayyu Dantata as Chairman of the African Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, 2013 Fund Raising dinner event, which is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, April 16 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

According to a public statement signed by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the choice of Sayyu Dantata was informed by the need to involve and encourage private sector participation in partnership with government to support the growth of the African movie industry.

“Bayelsa State Government’s continued support for AMAA is hinged on our abiding faith and resolute commitment in Africa’s fast emerging movie industry and the need to celebrate excellence as well as an opportunity to showcase the best of the continent’s talents”, the statement reads.

With barely 10 days to the 9th annual AMAA holding in Bayelsa State, it is anticipated that the fund raising event will no doubt help raise the stakes higher and provide a unique platform for corporate Nigeria to leverage on the vast opportunities that African Movie Industries through AMAA offers to promote African businesses and to re-brand the continent.

Princess of the Harmattan goes global

A

first-of-its kind festival in Nigeria featuring kites of various shapes, colours and sizes flying in the sky is set to debut in Lagos in September 2013. The Eko Festival of Kites, organised by a Lagosbased marketing and promotion company, Cranes and Ladders Ltd., is targeted at reviving old games and institute bonding ties among families and friends.

Speaking at a press conference that held last Saturday at Maruwa Beach Lekki, Lagos to formally unveil the festival, the CEO, Cranes and Ladders, Mr. Ebun Roberts said Eko Festival of Kites is a family-growth driven initiative which is set to become one of the leading individual, family and group fun games in Nigeria.

“Kite flying is an inexpensive recreational game that has always created bonding opportunities for peers, families and friends; it is also an age-old fun activity which is enjoyed by all people. With this festival, we aim to revive family and friends picnic, revive games from yore and bring back fun memories for young and old adults in Nigeria”, Roberts revealed.

He explained that kite flying was a loved and deeply appreciated pastime in some countries around the world, adding that in such parts of the world annual kite flying festivals are held.

“Looking into our part of the world, this game appears to have gone to sleep. However, Eko Festival of Kite is set to awaken this fun during an enriching fiesta where friends and families can share excitement”, Roberts stated.

Speaking on the festival activities, Roberts disclosed that the Festival of Kites will run through two days in September 2013, with additional activities like the display of awe-inspiring kite designs and traditional games like ‘Suwe’ and ‘Ten-Ten’.

“Also, we have confirmed the attendance of 20 international kite flyers from India, UK, USA and other countries for the event”, he concluded.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

IZUCHUKWU OKEKE

I Imasuen

Verissimo

Fidelity launches writing contest, blog TERH AGBEDEH

F

idelity Bank Plc has launched the Fidelity Creative Writing Blog and Literary Café Weekly Writing Competition. The new series will have contestants compete weekly by posting their entries to a site developed specifically for this purpose. The bank’s creative writing blog will host 10 of the best works which anyone can read by simply visiting the link on the Banks Official website weekly. New topics and also previous week winners will be made public every Monday on the Banks social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter.

To maintain the standard of the blog, a panel of internationally acclaimed authors and writers, will oversee the selection of the works and announce the weekly winners. As part of

its Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, programme, the bank hopes to further encourage bloggers, online writers, poets and indigenous storytellers.

The annual International Creative Writing Workshop series started by Fidelity Bank seven years ago and is part of the bank’s contribution to the preservation of Nigeria’s literary tradition made world famous by Nigerian greats like the late Chinua Achebe, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, Ben Okri, Niyi Osundare, Chimamanda Adichie, Chris Abani and Helon Habila, among other notable writers.

Graduands of this initiative have made good and quick progress in their writing careers in the domestic and international arenas. Tolu Ogunlesi, Uche Umez, Eghosa Imasuen, Jumoke Verissimo and Nze Sylva Ifedigbo are a few of the beneficiaries of the workshop.

t was a gathering of literary critics in Abuja on Thursday, March 28, when Abuja-based writer, Seyi Adigun made a presentation of his new book, Princess of the Harmattan. It was also an opportunity for the author to announce a planned international reading tour of the book.

The literary work is a collection of poetry, mostly lyrical, dedicated to the celebration of womanhood, with most poems often interspaced with the usual lamentation of broken hopes of Nigerians – and Africans – occasioned by the realities of our modern states.

At the presentation, the author, a medical doctor and chartered Insurer, said the collection was strongly built on lyrics, aesthetics and rhythm of words, “which to me is what poetry is all about”.

Pointing out the degeneration in the Nigerian body polity over the years, Adigun opined that while many propound various antidotes to these numerous problems, writers like him have found poetry a strong instrument to engage the discourse of Nigerian problems, which is what he is doing.

“Many wonder if there is any more need for aesthetics in Nigeria of today. I say yes, because it offers us escape, as it were, from the dare realities around us”, he said.

Speaking on the planned tour of the book, he said the idea is to relive “the spirit of life, gusto, rejuvenation; to rekindle waning hope in the hearts of the forlorn; to breed new bonds of friendship for citizens of a borderless universe”.

The author of previous collections, Bard on the Shore and Prayer for Mwalimu said further that he hopes to use the reading tour to call for change in Africa. “I want to use my poetry, especially as espoused in Princess of the Harmattan and Prayer for Mwalimu as potent intervention in denouncing a culture of violence, hatred and war that is prevailing in parts of Nigeria, Africa and the world”.

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

We made costly mistakes in Paris. I am convinced we will not repeat same mistakes in Camp Nou

NPFL has no title sponsors yet –Irabor

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- BARCELONA MIDFIELDER, ANDRES INIESTA

Rangers, Wolves stall Mba’s career

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here seems to be no end in sight just when it appeared that the club future of AFCON hero Sunday Mba would soon be resolved amicably.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) through an ad-hoc committee had ruled that Mba still has a contract with Warri Wolves and as such his preferred club Enugu Rangers will have to cough out a transfer fee agreed by both clubs for the star player.

Wolves are demanding for N12million (about $75,000) and Rangers have since reacted by saying they are “studying” the offer.

While this impasse continues it is the promising career of Mba that has been put on hold.

Mba was a complete shadow of himself during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Kenya in Calabar last month.

As it is now, Mba has yet to play club football in Nigeria several weeks after his goal won Nigeria a third AFCON title in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Sunday Mba (r), dispossesing a Malian player of the ball in the semi-final match of the 2013 AFCON.

Golden Eaglets’ Bulbwa is among the players leaving for Morocco today.

• It should be Africa’s pride –SuperSport boss SPORTS EDITOR

F

or two days this week, the need to reform the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL), to make it vibrant, profitable and attract spectators to match venues, has dominated discussions at two fora in Lagos.

Yesterday, Chairman of the newly registered League Management Company (LMC), Hon. Nduka Irabor, told members of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Lagos Chapter that the NPFL was worth about N300billion.

Irabor, however lamented that the successor bodies (NFL and NPL) had run the league as an amateur business.

The veteran journalist and former member of the House of Representatives disclosed that once the LMC finishes putting in place the legal, technical and adminis-

trative structures to revamp the NPFL, clubs willing to participate in its competition would deposit about N300million each to guarantee their status.

“That was why we kept in abeyance the implementation of the earlier N50million deposit the LMC announced.

Our interest is the players; we will defend the players because no football without the players,” Irabor enthused.

Earlier on Monday, at the beginning of a two-day workshop organised for some selected sports journalists by SuperSport, the sports and commercial director of the South Africa-based cable network, Stanley Matthews, said the NPFL deserves to be the showcase for African football.

“The Nigerian league should be a showcase for Africa I’ll be devastated if the Nigerian league isn’t up there in the next few years because you’ve got the talent,” Matthews said at the Protea Hotels, Ikeja, venue of the workshop.

Mba

AYC: Eaglets leave for Morocco

NPFL is worth N3bn –Irabor T EVEREST ONYEWUCHI

And reports have also suggested that overseas clubs who have shown interest in the player are gradually pulling out of negotiations because they do not know which club they should actually be doing business with.

What is even more worrisome is that both Rangers and Warri Wolves do not appear to be willing to softpedal as the large-sized egos of their top officials have now got in the way.

He charged the LMC to build upon the success at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations especially with the exploits of home-grown talent like Sunday Mba and Godfrey Oboabona, who played key roles in the victory.

The SuperSport boss pointed out that the Nigerian league stands to benefit from the nation’s “huge population, big football market, passionate football culture, superior players and history of success.”

he U-17 National Team, Golden Eaglets, will depart Lagos this morning for the 10th CAF African U-17 Championship, which begins on Saturday.

The team, which returned from a four-week final training tour at the Aspire Academy for Sports Excellence, Qatar on Sunday, will fly into Casablanca aboard a Royal Air Maroc airplane and then move to Marrakech, venue of their Group B matches.

Nigeria, three-time world champions, last participated at the African U-17 finals in Togo in 2007, which they won, and then followed up with triumph at the FIFA U-17 World Cup finals in South Korea.

Tournament organisers will take

over responsibility for the Nigeria squad once they land in Casablanca.

On Friday, CAF will conduct the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination on all the participating teams.

The competition opens on Saturday afternoon with host Morocco taking on Gabon at the Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca, with Tunisia to take the pitch against debutants Botswana immediately after.

Nigeria and Ghana, with Africa’s most illustrious record in international youth football, will clash in the most anticipated match of the group phase in Marrakech on Sunday evening, after Cote d’Ivoire and Congo-Brazzaville would have done battle at the same venue.

40 teams jostle for FCT Cup JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

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orty teams drawn from the six local council areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are participating in the ongoing Federation Cup organised by the FCT Football Association, which kicked-off on Monday.

As at press time yesterday, six matches had been decided, with three teams already eliminated from the tournament expected to

produce the best two clubs to represent the FCT in the forthcoming National Challenge Cup. In one of the games played at the Old Parade ground, Area 10 Abuja, FC 24 edged Basic Maracana 2-0, to progress to the next stage of the competition. Striker John Oko opened scoring for his side in the 63rd minute, while Stanley Oboh compounded their opponent’s woes in the 81st minute when he struck again to seal his side’s victory.

However, the other two matches

played same day ended in a dingdong as the teams had to decide their fate of progressing to the next round in a penalty shoot-out.

At the end, Abuja United soared higher than Young Planners with 4-2 victory. Also the game between Hot Shooters and Optimum Performer ended 4-2 on penalties.

What would have adjudged a big upset in the tournament was averted as 2009 champions AMAC FC survived Ovia Sam FC scare with a late minute lone goal.

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tit bits...

Champions Planet awaits Amokachi AFOLABI GAMBARI

S Beckham

Beckham sure of win

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aris Saint Germain winger, David Beckham, is confident the club has what it takes to end Barcelona’s 20-game unbeaten home record today and reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Beckham, 37, believes PSG can become the first team to claim a Champions League win at Barca since Rubin Kazan more than four years ago.

“We have the ability to win the match.

We have the players. It’s a battle for 90 minutes every time you play Barcelona.

They have a lot of the ball, and it’s always tough to play against teams like that, but we’re capable of going to Barcelona and winning the match,” the former England captain said.

PSG’s leading scorer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is well-acquainted with the Camp Nou, having played for the Blaugrana for a season. A rare lack of success during his time there, and his subsequent well-publicised criticism of then-coach Pep Guardiola, means the Sweden international’s return is hotly anticipated.

The 2,300 travelling fans will be hoping the 31-year-old can help secure a shock result, but Beckham believes PSG’s success has been built on much more than Ibrahimovic’s prodigious talents.

“Our team is united. I don’t think the first-leg result was perfect. Perfect is to win, especially when you’re at home, but it’s not too bad. We know what we have to do in Barcelona. We have to score and win the game,” Beckham further said.

Today’s fixtures Barcelona

vs

PSG

Juventus

vs

Bayern Munich

J

Xavi

Xavi banks on ‘Milan treatment’

B

arcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez, believes that Barcelona is still favourite in today’s Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain despite a number of key injuries in defence and the possibility that Lionel Messi could also miss the second leg as he stays unfit.

The first leg ended 2-2 in Paris last Tuesday thanks to Blaise Matuidi’s last minute strike for the hosts but the biggest blow for Barcelona was the injuries suffered

by Messi and Javier Mascherano.

Four-time world player of the year Messi still has a chance of returning for today’s clash at the Camp Nou but Mascherano’s knee injury will see him miss the majority of what remains of the season.

But Xavi said that two away goals and home advantage should still be enough to see Barcelona

into their sixth consecutive Champions League semi-final.

“We have 90 minutes left at home and we will play in front of our fans who showed the top level of devotion in the game against Milan,” Xavi said yesterday.

“The shame has been the injuries but we will see how things go tomorrow (today),” the inspirational player added.

The tie promises to be another special night at the Camp Nou after Barcelona produced a stunning comeback to reverse a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat AC Milan 4-2 on aggregate in the last round.

Meanwhile, Barcelona Coach, Tito Vilanova, said yesterday that Messi would start the match on the bench with a possibility of an appearance late on.

“Leo has worked hard on his recovery but we will try not to stress him if not necessary,” the coach said.

uper Eagles’ Assistant Coach, Daniel Amokachi, will today be the ‘Legend of the Night’ at the Heineken Champions Planet in Lagos, where he will interact with fans that will throng the venue for the double-header Champions League second leg quarter final matches involving Barcelona/PSG and Juventus/Bayern Munich.

The Atlanta ‘96 gold medalist, who recently won the AFCON 2013 as a coach, is interestingly the first goal scorer when the current version of the competition was introduced in 1992. He scored FC Bruges of Belgium’s lone goal in the win away to Maccabi Tel-Aviv at the Ilztadion Ramat Gan Stadium in Israel before leading the team to win 4-0 on aggregate.

The visit by the former Nigeria international will highlight a busy week for the ongoing ‘Race to the Final’ contest which is scheduled to officially begin this weekend among 350 UEFA Champions League fans to decide the five winners of all-expense paid trip to watch the final match in Wembley, London next month.

Organisers told National Mirror yesterday that entries for the contest which started on April 3 will close by midnight of April 11.

aged to overturn a two-goal deficit.

“We have to believe in ourselves, otherwise we start already beaten.

They have won the championship, they have a two-goal advantage and they are one of the strongest teams in the world, but we will give everything and try to overturn the result,” Juve’s influential midfielder, Andrea Pirlo, said yesterday.

Juventus’s task is made more difficult by personnel problems. The

Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi, wants Champions League qualification this season, sayi he has struggled to get motiv for the Europa League.

The Blues have reached th last eight of the Europa Leagu after exiting the Champions League earlier this season.

“There is nothing much the say about Europa,” the Niger international said yesterday.

“Hopefully, next season we will be back in the Champions League,” he added.

Altidore

AZ Alkmaar striker, Jozy Altidore, has the ability to become a quality player for the USA, according to Coac Jurgen Klinsmann.

The 23-year old forward has netted 25 goals in all competitio this season and although he ha not scored for the USA since Ju 2011, Klinsmann is confident h will improve on his 12 goals tal for the country.

“He is a young player coming through, developing, makin mistakes and correcting. I think will pull through.”

Forlan

Internacional striker, Diego Forlan, says he has no regrets leaving Inter Milan for Brazilian club.

The striker endured a dif cult time at Inter before cal time on the Serie A career.

“Italy was a bad time for me,” the centre-forward sa adding, “I played out of po tion all the time and strugg for the most part.”

Klinsmann

Amokachi

Pirlo, others face Bayern hurdle

uventus face an uphill struggle to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals when the Old Lady comes up against the newly crowned Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich today, having been dominated for most of last Tuesday’s first leg, and lucky to escape Munich only 2-0 down.

The Italian side, in the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2006 match-fixing scandal, has never man-

Mikel

midfielder Arturo Vidal and the defender Stephan Lichtsteiner, who both started in Munich, are suspended, and the striker Sebastian Giovinco is injured.

The goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was criticised after the first leg, was on the substitute’s bench on Saturday suffering from the flu but will almost certainly return for today’s rematch with Bayern.

Pirlo was also rested for the 2-1

USA Coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, admits his future as manager of the team depends on how the side performs at the 2 World Cup in Brazil.

The Americans currently sit t of six on the CONCACAF table the final round of World Cup qu fying after three matches but th German is already looking ahe to the tournament, suggesting is confident of making it to Rio Janeiro.

“Everything depends on results,” Klinsmann said yesterda

Ramos

home win against Pescara but the key playmaker will start against Bayern and in the absence of Vidal, will be accompanied in the midfield

by Paul Pogba who recently turned 20 years old has gone from strength to strength since joining Juventus from Manchester United in the summer.

Bayern, however, remains the favourite to progress to the semi-finals and keep alive dreams of a treble.

Barcelona Sports Director, Andoni Zubizarreta, yesterday said the club is not planning to bid for Re Madrid defender Sergio Ra Ramos has been linked w Barcelona in various Spanis reports in recent weeks.

“Sergio Ramos is a great player. But Madrid players a not on our list,” the former Spain goalkeeper maintaine

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Nembe City

vs

Gombe United vs

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Lobi Stars

Sharks

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Osuchukwu, Onuigbo return

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igeria U-20 national team midfielder, Chidi Osuchukwu, may return tomorrow against Heartland as he has been training with the team since Saturday.

Osuchukwu a key player with Dolphins for three seasons was on duty with the U20s at the Africa Youth Championship and returned to Port Harcourt after Flying Eagles qualified for the World Cup. Another player that may make his return to the starting line up is former Hanoi T and T striker, Ifeanyi Onuigbo, who sat out the game against Sharks as he was suspended.

“If both players return to the starting line up on Thursday against Heartland they would help in our quest to beat the OWerri based side,” Media Officer of Dolphins, China Acheru said.

“Osuchukwu is very tricky as he plays on the wings or in the centre of midfield and we all know Onuigbo’s all action style will keep opposing defenders busy as long as he remains on the pitch.”

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IIKENWA NNABUOGOR ikenwa.nnabuogor@gmail.com

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Sport

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Osuchukwu

NPFL has no title sponsors yet –Irabor

T

We lost to a better side – Lobi Stars

L

obi Stars players have admitted that they lost to a better, tactically disciplined Mozambican club Liga Muçulmana in the second leg first round Confederation Cup game in Maputo last Friday. The Mozambican side took Lobi Stars to the cleaners with a 7-1 white wash to cancel out their 3-1 defeat in the first leg in Makurdi a fortnight ago, to advance to the next round in 8-4 goal aggregate win.

Some of the players told National Mirror that they lost scandalously due to lack of understanding and disunity in the camp. The game which saw goalkeeper John Lawrence red carded early in the first half opened up the unimpressive Makurdi- side to their worst defeat in history.

The players also claimed that they were at the mercy of the centre referee Parmendra Nunkoo from Mauritius who made the game difficult for them by dishing out cards at will.

“The truth was that we were disorganised and we played poorly. That was the worst game we have ever played in a long time.

“Though, the referee didn’t help matters as he not only gave our keeper red card but gave several yellow cards. He also blew just one foul against the hosts for 90 minutes.

“They were a better side, and deserved to win, I wish them luck in their subsequent games.”

Meanwhile, striker Tony Okpotu is down with athlete’s foot and was excused from training for two days since they arrived from Maputo. Okpotu, who rejoined the team after failing to land a deal with Norwegian side Brann, is also expected to return to action tomorrow when Lobi Stars host Sharks. The slight injury which he’s been playing with since last season, doctors confirmed, is not serious but will sideline him in league game against Sharks.

he League Management Company (LMC) boss Nduka Irabor has stated in clear terms that the Nigeria Professional Football League has no title sponsors yet as the league body is yet to sign a sponsorship deal with the telecommunication giants GLO. The veteran journalist also declared that the NPFL has not signed any broadcast rights with the Total Promotions Limited as widely reported in the media.

Addressing newsman at a media parley yesterday at the SWAN secretariat in Lagos, Irabor maintained that until GLO and Total Promotions, bidders for the NPFL’s TC rights, meet their financial obligations, the league continues to run without title sponsors.

“This is one aspect we’re not compromising on because it comes with a lot of responsibilities and obligations,” Irabor explained.

“LMC is a total, fully registered, independent NPFL boss, Irabor body recognised by law and as such, must be fully independent to discharge it’s responsibili- clubs to take care of all these things, then you will agree with me that the 50 million deposit ties and obligations.

“GLO only presented two cheques that did will not sufficient.

“The clubs have to show evidence that they not meet the requirements of the LMC for the are responsible for their players. The players’ title sponsorship which we duly rejected.

“So, in other words, we’re still in discussion entitlements, medicals and every other thing with them. We’re still studying the situation, have to be guaranteed.

“Then we begin to look at a fee of N300 milwaiting GLO to meet our obligations before a lion which will be kept in bond by the LMC in contract for is signed.

“I can tell you categorically that no contract case the clubs fail to meet with the players’ obligations. has been signed between GLO and LMC.” “Clubs are also expected to have their youth Irabor also took some time to clear the air on the media reports making the rounds that he ac- systems which are supposed to be well funded quired 20 percent of teh LMC stake to himself, and administered.

“Also, according to the existing laws guiding describing the reports as false and laughable.

“The LMC is not an Nduka Irabor thing, the the LMC, clubs are expected to own their stadiNPFL is for all stakeholders that are involved ums within a period of 10 years.

“When you look at all these things, we should with football. So, when I read in the media that I acquired 20 percent stake, I couldn’t help but be looking at a guarantee of N300 million. When all these things are met, the LMC can fund the laugh at the falsehood.

“The LMC is a child born out of a mandate youth systems in the clubs from a percentage from the NFF which was duly represented by accruing from the guarantee.” one of their officials who signed on their behalf and I signed or LMC. So, how is it now a perNPFL Standings – Week 5 sonal thing?

Pos Team P W D L “We also had a pre-incorporation agreement 1 Kano Pillars 5 4 0 1 with the NFF before the deal was signed and 2 Rangers 5 3 2 0 duly ratified at the Corporate Affairs Commis3 3SC 5 3 0 2 sion with all the representatives of the partici4 Akwa United 5 3 0 2 pating organisation present.

5 Sunshine Stars 4 2 2 0 “I’m just holding the shares in trust which I 6 Nasarawa United 5 2 2 1 will also give back if so required. Even the club 7 Enyimba 5 2 2 1 managers held a meeting and accused me of 8 Kwara United 5 2 2 1 not seeking their authority before I signed the 9 Heartland 5 2 1 2 agreement to register the company.”

Irabor argued that the initial N50 million 10 Nembe City 5 2 1 2 bond earlier proposed to be deposited by the 11 Bayelsa United 5 2 1 2 participating club was a far cry from the fee ex12 Lobi Stars 4 2 0 2 pected to take care of the players’ obligations.

13 Gombe United 5 2 0 3 He told reporters at the parley that a fee put at 14 Dolphins 5 1 2 2 N300 million would be enough to meet the re15 Warri Wolves 5 0 4 1 sponsibilities and obligations of the players.

16 Wikki Tourists 5 1 1 3 “N50 million is like scratching the surface 17 ABS F.C. 5 1 1 3 from what will be enough to take of the players 18 Kaduna United 5 1 1 3 and other clubs’ responsibilities,” Irabor sug19 Sharks 5 1 1 3 gested.

20 El-Kanemi 5 0 3 2 “When you look the fees that will sustain the

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

31

Business & Finance Regulators need to train stockbrokers on bonds market Global Head of Sales and Trading, Dunn Loren Merrifield, Malcolm Gilroy

Private sector should play a bigger role in infrastructure development ACTING DIRECTOR GENERAL, INFRASTRUCTURE CONCESSION REGULATORY COMMISSION, GAJI BELLO

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LCCI raises concern over Nigeria’s N7.51trn public debt STANLEY IHEDIGBO

T

he Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have expressed concern over Nigeria’s public debt which stood at $48.5bn (N7.1trn) as at December 2012.

Of the amount, domestic debt accounts for $41.97bn representing 86.5 per cent, while external debt accounts for $6.53bn, representing 13.5 per cent.

Speaking at its first quarterly press conference on the state of the economy, the President of the Chamber, Mr. Goodie Ibru, said it is clear that the issue of domestic debt presents a big challenge for the economy and is beginning to raise sustainability concerns.

According to him, cost of debt service is on the high side and in the 2013 budget the sum of N591.8bn was earmarked for debt service, adding that in 2012, the amount was for debt services was N559.6bn LCCI President said

that the high yield on the Federal Government bond and treasury bills contributed to this level of debt service.

“The amount being currently used to service debt is about 36.5 per cent of the capital budget of the Federation.

“The debt figures by the Debt Management Office do not capture the entire ramifications for the national debt. For instance, debt owed to

local contractors by government ministries and agencies, which run into billions of naira, are not captured.

For several years, many of these contractors have remained unpaid and some have even gone bankrupt”, he said.

He added that the bonds issued by AMCON, which is well over N4tn is also not captured in the debt records and it is necessary for all these to be

brought into the picture, so that the true position of the public debt and its sustainability would be better appreciated.

On agriculture sector, Ibru urged the fiscal and monetary authorities to scale up the capitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture so that credit access will be available and the kind of attention being given to the Bank of Industry should be extended to Bank of Ag-

riculture.

Commenting on developments at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the LCCI President, said that the first quarter was on a positive note as one of the best performing equity markets in the world, saying that indicators such as market capitalisation of the listed equities rose by N1.76tn or 19.6 per cent, from N8.97tn recorded at the beginning of the year to N10.733tn.

He, however, pointed out the need to diversify the economy, noting that the risk to sustainability of current levels of oil prices is real.

T

he Nigerian Ports Authority said the drastic decline in the ship traffic that calls at the nation’s seaports, which also affected cargo

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L-R: Chairman, Keystone Bank, Mr. Moyo Ajekigbe (left) and Managing Director/CEO. Mr. Philip Ikeazor, at the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Training in Lagos recently.

Europe’s economic recession, cause of Nigeria’s import decline FRANCIS EZEM

Arik Air

volume negatively, has nothing to do with the nation’s economy but rather in reaction to the dwindling economic fortunes of most members of the European Union.

The management of Lagos Ports Complex, which accounts for over 65 percent of Nigeria’s imported cargo traffic both bulk and container had last years expressed fears over

sharp decline in the number of vessels that call at Nigeria’s major seaports, which is first of its kind in the last six years after the completion of the port reform and subsequent coming on stream of private terminal operators.

Statistics show that the number of vessels waiting at the nation’s seaports as at the last quarter of last year between 90

and 95 ships of all types and sizes as against the figures of over 130 and 145 in the last quarter of 2011, which stakeholders believed was something to worry about.

General Manager, Public Affairs of the authority, Captain Ebubeogu Ihenacho, who spoke in Lagos, allayed fears that last year’s decline in both ship and cargo traffic has

Divestment: PENGASSAN accuses Petrobras of undermining due process

Environmental compliance: FG threatens to sanction erring firms

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

nothing to do with Nigeria’s economy as speculated in some quarters, rather a reaction to external factors.

According to him, the decline in both cargo and ship traffic was a direct offshoot of the decline in the economies of most European countries, which are trading partners to Nigerian importers and exporters.

How delay in handling over of GENCOs, DISCO will affect power sector

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Business Finance

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Divestment: PENGASSAN accuses Petrobras of undermining due process MESHACK IDEHEN

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etroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) said the National Oil Corporation of Brazil, also known as Petrobras Nigeria Limited or Petróleo Brasileiro Nigeria Limited should be condemned for locking out its Nigerian employees.

The development comes following the divestment of the oil company’s stake in some Nigerian oil blocks by Petrobras valued at (N795bn) $5bn.

General Secretary of the oil workers union, Mr. Bayo Olo-

woshile, in a statement on yesterday, said Petrobras as a corporate entity must ensure that labour unions in the sector in general, and those in Petrobras in particular are adequately engaged in accordance with the provisions of Nigeria’s extant labour laws, and the industry’s best practices before the planned divestment is finalised.

He said engaging the workers is part of due diligence on Petrobras before its final divestment, as such exercise goes a long way to minimise the harrowing incidence of contingent liabilities and hindrances for the divesting company; Petrobras, and

the divestee that would acquire Petrobras assets and portfolios in Nigeria.

He explained that prior to making the matter public, that informal and formal moves and efforts were made by PENGASSAN’s national secretariat to engage top management of the company in order to hear them out.

However, Olowoshile said the attitude of the management of the Petrobras changed, when it was announced that the new offshore pre-salt oil discovered in the deep water about 125 miles off the coast of Rio de Janeiro is expected to yield about 35 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

The statement said, “It is therefore un-imaginable that Petrobras can take PENGASSAN for a ride. PENGASSAN National Secretariat forewarned the managing director of Petrobras and was severally advised, but he boasted that he is being backed by some lawyers and people in authority to attempt the suicidal approach of undermining due process, rule of law and industry practice, ostensibly to his own peril and to the detriment of the new company that will acquire its stake in the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

“We are aware that Petrobras is making moves to divert atten-

tion by deluding the informed public that it is discontinuing with its divestment plan. We demand that the company make a clear public statement by telling the world that it has recalled all the employees anticipated to be affected by the divestment.

“In addition to the above, Petrobras currently has a social pact between a multinational company and a global union federation that puts in place the very highest standards regarding trade union and human rights, health, safety, and environmental practices, and quality of work principles across all of a company’s global operation”.

FG moves to curtail activities of illegal miners CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

I

L-R: Executive Director, Allied Soft, Mr Duke Obasi; PR Lead (Nigeria), Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Oluwamuyemi Orimolade; Head of Marketing, MainOne Cable Company, Mrs. Jumoke Akande; Partner Manager, Developer Experience, Nokia West Africa, Mr. Olumide Balogun and National Technology Officer, Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Olayinka Oni, at the National finals of the Microsoft/Nokia Imagine Cup Competition in Lagos, yesterday.

Nigeria to strengthen trade relations with Canada - Aganga ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

M

inister of Trade and Investment, Olusegun Aganga yesterday said that Nigeria would further strengthen its investment drive and improve trade relations with Canada in order to accelerate economic transformation in the country.

Speaking with State House Correspondents, Aganga noted that there is already a healthy business relations between the two countries, saying that an investment forum had been scheduled for next month in Toronto, Ontario in Canada.

“There are three things happening between Nigeria and Canada. One is the binational commission between the two countries which is going to hold and which is going to be chaired at the Vice President’s level with the ministers who will look at it and implement it” “The second big thing happening between Nigeria and

Canada is the investment forum which is going to take place between 2nd and 4th of May, 2013.

The preparations and the business relationship between the two countries are going on extremely well”’ Aganga said.

According to him, the Canadian government and private sector have already shown a lot of interest in doing business in the country while about 60 to 70 Nigerian companies have also expressed willingness to participate in the business forum in Canada” The Minister disclosed that a number of state governments in the country have also shown interest in participating in the Forum which would also discuss the revolution in Agriculture sector as well as related areas including petrol chemicals.

“There are a number of areas we are focusing on. You know Canada is strong in the area of mining, it is a a major area.

Power, especially in the area of hydropower is also a major area. Health and education are

also important. People forget that when you are talking about investment, you also have to invest heavily in human capacity management” Aganga also disclosed that the country already have a strong relationship with Canada in the area of aviation, saying that the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah would also attend the forum “Nollywood is also a major area, our film industry. You know Canada has a great film industry. They have requested that we come with some of the Nollywood stars and we are going to do that and hopefully sign some MOUs before we come back” “For all these to happen you need what we call investment promotion and protection agreement (IPPA) but with the Canadian government, we have a different agreement call VIPA we have negotiated that and they are coming here around 15th to 20th of this month to finalize the negotiations that will provide the legal basis for most of what we did in terms of investment promotions”’ Aganga said.

n a bid to curtail the nefarious activities of illegal miners in the country, the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has purchased and distributed six surveillance vehicles to enhance the monitoring activities of mines officers at the mines sites across the country.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada who commissioned the six surveillance vehicles yesterday said that the landrover vehicles which were purchased at the rate of 8.5 million naira each can access mines sites which other vehicles cannot get into.

Sada said, “The purpose of the vehicles was the fact that they were the standard mining vehi-

cles anywhere in the world, and there was the need to have one in each state of the federation to ensure proper monitoring”.

He noted that one of the problems hindering the regulatory operation in the minerals and metals sector was the inability of mines officers to get into the far and remote areas where illegal mining operations are prevalent, adding that “if we are able to get any fund intervention from the government, we will be able to buy a large number of vehicles so that every state of the federation can have one”.

While fielding questions from newsmen, the minister assured that proper maintenance of the vehicles had already been put in place with the maintenance agreement reached with the company that supplied those vehicles.

Sifax invests over N20bn in SAHCOL in three years OLUSEGUN KOIKI

T

he Sifax Group, the parent company of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited, SAHCOL, said it has invested over N20bn in ground handling equipment since the acquisition of the company over three years ago.

A Board Member of the company, Mr. Kayode Filani disclosed this yesterday during the unveiling of new ground handling equipment for SAHCOL. According to Filani, with the acquisition of the equipment, Sifax was determined to take ground handling in the country’s aviation sector to the next level.

Some of the equipment showcased to the media and some stakeholders in the sector yester-

day at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, MMA, Lagos are Commanders 15i JBT Loader, 40i JBT Loader and 30i JBT Loader, which performed different ground handling functions on aircraft ranging from narrow to wide body aircraft.

Filani said that the equipment acquired was the latest of such in the sub-region, stressing that the company would not rest on its oars until ground handling sub-sector in the country was at par with other developed aviation countries in the world.

Also speaking at the event, the Managing Director, SAHCOL, Mr. Oluropo Owolabi said that the purpose of the new ground handling equipment was to provide more efficient services to its numerous clients scattered all over the airports in the country.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

33

34

Business Finance

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

FG ends ‘hostility’ against Nigerian traders in Ghana STANLEY IHEDIGBO

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he Federal Government has succeeded in ending reported hostilities against Nigerian traders in Ghana as it secures a reversal of the Ghanaian government’s closure of over 40 shops belonging to Nigerian traders.

The shops were closed on February 6, 2013 for alleged violation of Ghana’s laws on trading by foreigners.

The agreement to reopen the shops was reached at a meeting between the Ghanaian Minister of Trade and Industry, Haruna Idrissu, and the Nigerian delegation to Ghana, led by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment Dr. Samuel Ortom.

According to a statement from the ministry yesterday, the decision of the Federal Government to send a delegation to Ghana to tackle the difficulties being faced

by the Nigerian traders was to further reaffirm its commitment to the welfare of Nigerians at home and abroad.

The Ghanaian trade minister pointed out some issues of violation of mutual agreement, which the Nigerian government promised to look into, stating however that he was happy with Nigeria’s way of handling the issue.

According to reports by traders, the shops, belonging to Nigerian traders in the Okaishie Market area in the Central Business District, Accra, were closed in February by Ghanaian authorities and traders ordered to vacate the place without any alternative.

A notice signed by the Ghanaian authorities and pasted on the shops, titled, “NON GHANAIANS ENGAGED IN TRADING IN MARKET PLACES read, “It has come to the notice of the taskforce that you are engaged in trading activities in the market place.

Your activities contravene section

18 of GPIC Law 1194 (Act 478).

“Please take notice that your continuous operations from the market will no more be countenanced and that your shop has been permanently closed from today. In case you have any difficulties related to the actions of the task force, please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.”

The decision of the Ghanaian authorities was, however, reversed following the intervention of the Nigerian Government, led by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Speaking during the inauguration of the National Organising Committee for the 7th ECOWAS Trade Fair holding in Accra from October 24 to November 4, in Abuja recently, Ortom had assured stakeholders that his ministry would work with its foreign affairs counterpart towards ending the harassment of Nigerian traders in Ghana.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

AGF tasks ICAN, ANAN on resources mgt TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

T

he Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Jonah Otunla, has advised the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN and the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, ANAN, to synergise their professional capacities in order to ensure a more efficient management of the nation’s resources.

Otunla, who was quoted as giving the advice in a statement by the Deptuy Director, Press in the Office, Charles Nwodo, when he received a delegation of the ANAN led by its President, Hadjia Ladi Ibrahim, in his office yesterday in Abuja, noted further that areas that may be a source of conflict between the two bodies should

IFC, IBM to boost local businesses with SME Toolkit project ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

T

L-R: Director Marine Environment Management Department representing the Director-General, NIMASA, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, Mrs. Juliana Gunwa (2nd left) and others at the 7th public lecture and award ceremony of the TSSI Magazine.

Environmental compliance: FG threatens to sanction erring firms OLUFEMI ADEOSUN

T

he Federal Government yesterday threatened sanction organisations and various other business concerns that fail to adhere to the recommendations of their consultants on environmental compliance.

The Director General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Dr. Ngeri Benebo made the disclosure in Abuja during a workshop organised for accredited consultants of the agency.

Benebo who stated that the agency would no longer take it lightly with any bid from unscrupulous manufacturers to despoil the environment, noted that the agency would

not deter to blacklist erring accredited consultants.

She said, “We are looking at sanctioning erring facilities because some of the consultants have also complained to us because when they consult for facilities, they tell them what to do but they complain that they don’t have money.

“And they make money so we cannot allow degradation on our environment to continue. When we start sanctioning the facilities, they will take the consultants serious.”

She also added that it was imperative for the agency to promote its mandate for the benefit of the public.

Commenting on poor environmental audit, the NESREA boss charged the consultants to always check their reports against inaccurate information, outdated references

among other irregularities.

“We will not hesitate to blacklist any erring consultants who fail to live up to expectations.

When such environmental audit reports are faulty with a lot misinformation, the agency is placed in a difficult situation to make some informed decisions,” she said.

However, Benebo urged the consultants to undertake environmental reviews and audits that are sufficient to meet the agency’s environmental legal standard and ensure proper supervision of their staff to avoid misrepresentation and misinformation of data.

Describing the workshop as timely, Chairman, Mata Company Nigeria Limited, Dr. Nege Wuave said it would enable them perform their obligation to expectations.

be identified and given a lasting solution. Earlier in her speech, the ANAN President commended the Accountant General for constantly training the accountants, stating that this will expose them to contemporary accounting procedures and practices.

Hadjia Ladi also used the forum to advise her members to be ICT compliance, as that would facilitate the acquisition of knowledge for the execution of their statutory responsibilities effectively.

While advocating that World Bank should fund ANAN for improved capacity building for her members, she also believed that collaboration between her association and ICAN would help in tackling the menace of financial related crimes in the country.

he Enterprise Development Center of the PanAfrican University, the International Finance Corporation and IBM has pledged to increase support activities in other to serve more entrepreneurs in the country.

While marking the tenth anniversary of SME Toolkit with a Global Partner Conference in Lagos yesterday, representatives of local entrepreneurs who attended the local SME Toolkit projects from around were assured that the SME Toolkit projects would be expanded to serve more entrepreneurs.

The conference, which kick-off yesterday and ends on Thursday, is an innovative

project brought through partnership between IFC, IBM and supported globally by the Netherlands, Catalonia and Japan.

With plan to leverage on the latest information and communication technologies to help entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises in emerging markets learn and implement sustainable business management practices and increase their productivity, capacity, and access to finance and new markets.

Through a network of global partners and local distribution partners, the Toolkit provides entrepreneurs and SME managers with online and mobile phone access to key business management information, interactive tools, and educational resources free of charge.

Gombe commissioner decries huge importation of fish DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

N

igeria’s annual importation of frozen fish for domestic consumption which is worth over N50bn has been described as unhealthy for the economy of the country.

The Gombe State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Dahiru Buba Biri who said this decried Nigeria’s over dependence on foreign aquatic food despite the abundant aquatic potential of the country.

The Commissioner, who stated this through his Director of Administration at the opening ceremony of a training workshop on Aquaculture organised by the gender and youth desk of the Federal Min-

istry of Agriculture explained that this has drawn the attention of the present administration.

According to him, statistics have also shown that the total fish demand in the country stands at about 2.66 million metric tones per annum while current domestic fish production is put at about 600, 000 metric tons.

He noted that the Federal Government has realized that the way forward was to ensure that the immense potentials in Aquaculture in addition to marine coastal offshore fisheries were adequately exploited as Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food production sub-sectors in the world for about two decades now.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

35

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Energy Week How delay in handing over of GENCOs, DISCOs will affect power sector

udemea@rocketmail.com 07031546994

Investors that bidded for the nation’s power firms may not be in a position to take over in May as earlier expected because of new issues. UDEME AKPAN that has been watching developments reports the issues and implications.

Afam power plant

L

ocal and foreign investors who emerged as preferred bidders for the nation’s Electricity Generation Companies (GENCOs) and Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) were excited that they would take over the ownership and management of the 15 successor companies of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN next month for some reasons.

First, the Chairman, Technical Committee of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), Mr. Atedo Peterside stated at the announcement of winners that the firms would be handed over to investors within six months. As he puts it: “Within six months after signing of the Sale and Purchase Agreement or the Shareholders’ Agreement, whichever is earlier or mutually agreed upon time, the Bidder will be required to pay the outstanding seventy five per cent of the share purchase price to complete the transaction. Upon receipt of payment, the Preferred Bidder’s Bank Guarantee will be

FROM ALL INDICATIONS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT UNDER BUDGETED FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF WORKERS. IT MAY LIKELY NEED UP TO ABOUT N600 BILLION TO DO SO returned to the bidder within a maximum of four weeks. The companies will be handed over to the successful bidders after the completion of payment and the handover of the successor company will conclude the transaction.”

Second, many stakeholders, including the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), that has the responsibility to implement the nation’s policy on privatisation and commercialisation, prepares public enterprises approved for privatisation and commercialisation, ensures the update of accounts of all commercialized enterprises for financial discipline seemed committed to the privatisation. This and other factors were expected to culminate in the early conclusion of the process.

But this may not be anymore. As exclusively reported by National Mirror, the Technical Committee, established to work out the details for the payment of workers’ severance benefits has discovered some irregularities in data supplied by the PHCN. These, including staff numbers, age, years of employment among others have compelled the committee to return the documents to offices of the PHCN in different parts of the nation for revalidation.

Investigations showed that the revalidation may take a long time, particularly as affected staff must be contacted to provide authentic information which is to be collated and resubmitted to the Technical Committee. On completion of work, the Techni-

cal Committee is expected to hand over to an Implantation Committee that has the responsibility to execute its recommendations.

More than that, the settlement of workers benefits may require much more than the N384 billion which government budgeted for it. As a source in the Committee stated that: “From all indications, the Federal Government under budgeted for the settlement of workers. It may likely need up to about N600 billion to do so.”

This means that government would need to go through the National Assembly to get a supplementary budget approved for the transaction, a development expected to take a much longer time than previously envisaged at the beginning of the privatisation process. However, this has serious implications for many stakeholders, especially financiers, investors, the power sector and the economy of the nation.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 36

36

Energy Week

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

How delay in handing over of GENCOs, DISCOs will affect power sector CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 First, the delay may affect financiers who made different calculations and projections before deciding to finance many transactions. It may also affect targets and planning of the private investors. These include 4Power Consortium that bided for Port-Harcourt Distribution Company; Interstate Electrics Limited that bided for Enugu Distribution Company, North-South Power Company which bided for Shiroro Power Plc. They included Amperion Power Company Limited, the preferred bidder for Geregu Power Plc, Integrated Energy Distribution & Marketing Company, which bided for Ibadan and Yola Discos respectively; NEDC/KEPCO, the preferred bidder for Ikeja Distribution Company and West Power & Gas, the preferred bidder for Eko Distribution Company.

Others are: Vigeo Consortium, the preferred bidder for Benin Distribution Company, Transcorp/Woodrock Consortium that bided for Ughelli Power Plc; CMEC/ EUAFRIC Energy JV which bided for Sapele Power Plc, Kann Consortium that bided for Abuja Distribution Company, Aura Energy which bided for Jos Distribution Company; Mainstream Energy Ltd which bided for Kainji Power Plc and Sahelian Power SPV that bided for Kano Distribution Company.

It is not only the financiers and investors that may be affected. The power sector may be worst hit because government did not make budgetary provisions for the GENCOs and DISCOs in the 2012 budget.

This action was probably based on the expectation that the privatisation process would be concluded early so as to pave way for large inflow of private funds. Already, authoritative PHCN report showed that the nation’s power generation has stagnated at over 4,000 megawatts (mw), meaning that it may not be possible to accomplish set targets on time. The government had envisaged to realise 7,175mw by 2013, 9,395 mw

by December 2014 and 38,006 mw in 2020.

The report also showed that the operations of both the GENCOs and DISCOs are threatened by some challenges, including damaged components that need replacement, major rehabilitation as well as materials such as transformers, meters and cables. These and other factors affect generation, transmission and distribution of stable electricity to consumers in different parts of the nation.

The nation has also witnessed several system collapses in recent times. For in-

Jonathan

stance, last month a major incident which a source attributed to “grid system disturbance” caused all parts of the nation to experience darkness for a few days. He stated that: The blackout was a function of grid system disturbance, which the engineers have stepped in to address. Very soon, improved electricity will be experienced in different parts of the nation.”

The blackout affected many activities, including proceedings at the National Assembly. The House of Representatives was compelled to suspend discussions following intermittent power outage at the chamber during plenary. The Speaker of the House, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, who presided over the session, was forced to call for an adjournment after the chamber experienced darkness several times.

This was not the first time. Authoritative report of the PHCN graphically showed that system collapse has become too frequent in the nation’s power sector.

For instance, the report has it that there were about 14 cases in the first half of 2012 as a result of many reasons, including accidents, lack of gas and vandalism.

The President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration believes these and other incidents would be solved once private investors take over the ownership and management of the affected firms.

Meanwhile, many consumers have been affected. A source in the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, who preferred not to be named, stated that the cost of private electricity generation was

Nebo

Hussein

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT WAIT FOR THE SECTOR TO COLLAPSE BEFORE IT INTERVENES.

THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING, IT MAY TAKE LONG TO RESOLVE ISSUES WITH LABOUR AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS fast becoming unbearable for manufacturers. He said: “It is not easy to operate in the sector because of many challenges, especially high cost of running our generators.

The high cost of operations when added to prices, makes our products uncompetitive in the market.”

The Chairman of the House Committee on Power, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale who confirmed the poor state of the firms stated in a telephone interview that: “We have gone around to ascertain the situation of things in the companies as part of our oversight functions. Consequently, we can confirm that the state of the firms have gone from good to bad in the past few months because no provisions were made for them this year.”

Ikhariale stated that: “There is no way we can sustain operations in such a technologically driven and capital intensive

Group promotes investment in power sector

A

group has started to promote investment in the nation’s power sector because of high demand for electricity in the country.

The Oxford Business Group that is championing the campaign stated that: “As evidenced by the constant hum of diesel generators across the country, electricity in Nigeria is a big issue, with low generating capacity having long hampered growth. However, sizable progress has been made over the past month to reverse this trend, with reforms of the power sector underway and efforts to almost double electricity production by the end of 2013 boding well for consumers.

The group stated that nonetheless, the suc-

cess of these efforts will depend on whether operators of the newly privatised generation and distribution companies are able to move quickly enough to make the necessary investments to upgrade the industry’s frayed infrastructure.

It stated that: “In late February, the final contracts for the privatisation of most of Nigeria’s generation and distribution capacity, formerly operated by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), were signed in Abuja. The former state monopoly has been broken up into a series of smaller companies, of which 15 – five generation and 10 distribution firms – have passed into the private sector, with a further two yet to at-

tract a satisfactory bidder.

The group maintained that the privatisation process has been the cornerstone of government’s efforts to reform the power sector and to increase investment and efficiency.

It stated that in early 2013, the government announced it was looking to boost generation capacity to 10,000 mw by the end of the year, up from the 6442 mw of nominal capacity as of 2012.

The group remarked that: “If the government and private operators are to achieve their year-end goal, further investment will be needed to install the necessary infrastructure.”

sector without funds for several months.

The power sector is very strategic to the nation which should be funded the firms were in bad conditions called for the provision of funds to maintain major facilities required to sustain operations, and by extension electricity supply to consumers nationwide.”

He stated that: “The government should not wait for the sector to collapse before it intervenes. The way things are going, it may take long to resolve issues with labour and other stakeholders.

There is therefore a great need to make a supplementary budget for the sector in 2013. It does not seem right to deprive the sector of adequate funding because the firms are scheduled for privatisation.”

The National President of the Oil and Gas Service Providers Association of Nigeria (OGSPAN), Mr. Colman Obasi tasked stakeholders, especially labour and government to expedite work so that the benefits can be paid to workers as soon as possible. He also called on the government to consider the different arguments that stakeholders have put forward to tackling issues in the sector.

Despite the challenges, many experts still feel that privatisation remains one of the best options for solving the nation’s epileptic power situation. For instance, the United States, Dr. Cale Case stated in a paper made available to National Mirror that: “Great optimism is placed on the potential for new private investment to alleviate the shortage of electricity in the nation. He also called on the government to tackle the various challenges which investors and others encounter in the sector.

However, many stakeholders are watching to see how events would play out in the coming weeks. The Executive director of Spaces for Change, Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri whose organisation is committed to infusing human rights into social and economic governance processes in Nigeria through research, policy analysis, advocacy, youth engagement, public interest litigation and community action stated that time would surely tell what the future holds for investors in Nigeria, unarguably the biggest single market in Africa.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Energy Week

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

37

OPEC daily basket price stands at $104.21 a barrel UDEME AKPAN

WITH AGENCY REPORT

T

he price of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) basket of 12 crudes has dropped from $104.21 to $103.10 per barrel over the weekend, 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).

Despite the fall, the prices are still in excess of the projections of many OPEC member states, including Nigeria that based its 2013 budget on $79 per barrel, meaning that they would be able to generate adequate foreign exchange for the execution of their projects and programmes.

However, there was a slight rise in the price of Brent at the market. Reuters stated that: “Brent crude rose above $105 per barrel on Monday as plans to stimulate Japan’s economy lifted stock markets, but the oil benchmark remained near an eightmonth low on worries over global economic growth and fuel demand.

It stated that deepening recession in parts of Europe, tepid expansion in the United States and slower-thanexpected growth in emerging economies have all curbed oil consumption this year, helping fill oil inventories and keeping a lid on prices.

Brent futures for May rose $1.23 per barrel to a high of $105.35 on Monday, before easing back to trade around $105.10 by 1040 GMT. U.S. light crude oil was up 75 cents at $93.45 after logging its biggest weekly loss in more than six months.

Brent hit an eight-month low of

T

he Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), El-Badri, has challenged investors to invest huge resources in energy development in order to meet growing demand in the world. 14th International Oil Summit, Paris, France.

Addressing stakeholders at France last week, he said the investment was based on the fact that world population is expected to reach around 9 billion by 2040, an increase of over 1.8 billion from this level.

El-Badri said: “The global economy will rebound in the longer term. Of course, I cannot stand here and say the current economic outlook is rosy, but

El-Badri

OIL HAS MORE RISKS

ic data from China that will throw light on the pace of recovery in the world’s second-biggest oil consumer and its monetary policy.

While an intense burst of monetary stimulus from the Bank of Japan will help support oil, weak data from top consumer the United States will keep gains in check.

American employers hired at the weakest pace in nine months in March, adding 88,000 jobs in March compared with expectations of 200,000, data showed on Friday, stoking worries about the health of the world’s largest economy.

Support may emerge in coming weeks from China’s economic growth data for the quarter ended March 31, which may show continuing evidence of a moderate recovery, with growth expected at 8 percent from 7.9 percent in the last quarter of 2012.

Industrial output growth is also expected to be steady while inflation may have slowed in March, increasing the likelihood that the central bank will continue to maintain a benign monetary policy, economists said.

TO THE DOWNSIDE AS LONG AS THE OUTLOOK FOR GLOBAL DEMAND

REMAINS PESSIMISTIC,”

CARSTEN FRITSCH,

SAID

SENIOR OIL ANALYST AT

COMMERZBANK IN FRANKFURT

$103.62 per barrel on Friday after disappointing U.S. jobs data and traders said the downtrend could resume again once the market had consolidated.

“Oil has more risks to the downside as long as the outlook for global demand remains pessimistic,” said Carsten Fritsch, senior oil analyst at Commerzbank in Frankfurt.

“This looks like a slight rally after the recent drop. There is little scope for a major price recovery.”

Oil prices are expected to trade in a tight range this week ahead of a spate of econom-

Investors should put money in energy resources –El-Badri we should be optimistic about the future.

The secretary general said passenger car ownership rates are expected to more than double by 2035, from around 900 million today to close 1.8 billion by 2035.

He also stated that with around three billion people living on less than two dollars 50 cents per day, 1.4 billion people having no access to electricity and some 2.7 billion relying on biomass for their basic needs, there is huge potential for socio-economic development.

Consequently, he stated that the world energy demand is set to grow. In OPEC’s most recent World Oil Outlook, world energy demand in 2035 increases by 54 per cent over

the period 2010-to-2035.

He stated that renewables, mainly wind, solar, small hydro and geothermal, are expected to grow at around 8 per cent per year, often as a result of government support and incentives. Renewables certainly hold promise, but globally its share in the energy mix will be at 3.5 per cent by 2035, given its low initial base.

Remarked that: “Biofuels are expected to expand their role - supported by direct and indirect government subsidies - but not at levels once assumed. For first-generation biofuels, there remain serious concerns over the competition between food and fuel,

Commodity

Units

Price

Change

% Change

Time(ET)

Crude Oil (WTI)

USD/bbl.

95.58

+0.77

+0.81%

08:26:50

Crude Oil (Brent)

USD/bbl.

108.26

+0.13

+0.12%

08:26:24

TOCOM Crude Oil

JPY/kl

61,280.00

+180.00

+0.39%

08:28:44

NYMEX Natural Gas

USD/MMBtu

3.87

+0.02

+0.23%

08:26:11

Source: Bloomberg

Source: Oilprice.com

as well as due to impacts on biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions and water resources.

He stated that last year the European Union a 5 per cent cap was placed on the amount of biofuels in the EU’s 2020 transport mix over concerns about using foodbased crops for fuel.

The secretary general stated that second and third generation biofuels can overcome some of these concerns, but they are still far from being available for commercial use.

He stated that: “For nuclear, there remain challenges such as high upfront costs, longlead times, operational safety, decommissioning, waste management and public acceptance. Despite these, nuclear is expected to see some expansion, although its overall share drops slightly to six per cent by 2035.

El-badri stated that: “In terms of fossil fuels, they currently account for 87 per cent of global energy demand and will still make up 82 per cent by 2035. Of all fossil fuels, natural gas is expected to witness the fastest growth rate, at close to 2.5 per cent annually.

38

Energy Week

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Solid mineral licence processing takes only 45 days –Sada The minister of Mines and Steel Development, Musa Mohammed Sada spoke to a cross section of journalists when a delegation of World Bank team visited to discuss issues bordering on the proposed preparation of externally financed output project for a strategic roadmap for mining sector development in Nigeria. CHIDI UGWU, was there. Excerpts: What is the significance of the second phase of World Bank fiscal regime to your ministry?

What makes the fiscal regime necessary are the achievements so far recorded. For it be useful, we must get our acts together in the area of inspectorate because the revenue that we get are mainly from the inspectorate activities. This is because you have to determine what the people are doing and be able to charge them for the resources that they are able to extract.

So, the inspectorate is one important area that we want to take seriously.

Another issue that must be taken seriously is acquisition of high level geoscience data because it is reliable information that the investors appreciate and invest their money. Let me say that the inspectorate includes the elimination of all illegalities that are going on, so that people will pay their dues in line with fiscal regime. In terms of institutional and regulatory framework, we have all that we required to be able to work in line with the provisions of the law. This is the institutional provisions that we needed to be able perform our oversight activities of the sector. We are indeed grateful to the World Bank that supported us.

Can you clarify various misconceptions people have made on the management of the Mining Intervention Fund?

I met the Intervention Fund at the end of the programme as a minister. The idea of the World Bank was to ensure that small scale miners are assisted by way of intervention, not with money but with equipment and sometimes with facilities in mine site locations.

The processing, procedures and other issues had to be approved by the World Bank before you get a single kobo from the fund. My findings from what I met on the ground when I came in was that, there were groups of people that felt that the hole bulk of the money should be given to them to administer. The World Bank did not like that. So, I learnt that people started putting together some few names and submitting them for the purpose. At the end, the World Bank realised that these people were not doing any mining in the mining sector.

The people who initiated it became bitter.

Sometimes people get angry because they are stopped from doing the wrong thing.

This is what happened. I believe there were certain wishes that were not met which led to the alleged misinterpretations.

But the projects that have been completed

and you think the cow will stand.

This is what happened in the past. But we are working to revive coal. In other words, we have a coal to power programme.

I have signed a letter to Ministry of Power because we need to work together. We also need private companies that can come forward to let us know how much they can produce if they are allocated some coal locations. The President has already granted approval. We are also planning to visit coal to power plants in India to witness how they operate. They want us to see, because we insisted we want to see their plants.

Besides Coal Corporation, we have carried out further studies to locate other locations where we have coal in the country.

As I speak, we have a full fledged coal mine in Kogi State. Currently, it is supplying coal to most of the cement companies. That is what they use now to generate their power.

We also have a full fledged coal mine in Gombe State.

Sada

WE ARE ALSO PLANNING TO VISIT COAL TO POWER PLANTS IN INDIA TO WITNESS HOW THEY

OPERATE.

THEY WANT

US TO SEE, BECAUSE WE INSISTED WE WANT TO SEE THEIR PLANTS by sustainable management of mineral resources projects have been adjudged the best, the World Bank has ever done.

So, if you have some of those things that people said happened during that time you cannot get this judgment. This is why the World Bank went and solicited from other development partners to come and help us to continue because we were unable to get the phase two to take off. Specifically, they went and talked to Canadians, Australians, British, DFID to come and support the project. They also led us know that they are already pledges which would not be administered by us. It will be administered by the World Bank in the way the previous projects were done.

From all indications, the previous projects were successful. So, nobody gave any fund to anybody. The money is with the World Bank. They only pay bills.

For instance, if you are doing quarry operations, they can give you a compressor, or a Tipper. That is the kind of support to expect. It is not money; there are people that have certain wishes that were not satisfied. This is my personal findings from the records that I met on the ground.

I came in almost at the end of the projects. But one of the efforts that I made sure that I put in place was some elements of continuity because I realised that if we allowed the project to completely close, then, we will have lots of problems. That is why we were able to appeal to President

Goodluck Jonathan to approve the Solid Minerals Development Fund that will now take over of the activities that the World Bank. This was important because the former office was closed. So, these are the issues.

I think it is complete misunderstanding from people. No money was shared, no money disbursed, but you know, sometimes everybody has idea of how things should be done. If it is not done their way, they will not be happy. But, my opinion is that this sector has enough for everybody. We need to put heads together.

Everybody is in the bush trying to scrap a living out of the sector. You cannot sit in Abuja and expect success. Everybody should contribute to ensure we do whatsoever needs to be done. We have advised that people should go and form cooperative groups and acquire licenses in order to do the right way. We have made acquisition of mineral licenses so easily that anybody who is interested can get them within 45 days.

There was a time coal was a major revenue earner for the nation. What efforts have been made to revive the sector?

I personally believe that there were some mistakes in the privatisation process of the Coal Corporation. I thought one of the most important things to be done is to come up with a procedure to ensure that privatized government institutions work better. At present, emphasis seems to be on selling the assets, without minding where they go from there. I have in the mining corporation a colliery where coal is being processed to make ‘brickets’ to avoid deforestation. When it was privatised, do you know what happened? The person that bought it dismantled it, repackaged it and took it out of the country. I was not there as a minister but these are some of the findings I got. So you cannot continue to develop while at a point in time just like you said, you meet a cash cow and you start cutting off the legs and doing pepper soup,

What has become of the Enugu coal mine?

There is a problem in Enugu coal mine.

When you leave a mine that is underground even the one that is open cast, it gets flooded. It should be noted that some of these coals have sulphur. If you can recall your basic chemistry, sulphur and water and some gasses that come out of methane can form corrosive acid. So, to even go in and clean and make it workable is very expensive. This is why we said instead of running around, let us go into coal to power programme.

We are not going to deal with anybody that is just interested in coal. We are dealing with anybody who is interested in producing power from coal. Currently, we have quite a number of companies that are interested. What we are trying to do is to complete our comprehensive data on all coal locations in the nation. Already, the company I told you about has taken up one; because they will complete the studies themselves. They will pay us for the coal license that we are giving them and they will continue. And from the day we signed the contract with them because we have to now come up with a contract whereby they will do the mining, produce the power and government will buy off the power from them. So, these are the two contracts we signed: mining contract and power production contract.

From the day we signed those contracts in 30 months, they will start producing power from coal. This is the MoU, because MoU is suppose to establish boundaries for us to do the contract. And currently, we are studying other submissions too.

And we hope we will be able to build that into something. Our responsibility even in the Vision 2020 and Transformation Agenda is for us to make coal available as fuel. This is because the nation has commercial reserves of coal that can be exploited for various applications. In fact, the people doing the mining are slowing down because the consumption rate of coal is not as much as the production rate.

Like I said, we are not saying in 2013 or 2014 everything will be grand. No! But, we want the graph to keep rising. We will get there.

If we rush through, we may make mistake.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SINA FADARE

A

gainst the backdrop of neglect of environmental impact of oil spillage in the Niger Delta area of the country, environmentalists have canvassed for a National Environmental Tribunal to resolve all environmental justice cases in the country.

Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria, (ERA/FoEN), Dr Godwin Ojo who disclosed this yesterday at an interactive session with journalists lamented that ecological debt from environmental destruction is piling up and it is time for the agents and corporations to pay up.

Ojo, while speaking on “Reflections on the role of civil society groups on social and environmental justice and struggles” noted that, “The crime scene of environmental despoliation is intensifying throughout the Niger Delta in Ikot Ada Odo, Bodo, Goi, Ikarama, Kalaba, Iwhereka, Oruma, Kwale, Urokhousa, Ilaje, and a host of other oil-bearing communities.

It is sending victims to their untimely graves as impunity is left unchecked”.

The environmentalist regretted that, “Till date, there are over 4,000 oil spills in the Niger Delta and not one has been adequately cleaned up, making the region suffer from oil spills that equals one Valdez oil spill annually” He, therefore, urged the State to recognise the Niger Delta as an ecologically devastated environ-

Energy Week

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Let oil thieves face trial –ERA/FoEN

THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS EQUALLY REJECTED THE OIL COMPANIES’ CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) THAT IS SUBJECT TO MANIPULATION AND ABUSE ment and to as a matter of urgency declare a state of environmental emergency for restoration and compensation. So far, militarization strategies through military Joint Task Forces (JTF) have proved a fiasco time and again.

ERA/FoEN also queried the Federal Government’s amnesty programme that is not holistic but tokenistic, and failing to ad-

dress the root causes of the oil resource conflict, adding that it has also failed to account for those other peaceful aggrieved agitators like the Ogonis “Oil is drilled under military shield and much stolen under their watchful eyes. The refusal by oil companies and State acquiescing to resist metering at the flow stations sounded like fiction. Only crude pumped at the

export terminal is recorded as produced rather than from the oil wells. This mockery is simply unacceptable”, It asserted.

The environmentalists equally rejected the oil companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility, (CSR) that is subject to manipulation and abuse, adding that “Until environmental health is restored, we call for the immediate suspension of all forms of oil companies’ corporate social responsibility that is weakening and dividing the people than providing any net material benefits. Oil companies should stop forthwith the substituting of CSR schemes for environmental remediation and compensation”.

World Bank reiterates commitment to mining sector CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

T

he World Bank has reiterated its commitment to the development of the Nigeria’s mining industry offering special contributions in relevant areas aimed at fast tracking growth in the sector.

A World Bank delegation led by the outgoing Senior Mining Specialist in Nigeria, Mrs. Ekaterina Mikhalova, during a visit to the ministry of mines and steel recently said it was ready to renew its commitment to the development of the country’s mining sector.

Speaking at the occasion, Mikhalova assured that World Bank would finalise design of the two donor projects in the sector as well as prioritise its contribution to special analyses earlier requested by the ministry of National Planning Commission among other things.

According to Mikhalova, signatures were set to be finalised for support which will enable World Bank provide the sector with assistance in the next couple of years, adding that

Total, others identify with 1st Egi fair

T

Illegal refiners

Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) had last week also confirmed the projects.

“The World Bank’s Senior Mining Specialist, Ekaterina Mikhalova, the objective of the visit is to finalise design of the two extra donor projects earlier discussed. We are about to finalise the signatures for support from World Bank, this will enable us provide the sector with assistance in the next couple of years.

PDAC confirmed last week that they have confirmed the project also. So, instead of one, we have now two small projects to provide you with immediate assistance in the next couple of years. Which again I think the time is perfect as it comes at the time of the creation of the solid minerals development fund.

The priority would be the contribution to the special analyses as was requested by the National Planning Commission which is the analyses of minerals, agriculture and infrastructure and how it all can be put use for growth purposes. We believe that this is something that

is very big and good contribution for the strategic objectives of the government.

The second major activity would be on artisanal and small scale mining, we shall work hand in hand with relevant agencies to see how that could generate employment and minimise illegal mining and improve efficiency and management.

The third area which we were very happy to discuss on

Coal

Wednesday with colleague from Finance ministry and Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) is the fiscal regime for mining” she stated.

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Musa Mohammed Sada, while thanking the World Bank for its contribution towards the growth of the minerals sector in the country noted that such collaboration would guide the activities of the sector in the position direction.

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otal Exploration and Production (E&P) Upstream Limited has said it is pleased with the contribution of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, PHCCIMA, the SME-Development Network and other key stakeholders that have so far been involved in the planning and organization of what will be the very first annual Egi City Trade and Investment Fair.

Mr. Nicolas Brunet, Deputy Managing Director of the company made this declaration during a ceremony to mark the official unveiling of the first Egi City Trade and Investment Fair held at the Council hall of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce last Friday 5th April, 2013.

Ably represented by, Mr Peter Egbinova, Executive General Manager Total E&P Port Harcourt district, he said Total will continue to support the Egi City Trade and Investment Fair as part of its Small Business Initiative (SBI) in its attempt to support RSSDAs effort to establish the Rivers North Growth Pole; a strategy aimed at transforming Egi into an economic hub with the intention of spreading its economic prosperity to other neighbouring communities in ONELGA, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Abua Odual LGAs. According to him, the Egi City SME Trade and Investment Fair is the first of its kind in the whole of ONELGA and the objective of the Fair is not only to provide entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase and sell their goods and services but also to provide a platform where entrepreneurs, would-be entrepreneurs, investors and customers can exchange business ideas, establish business partnerships and relationship, begin new supply chains and link up to new market opportunities to draw more investment into Egi. He explained that the fair will help build the entrepreneurial spirit of unemployed Egi youths, many of whom are very interested in starting their own businesses even as the SME-DN Centre will provide periodic orientation workshops during the Fair for Egi youths that are interested in identifying their business niche whether it is in agriculture, manufacturing, services and trading, adding that SME-DN will also provide guidance on how those that are interested in starting a business can plan, establish, manage and grow such businesses.

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Energy Week

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oil and Jonas Savimbi: One bullet for every two years of war-mongering Ossie

Esiemokai E-mail: anthonyossie52@yahoo.com Tel: 08023021212 (SMS only)

I

n the Angolan civil war there were units such as the SADF 61 Mechanised Battalion, Combat Group 20 and the Terrible Ones – The 32 Buffalo Battalion. Its founding Commander Col. Jan Breytenbach created a fighting machine whose accomplishments on the battlefield, for the years it existed until its summary disbandment in March, 1993, were militarily unequalled on the continent. We here speak of their soldierly attributes and performances and not their politics nor the morality of apartheid’s satanic cause. Eventually, veterans of this unit were to play a major part in the assemblage of criminal mercenaries that undertook to go heist the entirety of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea in the Wonga Coup. That episode would be discussed at length later in this column.

The military engagement that finally swung the pendulum in favor of the MPLA was the horrendous battle of Cuito Cuanavale fought in the weeks between December 1987 and March 1988.

A series of ruthless take-no-prisoner battles were fought which pitted 10,000 MPLA forces, 1500 Cuban Expeditionary troops against 8500 UNITA fighting men assisted by an elite 3500 soldiers of the SADF. A total of 8040 men fell in those battles, from all sides, although the Angolan/Cuban forces took the brunt of the casualties. Although the SADF formations acquitted themselves well, they nevertheless lacked strong sustainable motive and long term benefit for any territorial conquests for their involvement.

Fighting far from home, in other peoples’ war, over who takes control of the national purse’s zip did not stoke the will or zest to continue in the belligerence. They tactically disengaged and went home.

The victories and ascendance that MPLA won did not bring home to Savimbi and even Holden Roberto that onethird shares in a cake is better than no share in the bakery, to put it banally.

He rejected a coalition agreement hammered out in Gbadolite in June 1989 and returned to the bush to continue to slug it out guerrilla style. But by so doing, he was beginning to stand in the way of

Militants

THE MILITARY ENGAGEMENT THAT FINALLY SWUNG THE PENDULUM IN FAVOR OF THE MPLA WAS THE HORRENDOUS BATTLE

OF CUITO CUANAVALE FOUGHT IN THE WEEKS BETWEEN DECEMBER

1987 AND MARCH 1988 those who won the Cold War, when ‘glasnost and perestroika’ helped overcome the way of the commissars and the Politburo. These were the ones who for more than seventy years attempted to build socialism on the ashes of industries confiscated from capitalist bourgeois who were then sent to the Gulags. These were the same ones trying ever so hard to export ‘proletarian internationalism’ to ‘the wretched of the earth’ as Franz Fannon put it; in far off lands.

When the unmitigated obstinacy of Dr. Jonas Savimbi was precariously getting in the way of doing more oil business and winning more block concessions, he had ‘to be taken out’. And he was. The rewards thereafter, were immense. Even in the days of yore, when a wildcatter staked out an oil patch to drill some oil in the wilds of Arizona, Texas or California, off he goes to the hardware store to buy himself a tripod

derrick and a high caliber shot gun with lots of ammo. Thereafter, anyone who trespasses or even had the temerity of such thought got blown away and the buzzards were happier for it. Or, how do you report a case of a man in blue denim dungarees lying face down on the hot sands of a simmering desert to the Sheriff ’s Office 330 miles away. To get there you need to drive on the tires cooking Interstate Highway75. Not to worry. When dusk comes the coyotes would finish the business the buzzards and flies started.

It is oil, in reiterating the theme of this serial, that makes wars go round. When in January 1993, Savimbi resumed his attacks against the government forces in Cabinda thereby destroying infrastructure and the pipelines flowing with milk and oil, Big Oil and the owners of Big Oil were riled. Now, ‘what the heck is going on?’ ‘Who the hell does this guy think he is by interrupting flow? It appears that this bearded, PhD holding purveyor of bush wars did not know where, if not when to stop’. At that point, Mr. Edward DeJarnette, then Head of US Liaison Office in Angola publicly reprimanded Jonas Savimbi for disturbing oil and gas production in Cabinda with his war. He threatened that the yearly $60 million that the United States Government had been paying him since President Regan would be caught off and never sees light of the day again. It is representative of the sought of incongruities inherent in African leadership of those times that Savimbi got scholarship from the Portuguese to study medicine in Lisbon;

he got into trouble subverting Portugal in Portugal; high-tailed it to the bastion of capitalism Switzerland and got a doctorate in Political Science; trained in China on revolutionary methods and art of guerrilla warfare; admired Che Guevara; hob-nobbed with the Apartheid Musungus in Pretoria (where as a black he could have needed up to five different ID cards to be able to step out of a Bantustan homeland!). In spite of and above all these, he placed himself squarely at the service of the United States in its antiCommunist agenda. There is a species of reptile common to African bushes. It is called the chameleon and ‘it is not for nothing’. Jonas did live very well off the US stipend and while on foreign trips he lived as extravagantly as an Arab potentate with all it connotes.

Now, Dr. Savimbi had some virtues but ideological integrity or vassal/client fidelity was not among them. Obduracy and dogged pursuit of self-interest were.

Eventually, given his continued intransigence and its effects on the oil fortunes of Angola, the American Government formally distanced itself from Savimbi.

President William J. Clinton was forced to issue an equivalent of a fatwah, embedded in Executive Order 12865 on September 23, 1993 to the effect that its former ally and President Regan’ favorite poster boy and his war machine UNITA, constituted a ‘continuing threat to the foreign policy objectives of the US’. Anyone interested in what constituted the grapes of obstinate wrath and the blundering consequence of unbridled my-way-orthe-highway ambition should read the concessions granted Savimbi in the Lusaka Protocol. There were still additional platitudes guaranteed by President Robert Mugabe, The Madiba – Nelson Mandela; the governments of Angola, United States, Portugal and Russia. Out of sheer exasperation the UN Security Council on August 28, 1997 imposed sanctions with resolutions 1127 and 1173. Attempts were made to sow discord into his monolithic UNITA when a breakaway faction – UNITA Renovada was sponsored and formed.

But on Friday February 22, 2002 it was all over. Savimbi was cornered in his home region by government forces led by one of his former top commanders who had defected due to the doctor’s murderous ways with his followers. His was a case of acute paranoia. Dressed in camouflage fatigues and fighting back, he got 14 bullets, nearly one bullet for every two years he prosecuted a needless civil war.

Power Ministry partners Japan on capacity building CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

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he Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA), recently organised a one-day training workshop on capacity and power management for the senior staff of Ministry of Power.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Amb Godknows Igali, expressed gratitude to the agency urging it to provide technical advice on the formulation of power development plans for the ministry.

He explained that the workshop would promote capacity and policy development for

the staff and the policies of the ministry to ensure that power sector was moved forward.

According to him, JICA’s support for the ministry will assist in reviewing the design of hydro power projects in the country.

Igali said that JICA has been providing technical advice on power development and planning for the ministry since November 2012.

He commended the organisation for reviewing the engineering design of Zungeru power plant, Mambilla Hydro power project also for its advice on Roadmap on power sector reform.

He called on the agency to assist the

ministry in identifying capacity gaps in the nation’s emerging electricity industry.

Igali also sought for the assistance of JICA on the analysis of the feasibility on new projects on generations as well as renewable and transmission.

He added that feasibility studies had been carried out in 10 states of Nigeria where it was found that minor hydro dams could be built for power development in the country.

He called for more support from JICA on areas such as renewable energy, biomass, wind, solar energy and building of small dams which he said that could ben-

efit Nigeria more.

Igali added that the northern part of the country was good for solar energy and sought for Japan’s assistance in this area.

He expressed his appreciation to the Japanese government for the good relationship existing between her and Nigeria Earlier, Mr Kyoshi Fujii the Japanese representative in Nigeria said that the training workshop was organised to assist Nigeria particularly the staff of the Ministry of Power on power technology and capacity building.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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42

Executive Discourse

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Regulators need to train stockb Malcolm Gilroy has enjoyed an extensive career in global capital markets and has held senior management positions on both the buy side and sell side of the debt and equity markets. Gilroy, who is currently the Global Head of Sales and Trading for Dunn Loren Merrifield spoke with JOHNSON OKANLAWON and DAMILOLA AJAYI on the bonds markets in Nigeria, mutual funds among others. Excerpts: What is your assessment of secondary bonds market recently introduced on the Nigerian Stock Exchange?

The secondary bond market for retail trading has commenced but I suspect most of the trading is between the primary dealers. I don’t believe a lot of retailers are actually coming into the market through the stock brokers to buy stock bonds. But the market is already trading and they trade pretty much through the same level or repose through the same level, the Over The Counter (OTC) market trading.

What about the institutional investors?

The Institutional Investors are more likely to use the OTC market because it would be cheaper for them to use the market and that is the market for the large sale. The retail market or the NSE market is largely just for the retail traders.

Why are retail traders not coming to the NSE bonds market?

It takes time, people have to get comfortable with bonds, they have to understand what they need in their portfolios but at least now they have access to the bond market users.

Do you think that that NSE bonds market is complementing the OTC bonds market?

Absolutely not. It is out to complement the OTC bonds market because any new values or volumes that you get through that market, you will find them eventually put back into the OTC bonds market.

But you have been in the country for some time now, with your assessment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, how long do you think the secondary board market will start functioning very well?

That depends a lot on how the stock market recovers? If the stock market is growing well people will go back into stocks. But if it is not running very fast, you will find them going back into bonds very quickly.

What do you think the regulators can do at this point in time to attract retail investors into the secondary bond market?

I think the regulators need to put in place some laws about the bonds market but first the regulators need to train the stockbrokers what the bonds market is all about. Then, the stockbrokers will train their clients. So first and foremost, they need to train all the stockbrokers who are not market makers because many of them do not really understand what the bond market is.

What is your take on the remark by some stakeholders that the Federal Government and the regulators are not encouraging issuance of the corporate bonds in the market? For instance, some people complaint that the transaction charges are higher?

Well, I don’t think that is the problem now at the corporate bonds market. The problem at the corporate bonds market is that the interest rate is too high so that when you have a spread between the Federal Government bond and corporate bond and creditor, then the rate are too high for corporate issues in the market. Now that the interest rate has come down, I think now people have developed interest in corporate bonds market. However, I also think the corporate bond market is not really a place for retailer investors. The corporate bond market is somewhere the institutional investor should come first. When the retail investors understands the government market and they are comfortable trading government bonds, then after they can start looking for corporate bonds.

THE INSTITUTIONAL

INVESTORS ARE MORE LIKELY TO USE THE OTC MARKET BECAUSE IT WOULD BE CHEAPER FOR THEM TO USE THE MARKET AND THAT IS THE MARKET FOR THE LARGE SALE.

THE RETAIL MARKET OR THE NSE MARKET IS LARGELY JUST FOR THE RETAIL TRADERS.

But on the complaints that the NSE charges higher fee for corporate bonds than the government bonds, it’s meaningless to my mind in terms of whether the corporate is going to come to the market or not.

When I looked at the London Stock Exchange, I could see that even for new issues or listings, they don’t charge for it. Why is it different in Nigeria?

In Nigeria, we charge for everything because everybody wants to get a piece of everything, so therefore you make it very expensive for capital market operators and the fees are too high to bring any new issue be it stocks or bonds.

So what is your advice?

My advice to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the NSE is to come to the lowest price they can charge to bring new issuers to the market. However that has always been the same advice, I’ m not fully convinced that having a corporate stock listed on the NSE is going to bring a lot of investment into the corporate bonds. I don’t believe it works. I think that importantly, the bond market needs to start up with the government market first, get people used to dealing in the government bond market.

What is your take on the appointment of only one stockbroker for Federal Government bonds?

Is it how it is done in other markets?

I am not really sure. Other markets don’t trade government bond in the secondary bond market, they trade it in the OTC market.

In 2012, DLM said that it will float mutual fund in the capital market early this year. When are you coming to the market for that?

We are still working on floating mutual fund.

What is your assessment of the mutual fund currently in the market?

I think mutual funds are not very well accepted investment medium in Nigeria. I think they should be. I think where the retail people should invest their money is through mutual funds because that way they can get to distribute the diversification, distribution on expert investment knowledge. But they don’t get that and they may just invest in the wrong account and they generally do not have big enough portfolios to be able to properly structure their portfolio. So, mutual funds are very important to the market but they are generally not very well accepted in Nigeria.

Considering increase in the benchmark index of equity in the first quarter, what will you attribute it to?

Gilroy

I think that the NSE particularly has tried to adopt the regulation on the disclosure requirements of the issuing company, which has gone a long way to create more confidence in the market. I think that confidence combined with the advent of market makers has got some local investors more excited about the market.

But if you look at the market around the world, so it is not just Nigeria and it is not just the regulators because the regulators certainly have a part to play in creating the confidence in the market. It has to do a catalogues of works.

Do you think that there is a lot of improvement on the information disclosure of companies?

Yes, there is a lot of improvement in the disclosure and there would be a lot more disclosure now that we are going on to International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS). That will make a big difference in the disclosure.

Standard & Poors last year rated banks low in terms of full disclosure of their financials. Do you agree with the firm?

The banks were not into IFRS accounting, that was it. To get full disclosure, you need IFRS regulation.

About 70 per cent of pension funds are currently invested in short term securities, and financial experts say the funds should be invested in medium to long term securities. What is your take?

I don’t know if much of their portfolios are in short term securities not nearly enough in the long term bond market or equity market. The majority of the pensioners are still quite young. They are in a posi-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Executive Discourse

43

rokers on bonds market - Gilroy

I’ M NOT FULLY CONVINCED THAT HAVING A CORPORATE STOCK LISTED ON THE NSE IS GOING TO BRING A LOT OF INVESTMENT INTO THE CORPORATE BONDS. I DON’T BELIEVE IT WORKS. I THINK THAT IMPORTANTLY, THE BOND MARKET NEEDS TO START UP WITH THE GOVERNMENT MARKET FIRST, GET PEOPLE USED TO DEALING IN THE GOVERNMENT BOND MARKET. tion where they should be making much long term investments. By just investing in the short and quite high rate, as the economy grows, you find out that investments in short term rate is likely going to be worst performance of the three assets classes. The long term bond and equity would have performed.

So, they are not doing any favour to the pensioners in 20 years time. They should increase their investment in equities.

There is a notion that most quoted companies don’t have the fundamentals. What is your take?

There are 40 investible companies on the Nigerian stock exchange now. They have the fundamentals to invest in them and you can get real returns. There are other 40 behind them and they are in second tier market.

What is your projection for the equity market in the next quarter or this year?

You can’t make projection because nobody knows.

If I knew where stock exchange is going to be and I could have 20 times of my investments, I would have retired a very long time ago. I am positive about the

market and I think gains in equity segment should be higher than last year. Already we have about 30 per cent growth and I think it could finish the year higher but I can’t say it put the number that it should grow at 80 per cent or more. The market will continue to grow till 2014, 2015....

I think there should be some Initial Public Offer (IPOs) in the second quarter, which is going to increase the market capitalisation and the index will be higher.

What is your advice on dematerialisation of share certificates?

I believe that the Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS) now has a good system. It is safest place to keep your certificate and you get e-transactions for your dividends. Everybody should dematerialise their certificates because the world now is automated. Therefore, depending on a paper certificates is very is primitive and this market very inefficient because often times you don’t get dividends due to change in addresses, names among others.

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Global Business

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Bernanke says fed to press banks to curb liquidity risk

F

ederal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said the Fed plans to avert strains in the banking system by pushing financial companies to better manage liquidity risk and reduce reliance on wholesale funding.

Regulators “will continue to press banks to reduce further their dependence on wholesale funding, which proved highly unreliable during the crisis,” Bernanke said in a speech yesterday in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

“Banks of all sizes need to further strengthen their ability to identify, quantify and manage their liquidity risks.”

Fed tests of whether banks could survive a severe recession have strengthened the banking system and aided economic growth, he said in his speech. In response to audience questions, he also said that expansionary monetary policies in the world’s largest economies are “mutually constructive.”

Wielding new powers under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Fed has compelled the largest banks to retain

Bernanke

earnings and strengthen their buffers against losses. The Fed said last month that 17 of the 18 largest U.S. banks -- including JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) -- could withstand a deep recession while maintaining capital above a reg-

BOJ’s $267bn JGB buys spur record win streak

Shinzo

J

apanese government bonds are headed for the longest run of annual gains on record, buoyed by central bank purchases almost equivalent to Malaysia’s economic output.

The bonds have returned 2.1 percent

on an annualised basis in 2012, set for a ninth year of gains that’s the longest streak since at least 1986, a Bank of America Merrill Lynch index shows. Ten-year yields have declined 22 basis points to 0.76 percent. U.S. Treasuries are poised to post a third annual gain with a 2 percent return, while the benchmark rate has fallen 10 basis points.

The Bank of Japan (8301)’s JGB holdings increased 22.6 trillion yen ($267 billion) in 2012 as it sought to pump funds into a deflation-plagued economy that contracted for two quarters through September 30. With incoming Prime Minister Shinzo Abe planning a “large-scale” extra budget to bolster growth, analysts forecast the 10-year yield will rise to 0.99 percent by the end of 2013, a Bloomberg survey shows, which would still be the third lowest globally.

“Public-works spending will kick-start the economy” under an Abe administration, said Koichi Kurose, chief economist in Tokyo at Resona Bank Ltd., which oversees about $178 billion. “But the BOJ will increase asset purchases to keep a lid on borrowing costs.”

Spanish unemployment to swell as public jobs vanish

J

erez de La Frontera, a Spanish town of 214,000 in southern Andalusia, is negotiating with unions to fire 13 percent of the 2,000 government workers who absorb 80 percent of its budget. “It’s not easy because these are people and families,” said deputy mayor Antonio Saldana.

With a quarter of Spain’s workforce already jobless, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s efforts to retain investor confidence by shaving more than twothirds off the nation’s budget deficit by 2014 will worsen the highest unemployment rate in the European Union. Tenyear yields at 6.86 percent mean “we can’t finance ourselves,” Rajoy said on September 1.

“There’s going to be less hiring and

more firing for the spending cuts to be made,” said Ricardo Santos, an economist at BNP Paribas SA in London who sees unemployment climbing to 27 percent next year from 24.6 percent currently. “The more unemployment persists, the more difficult it’ll be for the government to meet budget goals and implement reforms.”

Television stations, airports, hospitals, schools, fire brigades and social services from Spain’s southernmost tip to the Balearic islands in the east are reducing headcount as Rajoy tasks regions and municipalities with shouldering 60 percent of the cuts needed to reduce the budget shortfall to 2.8 percent of gross domestic product in the next two years.

ulatory minimum.

“It is positive for the recovery that banks are also notably stronger than they were a few years ago,” he said.

“The use of supervisory stress tests -a practice now codified in statute -- has helped foster these gains.”

Bernanke, 59, has led central bank efforts to minimize the odds of another taxpayer bailout following the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The Fed chief didn’t offer detailed comments on monetary policy.

Bernanke also didn’t speak about the economic outlook, while saying “the economy is significantly stronger than it was four years ago, although conditions are clearly still far from where we would all like them to be.”

Monetary stimulus in advanced economies “is providing additional support for other countries through stronger financial markets, more exports,” he said in response to an audience question. Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda last week announced an initiative to double the monetary base in Japan to end the nation’s deflation.

When the Fed tightens policy, it will use increases in the interest rate on excess reserves as its “principal tool,” he said. He didn’t comment on the timing of any increase in interest rates, focusing largely on regulatory topics.

RBA sees scope to ease further after holding rate at 3%

A

ustralia’s central bank held its benchmark interest rate at the half-century low reached in 2009 and said it has room to cut to a record as a weak labor market contains inflation. Bond yields and the local currency fell.

“The inflation outlook, as assessed at present, would afford scope to ease policy further, should that be necessary to support demand,” Governor Glenn Stevens said in a statement yesterday in Sydney after leaving the overnight cash-rate target at 3 percent.

“Looking ahead, with the labor market softening somewhat and unemployment edging higher, conditions are working to contain pressure on labor costs.”

The nation’s currency weakened as Stevens’s statement indicated a willingness to underpin growth and repeated concern about the local dollar’s sustained strength.

The Reserve Bank of Australia chief said the economy will likely expand “a little below trend” in the coming year, a less optimistic view than the one he released two months ago.

“We expected that recent optimism around the world economy would not be sufficient to change the bank’s clear bias to further cut rates,” said Bill Evans, chief economist at Westpac Banking Corp. (WBC) in Sydney. “There was considerable encouragement in the statement for our near-term view that they will decide to cut rates by 25 basis points at the next meeting.”

Yesterday’s decision to pause was predicted by 24 of 28 economists surveyed by Bloomberg, with the rest forecasting a 0.25 percentage point cut.

Supporting his case, Stevens said demand for some durables has improved, house prices have increased and there are signs housing construction is reviving.

“On the other hand, the exchange rate remains higher than might have been ex-

pected, given the observed decline in export prices, and the demand for credit is low, as some households and firms continue to seek lower debt levels,” he said.

Australian government three-year bond yields fell nine basis points to 2.85 percent, heading for the steepest decline since September. Traders are pricing in a 55 percent chance he’ll cut rates in March, according to swaps data compiled by Bloomberg.

The so-called Aussie bought $1.0408 yesterday in Sydney compared with $1.0445 before the decision was announced.

Australia’s jobless rate probably rose to 5.5 percent in January, matching the highest since April 2010, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey ahead of the government’s monthly employment report February 7.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

45

46

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Diamond Bank posted N22bn profit in 2012 JOHNSON OKANLAWON

D

iamond Bank Plc has declared a profit of 22.1bn for the financial year ended December 31, 2012, an increase of 261 per cent from the loss of N13.9bn recorded in the same period of 2011.

The bank’s interest and similar income stood at N112.4bn in 2012, from N83.4bn recorded in the same period of 2011, while fees and commission income stood at N26.5bn, from N19.4bn in 2011.

According to the result presented to the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, total operating income rose by 149.4 per cent,

from N38.5bn recorded in 2011 to N96.03bn in 2012.

Analysis of the bank’s balance sheet showed net assets of N108.9bn in 2012, from N85.9bn recorded in 2011, while total assets stood at N1.18trn in the review period, from N796.2bn recorded in 2011.

The bank’s deposits from customers increased by 51 per cent from N603bn in 2011 to N910bn in 2012, while loans to banks rose by 54 per cent to N139.8bn in 2012, from N90.6bn recrded in 2011.

The bank had on Monday said it plans to raise as much as N120bn ($750m) to finance an increase in lending and the shareholders are expected to vote on the plan this month.

The bank’s share rose

by N2.06 or 41.7 per cent to close at N7.00 per share in the first quarter of this year.

The Chief Financial Officer of the bank, Mr. Abdulrahman Yinusa told Bloomberg that the company is preparing to raise the money through a share sale or debt offering this year.

The fundraising comes a year after the bank raised its annual loangrowth target to 40 per cent from 20 per cent.

Market analysts have said that improved liquidity from a market-making programme on equities introduced last September has also helped to build confidence on banks

stocks.

They based their prediction on falling bond yields and strong earnings. These, they added, were powerful lures for investors to return to the market.

According to Reuters, analysts expect the momentum to continue this year.

“We expect the Nigerian Stock Exchange’s AllShare Index to reach the 38,000 mark if the earnings growth is sustained,” the sub-Saharan Africa Investment Director of Silk Invest, Ms. Funmi Akinluyi, said.

The index of top ten banks has risen by 20.5 per cent so far this year on earnings expectations.

ASI drops 2.1% on profit taking, IPWA, BOC Gases lead gainers DAMILOLA AJAYI

T

he benchmark index of equities closed on a bearish note on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, as some investors took profit from the gains recorded the preceding day.

Specifically, the All Share index lost 2.07 per cent to close at 34,089.01 points, as against the increase of 1.48 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 34,810.25 points.

Market capitalisation

depreciated by N23bn to close at N10.91trn, in contrast to the appreciation of N2bn recorded the preceding day to close at N11.14trn.

The Consumer Goods index led the sectorial indices with 1.56 per cent to close at 1007.03 points, followed by the Insurance index with 0.39 per cent to close at 147.07 points.

The Banking index lost 2.60 per cent to close at 402.54 points, while the NSE 30-index shed 1.85 per cent to close at 1629.58 points.

The Lotus Islamic index

depreciated by 1.17 per cent to close at 2306.13 per cent, while the Oil and Gas index declined by 0.79 per cent to close at 203.47 points.

IPWA Plc led the gainers’ table with six kobo or ten per cent to close at 66 kobo per share, followed by B.O.C Gas Plc with 79 kobo or 9.95 per cent to close at N8.73 per share.

Prestige Assurance Plc rose by six kobo or 9.68 per cent to close at 68 kobo per share, while Paint Manufacturing Company Plc declined by 15 kobo or 9.43 per cent to close at N1.74 per share. Wapic Insurance

Plc appreciated by ten kobo or 9.43 per cent to close at N1.16 per share.

On the flip side, Diamond Bank lost 70 kobo or ten per cent to close at N6.30 per share, while United Bank for Africa Plc fell by 80 kobo or 9.99 per cent to close at N7.21 per share.

Eterna Plc dipped by 35 kobo or 9.97 per cent to close at N3.16 per share, while A.G Leventis Plc declined by 16 kobo or 9.94 per cent to close at N1.45 per share. Costain Plc depreciated by 26 kobo or 9.77 per cent to close at N2.40 per share.

Japanese stock futures rise on bank policy optimism

J

apanese stock futures rose, indicating the Nikkei 225 Stock Average will climb for a fifth day, amid speculation Bank of Japan (8301) measures to fight deflation will boost corporate profits.

American Depositary Receipts of Toyota Motor Corporation , the world’s largest carmaker, advanced 2.1 per cent as the yen fell to the weakest level since May 2009.

Shares of HTC Corporation may be active in Taipei after Taiwan’s largest smartphone maker posted its lowest quarterly profit on record.

ADRs of Woodside Petroleum Limited, Australia’s second-biggest oil producer, gained 0.4 per cent as crude prices rose.

Futures on Japan’s Nikkei 225 Stock Average expiring in June closed at 13,430 in Chicago yesterday, up from 13,210 at the close in Osaka, Japan.

Futures on Australia’s Standard and Poor /ASX 200 index advanced 0.4 per cent and New Zealand’s NZX 50 index added 0.1 per cent.

“The effects of the BOJ’s additional policy actions will soon start to replace the policy actions themselves as the market driver,” Masayuki Kichikawa, chief economist in Tokyo at Bank of America Corporation said. “Stronger-than- expected leadership from Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has enhanced the BOJ’s policy credibility.”

The Nikkei 225 Stock

Average on Monday closed at the highest level in four and half years, as the yen weakened to its lowest level against the dollar since June 2009, boosting the earnings outlook for exporters.

BOJ officials said on April 4 the central bank will increase its monthly bond purchases to 7.5 trillion yen ($76bn), exceeding the 5.2 trillion yen forecast by economists surveyed by Bloomberg.

They also suspended a cap on some bond holdings and dropped a limit on debt maturities, while also setting a two-year horizon for their goal of two per cent inflation.

The MSCI Asia Pacific index, the regional equities benchmark, advanced the last five months as Jap-

anese shares increased on speculation the nation will deploy more stimuli and amid signs the United States economy is recovering.

That left the gauge on Monday trading at 13.6 times average estimated earnings compared with 14.1 for the Standard & Poor’s 500 index and 12.3 times for the Stoxx Europe 600 Index, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index rose 0.1 per cent. The measure gained 0.6 per cent on Mondayyesterday as investors speculated firstquarter earnings for US companies would help equities rebound from their biggest weekly decline of the year.

Source: NSE

Source: Afrinvest

Market indicators All-Share Index 34,089.01 points Market capitalisation 10.91 trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

IPWA

0.60

0.66

0.06

BOCGAS

7.94

8.73

0.79

PRESTIGE

0.62

0.68

0.06

PAINTCOM

1.59

1.74

0.15

WAPIC

1.06

1.16

0.10

UPL

4.50

4.90

0.40

LIVESTOCK

3.00

3.14

0.14

EVANSMED

1.70

1.77

0.07

UNILEVER

52.10

54.02

1.92

NB

164.99

171.01

6.02

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

DIAMONDBNK

7.00

6.30

UBA

8.01

7.21

0.70 0.80

ETERNA

3.51

3.16

0.35

AGLEVENT

1.61

1.45

0.16

COSTAIN

2.66

2.40

0.26

JAPAULOIL

0.72

0.65

0.07

FIDELITYBK

3.00

2.71

0.29

UNITYBNK

0.73

0.66

0.07

ABCTRANS

0.95

0.86

0.09

CCNN

11.00

10.00

1.00

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Days

30,159.21

11.55

11-Apr-13

119-Days

104,392.58

13.40

11-Apr-13

63 -Days

25,100.00

11.50

11-Apr-13

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

122-Days

76,995.77

13.49

11-Apr-13

119-Days

104,392.58

13.40

11-Apr-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$300m

N/A

$300m

8-Apr-13

$300m

N/A

$237m

8-Apr-13

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at April 9, 2013 1st Tier Securities

Sector

Company name

1st Tier Securities No Of Deals Quotation(N)

Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

47

Cocktail

48

x

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

FOR YOUR SUCCESS

WITH DR. DEJI FOLUTILE

Today's Tonic (125) “If you do not like your work, success and happiness are not likely to be found.”

–Leslie M. Lecron * * * DO WHAT YOU LOVE To me, life is too short to waste on what you don’t love doing. Many of us put more consideration on money before passion. This is self torture in action!

We should know that when we follow our passion and pay the required price, money will come as a must unless you don’t want it.

What is it that you will like to do if money is not required for living? Please and please get busy with it now before it is too late!

TEL 08104942999 E-MAIL deji.folutile@gmail.com Follow me @TwitterOWOTIDE

Man dressed as Cookie Monster arrested

A

man dressed as the Cookie Monster has been accused of shoving a 2-year-old in New York’s Times Square and has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Queens resident Osvaldo Quiroz-Lopez was arrested Sunday afternoon. He was arraigned Monday on charges including aggressive begging. He didn’t enter a plea.

A Connecticut family posed for a photo with

the man dressed as the “Sesame Street” character. Police say he demanded $2 but the family refused to pay. A criminal complaint says the man shoved the toddler and yelled obscenities at the family.

Quiroz-Lopez has no prior arrests. His lawyer hasn’t returned a message seeking comment.

In December, a performer dressed as a Super Mario Brother was accused of groping a woman in Times Square. His case is pending.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Oddities

Boy, 5, suspended for his distracting haircut

W

hen 5-year-old Ethan Clos showed up at school with a short, spiky mohawk last week, his fellow kindergarteners thought it was cool.

But administrators at Reid Primary and Middle School in Springfield, Ohio, deemed the edgy cut too disruptive, and ordered him home until he adopted a tamer style.

Also on Shine: Utah Teen Kicked Out of Class for Dyeing Her Hair… Auburn?

His mom, Keshia Castle, said that school officials suspended her son on Wednesday. After he begged her for the hairstyle, she finally let him get it over spring break.

“They seen his hair like it was,” she told WHIO-TV on Friday. “All the little kids were going over and feeling on it and everything.”

Superintendent Gregg Morris says that’s exactly why they had to send little Ethan home.

“Our dress and grooming policies are designed to ensure that clothing and hairstyles do not cause a distraction to the learning environment,” Morris said in a statement.

The school’s handbook states that “Hair shall be worn above the eyebrows and must be kept clean, neat and trimmed” and specifies that boys may not wear their hair longer than the bottom of their shirt collars. It also says: “Hair styling or colouring arrangements which are disruptive or distracting are not permissible.”

“Our policy clearly states that any dress or

Clos

grooming which is disruptive or distracting to the educational process is not acceptable,” Morris verified to WHIO-TV. “In this particular case, the student’s hairstyle did provide disruption to the classroom.” Ethan’s grandmother, Joyce Wells, thinks the suspension was too harsh a penalty to pay for a hairstyle. A mohawk, she said, isn’t really that different from other styles where

the hair is cut close to the scalp, especially if the mohawk itself is short.

“I could understand if it was colored, and if it stood up off longer of his head,” his grandmother said. “But I don’t see nothing wrong with this.”

This isn’t the mile-high, stiffly gelled punk look of the past. (In fact, if they hadn’t used styling product to give his mohawk some definition, Ethan’s hair would probably have looked much like a typical military cut.) The child’s stylist may have taken a cue from celebrity kids like Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Willow Smith, both of whom have sported the spiky look, to mixed reviews. Kingston Rossdale (son of rockers Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale), Madonna’s 4-year-old son David Banda, and Cruz Beckham (whose parents are sport-and-style icons David and Victoria Beckham) have also sported modified mohawks, where the sides are cut close, rather than shaved bare, and a strip of hair on the top is left a bit longer.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

49

Community Mirror Cement company empowers Gombe youths

“It is certainly not good for a judgement to be capable of more than one interpretation.”

CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA JUSTICE ALOMA MARIAM MUKHTAR

50

Banker shot dead by suspected robbers OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

S

uspected ar med robbers have killed a man identified as Akinsete Soledayo in Ondo, Headquarters of the Ondo West Local Gover nment Area.

The victim was a staf f of one of the microfinance banks in the ancient town before his untimely death.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occur red at Ope-Oluwa junction on

Gani Fawehinmi Street, Surulere.

Community Mirror gathered that the assailants had trailed the deceased who was retur ning home from a social gathering in his Toyota Camry car.

He was said to have alighted and made an attempt to escape, but one of the four-man gang reportedly shot him at close range.

The deceased was immediately rushed to Ondo

State Specialist Hospital but later confir med dead by doctors.

It was gathered that the incident caused confusion as some residents left the area to evade ar rest by the police.

The Police Public Relations Of ficer, PPRO, Wole Ogodo, confir med the incident, saying the police were trying to unravel the circumstances sur rounding the g ruesome murder, even as he vowed the assailants

A tired septuagenarian pensioner sitting down as others prepare to protest over unpaid allowances.

would be apprehended.

Ogodo said a team of investigators from the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Akure had commenced investigations into the killing.

He, therefore, assured people that the police will continue to work harder to protect the lives and properties of the people, just as he called on the public to assist the force with useful infor mation that could help fight crime in the state.

PHOTO:ADEMOLA AKINLABI

Traders bemoan losses after heavy rains FRANCIS SUBERU WITH AGENCY REPORT

T

raders in the various markets in Lagos said they sustained financial losses as a result of heavy morning rains.

Investigations showed that the downpour, which lasted into the afternoon hours, left many parts of the city and markets flooded, even as many stalls were submerged by water, a situation which made it impossible for the

traders and customers to transact business.

At the Apongbon, Idumota, Oyingbo and Mushin markets, the situation was the same,as traders spent most of the morning hours salvaging their wares, while only few customers braved the rains to make purchases.

The General Secretary, Mushin Market Association, Mr. Olusegun Johnson, said the flooding made it impossible to display his stationeries for sale.

“I used polythene to cover

those on display, but it was difficult for people to see what I was selling,” Johnson said.

Chairman of Perishable Foods at Oyingbo Market, Mr. Charles Umeh, said that the heavy rains and ensuing flooding deprived them of their usual early morning sales.

“I could not come early to the market because of the downpour that started in the morning,” he said.

Mrs. Titi Carew, a tomato seller in the same market, said she recorded low sales

because of the heavy rains and flooding in the area.

“Customers stayed at home because they could not come out of their homes to make purchases in the market,” Carew said.

Mr. John Obinna, Manager of God’s Favour Daily Contributory Scheme in one of the markets, said the downpour caused setbacks to traders’ projected daily savings.

“The traders complained of low sales and many did not come to the market,” he said.

Drivers protest ticket price increase in Delta AMOUR UDEMUDE ASABA

C

ommercial activities were recently crippled in Asaba, Delta State capital following a mass protest by taxi drivers over the sudden increase of ticketing price.

The protest, which lasted the whole day, left passengers stranded, even as civil servants found it difficult getting to their places of work.

Speaking, a visibly angry taxi driver who simply gave his name as Chukwudi, said “None of our members in the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, was infor med on the sudden increment in ticketing price.

Initially we paid N100 to buy the tickets everyday, but we woke up only to be confronted with sudden N300 charge for tickets”.

Investigations, however, showed that the increase was imposed by some overzealous officials of the union without the knowledge of the executive and state gover nment.

Worried by the situation, the Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Ben Igbakpa invited the union executives and taxi drivers for a meeting to restore nor malcy.

Speaking shortly after the meeting, Igbakpa said “The state was not aware and had no hand in the price increase, stressing that it was the union’s inter nal problem. We have spoken to the parties, as the issue has been amicably resolved”.

When contacted, the state chair man of the NURTW, Chief Ifeanyi Obi, expressed shock on the development, saying he was not aware of such fraudulent practice, as his administration did not approve such extortion.

“I must commend the intervention of the gover nment, as the issue has been resolved and union members gone back to their lawful business.”

50

Community Mirror

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cement company empowers Gombe youths DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

A

s part of Corporate Social Responsibilty, CSR, the Ashaka Cement Plc, has empowered 70 youths in Funakaye Local Government Area with tools to become self employed.

Speaking at graduation ceremony of the ‘Employability Apprenticeship Project’, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Neeraj Akhoury said

he took the decision two years ago, to empower the community, as the organisation takes pride in youth development.

He reiterated that by putting to practice what they learnt, the beneficiaries will add value to the society.

He said thus: “This is the foundation on which your lives will depend as you are now self employed. You must go with the feeling of not being just a carpenter, welder, mason, and plumber, but as

the best in your chosen field of training”.

He promised that the number would be increased to 200 in the next training scheduled to begin in May 2013.

The District Head of Bajoga, Alhaji Garba Mohammed who was full of joy, commended AshakaCement for the initiative saying it was noteworthy that the company had to go round the local government to enlist the youths for the programme.

He called on the youths to improve themselves with the skills they have acquired from the training.

Those trained acquired skills in plumbing, masonry, electrical installation, irrigation, poultry, welding and carpentry after which they were awarded the Grade II and III certificates by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, in addition to testimonials and tool kits from the company.

Lawmaker urges mutual understanding in Plateau JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

A

l a w m a k e r, S e n a t o r Victor Lar has called on Plateau State communities to shun violence and allow reign of peace in the state.

Speaking in Jos, Lar who represents Plateau South Senatorial Zone, decried the spate of attacks that have engulfed many communities leading to deaths of many people “I want to appeal to spirited individuals to assist us, because when there is crisis the most affected are women and children. Houses have been burnt with farm lands destroyed.

“The security agencies

should brace up while the traditional rulers should also help the government. I heard that mercenaries from outside Nigeria are involved in this crisis, they should report any suspicious movement of strangers in the communities so the government can take proactive measures” he stated.

He also advised traditional rulers and other community leaders to take step towards achieving mutual understanding and dialogue among the people.

On why the crisis had persisted Lar said “ it is not a crisis between the Tarok and Fulani, there is an interesting inter play of related and cor related issues, on the one hand, I am aware

of the struggle for the possession of land where as, some people feel they need some political and administrative emancipation which should come in the for m of creation of districts and chiefdoms”.

He further said “Others feel that even the land they are claiming for the creation of the chiefdom does not belong to them, this is very volatile and you know where land is involved, people can go to any length to protect and defend themselves.”

“Another way of looking at it is within the political aspect. If you create Chiefdom, its mean you have made an entity independent from the leadership, the paramount rulers who are involved will

go any extent to prevent it”.

He added that the crisis is not limited to the senatorial zone but the entire country is under the scourge of nomadic Fulani who move with their cattle; as a result disputes arise when their animals trespass on people’s land”.

The senator said “There is a factor of Fulani cow rustling and sometimes people kill their cows and this is essentially why they have crises on each side of the divide. The only way to solve the problem is to create a forum were people will express their grievances and compensation paid, while some administrative measures are also taken to prevent recurring crisis”.

Agency arrests sanitation offenders SAM OLUWALANA

T

he Rivers State Sanitation Agency has arrested 37 persons for various sanitation offences, at the April monthly sanitation exercise.

The defaulters were arrested for offences ranging from loitering, conveying of commuters by bus drivers and refusal to participate in the exercise.

They were charged before the Sanitation Court headed by Magistrate Mgbamoka Chinagorom,even as they were fined for sums ranging from N1,000 to N5,000.

However, those not be able to pay before end of the day were made to do community service that includes sweeping, amongst others as deemed fit by the court.

Meanwhile, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority, Mr. Ade Adeogun has called on residents to imbibe the culture of putting their refuse in bins.

Adeogun stated this while monitoring the exercise in company of sanitation officials that included those from the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA. The sanitation boss represented by the acting Director of Administration, Mr. Iyo Gobo, warned that those in the habit of violating sanitation laws would be arraigned before the court.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

51

How ex-Anambra deputy gov was abducted, killed –Police SOLA ADEBAYO WARRI

P

olice in Delta State yesterday shed more light on the circumstances leading to the abduction and murder of the former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chidi Nwike.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Adaba, said in a text message to our correspondent that preliminary investigation by his men showed that Nwike was abducted on Auchi - Abuja Highway on March 19.

Adaba said the politi-

cian, who served as deputy governor in the administration of Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife between 1992 and 1993, was murdered in Delta State by his abductors, apparently in protest against his failure to pay N30 million ransom.

The former deputy gov-

ernor’s corpse and those of two others were recovered in a bush in Alizomor community near Agbor, the headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State on Sunday.

The police recovered the corpses following a tipoff by the vigilance group

of the community.

A note and handset of the late politician were deposited at the scene.

Adaba, who described Nwike’s fate as “tragic and unfortunate,” said the kidnappers stated in the note that the former deputy governor was murdered in captivity because of his refusal to pay ransom.

He said: “A team of operatives visited the scene of the crime at Agbor, where three corpses suspected to have been killed by a gang of kidnappers were recovered with a written paper inscription.

“One of the victims was identified as Dr. Chudi Nwike, a onetime deputy governor in Anambra

State between 1992 and 1993. Preliminary inquiry also revealed the victims were trailed and kidnapped along Auchi - Abuja Road.”

According to Adaba, the kidnappers stated in the note on Nwike’s remains that, “This is what you (Nwike) got for your disobedience and non-payment of ransom.”

Adaba said Nwike’s remains of and other unidentified victims had been deposited at the morgue of Agbor General Hospital as the police launched manhunt for their killers, adding that no effort would be spared to bring the hoodlums to book.

Rivers, ECOWAS partner on malaria drug production

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan (right) during an inspection of Atuwatse II Model Primary School in Warri, yesterday.

Gendarmes’ attacks: Army to establish military bases in Bakassi RICHARD NDOMA CALABAR

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he Nigerian Army has concluded arrangement to establish a forward operation base at the Ikang axis of the oil rich Bakassi Peninsular.

This follows the incessant harassment and molestation of the Bakassi people in Cross River State by the Cameroonian gendarmes.

Nigerian Navy is to also establish its operation base at Dayspring to check the harassment of locals by

the gendarmes who were in the habit of harassing the people.

The Commander of 13 Brigade Headquarters, Calabar, Brigadier General Okwudile Azinta, disclosed this yesterday during a visit to the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre, Calabar.

Reacting to questions from journalists concerning extortion of money from motorists by soldiers at checkpoints, Azinta said it was an offence to offer or demand bribe.

On illegal bunkering,

the commander said several meetings had been convened with officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to help the command come up with strategies that could check activities of the oil thieves.

Azinta said Cross River State was one of the easiest and simplest states to stop oil bunkering, especially if stakeholders and other securities agencies were serious about it.

He said three months ago, three trucks carrying

4,000 drums of stolen diesel and the thieves were arrested and handed over to officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, adding that the commander had met with all jetty operators on how to stop oil theft.

Responding, the Chairman of the Cross River State of Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Mr. Ndoma Akpet, lauded the commander for promising to partner with journalists in the task of nation building.

ERA decries crime wave in Bayelsa creeks EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

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nvironmental Rights Action, ERA, has expressed concern over the recent upsurge in criminal activities in the creeks of Bayelsa State.

Its state Project Officer, Alagoa Morris, observed that the creeks had become unsafe for travellers owing to high rate of sea piracy and kidnapping by armed youths.

Morris said in an interview with our correspondent yesterday in Yenagoa that the ugly trend was inimical to society in terms

of the negative image it was creating for the state which, according to him, can scare away prospective investors.

He said: “It will also cause so much harm to the locals as they fall victims to the activities of these criminal elements operating in the creeks.”

Morris said the recent killing of 12 policemen along Azuzuama creek in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state was shocking and unfortunate, especially when the Boko Haram insurgency was condemned globally.

He said: “It also calls to mind the 1999 Odi saga; when the community was

invaded and razed down by the military troops because of a similar incident.

“No matter the reasons adduced for this recent attack and killing of the policemen, they remain unacceptable.

“Whether these victims were men in uniform or not, all Nigerians ought to enjoy their fundamental rights to life and anyone who denies another of this right ought to be made to face the law.”

The ERA project officer urged the security agencies to go after the killers of the policemen, arrest and prosecute them.

He said: “In going about

this task, efforts should be made to avoid the mistake made in 1999 by the military in Odi. The whole community should not be criminalised and so invaded.

“The criminals should be identified and arrested no matter how long it would take to get them. Proper investigations and professional information gathering should be applied in this regard.”

Morris warned that the innocent members of the community should not be made to suffer for the offence they did not commit, adding that military formations should be established in areas prone to violence.

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ivers State Government said it had concluded arrangements to partner the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, for the production of Biolarvicides to control and eliminate malaria in the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sampson Parker, disclosed this yesterday at a press conference ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for the Biolarvicides Production Factory in Rivers State and a town hall meeting on elimination of malaria holding in Port Harcourt tomorrow.

Parker said the joint venture would be a 50/50 partnership between the Rivers State Government and ECOWAS, which, according to him, is also capable of creating employment opportunities for over 500 indigenes of Rivers State.

He said: “When Governor Rotimi Amaechi assumed office in 2007, what government was doing at that time was malaria control, and the strategy then was controlling malaria pandemic through the use of insecticide treated nets, combination treatments, indoor residual spraying, rapid diagnosis test kits, including environmental sanitation campaigns.

“But when we came, ECOWAS said we can eliminate malaria, and we added to it biolaviociding.

“We were working with the Cuban Government through their company, Labiofam, and for some period

we used aircraft to spray.

“Health officials were also ‘adulticising,’ all in the effort to kill the larva of mosquitoes at every mosquito breeding site, including standing lakes, overhead tanks, etc, using biological agents to kill the larva of mosquitoes so that mosquitoes don’t re-procreate to carry the malaria parasites, that is the simple strategy that we added.”

The commissioner explained that the introduction of the simple strategy assisted in reducing malaria, adding that the measures put together by the government ranked the state as number one in implementing the malaria control strategies in 2009 and 2012 respectively, despite the short fall in 2011.

He said: “And so, the ECOWAS community is coming to Rivers State to facilitate the discussion and to take it further across the sub-region, and to also commence the groundbreaking of the biolaviocides factory in the state, so that we can begin the production of biolaviocides in Nigeria in Rivers State.”

Urging the residents of Rivers State to join the fight against the malaria, Parker said environmental sanitation was key, which would top the agenda at the town hall meeting with ECOWAS tomorrow.

He said: “We all need to work together collectively to get rid of malaria. You are expected to clean-up your environment and by taking such step, you would have reduced your infection by 60 per cent.”

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Stop allocations to violence-prone states –Christian elders A ZA MSUE KADUNA

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religious group, Christian Elders’ Forum of Northern States, NOSCEF, yesterday called on the Federal Government to stop monthly allocations to states prone to violence as a deliberate way of ending insurgency in the

region.

While rejecting the proposed amnesty for the Boko Haram sect, NOSCEF demanded the establishment of Northern Minority Commission, NMC, to be headed by a minister that would be responsible for the plight of Christians.

Addressing a press conference in Kaduna,

the NOSCEF Chairman, Evangelist Mathew Owojaiye, explained that Christians in the region would continue to kick against amnesty when nothing had been done for victims of activities of the sect.

Owojaiye, who accused northern elite of intimidating the Federal Government to grant

amnesty to terrorists, described the move as hypocrisy and unpatriotic.

He said: “We suggest that Federal Government should stop monthly allocations to Boko Haram states in the North for three months, the insurgency will end. But, government cannot do it.

We totally object to Paul Unongo and his friends

speaking on behalf of the Christians challenging the authority of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, president.

The Christians in Nigeria know their leaders...

“Northern Minority Commission headed by a minister is overdue. Do we need to take up arms before our plight comes before government? We

have minority tribes, but put together, Christians are majority in the North.

“Boko Haram has tried to annihilate us and our Igbo Christian brothers and now government is talking about granting them amnesty without saying a word about the people they bombed, slaughtered and traumatised.”

We’ll support amnesty for Boko Haram –Ohanaeze AUGUSTINE MADU-WEST KANO

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L-R: Executive Director, Kaduna State Scholarship Board, Mrs. Esther Jimen; Executive Secretary, Teachers’ Service Board, Mr Denis Wahal and Hajara Abbas of the Ahmadu Bello University, during the state’s scholarship disbursement programme in Zaria, yesterday.

PHOTO: NAN

Lecturers, others fingered in admission scam in Niger PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

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committee investigating admission racketeering in the Niger State College of Education has recommended various disciplinary actions against 14 staff of the college.

According to the committee, five academic staff, nine non-academic staff, five non-staff of the college and a student were involved in the admission scam.

Based on the report, eight staff, Mohammed Shabako, Danlami Abubakar, Garba Ibrahim Gballu, Iman Mohammed Sanusi, Usman Musa Jibrin, Suleiman Ahmed, Umar S. Yabagi and Umar Ndaman, were recommended for dismissal.

The committee recommended the termination of the appointment of four others who are Mallam Zakariya Ibrahim, Abubakar Ndabini, Umar Salihu and Aliyu N. Ibrahim.

Those recommended for suspension are Mohammed Bello Waziri, Hassan Ibrahim Mohammed and Yusuf Ibrahim.

The Provost of the college, Prof. Farouk Haruna, who

should commence early to forestall future occurrence of such sharp practices.

Responding, shortly after receiving the report, Nuhu said those found guilty would be made to face the wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to others.

He then commended the effort of the college at sanitising the school, while assuring that, in view of the zero tolerance of the state government to corruption, the report would be imple-

he Igbo apex group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, said yesterday in Kano that it would support the proposed amnesty for the Boko Haram sect if it would end the insurgency currently destabilising the North.

The President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Carry Nnachi, said this when the leadership of the group paid a condolence visit to the Kano State Government, the Emir of Kano and Ndigbo in Kano over the recent attack on luxury buses.

This is as the Kano State Government dispelled insinuations that the attack on the motor park had ethnic motivation, insisting that it was simply ‘terror that respects no borders’.

The Ohanaeze leadership also commiserated with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and Ndigbo in the state, describing the attack as unfortunate and irresponsible, which must be condemned by all peace-loving Nigerians.

“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo

disclosed this while submitting the report of the committee to the state Commissioner for Higher Education, Dr. Mohammed B. Nuhu, said one of the staff, Musa Farouk Mohammed, was exonerated by the committee.

He disclosed that the five non-staff of the college involved in the admission racketeering had been apprehended and handed over to the police for prosecution and had also been banned from stepping into the col-

lege henceforth.

Haruna told the commissioner that while carrying out its mandate, the committee screened 7,894 students, including pre-NCE and 100 level and recovered 1,000 fake admission letters.

The provost added that 5,000 new admission letters were given to the genuine candidates.

According to him, among others, the committee recommended that admission process into the institution

ISE-OLUWA IGE

APC controversy: Association sues INEC

ABUJA

O

ne of the associations jostling to be registered under the acronym, APC, African Peoples Congress, has taken the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to a Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the commission’s refusal to register it.

The plaintiffs numbering about 30, who sued on behalf of themselves and the party, are seeking a declaration that INEC lacked the legal power to refuse registration of an association as a political party once the conditions stipulated by the said association for registration are

met.

However, the case filed on Monday could not come up yesterday because all judges had gone to attend a refresher course on judgement writing.

But in an application filed by their counsel, Ededem Ani of Awa Kalu’s chambers, the plaintiffs asked the court to declare that they have met all conditions of eligibility for the registration of African Peoples Congress as a political party The plaintiffs also want an order directing INEC to register the association known as and called African Peoples Congress as a political party forthwith and an

order prohibiting the registration of any other association known as and called African Peoples Congress or having the acronym, APC, as a political party, pending the hearing and determination of their application.

The plaintiffs are also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining INEC from registering any other association or known as and called African Peoples Congress or having the acronym, APC, as a political party.

The plaintiffs hinged their reliefs on the grounds that INEC gave them notice in directing their intention

to apply to register the association called APC as a political party and that INEC outlined in writing to them the conditions that precede the registration of an association as a political party.

They said they had complied or substantially complied with all the conditions stipulated by the defendant but the defendant on tenuous grounds declined to register the association known as the African Peoples Congress as a political party.

In an affidavit deposed to by the acting National Chairman of the party, Chief Onyiye Ikeagwonu, and filed in support of the application,

supports all that can bring peace to the country. We support whatever efforts put together to restore peace and unity in the country.

“We want Kano to continue to be in peace. Therefore, we must avoid tendencies that are inimical to this project by weighing our actions so that we can sustain our corporate existence as a people.

“What has happened has happened; therefore we should all put it behind us and move forward,” Nnachi said.

The Ohaneze president said that there was need for the government to press for compensation for victims of the tragic incident.

Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said Nigeria was passing through a trying period of its history.

The governor, who spoke through the Commissioner for State Affairs, Comrade Abdulsalam Aminu Gwarzo, therefore, urged people to be cautious of their utterances, pointing out that the attack on the New Road Motor park had no border and did not know religion.

the party said the association submitted all relevant documents to INEC in respect of its application.

Ikeagwonu added that the association had complied with all the requirements for registration but INEC had refused to register it.

The chairman averred that for the purpose of the registration of the African Peoples Congress, the association paid the defendant on receipt no 085003 dated March 4, 2013, the sum of N100,000 and the sum of N900,000 as payment for the registration of African Peoples Congress as a political party.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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Soldiers invade Benue communities, destroy homes, property HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

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rmed soldiers believed to be led by a lieutenant colonel (name withheld) of the 4th Motorized Battalion, Nigeria Army in Takum, Taraba State, in the early hours of yesterday invaded some communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

The soldiers were said to have assaulted the indigenes, destroying their houses and

property worth millions of naira.

According to eyewitness account, the soldiers, in four loaded trucks, first invaded Anyiase settlement around Kasimbila area before proceeding to Debam settlement where they harassed the natives, accusing them of being settlers in the area and warning them to leave.

Being a market day, the presence of the soldiers created panic among the people who later unleashed terror and even torched some of

their property.

A onetime deputy Chairman of Kwande Local Government, Hon. Abo Utah, who hails from the area told National Mirror in an interview that such intimidation by the soldiers from Takum, reoccurs from time to time, describing the recent incident as a deliberate act of provocation to incite reaction that could degenerate into a full blown crisis so that his people would be displaced from the area.

Speaking further, Utah

sad that these Tiv settlements from the Benue State border area with Taraba, have been coming under sustained intimidation by soldiers on different occasion and were believed to be without official approval of the authorities.

“These soldiers come to intimidate our people so that when they react it will degenerate into open conflict and then the soldiers will come in and aid the militia to chase out the people with the sole aim of taking over their

land,” said Hon. Utah.

It will be recalled that the head of the communities had written a petition to the Chief of Army Staff, accusing soldiers from Takum of assault, torture and harassment of the natives and unlawful detention of whoever dare question their mission and identity.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Kwande Local Government Council Chairman, Hon. Bem Tseen, on the crisis were futile as his phone could not be reached at the

time of filing this report.

When contacted the Benue State Police Command spokesman, Daniel Ezeala, said he was yet to be briefed on the incident but pledge to establish a communication link with the area in dispute if at all anything had happened.

A woman at Anyiase Mama Ngodoo, confirmed that at the moment, the atmosphere in the area remain charged and tense as the indigenes are fleeing the area.

Gunmen attack police station in Katsina JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

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Bauchi State Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Mohammed Dhamina (right) and Deputy Director of Press, Government House, Alhaji Danbaba Umar, at a news conference on road construction in Bauchi, yesterday.

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he Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in Yobe State has said that at least 20 people died in an auto crash that occurred seven kilometres from Potiskum on the Kano-Maiduguri highway on Monday.

FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Alhaji Shehu Umar, confirmed the development yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Potiskum.

He said the accident occurred at about 6.00pm when a bus rammed into a truck and killed all the 20 occupants in the bus.

“You know due to the

IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

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ember representing Awe North Constituency in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Umar Tanko Tunga, has called on the people of his constituency that were affected by last year’s flood disaster to relocate from the Benue River bank.

This according to him; “Is to avert a reoccurrence of

20 killed in Yobe auto crash rent security crisis in the area.

Sources said that in the process, the bus rammed into a truck belonging to a construction company, killing all the passengers and the driver.

NAN also learnt that the suspension of operations by the FRSC in Yobe State had left victims of road accidents at the mercy of public spirited Nigerians.

Meanwhile, The Joint Task Force, JTF, in Yobe State yesterday confirmed the death of its officer in the Sunday clash with insur-

gents at Geidam in the state.

A statement issued by the JTF spokesman, Lt. Eli Lazarus, also confirmed that two other officers sustained injuries.

“One officer was killed and two others were injured are receiving treatment, while four suspected insurgents, dressed in military uniforms, were killed in the encounter.

“The dead bodies of the insurgents were haphazardly dressed in military uniforms. Some wear only the top, while others trousers.

Lawmaker urges flood victims to relocate

variety of rice that can do well upland.”

The lawmaker, who is barely a year in the state Assembly gave his scorecard to include the ongoing sinking of eight hand pump and motorized boreholes respectively at Tsofon Tunga, Gidin Kede and Agudu settlements as well as the construction of some drug stores in some rural communities to enable them have access to orthodox medicine.

security challenge in Potiskum, we were forced to suspend operations in the area and we could not offer rescue services,” he said.

The sector commander said that the accident could have been caused by overspeeding.

He, however, observed that “over-speeding and reckless driving” had been responsible for many accidents on the road.

NAN learnt that the driver of the18-seater bus coming from Kano was speeding to beat the 6.00pm curfew in Potiskum, due to the cur-

last year’s flood disaster that destroyed their settlements as well as their farm produce estimated at millions of naira. He said this is imperative as meteorologists have again warned of a heavy downpour this year that could cause flood again and wreck havoc in the communities.”

Tunga stated this in Lafia, the state capital, in a chat with National Mirror.

He said he has so far spent

about N2.2 million on the purchase of relief items inform of food and building materials for the flood victims in his constituency.

His words: “We want to caution our people not to rebuild houses on the riverbanks again, but to move a little upland to farm so that if such a thing occurs again, they may not be affected.

To the rice growers, we appealed that they look for a

unmen believed to be terrorists on Monday attacked a police station in Ingawa Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The incident which occurred at about 9.30pm saw the total burning down of the police station by the armed men.

Eyewitnesses who spoke with National Mirror said that they heard gunshots and explosions on the night the incident occurred.

They also said that the armed men rode on motorcycles , coming straight into the police station, firing their weapons and throwing explosives.

It was learnt that the incident made people residing around the police station to panic, with many of them scampering for safety when the attack began.

Already, the Acting Inspec-

tor-General of Police, AIG, in charge of Kano Zone, Mr. David Omojola and state Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Magaji, have visited the area.

Speaking with journalists, Magaji said the armed men, who came on five motorcycles, were heavily armed and had Improvised Explosive Devises, IEDs, with them to destroy and torch the police station.

He said his men were mobilised from the state police headquarters while gunfire were exchanged with the armed men.

Magaji also said no lives were lost on either side of the police and the armed men, but that one of the attackers was seriously wounded but managed to escape.

The state police boss said investigation has since commenced as neighbouring states of Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, among others, have been notified to be on the lookout for the armed men.

Monarch solicits support for Jonathan WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

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he Vice-President of the Kogi State Traditional Council and the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Dr. Ado Ibrahim, yesterday called on Nigerians to support the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan in its efforts at tackling the barrage of security challenges rocking the country.

Dr Ibrahim, who made this call yesterday when the Acting Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Kingsley Adeyinka Oguntuase, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace in Okene.

The monarch said it is only when people are united that there would be peace and development. While he said there must be unity of purpose, he also enjoined

all to join hands in building a peaceful and prosperous country.

“Let us all join hands to support President Jonathan; he has never claimed to be all knowing. Let us tell him where he is wrong,” the traditional ruler urged.

He said though there are many challenges confronting the nation, the issue of security must be tackled holistically, stating that the issues of crude oil theft and pipeline vandalisation call for concern.

The royal father said the establishment of the NSCDC could not have come at a better time than now to address some of the security challenges facing the nation. He also called on the acting commandant to adequately address the issue of pipeline vandalism in the state.

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World News “South Africa’s central bank has done reasonably well to balance economic growth and the need to create jobs while also pursuing its mandate to keep inflation in check” –SOUTH AFRICAN FINANCE MINISTER, PRAVIN GORDHAN

Kenyatta sworn in as Kenya’s president PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

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huru Kenyatta was sworn in as the Kenya’s fourth president yesterday in a stadium filled with tens of thousands of Kenyans and a dozen African leaders.

Kenyatta, 51, the son of Kenya’s first president, becomes the second sitting African president to face charges at the International Criminal Court over allegations he helped orchestrate the vicious tribe-on-tribe violence that marred Kenya’s 2007 presidential election.

Uganda’s president and Kenya’s new deputy president used the swearing-in to take clear swipes at the ICC and at a U.S. warning before the March 4 election that a Kenyatta win would carry “consequences” for Kenya.

“I want to salute the Kenyan voters on one other issue — the rejection of the blackmail by the International Criminal Court and those who seek to abuse this institution for their own agenda,” Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told the cheering crowd, adding: “They are now using it to install leaders of their choice in Africa and eliminate the ones they do not like.”

Deputy President William Ruto noted that he and Kenyatta won in the first round of voting despite the U.S. warning.

A jubilant crowd swathed

L-R: President Salva Kirr of South Sudan; President Goodluck Jonathan and President Jacob Zuma of South-Africa at the Inauguration of President Uhuru Kenyatta In Nairobi yesterday.

PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

in Kenyatta’s campaign colour of red loudly interrupted the swearing-in with rapturous cheers.

The ceremony stood in stark contrast to a rushed ceremony closed to the public five years ago to swear in outgoing President Mwai Kibaki, whom political opponents accused of stealing the 2007 vote. Those suspicions set off weeks of tribal violence that killed more than 1,000 people.

It is that violence that Kenyatta now faces charges for at The Hague in the Netherlands.

Kenyatta denies the prosecutor’s charges that he helped orchestrate the violence and has

pledged to cooperate with the International Criminal Court.

His trial is scheduled to begin in July. Ruto faces similar charges in a trial set for May. Because of those charges, the top U.S. official for Africa just days before the March 4 vote warned of “consequences” if Kenyatta was voted into office.

European countries offered similar warnings. But the U.S. ambassador and European ambassadors were in attendance at Tuesday’s ceremony, and analysts say they doubt the preelection warnings will amount to very much.

Kenya is the lynchpin econ-

France begins troops withdrawal from Mali

F

rance has begun to withdraw troops from Mali where they have been battling Islamist militants, the French defence ministry has said.

Around 100 of the 4,000 sent to the West African nation in January have been withdrawn to Cyprus, it said.

A regional African force is

in Mali to help its army provide security.

The French-led operation drove Islamist groups out of northern cities and towns, but some fighters have retreated to desert hideouts in the vast northern region.

The troops who have been withdrawn belong to parachute units of

Some French troops disembarking from a jet in Mali.

the army, AFP news agency cited Thierry Burkhard, a spokesman for the chief of staff, as saying.

He said they had been deployed in the area around Tessalit, a town in the far north-east Mali near the Tegharghar mountains which saw heavy fighting against Islamists.

Nationwide elections are due in July, by which time France wants its troop presence to have been halved.

France hopes to have only 1,000 soldiers in Mali by the end of the year, handing over duties to the African force which currently numbers around 6,300 soldiers.

The European Union has begun training 2,000 Malian soldiers mainly for patrol duties, says the BBC’s Alex Duval Smith in Bamako.

Their weakness in the face of

omy for East Africa’s economy and the West’s most vital security partner. Kenyan troops are helping battle al-Shabaab militants inside Somalia, and Kenya hosts a U.S. military base near the Somali border.

Kenyatta — the son of Jomo Kenyatta — beat seven other presidential candidates with 50.07 percent of the vote. That slim win was challenged by outgoing Prime Minister Raila Odinga — who got 43 percent — and civil society groups that complained of myriad anomalies in the voting process. The Supreme Court upheld Kenyatta’s win after nationally televised hearings. the Islamist advance was what prompted the French intervention in the first place, she says.

Yesterday, the EU also gave 50m euros ($65m, £42m) to the regional African forces, known by the acronym Afisma, to help with training and equipment.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has suggested that an 11,000-strong UN peace force, made up of African troops, be deployed in Mali, once France reduces its presence.

Ban also called for the creation of a second force to fight militants.

Remaining French troops could be part of this force, correspondents say.

Islamist groups took advantage of a coup in March 2012 to take control of the north of Mali, including major cities including Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu. They imposed a strict form of Islamic law in the area.

WORLD BULLETIN

Five Indian UN troops killed in South Sudan

Five Indian peacekeepers escorting a UN convoy in South Sudan have been killed in an ambush by rebels, the Indian foreign ministry has said.

Spokesman Syed Akbaruddin tweeted that the peacekeepers were serving with the UN Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS).

An unnamed UN official told the AP news agency that seven civilians were also killed in the attack.

The violence happened in the state of Jonglei, a haven for armed groups.

UNMISS has been in South Sudan since the country’s creation in 2011, with a remit to preserve peace and security.

Akbaruddin said four Indian soldiers were also wounded in the attack, and arrangements were being made to bring those killed back to India.

The soldiers had been killed while “escorting a UN convoy”, he told the AFP news agency.

Somali president admits rapes by security forces

After months of denial, Somalia’s government has for the first time acknowledged that its security forces were involved in rape cases that drew an international outcry by human rights groups.

Army commanders often denied accusations that soldiers were involved in a spate of rapes, blaming the crimes on the Islamic extremist rebels of al-Shabaab who wore army uniforms to smear the reputation of the military.

“Those few among the security forces who rape and rob our citizens must be fought and be defeated just like Shabaab,” said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, while speaking to military cadets at a training camp in Mogadishu on Monday.

“Criminals who commit rape ought to be opposed just like (the Islamic extremist rebels of) Shabaab,” said the president, in a statement issued by his office.

At least seven die in Mozambique violence

Mozambican authorities say they have made some arrests after recent attacks and fighting between police and alleged members of an opposition group killed at least seven people.

Alberto Mondlane, Mozambique’s interior minister, also said yesterday that 13 people were wounded in the violence in the central province of Sofala.

Renamo, a former rebel movement, says Mozambique’s Frelimo government has persecuted its members.

President Armando Guebuza has urged Renamo to stick to politics and refrain from armed conflict.

Mozambique holds municipal elections this year and general elections next year.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

Wednesday April 10, 2013

Thatcher’s funeral set for April 17

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he funeral of Baroness Thatcher will take place April 17, Downing Street has announced.

The 87-year-old former prime minister died on Monday, after suffering a series of strokes.

The funeral ceremony, with full military honours, will take place at London’s St Paul’s Cathedral, following a procession from Westminster.

The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, will attend the service, Buckingham Palace said.

Lady Thatcher will not have a state funeral but will be accorded the same status as Princess Diana and the Queen Mother.

A ceremonial funeral is one rung down from a state funeral - normally reserved for monarchs - and requires the consent of the Queen.

A Downing Street spokesman said the details had been agreed at a “co-ordination meeting” between the Thatcher family and

A man signing the condolence book in front of a picture of Thatcher at the British Consulate in Hong Kong, yesterday.

PHOTO: AP

Buckingham Palace on Tuesday morning.

Queen Elizabeth II will be among the mourners at the funeral of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on April 17, officials announced yesterday.

Buckingham Palace said the queen and her husband, Prince

Philip, would attend the ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is expected to draw dignitaries from around the world.

The only other prime minister whose funeral the monarch has attended was that of Britain’s World War II leader, Winston Churchill, in 1965.

Churchill was the last British leader to receive a state funeral, also at St. Paul’s. Thatcher’s service, a ceremonial funeral with full military honours, is not officially a state funeral, which requires a vote in Parliament.

But the ceremony features the same level of pomp and honour afforded Princess Diana and the Queen Mother Elizabeth.

Thatcher’s coffin will lie overnight at the Houses of Parliament ahead of the funeral, before being taken by hearse to the church of St. Clement Danes and then, on a horse-drawn gun carriage, to the 17th-century cathedral along a route lined by military personnel.

The televised funeral will be followed by a private cremation.

Early yesterday, undertakers removed Thatcher’s body from London’s Ritz Hotel where she died Monday at the age of 87. A van carrying Thatcher’s casket left the hotel for an undisclosed location, where it will remain during preparations for the funeral.

War threat: North Korea warns foreigners to leave South

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orth Korea intensified threats of an imminent conflict against the United States and the South yesterday, warning foreigners to evacuate South Korea to avoid being dragged into “thermonuclear war”.

The North’s latest message belied an atmosphere free of anxiety in the South Korean capital, where the city center was bustling with traffic and offices operated normally.

Pyongyang has shown no sign of preparing its 1.2 million-strong army for war, indicating the threat could be aimed partly at bolstering Kim Jong-un, 30, the third in his family to lead the country.

The North, which threatens the United States and its “puppet”, South Korea, on a daily basis, is marking anniversaries this week that could be accompanied by strong statements or military displays.

The warning to foreigners in the South, reported by the KCNA news agency, said once war broke out “it will be an all-out war, a merciless, sacred, retaliatory war to be waged by (North Korea).

“It does not want to see foreigners in South Korea fall victim to the war,” the agency quoted the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee as saying.

“The committee informs all foreign institutions and enterprises and foreigners, including tourists...that they are requested to take measures for shelter and evacuation in advance for their safety.”

None of the embassies in Seoul appeared to have issued any directives to their nationals and airlines reported no changes in

their schedules. Schools catering to foreign pupils worked without interruption.

The warning, read out on North Korea’s state television in a bulletin that interrupted normal programming, was the latest threat in weeks of high tension following U.N. sanctions slapped on Pyongyang for its latest nuclear arms test.

It followed the North’s suspension of activity at the Kaesong joint industrial park just inside

North Korea, all but closing down the last remnant of cooperation between the neighbours. North Korean workers failed to turn up on Tuesday.

North Korea had said South Korea was trying to turn the Kaesong complex into a “hotbed of war”.

Speculation remained high that the North may launch some provocative action this week - perhaps a missile launch or a nuclear arms test.

In a previous appeal, its author-

ities urged diplomats in Pyongyang to leave on grounds their safety could not be assured beyond Wednesday. None appeared to have taken any such action.

Also featured in broadcasts were country-wide reports of celebrations marking Saturday’s 20th anniversary of the current leader’s father, Kim Jong-il, taking over North Korea’s leadership and next Monday’s birth date of his grandfather, post-World War Two state founder Kim Il-Sung.

Giant John Paul II statute ready for unveiling

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orkers were putting the finishing touches yesterday on what its backer says is the world’s tallest statue of the late Pope John Paul II. The 13.8-meter (45.3-foot) white fiberglass figure will tower over the southern Polish city of Czestochowa, home to the predominantly Catholic country’s most important pilgrimage site, the Jasna Gora monastery.

Funded by a private investor and put up on private grounds, the Polish-born pontiff appears smiling and stretching his arms to the world. Yesterday, workers were joining the pieces together and painting them before the official unveiling of the statue Saturday.

Leszek Lyson, who is funding the project, called the pope “a great and good man who has done a lot for the world: ended communism and opened borders in Europe, reached to people in his pilgrimages around the world.

His statue “should make everyone stop and think about life.”

Its construction comes as the traditionally respected church comes under criticism for its conservative views and as church attendance shrinks.

Born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, southern Poland, John Paul was elected in 1978, a surprise choice from communist eastern Europe. In Poland he is credited with inspiring the Solidarity movement that helped end communism in 1989. His death in 2005 was a time of na-

tional mourning.

Lyson said that the unveiling ceremony will mark three years since he saved his son from drowning and is a sign of thanks.

He is also trying to get the statue into Guinness Book of Records as the world’s tallest of John Paul.

Poland already boasts that it has the world’s tallest statue of Jesus, unveiled in 2010 in the western town of Swiebodzin.

A worker adding finishing touches to a giant statue of the late Pope John Paul II being readied for unveiling this weekend, in Czestochowa, Poland, yesterday.

PHOTO: AP

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WORLD BULLETIN

Gunman kills 13 people in Serbia

A 60-year-old veteran gunned down 13 people in a pre-dawn, house-to-house rampage yesterday in Serbia, killing his mother, his son and a two-year-old cousin before shooting himself and his wife, police and hospital officials said.

The man, identified as Ljubisa Bogdanovic, used a handgun in the shooting spree at five houses in Velika Ivanca, a village 50 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of Belgrade, emergency hospital spokeswoman Nada Macura said.

Twelve people were killed immediately between 5 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. and one person died in a Belgrade hospital, Serbian police chief Milorad Veljovic said.

The dead included six men, six women and the boy, police said.

The man and his wife were both severely injured by the shootings and another person was also injured, Macura said.

“Most of the victims were shot while they were asleep,” Veljovic told reporters. “The most harrowing scene discovered by police was the dead bodies of a young mother and her two-year-old son.”

He said the motive for the killings was unclear.

Although such shootings are relatively rare in Serbia, weapons are readily available, mostly from the 1990s wars in the Balkans.

Media reports said the suspect had a license for the handgun.

Quake hits near Iran’s nuclear city, four dead

A powerful earthquake killed four people in southern Iran yesterday close to the country’s only nuclear power station, state television and agencies reported.

A Red Cross official said two villages had been heavily damaged by the magnitude 6.3 quake but the Russian company that built the Bushehr plant said the reactor was undamaged.

Offices in the capitals of Qatar and Bahrain were evacuated after the quake, whose epicenter was 89 km (55 miles) southeast of the port city of Bushehr, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The shock was also felt in financial hub Dubai, according to Reuters witnesses and messages on Twitter.

Gulf Arab countries and Western experts have voiced concerns about the Bushehr plant, built in a highly seismic area. Iran has repeatedly rejected concerns it could be unsafe.

Afghanistan helicopter crash kills two Americans

A helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan killed two American members of the NATO-led force on Tuesday, spokesmen said.

There were no reports of enemy activity in the area, said Captain Dan Einert, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

U.S. military spokesman Colonel Thomas Collins said both the dead were from the United States.

The helicopter went down in Pachir Agam district of Nangarhar province, said Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, a spokesman for the governor’s office.

No other details were immediately available.

WORLD RECORD

Highest astronomical observatory Vol. 03 No. 596

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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The highest astronomical observatory is the University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory, located at an altitude of 5,640 m (18,503 ft) on the summit of Cerro Chajnantor in a scientific reserve called Atacama Astronomical Park, Chile.

When amnesty comes to the rescue

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ountries have used amnesties to reintegrate persons who ran afoul of the law of the state. It has also been offered to offenders to convince felons to comply with the law and to cease any hostile activities. Such thinking may have influenced Aso Rock to see it as a tool for defusing the simmering tension created by the Boko Haram, the militant Islamic sect currently waging terror war in parts of the North and bringing its adherents back to society’s mainstream.

For some time now, there have been strident calls from some eminent northerners for amnesty for the insurgents, to make them renounce violence. But the position of the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar 111 on this seemed to have galvanised enough force to influence the position of the Presidency on the issue.

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orld number two, Rory McIlroy, feels he has fully justified his decision to play at the Valero Texas Open after shooting a fine closing round of 66 to finish as runnerup.

McIlroy made a late de-

Okay Osuji (okayosuji@nationalmirroronline.net) 08034729256 (sms only)

Definitely, his voice added a sense of urgency for the need to look again in the direction of clemency for this sect that has become a destabilising force in the past three years. So in inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Amnesty, the government was not oblivious to the halo effect which the Sultan’s call could bring to bear on the sect and committee members in arriving at a compromise. The committee headed by the National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki(rtd), representative of the State Security Service (SSS) and others were given as terms of reference, to examine the feasibility or otherwise of granting amnesty to the Boko Haram members; collating the clamour arising from different interest groups who want the federal government to administer clemency and recommending the modalities for granting it, if necessary.

Following this, some analysts have wondered whether the promise of amnesty would be potent and enticing enough to persuade Boko Haram faithful to abandon their wanton ways. Here, recent history is a guide. In the weeks running up to the London Conference on Afghanistan in 2010, President Hamid Karzai pushed through an amnesty deal with the Talibans as an incentive for reconciliation. In the process, most of the warlords and their fighters who had committed crimes against humanity had their names struck off the wanted list of the United Nations International Criminal Court of Justice at The Hague; the intention was to bring the insurgents to the negotiating table. More than two years after, the Taliban and its Al-Qaeda cousins have

IN THE CURRENT FRENZY TO ABSOLVE

ALL CRIMES, NO ONE IS SURE WHETHER THE COMMITTEE WOULD EVER RECOMMEND ANY CONDITIONS OR GUIDELINES continued on their killing ways, bombing out persons and places in Afghanistan that display any imprimatur of western civilisation.

The fears are that Nigeria may not be an exception to this fiendish rule. Given the discordant voices from the Boko Haram camp, it is becoming apparent that not all the warlords are enamoured of the amnesty bait. For the hard line puritans, nothing is going to assuage their bizarre dream of turning Nigeria into a theocratic state. And the only way to achieving this is through indiscriminate murder and mayhem. Even at that, amnesties are guided by certain rules and obligations that must be observed by the beneficiaries. In the current frenzy to absolve all crimes, no one is sure whether the committee would ever recommend any conditions or guidelines.

Definitely, those opposed to amnesty would argue that its enactment portends a total abdication of the state’s responsibility

Golf: McIlroy chases Augusta honours cision to enter the event in San Antonio for the first time in a bid to provide himself with competitive action ahead of the Masters.

Although he was unable to stop an inspired

Martin Laird from claiming the title after the Scot’s hugely impressive final round of 63, McIlroy insisted the past week had provided him with an ideal confidence boost heading to Augusta.

“I think over the last three rounds especially it’s been eliminating the stupid mistakes that I have made on the course, mental errors,” he said yesterday.

“You know, to finish

to investigate and prosecute crimes. They are asking, what happens to the victims and their rights to seek redress and justice? As it stands, the government is forcing victims to choose between justice and peace. The question is would the act not allow the insurgents and their backers get away with mass murder? And can the government convince Boko Haram adherents that they have more to gain by putting down their weapons? All these will be put to the test when the committee comes up with their proposals.

Despite such misgivings, it is still a welcome development that the Presidency is putting its sincerity on display. It is now left to the Boko Haram to reciprocate by coming out of their hovels to hand in their weapons and dialogue without preconditions.

There are those who continue to draw analogy between these insurgents and Niger Delta militants, especially in respect of amnesty. Much as the activities of the two groups fostered a situation of near anarchy in the country, the latter were never under illusions of pulling off a decisive military victory. And even when they still display occasional irrational streaks, many among them have embraced amnesty with passionate zeal.

The snag is that while Niger Delta militants have taken to western education to improve their personal lives and redress the region’s fortunes, the Boko Haram views anything western with odium and disdain.

But it is in their overall interest to avail themselves of the opportunity which an amnesty offers to reverse the hemorrhaging fortunes of their geopolitical zones and to see the futility in their quest for an ethereal utopia.

Definitely, the world would be watching their next move to see if there is any sense of urgency in bringing the present sad episode to a happy end. Sadly, their compatriots in other distressed lands with such grand vision of paradise on earth have held on to this false ideology for so long. We therefore, believe the Boko Haram adherents should abandon such spurious fantasies and embrace amnesty and peace.

off this tournament with a round like this is obviously great going into Augusta. I feel like my game is in good shape going into next week.”

Champions League Results Galatasaray

3-2

Madrid

Dortmund

3-2

Malaga

Rory McIlroy

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