Monday, august 10, 2015 (new 2) by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

CBN assures forex for eligible invisible transactions

THE

BUSINESS SECTION

Again, DPR seals 12 filling stations in Abuja P.4

…directs authorised dealers to prioritise genuine requests TOLA AKINMUTIMI

entral Bank of Nigeria, CBN, yesterday restated its commit-

Emefiele

Vol. 5 N0. 1174

statement by its Director, Corporate Communications, Ibrahim Mu’azu, assured the public that all legitimate requests for for-

ment to ensure that all “invisible” foreign exchange demands by legitimate users would consistently be met by it. The apex bank, in a

Monday, August 10, 2015

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

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National Mirror Online

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Anti-graft war:

OMEIZA AJAYI

Jonathan, Obasanjo meet Buhari I'm not witch-hunting PDP, says President Ooni: Isoros in last rites of passage

P.2

ABUJA

wo former Nigerian presidents have separately met President Muhammadu Buhari over what sources said may not be unconnected with the ongoing war against graft in the country. The meetings held separately with former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo were behind closed doors. First to meet Buhari was CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

P.4

We’re still on Saraki's wife’s case –EFCC P.12

Nigerian returnees from Cameroun boarding buses at Adamawa Red Brick Factory transit camp on their way to a permanent camp in Yola, yesterday.

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Monday, August 10, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jonathan, Obasanjo meet Buhari CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

his predecessor, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, who was at the president’s official residence on Thursday. Obasanjo’s meeting with Buhari took place the next day, Friday at the Presidential Villa. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, confirmed the two meetings but declined to give further details. Our correspondent also gathered that former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and his successor, Yakubu Dogara, were also at the Presidential Villa on Friday to meet with Buhari. Tambuwal is now the governor of Sokoto State. Sources said the meetings may not be unconnected with the ongoing efforts of President Buhari to probe the administration of Dr Jonathan. President Buhari has not spared officials of the immediate past administration, describing the level of corruption in the government then as “mind boggling” The government has since then beamed its searchlight on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, sacking the Group Managing Director, GMD, and all the Executive Directors. The government is also probing the management of the Excess Crude Account, ECA, under Jonathan. Some prominent officials of the government have also either been invited for questioning or arrested by security agencies. Meanwhile, President Buhari has ordered all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs to start paying into a Treasury Single Account, TSA, for all government revenues, incomes and other receipts. He said the measure is specifically to promote transparency and facilitate compliance with sections 80 and 162 of the 1999 Constitution. A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande said all receipts due to the Federal Government or any of its agencies must be paid into TSA or designated accounts maintained and op-

erated in the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, except otherwise expressly approved. The statement described a TSA as a unified structure of government bank accounts enabling consolidation and optimal utilisation of government cash resources. It is a bank account or a set of linked bank accounts through which government transacts all its receipts and payments and gets a consoli-

dated view of its cash position at any given time. This presidential directive would end the previous public accounting situation of several fragmented accounts for government revenues, incomes and receipts, which in the recent past has meant the loss or leakages of legitimate income meant for the federation account. According to him, this directive applies to fully

funded organs of government like Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Foreign Missions, as well as the partially funded ones, like Teaching Hospitals, Medical Centres, Federal Tertiary Institutions, etc. “Agencies like the CBN, SEC, CAC, NPA, NCC, FAAN, NCAA, NIMASA, NDIC, NSC, NNPC, FIRS, NCS, MMSD, DPR are also affected.

“For any agency that is fully or partially selffunding, Sub-Accounts linked to TSA are to be maintained at CBN and the accounting system will be configured to allow them access to funds based on their approved budgetary provisions,” he said. It would be recalled that Buhari had promised state governors at the inaugural meeting of the National Economic Council, NEC,

in June, that all revenues prescribed for lodgment into the federation account would be treated as such under his watch. He also said that he would ensure strict compliance with all relevant laws on accounting, allocation and disbursement. Since then the presidency has worked with relevant agencies of the Federal Government to evolve the new policy directive.

L-R: Member, House of Representatives, Hon. Lado Suleja; Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; representative of Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Adebunmi Adekanye, and Hon. Rabiu Kaugama, during the welcome and victory party for Hon. Gbajabiamila, in Lagos, yesterday.

I'm not witch-hunting PDP, says President OMEIZA AJAYI

resident Muhammadu Buhari has dismissed as baseless, allegations by the Senate Caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, accusing him of unnecessary witch-hunt over phony corruption charges. A statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu and made available to National Mirror last night said the president noted with regret, the allegation by members of the PDP Senate Caucus that his administration is being selective and partisan in its prosecution of the war against corruption. "We state without equivocation that the allegation is false, baseless and totally unjustifiable", he said. The statement said for the avoidance of any doubt

whatsoever, we affirm that having made his zero tolerance for corruption clear to all and sundry, President Muhammadu Buhari does not micro-manage or interfere in the daily work of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies. "The wild allegation of bias and partisanship in the fight against corruption shouldn’t have come therefore from respected and distinguished members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. "That claim belongs to the past and not the present. Public officials and other leaders accused of corruption by relevant agencies should plead their innocence, not malice. "President Buhari’s unwavering stance is that whosoever is charged with corruption should face the law irrespective of whether they are members of the of All Progressives Congress (APC) , Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP), or any other political party. "As far as the President is concerned, corruption has no political party, no religion and no ethnic group. "It is important to remind the PDP Senate Caucus and all Nigerians that right from 2003 when he started campaigning for the Presidency of Nigeria, President Buhari consistently promised to do his best to curb corruption in the country. "The President remains wholly committed to fulfilling that promise and will not be deterred from the relentless prosecution of the war against corruption because he remains convinced that, as he has said, “unless Nigeria kills corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria”. "The claim by the PDP Senate caucus that President Buhari and his administration are meddling in election petition cases

through the Department of State Services (DSS) is also untrue. "The duties of the DSS and other security agencies are clearly spelt out in the laws establishing them. The Federal Government led by President Buhari does not give them instructions regarding their daily operations. "Election Tribunals and the Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers, Abia and AkwaIbom States do not operate under the guidance of the President. "Any individual or group of individuals who think that their legitimate political and civil rights are infringed upon by the DSS or any institution is advised to seek protection and redress under our constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria instead of resorting to baseless allegations against the Buhari Administration.

"On President Buhari’s watch, the rule of law, not impunity, shall govern every aspect of life in Nigeria and there will be no room for sentiments, bias and corruption in the application of the laws of the land. "President Buhari also wishes to re-assure all Nigerians that his administration will not discriminate against individuals or groups in the performance of its duties and that favours or patronage will not be dispensed on the basis of votes. "The President remains committed to his Oath of Office and the letters and spirit of the constitution. "He calls on all Nigerians to join hands with him in the fight against insecurity, corruption and impunity in Nigeria so that we can have a country that will prosper for the benefit of all of its citizens and future generations of Nigerians", Shehu stated.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

PAGE

Monday, August 10, 2015

Good Health

Researchers detect high level cancer substance in foreign rice! FRANKA OSAKWE

…Local rice safer –SA to Agric Minister

ew research says it is no longer safe to eat imported rice and rice products daily due to the high level of arsenic, a cancer-causing trace element, found in them. At high levels, arsenic, over time, can cause cancer. According to a recent investigation by the world’s largest independent producttesting/consumer-advocacy organization in America, Consumer Reports, more than half of the most popular rice products in Britain including Kellogg’s Rice Krispies and Smooth Baby Rice by Heinz, Uncle Ben’s, Goya, Earth’s Best Organic and Gerber- all had high level of arsenic. The organization recently tested 200 samples of different rice products – from organic rice, baby cereal and brown rice to rice crispies - and found alarmingly high levels of arsenic present. Organic original puffed rice cereal by Kallo Foods was found to have 323 parts of arsenic per billion (ppb) while Organic wholegrain baby rice by Organix was found to have 268 ppb – 168 per cent above recommended levels for babies and children. Also, Rice Krispies by Kelloggs were found to have 188 ppb, far above the recommended levels for babies and children. This has raised concern as inorganic arsenic is known to cause lung, skin and bladder cancers, as well as a host of other lifelong health problems. A similar test by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also found the arsenic levels in 200 rice products they recently tested, yielded similar results. But the agency said it will not make any recommendations about altering the consumption of rice or rice products until it has tested an additional 1,000 rice samples, which will reportedly be completed by year end.

However, high level of arsenic has not been found in Nigeria local rice, Dr. Olukayode Oyeleye, the special adviser to the outgoing Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, told National Mirror. “It is common where rice is grown in flooded fields, in conditions entailing the cultivation of swamp rice. It is this flooding that releases inorganic arsenic, normally locked up in soil minerals, which makes it available for the plants to uptake. “We are not under as much risk from rice produced in Nigeria, which is mostly the upland type of rice. We have also not subjected our land to as much of intensive rice production as found in Asian countries of India, Vietnam, Thailand and even China where this arsenic problem is pronounced. This arises from years of repeated cultivation of the same piece of

DID YOU KNOW?

Saturated fats can reverse early stage diabetes

aturated fats found in butter, whole milk and yoghurt could help reverse the early stages of diabetes in humans, a new study suggests. The findings are part of growing scientific evidence that cholesterol and some fats may not be as bad as once thought. Dr Stephanie Venn-Watson at the National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) in the US said: “We hypothesize that widespread

movement away from whole fat dairy products in human populations may have created unanticipated heptadecanoic acid deficiencies and, in turn, this dietary deficiency may be playing a role in the global diabetes pandemic. “Butter may have both good and bad saturated fats, but it’s always best to check with your physician before making changes to your diet.” Her study examined the diets of bottlenose dolphins and the impact of fatty acids on their metabolism. It found the creatures can switch in and out of diabetes-like states and are able to develop metabolic syndrome, a subclinical condition called prediabetes in humans.

Dr. Oyeleye

land under flooding condition”, he said. To save Nigerians from the risk of cancer, Dr. Oyeleye called for import regulation of food products, “since a bulk of what we consume (rice and fish) are

cientists at Leicester University, UK have discovered that a miracle ingredient in red wine called resveratrol, can protects against bowel cancer. According to them, a tiny amount of resveratrol in a single drink is even more powerful than the much higher doses found in supplements sold in health food shops. The researchers said some compounds may work best when taken at the sort of doses found in nature. Resveratrol, which is found in the skin of red grapes and gives the fruit its colour, is credited with a host of other health benefits, from staving off heart disease to keeping the mind sharp.

imported. Imported rice poses more of arsenic risk than that which is produced locally. Nigerian rice is therefore safer and more nutritious”, he added. However, Dr. Oyeleye, explained that high level of arsenics are not found in rice alone. According to him, other food items (particularly the sea foods) are known to contain high levels of arsenic. “Arsenic poisoning is a global problem arising from naturally occurring arsenic in ground water. The dominant basis of arsenic poisoning is from ground water that naturally contains high concentrations of arsenic. A 2007 study found that over 137 million people in more than 70 countries are probably affected by arsenic poisoning from drinking water”, He further said. While the health effects of arsenic in food are still unknown, researchers say at high levels, arsenic, over time, can cause cancer. “This is a known carcinogen linked to several types of cancer, including lung cancer, skin cancer and bladder cancer,” said Keeve Nachman, food safety scientist at Johns Hopkins University. The scientists are particularly worried about children who consume these foreign rice products. “We think children should consume even less of rice products because they are more vulnerable to the toxic effects of arsenic,” said Urshavi Rangan, one of the scientists who ran the study for Consumer Reports. On precautionary measures, Consumer Reports recommends cutting back on rice and eating it in moderation while some experts suggests washing the rice to get rid of some of the arsenic, soaking and rinsing it in a bowl of water until the water is clear.

Red wine can protects against bowel cancer So, to find out why, researcher Karen Brown studied resveratrol’s ability to prevent bowel cancer in mice genetically programmed to develop the disease. When mice were given a dose equivalent to what an adult human would ingest from a large glass of red wine, she found a low dose was twice as good at stopping tumours from growing as one 200 times higher. Writing in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Professor Brown said she was ‘amazed’ by the result, but added that the compound only had an anti-cancer effect when the mice ate fatty food.

Photo News

Monday, August 10, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Interim Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers Aeronautical Division, Group Capt. John Obakpolo; Chairman on the occasion, Dr. Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi; Guest Speaker, Mr. Aliyu Edoji Aliyu and MD, NAMA, Engr. Ibrahim Abulsalam, during the 2015 Annual Public Lecture of Nigerian Society of Engineers Aeronautical Division, in Lagos, recently. PHOTO: ADEYANJU

L-R: Group Managing Director/CEO, Masters Reality Int’l Concepts Ltd and concessionaire of Alade Market, Mr. Lai Omotola: Executive Secretary, Ikeja Local Government Council, Alhaji Adekunle Dally-Adedokun and Iyaloja-General, Alade Market Men and Women Association, Mrs. Elizabeth Aina-Adenuga, during the inauguration ceremony of Alade Market Relocation Committee, at the council secretariat in Ikeja, Lagos, at the weekend.

L-R: Special Guest of Honour, Hajiya Hadiza El-Rufai; Chairman, Sacred Heart Primary School, Mrs. Ranti Audu and Chairman, Governors Board of the school, Alhaji Mansur Ahmed, during the 50th years anniversary of the school in Kaduna, yesterday.

L-R: New Governor, District 9110, Otunba Bola Onabadejo; his wife, Mrs. Onabadejo and new President of Rotary Club of Palmgrove, Mr. Pradeep Pahalwani during the governor’s visit to the club, yesterday.

National News

Again, DPR seals 12 filling stations in Abuja Chidi Ugwu ABUJA

epartment of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has sealed 12 filling stations in Abuja, bringing to 34 the number of outlets shut recently for profiteering and selling above government-approved price. A statement issued by Mohammed Usman, DPR Zonal Operations Controller, Abuja, stated that surveillance was carried out by four teams cover-

ing Abuja and environs. A total of 46 filling stations were visited and the exercise indicated availability of PMS in the stations with some queues observed. According to him, 12 stations were sealed at the end of the exercise. The stations are Harry Pet in Gwagwalada, which was sealed for selling PMS for N110; Drison Oil at Giri, sealed for selling at N100 and Ohinoyi Oil, in Kwali sealed for under-dispensing with -3770mls.

Gausiya had one pump and was sealed for under-dispensing with-740mls, Adelhi Ltd. at Masaka for selling at N105, Hariz Pet at Masaka for selling at N110, Oando Plc at Maraba Aso for suspected diversion of 45,000 litres of PMS. Mobil New Nyanya have one pump and was sealed for under dispensing with-730mls, Badeggi Petrol station at Dikko Junction for selling PMS N110, Edewa Ltd at Kwamba Suleja for sell-

ing at N105, Shemaco, Kwamba Suleja for selling at N97/l‎ and Dee Jones, Kwamba, Suleja for selling at N105 and under dispensing with ‎-420mls. He said affected stations are to remain sealed for at least one month as well as forfeiting their bridging claims for the products in question. It would be recalled that 22 stations had earlier been sealed for indulging in the same criminal offences.

Ooni: Isoros in last rites of passage Boladale Bamigbola OSOGBO

embers of Isoro Confrater nity yesterday began the last part of rites of passage for Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade. Our correspondent learnt that items for the last and open part of the rites have been assembled in Ile Oodua, giving rise to insinuations that formal announcement of Oba Sijuade’s passage may come before end of the week. Sources in Ile Oodua told our correspondent yesterday that the Isoros, a powerful deity in Ife

kingdom, have procured necessary materials for the burial as tradition demands. Last part of the rites, it was learnt, will involve the use of an item called Ikaro, which had been procured by the Isoros. Also, the rite as gathered, will also involve materials donated by all indigenous deities in Ile-Ife according to tradition.

JTF nabs 6 suspects of military base attack –Spokesman

oint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta has arrested six suspected pirates who attacked and killed four of its soldiers and a policeman at Nembe in Bayelsa State. A statement issued by Lt.-Col. Isa Ado, JTF

spokesman yesterday in Yenagoa, said soldiers raided and destroyed militants camp at Ke community in Degema in a reprisal attack. “In a swift reaction to the August 7 attack on our troops along Nembe Community in Bayelsa,

JTF carried out Cordon and Search Operation on suspected militants’ camp responsible for the attack at Ke Community in Degema LGA, Rivers State. “The camp was destroyed by JTF troops, while 6 suspects compris-

ing four male and two females were arrested. ‘Large quantities of arms and live ammunition were recovered from the camp. “The arrested suspects are in the custody of the JTF and are helping the Task Force in the inves-

tigation that will lead to the arrest of other fleeing suspects and their sponsors,” Ado said. According to Ado other items recovered from the militants’ camp included 3 speed boats, communication gadgets and generators.

The spokesman said that men of the Task Force were in pursuit of other fleeing suspects. He appealed to the people to furnish the JTF with credible information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Monday, August 10, 2015

CBN assures forex for eligible invisible transactions CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

eign currency for eligible transactions, normally referred to as “invisibles”, shall be fully met at the official/interbank exchange rate. It listed some of such as remittances as including those for school fees, student maintenance allowances, Business Travel Allowance, BTA, Personal Travel Allowance, PTA, medical and other eligible transactions. The bank also confirmed that so far all the legitimate demands for such transactions through recognised channels had been fully met by CBN. To ensure that such genuine requests are treated without delays, it directed all authorized dealers in foreign exchange in the country to treat as top priority all legitimate demand for foreign exchange for eligible transactions. This is even as it advised individuals that wish to source foreign currency for such eligible transactions to approach their banks with their legitimate demand as adequate provisions of foreign currency for all such legitimate and eligible purposes had been made by it. CBN clarified: “Furthermore, holders of naira denominated debit and credit cards shall continue

to have access to the use of their cards at POS machines in any part of the world but subject to the annual limit of $50,000. POS withdrawals (cash) shall continue to be a maximum of $300 per day. “The general public is hereby advised to channel any complaints arising from any authorized dealer’s refusal to process such legitimate demand to the Director, Consumer Protection Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, for necessary action”, the bank added. It would be recalled that in recent weeks, the current strategies being adopted by the apex bank to manage the forex market had generated public discourse, with some stakeholders expressing fears that the approach might hurt some sectors of the economy. However, the apex bank has consistently dismissed such fears, saying that the measures on the foreign exchange management are informed by the need to stabilise the naira exchange rate, boost foreign reserves and achieve macroeconomic stability, amongst other benefits to the country. For instance, the apex bank authorities had while reacting to a publication by ‘The Economist’ recently stated that the nation’s foreign exchange policy mea-

sures were guided by national interests rather than by the selfish interests of individuals or groups. In a statement issued by Mua’zu, the management pointed out that the measures were informed by the peculiar nature of the Nigerian economy and the need to promote the nation’s macroeconomic stability. Faulting the position of the magazine in its article titled ‘Toothpick Alert’, as totally misplaced; the

CBN stated that the article seemed to ignore the fact that the exchange rate remained a price that is essentially determined by the forces of supply and demand. It pointed out that based on its belief that the 48 per cent drop in oil prices might not be transitory, bold policy changes were undertaken, including closure of the subsidized Official FX Window, which resulted in a 22 per cent depreciation in the currency,

the Naira, which remained justified. For instance, while commenting on CBN’s foreign exchange policy, a seasoned financial analyst and Chief Executive Officer of Financial Derivatives Company, FDC, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, expressed support for the apex bank’s foreign exchange policy, saying the measures taken so far by the bank were desirable for the financial system and economy. Rewane said: “Monetary

policies always go after fiscal policies and what the CBN is doing is right. Right now, the monetary authority has to continue what it is doing until fiscal policy becomes clear.” Other analysts have also maintained the same position on the current thrusts of the apex bank’s foreign exchange management, with some of them seeking minor adjustments of some of the policy provisions in order to achieve the objectives in the economy.

L-R: Executive Director, Tabitha Cumi Foundation, Arc. Tayo Erinle; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Mrs. Fatima Bamidele and Australia High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Jonathan Richardson, during the unveiling and launch of Girls Safety Initiative Campaign in Abuja, at the weekend. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

NCS seizes N197m contraband, arrests 30 suspects in Owerri

igeria Customs Service, NCS, Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone “C” Owerri, said it seized 48 contrabands with Duty Paid Value, DPV, of N197.38m in July. The Customs Area Comptroller, CAC, of the unit, Mr. David Dimka, announced this while addressing newsmen on the performance of the unit in Owerri yesterday. He said 30 suspects were arrested in connection with the smuggling on the Benin/Asaba Expressway, Ower ri/Por t-harcour t Road and Enugu axis. He said 20 cases were now pending in the court in respect of the seizures. Dimka said apart from the 48 seizures, an underpayment of N24.25m was also recovered. According to him, the

breakdown shows that 69 bales of second hand clothes; 39 vehicles; 139 pieces of used tyres; 244 pairs of used foot wears and 60 bags of 50kg rice were seized. He expressed displeasure at the increased number of exotic vehicles seized by the unit on daily basis. The area comptroller advised members of the public who wished to purchase vehicles to go through the official channels. He advised them to always verify from the customs before investing their money. Dimka warned that all illegally imported goods would be impounded as ignorance of the law was no excuse. He also warned that the NCS would not succumb to “senseless and irratio-

nal pleadings for leniency and pardon by individuals caught in the act of smuggling.” He said it would amount to compromising the statutory responsibilities of the establishment. Dimka decried the upsurge of smuggling of

goods in the country in spite of obvious stiff penalties for culprits. He assured that the service would never be deterred in its mission to bring the scourge to its barest minimum. He lamented the harm being inflicted on the na-

tion’s economy by smugglers, their sponsors and collaborators. He warned such unpatriotic individuals to desist from their nefarious activities as the NCS was now better equipped, trained and motivated to tackle smuggling.

Dimka warned those still indulged in smuggling to be mindful that the shady deal had brought sorrows and grief to those arrested and their families. He urged them to turn a new leaf before it was too late.

Kano govt offers free eye surgery to 44,000 patients

o fewer than 44,000 people will benefit from free eye surgery organised by the Kano State Government, in conjunction UNICEF, CHAI and Sight boost Initiative Nigeria. Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said this yesterday in Kano during the beginning of the exercise. He said the beneficiaries were selected from the 44 local government areas of

the state. “This programme is organised by the state government and we are targeting 44,000 vulnerable people to benefit from the gesture,” he said. He said blindness caused by eye cataract in the state was high before the intervention of the government. “From the research conducted, we discovered that about 43 per cent of the

people in the state were blind, due to eye cataract. “And it is even the reason we started the programme to assist our people who cannot afford the payment of the surgery,” he said. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kabir Getso, commended the development partners for supporting the state in providing free eye treatment for the people.

He urged individuals and corporate organisations to emulate the joint effort. The commissioner assured the people that the state government would continue to sustain the provision of medical care to them. Mallam Saidu Ali, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the government for the gesture.

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Monday, August 10, 2015

Poll: APC should forget about Bayelsa –Ijaw Assembly

Ogun moves to enhance land administration Ebere Ndukwu

gun State government, as part of its efforts to ensure that land administration meets global standard and enhances the economic value of the state, has set up three Continuously Operating Reference Stations, CORS, in Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode and Agbara. The Director-General for Bureau of Lands and Survey, Adewale Oshinowo, who disclosed this in his office, said CORS is multipurpose, automated, GPS-based and essential tool for the Geographical Information System, GIS, used by governments, scientists, surveyors, construction companies and other professionals. He added that the facilities were the main reason for enormous contribution to the development of various land reforms in the state. Oshinowo explained that CORS is capable of receiving information continuously without any interference, saying the three out of seven stations proposed for effective coverage in Ogun, had internet connection making them visible globally. According to him, CORS beams over 70 kilometres radius, each with an overlap among them to produce corrections and give accurate location of boundaries. He said: “The CORS in Ogun State is the backbone of GIS which has made survey easy and is being used to capture, store, analyse, share, manage and display all types of spatial and attributes data in the bureau. It has helped to centrally manage land, supported the digitalisation of C-ofO production against the manual process and helped in the quick determination of water level and its position in effective management of flood.” While stressing that CORS system addresses issues like distribution, archiving, quality control of the data that it collects and records GPS observation data all the time, he noted that through the use of CORS, the agricultural sector and land use could be analysed for proper management.

open letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan that Senator Anyim had used the project as conduit to siphon public fund while Ojuogboh had not only raised similar concern but also raised the alarm that Anyim was after his life for attracting attention to the purported corruption being perpetrated with the centenary project. Anyim, in two separate writs of summon issued through his counsel, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, is contending that the separate publications credited to Ojougboh and Frank in some national dailies of July 13 and 15 respectively concerning his person and integrity were false, un-

founded and libelous. The plaintiff further submitted that the publication was also injurious to his reputation in his personal credit and character, and official capacities as former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the former Senate President. Anyim is consequently seeking an order compelling the duo of Ojuogboh and Frank to pay him N1 billion each as damages and publish retractions regarding the allegations. He also wants the court to issue a separate order compelling them to write him a letter of apology over the purported libelous statements.

He said the sum of N1 billion each sought from the duo of Ojuogboh and Frank is to represent general, aggravated, punitive and exemplary damages over embarrassment, public odiun, derision, ridicule, obloquy, mental agony, psychological trauma which the publications caused him. He submitted that the defendants maliciously concocted the story to mislead the public and the anticorruption agencies with a view to clamping down on the Centenary City project and destroy the public investment and faith in the project. No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

jaw Peoples Assembly, IPA, has called on national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, not to dissipate energy and resources on the December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa State because the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson, will win. Already, plans are on to convene a stakeholders meeting of all Ijaw in Yenagoa to unanimously endorse the candidacy of the governor for the election. A statement issued yesterday by the spokesperson of IPA, Tom Kombowei Davidson, said with the backing of prominent Ijaw leaders and key stakeholders who have unanimously endorsed the governor for a second term, the chances of the opposition were minimal. According to him, having regard to his performance record in the last three years, Dickson deserved re-election. Davidson stated that as a deliberate action to mobilise the generality of the people to rally round Dickson’s reelection, a meeting of notable Ijaw leaders and key stakeholders would soon be convened in Yenagoa where they will unanimously endorse the candidacy of the governor for the December 5 election.

North-East and recent escalation of militancy, piracy and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta. “So, personnel must be physically fit and alert to enable them be in a better position to perform their duties when deployed to operational areas to combat security challenges.” Buratai said the gymnasium built by Brig.-Gen. Koko Essien, Commander 2 Brigade, conformed to his vision of putting in place a professionally responsive army that would expertly perform its constitutional roles. In a bid to improve living conditions and boost morale of personnel, the army chief said all dilapidated accommodation structures in barracks and units across the country

would be renovated within six months. Meanwhile, the Nigerian army said yesterday it had begun mop-up of all illegal refineries in Rivers and environs. Brig.-Gen. Essien, Commander 2 Brigade Army Port Harcourt, said in OguBolo, Rivers, that the operation had so far discovered and destroyed 60 illegal refineries in 13 days. “The 2 Brigade Army Port Harcourt is conducting 30 days ‘Operation clean-up’ of illegal refineries in areas covering Onne, Kedera, Bedera, Bolo and several other areas of the state. “The purpose of the operation is in our renewed effort to stamp out all illegal bunkering activities and illegal refineries in our

area of responsibility. “So far, the operation has led to the discovery and destruction of 60 illegal refineries in just 13 days,” he said. He said the operation had adopted the use of “Swamp Buggy” machine, which crushed metallic tanks, thereby making it impossible for oil thieves to revive destroyed refineries. Essien, represented by Lt.-Col. Adebayo Lawal, Commanding Officer of the Brigade’s Intelligence Group, said the operation was in response to renewed commitment to tackle oil theft. “We realised that whenever we burn down illegal refineries with metal tanks, and some days after our troops leave the scene, the oil thieves would return

and revive the refineries. “The use of Swamp Buggy machines is very effective in such that the tactics makes the refineries impossible to be restored,” he said. Essien assured the exercise would be sustained until all illegal refineries in the state were completely destroyed. He said despite the destruction, the task force would continue to carry out air and ground surveillance of the creeks to ensure that new illegal refineries did not spring up. He warned criminals to look for legitimate means of making money, saying the task force would arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable of sabotaging oil and gas installations.

L-R: Former media aide to the late President Musa Yar’Adua, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi; Chairman, panel of judges, Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative, Prof. Pat Utomi; Human Resources Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Victor Famuyibo and Corporate Affairs Adviser, Mr. Kufre Ekanem, during the inauguration of panel of judges for Maltina Teacher of the Year initiative of the Nigerian Breweries/Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund at Star Academy of the company in Lagos, at the weekend.

Centenary City project: Anyim sues PDP chieftains for N2bn Ise-Oluwa Ige

ormer Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, has slammed a N2 billion libel suit against the National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, South-South, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh and the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Timi Frank, at an Abuja High Court for alleged damaging publication against him regarding the multibillion dollar contract of the Centenary City project. Frank had written an

Buratai orders physical, mental alertness against insurgency PORT D ennis Naku, HARCOURT

hief of Army Staff, COAS, Maj.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, has charged soldiers to be physically fit and mentally alert as the fight against insurgency and oil theft rages. Buratai made the call at the inauguration of a gymnasium built for army personnel of 2 Brigade Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital. He said, “As professionals, officers and soldiers must be physically fit at all times as physical training will enable them have stamina and endurance to withstand security challenges confronting the nation. “We know the challenges the nation is facing in the

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Monday, August 10 2015

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Ex-gov, others appointed board, commission members in Ekiti Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

ormer acting governor of Ekiti State, Tunji Odeyemi, and former Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Dele Olugbemi, are among new boards and commissions’ members in Ekiti State. While Odeyemi, who was speaker of the state’s Assembly before he became acting governor, was appointed Chairman of the House of Assembly Service Commission, Olugbemi, immediate past Speaker of the Assembly is to serve as a member of the commission. Other members of the Assembly Service Commission, according to a statement yesterday by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, are Bode Ajewole, Mrs Lanre Fajuyi and Prince Muyiwa Fadahunsi. A Hausa settler, Musa Ahmed, and an Ebira man resident in the state, Abdulwahab Saliu, were

also appointed members of the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, which has Lateef Agbaje as chairman. Other members of the Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board are Azeez Amusa, Alhaja Falilat, Raheem Adeparusi and Ramatu Ologundudu. Adelusi listed other appointments to include the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, which has Senator Bode Ola as chairman, Tayelolu Olatunji, commissioner 1, Gboyega Ayenimo, commissioner 2, Gbenga Oluwatuyi, part time, and Dokun Bolarinwa, part time member. The Judicial Service Commission also has Pastor Dele Adesina (SAN), Bar Babatunde Adeoye, Bar Obafemi Adewale and Bunmi Olugbade as members. Also appointed are Gboyega Akinola as member, College of Education, Ikere Governing Council Board and Abeni Olayinka as board memberof the College of Health Technology, Ijero-Ekiti

OPC: Adams’ group denounces Balogun’s faction

yo State Coordinator of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Chief Adeagbo Adeola, has warned a factional leader of the group, Razak Balogun, to stop parading himself as one of them. Adeola urged Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, and members of the public to disregard the group and their evil plan to cause dissatisfaction within the ranks of OPC. Adeola was reacting to a statement credited to Balogun calling on the National Coordinator of OPC, Otunba Gain Adams, to step down from his position. The statement: “The said Razak Balogun, who described himself as an acting president of the group, was indeed dismissed from the organisation about five months ago for anti-congress activities by the

Lagos State Coordinator of OPC, Alhaji Mutair Adeshina, which was widely published. ”Before the latest move by the dissidents, whose only aim is to destroy an organisation that was built with the sweat and blood of several sons and daughters of Oodua, some other evil minded people have made other attempts to cause disaffection among our ranks and files. And I can confidently tell you that these ones too will fail like their previous colleagues. “Shortly after the 2015 general elections, a group of over ambitious young members, led by one Akande, who has been expelled since 2007 held a press conference to misinformed the public about our leader and to cause disharmony within the OPC, but failed because God and the gods of our land were behind us.

L-R: President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Waheed Odusile; Chief Press Secretary to Lagos State Governor, Alhaji Haruna Abeeb and Chairman, NUJ, Lagos State, Mr. Deji Elumoye, during a reception in honour of the new NUJ President in Lagos, at the weekend. PHOTO: ADEYANJU OLOWOJOBA

Oloyede’s allegations against me all lies –Aregbesola Boladale Bamigbola OSOGBO

overnor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State at the weekend responded to some of the allegations raised by Justice Folahanmi Oloyede in her petition against him, describing the allegations as “all lies and unfounded”. Aregbesola, who spoke personally on the issue for the first time since the petition was reported in the media at the 50th birthday celebration of Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, in Osogbo, also accused journalists of working to oust him from office. Aregbesola explained that even if Osun State’s

share of the monthly federal allocations was up to N10 billion, it would not have amounted to more than N480 billion in four years. “How come then they alleged that I have collected N538 billion from the federation account during my first tenure in office? he queried. “Most of them (journalists) want me out of office, but I will triumph over them,” the governor said. Describing the allegation as “an outright falsehood,” the governor averred that the state did not collect up to N5 billion per month for a long period of time, adding that it even collected as meagre as N466 million in one month. According to him, despite having access to information about federal allocations that

accrued to states in the federation every month as such information was usually published, “they (journalists) still publish figures allegedly dished out by my administration’s detractors, which does not tally with the actual allocations in recent times, in order to put us in disrepute.” Blaming the nation’s economic woes on large scale oil theft by few individuals during former President Jonathan’s reign, Aregbesola added that his previous allegations were proved right by American intelligence report which he claimed put the nation’s oil theft when Jonathan was president at almost 1 billion barrel per day. Aregbesola also dismissed allegation that he

had been governing Osun from Cuba and Saudi Arabia, stressing that he had not gone on leave since since1999. He added that attendance at the weekly State Executive Council meetings in the state made available by the cabinet office revealed that out of the 128 executive council meetings held within the period under review, he attended 102 times. “The last time I was in Cuba was when my son graduated from that country. People should not use the bilateral relation between Cuba and Osun State to create false impression that I have been visiting the country. It is not true,” the governor said.

Court sacks Ondo monarch Ojo Oyewamide AKURE

n Ondo High Court has sacked the Akinnuwa of Igbindo, Oba John Olanji Ogundoju, in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State. The court also asked the ruling house and kingmakers to commence afresh the process of electing a new monarch for the town. Ogundoju’s sack came barely two weeks after his installation as monarch of the town by the state government. The presiding judge,

Justice Bode Adegbehingbe, declared that since Ogundoju was not from the male lineage, his choice as monarch was illegal. The age-long tradition of the town states that only a son from the male lineage can be installed as monarch of the town. Ogundoju, who is from the female lineage of Ogbowo Okun Ruling House, was installed following the demise of Oba Pius Aderinluwo Adedoyegbe of the Otutubiosun Ruling House in 2011. However, some princes from Ogbowo Okun Ruling House led by Adetutu

Fashole and Okunade Makinde Fashole headed to court, challenging Ogundoju’s eligibility as the Akinnuwa of Igbindo. They sought a court declaration that by virtue of the “age-long custom and tradition of ascension to the stool of Akinnuwa of Igbindoland, it is the only male line of the applicable ruling house and in this case the Ogbowo Okun ruling house that is eligible to fill the stool anytime it is vacant.” They stated that based on the White Paper on the Olayiwola Chieftaincy Review Commission of 1982, it was the turn of Ogbowo

Okun Ruling House to produce the next monarch of the town. The plaintiffs asked the court to declare that Ogundoju was not qualified to contest the stool of Akinnuwa, stating that all the defendants were from the female lineage of Ogbowo Okun ruling house and hence not qualified for the throne. However, the defendants claimed that they were all members of the ruling house; hence they were qualified to be the monarch of the town, stating that both male and female members were qualified for the throne.

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Appeal Court overrules tribunal on petition against senator Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

ourt of Appeal in Ibadan at the weekend set aside a ruling of the Justice Tanko Usman-led National and State House of Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal on the petition filed by Senator Olufemi Lanlehin against the election of Senator Adesoji Akanbi. Lanlehin, who was Accord Party, AP, candidate in Oyo South senatorial district election of March 28, is challenging the declaration of Akanbi of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the election. The tribunal had in a ruling delivered on June 23, granted an application for extension of time filed on June 4 by the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, third and fourth respondents, respectively, in the petition. Under the 2010 Electoral Act (as amended), a respondent is required to file a reply to an election petition not later than 21 days from

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Monday, August 10 2015

the day of service of the petition. Lanlehin’s counsel, Chief Richard Ogunwole, SAN, had challenged the competence of the application seeking extension of time for Akeju and INEC, who filed their responses 44 days after being served with the petition. But the tribunal, while interpreting Paragraph 45 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act had anchored its decision to extend time out of the statutory time limit on exercise of discretionary power. Dissatisfied with the ruling, counsel to Lanlehin headed for the appellate court, where he contended that the tribunal erred in law by taking such decision as it lacked the fundamental jurisdictional competence to so act. The three-member Appeal Court panel headed by Justice N. Okoronkwo, in a unanimous judgment, held that the tribunal lacked the power to extend time for Akeju and INEC because the provision of Section 285 subsection 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which limits the time for election petition, does not brook any challenge.

Police nab notorious car thief in Ondo Ojo Oyewamide AKURE

suspected car snatcher, Jeremiah Ehindero, has been arrested by Ondo State Police Command. Police sources said the suspect was arrested at the weekend in Badagry, Lagos State, after dispossessing one Albert Oluwasegun of his Toyota Picnic car in Ondo town.‎ The suspect was said to have earlier been declared wanted by Delta State Police Command over similar crime. Narrating his ordeal,

Oluwasegun said the suspect hired his car from Ore to Owo and dispossessed him of it in Ondo town where they had stopped to relax. Oluwasegun, an Orebased commercial driver, explained that the suspect instructed him to stop at a relaxation centre in Ondo where he offered him a soft drink believed to have been drugged. He said he instantly lost his senses after taking the drink and went into coma for several hours, only to wake up thereafter and discovered

that the suspect had disappeared with his vehicle. According to Oluwasegun, he immediately reported the matter to the police in the state, who later tracked and arrested the suspect in Badagry. Ehindero confessed to the crime and later took the police to Ibadan where he sold the vehicle to a businessman identified as Olalekan. He is currently detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, SCIID, Akure‎, the state capital. Police Public Relations

Officer, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect was undergoing interrogation. Ogodo assured the public that he (the suspect) would be arraigned in court as soon as investigations into the matter are concluded. He said: “It is true that we have arrested one Jeremiah Ehindero, who is not in any way related to the former IGP, Sunday Ehindero. The name is a coincidence. Investigation into the matter is ongoing. The suspect will soon appear in court.”

Ekiti CJ frees 34 prison inmates Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

kiti State Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, has ordered the release of 34 awaiting trial inmates from Federal Prisons, Ado-Ekiti. The chief judge gave the order after reviewing the cases of 273 awaiting trial inmates during his visit to the prison. Daramola also called on religious bodies, nongovernmental and publicspirited organisations to support government’s efforts in making the prisons truly correctional centres by donating relevant materials to the facility. The CJ ordered unconditional release for 11 of the 34 inmates, while the remaining 23 were released on the advice of the State Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, that they had no case to answer.

The judge advised the released inmates to be of good behaviour. Three other inmates were also granted bail. Addressing stakeholders after the exercise, the CJ praised the prison authorities for the clean environment and remarkable improvement in the prison facilities since his last visit last year. He also lauded the prison authorities for the provision of a clinic and some sports facilities for the inmates but stressed the need to ensure the clinic is provided adequate medical personnel and drugs. Commending stakeholders involved in the administration of criminal justice in the state for their contributions to the dispensation of justice, he however urged them to redouble efforts to ensure that justice is delivered speedily in all matters.

Chief Oyekunle Alex-Duduyemi; his wife, Stella, with other dignitaries cutting cake at a ceremony to mark Chief Alex-Duduyemi’s 80th birthday in Lekki, yesterday.

Ondo youths accuse ex-militant leader of harassment Theophilus Onojeghen WARRI

ouths from Ajapa community in Ondo State have decried what they described as incessant harassment of its indigenes by a former militant leader and field commander of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Chief Bibopere Ajube alias Shoot-at-Sight. The youths acting under the aegis of Ajapa Youth Movement, AYM, in Ese-Odo Local Government Area, accused the ex-militant leader of terrorising the community

unlawfully by preventing members of the community from farming and fishing on their land. A statement issued by the youth spokesperson, Mr. Ebi Krokemefatei, made available to National Mirror in Warri, said the former warlord has been using security agents with ex-militants to harass and arrest indigenes perceived to have worked against President Goodluck Jonathan during the presidential election. Krokemefatei said indigenes of the community since the general election could no longer fish or farm on their land

because of the activities of the former militant leader who they accused of erecting “militant barracks” all over the community despite the amnesty programme, which forbids militancy in the Niger Delta region. The group said the exmilitant leader, a loyalist of former militant warlord, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), who reportedly worked for former President Goodluck Jonathan through the former Presidential Amnesty Coordinator, Kingsley Kuku, has been using security agents with his foot-sol-

diers to harass and arrest persons perceived to be clamouring for change in the community during the presidential elections and had voted against Jonathan. The statement alleged that the ex-militant leader who allegedly erected his militant camps around the community and the entire Arogbo Kingdom often uses military personnel who provide him security in the area to harass innocent villagers. Efforts by our correspondent to speak with Ayube on the allegations proved abortive as calls to his telephone line were not connecting.

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Monday, August 10, 2015

Community laments abandoned Isi-Uzo road Dennis Agbo ENUGU

eople of Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State have cried out to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to come to their rescue and complete the celebrated Ugwogo-Neke-Ikem road started by the administration of ex-Governor Sullivan Chime, but couldn’t complete it. Residents of Ikem community, who spoke with our correspondent, decried the nightmarish experience of crossing Ebenyi bridge at Ikem-Uno and urged the new administration to pity the plight of motorists, which include indigenes and travellers plying the road to connect neighbouring communities in Udenu

council, Benue and Ebonyi states. A businessman at the local government headquarters, Ndubuisi Odo, lamented that his business across the Ebenyi River has remained paralysed due to difficulty in crossing the hanging bridge built shortly after end of the civil war in 1970. An auto panel-beater at Ikem junction, located across the river, confessed that his business has been good since the bridge pans would always pull the exhausts of most vehicles that attempt crossing the risky bridge. The vulcaniser in the same location told the same story of making brisk business from deflated tyres. Traditional ruler of IkemUno, Igwe Okechechukwu Ogbodo, while appreciating

the effort of the past administration in constructing the road, pleaded with new state administration to help complete construction of the bridge and the remaining few meters of the road to join Nsukka-Nkalagu road at Ukwumango. The monarch disclosed that the hanging bridge was being maintained by community effort, particularly the late President-General of Ikem community, Engr. Greg Ugwueze, adding that since Ugwueze’s demise, condition of the bridge has worsened and became impassable. Investigation from the state ministry of works indicated that the bridge was awarded at the cost of N350m to a different contractor from Greyline Construction Company that constructed

the 28km Ugwogo-Ikem road, yet the bridged remained uncompleted by the past administration. It was also learnt that the contractor was not mobilised up to 20 percent of the contract sum, yet sourced money to erect piles of the bridge in the hope that the past administration would pay up before May 29. Unfortunately, that did not happen and the contractor was frustrated, thus withdrawing from site. Another resident of IsiUzo local council, Ugwu Ishingene from Neke, also lamented that even the tarred road from Ugwogo with shoulders and drains of the road have remained uncompleted and pleaded with the new administration of Ugwuanyi to come to their rescue.

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Taskforce enforces crash helmets in Anambra

he joint security taskforce in Anambra State yesterday commenced enforcement of crash helmets for motorcycle riders in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the exercise, which was launched in Nnewi, is tagged ‘Operation No Mercy’. The exercise, which is being led by FRSC, is enforced by the army, police, civil defence, NDLEA, Man-oWar, Peace Corps and Boys Scouts. Speaking with NAN, FRSC Sector Commander, Sunday Ajayi, said the exercise was ordered by Governor Willie Obiano. Ajayi said the use of crash helmets by motorcyclists and their passengers was among measures to check incidences of motorcycle crashes. “Apart from restricting motorcycles from plying major roads in the state, the governor ordered that everybody on top of a bike, whether commercial or private, must wear a crash helmet. “This is part of the gov-

ernor’s commitment to make Anambra State safe for all. “And the government wants to stop spending its limited resources on motorcycle accident victims’ emergency wards in the hospitals,’’ he said. The FRSC boss advised motorcycle riders and users to comply so that their bikes would not be impounded. He said whoever was not comfortable with a crash helmet as a passenger could first put a handkerchief or nylon on their heads. “On the other hand, if you are accustomed to patronising ‘okada’ riders, you might as well buy your private crash helmet to use anytime you are moving around,’’ he added. Ajayi, who noted that the taskforce would strictly carry out the directive, added that the earlier motorcycle riders complied, the better for them. Obiano had vowed to take drastic steps to reduce road accidents in the state following the loss of 69 lives during the May 31 petrol tanker crash.

Ose-Okwodu market fire victims get N10m palliative

L-R: Deputy Commandant, Nigerian Legion Corps of Commissionaires, Enugu State Command, Maj. Amaechi Ogbu; Commandant, Lt.-Col. Ojewoye Shogo and representative of General Officer Commanding Nigerian Army 82 Division, Col. Charles Daniel, during the commissioning of corps Batch 'B' Cadet Commissionaires in Enugu, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

FRSC confirms 14 deaths in Ebonyi accident

ederal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, yesterday confirmed the death of 14 persons in an auto crash on Saturday at Amasiri Secondary School junction, AfikpoOkigwe road in Ebonyi State. Afikpo Unit Commander of FRSC, Mr Roland Ogbuke, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the accident involved an articulated vehicle and a 14-seater bus.

According to him, the bus was conveying members of the Assemblies of God Church, Isu in Ohaoazara Local Government Area, who were returning from a burial ceremony. “We received a distress call on Saturday and immediately mobilised my rescue officers to the scene of the incident. “We are not sure of the cause of the accident, but an eye-witness told us the articulated vehicle was

trying to dodge a heap of sand on the road and ended up hitting the oncoming vehicle. “The impact of the hit threw the bus to a tree some metres away from the road and smashed it, thus mangling bodies of the occupants. “We had to mobilise a nearby quarry company which used its heavyduty machine to cut the tree and the bus, in order to evacuate the mangled

bodies of the passengers,” he said. Ogbuke said the crushed passengers were mostly women, adding that their relatives and church members, who were in other vehicles, helped FRSC officers in the evacuation process. “The police in particular, assisted the FRSC in evacuating the bodies to the Mater Misericordae Hospital, Afikpo,” he said.

overnor Willie Obiano of Anambra State yesterday distributed N10 million as palliative to victims of April 2014 Ose-Okwodu market fire in Onitsha. Obiano made the presentation of cheques to 97 beneficiaries in his Aguleri country home in Anambra East Local Government Area. He said the gesture was in keeping with his promise to the people to pursue programmes that would impact positively on their lives. The governor said the government would rebuild the market and provide it with modern facilities under a public-private partnership arrangement He restated his commitment to the welfare of the citizens, particularly market men and women. “I remember the destruction of goods I saw when I visited the market last year. “I feel particularly connected with the victims of Ose market fire because my mother also has a shop which was not affected.

“I can tell you that it is from the proceeds that ‎she trained my siblings and I. This is a support to enable you to continue to trade and prosper in your business,’’ he said. Earlier, Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu, explained that a sub-committee had been set up to devise formula to distribute the money provided by the government. He said the formula will ensure all affected persons benefit to the value of their losses. Chairman of the panel, Igwe Paul Odegbo, thanked Obiano for living up to his promise to provide succour to the fire victims. He said the palliatives ranged from N50,000 each and more depending on the declared and verified records of loss incurred by the affected traders. Odegbo said the token would avail the traders the financial respite and confidence of the government’s commitment to their welfare.

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NOUN students decry non-participation in NYSC scheme

ational Open University of Nigeria, NOUN, Students’ Association has expressed dissatisfaction with the non-participation of its members in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, scheme. National President of the association, Mr Nelson Nwaonicha, expressed the students’ dissatisfaction in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Asaba on Sunday. Nwaonicha said the policy of non-inclusion of graduates of the university in the NYSC programme was discriminatory. He said there was great pride in serving one's country, as the NYSC gave every Nigerian graduate a sense of belonging, personal worth and recognition by one's own nation. He said it would amount to abandonment and violation of the principle of federal character and integration if a set of Nigerian students were not included in the scheme. He added that the service was created to inculcate discipline, educate

South South

Monday, August 10, 2015

Mass defection looms in Bayelsa PDP …Alaibe, Lokpobiri lead others to APC Osahon Julius YENAGOA

M NOUN VC, Tenebe

and integrate the Nigerian youth, regardless of their institutional, cultural and social backgrounds. He appealed to the National Assembly to review the Act establishing the NOUN with a view to including its graduates in the allowed age bracket of the programme. The national president also called on the management of the university to stop admitting students for law programmes, pending the approval of the Nigerian Law School. He recalled that the first two sets of law graduates of the NOUN had not been admitted into the law school to be certified to practice their trade.

ass exodus of members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa State to the All Progressives Congress, APC, will continue on Saturday next week as former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan and former Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chairman, Timi Alaiibe, and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, are set to lead other prominent Bayelsans to the APC. The proposed defection, tagged 'mother of all defections' and likened to a political tsunami, will see no fewer than 70 heavyweights from the state and over 10,000

followers dump the PDP for the APC. In a list obtained from arrowhead of the defection, Chief Alex Ekiotenne, former honorary adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson, on Sunday, former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission, and ex-Special Adviser to President Umaru Yar’Adua, Chief Ndutimi Alaibe; Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, former Acting Governors, Nestor Binabo and Werinipre Seibarugu, are among leading defectors to the APC. Others are former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Peremobowei Ebebi; Senator John Brambaifa, Senator Clever Ikisipo, Ambassador Emmanuel Otiotio, former House of Representatives member, Dr. Stella Dorgu, former NDDC Chairman, Professor Tarila Tebepah

and Rear Admiral FBI Porbeni (rtd). The list also includes former Reps members, Christopher Enai, Warman Ogoriba, Bonus Indiamaowei, Nelson Belief, Nadu Karibo, former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Gideon Ekeowe; and former Deputy Speaker, Fini Angaye. Ekiotenne further said names of former commissioners in the state such as Lionel Jonathan- Omo, Chief Alex Ekiotenne (himself), Charity Vedalago, Sylvanus Abila, Chief Abeke Ebikake, Chief Diekivie Ikiogha, Godknows Powell, Captain Matthew Karim (rtd), Chief Nathan Egba, Topido Amananagha, Ebitimi Amgbaye, Frank Oputu, Chief Hings Dumbo, Selebina Saboh, Prince Abeki,

Mrs. Tonye Apreala, Miebi Biribina and many former special advisers and governor representatives, among others. Ekiotenne said the defectors would formally declare for the APC at a mega rally on Saturday, August 15, 2015, in the state. He said the defectors would be received by VicePresident Semi Osinbajo, APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, five governors, former Governor Timipre Sylva and top stalwarts of the party including its Chairman, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe. It will be recalled that since the PDP conducted the last primary elections for the State and National Assembly polls, the ruling party had been torn apart.

Group lauds Buhari over Ogoni clean-up Dennis Naku

PORT HARCOURT

eactions continue to trail the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to fast-rack implementation of recommendations of the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP, report on clean-up of Ogoniland. Implementation of the UNEP report was one of the major promises Buhari made to the people of Ogoni at the build-up to the March 28, 2015, presidential election. Following the President’s pronouncement, a group known as Nigeria Rebirth Initiative, NRI, has commended Buhari’s political will to ensure the recommendations of the report were implemented to a logical end. Executive Director of the group, Comrade Joseph Ambakaderemo, said in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, at the weekend that clean-up of the spill that devastated Ogoniland was the

best “attractive approach” by the All Progressives Congress, APC, government to instill confidence in Nigerians. Ambakaderemo called on President Buhari to ensure the Ogoni people were carried along in the clean-up in every step of its operation to guarantee maximum result. The environmental activist, however, reminded the president not to avoid specific mention of recommendations by UNEP which include the Ogoniland Environmental Restoration Authority, Environmental Restoration Fund for Ogoniland, a Centre of Excellence for Environmental Restoration and the take-off fund of $1billion which he said was grossly inadequate for takeoff of such gigantic project. Ambakaderimo however, urged the president not to only dwell on the Ogoniland environment issue alone, adding that; communities in states like Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom have been destroyed by decades of oil spill and therefore need to be cleaned-up”.

L-R: Host/on-air-personality, Dotun of Cool FM; Brand Manager, STAR, Obabiyi Fagade and artiste, Patoranking, at Sapele Star Music Trek 2015 in Sapele Stadium, at the weekend.

Bayelsa attack: Another soldier’s corpse found …Dickson condemns killing

in Nembe area. According to sources YENAGOA from Nembe communities, he lifeless body of a the corpse was found in the soldier attached to the early hours of Sunday mornJoint Military Task ing by some boat drivers, Force, JTF, check point in who alerted the community Nembe-Ogbolomabiri com- leaders. "When the attention munity of Nembe Local Gov- of some Nembe chiefs was ernment Area of Bayela State drawn to the floating corpse, was yesterday found floating they immediately called the on a river few days after an at- JTF commanders." tack by suspected sea pirates Meanwhile, Bayelsa State claimed four soldiers and a Government has condoled Mobile policeman. with the Chief of Army Discovery of the unidenti- Staff, Major General Tukur fied soldier’s body brings to Yusuf Buratai, and families five the number of soldiers of the five slain military and killed in the Thursday attack police officers by unknown

Osahon Julius

gunmen over the weekend in the state. According to the statement issued yesterday and signed by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seriake Dickson, Mr. Daniel Markson-Iworiso, the state government expressed regret over the incident and assured that the Dickson administration will partner with security agencies to arrest perpetrators of the dastardly act, stressing that no stone would be left unturned to bring the killers to justice. The statement condemned the attack on the

nation’s security agencies, describing the act as mindless and most barbaric," a letter personally signed by Governor Dickson has already been dispatched to the Chief of Army Staff to express the heartfelt condolences of the government and people of the gtate." The Bayelsa State governor also assured the families of the slain officers that their loved ones and benefactors did not die in vain, noting that, they died as gallant officers, while in active service to their fatherland and prayed for the repose of their souls.

North

Monday, August 10, 2015

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UNICEF raises alarm over malnutrition in Nigeria Afolabi Gambari

he United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has said that all concerned must respond to the challenge of malnutrition which has been described as silent crisis by the international body. The call came at a media dialogue on Child Malnutrition held in Kano, Kano State over the weekend when UNICEF called for concerted effort to overcome the challenge. “We have a situation in our hands which if not managed efficiently, could snowball into a monumental disaster in the near future,” UNICEF’s Head, Media and International Relations, Geoffery Njoku, said. “More than one-third of the children’s population in Nigeria are stunted, according to research and two out of three children can’t eat the right food that can develop the body and brain,” Njoku, who was facilitator of the dialogue, added. The UNICEF media chief told participants at the dialogue with the theme “Spend More Money on Malnutrition” that the country required the zeal with which attention was focused on the kidnapped Chibok Girls to fight the

scourge of malnutrition. “It is bad enough that over 200 school girls went missing. But it is also worse with over two million children under age 5 die in Nigeria as a result of malnutrition,” Njoku further said, stressing that media advocacy could aid massive campaign against the scourge. Head of Nutrition at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chris Osa Isokpunwu, who also delivered a lecture at the two-day event, regretted that malnutrition in children had posed serious challenge to women and national development, even as he harped on the role of community effort to stem the rising tide. “We cannot also ignore the role that the media have to play,” Isokpunwu said, adding: “A lot can be achieved if the media can apply same tempo with which they mounted the campaign against the Ebola virus.” Participants unanimously adopted #StopChildMalnutritionNigeria as the campaign’s slogan at the end of the dialogue.

Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura (left) and his Kano counterpart, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja, at the weekend.

We’re still on Saraki’s wife’s case –EFCC he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is still on the case of money laundering allegation against the Senate President’s wife, Toyin Saraki, investigation has revealed. A source at the commission’s headquarters office in Abuja told our correspondent that it was not true that the ant-graft

agency had succumbed to political pressure to abandon the case, noting that investigation into the matter was ongoing. Investigation into the money laundering allegation against the wife of the nation’s number four citizen has assumed political dimension as members of the ruling and opposition parties have been engulfed claim and counter claim on the merit or otherwise of the case. While some people al-

leged that the leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu instigated the EFCC against the suspect to get at the Senate President Bukola Saraki for his ‘treacherous’ conduct, the Kwara State People’s Democratic Party,PDP, claimed that it was behind the petition. Toyin Saraki however appeared before the commission’s operatives last week in a dramatic fashion.

She had visited the commission with a group of party faithful loyal to her husband, a situation which turned the commission to a carnival of sort. When asked about the update on the alleged money laundering case, the spokesman of the commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, simply said “investigation into the matter is ongoing.” He declined further comment, when prodded further.

ine out of the 142 staff placed on compulsory leave without pay since 2011 by the Kogi State Trans-

port Company have lost their lives under hungerrelated circumstances. Two of the deceased’s colleagues, Mr Ndakwo

Mohammed and Mr Anate Audu, who disclosed this in a statement circulated among media houses in Lokoja on Sun-

end. Speaking on the development in Minna, the state commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Philip Ayuba, said the factory is owned by one Alhassan Karfe, currently at large alongside his partners in the crime, produces the adulterated 50kg fertilizer tagged: “TAK Agro NPK 20:10-10. “The illegal act is being perpetrated by some unpatriotic Nigerians who want to make money through all dubious means .It is a criminal offence, the perpetrators just got coloured clay and mixed it with Notre Urea for it to have the

smell of fertilizer and sold to farmers. He also stated that though no arrest has been made as the perpetrators quickly took off as soon as they sighted his team of officers and men, saying, “ efforts are on to locate the owner of the factory, Alhasan Karfe and his workers.” He lamented that a lot of unsuspecting people might have fallen victims of the illicit acts of the suspects by wasting their hard earned money in purchasing the adulterated product said to have been sold at N4,500 per 50kg bag. The genuine fertilizer

sells for about N7, 500 per bag or even more, depending on the approved producers by the regulatory authorities. Among the items found inside the factory included tipper loads of coloured clay, some sachets of Notre Urea and empty 50 kg bags with the inscription of the illegal company’s name on them as well as stitching machines among others. Currently, the premises of the illegal company is under lock and key with some men of the NSCDC drafted on the order of the state commandant in order secure the premises.

day, said that a number of their colleagues were also in life-threatening situations . They said that the workers who had put in years of services ranging from 10 years to 23 years, had been facing untold hardship and were now in deteriorating health condition due to lack of money to feed and pay for medical treatment. “Many of us have been ejected out of our houses and our children chased out of schools due to our inability to pay rents and schools fees,” the statement said. It explained that all efforts to seek redress through the intervention of the state House of Assembly and several letters to the state governor, Captain Idris Wada had proved abortive. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, recalls that the Kogi State

Transport Company had though a circular dated June 30, 2011 and signed by its General Manager, Mr Augustine Tokula, directed all the 142 members of staff of the company to immediately proceed on compulsory leave without pay. The fate of the workers have since then been hanging in the balance as the government has continued to remain silent on the matter. Both Mohammed and Audu appealed to the state government to take a definite position on their matter, saying that they could no longer live with their present condition. The workers have also indicated their interest to embark on peaceful protests on major streets of Lokoja, and have written to intimate the State Security Service and the police of their plan.

Olufemi Adeosun ABUJA

Suspended Kogi workers lament plight

Niger NSCDC uncovers illegal fertilizer factory Priscilla Dennis MINNA

iger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, has uncovered a factory, where coloured clay mixed with Notre Granule is packaged and sold to unsuspeted members of the public, particularly farmers as genuine fertilizer in Minna, the Niger State capital. The factory is located directly behind the General Abudulsalami Abubakar Garage, Tunga, Minna. It was uncovered by the Surveillance team of the NSCDC at the week-

Monday, August 10, 2015

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Politics

Poverty in Kogi human inflicted, says Audu CHIDI UGWU ABUJA

ormer governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, has formally declared intention to contest the November 21 gubernatorial election on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, saying he was on a mission to rescue the state from human inflicted quagmire ravaging it. Audu said this while addressing a mammoth crowd of party supporters who thronged the Lokoja Township stadium, venue of his declaration on Saturday, regretting that the state was deteriorating in spite of huge monthly

allocation accruing to it from the federation account. On the contentious issue of power shift, which has dominated political discourse in the state in the build up to the forthcoming gubernatorial election, Audu said he consented to the clamour for power shift, but it should be resolved through elaborate dialogue. Audu, who is also Kogi State APC leader noted that the state of poverty and decay in Kogi is pathetic and must not be left to completely collapse. He said: “In spite of jumbo monthly allocation coming to Kogi State from the Federal Government,

Lokoja is the dirtiest state capital in Nigeria.” Declaring that Kogi is traumatised, incapacitated and therefore requires urgent intervention, Audu argued that the scope of devastation of the state requires competent and experience hands to tackle it, adding: “The level of devastation in Kogi State is not something that you should leave in the hands of inexperienced person who will learn on the job. “It is not a job meant for a young man now because the state has taken a bad shape and at sorry stage. “Is it at this stage you that you will leave it for somebody who is inexperienced or whosoever to

bank on trial and error? This will be very dangerous for the state. This is why experience is required; somebody who has done it before, and has done it very well. “I have no objection in getting a young man, but which young man will be able to do the job, clear the monumental harms done to the state? That is the question and the problem and that is why everybody is clamouring for my return. “Fortunately for the people of Kogi State, I have just four years and after the one term of four years, I will identify a competent young man and then hand over to him

Former Kogi State governor, Abubakar Audu, during his declaration of intention to run for the 2015 gubernatorial polls under the platform of APC, in Lokoja, yesterday.

Petition against Aregbesola: Ex-Rep hails Osun Assembly’s ruling EBERE NDUKWU

member of the House of Representatives in the seventh National Assembly, who represented Ife federal constituency, Hon. Rotimi Makinde, yesterday hailed the Osun State House of Assembly’s decision to dismiss the petition of Justice Folahanmi Oloyede against Governor Rauf Aregbesola. In a statement in Lagos, Makinde said the

ruling of the Assembly has shown that falsehood and deceit can never defeat truth, adding that the State of Osun can now move on after the cacophony of lies presented as truth by Justice Oloyede. In a vote of 25 against one, during its plenary last week, the House adopted the recommendations of the investigative committee, calling for the dismissal of the petition and sanction against the judge. Makinde, who had earlier called for caution in the

process of sitting over the petition by the lawmakers, stated that the content of the petition by the judge to call for the impeachment of her boss has no basis or precedence, adding that her decision to shun the invitation of the ad-hoc committee easily gave out her intentions. He said: “I want to commend members of Osun State Assembly for quickly nipping the falsehood masquerading as petition in the bud. Again, they have proved to the world

that they are a crop of legislators who know their onions in the ethics of legislative practice. From the onset, we knew that this was a typical case of hand of Esau but voice of Jacob. “As recommended by the House, I want to call on the National Judicial Council, NJC, to look into and determine whether the action of the judge was in compliance with due process, especially when she is still serving under the same government.”

to continue from where I will stop. But that is after I have laid another solid foundation for the state to thrive on.” In his goodwill message, the senator representing Kogi East senatorial district, Abdulrahman Abubakar, said the peo-

ple of senatorial zone have resolved to support the ambition of Prince Audu to return to Lugard House, urging other APC aspirants from the zone to drop their aspiration and join hands with Audu to enable them collectively move the state forward.

Kogi guber: APC rakes in N137m

...commences screening for 27 aspirants ...Power shift not Kogi’s problem, says Shuaibu OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

t has been a season of financial rain for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, as about N137.5 million have so far been collected from 27 contenders that have indicated interest in the Kogi State gubernatorial election within the past 10 days. Two female aspirants got the expression of interest and nomination forms for free while the remaining 25 male aspirants procured the forms at N5.5 million each. The aspirants, whose screening will commence today comprises a former governor of Kogi State, Prince Abubakar Audu, Barr James Ocholi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello,Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane, Mr Sani Halilu Shuaibu, Alhaji Suleiman Baba Ali, Air Vice Marshall Saliu Atawodi, Mr Muhammad Abdullahi, Senator Nuruddeen Abatemi-Usman and Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim. Others include veteran journalist and one of the founding fathers of Newswatch magazine, Mr Yakubu Muhammad, Chief Clarence Olafemi, Mr Suleiman Ejeh Abutu, Mr Sunday Ejibo, Otunba Suleiman Lanre Ipinmisho, and Dr. Tim Nda Diche. Also in the race are seasoned banker, Mr Habeeb Abdullahi Yakeen, Prince Rotimi Yakub Obadofin, Mr Babatunde Irukera, Mr Olusola Oluwaranti, Dr Onukaba Adinoyi-Ojo, Pharm Aliyu Zakari, Senator Alex Usman Kadiri, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Umar, Mr

Idris Hussein Kashim and Dr. Sanusi Abubakar. Meanwhile, one of the aspirants, Alhaji Shuaibu has said he’s not concerned over concentration of power in the Igala speaking part of the state, saying such development should not be blamed for the backwardness of the state. Speaking to reporters in Abuja at the weekend, he said it is incumbent on the state citizens to vote into power persons imbued with exposure and competence to rescue the state from its pitiable state of many years. Shuaibu, who hails from the Igala speaking part of Kogi State particularly, blamed successive Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led administrations in the state for its backwardness. He said: “Kogi State is backward today not because it doesn’t have the right calibre of persons to take it out of the woods. I have heard a section of our citizenry say the problem lies with power shift; that the state is backward because my Igala people have been administering it without tangible results for all to see. “I beg to differ on this proposition. For me, such talks are a creation of the opposition PDP. PDP had a hand in the backwardness of the state because for the past twelve years, it produced the governors that brought the state to its knees. It mismanaged the state in spite of the huge resources at the disposal of those saddled with the responsibility of administering the state. For progressives like us in the APC, the problem of Kogi is not power shift.

Politics

Monday, August 10, 2015

DPC to partner INEC on credible polls ADEOLA TUKURU ABUJA

emocratic Peoples Congress, DPC, National Executive Committee, NEC, has resolved that the party will partner with Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure free, fair, credible, transparent and acceptable elections in Nigeria. In a communiqué issued after DPC’s inaugural NEC meeting at the weekend, the party further assured to uphold internal democracy at all levels of its organs and in dealings with its members on all matters. In this regard, DPC NEC urged INEC to adopt electronic voting system

as obtainable in most democracies around the world, saying that this will eliminate electoral malpractices, irregularities and violence that characterised elections in Nigeria since Independence in 1960. DPC National Chairman, Rev Olusegun Peters, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint credible Nigerians as ministers and heads of federal agencies and consider patriotic citizens outside his ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in making such appointments in line with the Federal Character principle enshrined in the 1999 constitution as amended. He further urged Presi-

dent Buhari to intensify war on corruption and strengthen the anti graft agencies, Police and the judiciary to ensure speedy trial of those who have looted the nation’s treasury since 1999. He said: “The war on corruption should be holistic, irrespective of political party affiliation. There should be zero tolerance for corruption that has impeded Nigeria development and dented its image around the world. “We enjoin President Buhari to rehabilitate and equip the nation’s tertiary institutions so as to provide quality education to millions of students in these higher institutions. It is a giant step forward in prepar-

ing youths to effectively play their roles as future leaders. DPC also resolved to field candidates to contest the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa states gubernatorial elections, urging credible Nigerians who desired to contest these elections on DPC platform to obtain nomination form for a fee of N5 million. He added: “Sales of nomination form for Kogi State gubernatorial poll starts from August 12 while that of Bayelsa State starts from September 1. The primaries for Kogi gubernatorial election will hold on September 12, while the primaries for Bayelsa governorship will take place on September 28.”

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Obadofin, Olafemi dissociate selves from consensus candidacy WALE IBRAHIM LOKOJA

front line All Progressives Congress, APC, aspirant from Kogi West, Prince Rotimi Yakubu Obadofin, and former acting governor of Kogi State, and another APC aspirant, Chief Clarence Olafemi, yesterday dissociated themselves from the purported selection of a consensus candidate ahead of the party’s primary. Reacting to the endorsement one of the aspirants while speaking to newsmen in Lokoja yesterday, Obadofin stated that he and others were not part of the process leading to the consensus arrangement, lamenting that all stakeholders have not been carried along in the process of selection, which he said was shrouded in secrecy, thereby making it difficult to know how the coalition arrived at that decision. He disclosed that he never withdrew from the race as being speculated, saying that the news making the rounds that he has stepped down was false. He described the rumour mongers as those that were afraid of going into the primaries.

He said: “What kind of mischief is that? I was never at any meeting with anyone, so where did that rumour come from? I have my party nomination form with me, so who is afraid? Our people should simply ignore them.” Olafemi also yesterday assured all his supporters that he was still in the race, describing his purported agreement to step down or be the running mate to another aspirant as falsehood and called on his supporters and party members to ignore such rumour. He said he has neither stepped down, nor agreed to be deputy to any other aspirant, adding that the rumour was fabricated by those that do not mean well for state. He said: “I have collected my intent and nomination forms already. How can somebody now say I have stepped down? I am in the race to win and have not stepped down for anyone. How can they say I have agreed to be running mate to Prince Abubakar Audu or any other person? These people are going too far in their campaign of calumny and I am calling on my supporters to ignore it. They do not mean well for the people of Kogi.”

Rep urges Buhari to query ex-CDS OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU L-R: Wife of the celebrant, Adebimpe Salaam; Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; celebrant/Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam; Speaker, Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Sanusi Garba and Mrs. Muibat Salaam, during the 50th birthday celebration of Hon. Najeem Salaam in Osogbo on Saturday.

Kogi guber: Female aspirant raises alarm over threat to life … flees to Ibadan

KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

he race for gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the forthcoming Kogi State gubernatorial elections has assumed a dangerous dimension as one of the female aspirant; Hajia Hadiza Ibrahim, has fled the state over alleged threats to her life. The ‘save my soul’ message from Hajia Ibrahim was coming as all APC gubernatorial aspirants are billed to appear before a screening committee in the state today. Ibrahim, one of the two female among the over 25

APC aspirants, said she has written the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase and other security agencies over threats to her life. Speaking with journalists in Ibadan at the weekend, she disclosed that she was advised to return to Abuja by an unknown person in Lokoja last Friday after picking expression of interest form, owing to security threat. She said she has received series of threat text messages and calls, particular, from somebody who claimed to be close to the top echelon of the party. Expressing optimism that security agencies

will live up to their duties and not only track and arrest her tormentors, but provide security for her, the Igala princess maintained that she would not bow to any threat as she is not going back on her ambition of picking the party’s ticket. Narrating her ordeal in what she termed Nigerian murky water of politics, she said her 33 year-old son, Kamaldeen, who was sympathetic to the political plight of President Muhammadu Buhari, was murdered by yet-to-be identified assailants in Ibadan on August 15, 2014 at his Bodija, Ibadan residence. She said: “I acknowl-

edge that it’s a men’s turf but I know it’s a turf that has been defined by the doggedness, determination and labour of women. Kogi must be free from the current underdevelopment. We must emancipate our people from poverty and diseases and we must consciously empower the people, especially our women and girls. “Politics should not be with tears. These recent threats to my life by some political cabals in Kogi are designed to make women run away from politics and I will not chicken out. There is no going back because I have the support of my people.”

member of the House of Representatives representing Lagos Mainland federal constituency, Hon. AbdulRaheem Olajide Jimoh, has called on the Federal Government to query the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, rtd, over his recent comments on the fight against insurgents in the country. In a statement made available over the weekend by his media office in Lagos, Jimoh said that the statement credited to the immediate past CDS could demoralise other military personnel. Jimoh said: “ACM Badeh’s comment was a distractive statement and it could demoralise other military personnel in the country. “He should be careful and watchful. I want to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to invite him and query him accordingly. Why is it that he is making such com-

ments after his retirement? It is rather unfortunate and it’s not good for the country’s military personnel.” Jimoh stated further that it is not expected of a person who has just retired from the military to be making such unguarded statements at this time, advising other military personnel, particularly those in top hierarchy, to be careful of what they say in public. He said: “If Badeh has anything to say at all as the immediate past CDS, he ought to have discussed it personally with President Buhari and advise him accordingly. “This is the same person that criticised the governor of Borno State when he said last year that the military was under-equipped and under-utilised. Why is he now telling us stories after his retirement?” It would be recalled that ACM Badeh, rtd, said during his pulling-out ceremony that some Nigerian governments acceded to the demands of some foreign countries to reduce the size of the nation’s military.

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Monday, August 10, 2015

Oba Ise-Oluwa Oluyede: Footprints of a departed royal titan OLADIMEJI ABITOGUN

s the Ayede Ogbese Royal Council and the people of the gateway kingdom to the North East of Akure, the capital of Ondo State, unite and celebrate the life and times of their monarch, His Royal Majesty Peter Adetunmbi Olasehinde Oluyede IV, Ise Oluwa I, who joined his ancestors in the early hours of Tuesday July 14, 2015, the formative and transformational footprints of the Oluyede Dynasty in the last one hundred years or more take the front burner. Oba Iseoluwa Oluyede consolidated the foundational legacies of his forebears, particularly his own father Joshua Amudede Oluyede I, who gave the Ayede–Ogbese community an identity of its own within the larger Akure sub ethnic group. Instead of a hegemonic closed community, the Oluyede Royal family conceived and nurtured with other members of the town, a truly multi-ethnic and properly integrated sub-urban Nigerian settlement. Thus before his demise, Oba Oluyede, an accomplished professor of law, erudite author and scholar, a dedicated family man and committed Christian first ensured that his means of livelihood was secured in firm way. He was always at total peace on how to inter-face between the rigors of being a first class public servant and notable academic and the required common touch and native intelligence requisite to leading

rural folks. Life started for Oba Peter Iseoluwa Oluyede by understudying his father, Joshua Amudede Oluyede, the first major community head for Ayede Ogbese and his mum, Mrs. Ogunseyin Oluyede perform rudimentary, and sometimes hard, routines on the farm, preparing herbs, games hunting and perfecting his skills of roofing and carpentry technology learnt from a master carpenter in Ijebuland. The home in which he grew up was vast, royal and polygamous. He had to relate with all the eight women in his father’s life as if all of them were his biological mother. Each and all of his siblings had very unique relationships with him. Baale Joshua Oluyede always reminded all his wards and wives the golden immortal injunction in the Holy Bible that they must do whatever their hands could find in order not to be idle, lazy or poor. All the sires of Oluyede grew up strong and had good skills. Apart from carefully watching his parents as the first agents of socialization and role models, as a prince, he did not toll the path of many princes or princesses of the time, some of whom savoured the vulgarity of avoiding schools because anyone from royal lineage was not expected to be flogged. He learnt very quickly in life that education was a rapid path to social ascendancy in the new Nigeria the colonial masters were running. He brazed up and latched on to schooling opportunities. He was passing brilliantly at his tests as an elementary pupil at St. David’s Anglican School, Ijomu, Akure. He excelled in

HE LEARNT VERY QUICKLY IN LIFE THAT EDUCATION WAS A RAPID PATH TO SOCIAL ASCENDANCY IN THE NEW

NIGERIA

sports, especially soccer and music.After elementary school, he proceeded to Ondo Boys High School, where he wrote and passed his General Certificate of Education (GCE) exams in 1951. He would later join the public service and work as a produce officer. In 1952, he rode on his bicycle on an Ibadan street and met the acquaintance of then Miss Titilola Dorcas Ajayi and her friend Susan. The two friends had come to Ibadan, the then seat of the regional colonial administration for Western Nigeria, on a break from Saints John/Mary Teachers College, Owo, in the defunct Ondo Province. The opportunity of riding into the two friends developed into a significant friendship that would culminate in a lasting marital union consummated in 1958. The first child of the marriage, Ajibola, tcame in 1958 and Segun followed in 1960. The future king, having passed his G.C.E Advanced Level and Intermediate LL.B by private study left for the United Kingdom with his wife in 1960. He passed the English Bar finals in 1962; the LL.B in 1963 and the LL.M in 1965. His wife would

later also obtain a degree in English from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and took to teaching. The young prince returned to Nigeria and joined the University of Ife in 1965. In 1967 he went back to the United Kingdom and obtained his PhD and subsequently returned to University of Ife as a lecturer. Later he relocated to the University of Dares-Salam, Tanzania, as Senior Lecturer. Subsequently, he obtained his LL.D by examination from University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1983 he was simultaneously appointed as Professor of Law by both the University of Lagos and University of Benin. He was at a law teacher at Ife, Lagos, Benin, Ekpoma, Calabar, Ibadan, and Abuja. He was also a faculty member of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Lagos. He was an accomplished and brilliant member of the Bench. He was a foremost authority in Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Conveyancing, authoring several books and articles in these and other areas of law. In 1975 he was appointed Assistant Director of Legal Services at the Federal Ministry of Defence; in 1976 he became the pioneer Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Justice; crossed over to the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, UNILAG, remained there till 1985 when he was appointed by the Presidency to the office of Judge/Member of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Abuja. Continues on page 50

Still on bullying does not end in the playground SANDRA AKUOMA

he thrust of this piece is how bullying affects our lives. I will itemized my points and elucidate. For many, the workplace has become a haven for bullies, whose stock in trade is berate people, steal credit, isolate unpopular colleagues, make snide remarks, and sabotage performance among several others. As a result many victims are burning out, constantly worrying, resenting, frustrating, frequently threading on egg shells and not knowing where or when the next curve ball will come. This situation breeds depression and anxiety. Secondly, verbal bullying can affect your self-image and create emotional and psychological damage, including low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Words can have a significant power and the realities of verbal bullying can have very strong physical and emotional consequences, even if the aggressor never touches the victim. Imagine a nagging wife who constantly puts you down; her aim is to hurt you with her words to make you feel less of yourself, likewise a partner suffering from complex issues, who constantly makes snidely remarks likely to erode your self-esteem. Third, when one person bullies another, the targeted person’s emotional strength becomes strained. As a result of this strain, serious health conditions may arise. Physical health conditions may also result, and may include post-traumatic stress disorder, reduced immunity to infection, stress, head-

S TA N D

UP TO THESE

A D U LT B U L L I E S , WHO DISGUISE T H E M S E LV E S A S

B O S S E S , M A NAG E R S , C O L L E AG U E S ,

T RO L L S , H U S BA N D S , WIVES, SIBLINGS, CUSTOMERS aches, high blood pressure, digestive problems and frequent malaria. Fourth, the helplessness of the situation, feeling of powerless, trauma, disorientation and confusion may also result. This constant feeling of helplessness might make you feel that your only escape is death, and hence be plagued with suicidal thoughts, romanticizing death, and in extreme cases acting on those thoughts by killing yourself. Fifth is the economic consequences, one of which is declining productivity. Bullied employees who show more job stress are less committed to the company and as a result reduced productivity level might be discernible. This disrupts the work environment, negatively impacts on workers’ morale, or creates a hostile work environment, which could lead to frequent absenteeism. What’s more, the impact of bullying is not limited to the bully and the target. It also affects co-workers, clients, customers, business as-

sociates, family and friends. For instance, employees who witness bullying are more likely to leave their jobs than those who are being victimized, hence the additional costs to recruiting and training new employees. Of course, company’s profit margin might fall. Sixth, it could create a deep sadness on victims, especially if bullying at work leads to self imposed isolation believing everyone is ganging up against you, or spreading silly rumours about and you are not doing anything to refute it, or feel shy to let anyone into your problem because you are afraid of being seen as weak or you just don’t trust them to keep it a secret. It could be a lonely journey and can create a deep sense of loneliness and sadness that can be overwhelming. Seventh, being bullied at work can affect your sleep pattern. The beginning of the week or day might start with a pit of anxiety in the stomach. You begin to count down the days until weekend or next vacation or count hours till workday ends. For you public holidays become a big blessing, a big relief from your own hell. You always feel great on Fridays shouting from the rooftops, quoting the usual mantra “THANK GOD, IT’S FRIDAY!” Then comes Sunday night! Tossing and turning, resenting and not looking forward to the work week ahead; sleep definitely becomes a thing of the past, because Sunday nights are not only the nights you lay awake anxiously thinking about those hurtful and painful words that were said by a customer,

colleagues, boss, partner. This could be a daily nightmare. Finally, you could lose your appetite and interest in activities as a victim. The verbal abuse, psychological pain can be enough for someone to lose interest in eating or having an active social life. In extreme cases people turn to addictive substance, alcohol abuse and many more. Picture this: all weekend you think about the unrealistic deadline your boss gave you and will take credit for all the hard work, you are helpless about it. It is enough to give you an ulcer; it is really not a good thought. Food for thought: Stand up to these adult bullies, who disguise themselves as bosses, managers, colleagues, trolls, husbands, wives, siblings, customers. But who are they without the mask? Is it me, you or a neighbour? Might have you been a victim, a perpetrator conscious or unconsciously? A big question, did you just say? Join me next week on ways to tackle adult bullying in our society Ms Akuoma wrote from Lagos via sanlifepointers@hotmail.com and could be reached on 08165583876 (SMS ONLY) Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs. Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

Editorial

Monday, August 10 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

SUNDAY OLAJIDE MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN SUNDAY EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ISE-OLUWA IGE ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Military high command’s decision on courts-martial

ad former Chief of Army Staff, General Kenneth Minimah (rtd), not refused to confirm the findings of military courts-martial that convicted and sentenced to death or dismissed some soldiers over such offences as desertion of duty posts, conspiracy to commit mutiny and actual mutiny, etc; and had he confirmed the rulings of the courts-martial and the affected soldiers appealed their cases and lost out, perhaps close to a whole generation of soldiers would have since been tied to the stakes and shot, to the cruel glory of Boko Haram insurgents and the contradictions and hypocrisy of the Nigerian Armed Forces on the affected soldiers preparedness or otherwise to confront the insurgents. But for the retirement of the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, and his revelation in a valedictory speech during his recent pull-out, only the Federal Government, the military and perhaps a handful of Nigerians knew the nation’s military had hitherto been grandstanding before the Boko Haram with a laughable arsenal line-up to rout the insurgents rag-tag army, as it were. Badeh, penultimate Thursday, confessed that the armed forces he headed lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight Boko Haram terrorists; and went ahead to catalogue other woes that made

the setting up of the courts-martial in the first place a devious distraction from the cogent reasons the insurgents tormented not just their victims, but the Nigerian armed forces at a time, and were able to capture and gloatingly hoist their flags across large swathes of land in the nation’s North East. Badeh’s story was pathetic and straight to the point, though he kept all to himself until it was late apparently because of his training to ‘obey before complain’. He said, for instance: “Notwithstanding the modest successes we recorded in the fight against terror, I must say that the task of coordinating the military and other security agencies in the fight against the insurgents is, perhaps, the most complex and challenging assignment I have had in my 38 years in service”. He fingered “the exploitation of a serious national security issue by a section of the media and the political class to gain political mileage… ctivities of fifth columnists in the military and other security agencies, who leaked operational plans and other sensitive military information to the terrorists”. He said the activities of such unpatriotic members of the military not only blunted the effectiveness of the fight against the terrorists, but also led to the needless deaths of numerous officers and men who unwittingly fell into

NOT ALL THE COURTSMARTIAL CONVICTS MAY BE DESERVING

OF PARDON.

BUT THE

MAJORITY OF THEM PUSHED TO THE WALL SURE DO

ambushes prepared by terrorists, who had advance warning on the approach of troops. The ex-Chief of Defence Staff says the militaries of nations are equipped and trained in peace time for the conflicts they expect to confront in the future; but that the Nigerian experience is that over the years “the military was neglected and under-equipped to ensure the survival of certain regimes, while other regimes, based on advice from some foreign nations, deliberately reduced the size of the military and underfunded it…Unfortunately, our past leaders accepted such recommendations without appreciating our peculiarities as a third world military which does not have the technological advantage that could serve as force multipliers and compensate for reduced strength”. It was also bare that former President Goodluck Jonathan, perhaps not being conversant with the degree of rot in the military, which starched and well-ironed

ON THIS DAY August 10, 1988 Japanese American internment: Former United States’ President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, providing $20,000 payments to Japanese Americans who were either interned in or relocated by the US during World War II. The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 is a US federal law that granted reparations to Japanese-Americans who had been interned by the US government during World War II.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

August 10, 2003 Yuri Malenchenko became the first person to marry in space. Malenchenko (born December 22, 1961) is a Ukrainian-Russian cosmonaut. He became the first to marry in space on August 10, 2003, when he married Ekaterina Dmitrieva, who was in Texas, while he was 240 miles over New Zealand, on the International Space Station. As of March 2011, Malenchenko ranked tenth for career time in space.

uniform shielded, clamped state of emergency in three beleaguered North East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe and went further to declare war on the insurgents without being sure of whether or not the Nigerian Armed Forces, whose Commander-in-Chief he then was as Nigerian President, had the capacity to do good war with the daring, resilient and hard-fighting insurgents. The non-presence of such capacity, part of which included motivation for endangered Nigerian soldiers was, most probably, what led to the massive desertion of soldiers from their duty posts, having realised they were armed with native cutlasses and corrupted intelligence and despatched on a suicide mission at the pleasure of a better equipped Boko Haram. We believe the multiplier effects were the disobedience to lawful orders, conspiracy and mutiny that followed. Not all the courts-martial convicts may be deserving of pardon. But the majority of them pushed to the wall sure do. Therefore, we commend the dissolution of the courts-martial and the military high command’s reported review of the cases of convicted/condemned soldiers. We add, however, that until the military heals its confessed corporate infirmities, it must desist from the temptation of making scapegoats of its inadequate officers and men.

x August 10, 2012 The Marikana miners’ strike/massacre began near Rustenburg, South Africa. The event garnered international attention following a series of violent incidents between the South African Police Service, Lonmin security and the leadership of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM); on the one side and strikers themselves; on the other. These resulted in the deaths of 44 people, 41 of whom were mineworkers.

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Business Courage

Monday, August 10, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cover

Bank battles debtors:

Name and shame causing more ripples As banks publish the names of so-called delinquent debtors in some national newspapers in line with a Central Bank of Nigeria directive, stakeholders are waiting to see the outcome of the name and shame exercise considering divergent views espoused by market watchers even before banks went public. Udo Onyeka reports.

igerian banks have finally exposed the businesses and customers behind the huge non-performing loans, (debts) threatening to cripple the banking industry and the entire economy. Last week, many of the banks operating in the country with the exception of few have published the names debtor companies and individuals in some national daily newspapers. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, had on April 22, 2015 directed the banks, discount houses and the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, to publish the list of their delinquent debtors from August 1, and in line with the directive, the banks gave the chronic debtors a threemonth grace period, which expired on July 31. By publishing of the debtors’ names the banks have taken the battle to the doors steps of these set of customers, who may want to fight back by contesting the debts or even ‘spilling the beans’ where such debt were accumu-

lated in connivance with top bank officials. The big question is can the banks win the war? But going by the comment made the Acting Director, Banking Supervision, CBN, Mr. kolawole Balogun, in Lagos on Friday, the banks and the apex bank are very much on the same page in this fight against the bad debtors. Speaking to journalists after the 323rd Bankers Committee meeting, Balogun, said that the apex bank would impose market sanctions on the debtors. He said the debts were capable of destroying not only the banking industry but the entire economy noted that banks would continue to review the list, but that the debtors who fail to settle with their banks would definitely be sanctioned. According to him the CBN would give the debtors some time re-negotiate and agree on the issues, after which sanction would be meted out to delinquent debtors. “There must be sanc-

Godwin Emefiele, CBN Boss

tions for debtors who were not able to reach agreement with their banks. For instance we could impose market sanctions o such persons and directors of debtor companies. The CBN is actually watching and certainly sanctions must be applied when and where necessary.

“The publishing of debtors’ names was not initiated by the CBN. It was actually at the instance of the Bankers Committee, but the CBN is in support of it and will take it up from there. “Non-performing loans, NPLs are toxic to the banking industry and the

economy and would not be allowed to continue to increase. If it is allowed to rise it could bring down the financial system and the economy at large”, he said. Business Courage gathered that some banks have begun perfecting strategies to put some of

the bad loans collateral for sale to recover the huge debt. Some estate surveyors UDO ONYEKA, CO-ORDINATOR BUSINESS COURAGE udonyeka@gmail.com c

Global Media Mirror Limited

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

and valuers, who confided in Business Courage, affirmed that they have been given instructions from some of the banks to help them dispose the property which are spread across the country. While some of the surveyors admitted that they had received the property lists directly or indirectly from the banks, some others said some of the banks had contacted them to do same even before the names of debtors were published, noting that the exercise started shortly after the three-month grace period given to the chronic debtors by the banks. According to market watchers the publishing of debtors names became necessary is the bad debts have been on the increase even after several warning by the financial sector regulators and experts. Analysts have noted the volume of the Non Performing Loans, NPLs in the banking industry was set to rise further on the back of the devaluation of the naira amid weak global crude oil prices; hence there was the urgent need to mitigate against the possible rise of NPLs. Also the global rating agency, Fitch Ratings, had in February, after the second round of devaluation of the currency, predicted that the banks’ non-performing loans would rise above the CBN’s five per cent limit by the end of this year, but below 10 per cent. It said this reflected high credit concentrations as well as emerging risks, particularly in the oil and gas, and power sectors, adding that banks were likely to report weaker profitability, asset quality and capital ratios. In 2009, the Federal Government spent about N5tn to buy the NPLs from banks to save them from imminent collapse, through the instrumentality of, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, the government agency created after the 2009 banking crisis, was the special purpose vehicle used by to acquire the NPLs from the banking sector. This ugly past situation the government would not want repeat owing to the ripple effect on the economy. The NPLs was gradually becoming huge for instance, four banks chronic debtors, totalled N143.81bn, going by their

Business Courage

Monday, August 10, 2015

Bisi Onasanya, First Bank Boss

Emeka Emuwa, Union Bank Boss

lists. The four banks are First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Access Bank Plc, Diamond Bank Plc and Unity Bank Plc. First Bank, which has its total amount of non-performing loans as N43.72bn, published 92 names of delinquent debtors. The first five companies on the lenders list owe a combined sum of N23bn. Unity Bank also released 260 names of delinquent debtors with a combined NPL figure of N45.52bn. Access Bank Plc published a list of 11 delinquent debtors, with a combined NPL figure of approximately N3.4bn, while Diamond Bank Plc has N47.17bn as its total NPLs, with companies belonging to prominent Nigerians owing sizeable amounts. The list has the companies of some prominent Nigerians; even though some highly placed individuals on the list have said they are not indebted to any bank. While all the banks operating in the country are expected to publish their debtors’ names, AMCON also has said it will publish the names of its debtors in line with the current CBN directive. The CBN by its directive included discount houses among financial institutions that would publish its debtors names. Many have said that this move is capable of bringing sanity to the banking sector if followed through to its logical conclusion. A former CBN Deputy Governor, Mr. Tunde Lemo, concerning the plan by financial institutions

Herbert Wigwe, Access Bank Boss

to sell properties used as collateral by debtor said it was a move in the right direction. He said it was in line with global practices as long as the action is within the confines of the terms of the loan, adding that there should be a legal framework and infrastructure in place that would ensure that banks would be able to realise their security with relative ease. He said even though the list would not be able to distinguish between those who were determined to default and those helpless, the intention of the CBN to publish the names of defaulters should not be misunderstood. “Selling properties used as collateral is allowed. If someone owes and he has violated the terms of the contract, banks should feel free to realise their security, but they should act within the terms of the agreement.

“The CBN should not be criticised at this point over the publishing of the names. Its intention is understood. It has become very important to deal with serial borrowers and do something to check irresponsibility on the part of borrowers, who just think banks’ money is for them to take. That is not good enough. “It is also important to note that perhaps there are better ways of dealing with those who don’t want to pay because some may be unable to pay due to the dire economic circumstances, which may be outside their control, while some may have fraudulent intention. Thus, a publication like this may not distinguish between the two”, he said. Another issue was that of publishing names of people who did not owe the bank. For instance the former Chairman of the House of

Representatives Committee on the Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has denied being a director of a firm, Thriller Endeavours, which Diamond Bank said is owing N122.9m. In a similar vein the immediate past Minister of State for Works, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, has said he is not in any way indebted to any bank, but admits that he is a nominal director of International Payment Devices Limited, which Unity Bank Plc says is indebted to it to the tune of N81.24m. While reacting to the list of delinquent debtors published by some banks on Tuesday, Dabiri-Erewa said in a statement, “I know nothing about the said company, Thriller Endeavour, or its activities, as mentioned in the publication. “If the bank claims I am a director in the said company, then the company has definitely done so without my knowledge and without my permission. If this is the case, it is a case of fraud and will have to be brought to the attention of relevant security agencies, the bank in question, and the Central Bank of Nigeria. “I once again state categorically that the company, Thriller Endeavour, is not known to me. As a very contented person, I owe nobody any money, not even myself.” Adeyeye, on his part, has threatened to institute legal action against Unity Bank for publishing his name as a debtor. The ex-minister said he was only nominated as a nominal director by the owner of International Payment Devices Limited, Senator Ayo Arise.

A3 19

He blamed banks in the country for the huge amount of non-performing loans, questioning why they would grant loans to their clients without taking adequate collaterals. Adeyeye said, “Truly, a friend of mine, Senator Ayo Arise, owner of International Payment Devices Limited, included my name as one of the directors just to satisfy the Corporate Affairs Commission requirements. “I have never been part of the operations of the company since it was incorporated. I have never shared any dividend from the company or carried out any function on behalf of the company. “Most importantly, I was never involved in any transaction between the company and Unity Bank Plc, and the bank never informed me that I was involved in any transaction on behalf of any company”, he said. Many have said that it was uncalled for, for banks to include non debtors on their list since the CBN gave them over three months to compile the names. Investigations by Business Courage reveal that the banks may have made such mistakes, when some of the financial institution was making last minute adjustment by removing some debtors names due to litigation purpose or some that came to renegotiate. “Most of the banks had cut their list of delinquent debtors due to litigation with their customers over disputes arising from loan terms and last-minute renegotiations by some clients. “Some names were removed at the last minute after the affected customers came to renegotiate with us. Some banks have had to cut the names on their debtors list by at least 50 per cent”, a bank staff said. One of persons who said his name was wrongly publish said “I know that it is only a competent court of law that can say whether or not any individual or organisation is a debtor and it is unethical for a bank to publish names of its clients and categorise them as debtors when it should have simply taken over the collaterals used to secure the loans”. This indication that some of the people whose names are on the list may go to court. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, August 10, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News MAN Oron dismisses financial recklessness allegation against Rector

the statement quoted him as saying. The institute’s registrar, Mr Adefisayo Awogbade, had earlier said that the visit was aimed at intimating the commission with its programmes.

Francis Ezem

Provide conducive atmosphere for new port order, Shippers’ Council urges FG

he Maritime Academy of Nigeria MAN, located in Oron, Akwa Ibom State has said that there is no iota of truth in the allegations of financial recklessness and abuse of office leveled against its rector, Dr. Joshua Okpo, describing the allegations as handiwork of mischief makers. A youth group identified as Amalgamated Oron Youth Force based in Oron, had recently accused the rector of mismanaging over N8billion, among other alleged acts of immorality and abuse of office. Media adviser to the rector, Mr. Ovie Edomi, who spoke at the weekend, described the purported youth group as faceless, saying that such a group is on a mission to blackmail and malign serious minded people such as the CEO of the academy. According to him, the rector was appointed purely on personal merit with a mandate to turn around the fortunes of the nation’s premier maritime academy, arguing that even the worst of critics agree that since Okpo resumed as rector, peace and tranquility have returned to the academy and among its erstwhile warring host communities. He noted that if truth be told, Okpo-management of the academy operates an open door policy, adevelopment most maritime stakeholders have also attested to, however wondered why the rector, who has done so much for the academy will be portrayed in bad light. “For the avoidance of doubt, Okpo’s credentials are not in doubt, and anybody can verify this, since his appointment in 2011 with a mandate to turnaround the fortunes of MAN, Oron. Okpo has demonstrated that he is patriotic, focused and determined. He has succeeded in preventing some ‘powerful Nigerians; from sucking the academy dry and this group of people are the ones sponsoring falsehood” he said. He also said: Such people have failed to understand that the institution is owned by the Federal Government and Okpo has told them that the academy is not a national cake for those who have ‘entitlement’ mentality. Investigations show that in the last four years, Okpo has changed the landscape of the academy, as new classrooms and workshops have been built, even as more hostels were constructed for both male and female cadets.

L-R: President, National Association of Stevedoring Companies, Mr. Bolaji Sunmola, Ag. Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Mr. Haruna Baba Jauro, a member of the Association, Barrister Akin Oyolola and the Executive Director, Maritime Safety and Shipping Development, NIMASA, Capt. Ezekiel Bala Agaba, when the association paid a courtesy visit to the Agency

We must go back to agriculture as oil revenue shrinks – Buhari

resident Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigerians must stop paying mere lip service to agriculture, as crude oil and gas exports will no longer be sufficient as the country’s major revenue earner. The president gave the charge at an audience with Dr Kanayo Nwanze, the Nigerian born President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja,on Friday. ``It’s time to go back to the land. We must face the reality that the petroleum we had depended on for so long will no longer suffice. We campaigned heavily on agriculture, and we are ready to assist as many want to go into agricultural ventures,’’ he said. Buhari pledged that his administration would also cut short the long bureaucratic processes that Nigerian farmers had to go through to get any form of assistance from government. He told the IFAD President

Buhari

that improvement of the productivity of farmers, dry season farming and creative ways to combat the shrinking of the Lake Chad will also receive the attention of his administration. ``There is so much to be done. We will try and articulate a programme and consult organisations like IFAD for advice,’’ he added. According to the president, foreign exchange will be conserved for machinery and other items needed for production ``instead of using it to import things like toothpicks’’. Nwanze had earlier congratulated Buhari on his victory at the general elections and assured him that IFAD was ready to give all possible assistance to the Federal Government and Nigerian farmers to boost agricultural production in the country. Nwanze, who later spoke to State House correspondents, said IFAD had since 1985 been providing loans and grants in the nation’s agricultural sector to boost agricultural production. “Nigeria has the largest portfolio of IFAD’s investment in Western and Central Africa and the second largest in Africa. “But the case point here is that this country has all the endowments that it takes not only for it to produce enough food for its population but also to be the bread basket of region. “And this is where my institution on my behalf, I offered our services and our support in the agenda of rural transformation as a key ingrate in this country’s economic and social development,’’ he said. News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that IFAD is an international organisation dedicated to addressing issues of agriculture and poverty alleviation.

It was established in 1978, and has been collaborating with Nigeria for over 30 years.

CAC, CITN partnership to end multiple taxation

he Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, Alhaji Bello Mahmud, has called on the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, CITN, to address the lingering issue of double taxation in the country. This is contained in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr Churchil Williams, on Friday in Abuja. The statement quoted Mahmud as making the call when the Registrar/Chief Executive of CITN, Mr Adefisayo Awogbade, led a team of the institute on a courtesy visit to the commission. The statement quoted commission’s helmsman as stressing the need for tax harmonisation to ensure that people did not suffer from multiple taxation. According to the statement, Mahmud noted that double taxation discouraged payment of tax, among other negative effects on the nation’s economy. He advised officials of the institute to work closely with the Federal Government, especially in promoting public awareness on government’s commitment to use taxes for public good. Mahmud noted that public enlightenment was important to enable tax payers appreciate the benefits of tax payment. He added that this would help eligible persons to appreciate the benefits of tax payment and positively change the perception of tax evaders,

he Nigerian Shippers’ Council, NSC on Friday urged the Federal Government to provide a more conducive atmosphere to achieve the New Port Order. The Executive Secretary of NSC, Mr Hassan Bello, made the plea during a twoday training programme on effective media practice for maritime journalists with the theme: `` A New Port Order: A New Maritime Media,’’ held in Lagos. News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the new port order is meant to ensure that the nation’s ports become as efficient as what could be obtained in other advanced countries. NAN reports that an efficient port order would discourage diversion of ships to neighbouring countries; increase vessel and cargo traffic as well as generate more revenue for government and service providers. Bello said that the need for good maritime reports could not be over-emphasised because the media were among the change agents of operations in the industry. “If maritime reporters are performing their roles effectively, everybody in the sector will do the right thing at the appropriate time. “Maritime reporters need to upgrade their knowledge of the familiar trends in the industry and should report critically,’’ Bello said. He also said that for quick and positive results of the New Port Order, procedures should be carried out appropriately as being done globally. The NSC chief said there was also the need to introduce automation into the system, saying this would reduce delay in all chain of shipping until the consignments get to the owner. The executive secretary said there had been reduction in delay in shipping processes, adding that Nigerian ports need to be competitive to attract more shippers who would use them as preferred destinations. “Before we can achieve New Port Order, Nigerian Ports must be efficient. “Nigeria has 860 km nautical miles with 26 terminals

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operators and the competition needs to be supervised,’’ NAN quotes Bello as saying. He said there should be a moderator to checkmate the operations of the terminal operators as well as the shipping companies. Bello said that there must be equilibrium in operations which would stimulate positive competition and efficiency in the port system. He said there was also the need to transform Nigeria to a regional maritime hub in Africa.

FG urged to adopt new economic strategies to increase revenue

ome stakeholders in the oil and gas industry have urged the Federal Government to adopt new economic strategies that would boost the nation’s revenue, amid the declining oil receipts. The energy experts made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on the sidelines of the just concluded international conference of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE, held in Lagos. Managing Director, Frontier Oil Plc, Mr Thomas Dada, said that the global economic challenges make it imperative for the country to look inwards and tap its indigenous human and material resources. He said that the inwards search, especially in human capital, would also assist the nation in retaining huge funds lost annually to capital flight. According to Dada, Nigeria must also look inwards for an effective strategy to maximising its huge petroleum resources earning and utilising it for rapid industrial and economic growth. He said that the move for increased local content in the petroleum industry was timely and strategic in managing the effects of the dreaded oil price burst, currently threatening activities in the oil and gas sector. National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, called for sustained political will in the implementation of the subsisting local content policy. Okoronkwo said that the local content policy was a won battle for the indigenous players in the industry to accept the challenge of driving the industry. He said it would save the country from adversities of free fall of crude oil prices in the international market. The IPMAN boss said that the only way out of the tight oil

L-R: Group Managing Director, Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi; Chairman, Mr. Akin Opeodu; Acting Secretary, Mr. Ogunwo Ayodeji at the 19th Annual General Meeting of the company in Lagos

price curve was for all stakeholders in the industry to foster unity and proffer solutions to bridge the deficits arising from dwindling oil revenue. He said also that collaboration among local and international players in the industry remains the requirement needed to sustain Nigerian Content Development, NCD. He pointed out that the indigenous players in the oil and gas industry have escaped the average psychological limits in the country. Okoronkwo explained that the mindset of the industry has developed above the Nigerian psychological template. Also speaking, Mr Kola Balogun, Chairman Momas Meter Manufacturing Company, MEMCOL, said that the survival of the Nigerian petroleum industry and the success of running policy programmes depend on ability of local service providers to deliver. Balogun urged government to harness more gas for sustained and rapid industrial growth needed for economic development. He said that the combination of gas and power form the prime index of country’s economic development and key indicators of standard of living. “There is a correlation between gas consumption ratio of a country and the nation’s economic development,” he said. Balogun noted that the current level of gas development in the country remains grossly inadequate in meeting the nation’s economic targets. “Current total gas production in the country could only deliver 36 gigawatts of electricity. “There was a critical need for policies that would stop gas re-injection and flaring in order to harness and channel more gas to power generations,” he said. Mr Emeka Ene, President, SPE Nigeria Council, said that

the crude oil price dilemma was a universal concern. According to Ene, players must face the new reality by adopting cost efficient measures in keeping afloat. He added that local content remains the only path for the industry through the prevailing market turbulence. On the domestic environment, he said, gas demand for local industries and power plants has become imperative in the face of the new realities in the industry.

Yasin

Commercial vehicles registration ll’reduce crime in FCT – NURTW

he President, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Alhaji Najeem Yasin, said on Friday that the registration of all commercial vehicles in the FCT would help reduce crime. Yasin told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja that the two-week ultimatum given by the Inspector-General of Police for all commercial vehicles may not be completely achieved. According to him, not all vehicles would be able to register within the given time frame. He, however, said the order

was a welcome development because the police would be able to identify genuine members of the union and track those involved in any criminal activities. “This exercise will reduce the rate of crime because whoever registers with us, will definitely have a means of identification; we will not register criminals. And anyone that is caught in any crime, we will be held responsible; so, we will make sure that those we are giving the stickers to are our members. Those who are criminals will not find their way when they are caught by the police because they will not have any means of identification.’’ On the restriction of painted taxis, he noted that not all commercial vehicles should be painted, citing vehicles for car hire as example. He said that wherever painted taxis were restricted, the car hire vehicles could be used by commuters as was done in other countries. On the union’s forthcoming elections scheduled to hold in Abuja onAug. 18, he said the necessary preparations were ongoing and gave assurance that it would be hitch-free.

Customs impound smuggled rice, cars valued N39.05m

he Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Headquarters Monitoring Team, Idiroko Axis, has intercepted 600 bags of rice and five cars valued at N39.05m in two days. This was contained in a statement in Lagos by Mr Uche Ejesieme, Public Relations Officer, Federal Operations Unit of NCS, Ikeja, Lagos. The statement quoted the Team Coordinator, a Deputy

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Comptroller, Yahaya Biri, as aying that the first seizure of rice was made on July 31 along Lagos - Shagamu Expressway, while on an information patrol. The Coordinator said the team trailed the consignment, which was believed to have come from unapproved routes. He added that the rice consignment, with a Duty Paid Value of N3.9m was being transported in a truck with registration number XS 250 KTU. Biri said that two suspects arrested at the point of interception of the consignment had been detained by the NCS for further interrogation. He said on Aug. 1, the team also intercepted five new Toyota Corolla cars along the Lagos-Shagamu Expressway while acting on an intelligence report. He said the cars had a duty paid value of N35.15m. Biri said that importation of rice was not prohibited ``but its importation is restricted to the seaports at a duty and levy of 10 per cent and 60 per cent respectively’’. Biri said that smugglers would have a tough time with the team in the days ahead following the fine-tuning of its operational modalities in conjunction with other customs formations. He said the team, in concert with other NCS teams, would remain undaunted in the discharge of its functions.

NIMASA reactivates Social Network Window

he Public Relations Unit of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, has reactivated the agency’s Social Network platforms following the recent changes in its management. This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Lagos by Hajia Lami Tumaka, Deputy Director/Head, Public Relations Unit of the agency. According to the statement, this reactivation is aimed at ensuring that stakeholders are well informed about the activities of the agency through effective information dissemination, using modern day technology. It said that stakeholders could, therefore, access the NIMASA Face book page (www. facebook.com/NIMASAOFFICIAL) and also follow the agency on Twitter(@nimasaofficial). The statement said that stakeholders could also visit the website onwww.nimasa. gov.ng for authentic information about the Agency’s activities. BC

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Companies & Markets

Stanbic IBTC shareholders approve scrip dividend option

Stories by Udo Onyeka

hareholders of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc have approved a proposal by the Board of Directors to allow shareholders receive new ordinary shares, instead of the whole or any part of the interim dividend to be declared for the financial year ending December 31, 2015. As part of the Stanbic IBTC Scrip Dividend Scheme, the new ordinary shares will be credited as fully paid, and shall rank pari passu with existing ordinary shares of the company, according to the resolution, which was unanimously adopted at

the company’s Extra-Ordinary General Meeting that held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on Thursday, August 6, 2015. Chairman, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, Mr. Atedo Peterside, said the approvals were required in compliance with resolutions adopted at the company’s Annual General Meeting held on June 3, 2015, during which the Board was authorized to offer additional shares to shareholders, who so choose, instead of cash in respect of any dividends. “Shareholders have a choice of receiving their interim dividends in cash and may periodically elect to receive future

dividends as new shares in the company, for any scrip dividend proposed by the Board,” Peterside stated. The new scheme, he added, would help in boosting the organization’s capital base and its operational capacity. In addition, the chairman magnanimously offered on behalf of the board to step down a general mandate resolution on related party transactions which is a requirement of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. This resolution could have been presented to shareholders for approval because the court injunction sought by shareholders to step down the resolution was not granted by the judge. However,

L-R: Director, Consumer Electronics, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Sunil Kumar; Product Manager, Washing Machine, Mrs. Taiwo BajuAdesuyi; Executive Director, SIMS Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Ike Eyisi and Managing Director, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Brovo Kim, during the launch of Samsung Activ DualWash washing machine, in Lagos, yesterday

Forte Oil to inject more funds into operations

orte Oil is planning to inject fresh capital to boost company’s activity. Group Managing Director of the company, Mr. Akin Akinfemiwa said in Lagos at the company’s ‘Facts Behind the Figures’ presentation at the Nigerian Stock Exchange that there is an ongoing plan and commitment with potential investors to inject additional capital through debt or equity within the next few weeks. “This, we believe, will significantly impact our negative working capital and also shore up our shareholders funds,” he said. He assured stakeholders at the event that by focusing on products such as lubricants and adding 21 megawatts to the Geregu power plant, the company would diversify its revenue base for greater returns. He said plans had been con-

cluded to diversify into the upstream sector through profitable acquisition of upstream assets. He added that it would also boost its partnership with quick service restaurants, financial institutions and telecommunications firms. According to him, Forte Oil

has entered into partnership and alliances with technical partners to participate in the proposed sale of marginal oil fields and divestment of international oil companies’ investment in local oil blocks. He said, “The company will optimise opportunities from its

in stepping it down, Mr. Peterside said that in was better for more consultations to be held with relevant stakeholders on the matter. Peterside stated that three years after the adoption of a holding company structure, the group is raising capital to drive the next growth phase, which is focused on consolidating its drive to become Nigeria’s leading end-to-end financial solutions provider, with distinctive edge in banking, stockbrokerage, asset and pension management, and trusteeship, among others. The focus of staff and management of the group, Peterside added, will be to continue to deliver superior shareholder value and partner with Nigeria in its quest for economic development, while delivering exceptional financial solutions to its diverse clientele. Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a member of Standard Bank Group, is a full service financial services group with a clear focus on three main business pillars - Corporate and Investment Banking, Personal and Business Banking and Wealth Management. Standard Bank Group is the largest African bank by assets and earnings. It is rooted in Africa with strategic representation in 20 countries on the African continent, including South Africa. Standard Bank has been in operation for 151 years and is focused on building first-class, on-the-ground banks in chosen countries in Africa and connecting other selected emerging markets to Africa and to each other, applying sector expertise, particularly in natural resources, globally. BC

real sector assets to grow complimentary businesses, which will ultimately increase its bottom line. The company also intends to optimise its distribution channel through focusing on retail network optimisation and strategic acquisition of prime retail sites.” BC

RLG obtains licence for computer, phone manufacturing

LG Communications Limited has received licence from National Information Technology Development Agency for the manufacture computers and other Information Communications Technology, ICT, devices in the country. The Managing Director, NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, who made this known, said the road to the issuance of the licence was tasking and painstaking as the agency had to subject the

company’s products to various regulatory tests before issuing licence. “The application for the accreditation was received sometime in 2014 and after a meticulous consideration of the application, NITDA undertook an on the spot assessment of the plant and facilities of the company. “After the site inspection, the company’s products were subjected to rigorous tests. The tests were carried out on both

the hardware and software. Though there were some observations made on the products, the general assessment is that the products are of world class standard. It was based on these assessments that NITDA decided to issue a licence to the company,” Jack said. Although Jack said he was aware of the harsh environment in which ICT firms operated in Nigeria, he warned the company against reducing the standard of its products. BC

Diageo empowers 1000 Nigerian bartenders Adejuwon Osunnuyi

iageo, parent company of Guinness Nigeria Plc and the world’s leading premium drinks business, has kicked off its 2015 Master Bar Academy Programme in Nigeria. According to the company, it aims to help Nigerian bartenders learn world class bartending techniques they need to build successful careers through the Master Bar Academy Programme, also known as MBA. The programme also highlights viable career prospects bartending offers Nigerian youths who wish to pursue a career in the field. The Master Bar Programme is the brainchild of Mark Barrett, Spirits Capability Manager for Diageo Africa, who created the academy after visiting bars and clubs in Africa and constantly getting the incorrect serve or bad service. To help address this skill gap in Africa, Diageo launched Africa’s largest bartending programme -The Master Bar Academy. According to a statement made available to Business Courage, since its inception, this Academy has helped to train more than 26,000 bartenders across 14 African countries. To this end, the Master Bar Academy Programme, has also equipped 1,000 Nigerian Bartenders with world class skills they need to improve their service and build successful careers as bartenders. As part of the programme, each bartender is enrolled in a three month course consisting of three modules covering core bartending themes like: customer service, the art of bartending, tools of the trade, bartender secrets, drink categories, spirit production, brand knowledge, perfect serves, counterfeit spotting, up selling and responsible serving. The success of the Master Bar Programme in Nigeria and Africa has been a tremendous inspiration for the founder of the programme, Mark Barrett, who says the response has been amazing across all countries we have visited. “It is very encouraging to note that this programme has helped to raise the standards of bartending in Africa. I have been struck by the passion and energy participants of the Nigeria MBA programme have shown and I trust that this training will equip them with the skills they need to raise the bar behind their respective bars.” The Diageo MBA programme also underpins Guinness Nigeria’s broader skills acquisition initiative which has helped many Nigerian youths to build valuable skills they need to enhance their employability and improve their livelihoods. BC

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Companies & Markets NGBA supports SMEs through capacity building

David Audu

igerian-German Business Association, NGBA, has announced plans to hold a series of capacity building workshops for small and medium scale enterprises, SMEs, in Nigeria. The workshops which are designed to cover core business areas that pose a challenge to existing SMEs and start-ups will enable participants to update and enhance their legal, financial, management and marketing skills. The association disclosed in a press statement that the workshop series tagged ‘Business Leadership and Strategy Training;Business Growth Opportunity and Access to Finance for SMEs,’ will hold every week from Thursday, 13 August to Thursday, 3 September, 2015 at the NGBA Secretariat in Victoria Island, Lagos. The SME workshops are the first in a series of quarterly workshops to be organised by the NGBA to improve the capacity level of both micro and macro businesses operating in the Nigerian economy and will kick off with the legal module on August 13. Other modules in the SME workshop series include finance, management and marketing. Resource persons for the workshop series include SMEs experts from the Bank of Industry (BOI) and Nigerian ExportImport Bank (NEXIM) as well as industry heavyweights who will be on hand to give practical mentorship advice to participants. Participants would be exposed to strategies on how to re-position their business operations, while getting relevant market information.

Director General, NGBA, Ms. Jennifer Anoyika, said, “SMEs have been acknowledged globally as engines of economic growth and major contributors within any economy in terms of employment generation, wealth creation, poverty alleviation and food security, as well as other indices by which growth and development are measured. “The aim of this workshop,” she continued, “is to effectively equip SMEs with requisite skills that will, in the short and long term, enhance the growth of their businesses and also improve their overall economic status. BC

L-R: Ciroc ambassador, Dapo Oyebanjo (D’banj), winner, Diageo Master Bar Academy (MBA), Michael Segun Toriola and General Manager, Spirits, Diageo Brands Nigeria, Neil Comerford, during the presentation of $1000 cash prize to the winner of MBA 303 competition in Lagos

Enterprise Bank woos customers with ‘Association Savings Account’ Udo Onyeka

ot for profit organisations in the country now stand the chance of growing their savings when they open and operate the Enterprise Association Savings Account, EASA, an interest-bearing account, specially developed by Enterprise Bank Limited to satisfy the financial needs of that segment of its customers. The bank said the contribution of these organisations to humanity and society in general, requires support that ensures they earn some form of revenue on their savings to aid their humanitarian services. “We have a large number of non-profit bodies, associations, organisations, clubs and movements among others in the country, who do not engage in

profit-making businesses. But because of the nature of their role, they require our support. “As a financial institution that cares, we are aware that these associations require savings accounts to keep their funds as

Mary Akpobome, Enterprise Bank MD

Access Bank launches promo for women

ccess Bank has announced the commencement of the Women! Let’s save promo. According to the Bank the promo is a unique, first of its kind and aimed at encouraging women to save while the bank rewards their savings habit. “The Women Let’s save promo kicked off on August 3, 2015 and will last till November 30, 2015. The promo is designed to spawn consciousness of Access Bank’s female customers and the Nigerian woman, on the importance of saving and building a savings culture. “This promo comes as Access Bank marks the first anniversary of its Women market program also known as the ‘W’ initiative in its commitment to be the Bank of choice for Women in Nigeria”, the bank said.

Speaking on the promo, Head, Inclusive Banking, Access Bank, Ope Wemi-Jones, said that the promo’s target audience consists of both existing and new savings and current account female customers who would also be rewarded during the 4-month promo.

She urged women to take advantage of the promo to embrace a savings culture, noting that it would help them in building wealth for themselves and the nation and create a good base for future investments. “This is particularly important as Women serve as the fo-

against transactional current accounts with its attendant charges. It is for that reason that we have also ensured that EASA, is not for profit making businesses or Individuals. It is strictly designed for charities, religious bodies, associations, clubs, societies, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) among others,” a statement from the bank said. To make this product attractive, Enterprise Bank also simplified the opening processes of the account. EASA has an opening and operating balances of N10, 000 with a credit-payable interest at the going rate that is dependent on the Monetary Policy Review, MPR, of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. The statement also said subscribers are issued a cheque book, which is not designed for clearing. Unlike other accounts,

it has unlimited maximum daily cash deposit and enjoys no penalty for excess cash deposit among other features. According to the bank what an organisation need to open the account include an executed account opening form, complete personal information of each signatory to the account; completed signature card of all authorised signatories with their signing rules properly indicated, individual means of identification for signatories only, two clear passport photographs of each signatory, two duly completed reference forms and agreement for societies/clubs and associations. Other requirements are a copy of rules/constitution/act certified as true copy by the president/chairman or secretary of the club/association/agency, utility bill and rental receipt or lease agreement issued by a reputable estate agent. BC

cal point in every home. We invite all women in Nigeria to take advantage of this awesome opportunity to ignite their savings habit,” she said. Also, Head, Women Banking, Access Bank, Aina Akintonde, explained that savers who make a deposit N50,000

and its multiples and maintain it for the period of the campaign stand a chance of winning the grand prize of a Hyundai IX-35 and other consolation prizes such as Generator sets, Washing Machines, Television Sets, Ipads, Freezers, Microwave Ovens among others. BC

ImagePro partners Gold Crest Family Centre on rebranding teachers Adejuwon Osunnuyi

s part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, ImagePro Consulting Limited has trained over 300 Nigerian public school teachers,primary and secondary of Lagos State on Personal Image Branding at the teachers Training Workshop organised by Goldcrest Family Centre and Lagos State government.

According to Mrs Evelyn Femi-Paul, CEO ImagePro Consulting Limited, following the dictum of the late Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” in the same light, ImagePro believes that if the public school teachers are re-orientated through Personal Branding, the Nigerian educational system will improve. Hence, the decision to train

teachers on Personal Branding and how polishing their image can help them succeed in all areas of their life, especially their teaching career. The session was both revealing and rewarding, as the teachers realized that their image affects students’ perception of them, students’ performance, their productivity, promotion, etc. For the teachers, this Personal Branding training could

not have come at a better time. They felt renewed, electrified and pledged to change the image of Nigerian public schools at their various local governments. They will henceforth project Confidence, Energy, Credibility, Competitiveness, Professionalism, in their image and communication. They also recommended that this training should be extended to the government authorities across Nigeria. BC

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Brand Watch

CSR: Promasidor boss harps on innovation Stories by David Audu

anaging Director, Promasidor, makers of cowbell milk and other consumer products, Mr. Olivier Thiry, has urged Nigerian students to embrace the study of science subjects, especially, mathematics, saying science and technology is the bedrock of modern development He said this in a remark to kick start this year’s National Secondary Schools Mathematics Competition, NASMAC, in Lagos recently. Thiery stressed that innovation is at the core of what Promasidor does. “Innovation drives the way we think, act and interact with our consumers and customers.” He said the quest for innovation has driven the company for the past 15 years to commit itself to the development and nurturing of mathematics in Nigeria through the platform of NASSMAC, adding that it is time to give it a new creative twist. “Today, this new and valueadding direction takes our initiative to another height in our pursuit to nurture great innovators, engineers and scientists

for tomorrow. Mathematics is particularly unique as it is the bedrock upon which science and technology is built”. On the prize money for the competition, Head of Marketing, Promasidor, Mr. Festus Tettey said that there is significant increase in prize money for the students this year. The best students in both categories will receive N750,000 each while the first and second runners–up will smile home with N500,000 and N250,000 in that order. Breaking the entry details of the competition down, he said a total of 108 junior and senior secondary school students in Nigeria out of about 34,000 that sat for Competition across the country have been shortlisted for the second stage that will start this weekend. He explained that 54 of the students qualified from the JSS3 students that participated in the first stage examination held earlier in the year. Also, 54 students qualified from the senior category. On the modality used before arriving at 54 successful students for each category, Tettey said the top 20 students from around the country were picked

Thiry

while the balance 34 were representatives from the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Unlike before, Tettey said there is improvement on the second stage of the competition this year, as the 2015 edition marks the 15th year sponsorship of NASSMAC by Cowbell. To commemorate this feat, he stated, the Second Stage has been changed to an interactive Quiz Competition known as Cowbellpedia, which is endorsed by National Examinations Council NECO. BC

Intel empowers girls through technology

s part of its continuous commitment to bridging the gender gap in technology, Intel’s spokesperson in Nigeria, Titilope Sonuga, paid a visit to Echoes of Mercy and Hope Foundation, EMHF, Girl’s Home to speak to the girls about Intel’s “She Will Connect” initiative, which is the global effort at empowering girls through technology. While speaking to the girls at the EMHF home, Sonuga said that it was important to have an understanding of the several life transforming opportunities the Internet has made available to them. She added, “The future would depend on technology even more, and it is important to equip girls and women so they can compete in an already competitive world. It is now possible to get as much education online, as there is free access to resource materials. There is a whole new world on the Internet, and it can enhance creativity, build platforms that create and even secure employment. There is also a plethora of information and networking outside your environment.” Speaking in the same vein, the program officer of Women in Technology in Nigeria ,WI-

Sonuga

TIN, Olamide Ogungbemi explained that, “It is important to understand that the whole new world on the internet is one that must be accessed for a new life to begin. Knowing that teenage years come with big dreams, Intel has collaborated with several partners to make sure that your dreams as a girl, find a place to grow, and become employed to reach newer heights. We are living in a time when technology is transforming billion lives, and girls and women should not be left behind.” Intel started ““She Will Connect”” initiative as a way of empowering five million girls in the next five years, in its effort to

close the gender gap in technology. The Intel “She Will Connect” Program aims to reduce the gender gap all over the world through collaborations that would bring about an innovative combination of digital literacy training, an online peer network, and gender relevant content. According to a report based on a collaborative study Intel had with some major agencies, there are fewer women than men online in developing countries, with the data placing the percentage of the women at 25 per cent. The study which was commissioned by Intel on “Women and the Web” in consultation with the United States State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, United Nations Women and World Pulse, a global network for women, revealed a representation of 200 million fewer women than men who are online today. The report stated that the size of the gap is about 45 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, which is the largest across all the regions of the study and that, bringing more women online also has potential significant economic benefits with an estimated $13 to $18bn to annual GDP across 144 developing countries. BC

TfL confirms JCDecaux winner of UK bus shelter ads

CDecaux will take over what Transport for London, TfL, describes as the world’s biggest bus shelter advertising contract from Clear Channel, which has held the account since 2005. JCDecaux will sell ad space across 4,900 of TfL’s bus shelters. London’s public transport provider said the new contract, which begins on 1 January 2016, will provide more digital ads, and more interactive advertising and local information for customers. Managing director of surface transport at TfL, Leon Daniels, said: “Our bus network carries 6.5 million people every day, and with almost 5,000 bus shelters in some fantastic locations across the capital, this is a great opportunity for advertisers to reach out to our customers. “The new contract with JCDecaux represents good value for fare and taxpayers and will generate revenue for us to invest in delivering better services for our customers.” The contract is part of TfL’s commercial strategy to generate £3.4 billion in non-fare revenue over the next decade, which it said will be reinvested into the capital’s London’s public transport and road network. Jean-François Decaux, the chairman of the executive board and co-chief executive at JCDecaux, said: “JCDecaux is de-

lighted to have been awarded the prestigious TfL advertising contract, the world’s largest bus shelter advertising concession. “London’s economy and population is booming. The city is changing at a rate not seen since Victorian times and it will have a population of 10 million by 2030 increasing its value as a market for advertisers. “This award consolidates London’s bus shelter contracts into a single proposition of 15,000 back-lit 2 sqm panels, paving the way for a significant digital transformation. “The company plans to make London the global showcase for digital out-of-home with more than 50 per cent of its UK advertising revenues forecast to be coming from digital by 2017.” BC

Decaux

VConnect evolves into online marketplace Saidat Alausa

ne of the nation’s local search engine, VConnect Global Services Limited, said that it has expanded its scope of business and now evolved into a complete online marketplace where people can now find, buy and sell goods and services. The company it has over 1.1 million business listings on the website, saying that consumers have access to a wide array of products and services. General Manager and CoFounder, VConnect Nigeria,

Deepankar

Deepankar Rustagi in a press statement said that VConnect’s online marketing platform offers unrivaled shopping convenience. He said, “our long term vision is to connect buyers and suppliers; providing convenience to buyers and growth to suppliers while boosting the Nigerian economy. “Users can find a product by its name or by searching the name of the store; compare brands and prices side by side, and buy quality products at the best prices”. Deepankar urged SME’s to leverage e-commerce solutions to grow and improve their business outputs. “Technology allows SMEs to increase their productivity and growth at a much faster pace.” He also explained that businesses can leverage the VConnect marketplace platform to increase visibility and sales. “A business owner on the VConnect marketplace platform Idowu Malamo, pointed out that “VConnect understands the nature of one’s business and connects you to your target audience especially in terms of direct marketing with your target audience.” BC

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Energy Review

Funding, infrastructure problems plague power supply The recent improvement in the generation capacity by the Gencos has exposed the weakness of distribution firms who lack both technical and financial capacity to take in load allotments meant to provide stable electricity supply Gbenga Odogun reports

wo weeks ago, Electricity generation in the country notched 4,600 megawatts threshold for the first time in many months. Despite this, electricity supply to consumer although marginally improved has remained largely bellow expectation. This below expected performance in supply has prompted many questions from stakeholders who could not still understand why supply has been slow in improvement even though we are still far behind in our daily requirements for a stable regular supply. Experts believe that if the entire 4,600 is properly harnessed and distributed, Nigerians would have noticed a significant improvement in supply to industries and households. What this points to is the inadequacy in the capacity of the transmission companies as well as the distribution companies to take on loads available from the generation companies. Professor Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president, said at a lecture in Abeokuta recently that: “Though Nigeria needs more than 10,000MW to stabilize economic growth, the present capacity of power transmission lines cannot distribute more than 5,000 MW since the improvement works on transmission lines have been stagnant over years and should be improved upon if Nigeria must achieve tangible output from the sector”. “Unfaithful to awards of contract and execution of contracts being awarded are the major challenges. Several contracts in that regards have been awarded several years back, but have not been completed. “Unfaithful to awards of contract and execution of contracts being awarded are the major challenges. Several contracts in that regards have been awarded several years back, but have not

been completed. “What is being produced now is less than 3,000 MW. Our transmission grid today can only transmit 5,000 MW and we need to improve on transmission capacity to transmit enough power needed to stabilize economy. That is why the private investors have to increase capital investment in power sector.” Experts are of the opinion that even the generated 4,600 mw have not been completely taken up by the Discos due to what analyst attributed to inadequate funding and poor technical know how about the industry and how it operates. This inadequacy only recently caught the attention of the Nigeria Electricity Regulation Commission who threatened to imposed sanction on transmission and diminution companies who refuses to take on load allotted to it by system operators without giving notices The decision follows the emerging reports that some of the distribution companies (Discos) are running away from taking on more generated electricity in the face of increased power generation, citing inadequate capacity. The Head, Public Affairs in NERC, Dr. Usman Abba-Arabi, in a statement made available to our correspondent in Abuja, noted that the sanctions would be meted especially when there is no notification ahead of such rejection. According to him, Order number NERC 139 entitled “Order on the Imbalance Appli-

Amadi

cation Mechanism during the Transitional Electricity Market” was issued on account of high incidence of indiscipline by electricity distribution companies who reject load allocations by the System Operator (SO). “The Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, operates on the basis of a sharing formula approved by NERC, which the SO uses to allocate generated electricity to the distribution companies, many of which are lately rejecting allocation,” he stated. NERC maintained that rejection of load allocation, besides causing imbalance in the system is preventing electricity consumers from realizing the maximum benefit of the recent increase in generation. Reacting to the allegation in a telephone chat with Business

Courage, the Assistant General Manager public Relations, Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company, Pekun Adeyanju said IKEDC has the capacity to distribute 1,250MW, but as at now, it gets only 500MW adding that it takes in all whenever allocated. According to him, “there has never been any history of load rejection involving IKEDC, We have all it takes to be able to distribute up to 1250 if given” Electricity generation in the country about two weeks ago notched 4,600 megawatts threshold but such improvement in the generation has not translate to improved supply as expected. To curb such act of indiscipline, NERC in the Order noted that, “Where a distribution company has a constraint on its network that will make it un-

able to receive load, the DISCO shall declare such constraint to the system operators SO a day ahead. Where a DISCO fails to give the required notice, it will be penalized. “Besides, every DISCO is obligated to receive load as directed by the SO, even beyond its statutorily allocated load at any time. This additional load will not attract penalty. “In allocating additional load to distribution companies, the SO shall take cognizance of historical data on Distribution Company’s ability to take power beyond their location. “However, the Transmission Company of Nigeria will be sanctioned if rejection of load allocation is caused by constraint in the transmission network,” he said. Giving an insight into the background of the Order which became effective over the weekend, the Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Sam Amadi, said it was aimed at eliminating imbalance and make Nigerians have maximum impact of the improvement in the generating capacity and to also sensitize operators to invest in their network to take more power. Amadi said most of the distribution and the transition companies had been using inadequacy of electricity supply as an excuse not to strengthen their networks and “the new threshold of power generation has exposed this weakness in their networks and we (NERC) have that responsibility to force them to invest in their networks.” BC

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Monday, August 10, 2015

Business Courage

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Technology will advance FSS 2020 objectives, – Jokosenumi When the Financial System Strategy was created ten years ago, technology has not taken firm root in the nation’s economy, however advancement in technology, challenges are likely to spring up in the implementation of the latest FSS 2020 objectives. Head, Programme Office, Financial System Strategy 2020, Engr. Oluwatoyin Jokosenumi in an interview with a group of select journalists said that technology will help to improve the FSS 2020. Isaiah Erhiawarien was there. Excerpts:

hat is your assessment of the Financial System Strategy that was setup by the Federal Government some 10 years ago? The Financial System Strategy for Nigeria was a platform that was created to restart what I can describe as the low-side engine of our national economy. It is a platform that was created to kick-start a new development agenda in Nigeria so that Nigeria - a nation emerging, a nation developing, a nation full of potentials -can take its pride of place because we have all it takes to lead Africa. The whole idea about it started 10 years ago, precisely in 2005, during the time of President Obasanjo. Quite a number of people were aware of the potential of Nigeria and Nigerians all over the world. They came calling, this group from Goldman Saatchi led by Jim O’Neill, who is the head of Asset Management of the bank. They were the same group that had a research that predicted the emergence of the BRIC countries comprising Brazil, Russia, Indonesian and China, when they came out of the emerging markets and the countries joined the world powers and of course and of course, they were working on another one they call the ‘Next Eleven.’ The Next-Eleven countries were the group of countries that will emerge and join the BRICS and then join the super powers such that by about 2025 thereabout, we would have something like 25 powerful nations around the world that would be making significant contribution and developing all the continents. So, two of the next eleven countries were ceded to Africa and one of it was ceded to be Nigeria and the other one could be Egypt. So, they came and they have the discussion with the President. He was excited and said ‘what do I need to do?’ and told him he needed to grow his economy at a rate not less than 12 per cent annually consistently for 15 years and then do several other things. Ok, can we shorten the time if are ready to roll out our sleeves? And they said ‘Yes’ and so Obasanjo negotiated the time and the team brought it back to 20 to 15 years. So, if you add 15 to 2005, you will arrive at 2020. That was how we

arrived at 2020. So, the whole idea is for us to have a financial system strategy. It will be a strategy that will manage our financial system. Within the financial system, there are usually about five or six financial markets. What they call the markets may also be described in a simple language as sectors. You have most importantly, the Micro, Small and Medium-size enterprises sector. It is a market. That is the engine of growth of the market. The second one is the mortgage market or sector that is the sector that delivers housing needs for the people. The third one is insurance and this is one market we have not explored at all because we don’t even understand it. The fourth is pension, which is new, through which started looking at how we can be saving for the raining day for workers so that we can look after ourselves when we are old. The policy around that was crafted by government in 2004. That’s another big sector that we need to manage. The fifth one is called the financial market itself, which comprises of banks and other financial institutions, OFIs. That is the biggest of our market and that one needed to be well structured. That consists of capital, stocks, money and all the banks. That is the sector where they operate. What are the cardinal objectives for the country through FSS 2020? We need to restructure all those sectors that I have listed earlier and so, the objectives of FSS 2020, generally speaking, were just three. The first is to re-organise the domestic financial market. You need to re-organise those sectors I have spoken about so that they can compete, collaborate and give them what it takes to create alliance and take advantage in other places. Secondly, when you have re-organise them properly, then you create windows such that you can have integration with similar markets in other parts of the world. So, you will sign MoUs and that is why you can see a Nigerian insurance company, for instance, trading with an insurance company in South Africa, Australia, in Spain, in New Zealand, in the US, in Canada, anywhere freely. Then, the third objective is now to engender

an evolution that will make this country a financial hub for Africa by building an international financial centre. Those are the tripartite objectives that we are pursuing. So, the necessity and reason for FSS 2020 became stronger when we look at the structure f our economy- everything from reforms, obsoleteness in terms of our laws, infrastructures, which are not there nay power, road, everything, where the only area where we have done fairly well is telecoms and we still have a long way to go in that sector. The magic we did in telecoms and banking, if we can do it in other sectors, the sky will be the limit for Nigeria. Your recent collaboration with E-Payment Providers Associations of Nigeria, EPPAN, to discuss e-government role in the economy seems to have brought a new dimension to how FSS 2020 plans to achieve its objectives. What have you to say on this? It is like you are asking me, there are several things to be done. What is the size of your labour? What can you do? How many people can I engage? Can you compare what technology can do to what individual can do? Can you compare the output of one person to the output of a machine, so when you are talking about e-government system, we are talking about using or creating a system that will enable us take advantage of technology to drive our processes so that we can have applied, high-quality, unified coded processes, do things within best practices and above all, we can be sure that things are done properly and without forgery. Indeed, it is going to help us in our fight against corruption. Identity management system is key for any country to accelerate economic development but this has been a challenge in Nigeria. Is there way FSS 2020 can help in this area? That’s where we are going and that is the essence of e-government. You are just pushing it out of my mind. You see, when people have no solution, they would begin to tinker out with whatever one that works. Rather than condemning the institutions that are embarking on those various initiatives creating the databases for themselves

to make their operations more convenient, we have to commend them because it is an initiative that is waking all others from their slumber. Yes, the banks have the BVN, the National identity Management he national identity, the Immigration have, the National Population Commission has, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has, now let us create a single platform which is what the FSS 2020 is asking for. Let us harness all the benefits of this, let us bring all these together and from there, we move on to the next step. All the data that were collated from these various initiatives can be harnessed can be put together and we can, out of it, have a clean record. This is what we are looking for: determine a clean record and this would help us even in our march towards e-democracy because the truth is that there is nothing in our life that does not require transformation into technology plane. It is about health? We can never produce enough medical doctors. It is not possible. So, you need to find a way to look after people using such things as telemedicine that encourages collaboration through technology. And, without doubt, we need a healthy citizenry for productivity. We are talking of education; people say the standard continues to fall. Standard will continue to look like falling if you are not taking advantage of technology. So, e-government, when fully integrated into the governance process in Nigeria will create safety; reduce the burden on having to move from one plane to another. So, a lot of things will fall in their various places. Are we ready for such collaborations that will make us achieve effective –government implementation in the country? To be honest with you, our problem is not about what to do; our problem is how to do and when to do which is the bane of execution. We know what to do, all the policies, all the ideas that we need to transform Nigeria in one file or the other are somewhere. We know them. Nigerians are good at writing the policies, at visioning, at taking down details, recommending it but when it comes into execution, there is problem and there are solutions in doing that. That is why the project management principles, the project management processes and frameworks are available for you to use. That is not a problem and those challenges can be circumvented in no time while appropriate response plans are put in place and we would on our way to success. The seventh National Assembly just passed three major bills that relate to financial services development into law. What should Nigerians expect from these three legal instruments with their full enforcement? The three out of the four bills are the Financial Ombudsman Service Bill. That is the bill that will help us to resolve conflict and better manage dispute in the financial sector among the users of the financial services. For instance, from banks, we have a lot of complaints. People have wrong debits. People’s interests were not properly transferred. Dividends were not paid. Monies were wrongly charged. Services were poorly rendered. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, August 10, 2015

‘Airtel Nigeria first quarter performance impressive’ Stories by Isaiah Erhiawarien

harti Airtel has said that it is impressed with the profitable growth of its sister company in Nigeria. The company in its first quarter ended June 30, 2015 noted that it recorded positive results, amid job cut rumours. Employees across Bharti Airtel’s Africa operations may be facing a tough few months if the company goes ahead with rumoured plans to reduce its workforce. The Economic Times of India last week quoted anonymous sources who spoke of large scale job losses, up to 20 percent of Bharti Airtel staff. The company said its results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2015 this week and reported revenue growth of just 1 percent in Africa to $989 000 000 compared to $980 000 000 in the corresponding quarter of last year. Data revenues contributed 12.9 percent to overall Africa revenues. The quarterly customer base figures on the other hand showed 2.7 per cent growth in

the number of African customers between March and June 2015. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bharti Airtel Africa, Christian de Faria said, “In the first quarter, Airtel Africa has set the pace for the year, with customer base growing by 13.4 percent to 78.3 million. Customer churn has been reduced from 7.0 percent to 5.4 percent, as a result of customer lifecycle management programmes. Minutes grew by 16.0 percent, while data volumes have more than doubled. The data customer penetration at 16.6 percent reflects the untapped potential in the internet space. I am particularly delighted to report that 7.0 million Airtel Money customers are transacting more than $ 1 billion of money every month. We are also satisfied with continued profitable growth in Nigeria” The quarterly report also confirmed interest by French telecommunications operator Orange in acquiring Airtel operations in Burkina Faso, Congo Brazzaville, Sierra Leone and Chad.

Technotalk

amsung’s critically acclaimed Galaxy S6 range was launched in April. According to Reuters, for four years, Samsung has basked in the success of its Galaxy smartphones, making billions of dollars competing with Apple in the premium mobile market. The coming years are set to be more sombre for the South Korean tech giant, as it is forced to slash prices and accept lower margins at its mobile division in order to see off competition from rivals including China’s Huawei and Xiaomi in the mid to low end of the market. Behind Samsung’s reality check is the fact that it is stuck with the same Android operating system used by its low-cost competitors, which are producing increasingly capable phones of their own. “The writing has long been on the wall for any premium Android maker: as soon as low-end hardware became ‘good enough’, there would be no reason to buy a premium brand,” said Ben Thompson, an analyst at Stratechery.com in Taipei. Margins at Samsung’s mobile division fell to 10.6 percent from 15.5 percent a year earlier during the second quarter of 2015, despite the April launch of its critically acclaimed Galaxy S6 range.

Samsung remains the world’s biggest smartphonemaker, but it is Apple that is reaping most of the rewards. While the US giant’s smartphone sales in its last financial quarter fell short of market expectations, it is still estimated by some analysts to earn 90 percent or more of the industry’s profits. Samsung said it will continue trying to maximise profitability and market share, disclosing plans to launch new larger-screen premium phones as well as more bargain-priced handsets. Investors and analysts say the group is right to dig its heels in for a business that continues to generate piles of cash and drives sales for its components divisions. But they say Samsung will not be able to compete with Apple in the premium market based on hardware and will continue to trail the US firm in the absence of a major technological breakthrough. “Some still seem to think that a well-made product will sell well, but the Galaxy S6 showed that assumption is wrong,” said IBK Securities analyst Lee Seung-woo, who predicts Samsung’s mobile division margins will fall to 9.3 percent this year: their lowest since before the first Galaxy S phone launched in 2010. Acknowledging the head-

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

Targeting the right social media to market your business

B Faria

Bharti Airtel describes that transaction as one that is about maximising shareholder value by handing over the businesses to an operator who it says is committed to take the agenda in those countries forward. Further debt reduction appears to be on the cards, although the telecommunications company does not hint at job cuts directly. The quarterly revenue reported went on to say that the restructuring would allow Airtel “...to establish a sharper focus on the remaining countries, further reduce the debt on its balance sheet and move faster BC towards building a profitable

‘Samsung’s smartphone glamour days are over’

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winds, the South Korean firm said last week it will “flexibly adjust” prices of its flagship Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge models to boost third-quarter sales. Samsung cut the retail price of the S6 Edge in South Korea by around 100 000 won ($85.46) in July. The company also plans to launch more pricecompetitive products in the mid to low end of the market. Nomura analyst CW Chung said Samsung still has the economies of scale to outlast rivals, adding the smartphone industry will face a consolidation similar to the one in the memory chip industry that the South Korean firm now dominates. “The ones that ultimately survive will then have plenty to be happy about,” said Chung. Nomura forecasts the smartphone market will grow from $276 billion last year to $315 billion by 2017, far larger than the DRAM and NAND memory chip markets in which Samsung competes. Further, the mobile division will remain an important client for Samsung’s components businesses. Use of its own Exynos mobile processors and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays in premium devices like the Galaxy S6 boosts its chip and display sales, and serves as an advertising billboard for potential customers. BC

uilding a customer base is important in all businesses. Using an online community base should ideally be a large number of current and prospective clients or buyers talking to each other. As social media marketing is becoming so popular, business owners need to go into social media marketing, targeting the right and cost-effective channels to market their products, services or brands become a big question as they may not have the time or resources to spend on every one of them. A strategy for social media engagements is useless without an objective. The objective can be building an online community, lead generation, website traffic, data collection, revenue generation online, and brand exposure. This means you should have a way to measure the efficacy of your campaign. It’s not an easy decision to decide on which social media your business should target; however here is a quick survey of few social media platforms to aid your business; Facebook: Facebook is the biggest social network today with more than 1.2 billion users worldwide and the chances are that most of your customers are members of facebook network. Facebook offers a wide variety of services to various a socially expansive users. Facebook is accessible from its well-known website and from its increasingly popular mobile app. Twitter: Twitter is more of a personal micro blogging service than a community of users. Twitter lets users post short text messages called tweets, which then show up in the feeds of your followers. With more than 230 million monthly users it’s popular among younger and more mobile users because 76% of the user base access the service via mobile devices. LinkedIn: This is a social network for business professionals. Great for job seekers and those wanting to network with others in a given profession or industry, LinkedIn has more than 250 million users. Instagram: Instagram is a photo app for smartphones and mobile social network. Users shoot digital photographs and videos and share those items with their friends on the Instagram network. Instagram has more than 150 million users. Pinterest: Pinterest is billed as a content-sharing service that allows members to pin or post photos, videos, and other images to their pinboards. It’s ideal for businesses for which visual imagery is a main feature or selling point. If you focus on wedding planning, travel destinations, interior decorating, fashion or foods, you can say a great deal about your products and services through your stunning photos or videos. Analysing the survey, you will find out that you will need to market where your customers visit on the web. If you send out a lot of news updates and bulletins often, facebook and twitter are very good. If your product is visually appealing (lots of pictures), you can’t beat Pinterest and Instagram, likewise facebook. If you have videos of your product or service, you have to consider facebook, Instagram as they are all good for sharing videos and if you offer B2B (business to business) goods or services, LinkedIn is the site for you. In summary, judging viability based solely on number of registered users leave out some important criteria. For example, how often do these users visit the site, and for how long? You need to know your customer, and where your customer socialises and target those social networks that your customers (or would-be customers) are most likely to use. Let that drive your social media strategy. From all indications, Facebook still comes first simply because of its 1.2 billion users, it’s really a strategic site for your business marketing as it doesn’t discriminate, both male and female, high and low income earners visit the site. Try not to focus only on the size of the community, but also on the potential to convert those community members into customers or brand advocates. Connect with your customers and keep them up to date on events. Your main strategy should be to engage targeted customers to get the best result. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, August 10, 2015

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Igho Charles Sanomi II:

The whiz-kid

entrepreneur

Even at 39, he is an accomplished businessman who has made the list of billionaires not only in Nigeria but on the African continent. The Taleveras Group, which he established about ten years ago, is a living testimony of his entrepreneurial prowess. Imbued with determination, courage and creativity, Igho Charles Sanomi II, an outstanding oil trader, trained engineer and philanthropist has taken his group from grass to grace, developing it into a conglomerate with operations spanning oil, telecommunications, maritime, aviation and real estates Adejuwon Osunnuyi

Sanomi

gho Charles Sanomi, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Taleveras Group, an internationally recognised energy and power conglomerate with offices in London, Geneva, Cape Town, Dubai, the Ivory Coast, Abuja and Lagos, is not only an enigma but also an ultra-wealthy young and dynamic Nigerian tycoon who has an offshoot of a respected and resourceful family. Born on 17 May 1975, in Agbor Delta State to late Dickens Ogheneruemu Patrick Sanomi, retired Assistant Inspector General of the Nigerian Police and Mabel Iyabo Sanomi, Yeye Jemo of Isotun Ijesha Kingdom, Osun State, he is the fifth child and first son of the devout Catholic family. While his late father, AIG Sanomi, was the second National Vice-President of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), and was noted to have contributed to sports development in Nigeria, Sanomi’s mother was a renowned nurse and medical entrepreneur. Shortly after completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Geology and Mining at the University of Jos in Northern Nigeria, Sanomi entered the world of business. He rose quickly to the position of Executive Director with Sarian Oil and Cosmos Oil AG, an international Oil Trading Company with its core activities in West Africa. During his time in this role, he single-handedly developed the company’s trading operations by negotiating the export and delivery of fuel oils from

West Africa to the United States Gulf Coast. During this period, he developed trading operations for its fuel oil business by negotiating trade transactions for fuel oil exports from the Port Harcourt Refinery, Nigeria. He also developed a strategic alliance with a major international oil trading group based in Zug, Switzerland. This partnership oversaw the import and export of millions of tons of refined petroleum products to and from the West African coast. In 2004, Sanomi founded the Taleveras Group, of which he is currently the CEO. It is a fully integrated company offering strategic solutions in energy, power and construction services. His decision to become an entrepreneur, according to those very close to him may have been influenced by his mother, who was a renowned medical entrepreneur. Deciding to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams, he merged all of his business activities into one and founded a company with a vision and drive to become “a leading Global Energy and Service Company,” with offices in London, Geneva, Cape Town, Dubai, Ivory Coast, Abuja and Lagos. Forbes had it that the company “trades over 100 million barrels of crude oil as well as several million tons of gasoline, LPG and jet fuel. Igho Sanomi was profiled by Forbes magazine in 2007 as “one of the new generation of young professionals in Nigeria who are establishing themselves as young leaders of the private sector business community.” He was described in same magazine early in 2013 as one “Ten Young African Millionaires To Watch In 2013.” In April 2012, Taleveras acquired production sharing contracts (PSCs) for three offshore oil blocks in Ivory Coast. In June 2013, Taleveras sold a 65 per cent stake in one of its Ivorian offshore upstream projects to Lukoil of Russia for an undisclosed price. Taleveras also owns a stake in a power Continued on pg A14

Business Courage

distribution firm in Nigeria.” Taleveras Group was incorporated as a parent company in 2004, by merger of various segments of its previous businesses. It is a fully integrated company offering strategic solutions in energy, power and construction services. Taleveras Group’s Energy activities are primarily centered on the physical sourcing and marketing of oil on a worldwide scale as it also pursues upstream activities with a major focus on acquiring Oil assets with viable proven reserves, on a structured basis. Taleveras Group has also developed a name for itself as a first class Engineering and Power Services Provider. This sector of our Business is promoted by The Group and its subsidiaries. Since inception, this segment of Taleveras’ activity portfolio has been vibrant with significant amounts of civil engineering, power distribution and transmission projects to showcase our relevant extensive experience. Through time, Taleveras Group built a strong enterprise on the creation of strategic teams for the purpose of developing business and efficiently executing construction and power projects alongside our oil trading activities. We are committed to working as a team with our partners to get the job done as quickly, inexpensively and efficiently as possible. We are a multi-disciplinary, experienced and highly motivated group of individuals. As the driving force behind the Taleveras Group, Sanomi has been instrumental in the expansion and diversification of the company’s operations. Annually, the Taleveras Group trades hundreds of millions of crude oil barrels and millions of tons of fuel oil, jet fuel, gasoline, condensates and liquefied petroleum gas. The company’s oil exploration and recovery activities include the acquisition of production sharing contracts (PSCs) for three offshore oil blocks in Ivory Coast and rights to a further two oil blocks in Nigeria. In the power sector, Taleveras Group is working in partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Capital Development Authority on the construction of several electrical substations. Additional substations are also under construction in the Niger Delta region as part of the National Integrated Power Project. In 2010 the Taleveras Group coordinated a number of well known power industry suppliers to construct an 185MW power station and distribution substation. The second phase of this project, involving the delivery of a further 200MW capacity is currently in progress. Most recently, the Taleveras Group led a consortium that acquired a majority stake in the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution company via a process of competitive tender. The company is responsible for the distribution of more than 2,000MW of power in River State,

Nigeria. In his role as CEO, Sanomi ensures that the Taleveras Group is always focused on activities that deliver social and economic benefits to the regions where they take place. In June 2013, Taleveras sold a 65 per cent stake in one of its Ivorian offshore upstream projects to Lukoil of Russia for an undisclosed price. Presently, the Group consolidated global turnover is in excess of several billion dollars and anticipated to increase in coming years. To achieve this, Sanomi noted that Taleveras intends to sustain this growth pace by expanding our activities into new regions. Consistent profitability, improved operating cost in all sectors of activities and proper risk management has continued to enhance its financial strength and stability as current combined Bank Lines of credit are in excess of $ 1 Billion Dollars. According to Oghens Sanomi ,Televeras Chief Financial Officer, “A Simple and prudent financial model has worked for us, not to mention the tremendous level of support we receive from our banks, our banks have shown faith in us and how we manage our various portfolios.” Taleveras Group Energy Activities encompasses the entire spectrum of Crude oil and Refined Petroleum Products. Prior to 2004, current subsidiaries and newly associated companies of Taleveras Group, supplied in total, 290,000 Metric Tons of Physical Fuel Oil between the years 1998-2002, and 400,000 Metric Tons of Refined Products during 2002-2004. These figures continue to rise in recent years, seeing our total Physical Trades Increase to 12 million barrels of physical crude oil and two million tons of physical clean and dirty products from December 2007 through October 2008. At present, energy trading activities are led by Taleveras Petroleum Trading BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary based in London. Taleveras Group is active in the following range of activities:

Monday, August 10, 2015

Crude Oil and Condensate Trading, Refined Oil Product Trading, Petrochemical Trading, Natural & Petroleum Gas Supply and Trading, Crude & Product Logistics and Storage, Shipping and Transportation. Taleveras Group’s upstream development and participation was further boosted with an award of two oil blocks in the 2005 oil bidding round held in the country. However, production sharing contracts have not yet been executed on these two fields. Taleveras Group is committed in integrating fully into upstream activities and has defined strategic initiatives to promote this Interest in coming years as it is also committed to developing new energies such Bio Fuels and other renewable as well as electricity and emissions trading. While Sanomi believes “the guiding principles for this growth, are principles of respect, integrity, humility, professionalism, transparency and a desire to positively impact on our various counterparts,” current physical turnover of Taleveras Group energy activities is in excess of several billion dollars. Within the group, the energy trading activities are led by Taleveras Petroleum Trading BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Taleveras Group. Operating out of London, the company trades crude and fuel oil, condensates and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as well as refined petroleum products such as Gasoline, Dual Purpose Kerosene, Gasoil, Naphtha, Jet Fuel. Its inherent trading strategy is based upon the firm’s commitment to the continued growth and strength of its physical positions in the crude oil and petroleum product markets, with a long-term focus on enhancing itsmarket share to become the leading local partner in West African energy trading. At Televeras, diversification of its trading portfolio is vital to balance its product mix and maximize itsefficiency and profitability. “We invest in strategic assets that complement our existing trading business, and seek

to grow our global footprint by expanding our operations into new, robust regions of the world, positioning the firm to take advantage of attractive conditions in the international energy marketplace.” Sanomi had noted. The energy subsidiaries of the group include Taleveras Petroleum Trading BV, Taleveras Energy Resources BV, Gembrook Energy Limited, Tadema Shipping & Logistics Limited and Sarian Oil Services Limited. Taleveras Group draws on a wide and diverse range of expertise from its pool of experienced Engineers, Technical Partners and Consultants when meeting the needs of Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution. Part of Taleveras Group energy projects include 3 Number, 4 X 15MVA 33/11KV Injection Substations located in Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. 4 Number, 1 x 15MVA 33/11KV injection Substation located in Swali, Opollo, Ovum and Gbarian Ubie in Bayelsa State in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. 2 Number 1 x 7.5MVA 33/11KV Injection Substation Located in Abonema and Degema in Rivers State in Niger Delta Region Nigeria. The construction arm of the group was born in July 1998, with the incorporation of Dickens & Mabel International Ltd, a multi-disciplined engineering and construction firm. In 2004, it was merged into the Taleveras Group, as a Special Project Unit, still maintaining its brand name. Through this arm it has constantly recorded achievements stemming partly from the desire to improve the most basic of needs which impacts on the immediate society such as the construction of roads and bridges, provision of quality buildings, upgrading of hostels, reconstruction of educational facilities in colleges and universities, development of housing estates and provision of town/city residential infrastructure. Taleveras Group is also engaged in the telecommunications sector through our partnership with Phase 3 Telecoms, to enable the development of the telecommunication networks of West Africa. Its construction experience enables it to invest both its expertise and finances in the crucial growth of this sector. This allows Taleveras Group to contribute to the constructive development and improvement of the West African GSM telecommunication networks. Known for his philanthropic prowess, Sanomi founded the

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Dickens Sanomi Foundation in memory of his late father. In addition to the Taleveras Group, the Dickens Sanomi Foundation is one of the key mediums through which Sanomi supports his chosen charities, which are selected on the basis of their impact and effectiveness. The Dickens Sanomi Foundation also places a high priority on the development of the Nigerian child and organises a number of competitions designed to encourage artistic accomplishment: Dickens Sanomi Annual Essay Competition for Junior and senior schools in Nigeria and Strauss Musical Competition which promotes musical development in children. Most recently, the Dickens Sanomi Foundation has provided vital relief to areas of Nigeria affected by natural disasters. In 2012 the foundation evacuated about 12,300 flood victims from the Bayelsa and Delta states. Food, blankets, medical care and funds were all provided to the flood victims, who were housed in special relief camps following their rescue. Just like his late father, Sanomi is also a sports lover as he is noted to be Polo enthusiast. His company, Taleveras participated in and sponsored the 2010 and 2011 Kaduna International Polo Tourneys respectively. Over the years, Sanomi has been a man of honour as he has received various accolades both in Nigeria and abroad. On November 30, 2012, Nigeria’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation conferred the Award of Patron of the Nigeria National Heritage on him. In 2007, the Federal Capital Territory Business Excellence Awards gave him Male Entrepreneur of the Year award. In the following year, he was awarded Young Entrepreneur of the Year by Mode Men magazine. The same publication gave him Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2012. He was appointed as the Chairman of the National Heritage Council and Endowment for the Arts, which was inaugurated by the Federal Government on Monday July 1, 2013. The council is mandated “to ensure the protection and conservation of the “just identified 100 heritage sites which are unique and uncommon assets that Nigeria intends to preserve and promote,” among others. The council has Folorunsho Alakija, the richest African woman, as the vice-chairman and other prominent Nigerians as members. BC

Consistent profitability, improved operating cost in all sectors of activities and proper risk management has continued to enhance its financial strength and stability as current combined Bank Lines of credit are in excess of $ 1 Billion Dollars

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Business Courage

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ThebuddingEntrepreneurs KLINIC

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

e-mail: olusegunmamora@gmail.com

he problem solvers are usually the leaders in every society as well as in business. The chief executive officer is the chief problem solver for the customers and the organisation. In every enterprise, problems are resolved at different level. The man at the gate solves the problem of parking and fear of theft. The chief operating officer solves the problem of disorder and inefficiency. The ability of a leader to recognise that everyone in any enterprise has capability to solve problem makes business system efficient and productive. The challenge of many chief operating officers has been the “Moses cap syndrome.” The Moses cap syndrome states, “A leader can passionately be involved in resolving problems at every level of community that he and his followers enter the promise land” When leader believes he is the only one who can solve all problems at every level of organisation, it only wastes the corporate potentials. Everyone in organisation has potential to solve problem. Problems are facts of every business life circle, because we live in an imperfect world. For winning enterprises, problems are stepping-stones to maturity and productivity. Conversely, problems are obstacle for losing team. There are three perspectives to problem that will put you in a winning mode. First, it is important that you realise now that an outstanding person is the one who resolves an outstanding problem. Can you think of an outstanding billionaire who didn’t resolve an outstanding problem? I believe there is none. I think your attitude should be to solve outstanding problem for global humanity at your present level. That is what Larry page have done by starting google.com. He solve global problem of searching for information at a click. Note that outstanding entrepreneur solved an outstanding problem. Secondly, problem solving is the quickest route to leadership. In every society, people fall into two categories in problem solving; those who create the problem and those who

solve the problem. As an entrepreneur, you will get reward to the degree of problems you solve not the one you create. As a team member, when you solve problem beyond your current position, you are ready for promotion. Thirdly, the size of the entrepreneur is more important than the size of the problem. The problem is the self-image of the person. This means entrepreneur will not attempt things on the outside that he or she is not capable of on the inside. In 2004, when my name appeared as the week most outstanding contributor in TIME Magazine after I commented on transformation of cities in Europe, it amazed me that my thinking for several years to

Solving problems improves business system

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Can you think of an outstanding billionaire who didn’t resolve an outstanding problem? I believe there is none. I think your attitude should be to solve outstanding problem for global humanity at your present level.

solve problem at global level influenced my attitude to learning and move me toward platform where that goal can be achieved. It is first within and then expressed outside. You have to win the battle inside first. Dear entrepreneur, these three attitudes mentioned above are important for you to create a winning organisation. Let me quickly say that it is only effective when you help your associ-

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BUSINESS

ates and team members develop these attitudes. When they express these attitudes, they solve problems with you in the enterprise. I must say again, don’t be caught in “Moses cap syndrome” because you cannot solve every problem in your enterprise. Problem solving is first an attitude and then technical skill. Now, let me share with you few technical skills that are applicable to problem solving.

1. Erect your business thermometer to identify the problem See the vital signs such as finance, sales, marketing, customer satisfaction, employee performances and turnover rate. You need to look for anomaly in the vital signs before you can identify the threat and knock it off. 2. Check out the priority Prioritise the problems and check out the most important and urgent problem to be solved and attend to it. Problem can be important, important and urgent, urgent and not important. You must be able to place it in appropriate quadrant. 3. Define the problem Dig around the problem to define real issue. If the sales are poor and it is an important and urgent problem on your priority list, the next thing is to dig around it and define the elements of the problem both internal and external. 4. Select a project team to solve the problem Whether it is to be solved in two hours, two days, two months or two years, call the project team and give them responsibility within a space of time to solve the problem that has been defined.

Motivational Business Quotes

o think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted. – George Kneller

To the degree we’re not living our dreams; our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves. – Peter McWilliams The enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth-persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. – John F. Kennedy Long-range planning works best in the short term. – Doug Evelyn The NBA is never just a business. It’s always business. It’s always personal. All good businesses are personal. The best businesses are

very personal. – Mark Cuban You can fool all the people all the time if the advertising is right and the budget is big enough. – Joseph E. Levine A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. – Richard Branson The entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity. – Peter F. Drucker No enterprise can exist for itself alone. It ministers to some great need, it performs some great service, not for itself, but for others.. or failing therein, it ceases to be profitable and ceases to exist. – Calvin Coolidge BC

5. Select the best solution and make policy Look at all recommended solutions to the problem and select the best that suits it. Evaluate the solution appropriately and set up policy that can guide against reoccurring of the problem in the future or manage it before it escalates. Lastly, I stand with you in this success journey and believe that you will achieve your dream to solve problems that confront nation and this world. I will encourage you that you keep moving on in your line of passion, identify more problems, equip yourself with skills and solve the outstanding problem. You are a champion! NOTE: Solve the problem in the above diagram and win a 4 hour “business system advisory service.” Send your answer and phone number to 0816-6317622 (SMS only). BC

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

Ola Orekunrin, a medical doctor

A lot of Nigerian at one time or the other in their journey of life have had to deal with one health challenge or the other, and in a country where access to quality health care is hard to come by, it is a welcome development when a thoroughly groomed medical professional steps in to fill the vacuum by providing means of easy and quick access to health facility, thus enters Ola Orekunrin, a Uk trained medical doctor who graduated as one the youngest medical doctors at 21. Olamide Orekunrin is a British-Nigerian medical doctor and managing director Flying Doctors Nigeria Lagos, was born in London, England and grew up under the care of foster parents in Lowestoft. She graduated from Hull York Medical School at the age of 21, becoming one of the youngest medical doctors in the United Kingdom. She is also a trainee helicopter pilot. Gbenga Odogun

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

younger sister, who was on holiday in Nigeria at the time. She suddenly fell sick and her condition quickly became critical. What she needed to save her life then was urgent medical attention. Unfortunately, the closest hospital with the capacity to treat her worsening condition was in South Africa and there was no way to get her there fast enough. The child died. Ola was left greatly traumatized by her sister’s death; she described it as “devastating”. But the young medical doctor’s pain motivated her into establishing an air ambulance service to intervene in the event of such critical situations, setting up the first of its kind not only in Nigeria, but also in West Africa. She was motivated to start the charity after experiencing the loss of her sister under difficult circumstances. She was also inspired to assuage the problems of emergency medical services in the Nigeria. Undaunted by difficult challenges, she successfully established Flying Doctors in Lagos, Nigeria in 2007 and she is currently the CEO. Ola is a member of both the American Academy of Aesthetic Surgeons and the British Medical Association. She was listed among Young Global leaders by World Economic Forum in 2013\ Ola has also lectured on entrepreneurship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Determined to improve the

Orekunrin

Management Principles

Personality: The key to start-up success

egardless of the type of business, there are some common personality traits most entrepreneurs share that are important ingredients for success.

First, to be a successful business owner it’s important to be a self-starter. When you are an employee, most of your projects and tasks are assigned by someone else. You generally know what you are supposed to do, when it is to be completed, and how it is to be performed. However, when you start your own business, there is no one to assign anything to you. All the business operations, including drumming up business, rest on your shoulders. Many new business owners spin their wheels at first. They do what I call “busy work.” They don’t focus on the important actions they need to take to build their business. Successful entrepreneurs see opportunities all around them and they have an inherent sense of how to get things done and make things happen.

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Monday, August 10, 2015

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ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

with a touch of class

Personal Finance Calculating your net worth

Orekunrin (middle)

healthcare delivery system in Nigeria, she in collaboration with other professionals set up Flying Doctors Nigeria, West Africa’s first and only full air ambulance service.“Setting up the company was a direct result of my fascination for helicopters, trauma medicine, motor accident kinematics and pre-hospital medicine. I knew it was something that I had the skills and experience to do.” The fly doctor said Other professionals in the team are; Mrs. Joy Etokudo, a lawyer by profession, she oversees the day-to-day running of the organization. She also helps develop strategies for growth and expansion as well as improvement of the company’s services and business relationships. Also on the list are Dr. J. Ayeni Dr. J. Ayeni Dr. V. Raji Dr.

A. Shittu Dr. S. Oladokun all Senior Flight Physicians .These are senior anesthetists and intensive care experts with certificates in aviation medicine. They are products of rigorous and detailed in-house course with hundreds of hours of inflight working experience on various air ambulance missions both within and outside the country. They have extensive experience in performing critical care procedures like intubation, central line insertion and other forms of invasive monitoring whilst in the air. Ola’s foray into the world of entrepreneurship is not without its challenges as she was made to face rejections several times over. She had had to endure several hours of waiting at the receptions only to be told to try

Secondly, you should be comfortable working alone. Most start-ups are one man/woman shows. In fact, many companies today start off as home-based businesses. When you don’t have a neighbor to kibitz with in the next cubicle or a co-worker to chat with in the coffee room, you may start to feel isolated and alone — which can impact your productivity and undermine your success. Consider your motivation for starting your business. If by starting your own business you think you are happily escaping from dealing with a boss, think again. When you are a business owner, you don’t have one boss, you have many bosses called customers and clients. Also, if you are looking at business ownership as a way to create more work/life balance, don’t do it. Successfully launching a small business requires more time commitment and work effort than any job you’ve ever had! Finally, entrepreneurs are risk-takers so you should understand your personal risk tolerance. Not only does starting a business involve financial risk, but there is also personal risk. You must be willing to go beyond your comfort zone and make personal sacrifices along the way. However, while starting and building a successful business is risky, it is also an exciting and rewarding experience. BC

another day. However with endurance and persistency and with firm believe in her dream, Ola has successfully steered the company upwards in achieving its corporate goals and ensuring sustained growth. At a talk at the TEDxBerlinSalon recently Ola Orekunrin spoke about the strength of women in business. She talks about the effect of name calling and how it should drive women to strive for higher. She advocates for a world of fairness, a world with less abuse, a world creative world and a more innovative world! Increasingly, entrepreneurship is being recognised for its role in creating prosperity and fostering good governance around the world. Today, innovation, entrepreneurial leadership and bottomup development can effectively address the issues faced by lowincome countries and stimulate progress Ola said! She has published her own book along with several articles in high-profile medical journals and has sat on various influential boards at the British Medical Association. In 2008, she was awarded the prestigious MEXT Japanese Government Scholarship and produced groundbreaking research in the field of regenerative medicine, focusing on induced pluripotent stem cells. She also is a member of the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine and holds their board certification. She currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria where she is considered a national expert of disaster medicine and pre-hospital care. Her company has been featured on various local TV and radio stations as well as the BBC and CNN. BC

ost people or businesses today do not have an idea of what a net worth is or even why it is a vital tool for managing their personal or company’s financial plan. For some others it is information required by foreign embassies when applying for visas and has no other role to play in helping them manage and attain a healthy personal financial status. According to Investopedia’s definition, “it is the amount by which assets exceed liabilities. Net worth is a concept applicable to individuals and businesses as a key measure of how much an entity is worth. A consistent increase in net worth indicates good financial health.” Your net worth can be a useful tool to measure your financial progress from year to year. Your net worth is essentially a grand total of all your assets minus your liabilities. There is no magic net worth number, but you should use your net worth to track your progress from year to year, and hopefully see it improve. Calculating your net worth can be easy. It only requires some basic financial information regarding the things you own and the debt that you owe. People with a substantial net worth are known as high net worth individuals, and form the prime market for wealth managers and investment counsellors. Investors with a net worth (excluding their primary residence) of at least $1 million either alone or together with their spouse are considered as “accredited investors” by the Securities and Exchange Commission, for the purpose of investing in unregistered securities offerings. It is also possible to have a negative net worth, which arises whenever liabilities exceed assets for either a business or an individual. A high net worth relates to good financial strength and ultimately good credit rating of an individual or a company. Similarly a low or negative net worth will relate to a weaker financial strength and a lower credit rating, thus directly affecting the individual’s or the company’s ability to raise funds from the market. Here’s How to calculate net worth: first of all note that you have to be conservative with estimates, especially with home and vehicle values. Inflating the value of large assets may look good on paper, but may not paint an accurate picture of your net worth. 1. Start by listing your largest assets. For most people, this would include their home and possibly vehicles. Make sure you use accurate estimates in your local currency. Next, you’ll want to gather your latest statements for your more liquid assets. This includes checking and savings accounts, cash, or other investments such as retirement accounts. Finally, consider listing personal items that may be of value. This could include jewellery, antique collections, musical instruments, etc. You don’t need to itemize everything, but list items that are worth at least N50, 000 or more. Now, take all of the assets you have listed in the first three steps and add them together. This number represents your total assets. It is time to look at liabilities. Again, start with the major outstanding liabilities such as the balance on your mortgage or car loans, salary advance and list those. Next, list all of your personal liabilities or any other debt you may owe. Add up all of your liabilities to come up with a total. Finally, subtract the total liabilities from the total assets and you will have your net worth. It doesn’t matter how big, how small, or even if it is negative. This is just a starting point to have something to compare against in the future. Repeat this process once a year and compare it with the previous year’s number. You can then determine if you are making progress or getting further behind. BC

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Union Bank leverages technology, rebranding to grow earnings Udo Onyeka

tail and commercial bank with its headquarters located in the central business district of Lagos, Nigeria. UBN is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small to medium sized companies, and major corporations. With a network of over 339 branches spread across the country, Union Bank is engaged in personal, business, commercial, corporate and investment banking. Primarily focused on commercial banking, Real Sector/ Agriculture/Public Sector Financing and with almost 100 years of history and expertise in banking, Union Bank presently has an Asset Base of over N851bn as well as Shareholders’ funds of over N176bn.

nion Bank of Nigeria Plc has announced its unaudited results for the 6 months ended June 30, 2015 with the Bank’s Profit before Tax moving up by 53 per cent to stand at N10.2bn from N6.6bn for H1-2014. Its Group Profit before Tax gained subsidiary sale up from N2.7bn during the last firsthalf, H1-2014, to N7.1bn in H12015. According to the bank’s balance sheet and income statement, its Total Assets grew by 11 per cent to close at N1.0trn in contrast to N921bn recorded in the previous year. Further checks showed that its Net Loans and Advances surged by 17 per cent to N354.5bn as against N302.4bn recorded the preceding period. The International Finance Reporting Compliance standard report reflected that the Customer Deposits gained 8 per cent to stand at N547.9bn as against N507.4bn in 2014, while its net Interest Income rose by 7 per cent to N23.1bn from N21.6bn in the comparable period of 2014. Net Operating Income surged by 10 per cent to close at N38.0bn from N34.7bn recorded the preceding year. Gross Earnings grew by 17 per cent in the first half of 2015 compared to H1-2014, and notwithstanding the significant volatility across the macro-economic landscape; Deposits also continue to move in the right direction with 8 per cent growth when compared to December 2014. Non-volatile deposits alone grew by N55.7bn during the first half of 2015. Meanwhile, the bank’s Total Expenses dropped to N27.9bn as against N28.1 billion in 2014. Commenting on the 2015 half year results, Emeka Emuwa, Managing Director/CEO of Union Bank Plc, said, “The successful implementation and migration to a new banking platform, Oracle FlexCube UBS, has provided a more stable operating environment for us to serve customers and process routine transactions quicker and more efficiently. In spite of economic headwinds and regulatory changes impacting the financial industry, Union Bank remains on a stable growth trajectoryas we implement initiatives to grow

our core banking segments; “As more clarity emerges in the macro-economic environment in the second half, we expect to consolidate the gains we have made in the first half of the year; maintaining our focus on delivering operating efficiencies across our operations and proactively managing our risk whilst exploring emerging opportunities in the economy.” Further commenting on the half year numbers, Chief Financial Officer, Mrs. Oyinkan Adewale said: “This was a good performance for the bank across most financial metrics, which can be attributed to our improving fundamentals and operational discipline. In addition to the 53 per cent growth in the Bank’s PBT, the Group PBT also grew. The Group’s PBT increased by N4.4bn in H1-2015 representing a 161 per cent growth over the same period last year, and excluding the sale of subsidiaries. “For the second half of 2015, our focus remains on continuing to manage funding costs, reducing operating expenses and minimising impairment costs through proactive risk management. We will also continue leveraging technology to enhance custom-

er experience and reduce the cost of servicing customers.” First quarter result Union Bank posted a profit before tax, PBT, N4.9bn for first quarter, Q1, ended March 31, 2015. This figure indicated an increase of 11 per cent compared with N4.45bn in the corresponding period of 2014. Customers’ deposits soared from N527bn to N545bn, while net loans and advances went up to N367bn, up from N312.8bn. Total assets stood at N1.02trn compared to N1.0trn in 2014. Emuwa, who commented on the result said “During the first quarter of 2015, Union Bank was focused on delivering critical operational and technology initiatives. We have completed migration to Oracle Flexcube UBS 12.0, the latest version of the Flexcube banking platform, which will eliminate previous system redundancies and enable faster customer service and turnaround times in our branches once full integration has been achieved by mid-year.” He added that he bank continued to focus on growing corporate and commercial businesses and enhancing retail product offering. According to Chief Financial

Officer of the bank, Mrs. Oyinkan Adewale once again, the bank has been able to translate its operational efficiency improvements into strong financial results. “The focus for 2015 will be to sustain the positive trend in our cost to income ratio, while utilising the balance sheet more efficiently to take advantage of opportunities in defined segments of the economy where we expect to see increased activity this year,” she had said. Contingency funding plan The Bank recognises the importance of liquidity in the dayto-day operations of its business as a stand-alone bank and also as a parent entity, hence it believes that it is crucial to have a plan for addressing liquidity in times of crisis. The Bank has a contingency funding plan in place which clearly defines the Key Risk Indicators (KRIs) to monitor the market conditions and measure its impact on the Bank’s liquidity position and funding strategies and It also addresses the reporting, communications and confidence management in the unlikely event of a liquidity crisis caused by unstable market. Focus Union Bank, UBN, is a re-

Company profile Union Bank of Nigeria Plc., established in 1917, is a fullservice commercial bank that caters to the retail and commercial needs of individuals, small and medium sized companies, and major corporations. Union Bank has a robust branch network comprising of 339 locations nationwide with its headquarters in the central business district of Lagos. The Bank offers a full suite of banking products and services that include business banking, personal banking, treasury services, and commercial lending. UBN also has international presence in the UK and West African countries where it operates wholly owned subsidiaries. Union Bank is listed with the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, regulated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and is also listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange ,NSE. In late 2012, a new Board of Directors and Executive Management team were appointed to Union Bank and in 2013 the Bank embarked upon a Transformation Programme, designed to re-establish it firmly as one of Nigeria’s leading financial institutions. The Bank currently offers a variety of banking services to both Individual and Corporate clients including Current, Savings and Deposit Account services, Funds Transfer, Foreign Currency Domiciliation, Loans, Overdrafts, Equipment Leasing and Trade Finance. The Bank also offers its customers convenient electronic banking channels and products including Online Banking, Mobile Banking, Bank Cards, ATMs and POS Systems. BC

Monday, August 10, 2015

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Law & Justice nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

‘’A trial is not an investigation and investigation is not the function of the court’’ Justice Modibbo Alfa Belgore, FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA xx

Senior lawyers partly responsible for congestion in courts —Quakers 42

Child crime rate: Top lawyers blame partents, exposure to internet Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Funmilayo Atilade

A Memories of Umuechem massacre 45

Uganda’s apex court outlaws refund of bride 46 price

lthough the age of criminal responsibility in the country is 17 years, the rate of crime being committed by the underaged is alarming. Instances of crime committed by youths abound, notwithstanding the existence of juvenile custodial institutions established to correct, reform and rehabilitate juvenile offenders in the country. Penultimate week, a 16-year-old boy, Tajudeen Azeez, was reportedly arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for killing and dismembering a four- year-old boy named Ibrahim. Azeez was reported to have lured the little Ibrahim to the back of an Anglican Primary School in Ijanikin area of Lagos, where he stabbed him in the back and then cut off the boy’s penis and also removed his intestines. Upon interrogation by the police, Azeez revealed that one Osho promised to give him N50, 000 if he could provide him with fresh human parts. Not long ago, the Nigeria Police in Abia State paraded six suspected killers of a traffic warden, Emmanuel Nwankwo, who was killed while on duty at the popular Brass Junction. Among the suspect were Chisom Solomon, 17; Jacob Orji, 17; and 16 years old, Uche Jumbo.

Ogun State CJ, Justice Olatokunbo Olopade

Notable lawyers and stakeholders in the administration of justice are worried that the increasing rate of criminality by the under-aged in the society is an indication of the breakdown in family values and social norms in the country, writes WALE IGBINTADE.

Instances of crime committed by youths abound notwithstanding the existence of juvenile custodial institutions established to correct, reform and rehabilitate juvenile offenders in the country. Commissioner of Police, Joshak Habila, said one of them, Solomon, was arrested with a locally made pistol by a patrol team at Umuojima Junction during a random stop and search operation. About three years ago, the National Bureau of Statistics issued frightening statistics on the crime rate by Nigerian youths. The statistics were contained in the 2012 National Baseline Youth Survey Report issued in Abuja by the NBS in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Youths Development. In it, 46,836 different types of crimes were recorded against youths; while 42,071, representing 75.5 per cent were males, the remaining 24.5 per cent were females. Among the 32 different crimes committed, Marijuana (Indian

hemp) smoking has the highest figure, representing 15.7 per cent. This was followed by theft and murder with 8.1 and 7.4 per cent, respectively. The least committed crime was Immigration/Emigration, representing 0.04 per cent. Despite these gruesome picture, young offenders are immuned from criminal prosecution. They cannot be formally charged by authorities with an offence, nor be subjected to any criminal law procedures or measures. The significance of the minimum age of criminal responsibility is that the law recognises that a child has not attained the emotional, mental and intellectual maturity to be held responsible for his action. For instance, Section 30 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federa-

tion, states that ‘’a person under the age of 12 years is not criminally responsible for an act or omission, unless it is proved that at the time of commiting the act or making the omission he had the capacity to know that he ought not to commit the act or make the omission’’. Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation, states that where an offender, who in the opinion of the court, had not attained the age of 17 years at the time the offence was committed has been found guilty of murder, such offender shall not be sentenced to death but shall be ordered to be detained during the pleasure of the President and upon such an order being made CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

Law & Justice

Monday, August 10, 2015

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Senior lawyers partly responsible Norrison Ibinabo Quakers, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has about 24 years’ postcall experience. He had his pupillage with the chambers of Iwelumo and Iwelumo and later joined Olisa Agbakoba & Co. before setting up his law firm. In this interview with WALE IGBINTADE he speaks on the petition written by a serving judge in Osun State judiciary and delay in administration of justice, among other issues. Excerpts:

What is your take on the petition written by a serving judge in the Osun state judiciary, Justice Olamide Folahanmi against the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola? Let me say this, I commend that Judge. It is just that often times, we say that the Judiciary must be neutral. In an environment where people play politics with everything that goes around them, you now have a Judge who has the courage to speak up on issues that affect the people. I think such courage deserves commendation and there is no law that says a judge does not have the right to talk. There are lots of cases where Judges find it very difficult to make pronouncements against the Chief Executive of the state. But, we have a judge who has petitioned an incumbent governor for constitutional violation, which for me is commendable. Several years after the introduction of the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, some of your colleagues are still agitating for its abolition. What do you think is wrong? Those who are agitating for the abolition of the SAN title have not taken time to reflect on the good side of it. What they must have seen so far is a few bad eggs among the members of the Inner Bar who to a large extent have misbehaved in one way or the other. Some of us aspired to be SAN because of the seniors we saw at that particular time. In fact some of them are no longer in the system. We cannot say the award is oppressive or that it is not good. It is a reward for hard work, it is a reward for industry, a reward for advocacy and it is largely based on merit. So, I see no reasons why anybody will want to call for its abolition. It’s like when you want to call for abolition of professorial appointment or call for the abolition of a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Even when people call for the abolition of the Queen’s Counsel (QC) in the United Kingdom, a committee was set up that looked at the various complaints and grouse. The award was reformed. Rather than call for abolition, we should look at issues raised and the complaints and make necessary reforms, certainly not its abolition. Talking about reforms, do you share the sentiment of Chief Afe Babalola all that all lawyers who qualified for the rank in a year should be given instead of selecting few from

Quakers, SAN

When your client has a bad case, we as officers in the temple of justice, joint stakeholders with the judiciary, should be able to advice them appropriately. the batch? In England, the reasons why you have a high proportion of those conferred with the award is that you have to be Queen’s Counsel before you can be given judicial appointment. But, we don’t want a situation whereby it will be proliferated and you have a high number. What now happens to the excess? If we have a system such that a number of Senior Advocates move to the Bench after conferment, that would be fine. There are some states that have more commercial litigations than others. So, if we have more numbers of SANs from a particular geographical location, there is no doubt, cases will also lingered. For instance, if you have five SANs in a court and you have to hear their cases, what now happens to those who are not Senior Advocates and their cases? I think that is why most people are advocating for its abolition because it is op-

pressive. Even, some Senior Advocates stay in court for four or five hours. So, I think the way it is been done should still stay. Chief Afe Babalola is passionate about the reform and believes that if anyone is capable of making the list, he should be conferred with the title. Ordinarily, no one should be dropped, but we should know that members of the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee have a way to determine who will scale through. I actually started applying in 2001 and eventually got it in 2011. It took me about ten years to get it. It is something every legal practitioner looks up to, some get it once and others after a period of time. For me, I don’t think it is something we should tinker with the process as it is. Don’t forget that the law says two thirds of those who apply and qualify should be given. Now, if you want to give everybody, it means you have to tinker with the rules or change the laws to accommodate anyone that

fit in the list. Are you advocating that senior members of the Bar should be appointed to the Bench? I think some of our members are materials to Supreme Court. There is no place in the constitution that says appointment to the Supreme Court should follow hierarchical process of the court. Justice Teslim Elias was taken right from the academia to the Supreme Court and he became the Chief Justice. Augustine Nnamani was a Queen’s Counsel and he went straight to the Supreme Court. I think the time has come for us to be doing just that and not following the hard practice of moving from High Court to Supreme Court. Some have said that senior lawyers are partly responsible for delay of cases in court. Do you agree? I agree and I will not mince words. I am one of those who believe that if a case is bad, it is bad. Part of our Rule as legal practitioners is to encourage our clients appropriately. When your client comes and he has a bad case, we as officers in the temple of justice, joint stakeholders with the judiciary, should be able to advice them appropriately. We are not to be antagonistic. Yes, our commitment is to our client in so far as what we are doing is within the ambit of justice and not to aid

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Monday, August 10, 2015

for congestion in court —Quakers

injustice. Under the EFCC Act, there is no provision for stay of proceedings. You are expected to commence trial on day to day basis. The Supreme Court in plethora of authorities has also suggested or directed that if I have a preliminary objection, in order not to frustrate or delay the trial, it can be subsumed and the matter continues. However, there are some preliminary objections that can terminate a criminal trial. In that case I am expected to take it at first instance, because it is jurisdiction in nature, I can try it all the way. If at the end of the day the Court of Appeal pronounces on it and says that there is no basis for the trial, it goes. A prominent senior advocate said to us a while back, that he was in England to practice because he is also a Queens’ Counsel. He said while he was addressing the court and in the course of his address, the judge asked him if he had read a particular judgement of the court. The senior lawyer told the court he hadn’t, so the Judge stood down the case to enable him read the judgement. After reading the judgement, the judge asked him whether the QC still wanted to continue with his line of argument. But, the senior lawyer said no, and asked the court to discountenance all that he had said. The judge then told him that if he had continued in the same line of argument, he would have made a report against him to the Law Society as a lawyer who sets out to mislead the court in the face of settled principle of law. That is a system that works. It beats me that a former governor of a state got injunction ex-parte to restrain EFCC and that injunction has been there for over 12 years. It doesn’t make sense. Somebody goes to borrow money from a bank; he has a duty to pay back the money. But he engaged a lawyer to frustrate the bank from recovering the money. In a civilised system such person will be dealt with. It is part of the reasons why investors can’t come into the country. Do you think lawyers and journalists are taking full advantage of the FoI Act? I don’t know why this question is coming up again. Someone once asked me the same question in relation to the asset declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the

Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN). I said to him that as far as the law is concerned, it is entirely their discretion to make their assets public or not. But, our hands are not tied having recourse to the Freedom of Information Act. Asset declaration is a public document. You can apply to the Code of Conduct Bureau and request to see what has been lodged because it is a public document. Applying the FoI Act, it cannot be withheld from you. But we are playing politics with everything in this country. For instance, if an American wants to know what President Obama is earning, he has a right to know and it will be made available to him. Are you aware that when serving President of the United States of America travelled abroad and is given gifts, the gifts are not meant for him? The gifts are meant for the state. If the President wants the gifts, he buys them from the state. Therefore, the reason why the FoI Act has not been so effective is because those who ought to take advantage of it are not taking advantage of it. If you approach an institution and it refused to make an information available to you, you have a right to go to court for an order mandating or compelling that institution to make its available, because it statutory. So, the court is duty- bound to make that pronouncement, so long it is not something that will compromise the security of the country. Are you satisfied with the state of criminal justice system in Nigeria? I won’t say yes or no, because the most fundamental thing is that we have the laws that address practically every sector of our polity and existence as human beings. But the challenge we have in Nigeria is our attitude and disposition to enforcement of these laws. Until we deal with the issue of using political influences when breaches are committed, the efficacies and efficiencies of these laws will continue to erode us. That is why you find a common man without means convicted for an offence while the man with means will just walk away a free man and conviction is not secured. How do we strengthen the criminal justice system?

The challenge we have in Nigeria is our attitude and disposition to enforcement of laws. Firstly, you can’t strengthen the criminal system without the reinforcement of the institutions. I like what President Obama rightly said that the challenge with Africa is that, our institutions are not strong. It’s like you have a situation where institutions are built around human beings. And when a particular head of such Institution is no longer there, it will nose-dive. The EFCC under Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was quite effective. There was the awareness that he is the one running EFCC, it takes a man of conviction to run such institution. Even when some people accused him of selective prosecution, he was still very effective. But, what now happened when he left? EFCC begins to nose-dive, the institution became another story entirely. It is like that with some other institutions, look at NAFDAC under the late Prof. Dora Akunyili of blessed memory; after she left NAFDAC, we stopped hearing news of crackdown on adulterated drugs and the likes. So, until we take out the individual and reformed our institutions and make them stronger, we will continue to have such development. When the institutions are reformed, the laws become effective. In America, it is not about the man heading the institution, people may not know you, but the point is there is more emphasis on the institution itself. What I am saying is that the laws are there, all we need is to strengthen the institutions. Recently, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) accused the Bar of shielding its erring members. Do you agree? I will not say the Bar is not disciplining

their members that erred. There are numbers of disciplinary cases pending before the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee. You know that recently, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria was banned and the rank taken from him. Three years ago, two senior advocates faced similar discipline and they were sanctioned, though at different times. So, you could see that members of the Bar are also sanitizing their own constituency, but I think we need to do more because the system is really bad. I don’t think the Bar is docile in terms of discipline among its members. How do see the relocation of suspected Boko Haram to prisons in the Eastern part of the country? Recently, I read in a paper about the outcome of the conference of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in that part of the country saying the people are scared with the presence of the Boko Haram suspects and they raised certain issues. Nigeria is a federating state on paper and prisons is under the exclusive legislative list. It is the Federal Government prerogative and as no state has a right to run prison system. So, if a prison has been set up, automatically it is owed by the Federal Government in that state. Movement of prisoners is also the prerogative of the federal government. But there is also a challenge. Sometimes under Obasanjo presidency, we had an issue when he made a pronouncement granting prerogative of mercy to some prisoners who have been in prison for over 20 years that they should be set free. The then governor of Enugu State went to court to challenge this action, claiming that some of the offences committed were state offences. We insisted that Obasanjo’s pronouncement covers the entire federation and that he didn’t look at the dichotomy of federal prisoners or state prisoners. However, movement of prisoners should be done clandestinely. People are not supposed to know where such suspects are kept, movement of prisoners all over the world are done discreetly even the suspects themselves should not know where they are kept. Now there is awareness and this is dangerous for the polity.

Law & Justice

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Monday, August 10, 2015

‘NGOs, govts should intervene to curb juvenile delinquency’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 the provisions of Part 44 of the Criminal Procedure Act shall apply’’. However, contrary to the position of the Criminal Code Act, the Child and Young Persons Act (CYPA) defines a ‘’child’’ as a person under the age of 14 years and a ‘’young person’’ as a person who has attained the age of 14 years to 17 years. Under the Sharia Law, the age of criminal responsibility is taken to be either 18 years or puberty. Again, the CYPA prohibits detention of a child in prison but rather in juvenile custodial institutions that are aimed to correct, reform and rehabilitate juvenile offenders. These institutions also have the responsibility of impacting good influence and are expected to provide vocational training for these youths. But, the issue is how effective are these institutions in carrying out these tasks?. Speaking on the issue, Mallam Yusuf Ali SAN described the increase in criminality of underaged people as an indictment on the family values as well as economic and social issues. He said ‘’unfortunately for us, just the way our prisons system operate have not been effective, it is the same with reform homes for under-aged offenders. The increase in criminality of underaged people is an indictment on our family values and system and this is due to a lot of reasons economic and social. Many parents don’t have time to look after their children anymore and many are not setting good examples at home for their children’’. Ali stated that ‘’the rat race at the quest for material acquisition has made parents to abandon their children in the care of people who do not have any stake in the case of these children. The father will go out in the morning and will not come back until evening and the mother will also do the same and the children are left at the mercy of neighbours. Also, there is too much exposure to internet and crime- induced films as well as occultism in the television. When you expose these chil-

Ali

Ananaba

The increase in criminality of underaged people is an indictment on our family values

and system, and this is due to a lot of reasons that are economic and social.

dren to all these minds that are still tender, they may want to experiment. Poverty and social dislocation are part of the reason; it is a whole lot of problems just like our various institutions. In his view, Mr. Paul Ananaba SAN said ‘’children are helpless, that is why NGO and government should take care of children. There are no role models for the children and that is while we have juvenile delinquency all over the country.’’. Another lawyer, Mr. Zik Obi said ‘’the issue of crime by underaged persons is not new. I remember when we are very young during the British rule, the juvenile court were there just as we have them today. We

Bar

Jokes

Witness’s testimony

A witness to an automobile accident was testifying. The following exchange took place between the lawyer and the witness: The lawyer: “Did you actually see the accident?”

The witness: “Yes, sir.”

The lawyer: “How far away were you when the accident happened?” The witness: “Thirty-one feet, six and one quarter inches.” The lawyer (thinking he’d trap the witness): “Well, sir, will you tell the jury how you knew it was exactly that distance?” The witness: “Because when the accident happened I took out a tape and measured it. I knew some stupid lawyers would ask me that question.”

Eternal torment

Obi

A man was sent to Hell for his sins. As he was being taken to his place of eternal torment, he passed a room where a lawyer was having an intimate encounter with a beautiful young woman.

also have the foster homes where young people who commit offences are sent to be reformed. The law has not changed much but the problem we have is in the enforcement of the laws and the people being determined to make sure that whoever commits an offence whether old or young get punished correctly for the offence. We have the Child Rights Act now to protect the rights of child and young persons. So, I don’t think our problem is about the law but rather it is in the enforcement of the law. Most of the reformatory homes no longer exist. If the reformatory homes were still there many of these young persons will be sent there but they disappeared when the British left and unfortunately we have done

“What a rip-off,” the man muttered. “I have to roast for all eternity, and that lawyer gets to spend it with a beautiful woman.” Jabbing the man with his pitchfork, the escorting demon snarled, “Who are you to question that woman’s punishment?”

Smartest Man

A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble. In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute, yelled to the passengers that they had better jump, and bailed out. Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining. The doctor grabbed one and said “I’m a doctor, I save lives, so I must live,” and jumped out. The lawyer then said, “I’m a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live.” He also grabbed a parachute and jumped. The priest looked at the little boy and said, “My son, I’ve lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace.” The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, “Not to worry, Father. The ‘smartest man in the world’ just took off with my back pack.” Culled from Cool Funny Jokes: Lawyer Jokes

zzzz

nothing about it. We need to resuscitate these homes and make them effective. However, the coordinator, Child Rights Advancement and Protection Initiatives (CRAPI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Mrs. Ozioma Onyenweaku said ‘’Not few persons have questioned the justice of subjecting a child who is accused of murder to Child Justice System. Their arguments have been that if a child is capable of such grievous offence, why can he not face the consequences like an adult. The child justice system took into consideration a child’s make-up as quite different from that of an adult. While an adult can make rational decisions and can control impulse and emotions, a child can make impressive outing in those areas. This is because science tells us that the part of brain that controls that part of the brain develops last. In other words that part is undeveloped. By that, a child is seen as not being responsible for his wrong actions. We may not be comfortable with a child accused of murder not facing the music as an adult, but law remains the law until repealed’’.

LEGAL TIPS

Consolidation of actions in court

his is a process whereby two or more actions pending in the same court are joined and tried by the same court. *Consolidation is usually between (a) a plaintiff and a defendant; (b) a plaintiff and many defendants; (c) many plaintiffs and a defendant or (d) many plaintiffs and many defendants. *It is important that the suits being consolidated should be on the same issues and must be pending before the same high court. * In asking for consolidation of suits, the court must be convinced that the issues involved in these cases are the same and the reliefs sought by the plaintiff or defendant in both cases are primarily the same. *The main reasons for consolidation of actions are to save time of

the court and the parties to the suit and also the cost of the prosecution. The application must therefore be for genuine and pragmatic reasons. *The procedure for consolidation is by making the necessary application to the court either orally or formally. *Generally, consolidation of suits is for the convenience of the trial of the suits. In other words, the suits still retain their individuality. * At the end of the trial therefore, two or more judgements or decisions are made depending on the number of suits consolidated. Written by Francis Famoroti, Head, Judiciary. We welcome feedback and reactions from readers via our e-mail: nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

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FAMOUS CASES

he people of Umuechem in Etche Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State would not forget the events of October and November 1990 in a hurry. In a war-like attack, the men of the Nigerian Police Force mobile squad invaded the village located in the east of Port Harcourt, and allegedly killed and maimed the inhabitants of the community. The genesis of the unfortunate development could be traced to sometimes on October 30, 1990, when the villagers of Umuechem demanded social amenities and compensation for oil pollution. To drive home their demand, they embarked on peaceful demonstration which involved a march to the premises of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) where a list of grievances was presented to a top official who promised to convey them to the regional office. The following day, another peaceful march was organised to press for a response from the oil company. Reports showed that between October 31 and November 1, 1990, a protest equally took place at Shell’s facility at the village. This culminated into the invitation of the Police to the village. Specifically, a mobile police force unit from nearby Port Harcourt was invited to disperse the demonstrators, and in the process force was applied on the villagers. The mobile unit alleged that while dispersing the demonstration, three of its members, Timothy Kingsley, Mohammed Yusufu and Samuel Ojugbeli, were abducted and declared missing. On November 1, 1990, in a bid to search for their colleagues, the Police unit returned to Umuechem at 4.30 am. They surrounded the village and shot indiscriminately using live ammunition. Hand grenades and explosives were thrown into homes. Eventually, there was a confrontation between the police and villagers. Scores of unarmed demonstrators including the community monarch, Eze Ordu were killed, about 495 buildings were reportedly destroyed, while a large number of livestock were killed, and crops were ruined. According to the Human Rights Watch 1999 on-line article titled: ‘’The Price of Oil’’, ‘’this incident was the first to bring the situation in the Niger Delta to international attention, and remains the most serious loss of life directly involving oil company activities. Youths from the Umuechem community demanded provision of electricity, water, roads, and other compensation for oil pollution of crops and water supplies. On October 29, 1990, the divisional manager of SPDC’s eastern division had written to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to request “security protection,” with a preference for the paramilitary Mo-

Major. Gen. Abbe

Alhaji Aliyu Atta, then IGP

Memories of Umuechem massacre

Twenty-five years ago, about 25 persons, including the paramount ruler of Umuechem community in Rivers State, Eze A.A. Ordu, were killed in the disturbances that rocked the village in October 1990. The Rivers State Government later probed the disturbances. In its report, a Judicial Commission of Inquiry, adjudged the Nigeria Police Force culpable for the massacre. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary writes.

bile Police, in anticipation of “impending attack” on SPDC’s facilities in Umuechem allegedly planned for the following morning. Following peaceful protests by village youths on SPDC’s premises on October 30, SPDC again made a written report to the Rivers State government, a copy of which was sent to the commissioner of police. On October 31, Mobile Police attacked peaceful demonstrators with teargas and gunfire. They returned at 5 a.m. the next day, shooting indiscriminately, in a purported attempt to locate three of their members who had not returned the previous evening. On the same day, after discovering the killing and destruction, and the ensuing public outcry, the Rivers State Government set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the massacre. The Judicial panel was headed by Justice Opubo Inko-Tariah. At the end of the day, the Judicial Commission found no evidence of a threat by the villagers and concluded that the Mobile Police had displayed “a reckless disregard for lives and property.” No compensation has been awarded for the attack to those whose relatives were killed or homes destroyed; nor have the perpetrators been brought to justice. In response to public pressure, the Nigerian Police Force also announced its own inquiry into the incident. In March 1991, the Rivers State Government under the then Military Administrator, Major. Gen. Godwin Abbe, released its report and blamed the villagers for organising the march to the Shell Oil Company, stating that the march had been ‘’misconceived and misdirected, considering that

The Mobile

Policemen attacked Umuechem village like an invading army that had vowed to take the last drop of the enemy’s blood.

the company was answerable only to the Federal Government, and does not owe any legal obligations to provide any socio-economic or social amenities to the communities of its operations.’’ The commission also acknowledged the Police force’s culpability for the massacre. According to the report, the Mobile Police Force men, who were sent to Umuechem on 1st November 1990, were responsible for all that happened there. They committed acts of homicide, doing grievous harm, malicious damage to property and arson. ‘’The Mobile Policemen, attacked Umuechem village, like an invading army that had vowed to take the last drop of the enemy’s blood. They threw all human reasoning to the wind, shot people and razed down a total of 495 houses in the village with blast grenades, personal effects in all these houses were consumed by the fire that burnt the houses down. The preponderant share of this responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Mobile Police Force men, who forgot that their duty was to protect life and property and not to destroy them.’’ it added. The report concluded by recommend-

ing that reparations should be made by the Federal Military Government for the loss of life and property, and that ‘’appropriate legal action’’ be taken against 120 mobile police whose names were listed in the appendix to the report as having carried out the operation at Umuechem. Shortly after the massacre, the FG gave N10m and the Rivers State Government gave N2m to the village as reparations for the loss of life and property. It was however learnt that some villagers had problems when they attempted to cash the compensation cheques issued to the victims at that time. Despite the recommendation by the Judicial Commission that the responsible police officers be prosecuted for their use of excessive force, the then Rivers State Government refused and failed to prosecute any police officer for the dastardly act. According to a publication of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights in May 1992, the police officers responsible for the violence at Umuechem continue to serve on the force .’’ The Gender Coalition Against Genocide in Niger Delta in a letter sent to the office of the Prosecutor in the International Criminal Court (ICC), The Hague, Netherlands also said the perpetrators of these previous massacres have neither been investigated nor prosecuted. It therefore urged the then prosecutor, Mr. Moremo Ocampo, to call for the prosecution of those responsible for this inhuman action against the Niger Delta people. Following the Umuechem massacre, Ken Saro-Wiwa and other environmental activists established the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP).

Law & Justice

Monday, August 10, 2015

KHARTOUM

Australia court overturns coal mine contract AUSTRALIA

n Australian court has overturned government approval for Indian company, Adani’s giant coal mine in Queensland. The Carmichael mine, approved by the government last year, would have been one of theworld’s biggest coal mines. Critics challenged the decision in the Federal Court of Australia because of a range of environmental concerns. According to ABC report, the court said the environment minister had failed to heed advice about threats to vulnerable animal species. The decision means the mine could not legally operate until fresh approval was granted, according to Sue Higginson, the principal solicitor for the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) in New South Wales (NSW). The EDO challenged the government’s approval of the mine on behalf of the Mackay Conservation Group. There were concerns a

Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott

proposed coal port for the mine would damage the Great Barrier Reef The conservation advice describes the threats to the survival of two species found only in Queensland, the Yakka Skink and the Ornamental Snake, Ms Higginson said in a statement. The Department of Environment said in a statement that reconsidering the decision would not require revisiting the entire approval process. “Without pre-empting a final decision about the project, the Department expects that it will take six to eight weeks to prepare its advice and the supporting documentation, and for the Minister to reconsider his final decision,” it said.

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Uganda’s apex court outlaws refund of bride price

ganda’s Supreme Court has ruled that the practice of refunding a bride price, or dowry, on the dissolution of a customary marriage is unconstitutional and should be banned. According to BBC report, the judges said it suggested that women were in a market place, and infringed on their right to divorce. But the court rejected the argument that the bride price itself was unconstitutional. Campaigners said that Uganda President, Yoweri the dowry turns a woman Museveni into the husband’s prop- trapped in unhappy relationships. erty. There was a gasp in Should a marriage end in Uganda, the wife had the court-room when the been expected to refund first justice ruled against the bride price - often paid the refunding of the bride price. in livestock. This is being seen by But it was argued that as women tend to have those behind the case as less wealth than their a major step in chipping husbands, many became away at a tradition that is

detrimental to women. But as most of the judges acknowledged many Ugandans support the idea of a bride price, which they do not see as a commercial transaction. The women’s rights organisation Mifumi, which brought the case, welcomed the ruling, despite not getting everything it campaigned for. “This is a momentous occasion... and this ruling will aid the fight against women and girls’ rights abuses,” spokesperson Evelyn Schiller told the BBC outside the court. The judges admitted the term “bride price” could make it seem like the woman was being bought The report says that traditionally the bride price is seen as an honour and

a sign that the couple are entering into a respectful marriage. Bride price encouraged domestic violence and could lead a man to think that he had paid for his wife’s “sexual and reproductive capacity. Six of the seven judges said that the direct link between the bride price and domestic violence had not been proved. However, they did say that using the phrase “bride price” was wrong as it made it look like the woman was purchased. The only dissenting opinion came from Justice Esther Kisakye, who said that while the constitution supports culture “it [only] validates customs that respect the rights of all Ugandans”.

Court rejects German guru’s appeal in child neglect case

court in Ger many has rejected appeals by two members of a spiritual group convicted of child neglect for failing to properly care for a boy with cystic fibrosis. According to AP report, the genetic disorder causes lung infections and is incurable,

BERLIN

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

but can be managed with medication, physiotherapy and a special diet. Gerhard Lebok, described as the “guru of Lonnerstadt,” and his partner, Susanne B., had stopped her son’s treatment in 1999, when he was 12. They told him he would be cured by fasting and

meditation. The Federal Court of Justice said Tuesday that the boy was weeks from death by the time he fled to his father in 2002. It confir med a lower court’s ruling that had sentenced the couple to three years in prison for knowingly neglecting a child.

Akinjide seeks suspension of NBA stamps and seal scheme Wale Igbintade

ormer Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN), has advocated the temporary suspension of issuance of stamps and seals scheme introduced by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) early this year. Akinjide, who is also Chairman, Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria, made the suggestion in a letter he wrote to NBA President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN). He cited delay in collection of the stamps by lawyers who had paid for months and the absence of a law backing issuance of the stamps. According to him, ‘’adequate arrange-

ments appear not to have been put in place before commencement of the Stamp and Seal scheme introduced by the NBA.” But in a swift reaction, NBA President, cited Rule 10 (1- 2) of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2007 which empowers the NBA to issue the stamps and seals and ensure compliance accordingly. ‘’The time for production of stamps is a maximum of 48 hours from receipt of the request at the NBA National Secretariat, Abuja and we have discovered several “fake lawyers” in the course of implementing the stamp policy. He urged members of the Inner Bar to support efforts by the NBA to implement provisions of existing rules of Professional

conduct and improve standards at the Bar.’ According to him, ‘Section 10 (1-2) of the Rules provides ‘’(1) A lawyer acting in his capacity as a legal practitioner, legal officer or adviser of any Government department or ministry or any corporation, shall not sign or file a legal document unless there is affixed on any such document a seal and stamp approved by the Nigerian Bar Association’’. ‘’(2) For the purpose of this rule, “legal documents” shall include pleadings, affidavits, depositions, applications, instruments, agreements, deeds, letters, memoranda, reports, legal opinions or any similar documents.’’ He assured all legal practitioners that the association was committed to ensuring

that all Nigerian lawyers get their stamps and seals within 48 hours of paying for them. Alegeh said the Stamps were being issued as provided by the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2007 and pursuant to the Uyo NEC resolution of November, 2014. He expressed surprise that the Body did not take into consideration the extant RPC, 2007. ‘’The Rules were made pursuant to the Legal Practitioners Act and have the force of Law. The Rules are not usually included in the Act but the Act makes ample provisions authorising the issuance of the Rules’’, he added.

I secured order to set aside court judgment —Ubani

y first appearance in court was in Kano State High Court, though I could not remember the name of the judge, it was during my National Youth Service Corps.

It was a civil matter; there was a judgment against our client, which my boss was not aware of, so my job was to file a motion to set aside the judgement on the ground that our client

was not served the copy of the judgement. I could not believe it because the lawyer on the other side had been in practice for more than 10 years, but I succeeded in moving the applica-

tion and I got a favourable judgement; we regained all the properties that were taken to court. My client was the happiest man on earth on that day. The judge set aside the former judgement. Monday Ubani

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Law & Justice

Monday, August 10, 2015

Legal issues in multiplicity of taxes, levies Chukwuemeka Eze

he Federal Government, under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, acting through the then Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on May 26, 2015, amended the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, Cap. T2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. The Act was previously referred to as Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Decree, No. 21 of 1998. It came into effect on 30th September, 1998. The Act is an existing law under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, section 315 of which provides in subsections (1)(a) and (2) as follows: (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, an existing law shall have effect with such modifications as may be necessary to bring it into conformity with the provisions of this Constitution and shall be deemed to be – (a) an Act of the National Assembly to the extent that it is a law with respect to any matter on which the National Assembly is empowered by this Constitution to make law. (2) The appropriate authority may at any time by order make such modifications in the text of any existing law as the appropriate authority considers necessary or expedient to bring that law into conformity with the provisions of this Constitution. By the combined provisions of Paragraphs 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Part II of the Second Schedule, and Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Fourth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, the Federal, State and Local Governments have the responsibility to collect taxes, levies and other variants of them as a fallout of our federal system of government. Pursuant to section 1(2) of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act (hereafter referred to, for convenience, as “the Act”) provides: The Minister of Finance may, on the advice of the Joint Tax Board and by Order published in the Gazette, amend the Sched-

TRIBUTE:

ule to this Act. Throughout the Jonathan administration, the Minister was under intense pressure to harmonise taxes and levies payable in Nigeria at all levels because of its bearing on the cost of doing business in Nigeria. The necessity to generate increased revenue for the various tiers of government had led to a situation where the Federal, States, and Local Governments had refused to be bound by the taxes and levies listed in the Schedule consisting of three parts to wit, Part I (eight for Federal Government), Part II (eleven for each State Government), and Part III (twenty for each Local Government) as provided for by section 1(1) of the Act. Besides, it was discovered that ad hoc revenue contractors and touts were being used by many States and local governments to harass taxpayers contrary to section 3 of the Act which provides: A person who— (a) collects or levies any tax or levy; or (b) mounts a road block or causes a road block to be mounted for the purpose of collecting any tax or levy, in contravention of section 2 of this Act, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of N50,000 or imprisonment for three years or to both such fine and imprisonment. Section 2 of the Act actually provides that no person, other than the appropriate tax authority, shall assess or collect, on behalf of the Government, any tax or levy listed in the Schedule to the Act, and members of the Nigeria Police Force shall only be used in accordance with the provisions of the tax laws. It is also part of the provision of section 2 that no person, including a tax authority, shall mount a road block in any part of the Federation for the purpose of collection of any tax or levy. Any person resident in Nigeria, since 1999, will attest to the fact that the provisions of these stated sections 2 and 3 of the Act were obeyed more in breach than otherwise. Many States and local government councils patronised non-professional revenue officers who mounted road blocks

Exit of a legal colossus, Nwaiwu

Joe- Kyari Gadzama

an is accustomed to the realities of death as he is of birth. The Holy Writ summarizes this principle of duality when it awakens us in the Book of Ecclesiastes 3:2 to the fact that by reason of the purpose backing the existence of every created being, there is “a time to be born and a time to die”. Death, they say, lurks within the corridors of life. Racing with the season of the sun and like claws twinkling like the pendulum of time, it waits at our end, a destined end to our mortal existence. I am still shocked beyond words and yet to come to terms with the reality that you are really no more. Sunday, the 14th of June 2015 was a sunny day like any other day on the surface of the earth, when the earth stood still for the departure of a hero that will never be forgotten as long as the history of mankind is concerned. Starting off as a little boy in the early

indiscriminately demanding for myriad of levies thereby distorting business plans and disrupting businesses. This prompted the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) (as a representative of the business community in Nigeria) in 2011 in collaboration with the Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), USA, carried out a study on “Fostering Private Sector Participation in Policy Making through Taxation Reform” across three pilot states of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo. Out of the 1,298 questionnaires administered, 1,014 were retrieved and analysed, while 17 Chief Executives Officers of selected companies were directly interviewed. The study was aimed at understanding the nature of multiple taxation and its effects on businesses. The result formed the basis for appropriate advocacy programmes intended to influence policy formulation processes of government with a view to reducing the tax burden and make Nigerian businesses more competitive. The objectives of this study were to strengthen the capacity of the private sector to contribute more meaningfully to policy making process, and to enhance the capacity of local, state and federal government officials to appropriate tax policies and their effect on business community. Relying on the result of its study, MAN petitioned the Federal Government, which allowed MAN to make a presentation to the National Economic Council (NEC) on 29th January, 2014. Consequently, the NEC set up a Committee with Alh. Ibrahim Dankwambo, Governor of Gombe State, as chairman, on the Review of Incidences of Multiple Taxation across the Federation at various levels and its effects on the Manufacturing Sector’s Productivity. The Committee created a Technical SubCommittee headed by Alh. Kabir Mashi, the then Ag. Chairman, FIRS, which met from 22–24, February, 2013 and produced a report that acknowledged the existence of multiple taxes and levies in Nigeria.

Late Nwaiwu, SAN

60s in the then Eastern Region of Nigeria, with diligence and sheer determination you completed your primary and secondary education with flying colours. The zeal to be learned inspired you to obtain a Bachelor of Laws degree and get called to the Nigerian Bar. Your passion for law and quest for self improvement drove you not only to obtain a

Masters degree in law in 1999, but also a Doctorate degree in the year 2001. As a legal practitioner, you were an epitome of erudition and distinction, diligence and excellence. You were indeed an invaluable asset to the legal profession. Your sudden demise has no doubt left a vacuum that can never be filled. I was privileged to have known and worked with you for over a decade. You were a very close friend, a dependable associate, and a fine colleague. You were also a perfect gentleman; core professional, committed family man and devout Christian who lived an exemplary life worthy of emulation. When the birds sing in an abnormal melody, it is said that something incomprehensible to the mortal man has happened, but to God it is a mere action. God’s wisdom is infinite, his ways are mysterious and we cannot challenge him. We love you Amaechi but God knows best. As Christians, the Holy Bible in Thessalonians 4:13 teaches us not to mourn like unbelievers. It is our fervent prayer that the

It submitted the Report with observations and recommendations to the Dankwambo Committee, which considered it before submission to NEC. Given the seriousness of the incidence of multiple taxation as constraints to manufacturing, agriculture and overall national development, five critical recommendations were made for immediate attention: (i) Review and amendment of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, Cap. T2, LFN 2004; (ii) Outlaw the use of unorthodox means to collect taxes and levies; (iii) Automation of tax operations by relevant tax authorities to eliminate leakages and ensure ease of collection; (iv) Tax authorities should discontinue the use of consultants for tax assessment and collection; and (v) Tax authorities should publish the approved list of taxes and levies within the States and Local Governments to educate the public and facilitate compliance. The National Economic Council in due course accepted these recommendations. The duty to review and amend the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, Cap. T2, LFN, 2004 fell on the Minister of Finance in accordance with section 1(2) of the Act. The States, whose Boards of Internal Revenue are members of the Joint Tax Board, made out a case for the inclusion of several taxes and levies in the amended list. No wonder, the list of taxes and levies for State Governments contained in Part II to the Schedule has increased by 14 from eleven (11) to twenty-five (25). This astronomic rise, is regarded in official circles as harmonisation of taxes and levies but critics see it as legalisation of multiplicity of taxes. In contrast to the States, the taxes and levies contained in Part I for the Federal Government merely increased from eight to nine while Part III for local governments increased from twenty to twenty-one.

Eze, a Lagos-based lawyer and taxation consultant writes from Lagos.

Almighty God will grant us all, especially your immediate family, the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss. We have lost a rare gem and words alone cannot express the magnitude of my sadness over your painful death. I can say that you LIVED; because I cannot see your face any longer. I can also say that you are STILL LIVING; because as believers we do not die when such happens but sleep in the bosom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and we shall all rise and meet at His feet when He comes the second time. I am consoled by the legacy you left behind and by the fact that you left indelible footprints in the sands of time during your sojourn on earth. You lived an exemplary lifestyle and impacted positively on the life of many. Memories of you will forever remain green in my heart. We will forever miss you, my dear learned brother silk. You passed on in the perfect place; rest on Learned Silk, in perfect peace – my dear Chief (Dr.) Sir, Ameachi Nwaiwu SAN, FCIArb (UK). Gadzama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria writes from Abuja.

Monday, August 10, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror Not only did we ensure that the elections were peaceful, Shekau has never spoken to threaten anyone again since then. – FORMER NSA, SAMBO DASUKI.

20-year-old student of the College of Education, Special, in Oyo town, Oyo State, Olajide Ajayi, who attempted to murder his niece identified as Opeyemi Ajala by cutting her throat after stealing her school fees, is currently cooling his heels in the custody of the State Police Command. According to the police, Olajide collected the victim’s ATM card with the intention of withdrawing the sum of N47,000 to assist her offset her school fees instead he diverted the money for his personal use. Opeyemi’s insistence on getting the teller with which he paid in the money led to the suspect developing a strategy to kill her as he could no longer bear the pressure. The 20-year-old, while trying to cover up his theft, sneaked into the niece’s room on the fateful day with a knife while she was asleep and proceeded to slit her throat living her for dead. Luck however ran out on Olajide as the lady he left for dead jacked back to life and managed to call out for help from neighbours who rushed her to the University College Hospital, Ibadan before reporting the case to the police. Olajide, who confessed to the crime while in police custody,

Man nabbed over alleged attempted murder

he Esan Journalists Forum, EJF, an umbrella body for media practitioners from Esan speaking area of Edo State, has appealed to leaders and well meaning citizens of the various towns and villages that make up the entire Esan Land, to close ranks and work for the peace, unity and progress of the area. The convener of the forum Mr. Timothy Okojie-Ave made the appeal in a statement at the Forum’s headquarters in Lagos during the week.He called on the leaders of the zone to begin to speak with one voice, stressing that if the area must attain a better position in Edo state and the country as a whole, all stake holders must play active roles at ensuring total success. “Esan Land is one that is seriously yearning for progress and development and therefor, it was time for well-meaning sons and daughters of the area “to roll up their sleeves and be

Ojo Oyewamide AKURE

Young laborers taken cover at a BRT station at Oyingbo Lagos.

said, “I collected the money, but I spent it. When the pressure from her was too much, and there was no way I could get the money to pay her back, I decided to kill her. One night, I went to her house with a sharp knife to kill her.

I got to her house at about 8 pm; when I entered the room, I locked the door and pinned her head down on the bed. I did not allow her to shout. Then, I brought out the knife and slit her throat. When blood started gushing out and she was uncon-

Esan group appeals for unity Dare Akogun

Suspect in alleged rape, suicide arraigned in Ondo

ready to join hands to build a zone that would become the pride of Edo State and Nigeria in no distant time.” Ave stated. The forum noted that the zone had remained challenged and neglected in spite of the many contributions of her sons to the development of the country while it stressed that it is on record that it was Chief Anthony Enahoro, a son of the zone, that moved the

much celebrated motion for Nigeria’s independence. Esan Land it further noted is blessed with various resources that can be effectively tapped, more so as it is complimented by hardworking, peaceful people who are rich in culture and tradition. On why it has become expedient that the forum take the gauntlet, it noted that being conversant with the political

PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

scious, I thought she was dead and I escaped.” A source at the State Police Command, who opted to be anonymous, said the suspect would be charged to court on completion of investigation on the matter.

sophistication and contribution of its people, it had no option than to take the position to further unify and solidify Esan people from all walks of life, while appealing to the people across the country and in the diaspora, he urged them to support the singular cause of making the zone a reference point of progress for others to emulate.

Driver to serve one-year jail for assaulting FRSC officers

Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Jos, has sentenced a 25-year-old driver, Salisu Isah, to one year imprisonment for assaulting two Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) officers. Police prosecutor, Sgt. Yakubu Audu, who confirmed the assault, told the court that the two marshals, Onoja Paul and Afolayan Issac reported the matter to the police. According to the report, Sgt Yakubu disclosed in court that the two FRSC officers sustained

injuries and were admitted in a hospital He said, “The officers were holding routine mobile search along British America Junction and had asked Isah to produce his particulars, but he failed to. “He was asked to convey the officers in his vehicle, to the FRSC office for trial. Isah agreed but when he got to Rikkos junction, he pulled over and called some hoodlums who attacked the officers.” The accused was charged for criminal assault and obstruc-

tion, an offence contrary to sections 217 and 148 of the Penal Code. The convict pleaded guilty to the charge and the prosecutor prayed the court to grant summary trial. The Magistrate, Mrs Hudung Shima in her ruling, sentenced the accused to one year imprisonment with an option of N10, 000 fine. She charged the convict to be of good behaviour and conduct himself in an orderly manner in future.

28-year-old man, Odunayo Bayo, has been arraigned before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ondo town for alleged sexual assault and an attempt to commit suicide. The accused was said to have unlawfully had canal knowledge of a 14-year-old girl, one Comfort Sunday, at Bolorunduro on July 31 at about 2pm. According to the prosecutor, Sergeant Olagbayi Bernard, who read the charge sheet, the suspect also attempted to commit suicide on August 2 at about 1pm at the Nigeria Police Station cell, Bolorunduro Division. Olagbayi said the accused attempted to kill him by using a long sleeve shirt to hang himself to the ceiling in the cell and thereby committed an offence. He added that the offences were contrary to and punishable under sections 218 and 327 of the Criminal Code Cap 37Vol1 Laws of Ondo state of Nigeria 2006. After listening to the charge, the accused pleaded not guilty to the two count charge leveled against him. However, the prosecutor, who presented 3 witnesses before the court including parents of the victim, urged the court to transfer the matter to the Chief Magistrate Court in Bolorunduro, where the incident occurred for proper prosecution. Counsel to the accused, Valentine Akindiose, prayed the court to grant his client bail on a liberal term, assuring that the accused person would not jump bail. Magistrate Gbenga Awodeyi transferred the case to the Chief Magistrate Court in Bolorunduro, Ondo East Local Government Area of the state for proper prosecution, adjourning it till August 12 for further hearing.

Monday, August 10, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

“Our American partners and some countries in the region persistently refuse to recognise Assad as a partner, which is rather strange” –RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV

UN probes deadly shooting of Rwandan peacekeepers in CAR PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

he United Nations said yesterday it is investigating a shooting rampage that left five Rwandan peacekeepers dead in the Central African Republic, in what Kigali said appeared to be a terrorist act. The UN mission here, known by its French acronym MINUSCA, issued a statement describing the shooting Saturday at the Rwandan contingent’s base in the capital Bangui as an “unprecedented incident since the start of the (CAR) mission in 2014.” “MINUSCA has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances and the motive” of the shooting, it said. In the rampage, one of the peacekeepers opened fire on his fellow soldiers, killing four of them and injuring eight before he himself was killed. In Kigali, the Rwandan defence ministry pointed to terrorism as the possible motive for the rampage. “Investigations so far point toward terrorism to be the motive behind this deplorable act, as evidence so far reveals,” said spokesman Brigadier General Joseph Nzabamwita without

Rwandan policemen from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA) patrol market streets at Boy Rabe neighbourhood, recently.

elaborating. The defence ministry statement also hailed the Rwandan soldiers for having “engaged the assailant soldier, killing him and saving the lives of other RDF (Rwandan army) peacekeepers.” It added that the eight other soldiers injured in the shooting were being treated in hospital and were not in critical condition. The deadly shooting was the worst such incident to hit the UN peacekeeping mission in the poor former French colony

since it was deployed in September last year following interreligious clashes that claimed thousands of lives. The unrest was spurred by a 2013 coup that ousted president Francois Bozize and then pushed the country into a conflict that took on a religious dimension, pitting sections of Christian and Muslim populations against one another. Largely Christian “anti-balaka” -- or anti-machete -- militias were formed to avenge atrocities by the Seleka rebels who were behind the coup, resulting in

13 killed in Mali’s hotel siege

t least 13 people are thought to have been killed, including five UN workers, in a hostage siege at a alive had kept in touch with the hotel in the central Malian town outside world on their mobile phones. of Sevare. The gunmen burst into the A further four UN workers Byblos Hotel early on Friday, survived by hiding in cupboards sparking fierce exchanges of for almost 24 hours as the attack gunfire with the army who soon unfolded. surrounded the building. The suspected Islamist gunmen had retreated to the hotel after attacking a nearby army base. The siege was ended after government troops stormed the building early on Saturday. No group has said it carried out the attack. Four of the gunmen are dead and seven have been arrested, while four Malian soldiers were said to have been killed in the attack and eight wounded. Minusma, the United Nations’ mission in Mali, said in a statement that two Ukrainians, a Nepalese, a South African and a Malian died in the siege. The four that walked out Military troops in Sevare, Mali

Mali has been fighting Islamist rebels in the north for a number of years. In recent months Islamist militants have shifted their attention from the north of Mali, where French and UN peacekeepers are stationed, to the

waves of killing, rape and pillaging. The Central African Republic is set to hold elections in October, but the polls have already been pushed back three times as the country grapples with its worst crisis since independence in 1960. The MINUSCA force comprises 10,800 troops drawn from Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Morocco, Senegal, Pakistan and Indonesia. south and centre of the country, says the BBC’s reporter in the capital, Bamako. Sevare, which is about 600km (370 miles) north-east of Bamako, is a trading hub that serves the historic riverside city of Mopti. A local resident told the BBC on Friday that it was the first time the town has faced an attack like this. “Since the beginning of the fighting in Mali, we haven’t experienced such a situation in Sevare.” “We would expect these things to happen in Gao or Timbuktu, but this is the first time it has happened in Sevare,” he said. The UN force in Mali took over responsibility for security in the country from French troops in July 2013. France, the former colonial power in Mali, intervened in the country after Islamist militants threatened to march on Bamako in January 2013.

WORLD BULLETIN China to build highway for Liberia after Ebola crisis China will build a new coastal highway for Liberia as part of its aid to the country recovering from an Ebola epidemic, Liberia’s foreign minister said yesterday. He was speaking at a news conference with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi who is visiting Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the countries hardest hit by the epidemic. Liberia’s existing coastal route is vital for commerce as the country rebuilds after a civil war that ended in 2003. It connects the capital to the border with Ivory Coast via the port city of Buchanan, where exports of exports of iron and timber pass through, but much of the road is unpaved. “China has agreed to help Liberia with the construction of a ministerial complex which will host about 10 ministries. Also, China will construct a coastal highway,” Liberia’s Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan said.

Gbagbo’s party picks presidential hopeful after years of boycotts The party of Ivory Coast’s ex-president Laurent Gbagbo has chosen its leader, Pascal Affi N’Guessan, to run in an October 25 presidential election that will mark its return to electoral politics following a string of boycotts since a brief 2011 war. Gbagbo is awaiting trial before the International Criminal Court for his alleged responsibility for crimes against humanity committed during the conflict, which was sparked by his refusal to recognize his defeat by Alassane Ouattara in a 2010 election. Thousands of Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) members and supporters chanted “Free Gbagbo” and “Affi president” at a rally in the commercial capital Abidjan on Saturday. Ivory Coast, French-speaking west Africa’s largest economy and the world’s top cocoa grower, has seen a rapid economic revival under Ouattara’s presidency that has turned the heads of foreign investors.

‘ISIS abducts dozens of Christians from Syrian town’ Islamic State militants have captured dozens of Christian families after seizing a strategically located town in the central Syrian province of Homs, a monitor said. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 230 people were kidnapped or detained, including dozens of Christians, some of whom were taken from a church in Qaryatain, the town captured overnight after heavy fighting with the Syrian army. Rami Abdulrahman, the head of the Observatory, said the Christians were “either kidnapped from checkpoints or raids or from churches.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Monday, August 10, 2015

Middle-Belt leader tasks Buhari on true federalism

Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Muhammad Sidi (left) and Borno State Deputy Governor, Zanna Mustapha, acknowledging cheers from Nigerian returnees from Cameroun during a visit to their camp in Mubi, at the weekend.

Zannah sets condition for FG, B’Haram talks Inusa Ndahi, MAIDUGURI

orno State deputy governor, Zannah Mustapha, yesterday described the speculated pleas in the media by Boko Haram to negotiate with the Federal Government as a welcome idea, on the basis that the Islamic militants are fully “committed to laying down their arms for peace” in the North East

sub-region of Nigeria. Mustapha spoke to newsmen in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, while returning from the Burnt Bricks Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs’ camp that accommodates over 3,000 returning Borno indigenes from Cameroun Republic. Mustapha, who was accompanied by the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA,

Sani Sidi to Mubi, said he also learnt of the pleas by Boko Haram for negotiations in the media. Mustapha; while addressing the returnees camped in Mubi South, said that 3,488 have so far returned to Nigeria via Mubi, a border town to Cameroun. He said they took refuge in Cameroun after Boko Haram attacks in Gambouru and Ngala communities of Borno

State. He said they would be temporarily camped at Fufure and Malkohi designated camps in Adamawa State where they would be searched and screened by security agencies. Mustapha however noted: “Accepting the speculations for negotiations would lie solely with Federal Government and the Armed Forces.”

Payroll audit: Kaduna saves N120m in one month A za Msue, KADUNA

aduna State government said it saved N120 million in one month as a result of its first-phase verification exercise for civil servants. In a statement by Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, the government also announced the commencement of the second round of verification of the payroll today. The statement noted that the second exercise is to enable the government authenticate the outcome of the first exercise conducted recently in its determination to thoroughly clean-up the civil service payroll.

He added that permanent secretaries/Overseers, Staff Officers and other relevant directors are expected to identify their staff and their authentic APP, PSN Secret File Numbers and Numbers for the purpose of the exercise, stressing that they should also be at the verification centres to identify staff. According to the statement, the Head of Service, Mrs Alisabatu Onazi, has already signed a circular to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs and local government councils detailing conduct of the exercise in the three senatorial zones of the state, Kaduna, Zaria and Kafanchan. The statement charged civil servants and local

government employees to physically present themselves for screening in the exercise as a pre-condition to receive the July 2015 salary cheque. He maintained that data collected from the exercise would enable the

government determine if the billions of naira that are being expended monthly on staff salary were being paid to identifiable and verifiable civil servants, and make savings from an updated personnel record.

resident-General, Middle-Belt Indigenous People’s Network, MBIPN, Mr. Abuka Omababa, has decried the federalism practised by Nigeria, saying it does not give room for good leaders to emerge. According to the MiddleBelt youth leader and activist, true federalism that will positively impact on all citizens and help in economic recovery must be regionally constituted, embody the ethos and culture of those people as well as impact the grassroots. He therefore tasked President Muhammadu Buhari and federal lawmakers to “find common ground to restructure the nation along regional basis. There should be true federalism, which should start from the regions, not vice versa... The system we operate now doesn’t give room for good leaders to emerge. Most of those who emerge lack integrity; that is why you see the dwindling resources. They (leaders) led the people into poverty, suffering.” Speaking with National Mirror shortly after being conferred with the Role Model Award in Lagos for his outstanding contributions to the development of humanity and nation building by Skynet Communications Limited, publishers of Tellview Magazine, Omababa argued for stronger states (region) and less powerful Centre to reduce the challenges besetting the nation, particularly at the federal level. “You can see the struggle at the Centre (Abuja) between APC and PDP. It is not good. So, if power is whittled down at the centre, everybody will develop their regions, which is best for Nigeria than all the conflicts going on in Abuja.” The magazine’s executive editor, Sunday John, while conferring the award on the recipient, said it

APC wins bye-election in Katsina James Danjuma, KATSINA

ll Progressive Congress, APC, has won the byeelection for Katsina Federal Constituency seat into the House of Representatives. The election held on Saturday with APC’s candidate, Sani Aliyu Danlami, declared winner. The Returning Officer,

Prof Shehu Mohammed, who announced the result, said Danlami scored 21,485 votes to emerge winner. Mohammed said Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s candidate, Mukhtar Kabir Usman scored 5,890 votes while National Conscience Party, NCP’s Ahmed Shehu Sani scored 178 votes. He said the number of registered voters for the exercise was 208,384,

accredited voters 33,428, votes cast 28,310, valid votes stood at 27,554, while 756 votes were rejected. The exercise was held following the death of lawmaker occupying the position, Hon Sheik Umar, several weeks ago. Umar, who was married to President Muhammadu Buhari’s niece, had occupied the position during the last National Assembly.

was for his “meritorious services towards peace and stability among indigenous peoples of Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, mentoring younger generations of Nigerians and nation building.” The magazine said after an intense and objective look at the recipient’s life and work, it resolved “to recognise and celebrate the contributions of Barr. Abuka Omababa as a person that has displayed exemplary leadership, among other qualities.” The magazine, which seeks to promote nation building and sustainable development through unveiling remarkable achievers, said it was honoured to associate with and recognise the activist’s contribution in many aspects of national life. He said the magazine’s awards are to appreciate, reward and motivate people and institutions that have contributed in no small way to nation building, sacrificing their time, energy and money to bringing succour to the down trodden and smiles to faces of the vulnerable and helpless people.

APC chieftain sponsors 7 female IDPs weddings

even female Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs from Bama, in Borno State were yesterday married to their suitors at an elaborate wedding in Maiduguri. The event took place at the Government Reserved Area, GRA residence of Alhaji Aji Kolo, treasurer of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who sponsored the event. Kolo said he decided to sponsor the wedding to give a sense of belonging to the IDPs who lacked the resources to sponsor the weddings themselves. He said the object was to help strengthen the institution of marriage in the community. The brides expressed joy at the event and thanked Kolo for the gesture. Mrs Amina Bukar said she had wanted to formalise her wedding since last year but lacked the resources. Bukar noted that Kolo had assisted the IDPs in the locality on several occasions, adding that his philanthropic disposition was unparallel.

Monday, August 10, 2015

As long as the manager has confidence in my ability to deliver, I am cool. I only need to work hard

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Hammers stun Arsenal at Emirates

–CHELSEA MIDFIELDER, RAMIRES

Glo League results Giwa

Wolves

Wikki

Nasarawa

Bayelsa

Pillars

Dolphins

Abia

Enyimba

Lobi

El-Kanemi

Kwara

Taraba

Akwa

Heartland

3SC (pp)

Ubah

Sunshine (pp)

Sharks

Rangers (pp)

Amokachi

bags Ifeanyi Ubah’s job R

Contract:

Awoniyi set for Liverpool deal

ational U-23 striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, will be loaned out to a club in either Belgium or Holland when he signs for English Premier League club Liverpool, according to AfricanFootball.com. The authoritative football site had first reported that Awoniyi was headed for Liverpool ahead of interests from several top clubs like AS Monaco and FC Porto as well as some unconfirmed speculations. AfricanFootball.com said the striker was

due in England this week for a routine medical after which he will be loaned to a club in either Belgium or Holland. Awoniyi will be 18 on Wednesday and that will allow him to sign a professional contract that has been put on hold. However, Liverpool could not apply for work permit for him using the special talent clause because the player has been busy with the country’s Olympic team in qualifiers for both the All Africa Games and the

CAF U23 Championship. “It’s almost too late to apply for a work permit for him using the special talent clause because he has been with the U-23 team,” AfricanFootball. com quoted a reliable source saying. Awoniyi had previously represented Nigeria at U-15, U-17 and U-20 levels.

eports yester day said former Super Eagles assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi, ha s taken over G lo Premier League side FC IfeanyiUbah as the H ead Coach. The 41-year-old former Nigeria internatio nal was recent ly in contention for the top coac hing post at champions K ano Pillars before the club’s boar d re-appointed fo rmer coach M ohammed Baba Ganaru. IfeanyiUbah’s former head coach John O buh is now th e club’s director of football whi le immediate pa st Super Eagl es goalkeeper co ach, Ike Shor un mu, also joined Amokachi as th e goalkeeper trai ner. Amokachi ha s handled na tional U-23 te am, home-base d Eagles, Enyim ba and Nasaraw a United. The Nnewi cl ub has fallen down the leag ue table since the dismissal of Bulgarian coac h Mitko Dobrev.

Sports

Monday, August 10, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Hammers

stun Arsenal at Emirates The creativity of Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey (in red shirt) failed to subdue West Ham yesterday

oalkeeper Petr Cech endured a nightmare debut as Arsenal lost 2-0 at home yesterday to West Ham in their Premier League opener. Cheikhou Kouyate put the Hammers ahead late in the first half when he beat Cech to a free-kick and headed into the empty net. Cech, a summer signing from Chelsea, was beaten again in the 57th minute when he was wrong-footed and unable to keep out Mauro Zarate’s

shot from outside the box. The Gunners hardly threatened a comeback as the visitors, for whom 16-year-old Reece Oxford started in midfield, held out to secure all three points in Slaven Bilic’s first top-flight match in charge. The Croatian could hardly have wished for a better performance on the opening day after seeing his side knocked out of the Europa League in Romania on Thursday evening. Bilic sprang a surprise in his starting line-up at the

StarTimes introduces Bundesliga, Serie A Ngozi Emedolibe

side the cooperation between StarTimes and Bundesliga in June for the five years of exclusive broadcasting rights in SubSahara Africa, the content provider has added the Serie A. With the high-quality digital signal on StarTimes, football fans are not only given the right to see the skills of the leopards like Alexander Meier and Thomas Muller during the Bundelsiga season, but also top football teams like Juventus and Milan of Serie A more clearl y than ever.

The cooperation between StarTimes and two of the most

brilliant leagues have strategically broken the ice in current sports broadcasting. This year has witnessed efforts by StarTimes to have more football matches in digital signal of great quality. StarTimes is the leading digital-TV operator in Africa, covering 80 per cent of the continent’s population with a massive distribution network of 200 brand halls, 3, 000 convenience stores and 5, 000 distributors, in addition to owning a featured content platform with 320 authorized channels consisting of news, movies, series, sports, entertainment, chil-

Muller

dren’s p r o grammes, fashion and religion.

Emirates by handing Oxford his league debut, making him the seventh-youngest player to feature in the Premier League. The closest either side came to an opener was in the 31st minute when Aaron Ramsey’s 20-yard half-volley deflected off the back of defender Aaron Creswell and looped onto the crossbar. The hosts failed to force their way back into the match, though, as West Ham closed out a first victory over the Gunners since April 2007.

EPL results

Ayew

ew Swansea signing, Andre Ayew, has promised what he calls charming displays for the Cardiff club this season after scoring on his Premier League debut on Saturday. The Ghana international cancelled out Oscar’s opening goal at Stamford Bridge as the Swans secured a 2-2

Man Utd

Tottenhan

Bournemouth

Villa

Everton

Watford

Leicester

Sunderland

Norwich

Palace

Chelsea

Swansea

Arsenal

West Ham

Newcastle

Southampton

Stoke

Liverpool

pledges great EPL show

draw against the champions. Ayew latched onto the loose ball inside the area after Bafe Gomis saw his header kept out by Thibaut Courtois, with the winger showing some neat trickery before finding the corner of the net. “Chelsea are the champions with a great squad but we managed

to get a great result,” Ayew said yesterday. “I was very happy with my goal, particularly as the squad has really helped me out. Hopefully I will continue working hard to help the team. “The result was a really great moment for myself and, more importantly, the team. “We must keep the

spirit we have. We showed a lot of character. This is only the beginning for us.” Chelsea regained the lead a minute later Ayew’s goal but Swansea earned a point as Gomis levelled from the spot after Courtois was dismissed for bringing down the French striker inside the box in the second half.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Monday, August 10, 2015

Football business: Between Ifeanyi Ubah and Aliko Dangote Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello

hey are two great men worthy of emulation by any up-and-coming or aspiring billionaire. In several ways, they have both shown interest in football, the most popular sport in Africa, if not in the world. They are billionaires in their own right, who have rightly invested at home and abroad with visible achievements. I remember Gabros Football club during my days as a football administrator. Their former team manager was a regular visitor at the then headquarters of the Nigeria Premier League in Abuja, and I recollect how hardworking and ambitious the club was. Just last year, I heard they are back to the top flight under the name FC Ifeanyi Ubah. The Awka, Anambra State-based club was bought over by Ifeanyi Ubah, the business mogul. Ubah employed a foreign coach and invested millions of naira on the team. He has attended several of the team’s matches in an apparent move to supervise how the investment is faring. I wish him all the best. The foregoing describes the ideal football club owner as having deep pockets, mercurial and not faint-hearted. Interestingly and unknown to many people, Ubah was a footballer and had been under the mentoring of the famed youth developer, Fanny Amun, when the latter was coach of the national U-17 team in 1993, although he did not make the team to the FIFA U-17 World Cup hosted by Japan in the same year. Recently, news filtered that he was constructing a new football pitch for his team in Awka with a view to making the players realise their dreams of playing truly professional football. Ubah has written his name in the sands of indigenous football club ownership like the late Moshood Abiola funded Abiola Babes and Emmanuel Iwuanyawu funded Iwuanyanwu Nationale. Aliko Dangote, on the other hand, doesn’t deem it necessary to invest in Nigerian football. Of course, he is at liberty to expend his wealth as he deems fit. But the question is, will he, in view of his schedules at monitoring his chain of businesses that traverse the world, be able to follow up on his investment in football? Dangote desires expanding his business by his deep interest in taking over the lion’s share of Arsenal’s fortune, even as he is a professed Arsenal fan.

Perhaps, he can still be reminded such: Baba, you should please invest even a tiny amount into the Nigerian league. Borrow a leaf from indigenous company Globacom which runs the local league and still rakes in profit. Chelsea FC is owned by Roman Abramovich, a Russian. However, my findings revealed that Abramovich invested in football in his home country and in fact constructed over 50 football pitches for the locals, aside sponsoring coaches and sports related trainings, among other ventures, long before he bought over. Curiously, some people attributed the Chelsea purchase to his seeking relevance in the British government. Oh well... It is safe to say Dangote is going into the Arsenal purchase with business on his mind. It is a viable and most commercially rewarding and prospering football investments with global audience. But there is a popular African saying that “charity begins at home”, especially as Dangote’s football history and involvement in Africa and Nigeria falls short, safe for a report that once linked him to donating money to Super Eagles after they won the AFCON 2013 title in South Africa. Yet, his investment in Nigerian football can only turn out to be money well invested. It won’t hurt to sponsor any of the lower football leagues. What about the women football league? Of course, Arsenal, unlike Nigeria football clubs, are in the stock market, TV, commercialising, marketing and merchandising and and Dangote can rake his millions therefrom. Arsenal is a global brand and investing in it will make it practicable. But what happens to the fate of football in Nigeria? Not that Dangote seems to care. Haba! Alhaji Dangote, kayi hakuri fa (take it easy). Essentially, Ubah and Dangote are after the unquestionable juicy fruits in football. Ubah seems, though, to also want to exploit his investment to climb a political ladder. Nonetheless, his passion for football has brought smiles to the faces of many in Nigeria. Patriotically, it can only make our millionaires/billionaires joyful and proud to put their money in Nigeria football which to date remains the only tool that unites our somewhat fragmented nation. Ogunleye-Bello is an Abujabased multiple award-winning journalist, speaker, change agent, sports for development enthusiast and advocate

L-R, Regional Head, Commercial, Ranti Awoborode, Regional Operations Director, Airtel, South Region, Veronica Onoja, and captain of Port Harcourt girls, Ogonna Adim, during the trophy presentation at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt on Saturday

ARS 5: Rivers teams enter National Finals Paul Erewuba

ivers State male and female teams at the weekend emerged winners of the Regional Championship in the on-going Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) 5 U-17 football tournament in Port Harcourt. Rivers State boys defeated Delta State 2-0 with goals from 15-year-old captain Tari Ogidi, who eventually won the Highest Goals Scorer Award. In the female category, AkwaIbom held Rivers State to a 1-1 draw but lost 5-4 on penalties. Regional Operations Director, Airtel, South Region, Veronica Onoja, who was in company oth-

er staff the telco including the Zonal Business Manager, Gozie Njoku; Regional Head, Commercial, Ranti Awoborode; Regional Marketing Manager, Lawrence Odediran, and ARS 5 technical adviser, Etim Esim, witnessed the final. “Airtel has done well to create a platform for our youths and help them to achieve their dreams,” Onoja said at the presentation ceremony. “We have seen quite a number future stars in the male and female teams. The most important is that fact that they have showcased their talent and I believe they will get better,” she added. Precious Ibanga of AkwaIbom was Highest Scorer Award

winner in the female category with 4 goals, while Ogidi won the male category with 5 goals. 16-year-old Akwa-Ibom striker, Uduakobong Peter, won the Most Valuable Player award for female while 16-year-old Eze Lawrence won in the male category. Coach of the Port Harcourt boys, Michael Ritama said: “We will improve on our skills and fitness as we target the National Finals and the trophy.” Female team Coach, Rita Nwadike, said: “We will improve ourselves as we progress.” Lagos will host the last leg of regional championship from August 14 to 16 with participants from Ogun, Oyo, Lagos, Ondo and Edo states.

NNL: Osho revels in ‘hard-fought’ win Afolabi Gambari

ogi United Coach, Fatai Osho, says his side’s 1-0 win over his former club Supreme Court of Abuja in Lokoja on Saturday was like a 10-0 triumph. Osho, who joined Kogi United in the mid-season in the ongoing Nigeria National League, NNL faced his former employer for the first since leaving the apex court. The matched, watched by about 5, 000 fans, saw a 53 min-

ute penalty kick converted by Kogi captain Afolabi Abiodun. “I’m just like a father to both teams and I got what I expected from the game as I believed the fans enjoyed good football,” the youthful coach, who believes the team will build on its dominant form away to Yobe Stars in Damaturu on Wednesday, said. “I think we can use this form to get a good result in Damaturu,” he added. On Kogi’s strikers’ sparse scoring chances, in the game,

Osho joked: “Supreme Court adopted “parking the bus” style of Chelsea. They just waited in their box and wanted to break us on the counter.” Chairman of the Confluence State club, Abdul Sule, who described the victory as well- deserved, expressed optimism of the team beating the drop at the end of the season. “I am impressed with our form and I believe the boys will peak as the season progresses,” Sule said.

Hockey: Rivers wins Bello U-15 title

ivers State hockey team has emerged winner of the 2nd National Under-15 Hockey Championship at the Astro Turf of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt at the weekend. The host state team defeated Dynamic Scoopers Hockey Academy of Lagos 1- 0 in the final match. Ekiti State beat Oyo State to come third. Event Coordinator, Sam Col-

lins, a former player of the Union Bank men’s hockey team, disclosed that the seven-day invitational competition aimed at giving the moribund Brigadier General Bako Under-15 Championship a rebirth after the grassroots hockey festival disappeared. “The ‘take-Hockey-to-SchoolInitiative, in conjunction with Stich Proffer Multi-Solutions, is also geared towards engaging and empowering hockey players

in the secondary schools through training and competition,” Collins said. About 62 players from across the country played eight matches, scored 10 goals with 12 green cards, four yellow cards and one red card awarded to erring players. Eight field goals were also scored. ICAST player, Tolu Odedokun, Oladeji Daniel and Oguingbenro Mayowa were amomg the talent discovered at the tournament.

WORLD RECORD Fastest marathon dressed as a telephone Fastest mile fireman’s carrybox

N150

Vol. 05 No. 1173 Monday, August 10, 2015

The fastest marathon dressed as a tele phone box is 5 hr 54 m i n 5 2 s e c a n d w a s a c h i eve d b y S i d Ke y t e ( U K ) a t t h e 2 0 1 4 V i r gin Money London Marathon.

After Badeh’s confession, what next? T he narrative was patently antithetical to the well known core military values; it was both defensive and condemnatory. Though meant to exculpate the nation’s military high command, the confession of Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh (retd), the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, ended up pouring petrol on an already inflaming issue. “…I must say that the task of coordinating the military and other security agencies in the fight against the insurgents is, perhaps, the most complex and challenging assignment I have had in my 38 years in service…For the first time, I was head of a military that lacked the relevant equipment and motivation to fight an enemy that was invisible and embedded with the local populace…” What an anticlimactic statement to

HeartBeat Callistus Oke

Callistusoke@nationalmirroronline.net 08054103275 (SMS ONLY) anthonykila@mail.com make during a pulling out parade, a usually a graceful event. For sure, Badeh’s valedictory speech assumed the character of an elegy, or a canticle fit for funeral procession. I remember a friend, in reference to Badeh’s showing that sad Thursday, angrily asked: “Why is this man on the defensive; why can’t he just make his valedictory speech and spare the nation this inglorious ranting?” Though I smelt a fraud and pretence in the entire charade, the act had a redeeming value in the sense that it called to question the justification for the courts martial constituted to try hundreds of war weary soldiers in the frontline states where Boko Haram was active, who choosing life over ignominious death in the hands of better equipped foes, deserted their duty posts. Some scores of this set of soldiers were sentenced to death; others bagged prison sentences or dismissal. The Badeh confession raises a question mark over the nation’s huge defence spending to contain Boko Haram. Spending the way we did in pursuance of our counterinsurgency campaign is in order. However, what is problematic is construction of drain pipes to take the funds to where they would not be of use to the nation. Sabotage is what this act is called. And only the privileged command officers could be directly or vicariously liable. Recent revelation of monumental heists has given empirical validation to allegations that some of our military top brass outsmarted former President Goodluck Jonathan to service

ONE CONFOUNDING LESSON FROM THE DEVELOPMENT IS THAT

NIGERIA’S CLAIM TO

GREATNESS IS SPURIOUS their personal propensities for aggrandizement! Two acts of injustice in the development are discernible. First is misplacement of justice in arraigning the hapless soldiers who chose life over death, convicting them and following it up with sanctions. The confession of the former Chief of Defence Staff has deconstructed the well laid case against the soldiers, so the courts martial were, therefore, a tool for inquisition. The second act is the grand deception perfected by the military top brass against the nation - dubious claims of the military being in very healthy state to contain Boko Haram were made. Since Badeh’s confession, the truth has come out. Happily, the courts martial have been dissolved, and the machinery to review the entire charade with a view to righting the wrong put in place. One confounding lesson from the development is that Nigeria’s claim to greatness is spurious. The humbling of her military is the evidence we need. We claim we are the biggest economy in Africa; such vaunted glory is hollow without the neces-

sary military force to protect the nation’s territorial integrity and its vast resources, human and material. Economically powerful nations have supportive and complementary military power. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower illustrated this in his farewell speech to Americans on January 17, 1961 when he stated: “A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.” He further asserted that lessons from the Second World War experience had compelled America “to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions”. Indeed, the bombing of Pearl Harbour by the Japanese navy on December 7, 1941, spawned a complex web of policy and monetary relationships between American armed forces and the armaments industry with policy support from the Congress. This is known in America as the military–industrial complex. The English author, Alan Alexander Miln, in his book, “Peace With Honour”, also let it be known that national prestige is a reputation for the will to war and that a nation’s honour is measured by its “willingness to use force to maintain its reputation as a user of force”. Whither Nigeria? The painful reality of our situation is we have neither big nor strong military that can deter external aggression and internal insurrection. Boko Haram has become the metaphor for our military powerlessness. We were stripped of our honours when we called on outsiders to join us vanquish Boko Haram. Our new military chiefs must learn from the missteps of Badeh et al. One way they could show that the past would be an effective compass to properly navigate the country back to military glory is for Major General Abayomi Gabriel Olonishakin, Badeh’s successor, to apologise to the victims of the Inquisition of General Kenneth Minimah (retd), former Chief of Army Staff.

Sport Extra

Emenike wins maiden UAE trophy

uper Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike, has won his first trophy with his United Arab Emirates club Al Ain. The Fenerbahce of Turkey forward, who is on a

year loan deal at Al Ain, was on parade as the side won the Champions Trophy by defeating Wydad Casablanca of Morocco 5-4 on penalty on Saturday after the game ended 3-3 in

regulation time. Emenike scored one of the penalties for Emirates club and earned applause from the fans. It is a competition played between UAE

league winners and Morocco champions. A delaying Nouseer gave Wydad Casablanca the lead in the fifth minute, before Omar Abdulrahman equalised for Al Ain

10 minutes later. Farlbrice Ondama restored the host’s lead in the 22nd minute, before Lee Myung-Joo levelled for Al Ain three minutes to end of the first half.

Emenike

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