Monday, august 17 2015 (new 3) by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

I’m not dead, still in charge of Boko Haram —Shekau

oko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has denied he had been killed or ousted as head of the jihadist group in an audio recording released yesterday and at-

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Massive debts: FAAN issues 7-day ultimatum tto debtor airlines, cconcessionaires

replaced and called the president a “hypocrite” and a “tyrant.” “It is indeed all over the global media of infidels that I am dead or that I

tributed to him by security experts. In the eight-minute Hausa-language message, Shekau rebuffed claims by Chadian leader, Idriss Deby, that he had been

Monday, August 17, 2015

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Buhari may free looters who return stolen funds

N150

…as APC lists shocking instances of corruption Stop bandying imaginary figures, PDP tells ruling party

OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU, AZA MSUE AND PRISCILLA DENNIS

he loot recovery efforts of the Federal Government may soon take a new dimension as there are strong indications that President CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

Legislative agenda: Senate mulls e-parliament ...prioritises constitution amendment, PIB, confab report, others P.4

L-R: Deputy President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mr. Otis Anyaeji; former Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega; NSE President, Mr. Ademola Olorunfemi and his wife, Tolani, at the presentation of special NSE Merit Award to Professor Jega in Lagos, at the weekend.

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Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Buhari may free looters who return stolen funds CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Muhammadu Buhari may grant amnesty to treasury looters to encourage them return stolen billions kept abroad and in Nigeria. A credible source told our correspondent in Kaduna that Buhari might opt for amnesty option to fast track the recovery of looted national treasury to enable him fulfill his campaign promises, which will involve trillions of naira. Our correspondent gathered that the amnesty option would serve as the soft side of the loot recovery strategy otherwise referred to as a “carrot and stick approach.” While the carrot approach will be for soft looters, who may be willing to return their looted share to the federal government treasury without arrest and charges, the stick stance would be for hardened ones who, may head to court to protect their ill-gotten wealth. Buhari had constituted an anti-corruption team comprising of eminent university dons and civil rights activists, just as the president said he had so far located banks where Nigerians’ looted funds are being kept and the his government had been doing everything possible to recover them. He added that looters would face trial in coming weeks. However, one of the close associates of the president, who did not want his name mentioned, said different interest groups had prevailed on the president to consider an amnesty programme to enable looters return what they siphoned, without arrest. “Some interest groups are suggesting that President Buhari should not only rely on prosecution/trial of looters, but should use carrot and stick approach for him to succeed in his anticorruption campaign. “Amnesty for looters may fast track the recovery of our national wealth being cornered by some few selfish Nigerians. The idea is that, with the amnesty, many looters will quietly return their stolen funds direct or indirectly to the federal government treasury. I can tell you that President Buhari has no money to implement the APC campaign promises to Nigerians.

“The only option now is for looters to return their stolen money. Crude oil has dropped at international market, so where will APC government get funds to fulfill its campaign promises? Many programmes that will change the fortunes of this country are on line but no money to implement. “You know, many of the looters have money and they can hire best lawyers to defend them in courts and it may take time before any meaningful progress, but with amnesty in place too, many of them will return the money. President Buhari is looking into amnesty for looters too,” the source

said. Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has described as spinechilling and mind-boggling the massive looting of the nation's treasury by public officials, saying nothing but total recovery of looted funds will be acceptable to all patriotic Nigerians. APC, in a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said anyone who attempts, either by deeds or words, to sabotage the recovery efforts of the present administration is not a patriot and deserves nothing but public opprobrium.

The party said that it is necessary to remind Nigerians the kind of massive looting of the treasury that took place in the past few years for them to better appreciate the seriousness of the issue at stake. A whopping N4.1trn and $33.06bn were allegedly looted, according to the party. The massive looting include: N3.8trn out of the N8.1trn earned from crude oil between 2012 and 2015, withheld by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC; $2.1bn from Excess Crude Account, ECA, unaccounted for; Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR's unremitted

N109.7bn royalty from oil firms; $6bn allegedly looted by some ministers of the last administration and 160 million barrels of crude worth $13.9bn lost between 2009 and 2012. Other instances, according to APC, are: $15m from botched arms deals, yet to be returned to Nigeria; $13bn in Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, dividends mostly unaccounted for; N30bn rice waiver and N183bn unaccounted for at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC. APC said that the listed 'missing' funds constituted just a tip of the iceberg, since they are mostly from a

few sectors of the economy, mostly the oil sector, adding that they were discovered even before the forensic audit now being undertaken in some key areas. Said the party: “The level of looting that went on in other sectors is better imagined, hence the need for all Nigerians to rally around the Buhari administration to recover the loots, bring the looters to justice and put in place measures to prevent such looting in the future.” Thanking Nigerians for their overwhelming support for the Muhammadu Buhari administration in its tough but important task of CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Members of Nigeria Academy of Letters (NAL) at their 17th annual convocation lecture and investiture of new fellows in Lagos, at the weekend.

Massive debts: FAAN issues 7-day ultimatum to debtor airlines, concessionaires OLUSEGUN KOIKI

aking a cue from the two weeks ultimatum issued debtor airlines recently by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, yesterday also issued a seven-day ultimatum to all its debtors. The agency stated that the ultimatum was the Final Demand Notice, which would expire on Monday, August 24, 2015. A statement by the spokesman of FAAN, Mr. Yakubu Dati stated that all affected debtors had earlier

been communicated with details of their respective indebtedness to the agency. Information gathered by our correspondent revealed that among the debtors were airlines, concessionaires and other service providers, at all airports across the country. Dati did not however mention the amount involved, but a source close to FAAN told our correspondent that the total debts may be around N22bn. The source said the management had exhausted the entire avenues to recover the debts, adding that after the seven days ultimatum, the management might be forced

to involve anti-graft agencies. Dati emphasised that if the affected debtors where in doubt, they should liaise with the authority’s Credit Control Department at its headquarters in Lagos for reconciliation of their accounts within the period of the notice. The statement added: “At the expiration of this notice, the authority would, pursuant to a Presidential directive, be compelled to take necessary measures to recover these debts. FAAN is self-sustaining and cannot meet its responsibilities within the burden of these huge debts.” Late last month, NCAA also issued same threat to

debtor airlines who it said had constantly refused to remit the five per cent Ticket Sales Charge, TSC, and Cargo Sales Charge, CSC, collected from air passengers. The agency also threatened to publish the names of the defaulters at the end of the ultimatum. A statement by the General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Fan Ndubuoke had stated that the 14-day ultimatum would be the last the agency would issue to the debtor carriers before enforcing the provisions of section 27(3) of the Civil Aviation Act. Ndubuoke explained that the five per cent TSC and

CSC represented charges collected at source from the travelling public by airlines on behalf of the civil aviation agencies and wondered why the money would not be remitted immediately. He declared that its nonremittance as at when due was tantamount to a breach of trust and a violation of the civil aviation provision by the airlines. Ndubuoke said that after the date, it would take all measures contained therein to enforce the collection of the debts, stressing that the names of the debtor airlines and amount owed would also be published in at least five national dailies.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

PAGE

Monday, August 17, 2015

Good Health

Watch that energy drink! ...experts say excessive consumption could lead to death FRANKA OSAKWE

f you are one of those who cannot do without gulping down cans of energy drinks on a daily basis or mixing it with alcohol, you may need to watch it. This is because a new study has revealed that the high caffeine in those drinks could lead to an irregular heartbeat or even sudden cardiac death. A review of previous research, presented at the recent American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans, found that drinking one to three energy drinks could mess with your heart rhythm and increase your blood pressure. If severe enough, these changes could lead to an irregular heartbeat or even sudden cardiac death. In the seven studies reviewed which involved people between 18 and 45 years old, those who consumed energy drinks experienced a 4 percent change in the rhythm of their heart. In addition, their systolic blood pressure, aka the top number on the blood pressure reading- jumped by 3.5 points. While the changes seem small, they can still cause problems for certain people. According to AHA spokesperson Gordon F. Tomaselli, M.D, those with an existing heart condition or a family history of heart problems, like an irregular heartbeat, should avoid drinking energy drinks. “But if you’re generally healthy, and need a perk up, the key like most things is moderation. Some men could have an undiagnosed heart condition that could land them in the emergency room after just one energy drink. Just don’t overdo it by downing several cans in one day, and when you do drink one, keep

an eye out for these side effects, which could signal a bad reaction: Racing heart, Skipping or jumping heartbeat, Feeling jittery or anxious, extended dizzy spells. According to a publication from The World Health Organisation (WHO), the primary risk from energy drinks are from its high caffeine levels, which can cause problems such as palpitations, hypertension, vomiting, convulsions, and in extreme cases heart failure leading to death. The paper, published in Frontiers in Public Health adds to the growing concerns about the harmful effects of excessive energy-drink consumption. The paper, also said there was growing evidence of harm due to consumption of energy drinks mixed with alcohol. This is

DID YOU KNOW?

Aspirin can help stop cancer spreading

SPIRIN can help combat cancer by lowering the risk of the disease spreading, say scientists in two separate studies. The first researchers found that low doses of aspirin blocked two enzymes which help cancerous cells to multiply. The enzymes are produced when the body is injured, triggering pain and swelling. Dr Pierre Massion at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the US said research showed that low doses of aspirin – perhaps 81mg daily – taken

over five years reduced the incidence of cancers by 38 per cent. A second US study of 6,000 men by Duke University School of Medicine found a 14 per cent reduction in prostate cancer among men taking aspirin. However, Dr Iain Frame at Prostate Cancer UK warned men not to start taking aspirin if they are worried without first checking with their GP. The studies come after British experts claimed if Britons aged 50 to 65 took aspirin for 10 years that 130,357 cancer deaths could be avoided over 20 years.

because energy drinks make it harder for people to notice when they are getting drunk even though there is no reduction in intoxication. They said energy drinks had also been linked to dangers when combined with physical activity despite often being marketed as boosting sports performance. Explaining more about the health effect of energy drinks on the body, a publication by Livestrong, an online health journal said that energy drinks contain high levels of caffeine, at 80 to 500 mg per can when compared to 65 to 100 mg for a cup of coffee. “Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant and diuretic. About three cups of coffee, offer a maximum recommended daily amount of

cientists have found that oleate, a common healthy fat found in the oil can help a diseased heart muscle work better. Experts have hailed the “exciting” findings and say they are further proof that eating a diet rich in good fats can dramatically improve and protect heart health. And they said that there was even a benefit in consuming the staple of the Mediterranean diet even after heart disease had set in. Dr Douglas Lewandowski, director of the University of Illinois Centre for Cardiovascular Research in the US, said: “This gives more proof to the idea that consuming healthy fats like oleate can have a significantly posi-

250 mg of caffeine.” the report said. Another ingredient often found in energy drink according to Livestrong, is guarana seed extract, which is also high in caffeine content. Caffeine or guarana consumption can result in increased heart rate, sleeplessness, nausea, anxiety, depression, nervousness, irritability, abnormal heart rhythms known as arrhythmia and late-term miscarriage. Aside these, the report said some drugs can interact with supplements and should be considered prior to consuming energy drinks. Apart from the concern that combining energy drinks with higher levels of physical activity could pose a risk for people with high blood pressure or heart disease, a 2015 study by the American Heart Association showed significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure with energy drink consumption during sedentary activities. Another warning for those that rely on energy drink for that energy boost, another study in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that while energy drinks improved athletes’ performance, they were more likely to experience insomnia, nervousness and stimulation hours after the competition. “Energy drinks have all those stimulants, and if the person is going through some kind of physical stress or physical exercise, those stimulants will further exaggerate or exacerbate the electrical activity going on in the heart,” it says. According to the study, there are a few groups for which energy drinks are typically not recommended. “If you have an underlying condition such as heart disease or high blood pressure, ask your doctor if energy drinks may cause complications. Teenagers, pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding may want to avoid or especially limit consumption of these beverages”, the study said. Hence, rather than relying on energy drinks, experts say there are probably better ways to get an energy boost. For instance, getting good sleep, a cup of coffee, exercising or eating a snack packed with protein and complex carbohydrates can help ward off that afternoon slump. And if all this fails, you can always consult your doctor. Sometimes fatigue is a sign of an underlying medical condition, such as hypothyroidism or anaemia.

Olive oil can revive a failing heart tive effect on cardiac health.” Around 750,000 people in Britain suffer from heart failure. Heart failure is a chronic and incurable disease which occurs when the organ is damaged, either suddenly following a heart attack or gradually over a number of years for reasons including heart disease, long-term high blood pressure, alcohol or recreational drugs. Once damaged it becomes enlarged, or hypertrophic, in response to the high blood pressure which requires it to work harder to pump blood.

Photo News

Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Member of award jury, UK Diaspora, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), Rita Ray; CEO, PRM-Africa and Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mike Dada; other members of award jury, from Eastern Africa, Tabu Osusa (Kenya) and Central Africa, Robert Ekukole (Cameroun), during the international press conference to announce nominees of AFRIMA 2015 in Lagos, at the weekend. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

L-R: Marketing Manager, DStv, Chioma Afe; Senior Public Relations Manager, Consumer Protection Council, Nicholas Otsalo; Public Relations Manager, MultiChoice Nigeria, Caroline Oghuma and Deputy Operations Manager, MultiChoice Nigeria, Lateef Tijani, during DStv Customer Forum in Lagos, on Saturday.

L-R: General Manager, Sales and Marketing, PAN Nigeria Ltd, Umar Abubakar; Managing Director, Alhaji Ibrahim Boyi; Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC, Obinnia Abajue; Executive Director, Finance, PAN Nigeria Ltd, Alhaji Jumat Alli Oluwafuyi and Head, Business Banking, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Lloyd Onaghinon, during the signing of memorandum of understanding between Stanbic IBTC Bank and PAN Nigeria Ltd in Lagos, at the weekend.

L-R: Former Past Chief of Defence Intelligence, CDI, Rear Admiral Gabriel Okoi(rtd); Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas and his wife during a thanksgiving service at the First Baptist Church in Area 11, Abuja, yesterday.

National News George Oji ABUJA

he 8th Senate is considering adoption of e-parliament approach to manage proceedings through online information sharing system. The e-parliament, which is a vital part of egovernment, is a system that uses Information and Communication Technology, ICT, to improve information dissemination and service delivery, and aims at improving citizens’ participation, accountability and transparency in lawmaking processes. The system is expected to improve the quality of legislation by lawmakers with the establishment of internal and personal email that will be created for all senators through an internal portal linked to the National Assembly website. The e-parliament is one of the novel recommendations made by the Senate ad-hoc committee on legislative agenda,

Legislative agenda: Senate mulls e-parliament

•Prioritises constitution amendment, PIB, confab report, others which submitted its report last week, before last week’s adjournment by the senators for their annual vacation. The report of the 18-member committee, which was headed by Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, is expected to be debated and adopted when they resume on September 29. The committee listed four advantages it hopes the e-parliament would achieve, including making legislative information widely and readily available for citizens aimed at increasing accountability; improved and faster means of information and service delivery to the citizenry and access to activities going on in the differ-

ent constituencies of the members through their personal portals at the National Assembly. This is in addition to increasing citizens’ participation in legislation with improved accessibility to their representatives, creating a vision for participation in the decision making process. On the part of the lawmakers, the system will improve the quality of legislation as all senators will get materials for deliberation, 24 hours before each sitting. With this, unlike what is presently obtainable, the senators will have the opportunity of reviewing the materials before coming to the chambers and prepare themselves well for quality deliberations

on the floor. In terms of special areas of focus, the committee said the 8th senate would give priority attention to the issue of constitution amendment, particularly continuing where the 2014 process was aborted. The lawmakers would also focus on the report of the 2014 national conference, which was sent to the 7th National Assembly by former President Goodluck Jonathan early this year but was not attended to before the tenure of that senate elapsed. In addition, the senators would concentrate on early passage of the PIB, in view of its importance in the transformation of the oil and gas sector of

the economy. The PIB was passed by the 7th House of Representatives, but not by the senate. The senate committee pledged that it would concentrate on the passage of the National Poverty Eradication Commission bill as part of its support to address the growing rate of unemployment and poverty in the country. All the above priority legislation would be complemented by other issues of national importance, particularly those that were started, but not completed during the last senate, according to the committee report. General objectives of the legislative agenda, which was set up by Sen-

ate President, Bukola Saraki, on June 25, include increase in institutional capacity of the Senate, including manpower development for legislators and legislative staff. It also involves strengthening and stepping-up of the oversight functions of committees and timely relay of legislative support to the development agenda of the Federal Government. This is in addition to the entrenchment of effective representation and the constituency outreaches; reducing running cost and increase fiscal discipline and engenders robust relations with the House, executive, judiciary and the general public.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Monday, August 17, 2015

I’m not dead, still in charge of Boko Haram —Shekau CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

am sick and incapacitated and have lost influence in the affairs of religion,” he said in the recording released on social media. “It should be understood that this is false. This is indeed a lie. If it were true, my voice wouldn’t have been heard, now that I am speaking.” Deby declared on August 12 that efforts to combat the sect had succeeded in “decapitating” the group and would be wrapped up “by the end of the year.” He told reporters in the capital N'Djamena that Boko Haram was no longer led by Shekau and that his successor, whom he named as Mahamat Daoud, was open to talks. “Gratitude be to Allah and with his help, I have not disappeared. I am still alive and I am not dead. And I will not die until my time appointed by Allah is up,” Shekau said in the message. The SITE Intelligence Group verified the authenticity of the message, and an AFP correspondent with extensive experience of reporting Boko Haram said it exactly resembled Shekau’s voice in previous recordings. Shekau’s absence from Boko Haram videos in recent months has fu-

elled speculation that he might have been killed or wounded. He has not spoken publicly since he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in an audio recording released on March 7. The jihadist commander refers to himself in the new recording for the first time as “leader of the west Africa wing” of IS and pays homage to its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, referring to him as the “Caliph of Muslims.” He taunted President Muhammadu Buhari, who came to power on May 29 vowing to crush Boko Haram and ordered his military chiefs last week to end the insurgency within three months. “This ostentatious person, a liar - I mean Buhari, who raised arms to crush us in three months. You Buhari, why didn’t you say in three years? “We will certainly fight you by the grace of Allah until we establish Allah’s law everywhere on earth,” he added Boko Haram has been waging a six-year uprising in Nigeria, which has claimed more than 15,000 lives. The jihadists have repeatedly extended their northeastern insurgency into border areas of Cam-

eroon, Chad and Niger. In recent weeks, suicide bombers, many of them women, have staged several attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad. The four countries, plus Benin, have pledged troops towards a regional 8,700-strong force aimed at ending the insurgency and due to deploy within days. Speculation about Shekau’s condition - and

even his true identity has been rampant in Nigeria for years. The wanted Islamist leader’s whereabouts are unknown, but he has in the past made himself heard whenever he has been proclaimed dead. Some experts and Nigerian security officials insist “Shekau” is a composite character, with different militant fighters stepping into the role at

different times. The original Abubakar Shekau - the son of poor farmers who became radicalised in a series of theological schools before taking over Boko Haram in 2010 -- actually died months, or possibly several years ago, according to the security services. But the United States and other experts have questioned the credibility of that claim.

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Ajjampur Ghanashyam (left) cutting a cake to mark India's 69th Independent Day celebration in Abuja, on Saturday.

Buhari may free looters who return stolen funds CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

tracing and recovering the loots, while also ensuring that the looters face justice, APC said: “It is absolutely gratifying that Nigerians are vehemently opposed to the few who would rather have the government of the day turn a blind eye to the looted funds and, in their words, carry on with the process of governance. “Truly, what sort of governance can go on if the billions of naira in a few hands are not recovered? In the first instance, the government needs every kobo of the funds it can muster to bring about the change it has promised Nigerians. Secondly, leaving such hairraising funds in the hands of the few looters is dangerous, because they can use the funds to destabilise any government. In fact, no one will be surprised if the loot-

ers use their dirty funds to sponsor public demonstrations against the government's determination to recover the funds. “Thirdly, allowing those who privatised the nation’s commonwealth to get away is offering a thumbs-up for looting. No responsible government will do that.” The party added that already, the looters have embarked on relentless and increasingly-bold campaigns to discredit the government of the day and sabotage the process of recovering stolen funds, making use of newspaper columnists, 'talking heads' and otherwise respectable opinion leaders. According to it, “They and their paid hirelings have tried to employ sophistry to muddle the waters, but Nigerians are much wiser and will not succumb to the dirty antics of the loot-

“Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath,” the insurgent leader, who has been sanctioned by the UN Security Council and declared a “global terrorist” by the United States, said in a video released in October last year. He issued a similarly boastful denial in 2013 after the military claimed he may have died from a gunshot wound.

ers' megaphones.” Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in its reaction however described as reckless, irresponsible and highly provocative, the APC figure. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement said APC again exhibited its emptiness and disgusting desperation for public approval. It said: “In trying to escalate their stock-in-trade of lies, wild allegations and falsehood, APC failed to understand that their baseless fabrications are capable of throwing an unsuspecting nation into chaos. “The spate of fabrications by Lai Mohammed has become a sickening source of worry for well-meaning Nigerians including those in his party.” The party called on President Buhari and APC as a party, to call their spokesman to order

before he plunges the country into crisis with wild and unsubstantiated claims. It said instead of engaging in unnecessary playing to the gallery, the APC-led government should get serious with the fight against corruption by investigating and prosecuting corrupt persons, while moving on with the demands of governance, especially in fulfilling their numerous campaign promises for which they were voted into office at the centre. In a related development, former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, has expressed optimism that the strategy adopted by the President Buhari led-administration to recover monies stolen by politicians in various parts of the world would yield the desired result. Speaking with journalists in Minna, the Niger State capital, to mark his

74th birthday at his Up Hill residence, the former president said he hinged his belief on a similar measure taken by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, when he led the country, resulting in lots of recoveries of stolen funds by Nigerians. He said: “When my boss, President Obasanjo, had a similar strategy, to be fair to him and his government, he made a lot of recoveries.” He also urged Nigerians to support the present federal government in trying to do the same to achieve the same objective as that of former president, Obasanjo. “I believe it will be achieved someday. The government, I believe will try to be resolute in trying to stamp out this mess you talk about. Oil theft for example; the government, I am sure, will be resolute in trying to stamp them out and be ready to bring to book those

stealing our oil.” Asked to rate the performance of the Buhari government, IBB expressed confidence in the administration, saying it had identified the problems and ways of confronting them. He said: “I have confidence that they are doing well, they have identified the problems and they look resolute in confronting the problems headon and a lot of people in the society are offering a lot of sound advice on what to do. They will succeed.” Rating the performance of the Nigerian media before and during the general elections, he said, “I think the media has been fair; that is my rating. You saw it the way it is, I have seen the media during a lot of other elections but, this particular one, you were very, very fair. And I hope that will be the trend.”

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Monday, August 17 2015

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Ambode approves treasury single account for Lagos transactions

overnor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State has approved operation of a treasury single account, TSA, in the state effective from September 1, to ensure proper accountability and transparency in all government accrued revenues. Permanent Secretary and Accountant General of the state, Mrs Abimbola Umar, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos yesterday. According to the statement, the move will improve on the processes of revenue generation and collection in the state. It said the state government took the decision to address the challenges previously faced with the operation of multiple accounts system. “Governor Ambode said operation of a Treasury Single Account aside providing transparency and accountability, will also

encourage tax payers to request for a single account before making their payments. “The development is in line with the objective of the move by the All Progressives Congressled Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that all government revenue accrues to one consolidated account,” the statement said. It added that all affected revenue collecting banks had been mandated to immediately close existing multiple revenue accounts domiciled in their banks. It said it would give room for a single revenue accounting system in line with the Accountability and Transparency Policy of the current administration. “With this development, it is expected that all parastatals, local governments and establishments will commence the operation of the TSA on September 1, 2015,” it said.

Forgery: YABATECH expels 73 students

cademic Board of Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, has expelled 73 students for presenting suspected forged results. A statement issued by the college yesterday said the affected students were those pursuing part-time programmes for National Diploma and Higher National Diploma. Signed by Deputy Registrar of the college, Mrs. Titilayo Obadimu, the statement said the affected students registered for 2013/2014 academic session. According to the statement, the forged results were discovered during the verification exercise of Senior Secondary School Certificates and National Diploma results. It said further that 46 students for National

Diploma and 27 students for Higher National Diploma were affected. “All affected students are advised to handover property of the college in their possession, including student identity cards, to their various heads of department, the librarian and dean of students’ affairs with immediate effect,’’ it said. Head, Public Relations Unit of the college, Mr. Charles Oni, said the college had zero tolerance for all for ms of malpractices and social vices. He said all documents presented for admission into the college were always subjected to rigorous screening. He therefore, urged prospective students to steer clear of malpractices, including forged results.

L-R: Representative of Lagos State Ministry of Education, Curriculum Development Services Department, Dr. Olufunke Oyetola; Executive Director, Sickle Cell Advocacy and Management Initiative, Ms. Toyin Adesola; Director, Redmedia Africa, Mr. Debola Williams; Founder/CEO, Unveiling Africa (UVA), Ms. Chizoba Imoka; legal practitioner, Falana & Falana Chambers, Omolara Oriye; CEO, Leading Learning Ltd, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, during the maiden edition of culture and history Advocacy for Inclusive Education Summit 2015 by UVA/TEP centre in Lagos at the weekend.

Destruction awaits countries adopting gay marriage –Cleric Ojo Oyewamide AKURE

atholic Bishop of Ondo Diocese, Most Rev. Ayodeji Arogundade, yesterday said those involved in samesex marriage have lost their souls, predicting that countries where such is practiced would crumble soon. The cleric, who noted that Africans are people of values, commended them for rejecting the immoral act. Arogundade stated this at the Bicentenary of the Birth of Don Bosco Mass Service, held at Mary Help of Christians Shrine, Akure, the Ondo State

capital. He said: “Whatever the western world becomes today is just for a while. No nation will take such a step they are taking that will not crumble. I commended the Africans for rejecting this. We are people of values. Once you lose your values, you are no longer human being. “We value our culture, we value respect for elders and we also have respect for our bodies. Once you lose your value, you lose your identity. Unfortunately, some western countries have lost their identities, because what is really happening in the west today is identity crisis.

“When a man no longer recognises he is a man, and think he is a woman, that is identity crisis. When a country will give its own certificate to a man and another man getting married, the country has lost the sense of identity. We must continue to emphasise that the problem of the western world is the lost of the identity.” The Bishop said findings had revealed that youths were the ones mounting pressure on their governments in most of the western countries where gay marriage is allowed. He cited Republic of Ireland, where, according to him, a large number of youths were urging their

government to include gay marriage in their constitution, saying it was a sign that parents were no longer having control over their children. “The youths are the future of tomorrow. And by the time they have gone astray, what will happen to the future? I read in one of the international dailies that in one of these western nations, a child took his parents to court for divorce. “In the western world, they gave children too much of privileges. You can’t scold your child. The government will tell you that you gave birth to the child but the child belongs to them,” the cleric lamented.

‘Administrative lapses cause of doctors’ strike’ Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

ndications have emerged that the ongoing strike embarked on by resident doctors in federal tertiary health institutions was due to administrative lapses, which resulted in noninclusion of new pay in the 2015 budget of the Federal Ministry of Health. Available facts showed that non-inclusion of the salary scale in the budget had made implementation impossible in virtually all tertiary hospitals, except buoyant ones. Doctors had been on strike since May over nonimplementation of grade

skipping (CONMESS 2) for them, accusing Chief Medical Directors, CMDs, of the institutions of not effecting government directives on payment. But correspondences from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission and the Federal Ministry of Health on salary structure sourced in Ado Ekiti yesterday showed that administrative lapses were responsible for the non-implementation. Findings showed that just as the Wages Commission perceived bottlenecks in its implementation, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, where the matter was di-

rected for resolution, did not come out with a clear resolution on whether it should be implemented or not, hence the logjam. This is against the position of the resident doctors, who put the blame of non-implementation on the CMDs. However, a directive from the Federal Ministry of Health to the CMDs dated July 29, 2015 had raised hopes that the grade skipping would be paid, but would be included in the 2016 budget. It is on this basis that the CMDs are appealing to the striking doctors to return to their desks in the interest of the health of the nation, while mo-

dalities for the payment were being worked out by the Federal Government to prevent confusion and grading absurdities. Chairman of the CMDs of Federal Tertiary Institutions, Dr Peter Alabi, who said the scale would be paid, exonerated his members of complicity in the delay, saying the snag experienced in the payment could only be blamed on administrative lapses. CMD of Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Dr Lawrence Ayodele, who corroborated Alabi, told journalists that the CONMESS would be paid, but could only be implemented if included in the 2016 budget.

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Monday, August 17 2015

Bristow crash: AIB seizes tape, documents from NCAA, airline

Olusegun Koiki

ccident Investigation Bureau, AIB, over the weekend impounded the conversation tape between Air Traffic Controllers, ATC, and pilots of the ill-fated Bristow helicopters that crashed last Wednesday. A source close to the helicopter company confided in our correspondent that AIB Commissioner, Dr. Felix Abali, also confiscated documents concerning history of the aircraft, which included maintenance and acquisition and that of the two pilots involved in the crash from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, and Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited.

With collection of the vital documents, AIB is now ready to commence full investigation into the crash, which killed six of the 12 souls on board, while six others were critically injured. The ATC tape features a selection of audio clips of conversations between Air Traffic Control facilities and crew members of aircraft before an accident. The sizes of each file, in kilobytes, are located next to the ‘Download’ link. With downloading of the tape and the black boxes, cause of the helicopter crash would be revealed. The helicopter company source further told our correspondent that AIB would from today

start calling the affected parties to its headquarters at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos, for interrogation to unravel the remote and immediate cause of the crash. Another source told our correspondent that the recovered black boxes, Flight Data Recorder, FDR, and the Cockpit Voice Recorder, CVR, would during the week be transported to the bureau’s Flight Safety Laboratory in Abuja for downloading and analysis. Meanwhile, the helicopter company last weekend recommenced flight operations, just as it said it was conducting an enhanced inspection review of its S-76 fleet.

COSEG warns Odumakin over attacks on Aregbesola

oalition of Odua Self-Determination Group, COSEG, has called on political activist, Yinka Odumakin, to desist from attempt to undermine the achievements of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State. The group in a statement at the weekend signed by its president and secretary, Dayo Ogunlana and Rasaq Oloko-Oba respectively, called on all well-meaning Yoruba leaders to call Odumakin to order. The group noted that it

was needful to alert Yoruba people on the hatchet job and activities of the Publicity Secretary of factionalised Afenifere Group. Odumakin’s action of submitting a petition against the governor of Osun State to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and various media attacks have shown that he is hobnobbing with some disgruntled elements against the Yoruba people, it stated. The group added that Odumakin’s recent failed

summit billed for Osogbo and later transferred to Ile-Ife has also revealed there is a calculated attempt by him and governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun, Iyiola Omisore, and few others to sustain their attacks and through that detract the state government. The group stated that Osun under Aregbesola’s administration remains investor-friendly and capable of attracting the best of minds for positive engagements because of its peace.

Appeal Court orders retrial of Ondo APC petitions Ojo Oyewamide AKURE

ourt of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State capital, has granted an appeal filed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its House of Assembly candidates for Akure South Constituency I, Festus Aregbesola, and Ilaje Constituency II, Gbenga Edema. The appellants had prayed the court to set aside the dismissal of their petitions by the State and National Election Petitions Tribunal in Akure on technical ground of filing application for pre-hearing ses-

sion prematurely. They urged the Appeal Court to hold that the respondents were deemed to have waived the alleged non-compliance with Electoral Act by taking further steps in the petitions and participating in the pre-hearing session. In a unanimous judgment read by Justice Mojeed Owoade, the court found merit in the appeal filed by Charles Titiloye, APC counsel, and set aside the order of the tribunal. The Appeal Court consequently directed that a new panel of judges be

constituted to hear the petitions on their merit. It also restored three other petitions of APC in Idanre, Ilaje Constituency I and Akoko North East struck out by the Justice Anthony Ogar-led Election Petitions Tribunal and directed it to hear the petitions on their merit. It held that the application made for pre-hearing session by the appellants’ counsel was properly made within the contemplation of paragraph 18 (1) of the first schedule to the Electoral Act and the tribunal erred in law to have dismissed the petitions as abandoned.

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South East

Monday, August 17, 2015

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Gunmen kill Catholic priest in Imo CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

uspected hired assassins yesterday morning in Owerri, Imo State capital, shot dead a Catholic priest and lecturer in Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Rev. Dr. Desmond Osuagwu. The priest, who is a member of the congregation of Claretian Missionaries Eastern Province, Nigeria, was said to be going to Saint Mark’s Catholic Chaplaincy, Obinze Barracks, where he served as a Chaplain, to conduct the day’s mass

service for men of the Nigerian Armed Forces when he met his untimely death. According to an eyewitness, the assailants ambushed him on a path before Avu junction near Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, and dragged him out of his SUV before pumping bullets into his chest and watched him bleed to death on the spot. The witness said the assailants did not take any money from the priest’s car. Fr. Osuagwu, who hails from Obowo council area of the state, was Director of Students In-

dustrial Works Experience Scheme, SIWES, at Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo. Osuagwu, who celebrated his silver jubilee anniversary as a priest last year, was reported to be among top contestants for the position of superior-general of the Claretian priests slated

for 2016. When management of the polytechnic was contacted, they confirmed the incident, but declined to speak further because the state police command had already launched investigation into the incident. When our correspon-

dent contacted the state Police Command Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, he also confirmed the incident. “We received a report that the Rev Father was attacked by hoodlums while he was on a bush path to the school near Obinze road.

“The police responded on receiving the report immediately, but before we could get there the hoodlums had escaped,” he said, adding that corpse of the reverend father has been deposited at the morgue for autopsy, while investigation continues.

Ebonyi govt decries diversion of kerosene, petrol by dealers ALIUNA GODWIN ABAKALIKI

bonyi State government at the weekend lamented increasing diversion of kerosene and petroleum products meant for the state by dealers. The government said some of the dealers do not own any filling stations in the state. Special Adviser to the governor on Petroleum Products, Pricing and Distribution, PPPD, Onyibe Chima Basil, made this known while addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital. He said it was worrisome that dealers without depot have continued to divert petroleum products meant for Ebonyi, which, according to him, resulted in acute scarcity of kerosene in the state. He said the scarcity has made things difficult for the people, but warned that the state government will not tolerate such act any longer. According to him, the products were often times taken to Anambra, Imo, Abia and Kogi states against the wishes of Eb-

non-governmental organisation, NGO, Natural Resources Governance Institute, NRGI, yesterday urged the Federal Government to critically look into the nation’s oil sales in order to address revenue leakages. This is contained in a statement issued by the NGO’s Director of Commu-

onyi people. “We have carrying out a census of all e filling stations in the state to enable us discharge our assignment effectively; the petroleum products meant for the state are being diverted and our people and government are not happy with such development. “There is the issue of under-dispensing at our filling stations. This is rampant in Ebonyi; we have held several meetings with the marketers over this. Most people who do the diversion do not have filling stations as these products are diverted to Anambra, Imo, Abia and Kogi. We have mapped out measures to checkmate this also.” Basil cautioned some dealers, who allegedly import adulterated kerosene into the state to desist or face the wrath of government. He called on marketers in the state to abide by the policies and programmes of government as the present administration was working assiduously to clampdown on any form of illegality plaguing the sector.

Imo Head of Service, Mr. Calistus Ekenze (5th left) and Permanent Secretaries in the state, after their meeting with Governor Rochas Okorocha at Government House, Owerri, recently.

Ebonyi workers advised to drop salary increase demand ALIUNA GODWIN ABAKALIKI

rominent stakeholders in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State at the weekend advised civil servants in the state to drop their demand for 50 per cent salary increase. They noted at a meeting that the demand, if implemented, would deter the governor from embarking on infrastructural development projects. The stakeholders include Senator Sonny Ogbuoji, representing Ebonyi South senatorial zone; Commissioner for Finance, Chief Ekuma Denis; former state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince AmaUgo Orji and General Man-

ager of the state’s printing Press, Mr. Abia Onyike. Others include traditional rulers, all former chairmen of Afikpo South Local Government and two current members of the House of Assembly. Chairman on the occasion, Chief Denis, while addressing local government workers, as well as stakeholders at the meeting, which took place at his residence in Edda said, workers constitute10 per cent of the state’s population, arguing that if the governor pays 50 per cent salary increment, there will be nothing left to embark on infrastructural development. “Indeed, there is no money in the state, but the governor is embarking on construction of three fly-

overs, roads, streetlights, among other projects within two months of his administration. “He has an ambition to develop the state so that the state will look like other states in the country.” Denis revealed that the state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with a company for the construction of Shoprite supermarket in the state, among other numerous projects. The commissioner lamented that the governor met a collapsing state with high level debt profile. Earlier, NLC chairman in the local government, who did not want his name mentioned, said workers in the area will accept the old salary structure.

He, however, said the state government should pay the same amount of salary to workers working in all local government areas in the state. On his part, Senator Ogbuoji lambasted the Labour Party, LP, in the state, accusing it of using blackmail to discredit PDP. He commended the governor for accommodating the opposition, especially those who fought against him during the last election but were still appointed into the state’s cabinet. The senator further called on the people of Edda to be united and support the present administration to enable the governor succeed, as well as provide adequate social amenities to people of the state.

NGO calls for probe of Nigeria’s oil sales nications, Mr Lee Bailey. The statement, which noted that oil sales had constituted Nigeria’s biggest source of revenue, added that management of the process had worsened in recent years. According to the state-

ment, the emergence of a new government and current budgetary shortfalls offer Nigeria its best chance to overhaul NNPC’s oil sales. “Everyone, from the trading companies to Nigerian citizens, is waiting

to see how the new government will approach these transactions, including allocation of new exports or swap contracts. “Our research maps the current state of play and we suggest what issues reformers in Nigeria ought

to urgently address,” the statement said. The statement said measures should be put in place to curb revenue leakages, select oil buyers through competitive rather than political processes, and change of NNPC’s swap

agreement. It claimed that NNPC sold approximately one million barrels of oil a day, adding that some oil buyers were unqualified intermediaries who added little or no value to the deals.

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Monday, August 17, 2015

NDDC debunks N183bn missing funds DENNIS NAKU

PORT HARCOURT

L-R: Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Sean Hoy; Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and a member of the delegation, Fr. Kevin O’Hara, during a courtesy visit to Government House, Yenagoa, recently.

Navy destroys 78 illegal refineries in Rivers DENNIS NAKU

PORT HARCOURT

igerian Navy said it has destroyed 78 illegal crude oil refineries in Rivers State. Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, also warned officers and men of the Navy against aiding oil theft in Niger Delta region. Destruction of the illegal refineries commenced June 15 and is still onging, even as the operations were carried out in Onne axis, Bolo, Alakiri, Cartharwn channels, Bille and Ke in Port Harcourt and Bonny areas. Meanwhile, the CNS said any naval personnel indicted in illegal oil bunkering would be

treated as an economic saboteur and sanctioned appropriately. Ibas stated this while addressing officers and ratings at the Nigeria Navy Ship, (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, during his maiden tour of Naval formations in the state. He warned: “If you have been party to illegal duties out there, my advice to you from this day as I finish addressing you, is to discountinue and dissociate yourselves from such. “The navy will not condone any illegal act out there. I refer in particular to those of you aiding and abetting crude oil theft. “I don’t want to believe that you men are part of this; but if you have dealings with the

bad guys, those who have ensured that you don’t prosper as a nation, please keep away. Otherwise, we will treat you as a saboteur and you will be sanctioned appropriately. “Nigeria deserves a navy we all should be proud of; a navy that finds itself at sea doing what other navies of the world do, and not the navy that finds itself at shore engaged in things that are strange to most navies. “We are all aware that our nation depends majorly on the maritime environment for survival, and we are constitutionally mandated to ensure that the maritime domain is safe to enable us reap from the resources therein, for the prosperity of our

nation. “In recent times, the insecurity in the maritime environments has denied our nation of the needed revenue for development. If we continue along that line, even the navy as an institution will find it difficult to survive.” He further said the navy had adopted other tactical strategies to drastically reduce oil theft, piracy and attacks on oil and gas installations on the waterways and maritime environment. “Efforts put in by the navy, with assistance from other security services, in 2014 resulted in drastic reduction of crude oil theft from about 1.2 million barrels per day to about 250,000,” the CNS said.

uthorities of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, have denied allegation that N183.7 billion meant for development of the region was missing. Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Dr Henry Ogiri, further stated that claims that the said amount could not be accounted for between 2008 and 2012 were misleading. According to Ogiri, the claims in the special audit report submitted to the National Assembly by Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr Samuel Ukura, were “premature and misleading.” The finance director picked holes in the claims by the AuditorGeneral, describing some of the allegations as having been passed on to suspense account at the time of audit. He said these accounts had since been reconciled, noting that issues of wrong classification were regarded as missing monies when in fact the period covered by the report was 2008-2012. Ogiri added that NDDC had since introduced changes meant to checkmate incompetent contractors. “We no longer pay mobilisation for contract jobs. Our contractors are now expected to demonstrate

their competence and capability before payments are made. In addition, we now insist on proper scoping for our jobs, as well as holding preaward meetings to tie all loose ends,” he said. Meanwhile, the commission has restated its resolve to complete all ongoing projects spread across the Niger Delta. Making the commitment while inspecting three projects in Abua-Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State, Ogiri said the current management of the commission had recorded notable achievements because of its judicious application of financial resources. Ogiri, who was accompanied by Executive Director, Projects, Engr. Tuoyo Omatsuli, inspected the 23.5km Otuasega-ObedumEmelego road project, linking Bayelsa and Rivers states, the e-library and a model primary school in Abua. He said the commission would remain focused on its mandate to quicken the pace of development in the Niger Delta despite allegations of financial impropriety. He thanked the NDDC Managing Director, Sir Bassey Dan-Abia, for driving the reforms in the commission and commended him especially for his commitment to seeing to the completion of the regional road.

Group blames military for oil theft, bunkering THEOPHILUS O NOJEGHEN WARRI

he military has been described as the major factor responsible for unabated illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, a rights group has said. A statement issued by Centre for the Vulnerable and Underprivileged, CENTREP, faulted claims by Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Commodore Aliyu Sule, that impunity and slow adjudication were responsible for persistent illegal bun-

kering. According to CENTREP Executive Director, Oghenejabor Ikimi, high level connivance by security agents serving in the region with oil thieves has become the major factor responsible for oil theft and bunkering. Commodore Sule had told newsmen in a recent interview in Warri that impunity and slow pace of adjudication were factors responsible for persistent illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta. But CENTREP said, “We disagree with

him, the root, stem and branches of major factor responsible for persistent oil theft and bunkering in the Niger Delta is the high level of connivance by security agents serving in the region with oil thieves in the area, not the slow pace of adjudication in our law courts as suggested by the Naval boss, though we concede that impunity may be one of the factors fueling oil theft in the region.” It alleged that military connivance with top politicians from the region was among rea-

sons making it impossible to end illegal activities. “We believe it is almost impossible for a country like Nigeria to be losing a whopping 30 million barrels of crude oil per day to oil thieves without the connivance of top politicians from the area and security personnel from the Army, Navy, Air Force, police and State Security Services that are saddled with the responsibility of providing security in the area. “Little wonder the naval boss claimed in his recent interview

with newsmen that in one of the command’s operation to rid his area of operation of oil thieves, he and his men raided Kantu Forest in Delta State twice within three weeks to destroy illegal refineries in the forest. “The above clearly corroborates the fact that there is connivance in the illicit business between security agents and oil thieves in the area, hence our call on the Federal Government to turn searchlight on all security agents in the region, including their bank accounts.

Or in the alternative, it should grant operational licences to interested persons in the area to operate modular refineries to refine crude oil as a way of supporting our ailing four refineries, and to generate income into the Federation Account, and provide jobs to the teeming unemployed youths in the region. “It is worthy of note that many oil theft cases that find their way to the courts are often dead on arrival as they are heavily compromised by security agents,” the statement added.

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Monday, August 17, 2015

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FCT police arrest 38 suspects

ederal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command yesterday said it arrested 38 suspects in connection with various crimes. FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, who made the disclosure at a news conference, said the command also recovered 12 vehicles and impounded 20 cars from a syndicate in the territory. “As part of the command’s commitment to reduce crime in the FCT, it has continued to record remarkable achievements. “In the last couple of weeks, the renewed crime fighting strategy of the command has led to the arrest of notorious criminals and busting of criminal gangs.

“I want to restate that FCT is a no-go area for criminals as we will continue to improve on our strategy to beat criminals at their game,” he said. Inalegwu said the command in line with the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase’s directive on the ban on operation of unpainted taxi; his command had impounded 20 cars. He said arrangements have been concluded to transfer the vehicles to the Vehicles Inspection Office. The commissioner said further that in the course of its operation, the command also recovered an abandoned locally made revolver with seven live cartridges at Kuruduma, Asokoro.

Flood: Kogi sets up temporary IDP camps

ogi State says it has built temporary camps for Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in preparation for the 2015 imminent flood. This was made known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja yesterday at the end of the Environmental Roundtable in preparation for the 2015 flood. The preparation followed the proposed plan to open up Lagdo dam in Cameroon to release water. Speaking with NAN, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources in the state, Mr. Tayo Aremu, said the government had set up a standing committee on flood management. “We have called stakeholders’ meeting and we have also had contacts with relevant stakeholders tasked with the responsibility of tackling flood. “We have identified quick wing actions that can be done to mitigate and contain flood. “We have built some temporary IDP camps, making provision for relief materials and medical aids. These things have been provided for and ready for use. “The government is collaborating with NEMA. This year, we are working to take the IDPs camps out of the schools to ensure

they do not affect educational programme of the state. “We are also monitoring the trend of the flooding. Now Benue State is experiencing it and the next will be Kogi and we are monitoring and getting the people sensitised. “We are telling them to run to various camps where we have provided for them in case of flood. “We are also putting in place vehicles that will convey the people to the camps, to assist evacuation. “We might not be able to carry everybody at once so we are telling them to get set to move. “If they can move to a higher area, they can but if not, they should move to the designated IDP camps,” Aremu said.

Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu (left), briefing President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic, during his working visit to Cotonou on Saturday. PHOTO: NAN

65,000 sit for Unilorin post UTME test today Wole Adedeji, ILORIN

bout 65,000 candidates out of 107,000 seeking admission into the University of Ilorin this year are sitting for the post UTME examination in both Lagos and Ilorin centres today. However, not more than 12,000 may be able to secure available spaces for the 2015/2016 admission. A statement by Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs of the institution,

Mr. Kunle Akogun, yesterday said candidates who scored a minimum of 180 marks in the 2015 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, and made the University of Ilorin their first choice would take part in the screening, which will be by computer-based test, CBT. He said: “In all, 73,250 of the over 107,000 candidates that applied for admission into the university this year scored 180 marks and above at the UTME. “Registration for pre-

admission screening exercise commenced on August 4, 2015, and ended on Sunday, August 16, 2015.” Quoting the University Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Obafemi, the university’s spokesman advised candidates to bring with them printed copies of their examination schedules. “Also, payment receipts generated from the students’ portal section of the university’s website should be made available as the accreditation team will insist on identity veri-

Don’t drop pregnant women, nursing mothers from NYSC, NGO tells FG

uman Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, an NGO, has urged the Federal Government not to stop pregnant women and nursing mothers from participating in National Youth Service Corps, NYSC. HURIWA National Coordinator, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, said yesterday in

Abuja that stopping them from taking part in the programme would be discriminatory. He said the action would deny them the opportunity of benefiting from the objectives of the scheme. According to Onwubiko, the move could jeopardise harmony in some families as wives, who were due for service, could deny their

husbands intimate relationship for fear of being stopped from national service. He said the move also contravenes Section 42 (1) of 1999 Constitution (as amended). Onwubiko said the Constitution was clear that “government policy cannot be couched and implemented to primarily discrimi-

TETFund to establish academic publishing centres in varsities –Bogoro

ertiary Institution Trust Fund, TETFund, is to establish standard Academic Publishing Centres, APCs, in universities as part of measures to revive reading and writing culture. Executive Secretary of TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Yola. Bogoro said the contract for seven of the centres had already been awarded, with one sited in a university in each of the six geopolitical zones and Abuja. The TETFund boss, who inaugurated the completed

fication through possession of pictures that tally with the face of each candidate,” he said. Candidates for preadmission screening exercise were also advised to be decently dressed, as those with indecent dressing would not be allowed into the screening premises. Also, phones and other forms of mobile communication, electronic devices, bags and luggage would not be allowed within screening premises.

APC in Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, said the remaining would be ready soon. “I am so happy to be here being the very first to be competed. We will provide printing facilities; we are going for the very best in the world,” he said. Bogoro, who restated the fund’s commitment to massive intervention in upgrading public tertiary institutions, said the poor rating of Nigerian institutions was unacceptable. He said no fewer than 7,000 lecturers out of the 12,000 sponsored abroad by TETFund for further stud-

ies had returned. Bagoro gave assurance that the lecturers would be provided with quality teaching facilities in line with best practices. He urged tertiary institutions to implement the policy of retaining their first class graduates, saying TETFund was ready to sponsor them for further studies. He also urged state governments to stop playing politics with education by establishing tertiary institutions they could not fund. “Tertiary institutions should be established when the owner has the capac-

ity to fund them. We should stop playing politics with education,” Bogoro said. He lamented that between 90 and 95 per cent of infrastructure in many state-owned tertiary institutions were being provided by TETFund. He also urged the Federal Government to ensure full release of money budgeted for tertiary institutions. He cited the case of University of Ibadan where over N300m was appropriated for capital projects, with the institution receiving only N50m. “We (TETFund) are by law an interventionist

nate against any group of citizens under any guise.” Also speaking, Mr Patrick Odey, an activist, said it would not be proper to deny women the right to national service on account of pregnancy or nursing babies. He said the move negates the aim of the NYSC, which includes encouraging relationship among Nigerian youths.

agency, we are not supposed to be the main provider of infrastructure, but ironically we have become the main. “We are saying if annual appropriated capital commitment are utilised to the level of pronouncement every year, it would go a long way in supplementing TETFund. “As I am talking now, a case is being made for upward review of the two per cent tax collection for the fund to four per cent; if that happens you can better imagine what TETFund will do,” Bogoro said.

Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

We must all support Buhari to succeed –Gen Babangida Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, turns 74 today. He fielded questions from journalists at his Hill Top residence along David Mark Road, Minna, Niger State, on the renewed fight against the dreaded Boko-Haram sect, economic situation, defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, efforts to recover stolen monies, role of the media in the just concluded elections, among others. PRISCILLA DENIS brings excerpts: Is it true that you are not a Northerner that you are from Ogbomosho in Oyo State? People tend to say your name Badamasi is coined from Gbadamasi, a Yoruba name. I have answered this question when some of you were not born then. In November 1962, I was asked this question you raised, because of my name or the name. I was before the interview; a minister and some very prominent people during my last year in secondary, also asked me that question. First of all, I corrected the name as it was spelt. It is not new unless people didn’t get to understand it as at that time; it is Badamasi. It is not new, I did understand it, I was with my father then in secondary school when I had to answer the question but, it is now 53 years ago and, I am glad to answer the same question. The truth is that, I hail from here, Niger State. My parents were all between Wushishi and Minna. My grandparent travelled to settle down in Wushsihi. So, I think that says it all. But, there is nothing wrong being from any part of this country. The truth is that, I hail from Niger State, my parents and my great-grand parents moved from somewhere to settle down here in Niger State. There are some who still call us settlers in Niger State. We are not indigenes of the state because our grandparents came from somewhere, but having lived all my 54 years in Niger State, I think I am more than qualified to be called an indigene of Niger State. A United States official recently said what Nigeria military needs to fight BokoHaram is not weapon, but training. As a military officer, do you subscribe to this assertion? I think I must admit that a lot of us were trained in America, so, it is not anything new to talk about because, they know they have trained quite a number of officers. I was trained in America, I was in a place called Baltimore in Kentucky, where I did senior officers’ course. I was in a Naval postgraduate school in United States where I did senior officers

Babangida

management course. I was a Brigadier at that time so, a lot of us were trained in America. They are right but, there is an old saying that no matter the sophisticated weapon you have, we always say in the Army that it is not the weapon, but the man behind the weapon. In other words, I do appreciate what they are trying to do for us. They have acquired a lot of experience since the Second World War; they have been involved with stability operations and other operations in support of either United Nations or in support of countries in which they went into. So I expect that they should talk about that. Are you satisfied with the renewed fight against insurgency by the Federal Government? Yes, they have to be boxed. I think the renewed efforts and the fight of the Federal Government to stop Boko-Haram is very commendable.

Muhammadu Buhari not doing which has led to an upsurge in the activities of the group? I think there is a general misunderstanding on the whole concept of insurgency, you can call it anything, but one thing you have to realise is that we are not fighting a regular army, where you can confront yourselves by shear use of force and weapons to overwhelm the enemy. No, you have got a small trained army, the tactics of which must include ‘maximum casualty’ on the so called enemy, inflict casualty on him where he lands when he least expect it. We are not fighting a conventional war that makes it exceptionally difficult. They will blow up bridges; they will blow up barracks and so on and so forth. This is an unconventional war, it is in order, the soldiers are trained for it and they know the sort of things they do. The public should be educated about this unconventional war.

In the last days of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, BokoHaram was almost being extinguished, but now, we have seen a resurgence of the sect’s activities. What is President

If Colonel Gideon Orkar had had his way, you would have been dead by now. Today you are celebrating 74th birthday, how do you feel that God has spared your life to see this day?

I continue to remain grateful to God and it strengthens my belief that no matter what happens, if God does not will it, nothing shall happen to you or for something to happen to you. So, it is a matter of belief that whatever happens to you takes the approval of Allah, and I remain grateful to Him for sparing my life and up till this time, despite what we went through. Those of us who participated in combat, we say thank God. During the war in 1969 and even in1990, some 21 years after, God kept me going. So, I am very grateful, and grateful to all of you for your support. With most states and the Federal Government now grounded, don’t you think we need a forum of elders in the country to meet and fashion out the way forward for this country? I think one of the most unique things in our setting now, I think, this is one country in Africa that is specially blessed, there are about seven or eight of us alive today, and every one of us had his experiences one way or the other. But, the other good thing is that, there is a forum where we all meet the current leadership to talk about the situation in the country, discuss and offer solutions to any problem. Those of us who were there are always free, very accessible to government, so we can either put across either in writing or talking. These sorts of things are there, I think, there are challenges every government will face, but the people must come together to support the government to come out with solutions to the problems. In your opinion, what are the key areas the present government should focus, so that the country will move on? I must commend the present leadership for identifying even before and after the election some of the problems facing this country. Number one has to do with security and the President talked about it extensively. The security of lives and property, the security of the state the security of this environment called Nigeria has been identified. And the second one, of course, has to do with the way we live. The way we walk and the way we behave. Corruption, I think, has to do with the economic development of the country. They were all identified; we should support him towards achieving these objectives. CONTINUED ON 13

Politics

Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tribunal: Lawyer slumps in court KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ragedy was at the weekend averted at the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Ibadan as counsel to Accord party’s candidate in the March 28 House of Representatives’ election for Ibadan North East/ South East federal constituency, Mr. Olugbenga Adewusi, Barr. Biodun AbdulRaheem, slumped during sitting of the tribunal.

He was, however, resuscitated by a team of lawyers present in court, led by former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Oyo State and counsel to the defendant, Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina, Mr. Adebayo Mutalubi, who was said to have quickly rushed to his side after another lawyer, Mr. I.O Opeyemi had drawn the attention of the tribunal to his unconscious state. National Mirror learnt that he was then led out of the court, assisted by

other lawyers, while he asked his driver to take him to his doctor. It was gathered that AbdulRaheem had sought the consent of the tribunal on Thursday to see his doctor for medical checkup. An eyewitness told National Mirror: “The lawyer had been in court since morning, following the adjournment of some cases to today. Barely had he finished a case which was adjourned around 4:30 pm than he put his head on the table.

“As the tribunal chairman beckoned on the registrar to call the next case around 6:50 pm, one of the lawyers who sat beside AbdulRaheem called the attention of the court to the lawyer’s unconscious state and Barr. Ojo quickly rushed to his side to resuscitate him. After he was revived, he was taken outside into his car.” It was leant that the tribunal then subsequently adjourned its sitting. One of the lawyers appearing before the tribunal speaking on the issue,

L-R Governors Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe); Kashim Shettima (Borno); Yobe State Deputy Governor Abubakar Ali and Sen. Ali Ndume, during prayers for the repose of the soul of the late Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zanna Mustapha in Maiduguri, yesterday.

said: “He has gone back home. We thank God that he did not die. He is one of the best brains we have in the legal profession in the state.” “AbdulRaheem is a de-

light to those who always witness tribunal proceedings as he always marshalled his arguments with authorities. He has spent over two decades in the legal profession.”

Power Shift ambassadors congratulate Baba-Ali OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

s the race for Kogi State gubernatorial election gathers momentum, a group, Kogi State Power Shift Ambassadors, PSA, at the weekend congratulated frontline All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial aspirant, Alhaji Suleiman Baba-Ali, on his first victory as the best among all the aspirants in the last screening exercise conducted by Kogi Central and West Forum for Equity and Justice, KWCFEJ. Presenting the congratulatory letter to the gubernatorial aspirant, PSA founder, Comrade Abdullahi Onumoko, described Baba-Ali’s victory as a boost towards the realisation of power shift to other zones of the state. The Power Shift Ambassadors, according Onumoko, have been at the forefront in the fight against domination of other zones of the state by a particular

zone, which has annexed the governorship slot since the creation of the state about 24 years ago. Onumoko said: “We have been championing the call on Kogi Central and West people, irrespective of tribe to come together to claim their destiny and ensuring that power shifts to these zones in the interest of equity. “Our mission is to ensure that governorship seats be shifted from Kogi East senatorial district of the state to either Kogi Central or West senatorial district.” Also speaking, Baba-Ali, equally described both the screening result and the congratulatory letter, as a morale booster to his aspiration. He said the three screening exercises in which he always came top, was not magical but divine, urging the group that he is the only aspirant with the unique link to achieve power shift to the west and central zones of the state.

We must all support Buhari to succeed –Gen Babangida CONTINUED FROM 13 The President and stakeholders have launched strategies to recover stolen monies. What is your take on this move? When you say strategy, when my boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo had a similar strategy, to be fair to him and his government, he made a lot of recoveries. So, we should support this present Federal Government in trying to do the same to achieve the same objective. Do you think the strategy being adopted will yield positive results? Resolutely. I believe it will be achieve someday. The government, I believe, will try to be resolute in trying to stamp out this mess you talk about. Oil theft for example; the government, I am sure will be resolute in trying to stamp them out and be ready to bring to book those stealing our oil. As a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which is now in the opposition, how do you feel when your party

lost control of government? Do you think PDP can come out of the waters in 2019? Well, for 16 years, there has been democracy, democratic practices in the country. A lot of things must have gone wrong somewhere and the right judges are the people and the people have spoken. I think, it is natural they needed a change after 16 years and they did what is right, they did not go wild, they did not fight anybody, they used their ballot papers to change the government. I think this is the beauty of what happened, I look forward to such practices in the next 50 years of democratic practice in this country. Don’t forget, politics is what is happening now and the PDP will try. But, I hope it learns from the mistakes of what it did wrong and what it did right and what it can do now to relaunch itself. One of the major challenges your administration faced was the Gideon Okar coup d’état. When you reflect on this, how do you feel? I can remember very well I had some

loyal officers who were supposed to be my protector and my body guard. Initially, they told me to leave and I told them, ‘No, I am not moving an inch,’ but, they remained stubborn and later, I took my family outside Dodan Barracks and joined my guards. So, we went out of Dodan Barracks and we went to a safe house where we got in contact with loyal troops. May God bless General Sani Abacha. Abacha was the Chief of Army Staff, he got in touch with me, I got in touch with him and we sat down and talk on what we are used to doing or what we are going to do. I and Abacha rallied round the loyal troops and then I left State House and joined Abacha in his house, that was what happened. How will you rate the role of the media in the just concluded general elections? I think the media has been fair, that is my rating. Very unusual, but the media didn’t show partisanship. You saw it the way it is, I have seen the media during a lot of other elections but, this particular

one, you were very, very fair. And I hope that will be the trend. What is your assessment of the present administration so far? That will not be fair. However, so far, I have confidence that it is doing well, it has identified the problems and it looks resolute in confronting the problems head-on and a lot of people in the society are offering lot of sound advice on what to do. It will succeed. Your political godson, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, is being dragged into FIFA presidency race. What is your view? I will vote for him, I don’t think it is a bad outing; talking about his interest in sports, especially in football. Enyimba Football Club, you can still recall that he actually brought them to the limelight because of his interest in soccer. And if it is recognised outside this country, there is nothing wrong in saying that he will be recognised in the world. That is why I say that if I have a vote, I will cast my vote for him

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Monday, August 17, 2015

Probable youth employment manifesto IYKE OZEMENA

ne of the responsibilities of modern government is provision of platform for sustainability of civilization and development by ensuring that vacuum does not exist in all spheres of government influences and continuity is maintained irrespective of the nomenclature of previous governments. By S.16 of 1999 Constitution, every government is obliged to, irrespective of its campaign slogans and promises provide employment, development and wealth creation in all sectors of the economy for the welfare of Nigerians. In an effort to live up to this constitutional provision, the past administration devised several options to tackle unemployment, especially the astronomical growth in youth unemployment. According to the then Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala the government aimed at providing 1.8 million jobs annually, but was able to provide 1.4 millions. Through the National Directorate for Employment (NDE), governments provided skills acquisition and empowerment trainings that engaged thousands of youths across the nation. There was also YOUWIN and Agripreneur especially designed to produce youth entrepreneurs. Measuring the impact would reveal a growing passion and enthusiasm on the part of the youth to divert their attention from white collar jobs to entrepreneurship. One out of several states of the 36 states of the federation that excelled in this project is Delta State, which main-

tained first position in entrepreneurial skills, job and wealth creation through efficient micro finance disbursements and support. There was also the impact of Subsidy Re-investment Programme (SURE-P) of the Federal Government on graduate employment as well as providing practical opportunities for skills acquisition. At a time the World Bank reported that 41.5 million Nigerian youths were unemployed, courtesy of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) programme, which is though aimed at raising social indices of developing nations’ contribution to employment creation, especially rural women and youths. According to the Special Adviser on Political Affairs to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, more than 50 percent of 80,000 groups who supported Dr Jonathan’s second bid were unemployed youths. That showed the grave concern for governments to provide employment for this segment of the populace. Obviously, state governments have devised several ways to tackle youth unemployment and it seems that Lagos State Govovernor Akinwunmi Ambode’s reported proposal to create employment trust fund on assuming office as governor is an initiative that should be encouraged; even as Abia State intends training a thousand youths from each of its 17 LGAs. For Rivers State, more and more of its youths receive scholarship annually for professional training abroad. There is no doubt that access to capital by other restive youths across the nation could have engaged them usefully, but that appears to be a mirage. But it should not be, because in response to that yearning

THE LARGER SOCIETY HAS ONEROUS RESPONSIBILITY TO ENCOURAGE THE GOALS OF EMPLOYMENT AND WEALTH CREATION the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) made available N220 billion accessible through micro finance and commercial banks for youths with entrepreneurial passion. I must say though, that the publicity to spread the detailed methodology to the proper understanding of the proposed beneficiaries was glaringly absent. However, the sad thing is that the sum is also available to about 17 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to scramble for; the only consolation would be that the SMEs successful at the disbursements would have capacities to create employment that could benefit the youth directly or indirectly. Between 2012 and 2014, the Nigerian economy reportedly created about 2.8 million jobs, according to indices provided by the last administration; but it also claimed that 4.5 million jobs were created during the entire 4 year term of the last administration. What is the percentage of 4.5 million to about 41.5 million unemployed youths in the country? Worse still, it is estimated that 1.8 million youths annually are added to the unemployment list. That is the gloomy picture of the enormity of the task ahead of the present administration.

Adult bullying: What to do to contain it SANDRA AKUOMA

or victims and potential victims of adult bullying, I offer to you in this piece a recipe. If someone’s snipping is a minor annoyance, just let it go, but if, however, you are losing sleep over it, hate going to work, or feeling depressed or unworthy because of it, then you need to confront it frontally. Ignoring it only reinforces a sense of powerlessness in the target. For those in relationship, take a closer look at it by asking critical questions like, is this a person you must be around with; or what do you get out of the relationship? If it is a friend or family member, a colleague, a boss, evaluate that relationship on costbenefit basis. One easy way to stop a bullying behaviour is avoiding the company of the bully. It is also worth thinking about what you want out of this relationship. It helps to move from inaction to action. Once you have acknowledged the abuse and you have assessed your relationship with the bully, you can decide that you want to take action or not. You know what your life will be like if you take no action – a victim of continuous bullying. Deciding to take action gives you a sense of empowerment that has been stripped by the bully. The, it is critically important that you document instances of bullying and abuse,

ONE

E A S Y WAY T O

S T O P A B U L LY I N G B E H AV I O U R I S AVO I D I N G T H E C O M PA N Y O F T H E B U L LY emphasising what was said or done, when, where, witnesses, etc. Doing this will not only help you see the severity of your situation, but give you some leverage should you consider legal options or report the problem to Human Resources Dept. to stop the abuse. Keep emails and notes on the development. Also, seek help by talking to others about your situation. Try a mentor, advocate, seasoned/experienced friend, even a legal advocate who specializes in bullying and inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour in the workplace. Tread lightly when approaching your human resources department. They work for the company, not you, so you have to be careful about what you share depending on how well liked and supported your bully is within the organization. HR doesn’t have the luxury of keeping everything you say confidential, so don’t treat a meeting with them like a counselling session where you should share everything you think/feel or assume that they can or will fix the problem for you.

Learn everything you can about bullying, your company’s policies on inappropriate behaviour and occupational law regarding this kind of experience. The more you know, the better your chances of successfully dealing with this situation. Then possibly the hardest step: setting boundaries. Figuring out what you want is half the battle. The other half is to articulate what you need or want to your bully. Setting boundaries can be an expectation of how you want to be treated, where and when you will be in contact with the bully. It is critical that you stick to your boundaries. Confrontation is the final step in managing a bully. Take someone with you who you trust, to back you up and provide moral support in activating this step. Be assertive not aggressive. In cyber bullying, contact the service or content provider through which the bullying is occurring. For example, if you are being cyber bullied on facebook, contact them. If you are receiving hurtful or threatening cell phone messages, contact your cell phone company to obtain assistance. Along those same lines, familiarize yourself with the Terms of Use for the various sites you frequent, and the online accounts you sign up for. If you’re a bystander, step in: I don’t mean taking a stand or getting into the bully’s face, sometimes just the simple act

As President Buhari adjusts to tackle these problems one option his economic team may consider is four-pronged: educational institutions, government, youth network and the efforts of the larger society. The nation’s educational curricula have to change to reflect the realities of the moment. Academic pursuit without practical skills is no longer in vogue. The present government should consider those job creation initiatives one after the other, evaluate their feasibility and decided whether to retain, review or discard them. One of such innovations took place at the NYSC where skills acquisition programmes are incorporated in the orientation. Third is the imperative of youths’ networking and information sharing, off and online. There are workshops every other day where relevant information is dispensed. The number of youths produced by US President Barack Obama’s leadership and entrepreneurial scheme under Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) has risen in their network. In addition, within the US’s ‘Organizing for America’ is youth initiative found across the nation with town hall meetings, neighbour to neighbor, or door to door networking. It has success story that our youths should replicate. Finally, the larger society has onerous responsibility to encourage the goals of employment and wealth creation, which are not only a reasonable expectation, but a sine quo non for the economic and socio-political sustainability of the nation. Ozemena is a staff of Ikechukwu O. Odoemelam & Co (Corporate Attorneys/Consultants)

of not giving the bully an audience or just taking the side of the victim is enough to get your point across. Get out of the situation: This isn’t always possible, and it shouldn’t be your first response, but if bullying persists despite all your attempts to stop it, sometimes removing yourself from the situation is the best option. The one positive thing about dealing with bullying as an adult as opposed to a kid is that you have the choice to get yourself out of the situation. If that means getting a new job, moving to a new apartment or even a new city, adults have the benefit of removing themselves from the toxic situation. Food for thought Whether you are the bully or the bullied, it is important to recognize it and take steps to stop it. If not, it could continue on a destructive path, affecting your emotional health of everyone it touches. Ms Akuoma wrote from Lagos via sanlifepointers@hotmail.com

Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs. Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

Editorial

Monday, August 17 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

Senate on fixed electricity charges

he Nigerian Senate, early last week, took up the gauntlet against the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the government agency that superintends the contentious and widely acclaimed exploitative, unjust and undeserving monthly fixed charges being forcefully extorted from electricity consumers nationwide by electricity distribution companies (DISCOs), and directed NERC to stop the fraud. The upper legislature, in addition, asked the regulatory agency to account for all monies so far collected as fixed charges countrywide, and instructed the DISCOs to discontinue the practice of compulsory bulk metering of villages and whole communities in the country’s rural areas, because every consumer possesses the individual right to opt to be part of a bulk metering arrangement or otherwise. Again, the Senate resolved to direct NERC to make a regulation to stop DISCOs from making consumers pay for meters, poles and transformers, which by law are their (DISCOs’) property Those were the major fallouts from a motion, “Unfair Trade Practices of Electricity Distribution Companies in Nigeria”, sponsored by Senator Sam Egwu, a former governor of Ebonyi

State and co-sponsored by Senator David Umaru from Niger State. Though a welcome relief, it is a puzzle that it took almost five years for the National Assembly to add its voice to the problem of day-light frauds electricity providers have been perpetrating against Nigerians for decades. Indeed, NERC’s introduction of a dubious Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) roughly five years ago that places annual increases of power tariff above efficient power supply, affordability and consumer-satisfaction, merely worsened the situation. Since then, the unbundled defunct Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), later displaced by the DISCOs, found official justification for their age-long primitive exploitation that enabled them escape with bountiful harvest of funds for electricity that was either in short supply or never supplied or consumed at all by those they fleeced. Consumers were regaled with outrageously dubious charges christened ‘crazy’ bills, which they were intimidated to pay on monthly basis or their power supply would be cut off; and their wires carted away by literally marauding officials of the PHCN or DISCOs. Besides, whereas the majority of power consumers in the

THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SHOULD REMAIN RESOLUTE IN ITS RESOLVE TO CALL THE

NERC AND DISCOS TO ORDER

country have no access to prepaid meters, NERC approved a monthly fixed charge of N750, and another N500 for meter maintenance, which consumers with or without prepaid meters are forced to cough up. The regulatory agency had consistently defended the rip-off with its unfounded reference to the need to make the power sector attractive for investors; or for the DISCOs to recoup their investments. The suffering and pains of consumers occasioned by extremely poor electricity supply meant little or nothing to the NERC until the recent coming of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. The regulatory agency is now feigning, most probably, that arbitrary electricity tariff in the country vis-à-vis daily experiences of epileptic power supply meant anything to it. Of note were the contributions of Senators Danjuma Goje; Ben Murray Bruce; and Athan Achonu to the debate on Senator Egwu’s motion. Goje argued, for

ON THIS DAY August 17, 1950 American POWs (Prisoners of War) were massacred by North Korean Army. The Hill 303 massacre was a war crime that took place in the Korean War on August 17, 1950 on a hill above Waegwan, South Korea. Forty-one captured United States Army prisoners of war were machine-gunned by members of the North Korean People’s Army during one of the smaller engagements of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

August 17, 2008 American swimmer, Michael Phelps, became the first person to win eight gold medals in one Olympic Games (Beijing 2008). Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is a retired American swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals. He also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (18, double that of the next highest record holders), Olympic gold medals in individual events (11), among others.

example, that all the new owners of the electricity chain, including those involved in generation, transmission and distribution had all failed the nation; and should be made to sit up. According to Bruce, it was a sad experience he went through when one of the DISCOs first slammed him with a bill of N10 million in one month; and followed it up later with another N20 million. Achonu merely summarised his experience this way: “The electricity companies nearly destroyed my businesses”. If such privileged citizens, a lot of them drawn from the topmost of the nation’s political and business stratum, can lament this way, the heavy burden the NERC and DISCOs force ordinary Nigerians to bear can only be imagined. This has been amplified by persistent protests against the charges nationwide and the grueling experiences DISCOs and their marketers contend with in getting consumers to pay up. In effect, therefore, the National Assembly should remain resolute in its resolve to call the NERC and DISCOs to order. It should insist that they work for their pay, not by oppressing Nigerians, but by supplying electricity regularly and providing prepaid meters to enable consumers pay strictly for power supplied.

x August 17, 2009 An accident at the Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam in Khakassia, Russia, killed 75 people and shut down the hydroelectric power station, leading to widespread power failure in the local area. The Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam is located on the Yenisei River, near Sayanogorsk in Khakassia, Russia. It is the largest power plant in Russia and the sixth-largest hydroelectric plant in the world, by average power generation.

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Cover

Exploring solid mineralsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; potential to mitigate revenue shortfall

Limestone

The Nigerian economy is definitely not enjoying the best of times. The Naira has suffered significant battering in the name of devaluation following continuous fall in the price of crude in the international market with its attendant drop in revenue accruing to the government making it increasingly difficult for government to meet its financial obligations to the citizen. As a way out of these financial difficulties, experts believe that the Federal Government should beam its searchlight on non-oil revenue sources to improve earnings and provide socio-economic services to the citizenry. Gbenga Odogun reports.

rom public institutions to organized private sectors, the advocacy is growing and the calls becoming louder on the need to diversify the economy. This is coming on the heels of dwindling revenue from oil which had been the mainstay of the economy since the early 70s. Experts believed that such diversification will address the problem of foreign exchange shortages and the attendant pressure on the Naira. While some urged the government to redirect its focus to the agriculture sector, others asked the government to explore

the numerous mineral resources for alternative source of income. At the moment, solid minerals mining accounts for only three per cent of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, due to the influence of its vast oil reserves. The domestic mining industry is grossly underdeveloped and that necessitated the need to import mineral resources that could be produced at UDO ONYEKA, CO-ORDINATOR BUSINESS COURAGE udonyeka@gmail.com c

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home such as bitumen, iron ore, salt etc. The Nigeria government is presently controlling the sector but given rights to corporate organizations to mine and sell mineral resources Experts believed that the entire land mass of Nigeria contained one type of mineral or the other. In fact every state of the Federation is blessed with vast mineral deposit waiting to be fully tapped for use as revenue source for the country. The abundant mineral resources are it metallic, non metallic and/ or industrial are available in commercial quantity. According to KPMG report on the Nigerian mining sector, the country is reported to have as many as 44 different types of minerals in more than 500 locations across the country. The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has further classified these minerals into three groups ‘Industrial Minerals’, ‘World Class Minerals’ and World Class Minerals with Strategic Importance for Nigeria.’ This last group includes coal, bitumen, limestone, iron ore, barites, gold and lead-zinc. Coal is abundant in the Middle Belt and South Eastern regions of the country most notably in Anambra, Kogi, Benue and Enugu States. It is estimated to exist in reserves of about 396 million metric tonnes, but unproven reserves may be far greater at 1,134 million tonnes. The estimated probable reserves of bitumen in Ondo State are 16 billion barrels, while those of tarsands and heavy oil are estimated at 42 billion barrels. The probable reserve of bitumen and heavy oil in the entire tars and belt is expected to double the reserves in Ondo State. The largest and purest deposits of limestone are found in the South West and Middle Belt regions of the country. Limestone deposition in the South West region of Nigeria have been estimated at 31 million tonnes whilst sizeable iron ore deposits have been found mainly in the country’s North West, North East and South East regions.’ The different types of iron ores account for some 882 million tonnes of unexploited ore in Nigeria today. Proven reserves of Barites in just Benue and Nassarawa States have been estimated at 111,000 tonnes while the estimated probable (unproven) reserves across the country,

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Monday, August 17, 2015

Bello

acobs

where mining is considered viable, are estimated at over 21million metric tonnes. In Nigeria lead-zinc ores are usually found together and they are often associated with copper and silver. Lead-Zinc is found along the North East and South West trending belts. They occur in commercial quantities in the North East and Middle Belt region of Nigeria. The estimated reserves are well over 100,000 tonnes of lead and 80,000 tonnes of zinc. Gold is associated with the North West, Middle Belt and South West regions of Nigeria, although there are smaller occurrences beyond these major areas. The preliminary exploration and identification of deposits which is still ongoing has confirmed ten sites to be holding reserves of over 50,000 ounces of high quality gold. The lack of proper utilization of these vast resources may be attributed to lack of adequate capital to annex the resources or unseriuosness on the part of government to look toward the side of solid mineral resources sector. Apart from these, there are also problems of adequate infrastructural facilities, technical competence and huge investment capital involved in the exploration of the resources. Currently, the country is exploiting numbers of mineral resources to satisfy the socio economic development starting from the common water to crude oil, bitumen, coal and gas reserves estimated at about 105 trillion cubic feet all of which are from the physical component of the physical environment and could be divided into renewable natural resources and non renewable

natural resources. The renewable natural resources include solid and liquid minerals, whose supply is finite and exhaustible. In 1999, the federal government of Nigeria created ministry of solid mineral development and which has motivated a lot of interest in the sector and provide alternatives sources of foreign exchange to the country and coupled with the fact that petroleum products are unreliable and which is attributable to the crisis in Niger Delta region areas of the country. With the establishment of solid mineral resources ministry, the prospect in the sector become brighter and the foreign exchange from the sector will improve with time. Alhaji Remi Bello, President of Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, LCCI; said that there had never been a better time than now when revenue from oil is dwindling on daily basis, ”We have always been calling for the expansion of our revenue generation base beyond oil and even agriculture to include solid mineral bearing in mind there is a large deposit s of solid minerals in every parts of the country” the president said Bello said the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency look in the direction of solid mineral by creating enabling environment to attract needed funding for the development of the sector. He said that government should as a matter of urgency address the security challenges particularly in the Northeast an so investor would like to invest in a place not safe enough for his fund and considering the fact that solid min-

eral exploration is capital intensive, foreign direct investments are needed to develop the sector to its full potential level. Also at the heart of realization of the full potentials of the sector is checkmating the activities of the illegal miners which continued unabated in spite of successive government’s efforts in the last few years to introduce various reforms. The delay in implementing these reforms have continued to give the illegal miners field days in their activities thus shortchanging the country and preventing her from reaping the full potentials from the sector. Top of the list is security to guarantee the safety of investors as well as creating easy way of doing business in the country. Agbaje said Nigeria was endowed with enormous solid minerals in almost all states of the federation. He however regretted that the country is presently under exploiting these God given gift, preferring instead to concentrate on oil as major source of revenue. He called for the deliberate efforts aimed at increasing and ginger solid mineral exploration through various initiatives targeted at attracting foreign direct investments either with 100percent ownership or through joint venture agreement with Nigerian entrepreneur. According to him, “Mining is a capital intensive industry. Government is expected do more to ensure proper harnessing. An average miner needs about N200m to start” he said. The scenario today is pathetic. Those miners who thought they could start with about N10m are already meeting with disappointment; therefore,

funding is a very critical factors every miner to needs. It is still difficult to get money from the banks In Nigeria therefore direct foreign investment seems to be a way out and possibly a partnership with Nigerian Entrepreneurs As part of what the government can do to attract foreign investors, Hakeem Agbaje called for favorable tax regime, including a three-year tax holiday to new companies; a reduction in the capital gains tax, from 20 per cent to 10 per cent; companies profit tax from 35 per cent to 30 per cent and internationally competitive fiscal incentive, which should be enshrined in the law. PRESIDENT, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Frank Jakobs said agriculture and solid minerals should be a major area of focus for alternative income in the face of the declining revenue from the oil sector. “The falling oil price globally calls for the diversification of the economy of the nation. The fall of oil prices means revenue available to the government will be minimal to the extent that the country can no longer meet its obligation to the citizens. But it appears that the country had prepared for this before it came, with the proposed Nigeria industrial revolution plan which will help diversify the economy. There are some areas which Nigeria has comparative advantage. The government should look at solid minerals, emphasize on agriculture to cushion the effect of the continued fall in the price of petroleum products. The labor force should be well trained. There is need to im-

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prove educational standard so that graduates from higher institutions are well prepared to drive the economy. Above all, we must look at the industries that derive their materials locally,” he said. On government’s plan to also focus on taxes besides raising tariff on luxury goods, Jakob said tax collection should be done with a human face by first providing the necessary infrastructure for the comfort of Nigerians. The president of the Manufacturers also suggested a cut by 40 per cent in salaries and emolument of public office holders. However solid mineral exploration in the country has been bedeviled by many challenges which government must address if we are to realize its full potentials. “Agbaje said Nigeria is endowed with enormous solid minerals in almost all states of the federation. He however regretted that the country is presently under exploiting these God given gift, preferring instead to concentrate on oil as major source of revenue. He called for the deliberate efforts aimed at increasing and ginger solid mineral exploration through various initiatives targeted at attracting foreign direct investments either with 100percent ownership or through joint venture agreement with Nigerian entrepreneur. According to him, “Mining is a capital intensive industry. Government is expected do more to ensure proper harnessing. An average miner needs about N200m to start” he said. The scenario today is pathetic. Those miners who thought they could start with about N10m are already meeting with disappointment; therefore, funding is a very critical factors every miner to needs. It is still difficult to get money from the banks In Nigeria therefore direct foreign investment seems to be a way out and possibly a partnership with Nigerian Entrepreneurs As part of what the government can do to attract foreign investors, Hakeem Agbaje called for favorable tax regime, including a three-year tax holiday to new companies; a reduction in the capital gains tax, from 20 per cent to 10 per cent; companies profit tax from 35 per cent to 30 per cent and internationally competitive fiscal incentive, which should be enshrined in the law” BC

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News BoA appeals to farmers to redouble grain production

Ogun State and the Southern part of Lagos State. The company’s announced reengineering process was therefore key to continued efforts in securing a corporate structure that efficiently supports the future direction of the organisation and the electricity distribution industry in Nigeria as a whole. Under the reshaping of the company, some positions within the organisation would be eliminated.

he Bank of Agriculture, BoA, has called on farmers in the country to redouble their production of grains or face imminent hunger by 2050. In a paper presented on Friday in Makurdi at the Exporter Enlightenment Forum organised by NEXIM Bank, its Managing Director, Prof. Danbaba Danju, said farmers needed to modernise their farming implements to meet rising food demand. “Agriculture as currently practised in Nigeria must change to become more productive, efficient and sustainable to make food cheaper and readily available,” he said. He said the current paradigm shift from oil to agriculture had become imperative owing to the collapse of the oil market with its crippling effects on dwindling revenues across the world. He said the current efforts at re-engineering agriculture were not only useful in ensuring food security but for export purposes. Danju said such exports would shore up the nation’s foreign exchange. He also called for the organisation of value chain across global, regional and sub-national boundaries to promote food security, poverty reduction and ensure sustainable production. According to him, the benefits accruable to such value chain are unquantifiable, explaining that it will reduce post harvest losses and decrease prices of food to consumers. He said such efforts would reduce grain losses between 15 and 25 per cent; vegetables losses would be reduced between 40 and 50 per cent while livestock and fisheries would suffer less by 10 - 20 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. He urged farmers to adopt new technologies that promoted improved seedlings with high yielding capacity, to double their crop production.

Anambra attracts N472bn investments in 18 months

overnor of Anambra Mr. Willie Obiano of on Friday said that the state attracted investment worth 2.4 billion dollars, N472bn, in the past 18 months. The governor disclosed this during a courtesy visit and bell ringing at the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, in Lagos. Obiano said that the state government had embarked on several initiatives and strate-

NNPC assures Nigerians of profitable, optimal performance of nation’s refineries L-R: Programme Manager, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), Oluwatosin Abolaji; Head, Marketing Communications, Etisalat Nigeria, Gerald Osugo and Programme Assistant, PIN, Gabriel Odunsi, during the commemoration of 2015 International Youth Day in Lagos

gies aimed at increasing investment and revenue generation. He said that the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, currently stood at N1.3bn, adding that there were plans to increase the monthly IGR to N3bn. Obiano said that it had completed arrangement to repackage business outfits in the state to make them more attractive to be listed on the nation’s bourse. He said that the state had established an investment outfit where investment discussions could be finalised in a one stop shop within one week. The governor added that tax incentives would be given to companies that would indicate interest to invest in the state. He stated that the state had established an outfit called Anambra State Investment and Promotion Agency, ANSIPA, to fasten investment opportunities. The governor said that ANSIPA was a special purpose vehicle established to facilitate the industrialisation process of the state through helping prospective entrepreneurs to overcome the hurdles of infrastructure and land title. “It is a one stop investment outfit, so if you want to invest in Anambra State, you don’t need to go to 10 places, just come to the outfit and discuss your business. In that outfit, where you will get your land is there, where you will get your C of O all within one week and life is a lot easy doing business that way,” Obiano said. He, however, solicited the support of the exchange to encourage listed companies to come and invest in the state. Obiano said that the state was one of the safest to invest in currently, adding that investors all over the world should embrace its investment win-

dow. “We have zero kidnapping and no armed robbery cases so we are asking people to come and enjoy their fund in an enabling environment.” he said. He added that the government’s economic blueprint cantered on agriculture, trade, commerce and oil and gas.

Amoda

Eko Disco restructures, procures 140,000 new meters

KO Electricity Distribution Plc, EKEDP has announced a corporate reform plan, that will maximally enhance electricity distribution to the public. The company explained that the new arrangement, which include the procurement of 140,000 new meters, is expected to improve efficiency, customer service and value to its numerous customers. It said the ongoing re-organisational efforts are to support Eko Disco’s commitment to fulfilling its vision “to be the leading customer centric utility provider in Africa”. The company further noted that in its commitment to excellence with a multitude of quality service delivery across

various platforms is introducing an extensive range of payment options aimed at unifying its billing/payment and customer enquiries systems alongside the pioneering of an unprecedented embedded power generation initiative, an effort that promises to more than double the company’s current allocation from the national grid. The distribution company is procuring new 140,000 single phase and three-phase smart meters to be installed for customers in the next two year, it added. Speaking about the effect of the company’s right sizing decisions, the company’s Managing Director, Oladele Amoda expressed that “our reengineering announcement reflect decisions which have to be taken to further drive our efficiencies. This process will allow us to better leverage expertise; align strengths and diversity within our corporate group. Our investments are focused on delivering better value to our customers and as such, we continue to drive and demand for growth across all arms of our organisation reaffirming our commitment to providing the widest array of specialized service and quality delivery to our many customers.” Amoda added: “As EKEDP progress with the new plan, we remain confident in our strategy, competitiveness and in our ability to create value for our customers and stakeholders alike.” Since the completion of Nigeria’s electricity reformation and privatisation process in 2013, the board of Eko Electricity Distribution Plc alongside its technical partners has taken on the critical responsibility of providing more reliable power distribution and quality service to its customers within its licensed areas of Agbara in

he Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, says that the new administration would ensure the efficient and profitable running of the corporation’s refineries to meet the energy needs of the country. The Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, said this in a statement issued by Mr Ohi Alegbe, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division in Abuja on Friday. Kachikwu said that the corporate service unit and all the strategic business units of the corporation would henceforth be run as profit centres. He said that the days of perceiving the corporation as a civil service were over. The oil corporation boss implored the management to team up with him to close the skills gap and turn the fortunes of the corporation around. He said efforts were on top gear to create a conducive working environment for members of staff. According to him, for NNPC to transform into a profit establishment, the morale of the work force must be high. He urged the management to provide leadership by example to the workforce while adding that sectionalism, tribalism and any form of nontransparent transactions must be completely stamped out.

Maritime practitioners laud Abdullahi’s reinstatement as NPA MD

aritime practitioners on Friday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for reinstating Malam Habib Abdullahi as Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority, NPA. Abdullahi was removed in April, 2015, by former Presi-

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dent Goodluck Jonathan and was replaced by Alhaji Sanusi Ado-Bayero. A statement issued by Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, last week Thursday, announced the termination of Bayero’s appointment and said that it was with immediate effect. Acting Chairman, Society of Nigerian Mariners, Mr Olu Akinsoji, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that reinstatement of Abdullahi was a sign that Buhari abhorred injustice. According to Akinsoji, the action is a clear demonstration of the capability of the president to right whatever he considers wrong in the interest of the nation and protection of the integrity of his office. He explained that Habib’s tenure was not concluded and that the maritime community was not informed of the offence he committed to warrant his sack. “The shipping community and our international shipping associates give significant respect to reliable governing principles, legal instruments, commitments, transparency and consistency. “These are some of the major factors for shipping-trade enabling environment. “The powers of hire and fire must be exercised with due regard to these principles for shipping development. “The president has demonstrated, in my opinion, his clear understanding of these principles and I hope he will use that understanding to right the rest of the wrongs in the maritime industry,’’ he said. Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere, President of Women International Shipping and Trading Association, WISTA Nigeria, told NAN that the reappointment of Abdullahi was an attestation of his ability to steer the affairs of NPA. Chiazor-Anishere said the reinstatement was a vindication of his wrongful removal by the former president.

Economist urges FG to set target for MDAs based on budgetary allocations

Consultant Economist, Dr Biodun Adedipe, on Friday urged the Federal Government to set targets for ministries, departments and parastatal agencies, MDAs, based on their yearly budgetary allocations. Adedipe told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that lack of targets to be met by MDAs had contributed to the observed cycle of under performance of the country’s

Business Courage

Monday, August 17, 2015

L –R: Head, Corporate Services Division of The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr. Bola Adeeko; Governor, Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano; Chief Executive Officer, NSE, Mr. Oscar Onyema N. OON, and Executive Director, Market Operations and Technology, Mr. Ade Bajomo, NSE during a courtesy visit by the Governor to the NSE

budgets. ‘’Nigeria is just allocating and releasing funds every year to ministries, department and parastatal agencies. We should begin to talk about service delivery. ‘’Our budgeting structure should not only talk about how much money to be spent, but the kind and quality of services MDAs should deliver. ‘’These ministries should be given targets based on their budgetary allocation. ‘’The adoption of performance-based budgeting will also improve achievements of public programme objective, better alignment with policy and accountability, ‘’ Adedipe said. The economist said that citizenry did not feel the positive impact of the budget implementation despite the yearly allocation of huge funds. According to him, the bright ideas contained in budgets need to be translated into reality for economic and national development. Adedipe said that government should also offer professional bodies like the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN, the technical capacity to provide manpower development, financial advisory and budget implementation. ‘’We need to return to the basic rules of budgeting to make things right. Government functionaries need to appreciate that they do not know all, they need the services of experts, ‘’ he said.

TCN seeks yearly N15bn funding

he Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, has said

that it lacks funds to operate as expected and that the situation has led to abandonment of key projects that should have improved power transmission. It said that some of the critical projects that will support its transmission capacity has been identified and would be revived. Deputy Managing Director, TCN Atiku Abubakar, who made the complain in Lagos also said that about N15bn would be required yearly to actualise the 8,000 megawatts transmission intended capacity by 2016. Abubakar while inspecting ongoing projects and a training exercise of some auditors in Lagos. said that the N15bn per annum funding is required for a period of two to three years to achieve the goal. Abubakar who is also the managing director, Transmission Service Provider ,TSP, of the company disclosed that the country’s power generation has improved significantly as gas supply to generation stations has equally improved. According to him, we have been able to generate the highest peak so ever in July which is about 4,652 megawatts and our transmission capacity is a little bit above that. We are capable of transmitting about 5,300 megawatts at the moment. Speaking further he noted that as generation is improving the company is working toward expanding transmission capacity to be able to evacuate all that is generated by the stations to distribution companies to use. ” l can assure you that we have our plans, projects that are very critical have been mapped out so that within the shortest pos-

sible time will be able to hit 8,000 megawatts transmission capacity by end of 2016,’’ he said.. Abubakar said that about 30 potentials investors have been short listed for the sector. “Presently, we are in the process of coming up with the frame work with which they can recover their investment within reasonable time. Since Federal Government will not be giving them sovereign guarantee, we are coming up with modalities of repayment from our willing charges and internally generated revenue for over a period of time,” Abubakar said. He also said that over 130 ongoing projects from 2002 were stalled due to lack of funding, adding that about 30 of them had been identified as critical that needed attention.

Odogwu

Royal Exchange records N9.4bn gross premium

oyal Exchange Insurance Group said it recorded a sum of N9.43bn gross premium in its 2014 financial year end. This, it said, was a 4 per cent improvement from

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N9.08bn gross premium posted in 2013 financial year, a development it attributed to resilience in the way the company carry out its businesses. Speaking at the 2014 Annual General Meeting, GM, of the insurance firm in Lagos, the Chairman, Royal Exchange Insurance Plc, Mr. Kenneth Odogwu, said Claims expense for the year amounted to N2.43bn in comparison with N2.48bn reported in 2013, signalling a decrease of 2 per cent, while Underwriting Expenses increased by 25 per cent from N2.20bn in 2013 to N2.74bn in 2014, translating into net income before overhead expenses of N3.37bn, in close proximity with 2013 value of N3.40bn. Management Expenses, according to him, was N3.09bn in 2014 in comparison with N2.5bn of 2013, showing an increment of 22 per cent. The rise in management expenses, he said, was attributable to the ongoing branch expansion, retail business development and investments in e- business and information technology. “The group achieved a Profit before taxation of N315m, 62 per cent lower than the N828m achieved in 2013,” he pointed out. Stating that the company see significant growth in Takaful and Micro insurance space as means of boosting the insurance penetration and driving financial inclusion amongst the lower income class, he said the emphasis of his company would be on channelling and product innovations to reach a large portion of the economically disadvantaged section of the 170 million population. According to him, “the explosion of the online retail shopping platforms, telecommunications, and microfinance banking are already providing alternative sales distribution channels to stretch retail insurance services to fingertips of the citizens.” He pointed out that universal health insurance coverage would be another area of interest as the National Health Insurance Scheme, HIS, continues to canvass for 30 per cent universal healthcare coverage in Nigeria by 2025, expecting Health Maintenance Organisation HMO, business to be on ascendancy in 2015. As always, he said Royal Exchange stays abreast with many of the innovations earlier mentioned, in its quest to grow market share and attains market leadership position. “To sum it up, your board is confident about the future of our company. Despite the challenges, we recognize the massive growth opportunities likely to rebound as a corollary to a rebounding global economy. BC

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Companies & Markets

Sterling Bank launches MSME Academy

Udo Onyeka

terling Bank has introduced the Sterling MSME, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, academy as part of its value-added offering for its SUPA Business Account holders. The academy which will commence with a pilot session in Lagos is a result of the Bank’s partnership with BusinessDay. This is in furtherance of the Bank’s commitment to enriching lives by focusing on the unique needs of its entrepreneurial customers; and giving teeth to pri-

vate sector involvement in the development of small businesses and the Nigerian economy at large. According to the Bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Shina Atilola, “The Sterling MSME Academy is aimed at capacity building for existing and emerging micro, small and medium-sized enterprises to enable them build viable businesses and position them to access funds for expansion. MSMEs would also enjoy access to relevant and reliable business intelligence and information that would help them

to navigate the challenging operating environment.” The Academy is to be facilitated by (International Finance Corporation and Enterprise Development Centre, IFC/EDC, certified and seasoned MSME trainers and will run from September 23rd to October 14th. Registration however commences on Monday, August 17th, 2015 and is to last for 3 weeks. Business owners/ MSME operators interested in participation are expected to to fill in their details and get the necessary information on the registra-

tion portal: www.sterlingbankng. com/msme It would be recalled that the Bank had last June partnered with LEAP Africa on the 10th edition of the Annual Africa CEO Forum. The forum themed: ‘Staying Ahead: Maximising Profit and Mitigating Risk’ was an avenue for the CEOs to understand how to ensure proper risk identification, assessment and analysis. These factors were identified as key to minimizing revenue loss and ensuring continued business survival.

Reiterating the benefits participants stand to enjoy from the insightful and interactive training sessions at the Academy, Mr. Atilola explained that it is expected that these small businesses would experience improved asset quality as they are better equipped to manage their funds and maximise business profit. Similarly, given the fact that access to funds is a challenge to most businesses, these businesses would be equipped and coached towards accessing finance from local and international financial institutions. BC

Interswitch receives CMMI level ‘3’ ratings David Audu

L-R: Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Akinwale Goodluck; Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase and CEO, MTN Nigeria, Michael Ikpoki during the courtesy visit to the IGP at the Force Headquarters in Abuja

Mutual Benefits records N15.4bn premium income

utual Benefits Assurance Plc continued its impressive financial growth in its 2014 financial year by posting a Gross Premium Income of N15.4bn. This was an improvement from N8.1bn posted in its 2013 financial report, thus, representing 90 per cent growth. Speaking at the 19th Annual General Meeting, AGM, of the company in Lagos, Chairman of the firm, Mr. Akin Opeodu, said the company made a Profit before Tax of N4.52bn, representing 397 per cent improvement from N911m it posted in the corresponding year, while its Profit after Tax was N4.1bn as against N555m in 2013. Reinsurance Expenses, according to Opeodu, grew by 549 per cent from N954million in 2013 to N6.2bn in 2014. He said the company’s Net Premium Income increased by 39 per cent to N9.3bn from N6.7bn it was in 2013. He said Underwriting Profit for 2014 was N5.5bn representing a 114 per cent rise against the 2013 result of N2.6bn. As a percentage of Net Underwriting Income, the underwriting profit

margin increased by 15.82 per cent, he stated. With an adequate investment strategy in place, the chairman noted that the Group Asset Base grew by 31 per cent from N32.2bn in 2013 to N42.4bn, even as both Shareholders’ Funds and Policyholders’ Funds are represented by the right portfolio mix of short and long term investments. “Management also succeeded in managing debt to equity effectively in 2014, thereby reducing the debt equity ratio from 1,394 per cent in 2013, to 582 per cent in 2014. The improved financial position and performance during the upbeat brought about an increase of 190 per cent in shareholders’ funds from N2.1bn in 2013 to N6.2bn in 2014,” he pointed out. He said the company was unable to pay dividends this year due to negative retained earnings, promising to declare dividend in the near future, especially as the company continues its positive growth. Meanwhile, the shareholders were unhappy that the company has refused to declare dividend seven years in a row, doubting whether it could even pay divi-

dend next year due to the liability the company has to offset before it could be in a better position to reward its shareholders. Shareholders such as Nona Awo, Adebayo Adetunji, Augustine Anono, among others, said it is high time for them to get return on their investment. Responding to shareholders grievances, Opeodu said the liability that prevented the company from paying dividend in its 2014 financial year, has been taken care within the first six month of this year, noting that there is nothing stopping the company from rewarding its shareholders at the next AGM. BC

nterswitch integrated e- Payment Company has been appraised at level ‘3’ on the Capability Maturity Model Integration, CMMI, framework. The appraisal was performed by Nihilent India, one of the recognised CMMI Institute partners. CMMI is a process improvement framework that provides organisations with the essential elements of effective processes that improve performance. Speaking about the significance of the CMMI appraisal, Group Managing Director, Interswitch, Mitchell Elegbe said, they are delighted to have achieved the CMMI level 3 rating, the first business in West Africa to achieve Maturity level 3. He said the appraisal demonstrates the commitment of Interswitch to maintaining and improving its operational excellence across the business in line with international best practices. “Standardized and efficient processes in the development and delivery of our products and solutions are crucial not only for the performance of our business, but also for the services we provide our customers. Implementing a framework such as this is in line with our long term strategy and will contribute towards the continued growth of the business”, he said. AVP and CMMI Lead Appraiser at Nihilent, Kiran Chaudhari, acknowledged that “Interswitch is one the best

examples of implementing agile methodology along with CMMI best practices. The company has invested effort and tools in institutionalizing the Maturity Level 3 practices.” General Manager Nihilent West Africa, Shohel Noor, emphasized on the fact that adoption of CMMI by leaders like Interswitch will increase overall adoption of CMMI by the ICT sector in Nigeria leading to the overall growth of this sector. The appraisal validates the high level of importance Interswitch places on the quality of its service delivery, having instituted well defined processes which are continuously implemented and institutionalized using various tools and methods in line with global best practices. The benefits of the level 3-maturity appraisal to the Interswitch customer are a guaranteed high quality service, a more robust risk management system, and enhanced product performance. Interswitch provides bespoke e-payment solutions that are used by businesses and governments across Africa. Its solutions improve operational efficiency and increase revenues and profitability. Interswitch products include revenue collection and funds disbursement solutions, online and mobile payment platforms, vertical industry solutions, ‘Verve’, Nigeria’s leading and highest circulation chip + PIN payment card and Quickteller, the leading payment portal in the country.BC

Grand Cereals introduces new feed to boost poultry production

rand Cereal Nigeria Limited on Friday launched a unique and quality feed to boost poultry production. The company’s National Sales Manager, Mr Mathew Asuelimen, who unveiled the feed, “farmers feed layers’’ to farmers in Jos, said it was a product of extensive research. Asuelimen identified the special features of the new feed to

include improved litter as well improvement in the eggs production. “We took into consideration need for value addition, efficiency in the production of the feed. “We believe this product will meet farmers’ expectation in terms of better farm management and improved yield that will in turn boost the farmers’ income,’’ he said. The sales manager said that

the feed was of high quality as other products of the company and it was affordable. According to him, the affordable nature of the feed is predicated on the company’s knowledge of steep economy and need to cut costs. A farmer, Mr James Hyat who had used the feed, said that it was an improvement on the other feeds that he had used. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, August 17, 2015

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Companies & Markets

Premium Pension boss seeks awareness on CPS

Stories by Udo Onyeka

he Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited, Mr. Wilson Ideva, has called for a massive awareness on the pension scheme, especially the Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, to increase the number of subscribers in the country. Ideva, who stated this in Abuja, noted that the under subscription of the new pension scheme is attributable to lack of adequate public awareness. According to him, a vast majority of Nigerians, including the supposedly enlightened community, lack information on the workings and workability of the Contributory Pension Scheme. “How else can one explain the less than 10 per cent penetration of the market more than ten years after the commencement of the scheme,” he que-

ried. He said less than seven million workers in Nigeria, have subscribed to the new pension scheme out of the estimated seventy million working population, while a total of N4.9 trn has been amassed as pension assets under management in the industry. “The lukewarm attitude of some Nigerians to the new pension scheme is inexplicable considering the ugly past of the defined benefit scheme which we have all been striving to break away from,” he noted. Workers, according to him, look up to retirement with so much fear and trepidation because of the inherent uncertainties, saying, the old scheme was fraught with corruption and bureaucratic bottlenecks that occasioned the ugly sight of long queues of aged citizens waiting to be paid pension that oftentimes never came.

Ideva

Stating that the new scheme is a huge success and the most impactful government initiative in recent times, he added that the scheme has already begun to improve the lives of retirees in the country. “It is also inching towards becoming a critical contributor to national development. Initially,

Staco Insurance declares N138m profit

taco Insurance Plc, declared N137.6m as Profit Before Tax, PBT, in its 2014 financial year, even as its Underwritng result was N2.3bn against N2.1bn that was posted in 2013. Speaking at its 2014 Annual General Meeting, AGM, in Lagos, the Chairman, Staco Insurance, Mr. Dere Otubu said the Gross Premium Written for the 2014 was N5.9 billion, while N5.7bn was posted as Gross Premium in 2013. Stating that the Net Premium of his company dropped from N4.6bn to N4.4bn in the year under review, he attributed this drop to the insurer’s resolve to reduce its risk exposure by embarking on more adequate reinsurance. This, he pointed out, gave rise to increased reinsurance expenses. Although, 2015 was an election year, which started on a tough note due to a sharp drop in oil price, coupled with weaker Naira, he promised that Staco Insurance will do better

than what it does in 2014, as he expects policy decisions from the new government that will impact politely on insurance industry. On the other hand, the Managing Director, Staco Insurance Plc, Mr. Sakura Oyefeso, said his firm was able to resolve solvency issues. To him, “I am happy to announce to you that we have successfully overcome the challenge of solvency margin during the year, as the solvency margin stood at N4.57bn compared to the year 2013, when solvency margin was N1.03bn.” The modest achievement recorded by the company since its establishment, he said, has been possible through foresighted leadership and excellent team spirit by staff of the company who vigorously pursue the company’s vision of becoming the world class provider of insurance and financial services. He promised that the company will continue to consolidate on the gains it has made

Otubu

over the years to strategically position Staco as an insurance company of choice, adding that the management has put in place appropriate strategies to strengthen its core business of insurance. “We shall strive to harness all available opportunities to maximise shareholders’ value, while we grow and build long term values for all stakeholders,” he assured. BC

Dell opens sales office at Lagos Airport

David Audu

ell has announced it is showcasing its consumer solutions devices at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, in the main lounge of Domestic terminal, MMA2, According to the company the booth will be open Monday to Friday until November, 2015. Launched in August 2015, the booth has already attracted

a high number of passengers using the airport for business and personal travel. Devices such as Dell’s award winning Inspiron and XPS laptops are available for immediate purchase. According to Country Manager, Dell, Nigeria, Mr. Akin Banuso, “by working with team at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport we are able to provide customers in Nigeria, and those passing through the

airport, with access to our innovative solutions. “The stand at the airport has seen great success in the short time it has been on-site and we are expecting this to continue over the next four months.” Commenting on his experience, Gbemi Olagundoye, an IT Consultant said “Dell creates sleek and powerful devices which are able to perform very well, and often exceed my expectations. Having a presence

when the idea was presented, a lot of people did not believe in it. This is understandable considering where we were coming from, “ he said. Ideva said such skepticism has been dissipated with the successes recorded by the new pension scheme since its more than ten years of existence. He recalled the pathetic situation of pensioners before the scheme was introduced and juxtaposed it with the current situation where workers are partners in the management of their pension funds. He urged people to note the difference between the new CPS and the old defined benefit system under which some pensioners are still being managed. Noting that under the new scheme, entitlements are being paid regularly, he said: “All you need to do is notify your Pension Fund Administrator, PFA, six months before your retire-

ment and submit all the necessary documents. Once this is done, within one or two months upon retirement, you will be paid your lump sum which has replaced the gratuity and thereafter, you begin to enjoy continuous programmed withdrawal.” Ideva also pointed out that while the old scheme, which operated before 2004, left a huge pension deficit within the economy said to be in the neighbourhood of two trillion Naira, the new scheme has accumulated pension asset of over 4.7 trillion naira and an enrolment of over 6.5million people. “So when you put this together, you will see that it has been a success story and this pool of funds is already playing a critical role in national development. The pension industry has been a huge success and we are playing our role effectively as stipulated in the Pension Reform Act,” he concluded. BC

FirstBank sponsors National Security stitutions, professional and corSummit 2015 porate bodies, community based

n its commitment to national economic development and as a demonstration of its support for enterprise ideas and strategic innovations to tackle the current national security challenges, First Bank of Nigeria Limited has partnered with The Nigeria Police and The Sun Newspaper to host National Security Summit 2015. According to a press statement by the bank the theme of the summit is ‘Community Partnership Approach to Internal Security and Crime Management’. The summit is scheduled to hold today August 17, 2015, at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja. “This Summit is billed to be a platform to further pull support for The Nigeria Police and law enforcement agencies in the renewed drive by the presidency to tackle current national security challenges. “The Summit would have in attendance over two hundred participants from traditional in-

organisations, opinion leaders, civil societies, non-state actors as well as strategic stakeholders in Nigeria”, the bank said. Some of the diginataries expected at the Summit includes: President, Muhammadu Buhari, Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, The Sultan of Sokoto; Sa’ad Abubakar III, alongside other eminent Nigerians slated to deliver keynote addresses, and participate as discussants in the panel session. BC

in the main airport in Lagos will prove to be very popular as the public can have hands-on time prior to making the purchase”. “This stand is one way that Dell can take its innovations directly to the consumer, and what better place to do so than at our main international airport” said Annie Odo-Effiong, marketing manager, Dell Nigeria. “Dell has a long history of innovation, and this has always been the company’s focus.”

Offering customers the opportunity to purchase a Dell device ahead of a flight allows them to stay connected on their trip, and provides them with the chance to spend time with a Dell advisor to ensure that they get the device that will best suit their needs and budget. Furthermore, any purchases made on the stand are except from VAT and customers will receive a free Dell wireless mouse or headset. BC

Bisi Onasanya, MD, FirstBank

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, August 17, 2015

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Brand Watch

CSR: Firm tackles clean water deficiency in communities Access to clean water has been a problem in many Nigerian communities. However, the lack of clean water is more prevalent in rural areas. David Audu in this report examines the efforts of Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC, to address it.

or many years, access to potable water has been increasingly challenging in many Sub-Saharan African countries. This is even more worrisome in view of the stifling cost of living and infrastructural shortcomings that people in the third world region have to grapple with. Reports from the World Health Organisation, WHO, indicate that over 780 million people around the world do not have access to potable water, with water related diseases responsible for 80 percent of all illnesses and deaths in developing world. Government and social workers this is a sore touch point that needs to be aggressively tackled by all concerned. Poor access to potable water can significantly stifle any nation’s economy. No meaningful economic activity can be carried out when the productive segment of the population is vulnerable to all manner of environmental diseases. Also, people’s inability to access clean water comes with dire socio-economic challenges that may impact negatively on individuals and household productivity. For example, a student may have difficulty in attaining potential if continuously absent from school due to illness arising from constant consumption of unsafe water. On a broader scale, lack of access to potable water may have serious consequences for investors as businesses may have to spend more to provide water for their own use. When this is the case, there usually exists a ring of higher and added costs for such businesses. In response to this global challenge, WHO, through its Goal 7, Target 10 of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, reiterated its commitment to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation by the end of 2015. It is noteworthy that governments at the local, state and

federal levels and some organized private sector have keyed into the vision. This is perhaps why organisations such as the Nigerian Bottling Company, NBC, Guinness Nigeria and few others keyed into the global vision of unhindered access to safe drinking water in various host communities across the country. These two multinationals, Coca-Cola Nigeria Ltd and Water Health International Nigeria set the tone through a partnership, The Safe Water for Africa Project, with the objective to provide healthy drinking water to underserved communities in Nigeria and equally provide job opportunities for the communities. In tandem with its commitment to enrich the lives of its communities, NBC has invested substantially in the provision of water infrastructure in over 20 communities across Nigeria. Under its “Water Stewardship Programme” the company has ensured that over 300,000 people in this water stressed communities have access to clean and safe drinking water. According to NBC, one of the communities that benefited from this gesture is Mbaikya Community in Makurdi, Benue State. The water situation prior to NBC intervention in the community was that residents used to walk a distance of about five kilometers before they could access water in neighbouring communities. During rainy seasons, they sourced their water

from ponds that are formed whenever it rained. For residents of this community, raining season was always a season of celebration. Now, people no longer need to walk that long as potable water is at their reach due to support from NBC’s Water Stewardship Initiative which has brought succor to communities across Nigeria. A 90 year-old resident of Mbaikya community, David Aki, disclosed how prior to the intervention of NBC water project people drink water from ponds. He said the initiative by NBC to provide potable water for the community is should be commended, since government hae neglected them over the years “Since I was born, we have

Odenigbo

been drinking from the ponds when it rains. In fact, the entire community depends on these ponds for domestic uses such as bathing, washing and cooking. The good news is that the story has changed for us in the community with the intervention of NBC through its water project. On behalf of the community, I like to say thank you to the company,” Aki said. Beyond the provision of clean water facilities to communities is the important role that knowledge plays in sustainable water practices. Knowledge sharing makes for a positive, more inclusive and active participation by many more people as the world seeks to make clean water available to all, while also highlighting the need for a collaborative approach in water management. Today, the issue of water management and conservation is no longer an option, but an urgent matter that requires the attention of all stakeholders. In the effort to cultivate young people to be part of efforts aimed at driving enhanced public awareness about water use, NBC recently adopted a new inclusive approach during this year’s World Water Day. The company, in collaboration with key stakeholders such as State Ministries of Health and Local Governments, enlisted select students as ‘Water Ambassadors.” About 200 students from 10 secondary schools in Owerri, Imo State and Kaduna State

were trained and taken on a guided tour of NBC’s Waste Water Treatment plants. The main idea behind the initiative was to equip the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ with the requisite knowledge on water management and conservation. These young people serving as water ambassadors in their respective locations will support the drive towards a sustainable water for all. Armed with the requisite information, it is expected that these young water ambassadors will become key influencers in their families and communities and help promote best water practices, by propagating sustainable water philosophy, especially in the areas of water conservation and sanitation. Head of Public Affairs and Communications, NBC, Uzo Odenigbo, said, “as a prominent player in the beverage industry, NBC is committed to upholding sustainable practices in its business operations. Water is the most important ingredient in our production process, therefore, NBC places premium on water issues, particularly in the area of access to potable water.” With water playing a critical role in its manufacturing process, the non-alcoholic beverage company in Nigeria said it is committed to programmes that drive its policy of recycle, reuse and replenish to protect water resources with a view to promoting sustainable development in its operating environment. One of such initiatives is the establishment of modern effluent treatment equipment in all its bottling plants across the nation. This ensures that only treated water certified fit to sustain human and aquatic life is discharged into approved sites to further consolidate its environmental stewardship programme. It is important to note that there are still many more communities in dire need of potable water in view of the Millennium Development Goals’ target of making clean water accessible to all. However, this dream can only be achieved if everyone, including all key stakeholders, from the private and public sectors, and not-for-profit organizations, embrace policy formulation that can incorporates broader values of sustainable water as well as walk the talk in the provision of clean and safe water for people in thousands of communities across the country. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Energy Review Last week there were reports of the president’s decision to be in charge of the all important petroleum ministry for a period of 18 months during which he would have rid it of monumental corruption and reposition it for sustainable growth of the nation’s economy. The question in the lips of most analysts is: Will this bold adventure by the President end the lingering crisis of products’ shortage and other lapses that have characterized the downstream sub sector over the years? Gbenga Odogun analyses the issues and the hurdles before the President in the onerous he sets to accomplish:

o say that the nation’s four refineries are inefficient may be a gross understatement as at best they can be described as four yard of scrap metals not fit for productive purpose in any way! With a combined installed capacity of 445,000 barrel per day, the four refineries located in Warri, Port Harcourt1and 2, and Kaduna are currently operating at less than 7 percent capacity, with only the Port Harcourt refinery hitting that mark. Reasons for the abysmal performance of the refineries were attributed to lack of TurnAround maintenance, TAM, which had not been carried out on any of the plants in 20 years { the last time any equipment in the plants was changed}. The last administration’s effort to carry out a Turn-Around maintenance did not yield any fruit due to the extent of dilapidation and the state of decay of the equipments which made replacement for the equipment impossible, because they were obsolete. The country’s four refineries operated at an average of 10.46 per cent of their combined nameplate capacity of 445,000 barrels per available data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation showed. The country’s refineries have long been operating well below installed capacity as they are in different states of disrepair. They operated at an average of 31.1 per cent capacity in 2012, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria. This unfortunate scenario about the terrible state of the Nations refineries and the at-

Reviving the refineries, the task before Buhari

Shamsuna-Ahmed

tendant hardship brought about by incessant fuel scarcity according to ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s decision to offer them for sale as part of the then privatization policy of that administration. He revealed that he once sold the plant to a consortium of investors led by the business mogul, Aliko Dangote, who paid $750m for two of the refineries, as the Federal Government was finding it difficult managing the facilities at the time. He, however, regretted that instead of the Yar’Adua administration to consolidate on the sale so that the investors could turn around the fortunes of the refineries, his successor succumbed to pressure and reversed the sale of the oil facilities. Apart from the lack of Turn-

Kachikwu

around maintenance on the refineries, there were also reports of monumental frauds going on involving the Nigerian National Petroleum corporation NNPC Between 2007 and 2009, auditors found that the corporation over-deducted funds in subsidy claims to the tune of N28.5 billion and has not been able to account for the money. Also, from 2013, the NNPC has been battling with the allegation of non-remittance of $20 billion into the Federation Account. The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Hajiya Zainab ShamsunaAhmed, said between 2009 and 2012, about 160 million barrels of oil valued at $13.7bn was stolen under the watch of the national oil giant, Nigerian Na-

tional Petroleum Corporation. She also said that subsidy payment from 2005 to 2012 indicated that $11.63bn had been paid to the NNPC but that “there is no evidence of the money being remitted to the federation account.” Adding that the Federal Government must privatize the refineries for efficiency. Hajiya Ahmed said, “Crude product swap of $866m was lost from 2009 to 2011 and $8243m in 2012. Total amount expended in subsidy payment from 2005 to 2012 as captured $11.63bn have been paid to the NNPC. However, there is no evidence that these amounts were remitted to the Federation Account,” she stated. These allegations, among others are responsible for the continued calls for the sanitization and repositioning of the

corporation. Perhaps it was in response to these various problem facing the nations refineries that president Buhari after a long search settled Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the Executive Vice Chairman/General Counsel of ExxonMobil (Africa), to oversee the affairs of the corporation with the following term of reference including the reshaping of the corporation, clean up the nnpc systems of corrupt elements, recover all stole crude oil funds, work with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Directorate of State Service (DSS) to trace and recover stolen oil cash; review the structure of the NNPC to compete globally. Dr Kachiku was said to have initially expressed reluctance in taking up the job for fear of being messed up due to endemic corruption in the system but later accepted when assured of the full cooperation of the president President Buhari was said to have repeatedly promised not to interfere with his work task him to go ahead and reform the sector once and for all. Now that the president himself is taking over the overseeing the affairs of this all important sector the question remains about whether the much anticipated wind of change currently blowing is about to blow in the oil sector, the next few weeks, months and years will surely tell BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, August 17, 2015

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5G adoption to push telecoms revenue to $65bn by 2025 – Report

Isaiah Erhiawarien

lthough the global telecoms industry is yet to come to terms with the adoption of the 5G technology, a new report has forecast that about $25bn will be invested into research, trials and development over the next five years. The report, which was published by Juniper Research predicted a healthy adoption for 5G, with service revenues set to exceed $65bn by 2025, compared to just $100 million during its first year of commercial services in 2020. This news is coming at a time when most African countries like Nigeria are yet to explore the full potentials of the 4G technology since very few mobile vendors have in the market devices that support the 4G technology, though some do make claim to that effect. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei announced in November last year that it planned to invest $600 million in research into 5G, and expected its network to be ready for deployment by 2020 while the EU said in December it would spend €700 million ($953 million and about R10.3 billion) on 5G technology research over the next seven years, while companies in the telecoms sector would provide more than €3 billion. On the other hand, South Korean tech company, Samsung Electronics announced in same period two industry first milestones in the development of 5G telecommunications networking technology, clocking 7.5Gbps – or 940MB per second – the fastest ever 5G data transmission rate while in a stationary environment. The rave about the 5G technology was finally sealed in June, when the International Telecommunication Union confirmed its plan to commercialise 5G by 2020. According to the Juniper report, within the first five years of commercial availability, 5G will account for 7 percent of all operator-billed service revenues, the research firm said. It estimated that at least $25 billion will be invested into 5G technology research, trials and development over the next five years adding that while the first commercial roll-outs are expected in 2020, widespread adoption will only occur from

Ajayi

2025, with national spectrum licensing occurring over a period of years as per 4G, says Juniper Research. The revealed that companies that make mobile network equipment such as Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia and AlcatelLucent are carrying out experiments with operators to prepare for 5G saying that Huawei has said it will invest $600 million in 5G research and expects to have a network ready for deployment by 2020. Huawei who has been championing the course for the adoption of 5G said its success depends on the entire ICT ecosystem, adding its growth will be built upon global LTE success. ICT ecosystem innovation will also be a key driver in creating a larger 5G market. According to Juniper Research, 5G will not only enable faster connections but will act as a catalyst for a wide range of new consumer and enterprise experiences, including high definition 4K to 8K video, as well as self-driving cars, advanced virtual reality, and a sensory or tactile Internet – constantly monitoring and controlling. Head of Research at Juniper Research, Nitin Bhas said,”These discrete segments or services will require transparent and competitive pricing based on data usage, device type, and speeds; this means that profit margins will vary with regards to the sector enabled.” Meanwhile, the GSMA has said that although a shift to 5G would be hugely impactful, the

Bouverot

industry will need to overcome a series of challenges if these benefits are to be realised, particularly in terms of spectrum and network. For Nigeria, that is one big challenge it is yet to overcome, according to the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Engr. Lanre Ajayi. He said that spectrum allocation is one reasons why mobile operators have not be able to deliver fast and reliable internet access to the growing numbers of mobile subscribers in the country. Ajayi said that government needs to allocate more frequency spectrum to operators particularly now that the economy of Nigeria is increasingly getting digitilised. Juniper Research noted that operators will need to consider multiple service deployment scenarios to achieve an adequate return on investment from their network and licence investments. The report observed that the assignment of appropriate spectrum bands is critical to 5G’s success as well as supporting the wide-ranging devices and applications contributing towards the Internet of things. As a result, the GSM Association, GSMA, the body of mobile operators around the world is investing $1.7 trillion in network infrastructure, the GSMA said. The Group in a release, outlined its perspectives on the technical requirements, use cases and implications for the

development of 5G networks in years to come. Dubbed “Understanding 5G: Perspectives on Future Technological Advancements in Mobile”, the report provided an overview of network technology innovation today and how this is setting the agenda in the shift towards 5G. Director General of the GSMA, Anne Bouverot, said although 5G has yet to be standardised by the industry, the association is already collaborating with operators, vendors, governments and other stakeholders to ensure it is both technically and economically viable. “Our new report aims to reset the discussion on 5G, drawing the distinction between true generational shifts versus the on-going evolution of existing technologies that are already delivering a nextgeneration mobile experience,” she added. According to the GSMA, the new report aimed to address many misconceptions around 5G, while it also examines the two main views on 5G that exist today. In the first view, 5G is seen as a blend of existing technologies (2G, 3G, 4G, WiFi and others) that can deliver greater coverage and availability, higher network density in terms of cells and devices, and the ability to provide the connectivity that enables machine-to-machine (M2M) services and the Internet of things. This perspective outlined 5G in ‘generational’ terms, setting specific targets that new

radio interfaces must meet in terms of data rates (faster than 1Gbps downlink) and latency (less than 1-millisecond delay). The two views identify eight core technical requirements for 5G that set targets for data rate, latency, network densification, coverage, availability, operational expenditure reduction and the field life of devices. However, only two of these – data rates and latency – relate to a true generational shift, with the remaining six being either economic objectives or aspirations applicable to all network technologies. According to the GSMA, many of the 5G technical requirements already form part of the network innovations being undertaken by operators today, adding “Technologies such as network functions virtualisation, software-defined networks, heterogeneous networks and low power, low throughput networks are being bundled under the title of 5G despite the fact that they are already being brought to market by vendors and deployed by operators.” The GSMA however said that 4G still has “considerable growth opportunity” and but only accounts for five percent of the world’s mobile connections saying that about 69 percent of connections in South Korea are running on 4G networks, while Japan has 46 percent and the US has 40 percent with other parts Africa including Nigeria trailing behind. GSMA said that developing countries are lagging behind at just 2 percent. BC

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Business Courage

MultiChoice invests N200m in installers training Stories by Isaiah Erhiawarien

ultiChoice has said it has invested N200 million in the training of installers for its decoders since it began operation in Nigeria two decades ago saying that it remains committed to ensuring that more certified installers are trained across the country. General Manager, Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. Martin Mabutho, who made the disclosure during a training for 500 installers in Lagos said that the new installers will join the existing base of installers and will be responsible for new installations, as well as the provision of maintenance services to existing subscribers. Mabutho said that the training was meant to improve the quality of DStv installations, and offer superior after-sales services, adding that it has also introduced tricycles that have been stocked with high quality installation equipment, and that upon completion of their training, the installers will be handed the tricycles to ease their travel logistics. According to him, the introduction of the tricycle-scheme is MultiChoice’s way of stretching its economic empowerment drive by engaging Nigerian youth through a private sector entrepreneurial scheme noting,“We are helping to create a new pool of expertise through

these MultiChoice trained satellite television installers and engineers which will consequently grow the nation’s economy.” He explained that the tricycles will be used by a selected team dubbed “Elite Installers” saying that the first recipients of the pilot phase of the nationwide scheme are six installers but before the end of the year, more beneficiaries will be selected from major cities across the country. In addition, 125 installers in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt have undergone a refresher training course this month. Speaking on the criteria for selecting the beneficiaries of the tricycles, he said, MultiChoice selected the installers based on commitment, dedication and diligence stressing that “This initiative is aimed at providing the best service to our customers. We train and certify installers, and also ensure that they are equipped with high qual-

Mabutho

Monday, August 17, 2015

ity installation tools that will guarantee reduced hitches and minimize repeat installer visits to our customer’s homes.” He urged new and existing subscribers to make more use of the self-help options and convenient payment options such as Paga, Quick Teller and ATMs to resolve DStv issues and payment challenges quickly. Besides the tricycles, each accredited installer will also get a well-equipped tool kit to enable them provide quality installation to subscribers. As part of MultiChoice’s continuous quality assurance drive, the installers’ tool set includes a tablet PC that will enable them send real time post-installation reports which will allow the validation of the overall quality and technical integrity of installations. Assistant Director, Monitoring, National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Mrs. Ijeoma TheoObodo, commended MultiChoice for organising the training programme saying, “Broadcast technology is ever evolving and for MultiChoice to keep up with broadcast quality and standard, there is the need for training programmes of this nature.” MultiChoice is also launching the first of its kind Subscriber/Installer Management System, a mobile application that automates the selection, allocation and progress management of installers working on a variety of customer’s installation requirements. This will reduce the average time taken to complete installations, control the costs to customer and ensure adequate post-installation follow up. BC

Access Bank adopts innovative technology to enhance service

ccess Bank has deployed a range of CA Technologies solutions, from CA Southern Africa, aimed at taking service management to even higher levels; boosting customer service and enriching clients’ experiences through better technology availability. The Bank takes service to even higher levels with improved performance and reduced downtime. According to the Head of Subsidiaries Information Technology at Access Bank, Rotimi Famuwagun, the deployment of these IT service management (ITSM) and infrastructure management solutions is expected to dramatically improve the organisation’s ability to manage technology for optimal operational performance. “Banks today are highly dependent on technology for efficient operations and satisfactory customer service. However, our existing systems and network management solutions were limited and isolated to specific departments

with almost no integration at the enterprise level. This led to a prolonged effort in the analysis of events from multiple sources and unclear results which increased the meantime-to-repair,” he said. Famuwagun added that the existing tools also had limited, if any, historical data gathering capabilities saying that “That made root cause analysis impossible, particularly in the absence of central collection of IT events and monitored metrics which is necessary to understand the type and frequency of events received over time.” Following a competitive request for proposal and a proof-of-concept exercise, CA’s integrated solutions were selected on the basis of proven capabilities and the past performance of other projects. Famuwagun added that the turnaround time of issue resolution and the availability of local support were other key metrics, as was CA Southern Africa’s demonstrated ability

to effectively engage with the bank noting that while the implementation of the various solutions is presently under way, Famuwagun said results are already being seen. “Today, we can conveniently monitor technology infrastructure from across the globe in a single location. We’ve also seen a boost in service delivery to staff in terms of the time taken for our support team to resolve issues from the point at which faults are logged”, he added He noted that this drives up satisfaction levels within the bank’s users, but also has an even more important benefit stressing that “This has improved performance significantly, with reduced downtime and a direct positive impact on customer service.” CA Southern Africa Account Manager, Johan Redelinghuys, said organisations like Access Bank understand the value of reliable IT systems which are constantly monitored for availability, performance and reliability. BC

Technotalk

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Tips to access your files anywhere

aving remote access to your computer or files from anywhere means you never have to worry about forgetting an important file. You can travel and also do business from anywhere you have an internet connection. However, here are few tips to help you access your files anywere: 1. Use Remote Access or Remote Desktop Apps One of the simplest ways to remotely access your files is to use one of the many free or subscription-based programs. These programs let you log into your home computer from a web browser on the remote computer in some cases, even from an app on your smart phones and iPad and allows you to work on your home computer as if you were sitting in front of it. The most popular remote access programs include: LogMeIn: Offers both a free version that works with windows PCs and Macs for remote desktop control as well as a Pro version that also enables file transfers, remote printing, and more. GoToMyPC: This is a subscription-based service which offers similar advanced features, like drag-and-drop file transfer. UltraVNC: is a free, very configurable program that uses Virtual Network Computing (VNC) technology for remote desktop sharing. It offers many advanced features like special graphics drivers, encryption plugins, and windows authentication, but can be more complex to configure. 2. Share Files with a Network Attached Storage (NAS) Device If you don’t need to remotely control your home computer and just want to be able to access shared files over the internet, you can use a NAS device to do so. These storage devices are mini file servers that you connect to your home network. NAS devices are great for file sharing and backups for multiple computers, and they typically offer remote file access via (File Transfer Protocol) FTP or even your web browser 3. Add an External Hard Drive to Your Home Router You can add an external hard drive to your existing home router if your router has the capability to enable file sharing, The Linksys Dual-Band WRT600N is a similar router with network storage capabilities. Although using an external hard drive connected to your router will be slower than a dedicated NAS, this option may be less expensive if you already have an external drive to use. 4. Use Online Backup and Syncing Services For remotely accessing files from anywhere without having to set up any hardware, turn to cloud computing services, specifically online backup and file syncing web apps. Online backup services provide automatic storage of your files and also allow you to download individual files from a web browser or mobile app. Carbonite, Mozy, CrashPlan, and BackBlaze are a few online backup services to look at. There are additional options for low-cost backup, including using your e-mail or web hosting service to store files online and these can also give you remote access to your files. Dedicated file syncing services and applications are specifically designed to always keep your most important documents with you or accessible wherever you go. Dropbox and SugarSync automatically mirror a folder or several folders on your computer to their online servers. It’s like having a file server in the cloud; you can share files with others and, in some cases, even edit files in your browser and sync with mobile devices. 5. Set up your own home server Finally, if you don’t want to use a third-party solution and would rather set up your own Virtual Private Network (VPN) and server, both Apple Mac OS server and windows home server make business networking and remote access easy. This option is the most expensive and time-consuming to set up, but offers you the most control. BC

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Monday, August 17, 2015

Business Courage

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A multifaceted entrepreneur Sunny Iwedidike Odogwu:

His early life was not entirely different from that of many young persons who set out early in life without a clear idea of what they wanted to be. He first went into aviation, where he tried his hands as a trainee pilot. But two years after, he retraced his steps and opted to read insurance and management. Today, that career detour has made more than meanings in the life of Dr. Sunny Iwedidike Odogwu, the Ide Ahaba of Asaba and patriarch of the Odogwu business empire By Adejuwon Osunnuyi

Odogwu

n the past five decades or so, Dr. Iwedidike Odogwu, the patriarch of the Odogwu business empire, has build a strong and viable business conglomerate spanning finance, hospitality, oil and gas, telecommunications, shipping, construction, publishing and manufacturing. Born on March 20, 1931 in Calabar, Cross River State, Dr. Odogwu, founder and chairman of the Odogwu group of companies is a man of many parts. Courageous, dogged, industrious and intelligent, Odogwu’s business interests cut across almost all sectors of the economy, ranging from telecommunication, construction, hospitality, shipping, financial services. The Ide-Ahaba as Dr. Odogwu is called attended St. Peters School, Broad Street, Lagos in 1939 for his elementary school and proceeded to C.M.S Grammar School, Lagos where he spent only three years before moving to Ilesha Grammar School, where he completed his secondary school education in 1946. After leaving Ilesha, the young Odogwu moved to the United Kingdom, where he studied insurance for one year at the London Insurance Institute in 1954. In 1955, he proceeded to the City College, London to pursue a career in management. Between 1947 and 1948, Odogwu enrolled as a trainee pilot with the then Nigerian Airways but his career path had a detour away from aviation back to insurance when he joined Norwich Union in Lagos as a trainee insurance inspector and manager. He left Norwich Union in 1952 to set up his own business, Dyson & Diket, an insurance brokers, which was the first of an entrepreneurial endeavour that has today, grown into a globally renowned conglomerate. However, the young Odogwu’s first effort at owning a business did not succeed like he had expected, the situation that forced him to seek better fortune elsewhere. In late 1953, left Nigeria for the United Kingdom in search of greener pastures and before long, he was engaged by Pearl Assurance as insurance inspector and late with CT Bowring as a manager, all affiliated to with Swiss General Insurance Co in Zurich. Odogwu returned to Nigeria in

1958 as the first indigenous African Director of C.T Bowring and Company Limited. In 1966, when Odogwu resigned his appointment with Bowring and Company, to start his own company, African Underwriters Limited, which later became United African Insurance Brokers (UAIB), the first indigenous Insurance Brokerage Company, many had thought he threw away a very promising future. Today, however, the decision has not only paid off, it has also brought out, in no small measure, the entrepreneurial spirit in the then young Odogwu that was then desperately yawning for expression. UAIB was set up initially as a Lloyd’s company in 1974 in conjunction with Willis Faber & Dumas Limited, London. The vision was to create capacities for African markets to meet the need in the African insurance market for truly professional insurance broking services based on international best practices. In order to improve proximity to the market, it registered and moved to Nigeria in 1992 and wound up its Lloyd registration in 1996 and ever since its operation has grown. The company currently serves insurers in 11 African countries. In 1962, SIO Properties Limited was incorporated to take maximum advantage of the opportunities in the real estate investment and has since then, evolved as one the largest property and estate development companies in Africa. Over the years, it has grown to be a leading provider of property development and management services, for both residential and commercial properties in Africa, Europe and the United States. The SIO Properties previously owned Radisson Plaza, Manhattan Beach, LA, USA, previously owned and managed No. 1, Times Square, New York, New York, developed, owns and manages Grand Hotel, Resort and Convention Centre, Asaba, Delta State as well as the Le Méridien Grand Towers still under construction. The Grand Hotel, Resort and Convention Centre, Asaba, Delta State is a five-star hotel that offers first class accommodation, conference centre and sporting facilities. Situated on River Niger and provides exciting views of the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State and the Niger Bridge, the hotel offers world class services. It is managed by a seasoned manager, with a 15year management and technical agreement with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (“Starwood”), a leading hotel management company with a portfolio of 897 hotels with approximately 275,000 rooms across 100 countries under management. The Le Meridien Grand Towers is a twin-five star hotel is a project, which sources close to the Odogwus’ say was driven with an aspiration to create twin towers of 15 storeys high landmark hotel and residential tower in Lagos, Nigeria, as an icon in the skyline of the bay. Located on Ikoyi Crescent, a fulcrum of the Ikoyi peninsula in Lagos, when completed, the five-star hotel is expected to provide the most luxurious accommoContinued on pg A14

Business Courage

‘ Odogwu

dation combined with a modern architectural expression with more classical formal elements and layouts. Although the two towers are similar in their architectural style, they have different facades, each adapted to the functions they house. The two towers are sitting on the podium. The podium houses all the entrances, receptions, function halls, support services and amenities necessary for this top class complex. Both have three regiments: a base, a middle portion of the tower, and a top. Odogwu’s Le Meridien Grand Towers is designed to have 271 suites made up of five different suite size categories: the King Suite, the Twin Suite, the Suite, the Diplomatic Suite and Visitors’ rooms (attached to other suites). Added to these, there will be 46 smaller rooms that form part of the four suites located at the end of the two west wings of the hotel. The construction which started in early 2008 is projected at a cost of $337 million, to which sources say SIO Properties has already invested $77 million, with Nairda (MEP contractor) providing vendor financing of $35 million and the remaining $100 million expected to be raised through equity funding from investors. In 1994, SIOtel, the telecommunications arm of the Odogwu conglomerate was established to originally to provide GSM services. The company was granted a provisional license for GSM by the Federal Government. In 2006, it went further by getting the Unified Access License to operate all types of telecom activity (including

broadband and GSM) in any part of Nigeria. Unfortunately, the company neither engage in GSM services nor in CDMA but the company is into Vsat and internet services. Another terrain where Odogwu has plied his business is the oil and gas sector through the Africoil Limited established in the early ‘70s, and was the first company to do roll-on-roll-off shipping of crude oil products in Nigeria. It has an oil concession as well as license to explore for crude oil. Africoil was responsible for the construction of most of the pipelines for transporting crude oil to different parts of the country. The Africoil and Marketing Company limited started by lifting crude oil and fuel from Africa and Saudi-Arabia and marketing them in the United States and Europe. The Odugwu’s entrepreneurial engagement is also into manufacturing, in which it reportedly has four large manufacturing concerns in Nigeria, one of which is primarily export oriented. SIO Industries Limited manufactures agricultural polypropylene sacks, multifilament bag manufacturing, ropes, twins and threads and is believed to be the second largest industry of its kind in Africa. Another manufacturing concern is SODIK Industries, which manufactures low and medium voltage electrical systems for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria and other private and public power establishments. The group also has a commodities trading arm which is based in London and operates under Kemekod Exports (UK)

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Monday, August 17, 2015

Courageous, dogged, industrious and intelligent, Odogwu’s business interests cut across almost all sectors of the economy, ranging from telecommunication, construction, hospitality, shipping, financial services

Limited. It buys and exports local commodities and minerals to various parts of the world. However, of all his vast business interests, the one that directly flow from his professional training is in the financial services sector, particularly in the insurance subsector. Through a carefully conceived special purposes vehicle, Spennymore, Odogwu owns controlling stake in some insurance companies in Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. The group is also one of the largest nongovernmental share holders in African Export Bank with its headquarters in Egypt. Through Spennymore, Odogwu outwitted the docile and the uninspiring management of the old Royal Exchange in the early 90s to acquire majority shareholding in the first insurance company as at the time the foreign owners divested. Besides Royal Exchange, Odogwu also acquired 60 percent equity in the defunct Lion of Africa Insurance and owned African Prudential Insurance 100 percent. Today, after the insurance industry consolidation exercise which led to mergers and acquisition of most of the insurance companies now own 39.12 percent equity in REAN Plc, which is now a product of mergers and acquisition exercise of 2007. Royal Exchange had in 2007 merged with African Prudential Insurance Company Limited, owned by Odogwu who initially controls 40 percent equity in the old REAN and Phoenix of Nigeria Assurance Company Plc. However, while REAN and African Prudential were able to evolve a working arrangement that has today brought about a significantly stronger Royal Exchange, the other insurance company owned significantly by the Odogwu’s could not survive the tide. Another of the Odogwu’s footprint in the insurance sub sector, which has remained enduring thus far, is the United African Insurance Brokers Limited. It prides itself as a first class fully African reinsurance broking company, providing services on treaty and facultative basis for all classes of businesses and also specialized services for energy, marine, aviation, and other specialized lines of insurance business. It

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claims that its prompt and efficient claims management services, consultancy and support services in risk management, establishment and management of specialized insurance pools, reinsurance portfolio management and full range of educational training have all made it a darling of most of its clients. Established initially as a Lloyd’s company in conjunction with Willis Faber & Dumas Limited, London in 1974, UAIB’s vision was to create capacities for African markets to meet the need in the African insurance market for truly professional insurance broking services based on international best practices. In order to improve proximity to the market, it registered and moved to Nigeria in 1992 and wound up its Lloyd registration in 1996 and ever since its operation has grown. The Company currently serves insurers in 11 African Countries. Having inhouse team of expert account handlers and technical staff supported by specialist outside consultant/international brokers, it has been providing back up services for purposes of providing services in some very specialized areas of Insurance/ Reinsurance. Dr. Odogwu also owns Perfecta Investment Trust Limited, a stock broking, bureau de change, investment and portfolio management as well as finance company, through which most of the group’s investment tradings, particularly on quoted equities were done. Perfecta, which was suspended by The Nigerian Stock Exchange in August 2008 for trading with expired registration had its licence returned but is believed to be one of the most inactive dealing members of the Exchange. The octogenarian also has his footprint in the media business with the establishment of The Post Publishing Company Limited, publishers of The Post Express Newspapers in the late 90s. The publishing firm, believed to be currently undergoing major restructuring, was at the time, the exclusive carrier of the New York Times syndicate in Nigeria. Though The Post Express went under several years ago, the company, The Post Pub-

lishing Company limited, still operates a modern four-colour press for high-quality printing and other commercial services. Odogwu is the founder of the Nigerian-Southern African Economic Development Consortium, a group whose goal is the improvement of economic conditions in Africa. A renowned philanthropist, Odogwu belongs to several national, international, professional and business organizations and has deployed his expertise in top-level management to nurture many successful economic and socioeconomic initiatives within the private and public sectors. Odogwu, who was awarded the best African businessman by the World Bank in 1999, is a Fellow of the Chattered Insurance Institute of Brokers (F.C.I.B), London, Fellow of the Corporate Insurance Practitioners (F.C.I.P), London. In 2004, he was awarded the national honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFR) in recognition of his contributions to the business growth of the country by the Federal Government. In 1990, Dr. Odogwu was named the Largest African property owner in the USA by the Wall Street Journal and in 2005; Ide-Ahaba was listed in a South-African property magazine as one of the biggest property owners in South Africa. In 1992, Dr. Odogwu was named the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Enugu Chambers of Commerce, Industries Mine and Agriculture, he won the Zik Leadership Award in Business in 1997 and in 1998, and he was conferred with the World Bank Group-IMF African Club Prize in Business Leadership. He is the Chairman of Odogwu Group of Companies and of SIO Properties formed since 1976, he was Director of Sanyo (Nigeria) and National Fertiliser Co of Nigeria Ltd between 1984 and 1985. He founded the Argro - Allied Sack Factory, Asaba in 1988. At 81, Dr. Odogwu no longer oversees his sprawling business empire but he remains on the board of almost all of them as chairman. However, of his nine children, the most visible, in terms of the management of his business interests is Kenneth Ezewani Odogwu, who is the Group Chief Executive Officer, Odogwu Group. He is also the Chairman of Royal Exchange Assurance Plc. A legal practitioner by training, Ken first served as head of Legal Department of Perfecta Investment Limited, a stock broking firm and was the last Chairman of the defunct IMB Plc before it became FinBank and was also the chief Executive of Siotel. He joined the board of Royal Exchange in September 1997 and became board chairman in July 2007. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, August 17, 2015

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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

atience is another word for staying power. If an entrepreneur and team do not recognise the value of staying power when the business is going through circles of development, discouragement would definitely set in. This, if unchecked, may lead to many abandoned projects and ventures. Many entrepreneurs that have built big businesses today have been through tough times both in private lives and in business functions. I read the story of two people that really got my attention and I believe they are worth sharing with you. Jan Koum was born in Ukraine, where he grew up in a house with no hot water. Koum was only 16 years old when his family moved to the US. They settled in Mountain View, CA, where they lived on food stamps. His mother worked as a babysittter, while he was a cleaner at a local grocery store. His father died in 1997, never setting his foot on Mountain View, while his mother died of cancer related disease in 2000. Despite all these, Koum was smart enough to teach himself computer networking through a book he bought at a used bookstore. He ended up attending San Jose State University, and later got a job at Yahoo. In the year 2009, Koum founded his startup, a messaging app that was later acquired by Facebook for $19 billion. Jan Kourn is the founder of Whatsapp that was sold to Facebook. Here is the story of another startup entrepreneur who entered the entrepreneurial scene with a company called Traf-OData, which aimed to process and analyze the data from traffic tapes (think of it like an early version of big data). He tried to sell the idea alongside his business partner, P. Allen, but the product barely even worked. It was a complete disaster. However, the failure did not hold him back from exploring new opportunities, and a few years later, he created his first Microsoft product, and forged a new path to success. He is Bill Gate. Bill Gates is now one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, but he didn’t earn his fortune in a straight line to success.

Dear friend, the route to success in business can be well designed on a smooth and well cut papers but the journey has a lot of rough bend in real life. Don’t give up! So what do you do to improve on staying power as a life style? The first responsibility: Read Biography and learn from other entrepreneurs. According to The New York Times, Steve Jobs had an “inexhaustible interest” in William Blake; Nike founder Phil Knight so reveres his library that in it you have to take off your shoes and bow. One of the benefits of reading biography is that it allows you to stand on the shoulders

Improving on your staying power

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Dear friend, the route to success in business can be well designed on a smooth and well cut papers but the journey has a lot of rough bend in real life. Don’t give up!

of giants in business and especially in your industry. In the 1670’s Sir Isaac Newton wrote in a letter to his friend Robert Hooke, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” That is exactly what reading biographies can do for you – allow you to see mistakes, correction, endurance, and turning point in business journey. Dr David Oyedepo, the presi-

koum

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BUSINESS

dent of Living Faith Church and chancellor of Covenant University invested hours and weeks studying about 49 biographies of church leaders before he started out. Today, Living faith Church with head quarter in Nigeria is one of the fastest growing faith base organisation in Nigeria and with two top private university in the country. Biography helps you learn from experiences of other en-

Gates

Motivational Business Quotes

ive daringly, boldly, fearlessly. Taste the relish to be found in competition – in having put forth the best within you. – Henry J. Kaiser Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing. – Vince Lombardi In all realms of life it takes courage to stretch your limits, express your power, and fulfill your potential. It’s no different in the financial realm. – Suze Orman The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools. – Confucius

The first one gets the oyster the second gets the shell. – Andrew Carnegie Hire character. Train skill. – Peter Schutz The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency. – Bill Gates Look well to this day. Yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well therefore to this day. – Francis Gray BC

trepreneurs and gives hope on what is possible with seemly impossible situations. The second responsibility: Protect your hope. “And hope maketh not ashamed”- Paul of Israel. Hope is expectation that is around the corner but only you can feel, seen, see, and have touched in your thinking. Once there is hope is pursuit of enterprise dream then energy to keep trying and engaging creative ability to resolve challenges will be there. The truth is that there will always be “No Sayers” and those who will tell you to drop your vision and do something easy of quick reward, and or near term benefit. You protect your hope by moving your mind close to those who help you learn through books, training, and consultancy on the possibility of building the business of your dream. “What gives me the most hope every day is God’s grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God.”Rick Warren The third responsibility: Express and receive love. Prove of love is what you are willing to sacrifice to achieve your business dream. If truly you love and passionate about the value offering then you will consistently strive to learn, unlearn and relearn to achieve a worthy result. You should receive love from people who offer great counsel, offers you financial support and supply you materials on credit so you can stay in business. “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist Dear entrepreneur, to have staying power in business you need to understand experience of others and it will boost your hope: And hope does not make you ashamed to keep at your work; because you love people who really need your good services and products. Be courageous! BC

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Monday, August 17, 2015

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REGULATORS

New insurance commissioner seeks operators cooperation

he New Commissioner for Insurance, Alhaji Muhammed Kari has pleaded on operators and stakeholders in insurance industry to support him in his aim to enhance discipline and professionalism in the industry. This support, he added, would enable him pilot the affairs of the industry effectively. Kari, while speaking at the investiture of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, CIIN, President, Lady Isioma Chukwuma, in Lagos equally applauded all the people who prayed for him when he was appointed commissioner. According to him, “I want to seize this opportunity being my first official public engagement as Commissioner for Insurance to say thank you to all those who sent me messages of congratulations and prayers on my appointment. I join you all in praying that God grants us the strength and wisdom to lift the industry another notch from where it is today.” He added that, “Permit me to also use this medium to seek your continuing support and cooperation in piloting the affairs of my new responsibilities. I thank you in advance for your additional prayers. Current developments in the country obviously call for our collaborative effort to reposition the profession and the industry. We should not be unmindful of

the perception of the insurance profession by the public.” He called on operators to join forces in tackling the poor public perception on insurance, stressing that the apathy towards insurance and the way and manner the profession is being addressed need a rethink from all stakeholders. “We all know the whys, let’s us discuss dispassionately and agree the hows of correcting the wrong perceptions,” he added. Earlier, the Commissioner

urged the new CIIN president to use her office to promote ethics and professionalism in insurance sector. While stating that it is mandated on all insurance practitioners to be educated on their line of business, he urged Lady Chukwuma to use her office to erase indiscipline and unethical practices in the sector. “As the Professional arm of the industry, indiscipline and unethical practices by your members should be of grave concern to the institute. Insurance

practitioners and professionals should be seen to uphold the tenets of the profession both in their words and actions. It is not enough for the Institute to breed and certify insurance professionals only, but must also ensure that they are regularly updated through training and retraining to enable them measure up with current global trends. Training should be of paramount importance to the institute for the development of practitioners.” BC

L-R: Chief Risk Officer, Kevin Ugwuoke, Divisional Head, Managed SMEs, Ken Opara, Head, Savings Group, Janet Nnabuko, Fidelity Loyalty Scheme Beneficiary, Ahmed Tijani Mohammed, Executive Directive, Shared Services, Chijioke Ugochukwu, Divisional Head, Retail Bank, Richard Madiebo and Divisional Head, Corporate Banking, Adeyeye Adepegba at the 3rd Prize Presentation ceremony of the Fidelity Loyalty Scheme in Lagos

CIIN commissions Centre for Insurance and Financial Mgt

he Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, CIIN, has, over the weekend, commissioned its Centre for Insurance and Financial Management Studies,CIFMS. Speaking at the launch of the centre along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the immediate past President, CIIN, Mr. Bola Temowo, said the commissioning was an outcome of four years dream to have a centre that will change the face of insurance and financial management education in the country. While appreciating the insurance industry stakeholders for sharing its vision and mission for the college, he said this is the most desirable step towards boosting insurance education. “The massive financial support from individual and corporate donors towards the completion of the existing structures and facilities are testimonies of uninhibited belief in the potentials of the College to provide world-class human capital development programmes for the Insurance and Financial Ser-

vices sector,” he pointed out. He, however, appeal for more contributions from individual and corporate organisations who would find the College of Insurance project a worthy channel to express their belief in the development of a worldclass College of Insurance in the country. While commissioning the project, the former Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola

Daniel, commended the president of the institute for the laudable achievement, noting that this landmark accomplishment symbolises growth and key to future accomplishment. According to him, “ the CIFMS is a value addition to the quest to better position the CIIN in the industry and, herald a new era of improvement on services rendered by the institute

not only for its future growth, but more importantly, for the growth and development of the Nigerian insurance sector practitioners.” As the education arm of the industry, he said, this is a step in the right direction towards the attainment of the CIIN mandate which is to breed and certify insurance professionals in the country, a pre-requisite for individuals to qualify as insur-

NAMA reviews MoU with NCAT on training

igerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has held crucial deliberations with top officials of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, NCAT, Zaria, leading to the review of existing Memorandum of Understanding, MOU, between the two organizations on training of personnel in the Operations Department of the agency. The MOU which was drafted at the NAMA headquarters in Lagos covered areas such as course duration, deployment of NAMA staff to NCAT, review of school fees, accommodation facilities and improved quality of training to reflect practical field experience. Speaking at the event, the Director of Operations, Mr Uzoma-fyneboy, who represented the Managing Director, Engr. Ibrahim Abdulsalam, commended NCAT for providing the much needed high level manpower to drive aviation in Nigeria over the years. He also expressed confidence that the updated MOU would proffer ways of charting a new course for the training schedules and also clear other grey areas that were hitherto associated with their training relationship. Also in his remarks the leader of NCAT delegation and Deputy Rector of NCAT, Mr Joseph Achimugu canvassed for “a better work synergy between NAMA and NCAT as this would ultimately raise the bar of aviation safety in the country.” BC

ance practitioners. “As a prudential regulator, the quality of and technical capacity of insurance practitioners in the country is a major concern to the Commission. We will continue to support efforts at ridding the profession of indiscipline while entrenching a culture of professional discipline and adherence to rules and ethical standards,” he said. BC

FAAN set to enforce parking rule for tanker drivers

he Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Engr Saleh Dunoma has reiterated the resolution of the Authority to ensure absolute compliance of all tanker drivers to the rules of engagement, as far as parking and operating around the airport environment is concerned. He stated this recently in Lagos at an interactive forum with a team of journalists from the League of Airport

and Aviation Correspondents. Dunoma noted that the notorious act of parking tankers along the airport road would no longer be tolerated as the act was capable of jeopardising safety and security of the airport, which would adversely affect airport users. He noted that an adequate parking space had already been provided for the tanker drivers by the Authority and there was a standing agree-

ment between the Authority and leaders of the tanker drivers’ union to only make use of the aviation designated trailer parks for parking purposes, except during loading or discharging of fuel at the tank farms. He therefore directed relevant security agencies to rise up to the challenge of enforcing strict compliance with the extant rules of parking for tanker drivers within the airport environment. BC

Dunoma

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Zenith Bank: Manpower, technology sustain revenue increase Udo Onyeka

enith Bank one of the major financial institutions in the country has continued to sustain leading position among its peers majorly on account of two factors competent personnel including a sound management and adoption of modern financial technological. The cardinal values of excellent customer service, competent workforce, as well as the optimal use of technology have continued to drive the outstanding performance of the lender. Little wonder Zenith Bank for the half year ended June 30, 2015 has reported a growth of 24 per cent in gross earnings. The audited half-year results released on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, last week showed that gross earnings rose from N184.4bn in June 2014 to N229.08bn. The result showed net interest income rising by 14 per cent from N98.6bn in 2004 to N112.6bn. The group’s profit before tax increased by 24 per cent from N58bn to N72bn while profit after tax rose to N53bn, from N47bn in 2014. Customers’ confidence in the Zenith Bank soared during the period under review as deposits rose from N2.5trn to N2.6trn, as total assets stood at N3.8trn in 2015 when compared with N3.7trn in 2014. Gross loans and advances grew by 10.4 per cent without compromising the asset quality as evidenced by a best-in-class low cost rate of 0.8 percent, which is below industry average Non-Performing Loan, NPL, ratio of 1.44 percent. 2014 full year result The audited results for the 2014 financial year, shows an 8.3 per cent increase in profit before tax, PBT. The results showed that the group’s PBT rose from N110.597bn to N119.796bn in the review period, while its profit after tax edged up by 4.3 per cent to N99.455bn from N95.318bn in the previous year. This followed a 14.76 per cent year-on-year growth in gross earnings. Gross earnings rose from N351.470bn to N403.343bn. Earnings per share was up by 4.98 per cent to N3.16 from N3.01, while total assets jumped by 16.3 per cent to N3.755tn from N3.143tn in 2013. The group also increased its loans and advances by 38.21

per cent to N1.251tn.

N1.729tn

from

Experts’ comments Analysts at FBN Capital Research said, “All in all, the bank’s 2014 full year results were ahead of expectations. “Zenith delivered an Return on Average Equity of 19 per cent for 2014. We would expect consensus estimates for 2015 to move up slightly. “On the back of the results, we would expect the market to react positively, with the caveat that concerns about the impact of the fallout from the decline in oil prices are likely to linger a bit. Zenith shares have outperformed the index this year, gaining 3.2 per cent compared with a loss of -12.4 per cent for the ASI. We rate Zenith Bank shares Neutral. Our estimates are under review Fitch affirms B rating for Zenith and nine other lenders in February. Fitch has affirmed the Longterm Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) of 10 Nigerian banks, including Zenith Bank. The IDRs of FBN, UBA, Diamond, Fidelity, Union and FCMB are support-driven. Zenith’s, FBNH’s, GTB’s and Access’ IDRs are driven by their standalone strength as measured by their Viability Ratings (VRs). In assessing the probability of sovereign support, Fitch considers the authorities’ willingness to support the Nigerian banks to be high as demonstrated in the

past, but its ability to do so may be constrained by Nigeria’s ‘BB‘ sovereign rating. Fitch assigns Support Rating Floors (SRFs) based on each bank’s systemic importance. The most systemically important banks in Fitch’s view were FBN, Zenith and UBA, which are assigned SRFs of B+’. The other banks have SRFs of ‘B’. Zenith’s Viability Ratings, VRs considers its strong franchise, management quality, conservative risk appetite and robust financial metrics. Asset quality is sound and upstream oil & gas exposure represented a limited 6% of loans at end-September 2014. Zenith has a track record of good client selection and Fitch does not expect major impairments in its corporate book. The bank’s capitalisation and leverage compare well with peers and benefit from a strong funding franchise, sound liquidity and proven access to wholesale markets. Zenith’s resilient financial performance stands out, and the bank should manage 2015 better than most peers. What is in it for shareholders? The results also showed that the board of directors had proposed a dividend of N1.75 per share – the same amount it proposed for 2013 – from the retained earnings account as at 31 December 2014. Based on the 2015 half year result, the board of directors of

Zenith Bank have recommended an interim dividend of 25 kobo per share, the first in the history of the bank. The qualifying date for the dividend is August 21, 2015while the register will close on August 24, 2015 to enable the Bank’s registrar prepare for payment of the interim dividend.

to internationally accepted principles/standards, according to the bank will deepen customer experience through greater information security and IT management system that emphasise the protection of the customers and their investments in an increasingly unpredictable business environment.

Innovations and awards Zenith bank, the biggest in Nigeria by Tier-1 capital, recently adopted a new financial reporting policy of publishing audited half-yearly results, a development hailed by market analysts as representing a major boost for the financial brand. The bank’s outstanding service delivery has won numerous international endorsements and awards, including Best Bank in Corporate Governance in Nigeria by Global Banking and Finance (2015), Best Customer Service Bank in Nigeria by Global Banking and Finance (2014) and the Most Customer-Focused Bank in Nigeria by KPMG (2014). The continued focus on customer service and deployment of innovative products has led to growth in market share. The bank only recently scored another first, becoming the first Nigerian institution to be awarded a triple ISO certification by the British Standards International (BSI): the ISO 22301, 27001 and 20000 standards. The three standards, which require the bank to subscribe

Corporate profile Zenith Bank Plc was established in May 1990, and commenced operation in July of the same year as a commercial bank. The lender became a public limited company on June 17, 2004 and was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE, on October 21, 2004 following a highly successful Initial Public Offering, IPO. The bank has over one million shareholders and is Nigeria’s biggest Tier 1 capital. In 2013, Zenith Bank listed $850m worth of its shares on the London Stock Exchange, LSE. The bank has over 500 branches and business centres across the country. In March 2007 Zenith Bank was licensed by the Financial Services Authority, FSA, of United Kingdom to establish Zenith Bank (UK) Limited as the United Kingdom subsidiary of Zenith Bank Plc. Zenith Bank has subsidiaries in many African countries and The Peoples Republic of China. BC

A24 40

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Monday, August 17, 2015

We buy .. We sell.. We manage

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7 bedroom mansion with 3 sitting rooms, 2 bedroom guest chalet,2 rooms boys quarters, swimming pool, barbecue hut and gate house. TY Danjuma Asokoro, Abuja N 1.2b 4Bedroom detached house with BQ, electric gate , borehole , space for swimming pool.(vacant) Estate directly opposite games villages ,Abuja 150m

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reservoir. Location: Price:

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Law & Justice nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

Racial tribal discrimination in any form and in any degree has no justifiable part whatsoever in our democratic way of life Justice George Oguntade, Retired Justice of Supreme Court. xx

Let’s address falling standard in legal education —Odunaiya 42

Mr. Olanrewaju Onadeko, DG, Nigeria Law School

Chief O.C.J Okocha SAN, Chairman, Council of Legal Education.

Why many law students fail bar exams —Osipitan, others

How FG, states tussled for resource control 45

ICC Appeals Chamber to rule in Kenya’s case on August 19 46

takeholders in the administration of justice are again worried by the dismal performance of Nigerian Law School students whose final bar examinations result was released recently by the Nigerian Council of Legal Education (CLE). The result showed that 1,805 students representing about 32 per cent of the candidates failed the bar examination. In effect, this category of students would miss the opportunity of being called to the Bar in November this year and would have to resit the examination at a later date. Last year, Director-General of the Law School, Mr. Olanrewaju Onadeko, had lamented the declining standard of law students being churned out of the 53-year-old institution. The DG said the institution would not compromise its standard to pass students, who performed woefully in the bar examination. This position attracted diverse comments from various stakeholders in justice administration in the country, some

Renowned scholars and law lecturers in the country have justified why about 32 per cent of candidates of the Nigerian Law School performed woefully in the recent Bar final examinations result released barely two weeks ago, writes FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary.

Most of the universities created faculties of law and applied for accreditation without having the necessary manpower to handle the training. of who pleaded that the institution should review the yardstick used to assess students. However, a year after the outcry over students’ woeful performance, one-third of the candidates, who sat for the bar final examination failed again. Reacting on the issue, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, SAN, said the mass failure was due to lack of manpower in most of the faculties of law in the universities. He said most universities created faculties of law and applied for accreditation without having the necessary manpower to handle the training. ‘’The failure is a reflection of the sorry state of faculties of law in most universities.

Some universities applied for accreditation without having the required lecturers to handle the courses, hence they churned out students that managed to pass and cannot face the rigour at the Law School.’’. According to him, ‘’there is need to collapse some faculties of law and make them more productive. The National Universities Commission, NUC, should stop giving accreditation to some universities that do not have required manpower. It is also not out of place to withdraw accreditation of those facilities that are not meeting up. Director of Research, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, NIALS, Prof.

Lanre Fagbohun, in a recent interview with National Mirror said, ‘’If you look at the legal practice, you will see people who don’t show understanding of what they ought to have known at the Law School, particularly in terms of professional ethics. How do you conduct yourself in the profession? That is the one I am particular about. You will find that the standards have actually fallen over the years. Perhaps, the kinds of loopholes that students had before through which they were able to cut-corners and pass the exam, have been blocked. It may be that we have actually CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

Law & Justice

Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Let’s address falling standard in Chief Victor Odunaiya is a former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, and a one-time lecturer at the Nigerian Law School. He was trained in the University of London and was called to the Nigerian Bar about 41 years ago. In this interview with WALE IGBINTADE, he speaks on the need to establish more courts, the falling standard of legal practice and the appointment of judges, among others. Excerpts: How do you appraise the standard of legal practice in the country? Well, I would say that it is a combination of factors especially in a situation that some children were forced to study law because their parents have money or they feel that one of their children should become a lawyer. Ordinarily, a child who did not want to study law, such a child would not have the zeal for the study and when he graduates, he opted out for something else because the zeal was not there; he has no passion for becoming a lawyer. Another issue is the accumulation of wealth, many people see lawyers acquiring wealth never minding how long he has been on the job, but looking for immediate wealth. I could remember in those days a young lawyer stays under the experienced lawyer for five years as pupilage to understand the rudiments of the profession. But these days young lawyers don’t wait for that long especially those who could afford to set up a chamber. They start to fumble and suffer defeats from the experienced lawyers because what they learned at the university and the Law School would still have to be put into practice before becoming a lawyer. It is not in wig and gown that determines a lawyer. The Nigeria Council of Legal Education recently released 2015 final Bar exams result where a total of 1805 students failed. As a former lecturer how will you react to this? The mass failure of the final Bar examinations is unacceptable. It shows the students are not working hard enough to pass the exams. Most of them rely on lecturers’ notes and they expect to pass the exams. They have non-chalant attitudes towards their studies. There is an urgent need to address the falling standard in Nigerian legal education and adequately prepare the students for legal practice. Unless you have been with an established chamber for sometimes, you will not know some of these things. Again, it not enough for a lawyer to file his processes in court, the manner in which he addresses the court has to be acquired through constant training. Are you comfortable with the mode of appointment of judges?

Odunaiya

The mass failure of the final Bar examination is unacceptable. It shows the students are not working hard enough to pass the exam. I am satisfied with the mode of appointing judges now. I think it is the best method available. As far as I am concerned, I’m also comfortable with the appointment of people from the Ministry of Justice and from the practicing Bar as judges. This is because for anybody to become a judge, he or she must be at least 10 years at the Bar. The only thing I am not comfortable with is that, in some states the level of commercial litigations is higher than in other states. Therefore, lawyers in a number of states are not fully engaged in legal matters. You cannot compare the volume of commercial litigation in the southern part of the country to that of the northern part. You cannot compare the activities in the Ministry of Justice in Katsina or in Gongola with what is going on in Lagos and some others states. I believe the ten years for appointment of people to the high court Bench can be increased to 15 years. For instance, in Ogun State before you can be considered for the

high court Bench, you must supply some of the judgements you have obtained for them to know your judicial competence. What is your view on the method of promoting judges to the higher Bench? Well, I am not saying magistrates should not be promoted as judges, but not until they reached the level of Chief Magistrate and their records are clean. A Senior Magistrate should not be considered to be a judge of the High Court at least not until he or she reached the level of Chief Magistrate. How do you see the quality of judgements being churned out from the country’s courts? With all sincerity the quality of our judgement is very good. However, because this aspect has to do with human beings, some of these judges usually give their judgments based on the interpretation of law and the

way they understand the matter brought before them. I cannot deny the fact that there are some bad eggs among them but about 90 percent of them are good and incorrupt. We still have police men as prosecutors at the Magistrate’s Court. Are you satisfied with that? Well, that is a national issue. I once suggested that Local Governments across the country should have legal departments with statutory provision to prosecute cases at Magistrate’s Courts. The Nigerian police, being a Federal Government agency, should not prosecute at the magistrate’s court. They can come as witnesses but not as prosecutor. What is your opinion on criminal justice administration? There are more crimes springing up these days because there are many avenues to commit crimes. Now, we have computer fraud and the rest of it. They use the computer and mobile phones to defraud people, using modern technology to commit crime. Therefore government needs to employ more lawyers who are experts in computer science, who will be able to read and interpret computer technical language, which are being used daily to propagate fraud. These lawyers need to be trained specially on Information Technol-

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Monday, August 17, 2015

legal education —Odunaiya ogy so as to be able to track these fraudsters. How do you think the Federal Government should tackle congestion in the prison? There may be need for the introduction of suspended sentence, when somebody is a first offender and he is below the age of 25. If he is sentenced to any terms of imprisonment, the court may suspend it for one or two years. If he did not commit any further offence or similar offence, he could be left off the hook. But, if he commits an offence within a suspended term, then, the court will bring back the old judgement into account. He would be sentenced to a longer period of time. Another thing is that there must be regular visits by the Chief Judges to the prisons. As a former NBA chairman, will you say the Association is doing enough in terms of promoting the rule of law in the country? Well, it depends on the angle you are looking at the issue. I honestly believe that NBA is still relevant but not as vibrant as it was in days of Gani Fawehinmi, and other human rights lawyers. Some people who are expected to carry out the work left behind by Gani are not doing so. The Bar is not as active as before and that is because of the situation in the country. Some of the old lawyers are getting older and the young ones are still finding their feet. How do you react to the decision of lawmakers’ to earmark N9 billion to themselves as wardrobe allowance? It is senseless when the people they claimed to be representing are suffering. Even judges that carry the bulk of problems of the country are not well paid like the lawmakers. It is madness. They collect wardrobe allowance and other allowances yet they still steal public funds and they claimed to represent the masses. How can legislators earn N70 million every year, it is contemptible. Very soon, state houses of assembly will increase their salaries too, because precedence has been laid. Is it not the same job they are doing?

What is your take on the implementation of the Land Use Act? Government is insensitive to the plight of the people. I am not against any community that wants to drag government to court and I have said it times without number. For example, at Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos state, there are certain areas that were acquired by government. There other areas that were not acquired. Under the Land Use Act, state government has the power to acquire people’s land for public use. However, government must give notice of its intention to acquire and after the acquisition the community must be paid compensation. But, the so-called government officials and some unscrupulous people in the community will make sure compensations are not paid to the real owners of the land. Yet, government will want to chase them out of the land. I do not want to say more about that because I am handling one or two cases in court which I instituted on behalf of some communities in Lagos State. These politicians and some greedy community leaders will collude together and rip-off the land from the real owners. Government is using power to deprive the people of their land. So, I share the view that the Land Use Act needs to be amended because some of the abuses are caused by government officials for their selfish interests. What advice do you have for government on this issue? The only advice I have for them is that when a petition is written to government by the community, the Attorney-General should be kind enough to invite them for discussion, know their grievances and see how to ameliorate it. Government should not use police to intimidate, harass and deprive them of the people of their land. What innovations do you think should be put in place towards the justice sector reform? Justice administration is on the concurrent legislative list. The Federal Government can make laws relating to justice administration and at the same time the state govern-

Under the Land Use Act, state government has the power to acquire people’s land for public use.

However,

government must give notice of its intention to acquire and after acquisition the community must be paid compensation.

ment can make laws relating to the administration of justice in their own states. Even the local governments can make bye-laws which can be enforced at the local level. Because of our current population in Nigeria, the Federal Government should increase the numbers of Judges at the federal level. When you look at the numbers of cases in our courts, there is no reason why they should not increase the numbers of Judges. Secondly, Lagos State has 20 local government areas and with the proposal made by the former Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu making it 57 local government areas. At least they should establish judicial divisions in each of the local government areas. There should be at least a High court in each of the 20 local government areas in Lagos State. There should be Magistrate Courts in each of the local governments so that people will not need to travel to Ikeja or Lagos all the time to file cases. Epe should have judicial division and other areas within Epe. Then Ifako, Ijuishaga should have their own judicial division within their local governments. Areas like, Alimosho, Apapa, Surulere and others should have at least a minimum of six Judges dealing with civil matters and another six dealing with criminal matters. By so doing, there will be speedy trial of cases coming before the court. Instead of cases lasting five, ten years in court, the time spent on litigation will be reduced. The Nigerian Bar Association has already agitated for more courtrooms in the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal. The two court rooms in the Court of

Appeal, Lagos division is insufficient. Ibadan likewise has only two courtrooms and the numbers of cases handled by these courts are too much to handle. These courts should be increased to about 10, so that they can adequately handle the pressures on them. Each city should have a Court of Appeal sitting there. For instance, instead of moving the Justices around, we should have Ogun State Court of Appeal, Oyo State Court of Appeal, Osun State Court of Appeal and with a minimum of five courts, you will discover that it will be easier to complete an appeal within a period of two years. How do you see the future of legal profession in Nigeria? The legal profession in Nigeria has a bright future because the moment you begin to insist on Rule of Law as a panacea for all our problems, ever other thing will fall into place. In other climes, things work because they have laws regulating them. These laws are enforced when there is a dispute as to the correct interpretation and lawyers are engaged. That is why you will find a law firm occupying 20 floors in a building in United States and they will have work to do. This is because from buying a mobile phone to staying in hotel, to buy gasoline everything is regulated by law and the law is enforced. The correctness or otherwise of the law is subject to the pronouncement by the court and the services of lawyers are usually required. So, the future of legal practice in Nigeria with our democratic experiment is bright.

Law & Justice

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 seen the picture of where we are. The issue then will be, how do we restructure ourselves to ensure that we do things right. Some people have said that, it may be a situation whereby the lecturers just decided to do mass failure for the students. That is not a usual thing. It is only if you had not been a lecturer that you will say a lecturer will sit down, looked at his student who has passed his exam and fail that exam. It would take a person who is heartless to do that. Because one of the things that is not easy to do is reading. At a later age in life, reading can become a hobby, legal practice can become a hobby, reading legal materials can become a hobby, but at that stage, it is not a hobby. This is because, the student has in his mind that he would be taking an exam. The lecturer also understands this psyche of the student. So, at the end of the day where a student has crossed threshold in terms of passing, a lecturer will not deliberately fail that student. A former lecturer at the Nigerian Law School, Chief Victor Odunaiya, said the woeful performance of the students of the law school was an indication that the students were not working hard enough to pass their examinations. A lecturer in the Faculty of Law, Lagos State University, LASU, , Mr. Gbenga Ojo, however said that what happened in the law school ‘’ is a replica of the education standard in Nigeria, adding that the University training does no longer meet the required standards. Ojo said there were many distractions on the part of the students these days that had shifted their attention from reading especially social media such as face book, you tube, to go, twitter etc. “It will surprise you to say that even while talking to the students in the class they have audacity to ping in the class and nothing happens”. Another issue that I think could be responsible for the failure is over popula-

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 trapped 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.”

Free advice at social affairs?

A doctor and a lawyer were attending a cocktail party when the doctor was approached by a man who asked advice on how

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Monday, August 17, 2015

‘NUC should no longer accredit varsities with inadequate manpower’

Osipitan

Fagbohun

Many distractions on the part of the students these days have shifted their

attention from reading, especially social media such as facebook, you tube, to go, twitter, etc.

tion student in a class. Before maximum number of students in a class is 100 to 150 but now what we have now is crowd of students in the class rooms. ‘’ he added. A Lagos lawyer Mr. Akinwumi Akinfule said that the failure might be atto handle his ulcer. The doctor mumbled some medical advice, then turned to the lawyer and remarked, “I never knew how to handle the situation when I’m asked for medical advice during a social function. Is it acceptable to send a bill for such advice?” The lawyer replied that it was certainly acceptable to do so. The next day, the doctor sent the ulcerstricken man a bill. The lawyer also sent one to the doctor.

Unfit words to hear

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

Fight to win a case

A junior partner in a law firm was sent to a far away country to represent a long-term client accused of robbery. After days of trial, the case was won, the client acquitted and released. Excited about his success, the attorney emailed the firm: “Justice prevailed.” The senior partner replied in haste, “Appeal immediately.”

tributed to unserious attitude of the students towards their academic pursuits. Akinfule added that some of the students did not have mental capacity to cope, but were asked to study the course through the influence of their parents. According to him, “ I have heard people saying that there are special centres where students can pass JME so if such is done to a student to enter the University, I am sure that such student cannot pass law school exams. I think there is need for the university authorities to sit up because these are the products of the universities in the country, “Let there be room for more research, I could remember during our time one would need to search for any material manually but with the intervention of internet and some applications one can access whatever one needs at finger tip which I believe supposed to guide the students but the reverse is the case”.

Ojo

The Nigerian Law School was set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1962 to provide a Nigerian legal education to foreign-trained lawyers, and to provide practical training for aspiring legal practitioners in the country. Until the school was established, legal practitioners in Nigeria had received the requisite training in England and had been called to the English Bar. The Lagos Campus was set up in 1962, moving to its current location in 1969. The law school headquarters was relocated to the town of Bwari near Abuja in 1997. At the time of the move, hostels and the main auditorium were still under construction. The town had no hospital, no telephone and banking services, and the school was constructing its own borehole to provide potable water. The Augustine Nnamani Campus is located in Agbani, Enugu State. A fourth campus is located in Bagauda, Kano State. There are two additional campuses in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State and Yola, Adamawa State now which bring it to a total of six campuses. Before the setting up of the Nigeria Law School in 1962, all the persons enrolled to practice law in Nigeria were trained in England mostly as Barristers at the various Inns of Court.

Directors/ DGs of Nigerian Law School from 1962 till date 1. Mr.G.R Rudd 2. Dr.Olakunle Orojo 3. Mr. Sofolahan 4. Mr. Babatunde Ibironke (SAN) 5. Mr.J.K Jegede (SAN) 6. Dr.Kole Abayomi (SAN) 7. Dr.Mamman Tahir 8. Mr.Olanrewaju Onadeko

1962-1966 1966-1975 1976-1978 1979-1993 1993-2004 2004 -2005 2005-2013 2013-to date

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Monday, August 17, 2015

FAMOUS CASES

nitially, the battle for resource allocation began as a mere agitation in the country. The main issue was over how much a state was entitled to be paid of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account from the natural resources, particularly oil production and extraction in various parts of the country. However, this agitation latter snowballed into litigation at the Supreme Court. By the provision of Section 232(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the Supreme Court shall, to the exclusion of any court, have original jurisdiction in any dispute between the Federation and a State or between States, especially if the dispute involves any question on which the existence of a legal right depends. Thus, this dispute over resource allocation had arisen between the Federal Government (FG), on the one hand, and eight littoral States of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Rivers States on the other hand as to the Southern or seaward boundary of each of these States. The FG contended that the seaward boundary of each of these States was the lowwater mark of the land surface of such State or; the seaward limit of inland waters within the State, as the case so required. In addition, the FG maintained that the natural resources located within the Continental Shelf of Nigeria were not derivable from any State of the Federation. The eight littoral States disagreed with the FG’s contentions. Each claimed that its territory extends beyond the lowwater mark onto the territorial water and even onto the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone. The states maintained that the natural resources derived from both onshore and offshore were derivable from their respective territories and in respect thereof each was entitled to the ‘’not less than 13 per cent ‘’ allocation as provided in the proviso to subsection (2) of section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. In order to resolve the dispute, the Attorney -General of the Federation filed a writ of summons praying for a determination of the seaward boundary of a littoral State within the county for the purpose of calculating the amount of revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from that state pursuant to section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution. All the states of the federation were joined as defendants in the action. The case was filed in the apex court as Attorney General of the Federation v. Attorney General of Abia State and 35 others and a panel of seven justices, including the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Muhammadu Uwais heard the matter. During the hearings till the judgement

Justice Kutigi

Former CJN, Justice Uwais

How FG, states tussled over resource control The battle for resource allocation in Nigeria was one of the knotty issues ever resolved by the Supreme Court in the last 13 years. It is on record that no fewer than 55 lawyers appeared for the parties before the apex court during hearing of the case. FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary reports. date, no fewer than 55 lawyers appeared at every proceedings. Notable among them are, the then Attorney- General of Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Dr. O. Ajayi (SAN) and Chief Makanjuola Esan (SAN). A host of Attorneys- General of other states also appeared in the case. After the claims and counter-claims by the parties were made, and the respective lead attorneys in the matter had adopted their written addresses, the Supreme Court deferred the proceedings for judgment. When the lead judgment of the Supreme Court was delivered on April 5, 2002, Justice Michael Ogundare declared that the FG’s claim succeeded. According to him, ‘’I hereby determine and declare that the seaward boundary of a littoral state within the country for the purpose of calculating the amount of revenue accruing to the Federation Account directly from any natural resources derived from that State pursuant to section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution is the lowwater mark of the land surface or the seaward limits of inland waters within the State.’’ The apex court also held that the 1999 Constitution having come into force on May 29, 1999, the principle of derivation under the proviso to section 162(2) of the constitution came into operation on same day and the FG was obliged to comply with it. Besides, the apex court listed the policies and practices of the FG that were unconstitutional for being in conflict with the 1999 Constitution. These included; exclusion of natural gas as constituent of derivation for the purposes of the pro-

The FG therefore, maintained that the natural resources located within the

Continental Shelf of Nigeria were not derivable from

State of the Federation.

any

viso to section 162(2) of the 1999 Constitution, and non-payment of the shares of the Delta State Government in respect of proceeds from capital gains taxation and stamp duties. The Supreme Court had also frowned at the funding of the judiciary as a first line charge on the Federation Account and the serving of external debts via first line charge on the Federation Account. The verdict also declared unconstitutional the funding of Joint venture contracts and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) priority projects as first line charge on the Federation Account and the unilateral allocation of 1 per cent of the revenue accruing to the Federation Account to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Being a unanimous decision, Justices Uwais, Abubakar Wali, Idris Kutigi, Emmanuel Ogwuegbu, Sylvester Onu and Anthony Iguh, concurred with the lead verdict. The verdict was a victory to both the Federal Government and some of the

Former AGF, the late Chief Bola Ige (SAN) state governments. Indeed, the Supreme Court judgement on resource control was truly a watershed in the country’s legal, economic and constitutional history. Stakeholders in the administration of justice have repeatedly advocated that the verdict should stimulate the country’s resolve to establish a legal framework through a constitutional conference for the purpose of achieving sustainable economic and political development throughout the federation for the benefit of both present and future generations of Nigerians. This would be the basis of promoting peace, unity and progress in the area, so as to attract the much- desired foreign investments in the country.

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Law & Justice

Monday, August 17, 2015

Evaluating Maritime piracy and security in Nigeria

effect of heightening the exposure and vulnerability of international shipping as potential target for piracy, armed robbery at sea and other maritime crimes. Thus, the dangers of piracy for international trade brought maritime security to the global consciousness and gave it a prime position on policy agendas. At the basic level, piracy as a maritime epidemic directly affects ships, ports, cargo, terminals and seafarers with secondary effects on insurers, brokers and the global economy. This is because with shipping being a globalized commerce involving a variety of countries and nationalities, the implication of piratical attacks are not local or specific to any one country or stakeholder.

Mike Igbokwe

here are different kinds of piracy ranging from aircraft piracy, intellectual property piracy including video piracy and pirate recording but maritime piracy differs from them all. Article 101 of United Nation’s Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS) defines (maritime) piracy as any illegal acts of violence or detention or any act of depredation committed on the high seas (that is to say waters beyond 12 nautical miles from the baselines) for private ends against another vessel or persons or property onboard whilst its Articles 105, 106, 107, 110 and 111 permit warships and other authorized vessels to stop, search and seize any ship on the high seas that they reasonably suspect to be engaged in piracy. However, armed robbery at sea are such unlawful acts against ships and shipping occurring within the territorial waters of a State which are subject to the primary jurisdiction of the courts of the littoral States because UNCLOS does not allow the seizure of pirate ships or arrest of pirates in the territorial waters unless the ship flies the flag of that State except in the case of Somalia where based on UN Resolutions, States were allowed to treat acts of piracy within Somalian territorial waters as if they were committed on the high seas. The relevance of the maritime domain in the growth and development of the global economy and Nigerian economy cannot be over-emphasised due to its being a veritable vehicle for international commerce and a source of revenue to most States. Maritime transport is an important economic sector that underpins international commerce, enhances global economic integration and globalisation. The importance of the maritime domain to international trade is also underscored by the fact that 80 per cent of cargo transported globally is transported through it. Maritime transport’s relevance to international trade has continued to bring about innovations and developments in the shipping industry to ensure that more volumes of goods are transported globally annually and at shorter periods of time. Nigeria as a coastal state and an ‘import oriented’ nation depends largely on the maritime domain for revenue from the mining of natural resources in its maritime domain, predominantly crude oil and the transportation of essential goods to and from overseas. Thus, Nigeria’s maritime domain plays a pivotal role in the growth and development of her economy and the enhancement of her national security. Any state of instability and/or insecurity in her maritime domain would unequivocally have very deleterious effects on her economy, her sovereignty and national security. In recent years, the waters off the Nigerian coast have become plagued with hostishumani generis (enemy of mankind) in the form of sea pirates and armed robbers. Nigerian waters have become reputable for the risk they pose to international maritime transportation and trade and the dangers such endemic state of affairs portend for ships, shipowners and operators and sea farers. Efforts have been made in recent years by the Federal Government of Nigeria, Nigerian Navy, Government Agencies, and relevant stakeholders (local and foreign) to stem the tide of such ignominious acts on Nigerian waters and by extension the Gulf of Guinea. This paper attempts to critically appraise the maritime security situation in Nigeria with particular focus on piracy and armed robbery at sea the effects of these incidents on the Nigerian economy, the successes or otherwise of the efforts by the Nigerian Government and stakeholders to curb their spates on Nigerian waters and the current legal framework in Nigeria in combating them. In order to ascertain the current trends on the subject and the pulse of the maritime industry with respect to maritime piracy in Nigeria, a questionnaire was sent to key stakeholders in the Nigerian maritime industry in an attempt to use their replies to deduce, to a reasonable extent, the state of affairs in our maritime industry with respect to the spate of piracy on our waterways and the effects, so far, of the concerted efforts by our government and stakeholders to curb and/or eradicate the scourge. However, despite several efforts made and reminders sent to them for the answers, only Leadway Assurance Company Ltd and the Nigerian Navy sent answers to the questionnaire. A relevant background on the subject and its trend in the globe is pertinent to assist in a proper contextualisation of the subject and the appraisal undertaken in this paper.

Global trend of maritime piracy

Igbokwe

The essence of maritime security, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, is underscored by the fact that a secure maritime domain is essential to maintainsteady flow of revenues from oil and gas.

Maritime Security Maritime Security has no universal legal or agreed definition due to the fact that it is a broad topic that covers many policy sectors. It is the combination of preventive and responsive measures to protect the maritime domain against threats and international unlawful acts. Elements which are part of maritime security are international and national peace security, territorial integrity and political independence, security protection from crimes at Sea, security of lines of communication, resource security, environmental protection, access to resources at sea and to the seabed and security of all seafarers and fishermen. The essence of maritime security, particularly in the Gulf of Guinea, is underscored by the fact that a secure maritime domain is essential to maintaining the steady flow of revenues from oil and gas, which has the potential to significantly contribute to the development of the region. In addition, maritime resources such as fish, aquaculture and unpolluted/healthy marine ecosystem directly contribute to the livelihoods of many persons that reside within this region and that of other African states. Consequently, it is pertinent that African States and their foreign partners must be at the vanguard of ensuring maritime security of the Gulf of Guinea. It has rightly been observed that the consequences of the current unresolved/ uncurbed security issues in the region include an increased number of attacks, presenting a problem to maritime transportation, increased costs of maritime transportation in the region through higher insurance premiums, decreasing revenues for ports of the region as fewer ships call at them, serious oil theft, depletion of fish stocks through illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and political unrest leading to disruption of crude oil and gas production. Despite the many facets of maritime security, this paper is more concerned with maritime piracy and its inimical effects on globalisation, particularly on Nigeria and the Nigerian economy.

Maritime Piracy In recent years, piracy has inimically affected global trade and the growth of the global economy. Though it is not a recent phenomenon, it has evolved in recent years to a sophisticated organised crime that has drawn the attention of all States which has led to concerted efforts by governments, international institutions and organisations in combating and possibly eradicating the epidemic. It has been observed that increased volumes of international trade had the attendant

Most piratical activities globally are concentrated around major maritime passages such as the straits of Malacca and the Gulf of Aden. This illustrates the associated risks with geographically restricted transit points in terms of blockades by pirates/sea robbers and the successful boarding, kidnapping of crew (sometimes killing of crew) and hijacking of ships along these sea routes. Frequently,shipowners and operators are constrained to follow such risky routes because of the significant costs associated with re-routing ships from these routes and the attendant delays in delivery of cargo caused by such re-routing. However, the list of countries directly affected by piracy has become more extensive in recent years. Recent statistics have shown that waters offSouth East Asia is the ‘hottest spot’ for piracy incidences in the globe, followed by the Gulf of Guinea with Indonesia, Vietnam and Nigeria contributing 30 per cent of piratical incidences in the first quarter of 2015. In the past four years, piratical incidences were recorded more in the waters off the coast of these countries which shows a paradigm shift from incidences of piracy which was predominant off the coast of Somalia between 2003 and 2011. Remarkably, going by a recent IMB Piracy Report, no piratical incidence was reported off the Somali coast in the first quarter of 2011. In a report titled ‘Piracy Today An Update’ submitted by Andrew Taylor to Comite Maritime International , it was stated that States had continued to make practical efforts to respond to the threat of piracy including through Maritime Security Centre-Horn Of Africa (MSCHOA established by EUNAVFOR), the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) which worked with naval forces, the 490 miles Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor (IRTC) operated by independent navies from countries such as Russia, China, India and Japan or the group transit system operated by EUNAVFOR. He also reported that many Owners were resorting to hiring Private Maritime Security Contractors (PMSCs) to deploy armed guards on board their vessels as a response to the failure of task forces to offer adequate protection against piracy. To him, the use of armed guards and PMSCs raises issues and practical questions such as having appropriate licences for weapons on board from the flag State and ports at which the ship calls, the use of force, since the rules that would be applied to when weapons can be used will depend on among other possible laws, the law of the flag State, the law of the State where the Owners are incorporated or have their commercial seat, and the law of the States where the vessel will call. Economically, the inimical effect of piracy on the global economy has been significantly devastating, though it cannot be precisely quantified. It is estimated that Piracy costs world trade an estimated 13 to 16 billion United States dollars annually, which could increase in the coming years. In evaluating maritime piracy and security in Nigeria, it is submitted that such exercise would not be complete without also evaluating maritime piracy and security in the Gulf of Guinea which also adjoins it. Current trend of Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria: Hot spots

Gulf of Guinea

The Gulf of Guinea is an important maritime route for international shipping from Europe to America to West, Central and Southern Africa. The importance of the region in the global energy supply isunderscored by the fact of its proximity to Europe and North America for the transportation of crude oil and gas from the region. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK

Igbokwe, presented this paper at the 7th practical maritime dispute resolution seminar in Lagos recently.

Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror Unsuitable qualifications limit our young people’s employment prospects and potential to contribute to national development. – PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI

Francis Suberu

addened by the resurgence of hoodlums and their nefarious activities in Oshodi area of Lagos State, new chairman of the State’s Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences, SP Olubukola Abe, has vowed to ensure that sanity returns to the hoodlum infested area. Speaking after a sensitisation tour of the area, SP Abe said activities of the hoodlums, street and roadside traders in the area constitute an eyesore and nuisance to the environment, warning that intermittent raid of the area will continue unabated. The chairman said he decided to take a sensitisation tour to Oshodi in order to enlighten Lagosians, especially people in Oshodi axis that the taskforce would not allow anyone to sit on the law of the state as the taskforce was ready to enforce the law to the letter. He said, “With what I have seen so far, we are gradually going back to the way Oshodi used to be in the past but we would not allow that to happen. Whatever has brought us back to this state will be adequately corrected. “We will be collaborating with other relevant agencies and stakeholders as it affects the traffic control across the state and most especially street trading. When the link roads are blocked as a result

Taskforce vows to bring sanity to Oshodi, environs

Ido flyover bridge, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, being destroyed by heavy trucks passing under.

of the activities of street traders, the effects are the gridlock you see on the express which the hoodlums often capitalise on to perpetrate their nefarious acts.” He said he would in the meantime organise a meeting with the stakeholders, the market women, the national Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW and other concerned people so as to bring sanity back to Oshodi area and its environs.

It was observed during the sensitisation tour that shop owner in Bolade Oshodi deliberately extended their shops into the inner routes thereby causing serious hitches to free flow traffic, bus drivers were equally seen parking indiscriminately. SP Abe said in as much as the taskforce would want to be conscious of people’s rights under the law, the agency would ensure that it is very firm in its duty as a

PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

law enforcement agency. “This sensitisation is coming because we feel we have the duty to let them know that what is right and expected of them. People know what is right but it appears it is difficult for some people to do what is right. “This will serve as an enlightenment and warning to them, we are prepared to enforce the law to the letter,” SP Abe said.

NGO trains 150 to fight malaria in Nasarawa Igbawase Ukumba LAFIA

non-governmental organisation, Nigerian InterFaith Action Association, recently trained over 150 religious leaders in Nasarawa State on strategy to fight malaria in the country. The training, which took place in Lafia, the state capital, marks the flagg-off of the mass mobilization against malaria through the promotion of the use of Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and other malaria preventive commodities. Executive Secretary of the association Bishop Sunday Onuoha, said during the training that the scourge of malaria in the country spurred the association to take action and complement the efforts of the government by engaging both Christian and Muslim leaders in the fight to eliminate malaria. According to him, “the faith leaders wield a lot of influence on their congregation and as such

would be in a better position to pass on the message of the use of LLINs and proper environmental sanitation”. The executive secretary said mosquitoes do not discriminate based on religion, genders, race or ethnicity and therefore stressed the need for synergy amongst all to eliminate malaria in the country. While declaring the training open, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura commended the organisation for the initiative that it would go a long way to complement government efforts at eliminating malaria. The governor, who was represented by Mr. Naphtali Dachor, Permanent Secretary Ministry of health, noted that a key strategy in the fight against malaria is the protection against mosquito bite through the use of insecticidal treated nets. He said various nets distribution exercise were on going in the state under the continuous

routine distribution system. He concluded that over 1.6 million nets were distributed to the people of the state in 2014 under the National Malaria Elimination Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health. Dr. Perpetual Uhoimoibhi, Director of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, NMEP,

noted that malaria was still a serious health hence NIFAA would increase awareness on the use of LLINs and other malaria preventive commodities. She said malaria is responsible for 30 per cent of childhood mortality, 25 per cent infant mortality and 11 per cent maternal death in the country.

Police dock mother of 4 over N4.7m fraud Olanrewaju Olatunbosun

32- year-old mother woman, Mrs. Esther Ijie was yesterday arraigned before a Lagos Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Oyingbo on charges bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, fraud stealing, and forgery. The defendant was alleged to have sometime in 2014, at Ogba, obtained the sum of N4, 700, 000, from one Henshaw Ebhodaghe, who lives in Turkey, under the pretence that she wanted to assist him to buy a parcel of land. The mother of four was also alleged to have received a Toyota Highlander jeep from the victim, under the pretence that she is in position to sell the car. The mother of four was also alleged to have forged a deed of assignment, and presented same to the victim when he demanded for the land she bought on his behalf. The offences according to the prosecutor, Inspector Richard Odigie, are contrary to and punishable under sections 409, 312, 284 and 316(a) of the criminal laws of Lagos state of Nigeria, 2011. The accused however pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mr. Ali Abba, counsel to the accused person, urged the court to admit her bail in a very liberal term. Consequently, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. O. I. Adelaja, admitted her to bail in the sum of N500, 000, 00 with two sureties in the same like sum. The Chief magistrate also ordered that the sureties must present to court evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos state government, and have their addresses verified by the prosecutor. The matter has been adjourned till September 28, for mention.

Police arrest man, wife over girlfriend’s death Ezekiel Titus BAUCHI

olice in Bauchi State have arrested a 30-year-old man, identified as Nasiru Usman Banki, and a lady over the death of his girlfriend in Bauchi. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Bauchi, said the deceased, known as Iklima Alhassan, aged 28, and an indigene of Bukuru village in Plateau State,

visited her boyfriend, Nasiru, who resides at Rafin Makaranta area, behind Awala Hotel in Bauchi. He said trouble started when the deceased met another lady, Fatima Baba Isa, 22, of Makera ward in her boyfriend’s apartment, a situation that allegedly resulted in a fight between the two women. Mohammed said, “On August 9, at about 12:50a.m., an unconscious young lady was found along Maiduguri by-pass, near Awalah Roundabout, Bauchi. “The police patrol team at-

tached to Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate Division visited the scene and rushed the victim to ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, were she was certified dead on arrival by a medical doctor and the corpse was deposited in the mortuary for post-mortem examination.” The police spokesman said the deceased’s boyfriend and the other lady were arrested and were assisting the Police with useful information that could help ascertain the cause of her death.

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National News

Monday, August 17, 2015

Police arrest 15 suspected cultists over killings …deploy SARS, MOPOL to Ebute-Metta

Patience Ogbo

olicemen attached to the Special AntiRobbery Squad, SARS, Lagos police command, are investigating 15 men suspected to be cultists. Our correspondent gathered that the suspects were arrested during a raid at Ebute Metta area of the state last week. Commissioner of Police, Fatia Owoseni, stated that the command arrested the suspects following an attack on Okobaba sawmill and killings at Ebute-Metta. Owoseni in an exclusive interview with National Mirror in his office, said the command will not allow criminals to have a field day in the state. He said: “I went to Ebute-Metta area last week with my men to see things for myself. The police also carried out a ‘show of force’ to sound a warning to the criminals in that

area that the police will not tolerate any criminal act. I also redeployed policemen from the special antirobbery squad and mobile police men to carry out patrol of the area. We have arrested 15 suspects following the attack at Okobaba sawmill and killings in the area. These suspects are in our custody at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad. We have also beefed up security on the roads, especially during rush hours to check criminals who want to use the gridlock to steal. More policemen will also be deployed to the expressways to check criminals who want to use the cover of the night to attack.” It would be recalled that suspected cult members killed at least six persons at Ebute-Metta, while rival gangs invaded streets and vandalised vehicles, making residents to flee the area following incessant attack by rival gangs.

PDP decries Buhari, APC’s violation of constitutional provisions Obiora Ifoh, ABUJA

eoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lamented continuous violation of constitutional provisions of the country by the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government, while alerting the international community that all is not well with the nation’s democracy. The party said this fear was derived from some conscious actions and inactions of President Muhammadu Buhari that un-

dermine critical institutions of democracy, emasculate the constitution and ostensibly set the stage for a return of dictatorial regime in Nigeria. According to PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Sunday, President Buhari despite claims of being a converted democrat has allowed, under his watch, incessant violation of sections of the nation’s constitution, a development that has become a huge threat to democracy and stability of the nation.

Internally displaced pregnant women with dignity kits presented to them by National Emergency Management Agency in Borno, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Naval chief vows to halt oil theft

hief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas, yesterday said the military was capable of addressing security challenges facing the country, just as he pleaded for support from Nigerians. Ibas, who spoke at a thanksgiving service at the First Baptist Church in Area 11, Abuja, also said he joined the military by providence. According to the naval boss, Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast will soon be a thing of the past. He also promised to solve the problem of oil theft in the country. “My journey so far has been one I give glory to God. I did not know I will join the military. But in 1979, God changed my story. I was seated at home when a cousin of mine came with an NDA form he obtained. “He said having got the form; he was not interested in military service. He asked if I was interested. I did not know what it was all about, but I collected the form and filled it. Today, here I am thanking God for His mercies all through my career. “It is God that has taken charge of my life, I remain grateful to the Al-

mighty God for His divine touch on me.” He said the military was capable of defeating Boko Haram and ending the current insurgency in the country. “As a nation, we are undergoing security challenges both at sea and in the North-East. While the military is doing its best to address these challenges, Nigerians need to support us with prayers to bring insurgency to an end. “We will not let this nation down until these challenges are curtailed. We all have to pray to God to assist us to bring up young men and women who will be productive,” he said. In his sermon, Minister-In-Charge of the church, Rev. Israel Akanji, whose 54th birthday coincided with the thanksgiving, said: “The Chief of Naval Staff is an unassuming member of the First Baptist Church. After his appointment as Chief of Naval Staff, he came to this church last week without telling anyone, he went about his normal church activities. But somebody drew my attention to his elevation and I was shocked he could keep such a feat to himself and his family.

You can see his mien; he is a man who gets it right. “The President said he never met all the Service Chiefs but their records spoke for them. This means, they earned their elevation on merit. “From what the President did, we should all have absolute faith in God. The Lord has repeatedly assured us that if He opens a door, no one can close it .When God wants to bring you to limelight, he knows how to do it.” Akanji asked Ibas to offer more selfless service to the nation as he had always done. He said: “What people often forget is that people in their position run the country with the President.” Ibas also said oil thieves will no longer have the capacity to transport stolen petroleum products. He said this yesterday shortly after addressing officers and ratings of the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He said troops will now be strategically positioned at “choke points” to prevent transportation of stolen petroleum products. According to him, navy is also putting in place other tactical strategies

to curb oil theft, piracy and attacks on oil and gas installations on the waterways and maritime environment. “We are recapitalising our fleet and building capacities by way of getting our docks, yards and shipyards to be operational, so that, we will be in a position to perform better. “Efforts put in by the navy (with assistance from other security services) in 2014 resulted in drastic reduction of crude oil theft from about 1.2 million barrels per day to about 250,000. “The navy has come up with patrol strategies and creation of more choke points, so that, when oil thieves steal whatever they have to steal, they cannot have access into the open sea,” he said. Ibas said though government had done much in the provision of resources but the navy still lacked the capacity to monitor all wellheads, pipelines and other facilities due to difficulty of the Niger Delta terrain. He said the navy could not be held accountable for the adverse impact on the environment caused by the destruction of illegal refineries and boats carrying stolen petroleum products.

Monday, August 17, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News Guinea-Bissau warring forces should continue to explore peaceful ways of resolving the impasse and the armed forces to respect their undertakings to stay out of politics –ECOWAS CHAIRMAN AND SENEGAL’S PRESIDENT MACKY SALL

PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

he crisis in strife-torn Burundi risks spiralling into a “catastrophe’ for the country and the wider region, the African Union warned yesterday, after the killing of a senior military official amid escalating unrest. Unidentified gunmen killed Colonel Jean Bikomagu, a former chief of staff, outside his home in Bujumbura on Saturday. It was the second high-profile assassination this month as the fallout from the re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza worsened in the central African nation. Nkurunziza was declared winner of elections held in July, for a third term that both opponents and Western powers said violated the constitution and provisions of a peace deal which ended a 19932005 civil war between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority. Neighbouring Rwanda, which shares a similar ethnic population and where a 1994 genocide killed 800,000 people, has also expressed its concern over the unrest. In a statement, AU Commission chairwoman Nkosazana DlaminiZuma condemned Bikomagu’s killing. Zuma “underlines that this ignoble act and many other violent acts in Burundi these last few months illustrate the gravity of the situation and the real

Burundi’s crisis catastrophic risk for region, AU warns

Nkurunziza

risk of further deterioration with catastrophic consequences for the country and the whole region,” the statement said. Bikomagu was army chief during the civil war that started in 1993 when the Tutsi-dominated army was fighting Nkurunziza’s CNDD-FDD Hutu rebels. The election-related violence has been especially frequent in the capital Bujumbura, where

the sound of gunfire is regularly heard at night. The Geneva office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said last week that at least 96 people had been killed since the start of election-related unrest in April and urged leaders to renounce violence and resume their political dialogue. Zuma “insists once again on

the imperative of dialogue and consensus to work for a peaceful and durable solution to the crisis and to preserve the important points in the 2000 Arusha Accord,” the statement said. Burundi’s security council, headed by Nkurunziza, said late on Saturday that it has asked for rapid investigations and the arrest and trial of the perpetrators behind the recent killings.

S’Sudan leader arrives for peace talks as deadline looms

outh Sudanese President a deal by August 17 to end a an effective deal because rebel day. “Even if I am not happy, I Salva Kiir arrived in Ethi- 20-month civil war in which tens forces have split. must show my face because But, yesterday he decided to of thousands of people have opia yesterday for peace if I don’t go, negative forces go himself after consultations been killed. talks aimed at brokering an end will take me as the one against with regional leaders, who have Kiir previously said he would to civil war, reversing an earthe peace that was going to be already arrived in Addis Ababa send his deputy after complainlier decision as international signed,” Kiir added. for the summit meeting on Moning it was not possible to strike threats of possible sanctions mount. But Kiir, who said he had been “compelled” to join the talks alongside rebel leaders and regional presidents, warned it would not be possible to sign a lasting or full peace deal until all opposition factions could join the agreement. “A peace that cannot be sustained cannot be signed,” Kiir said, before leaving Juba. “You should sign something that you will enjoy. If it is signed today and then tomorrow we go back to war, then what have we achieved?” South Sudan’s government and rebels are under intense South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir takes his seat at the State House prior to a brief consultative meeting with diplomatic pressure to sign cabinet and governors, yesterday.

WORLD BULLETIN ‘Al Shabaab fighters warn Kenyan villagers to shun police’ Dozens of suspected Somali al Shabaab fighters swept into a Kenyan village and lectured locals for at least two hours before disappearing into a nearby forest without attacking anyone, police and residents said yesterday. The al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has made a series of deadly raids in Kenya since Kenyan troops first entered Somalia to fight them in 2011. It has said it will continue until Nairobi withdraws the troops, now part of an African Union peacekeeping force. Residents of Basuba village in the coastal region of Lamu said the militants, numbering over 50, warned them against boarding any police or military vehicles because they targeted them for attacks. “They had their faces masked and wore jungle attire. They told us if we boarded those vehicles we would die with the officers,” one resident told Reuters.

Mali separatists trade blame with pro-govt militia over clash Separatists in Mali accused a pro-government militia yesterday of breaching a two-month-old ceasefire, leading to a fierce exchange of fire, but the militia said the separatists were the aggressors. The two sides presented conflicting versions of Saturday’s clash in northern Mali, a region where the government is trying to damp down separatist tensions while simultaneously fighting Islamist insurgents. The incident took place south of Kidal, a stronghold of the separatist movement which is led by secular Tuareg rebels and known as the Coordination of Azawad Movements, or CMA. The separatists said in a statement they had travelled to a rendezvous point to meet members of the Platform alliance of pro-government militias.

Memorial for S’African miners turns political The leaders of South Africa’s two main opposition parties joined thousands of people north of Johannesburg Sunday to mark the third anniversary of the Marikana massacre of 34 striking platinum miners. The shooting of the mineworkers on August 16, 2012 was the worst violence involving the security forces since the end of apartheid in 1994, and shocked South Africa and the world. The memorial ceremony took place at Wonderkop Hill northwest of Johannesburg where the massacre occurred, and was attended by Mmusi Maimane, leader of the Democratic Alliance and Julius Malema, the firebrand leader of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party.

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North

Monday, August 17, 2015

Flood: NEMA intensifies awareness campaign in Gombe, Taraba Williams Attah, GOMBE

L-R: Mohammed Abubakar with his wife, Fatimah; Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; Etsu Tsaragi, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi and Abdulrahman Abdullahi with his wife, Amina, during the wedding ceremony of the couples in Tsragi, Edu Local Government Area, Kwara State, on Saturday.

N130bn loot: Prosecute Suswam, group urges Ortom Tordue Salem, ABUJA

group of media practitioners under the auspices of Association of Benue Journalists, ABJ, has commended efforts of Dr. Samuel Ortom-led state government to recover N130 billion allegedly pilfered by former administration of Gabriel Suswam. The group, through a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Chairman, Emmanuel Iffer, described as unfortunate

the alleged pilfering of the state’s resources, and urged the Benue government to begin prosecution of those involved. The group commended Ortom for his “efforts in the last three months to revive the economy of the state” but regretted “that the panel set up by the government of Ortom to probe Suswam would have to wait six long months to conclude investigations before acting on its findings.” The group urged “the Ortom administration to abridge the duration of

enquiry to three months in view of the urgency to restore Benue to the path of development.” According to the group, “the enquiry should, however, not be a witch-hunt, shadow-boxing or another exercise to waste the meagre resources of the state.” It further regretted that Benue at 39 years since creation was still grappling with the basics of development unlike “younger” states like Delta, Gombe and Katsina that are rated high in infrastructure development. The group also called on

Ortom to make haste and revive the Benue Burnt Bricks Factory, Benue Hotels, Taraku Mills and several other moribund factories in order to tackle the growing number of unemployed people in the state. It also urged the government to consider setting up more factories and adopting aggressive plan to industrialise the state. The Ortom government had few days ago set up a panel to probe the financial transactions of his predecessor. The panel is expected to carry out its assignment in six months.

Borno moves to reopen public schools Inusa Ndahi, MAIDUGURI

orno State government has finally put in place machinery to reopen public schools in Maiduguri, capital of the state. The schools were closed over a year ago due to Boko Haram insurgency. As part of efforts to reopen schools, which now accommodates internally displaced persons, IDPs, from all parts of the state, Governor Kashim Shettima has constituted a 13-man committee to work out modalities for reopening the schools. Primary and secondary schools were shut for over a year with students losing more than a year’s academic session as many schools in rural areas were either attacked or inaccessible at the peak of the expansionist drive of the insurgents, which captured 22 of the

27 local governments in the state. Though Maiduguri, the state capital, was never captured by the insurgents, many primary and secondary schools in the town became home to thousands of IDPs, thus making it difficult for classes to hold. The state government’s gesture is the first concrete action following agitations for reopening of the schools. With constitution of the committee to work out modalities for reopening the schools, institutions in Maiduguri are expected to open for classes at the beginning of next academic session when students might have lost two academic sessions. Borno government in a statement signed at the weekend by Secretary to the State Government, Usman Jidda Shuwa, said the committee has three weeks to submit its report to government, after which action

would be taken on reopening the schools. The terms of reference of the committee include identifying the total number of public schools and advice government on how best these schools could be effectively used for academic activities. The committee is ex-

pected to take into consideration those schools currently accommodating IDPs as well as evaluate how best the displaced students/pupils at the camps and those staying with relatives in the host communities can be distributed to the existing public schools in Maiduguri.

ombe Operations office of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, has called for intensive awareness campaign to people of Gombe and Taraba states over prediction by NIMET of an imminent flood this year. The agency said the warning became necessary because of announcement of the release of water from Cameroun’s Lagdo Dam, which is likely to affect some states along River Niger/Benue. Gombe and Taraba states Operations Controller, Saidu Ahmed Minin, spoke at a one-day workshop organised by the agency to strengthen flood risk awareness and incorporation, mitigation and relief projects and management of solid and liquid waste. He said the warning should be taken seriously as it

Kaduna: Troops recover 1,527 cattle from rustlers A za Msue, KADUNA

aduna State joint security operatives have recovered another 1,232 cows, 295 sheep and 14 donkeys from rustlers at the border forests of Kamuku and Kuyanbana. Briefing journalists in Kaduna, Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, Samuel Aruwan, said the combined operations by the military, police, State Security Services, SSS, and other agencies were operating in the Kamuku and Kuyanbana forests that straddle the borders of Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, Kebbi and So-

Kogi pledges to complete N2.9bn road Wale Ibrahim, LOKOJA

ogi State government has said the N2.9 billion dual carriage-way and OtokitiGanaja bye-pass will soon be completed. Governor Idris Wada gave the assurance while inspecting a road project under construction at the weekend. The governor explained that his administration was working very hard to

ensure early completion of ongoing projects in the state to enable them provide the needed services to the people. He stated that work on the 16km Otokiti-Ganaja dual carriageway byepass began early this year, stressing that his administration embarked on the project to reduce traffic congestion in Lokoja township, particularly Ganaja-junction due to its strategic location. Wada noted that road

might have devastating effect on people in affected areas. However, in a communiqué signed by Ibrahim Nalado from Gombe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Aliyu Abaga of NEMA, participants also called on Gombe government to set aside a day for state-wide environmental sanitation at least twice a month with restriction of movements to ensure compliance. It said the State Development Board and other relevant stakeholders should be pro-active in preventing buildings on waterways and flood prone areas. It also called on Gombe State government to provide adequate refuse dumpsites for regular and evacuation of waste in order to prevent flood in the state. The communiqué enjoined the Gombe government to ensure strictness and full compliance to building approval by builders, including property developers.

development was a cardinal programme of his administration in view of its socio-economic benefits. While asking the contractor to sustain quality and pace of the project, the governor commended the Ministry of Works for effective supervision. Commissioner for Works, Godwin Onama, told the governor that works on the project was progressing steadily, adding that it would be completed in 18 months.

koto states. Aruwan said: “Security operatives in Kamuku and Kuyanbana forests on Thursday, August 13, brought recovered livestock to Birnin-Gwari distribution centre. These included 1,232 cows, 295 sheep and 14 donkeys. “Most of the recovered animals have been released to their owners after satisfying the necessary conditions. About 1,207 cows, 273 sheep and 14 donkeys were released to the following persons: Abubakar Abdulkarim, 157 cows and 12 sheep; Iliyasu B. Abdulkarim, 40 cows, 10 sheep and one donkey; Gambo Na’Alhaji Alhassan, 118 cows and two donkeys; Beti Abdulkarim, 45 cows, 13 sheep and four donkeys; Hassan Abdulkarim, 239 cows, 50 sheep and four donkeys. “Others are Sada Abdulkarim, 37 cows and 6 sheep; Baba A. Hare, 209 cows, 48 sheep and three donkeys; Muhammad Sani, 58 cows and 28 sheep; Abdullahi Ahmed, 105 cows, and 33 sheep. “As the security operations against the criminal elements in that axis continue, Malam Nasir elRufai has commended the officers and men involved for their efforts in helping to make the state safer.”

Monday, August 17, 2015

Giving up? It has never crossed my mind. A man can rise and fall and rise and fall, only to rise again

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Africa Games T/tennis: Toriola, Oshonaike lead Team Nigeria

–GOLF STAR, TIGER WOODS

Ahead Battle of Dar es Salaam:

Ezenwa chases Eagles’ starting spot

Afolabi Gambari

WITH AGENCY REPORT

irst choice goalkeeper for Sunshine Stars FC of Akure and former Nigeria youth international, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, says he will make the most of his latest invitation to the Super Eagles camp which opens today in Abuja ahead of the AFCON 2017 qualifier withy Tanzania in Dar es Salaam on September 5. Twenty three players from the domestic league will commence training as new Eagles Coach, Sunday Oliseh, takes charge of affairs in the capital city. “I am delighted with my latest form at my club and I hope to carry this form to the Eagles’ camp with a view to convincing the national team coach to pick me ahead of others,” Ezenwa said yesterday after helping the Akure club to a 4-0 defeat of visiting Giwa FC. “I have been in the Eagles’ camp before and by the grace of God, I hope that this invitation will count for me in the eye of the selectors,” he added,

Goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa in a league action

stressing, “It is my desire to be the best between the sticks for the Eagles and I really aim to achieve this.” Meanwhile, the Eagles coach will not be in training today as he is scheduled to ring the closing bell at the Nigeria Stock Exchange in Lagos, after which he will take a late afternoon flight to Abuja. Oliseh will have his first breakfast with the team of mainly home-based players tomorrow before seeing them also for the first time in training.

Glo League results Bayelsa

Enyimba

Abia

El-Kanemi

Nasarawa

Heartland

Pillars

3SC

Wolves

Dolphins

Akwa

Sharks

Rangers

IfeanyiUbah

Sunshine

Giwa

Lobi

Taraba

Kwara

Wikki

NPL: Akure Gunners topple Enyimba S unshine Stars of Akure yesterday returned to the top of the Nigeria Premier League in fine style after a 4-0 spanking of visiting Giwa FC at home. Sunshine now has 43 points from 23 matches, a point ahead of closest rival Enyimba which led the log last week. Prince Aggreh grabbed a hat-trick to boost his confidence going into the Super Ea-

gles training camp in Abuja today with Stephen Eze also getting on the scoreboard for the Akure Gunners. Reigning champion Kano Pillars are also shooting their way back into top reckoning after they trounced visiting Shooting Stars 4-1 at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano yesterday. Pillars are now unbeaten in four matches under returnee

coach Mohammed Baba Ganaru. Coach Daniel Amokachi started his stint at Ifeanyi Ubah in fine style when he won 3-2 at Enugu Rangers and Wikki also won 1-0 at Kwara United. There were also home wins for Akwa United (3-1 versus Sharks), Nasarawa (2-0 versus Heartland) and Warri Wolves (1-0 versus Dolphins).

Dikko

WORLD RECORD Firstmile timekeeping device carry Fastest fireman’s

N150

Vol. 05 No. 1178 Monday, August 17, 2015

covered FThe i r s tfastest u s e d imile n Me s o p o t a while m i a i ncarrying c . 3 5 0 0 another B C , t h eperson t i m e son t i c one’s k – a p r i m i t i ve is f o11 r mmin o f s29.14 u n d isec a l –by w Steven a s t h e Jacobs f i r s t “ c(Belgium) l o c k ” eveat r d eveAtletic loped shoulders the b y M aBelgium, n. Stadion in Burcht, Antwerp, on 14 April 2012.

PDP and the burden of responsible opposition F inding itself in the role of Nigeria’s major opposition party after 16 years of dominating her political space would naturally be a daunting challenge for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, I have seen that the party is gradually adjusting to the second fiddle role after the initial traumatic confrontation with the stark reality of its loss of dominant political player status in the country, the fallout of its trumping by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last general elections. This is the positive side to the recent attack by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, on the perceived economic stasis afflicted on the country by what he called President Muhammadu Buhari’s inability to articulate a clear-cut economic policy for the nation. Of course, quite unexpectedly, both the

TAKING CUE

HeartBeat Callistus Oke

Callistusoke@nationalmirroronline.net 08054103275 (SMS ONLY) anthonykila@mail.com Presidency and the ruling APC launched counter attacks. While Gentleman Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said President Buhari’s achievements would speak loudly for themselves, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, venomously dismissed PDP’s claims as distractions. Discerning Nigerians should be happy at this turn of events, which are the stuff with which robust liberal democracy is made. As political scientists will tell you, political pluralism is an inseparable part of democracy. The engagements recently witnessed by us in the hot exchanges between the nation’s two leading political parties are, therefore, very healthy. The stated position of opposition PDP is in consonance with its function as a counterweight to the ruling APC, a function, if well played, could guarantee responsive and responsible government in the country. Recall that shortly after the inauguration of the Buhari Presidency, both Senator David Mark and Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively of the 7th National Assembly, challenged their returnee members in the federal legislature to brace up for their role as opposition. Senator Ekweremadu (still Deputy Senate President), in particular, had harped on the need by the PDP lawmakers in the 8th National Assembly to hold the ruling APC accountable to its campaign promises. However, he advised them to eschew disruptive opposition, which, according to him, “sees nothing good in any government action

THE STATED POSITION OF OPPOSITION PDP IS IN CONSONANCE WITH ITS FUNCTION AS A COUNTERWEIGHT TO THE RULING APC

or policy”. He also urged his colleagues not to engage in “market square propaganda and destructive criticism that turn truth upsidedown or tend to incite the citizenry against the government in power.” This position has hallmarked Ekweremadu as a statesman. His politics is progressive and conforms to the ideals of democracy as a system “in which the peaceful rivalry for the exercise of power exists constitutionally”. If the code of conduct for politicians in a democracy is “peaceful rivalry” the Nigerian brand is circumscribed on account of the high incident of political violence in the system. However, despite the imperfection of our democracy, ruling parties have been displaced by the opposition parties at both federal and state levels. Though it took the opposition 16 years to end PDP reign, it is a mark of our political progress that this was achieved through the electoral process. The big lesson from this is that the Nigerian voter has come of age! This development should impart on the APC: If PDP could lose power at the centre, there is no guarantee it cannot be dislodged

in the nearest future. So, today’s opposition has the potential of becoming tomorrow’s ruling party. The APC achieved this feat be building up the necessary political numbers through accommodation and cohabitation with perceived “strange bedfellows”. Can the PDP learn from this? One cardinal principle of productive opposition is constructivism, which is a responsible opposition anchored on mature approach to issues and zero tolerance disruptive politics that could impede governance. Here is where I think the PDP has to be very careful in order not to be seen as working against national interest - President Buhari’s current probe drive. The party’s Senate caucus, some of its sitting governors, especially Governor Ayodele Fayose and even Chief Metuh, are perceived to be involved in action inimical to this ‘national interest’. Unrelenting attacks on the EFCC, DSS etc, in the most ingenious ways, indicate their desperation in securing their electoral ‘victories’ in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Abia States, and frustrating the prosecution of some of the indicted past governors. On the positive side is that certain salient points raised in the Metuh’s alarm, resonate well with many discerning Nigerians, including some APC chieftains and supporters. Top on the list of such salient points is the nonconstitution of the Federal Executive Council three months after the inauguration of the Buhari administration, a development many believe has denied Mr. President the opportunity for robust engagement of government policies and programmes before their execution. It is true President Buhari has adduced reasons for ‘going slow’ on the constitution of a cabinet, Nigerians are at liberty to accept or reject such reasons. The APC, like many groups and Nigerians, find the situation “unacceptable”. The nation has witnessed the domino effects of this on governance in many states, where governors have become sole administrators. I personally find the development unhealthy because it promotes imperial tendencies in the governance of our country, a liberal democracy.

Sport Extra

Emenike makes ‘plenty goals’ pledge

uper Eagles striker, Emmanuel Emenike, has told AfricanFootball.com he hopes to score many goals and win trophies after he scored twice at the week-

end to give his Dubai club Al Ain the UAE Super Cup. “I’m delighted to start winning trophies as it was something I wanted to do immediately I arrived

here,” Emenike said yesterday. “I am in better shape to score goals for Al Ain and I am still reinstating my commitment to lead the team into a successful sea-

son. “It’s actually not about me, but the entire team because we have been working hard to ensure victories and success. My team mates are wonderful,

with them and everyone involved in the club, more goals will come.” The AFCON 2013 top scorer said he was happy at Al Ain because he felt wanted and felt at home.

Emenike

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