Monday, november 16, 2015 new by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

Nigeria on the road to greatness –Osinbajo DARE AKOGUN

ice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has declared that Nigeria is on the right path to

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Inflation rate slides to 9.3% in October

sary thanksgiving celebration of the Reedemers International Leadership Academy, RILA, which was also used as awards ceremony/grand house

achieve greatness under the current dispensation and will be healed completely of its numerous problems. Osinbajo stated this during the 20th anniver-

Monday, November 16, 2015

THE

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

P.5 Free Fre e inside insi insi nsid ide de

National Mirror Online

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Why Nigeria records mass failure in WAEC

Body identifies poor command of English, spelling errors

TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

resh facts emerged at the weekend as to why many candidates, who sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations, WASSCE, usually perform poorly in the country. It would be recalled that only 616,370 (38.68 per cent) from 1,593,442 candidates, who sat for this year’s May/June edition of the examinaCONTINUED ON PAGE 2>>

NYSC nabs 7 with fake certificates

P.6

L-R: Wife of General Overseer, Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria (FGC), Rev. Bisi Meduoye; General Overseer, Rev. Felix Meduoye; former General Overseer, Gabriel Olu Farombi; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; International President, Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Rev. Glenn Burris Jnr.; General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Adejare Adeboye; his wife, Foluke, and former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), during the 60th annual convention celebration of FGC in Nigeria, with the theme: ‘Greater things’, in Ajebo Camp, Ogun State, yesterday.

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UPDATED 30/10/2015

News

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria on the road to greatness –Osinbajo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

reception for him yesterday in Lagos. RILA, which is the leadership training arm of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, since 1995 awarded Osinbajo an award in recognition of his contribution and excellence public governance as a distinguished alumnus. Speaking at the occa-

sion, Osinbajo noted that humans, as the salt of the earth, can turn a barren land to a land of abundance yield. He said, having had the opportunity to serve the country from the source (top), he will act as the salt that will be poured into the source to perfect it, which will in turn flow into the country to change for the better. He pointed that the

country is very far away from what it ought to be, but promised that the current leadership under President Muhammadu Buhari will do its best to fulfill its mandate of taking the country to the Promised Land. He said: “RILA has been a great experience for me, it is not just an opportunity to learn the word of God but it is more of an

opportunity to enable ourselves to be true leaders in whatever capacity we found ourselves. “What our country really requires are men and women who come from the faith, who are able to demonstrate their faith in the market place, wherever they may be. I think that’s what RILA has done excellently and so well.” Other awardees include

the wife of the Vice-president Dolapo and wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode. Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the Rector of the Academy, Pastor Ben Ewuzie noted that the institution was specifically established to train Christian leaders both for the ministry and the marketplace, who are transformed to drive urban and

international missions with a view to achieving spiritual rebirth and social transformation. “To the glory of God, this year 2015, just like Olive Tree Parish, RILA, marks 20 years of providing excellent, cutting-edge training, raising stars in the kingdom and celebrates the manifestation of the stars among nations,” he added.

Deadline for MTN to pay $5.2bn fine expires today

ISAIAH ERHIAWARIEN

eadline for the payment of the $5.2bn fine imposed by Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, on MTN Telecommunications Company expires today. The deadline was imposed on the South African based company for its failure to disconnect about 5.1million unregistered subscribers from its network. But there are strong indications that top management of MTN Group will be meeting with NCC today on payment terms. A source told our correspondent that the mobile operator will be in Abuja to hold talks with senior officials of NCC on how to resolve the issue, noting, however, that he does not foresee any headway in the proposed dialogue. Our correspondent learnt that NCC would be making its first public statement on the issue since the fine was imposed two weeks ago. Although official confirmation could not be established concerning the latest

development, it was however learnt that the Commission was already looking at the legal implications for MTN not complying with the sanctions. The fine was calculated based on N200, 000 per undisconnected line at the

stipulated time. In July, 2012, the four mobile network operators, MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Globacom were fined N1.17bn for not meeting stipulated quality service benchmarks called key performance indicators.

Also in January this year, three operators again incurred the wrath of NCC over failure to meet the Key Performance Indicators, KPIs, for Quality of Service, QoS. The Commission imposed N647.5m fines on Air-

tel, Globacom and MTN. The three operators were also barred from selling Subscriber Identity Module, SIM, cards with effect from March 1 to March 31, 2014, and were also barred from all promotions in their networks until they

improve on the failed KPIs for which they were sanctioned. The details of the sanction showed that Airtel and MTN were to pay N185m each, while Globacom was liable to the tune of N277.5m.

President Muhammadu Buhari (left) with Director-General of NEMA, Alhaji Muhammad Sidi, during the President's visit to Malkohi IDP camp in Yola, at the weekend. PHOTO: NAN

Why Nigeria records mass failure in WAEC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

tion, conducted by West African Examinations Council, WAEC, obtained credit passes and above in five subjects, including English language and mathematics. English and mathematics are mandatory subjects’ combination to secure admission into tertiary institutions in and outside the country. It would also be recalled that the results of previous exams, especial-

ly in the last five years were no better. Among the reasons for the persistent mass failure, according to the examination body, include the use of text messages abbreviations, like “u” for you in writing, especially in English language and poor command of language as well as indiscriminate lifting of portions of set passages as answers. This shocking revelation was an observation

of the Nigeria Examinations Committee, NEC, of WAEC, which is the highest decision making organ of the council as contained in a communiqué, issued at the end of its 60th meeting held in Lagos last week. The committee, through the General Résumé of the Chief Examiners’ Reports, according to the communiqué signed by the Public Affairs Officer of the council, Mr. Demianus Oji-

jeogu, also observed that many candidates failed because of spelling errors, misinterpretation of questions, illegible handwriting and poor interpretation of technical terms. Similarly, the committee, which also observed cases of malpractice during last year’s November/ December and May/June diets, endorsed appropriate sanctions in all established cases of practice as prescribed by the Rules

and Regulations governing the conduct of the council’s examinations. According to the communiqué, the committee also approved cancellation of entire or part of results of candidates found culpable of malpractice as the case may be. Such candidates and their centres will also be barred from writing or presenting candidates for a certain number of years to serve as deter-

rent to others. The committee has equally blacklisted indicted supervisors for their ignoble roles, while erring teachers and principals would be reported to their state ministries of education and association respectively for disciplinary action. All these decisions, according to the communiqué will be implemented immediately.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

PAGE

Monday, November 16, 2015

Good Health We’re all at risk of bladder cancer FRANKA OSAKWE

f you have ever swam, fetched and used water from lakes or slow-moving water, then you may already have Schistosomiasis, a deadly parasitic infection and leading cause of bladder cancer, living in your bladder or Kidney, a recent study reveals. The study found about 29 million Nigerians currently living with this infection, with high prevalence discovered in school children. The study is part of the research publication; ‘From Parasites to Parasites: A Parasitologist’s Expedition’, recently published by Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), and reviewed during the 6th Annual scientific conference of the institution. The study author, Head of Molecular Parasitology Research Laboratory, Public Health Division NIMR, Dr. Olaoluwa Akinwale, who revealed these findings, said everyone in Nigeria is at risk of contracting the disease. Unlike the previous notion that the infection is a disease of the poor, the study found the disease present in all States of the federation, with both the rich and poor at risk. Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is a chronic disease caused by parasitic worms that stays in certain types of freshwater snails. United Nations report say that people who come into contact with water that contains these snails are at risk of the infection. The disease is said to cause renal and bladder dysfunction or liver and intestinal disease, it is said to contribute to anaemia and growth retardation in children and has been linked to bladder cancer. The researchers carried out research on the prevalence of urinary schistosomiasis, caused by schistosoma haematobium, in various parts of Nigeria and found that children in some communities were urinating blood, an indication of the infection. One of the researches was conducted in Apojula community situated around Oyan

–NIMR scientists warn Nigerians ...say 29 million people already infected

Red wine could cut risk of diabetes

Western diets can raise your cancer risk

AT RISK OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS: Nigerians fetching water from stream.

Dam in Ogun State. Urine and blood samples were collected from 63 participants, whose ages ranged between 7 and 63 years. Both samples were collected and screened using parasitological examination and a molecular examination known as-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), for schistosoma haematobium. From the parasitological examination, 33 out of the 63 participants (about 52.4%) tested positive for haematuria in their blood while 6 had the eggs in their urine. A repeat of the test using the PCR, showed 59 participants had the infection in their blood while 62 had it in their urine. The researchers concluded that there was high prevalence of Schistosoma haematobium, in Apojula community. Another similar research was conducted in Epe, an urban community in Lagos State. Urine samples were collected from 200 pulp-

DID YOU KNOW? glass of red wine every night may help beat diabetes, scientists say. Moderate amounts of the drink have previously been shown to protect the body from disease and keep the heart healthy. Now, tests show a tipple with dinner also improves the metabolism of those with Type 2 diabetes. A world-first study saw more than 200 patients drink a 150ml serving of either mineral water, white or red wine with their evening meal every night for two years. Results show red wine increases good cholesterol (HDL) and the protein apolipoprotein A1 - one of the major constituents of HDL cholesterol while decreasing the ratio

ils, aged 6-13 years, attending an anglican primary school- Ebute Afuye, and a community primary school-Eropoto. In both schools, 16% and 29% were found positive for hematuria in their blood, while 16% and 17% had the eggs in their urine, respectively. A PCR molecular test showed that 57% and 40% were positive for the infection in Ebute Afuye, and Eropoto, respectively. From the test, the researchers concluded that schistosomiasis, otherwise considered a rural disease, is actually present in an urban population and it has the risk of spreading. “When people infected with schistosomiasis parasites urinate or defecate in freshwater, parasite eggs pass from the body. Once in freshwater, the eggs hatch and infect freshwater snails that serve as an intermediate host. The parasites develop and multiply inside the snails. During its larval stage, the parasite emerges

from infected snails back into freshwater, where they can survive for about 48 hours. If in contact with a human, the free-swimming larva penetrates the person’s skin. Once in the body, the larvae develop into adult male and female parasites, which can live, mate, and multiply in blood vessels for as long as 7 years. Female parasites release thousands of eggs, some of which are passed out in the urine, in the case of urinary schistosomiasis, or feces in the case of intestinal schistosomiasis. Some eggs remain trapped in body tissues”, Lead researcher, Dr. Akinwale, explained. Dr. Akinwale, who is also the Director of Research, Neglected Tropical Diseases, said lack of basic amenities increases transmission of disease. According to her, urgent interventions are necessary in order to save the people from the socio-economic effects of the disease. “There should be simultaneous implementation of control measures in all the endemic communities. The states and local authorities should provide pipe borne water and safe waste disposal system to the communities and this should be accompanied with appropriate health education”, she said. To control the spread of the disease, she called on government to formulate appropriate policies that will eliminate poverty and illiteracy from the communities, while unhealthy behavior such as eating with dirty hands, urinating in every place, enjoying uncooked meat should be eliminated. The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked Schistosomiasis second only to malaria, as the most devastating parasitic disease in sub-Saharan Africa, causing more than 200,000 deaths per year.

between total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Professor Iris Shai of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, said: “This first longterm large-scale alcohol trial suggests initiating moderate wine intake, especially red wine, among well-controlled Type 2 diabetics and as part of a healthy diet, is apparently safe and decreases cardiometabolic risk.” Although both wine groups modestly improved glucose metabolism, overall, improvements in the metabolic profiles were mainly attributed to red wine. Professor Shai added: “The differences found between red and white wine were opposed to our original hypothesis that the beneficial effects of wine on lipids are mediated predominantly by the alcohol.”

ating a high protein, fat-loaded Western diet for just two weeks can increase the risk of bowel cancer, according to research. Experts believe that lack of fibre in Western diets could be responsible for a higher risk of the disease compared with an African diet. Non-Western diets high in fibre and low in fat and protein are better for the bacteria in the gut. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, revealed that colon cancer, which kills 600,000 a year is much more common in the Western world than in Africa or the Far East. Researchers looked a group of 20 African American volunteers and another of 20 South Africans. The two groups swapped diets for two weeks, with the African Americans eating a

high fibre diet with lower levels of fat and protein. At the start of the test almost half of the Americans had polyps, abnormal growths in the bowel lining that can progress to cancer. None of the Africans suffered from similar problems. After two weeks on the African diet the American group had less inflammation to the colon and fewer bacteria linked with cancer in their colons. In contrast, the group that switched to the fat and protein-loaded “Western” diet had a “dramatically increased” risk of cancer after a fortnight.

Photo News

Monday, November 16, 2015

L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Guinness Nigeria, Mr. Peter Ndegwa; Corporate Relations Director, Mr. Sesan Sobowale; Supply Chain Director, Mr. Cephas Afebuameh and Marketing and Innovation Director, Mr. Gavin Pike, during an engagement session at Ikeja brewery, yesterday.

L-R: Director of the film, Road to Yesterday, Mr. Ishaya Bako; Chioma “Chiul” Omeruah; Producer, Genevieve Nnaji and actor, Oris Erhuero, during the press conference of T.E.N’s Road to Yesterday, in Lagos, at the weekend. PHOTO: ADEMOLA AKINLABI

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Divisional Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank, Ayona Trimnell; Divisional Head, MSME and Agency Banking, Chidinma Lawanson; MD, Castle Newspapers, Dipo Davies; CEO, Saycheese Cakes, Aisha Menkiti and Regional Manager, Lagos Island, Diamond Bank, Ogechi Altraide, during the 62nd Diamond Businessxpress Seminar in Lagos, recently.

L-R: Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SNEPCo), Mr. Bayo Ojulari; Manager, Monitoring, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Mr. William Arikekpar and SNEPCo’s Finance Director, Ralph Wetzels, during the opening session of 2015 SNEPCo Nigerian Content Exhibition in Lagos, recently.

National News

Commonwealth Medical Association hails Buhari’s choice of health ministers

ommonwealth Medical Association, CMA, has applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing competent professionals as ministers to oversee affairs of the Health Ministry. The association gave the commendation in a statement signed by its Vice-President, Dr Osahon Enabulele. Enabulele said the appointment of Prof. Isaac Adewole and Dr Osagie Ehanire as Minister of Health and Minister of State for Health, respectively, would give the sector a new lease of life. “Mr. President’s appointment of the duo is undoubtedly a courageous and intelligent

move to get competent, honest, experienced and broad-based professionals to administer the Federal Ministry of Health. “It will also progressively re-engineer Nigeria’s health sector. “I therefore, wish to applaud Mr. President for appointing these fit and proper professionals with unquestionable pedigree and remarkable achievements,” he said. Enabulele, who is a former President of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, also congratulated Adewole and Ehanire on their welldeserved appointments. He also congratulated Dr Amina Shamaki, who

was appointed Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health. He, however, urged the ministers to quickly settle down to work and handle the task of re-engineering the sector. “They must now address their minds to earnestly and sincerely tackle the numerous challenges facing Nigeria’s health sector. “In this regard, it is my expectation that in formulating their programme of action, certain considerations will be made. “These include the institution of an inclusive and participatory governance model in the health sector, as well as an altruistic commit-

ment to the 2014 National Health Act. “They should also include strengthening, monitoring and evaluation of the institutions for delivering health services to Nigerians, while restoring public confidence, discipline, integrity, professionalism and best practices in Nigeria’s health institutions,” he said. Enabulele also called for the expansion of Universal Health Coverage in the country by pursuing the much-awaited enactment of the National Health Insurance Commission Act. According to him, this can also be done by strengthening the National Health Insurance

Scheme. “It will include the scaling up of its Community-Based Social Health Insurance component and the sincere exploration of other avenues to improve on the current dismal percentage of health coverage of Nigerians,” he added. He said the issue of medical tourism should be addressed particularly via the implementation of the relevant provisions of the National Health Act. The former NMA boss said the Act had some provisions, which restricted government’s funding for foreign medical treatment of political and public office holders. Enabulele also

charged the ministers to re-position Nigeria’s Health Human Resource, with particular emphasis on the institution of robust and dynamic Health Human Resource Development Plan. According to him, this will help to address issues such as appropriate training, retraining, improved welfare and competitive wages for medical doctors and other health workers. He pledged the association’s partnership with the Health Ministry in efforts to execute the projects so as to enable them to meet the legitimate desires and expectations of Nigerians with regard to improved health care delivery.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Monday, November 16, 2015

Inflation rate slides to 9.3% in October TOLA AKINMUTIMI

fter over four months of sustaining slightly upward trend, the nation’s Composite Price Index, CPI, which measures the prices of goods and services, for the month of October dropped marginally to 9.3 per cent (yearon-year), up from the 9.4 per cent rate attained in the preceding month. The CPI report published yesterday by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, indicated that the Headline index decreased slightly as a result of lower increases in most divisions, which contribute to the index with the exceptions being Transport, Recreation and Culture divisions. The Bureau reported further that food prices also edged lower in the month under review, with the Food sub-index increasing by 10.1 per cent from 10.2 per cent recorded in September. It stated that the subindex was weighted upon as a result of a slower increase in the bread and cereals; milk, egg and cheese; and potatoes, yams and other tuber groups, the latter which has increased at a slower pace for five consecutive months

Similarly, the agency noted that the increases in the “All Items less Farm Produce” or Core subindex also eased for the second consecutive month in October, with the Core sub-index increasing by 8.7 per cent in the month on year-on-year, representing 0.2 per centage points lower from rates recorded in the preceding month. The Bureau noted that the Core sub-index was weighted upon by slower increases in multiple divisions in particular; alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola; clothing and footwear; housing water, electricity, gas and other fuels; and furnishings & household equipment maintenance divisions. It stated: “On a monthon-month basis, the Headline index slowed in October as the seasonal effects of the Muslim festive period dissipated. “The index increased by 0.4 per cent, 0.2 per cent points lower from 0.6 per cent in September, surpassing the lowest pace recorded this year which was recorded in September “All indices which contribute to the index increased at a slower pace (month-on-month) in October with the exceptions being the Transport and Communications divisions.

“In October, both the Urban and Rural indices slowed (year-on-year). The urban index increased by 9.4 per cent from 9.5 per cent in September, while the Rural increased by 9.2 per cent in October from 9.3 per cent in September. “On a month-on-month basis, both the Urban and Rural indices slowed. The Urban Index increased by 0.4 per cent in October, from 0.7 per cent in September, while the Rural index increased by 0.4 per cent in October, from 0.5 per cent in September.” It also pointed out that the percentage change in the average composite CPI for the 12-month period

ended October over the average of the CPI for the previous 12-month period was 8.8 per cent, marginally higher from the 8.7 per cent rate recorded in the preceding month. This is even as it reported that the corresponding 12-month year-on-year average percentage change for the Urban index increased marginally from 8.7 per cent in September to 8.8 per cent in the month under review, while the corresponding Rural index also edged higher to 8.7 per cent in October from 8.6 per cent rate attained in September. Expatiating on the ‘Core sub-index’ trend during

the month, the Bureau reported that in October, the largest increases were recorded in the Books & Stationeries, Motor cars, Liquid Fuel (kerosene), and Garments groups with the average 12-month annual rate of rise of the index standing at 7.8 per cent for the 12-month period ended October 2015, 0.2 per cent points higher from the 12-month rate or change recorded in September. The latest report on the economy’s general price level may have proved some analysts wrong about their projections that the inflation rate could cross the single digit band before the end of the year.

For instance, based on prevailing situation in the global crude oil market, especially the prevailing low prices, and prolonged pressure on the naira, experts from the Financial Derivatives Company, FDC, and many others predicted that the inflation rate will range between 10-12 per cent this year. The analysts hinged their projected rise in inflation rate on factors like the recent increase in electricity tariff, the 15 per cent naira devaluation, a new regime of import duties on cars, likely pressure for wage increases and fall in global oil prices, among other things.

L-R: Children of the late Mama H. I. D. Awolowo, Rev. Oyediran Oyetola and Dr. Tokunbo Dosunmu Awolowo; Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and his wife, Bolanle, during the lying-in-state of the late Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, at the Awolowos’ residence in Park Lane, Apapa, Lagos, yesterday.

Military dismisses reports of Boko Haram’s plan attack in S'West

efence Headquarters yesterday dismissed reports that Boko Haram was planning to attack the south west. Defence spokesman, Col. Rabe Abubakar, said in a statement that the reports were baseless. Abubakar said the mili-

tary in recent operations in the north east had degraded Boko Haram insurgents, stressing it was not possible for them to coordinate attacks “in any part of the country.” He said the arrest of some “ringleaders” of the group had weakened its

capability to wage coordinated attacks. He urged the public to be wary of suspicious individuals or groups and to report them to security agencies immediately. In October, security forces foiled terror attempts by suspected Boko

Haram members in Lagos, the country's economic hub. At least 45 were arrested as plotters. In August, 19 suspected Boko Haram members were arrested in Lagos, Enugu, Plateau, Kano and Gombe states. They were said to be

commanders and frontline members of the group who had played active roles in its campaign of violence in the northeast. Boko Haram, active in northern Nigeria, started its insurgency in 2009 in an effort to establish an Islamic state.

It has killed some 13,000 people and kidnapped hundreds, with surrounding countries such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon affected. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has given a December deadline for the army to wipe out the militants.

NASENI wants Onu to make funding of research work priority

ational Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, yesterday urged the newly sworn-in Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Ogbonnaya Onu, to make adequate funding of research work his top priority. Executive Vice-Chairman of NASENI, Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna,

made the appeal in Abuja. Haruna stressed that adequate funding of research work would facilitate Nigeria’s efforts to achieve rapid technological development. “Technologies developed in the areas of spares, components and systems engineering will be increased and easily transferred to entrepreneurs for the production

of goods and services,” he said He, however, appealed to all relevant stakeholders to work with the minister to promote Science, Technology and Innovation, STI, in the nation. “No nation, from the beginning of time, has ever become great without embracing science and technology. “Science and Technolo-

gy is an instrument which Nigeria can practically utilise to achieve the goals Vision 20: 2020,” he said. Haruna, who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing a minister to oversee the science and technology sector, described Onu as “an intelligent and visionary leader who has passion for the development of science and tech-

nology in the country.” He, nonetheless, pledged that NASENI would intensify its efforts to conduct developmental work in manufacturing, while streamlining applications of technologies developed within or outside its centres, including the patents obtained. “NASENI operates mainly through its development institutes and

each of the institutes has a unique mandate of engineering infrastructural development. “Some of the agency’s achievements include production of science kits for secondary schools, installation of a 7.5 megawatts solar panel manufacturing plant in Abuja and a 10 megawatts hydro power plant at its Ketti site, also in Abuja,” he added.

News

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ambode seeks more attention for non-oil sector FRANCIS SUBERU

Members of Omu-Aran Cultural Dancers entertaining during the 2015 Annual Omu-Aran Festival of Clubs in Omu-Aran, Kwara State, on Saturday.

NYSC nabs 7 with fake certificates …suspects allege in-house collaboration J OEL A JAYI ABUJA

ational Youth Service Corps, NYSC, has arrested seven persons with fake NYSC certificates. Three of the suspects, who are currently using the certificates to work in financial institutions and bank, are on the run. Consequently, the remaining four suspects with fake NYSC Certificate of Exemption and Exclusion were yesterday handed over to the police for prosecution. The suspects are Olatunbosun Abolarin, Yusuf Adekunle, Akan Macaulay and Abdullahi. The suspects told newsmen they paid

money ranging from N20,000, N25,000, N40,000 and N60,000, to get the certificates. Director of Certification, NYSC, Hudu Aliyu Taura, also told newsmen at the handing over in Abuja that the arrests were made possible through the cooperation of their employers, who alerted the scheme for verification of the certificates. He disclosed that 17 certificates were found to be fake during the verification exercise carried out by the scheme, adding that the remaining 10 people and those on the run would soon be arrested. Taura further said it had become necessary for employers of labour to cross-check with NYSC to ascertain the

genuineness of certificate submitted to them by applicants. ‘‘Any time they are employing, they should contact NYSC with the certificates so we can verify and tell them the genuine one. Even those that had employed should bring those certificates for verification,” he said. On whether any scheme staff was fingered in the saga, Taura responded: “No, no NYSC staff was involved,’’ adding that the suspects had mentioned the names of their co-conspirators, ‘‘their bank account and the amount they paid.” One of the suspects, Abdullahi, before being whisked away, told jour nalists that though

the name of their contact person whom they thought was an NYSC staff tur ned out to be fake, yet “I believed there is an in-house collaborator that is making it possible for him.” He and other suspects confidently said they were not fake graduates, but became victims because of their ignorance. They maintained that because they did not undergo the scheme, they did not know they could apply to NYSC directly to get certificate of exclusion or exception. They appealed to the scheme to look inward for possible collaborators, telling them to follow some of the contacts and bank details of one Christian they paid money to.

NASS to publish 2016 budget

enate President Bukola Saraki yesterday said the National Assembly will soon make public details of the 2016 budget. This is contained in a statement signed by Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Social Media, Mr Bamikole Omishore, and made available to newsmen in Abuja. Saraki said from 2016, Nigerians would not have to rely on ‘‘falsehood’’ they receive from some online media.

He said the development was in fulfillment of his inaugural promise and part of efforts to satisfy the curiosity of some Nigerians who had been clamouring that the budget be made public. ‘‘By the time we come into the 2016 budget, at the year’s end, it will be clearer because people just see one item line. ``But that is not going to happen now; you will see what goes to the Senate and what goes to the House of Representatives.

``You are going to see what goes to the management, what goes to the Legislative Institute and we are going to make all these open and clear. ``That is part of the openness we promised,’’ Saraki said in the statement. He recalled that at his inauguration on June 9, he promised that there would be change from impunity and elite arrogance to a life of accountability and respect for every citizen. He said that the National Assembly must therefore

justify the privilege of representation conferred on it by the people. ``As President of the 8th Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly, I shall be guided by the enormity of the responsibilities that this moment imposes on all of us,’’ he said. Saraki restated his commitment to being accessible to the citizens on the dealings of the senate, saying that he understood the expectations of Nigerians from him as senate president.

overnor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday urged Federal Government and indeed the entire country to pay more attention to non-oil sector of the economy in view of the dwindling revenue from oil. Ambode, who spoke during the closing ceremony of 2015 Lagos International Trade Fair at Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS Lagos, said as a proactive response to issues in the oil sector, Nigeria must embrace other sectors so as to garner resources to address the critical needs of the people. The governor said Lagos was already in the forefront of generating non-oil revenues, adding that the state accounts for over 65 per cent of the nation’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product, and over 60 percent of the country’s value added manufacturing. He urged members of the business community to consolidate on the gains recorded so far, by following up the relationship already established with government for mutually beneficial business and investment.

He urged the business community to remain hopeful and support President Muhammad Buhari’s genuine commitments towards transforming the country’s current challenges to opportunities for sustainable economic growth. He also assured that Lagos is open for business, and invited all interested investors to key into the investment opportunities that abound in the state. Earlier, in his welcome address, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Remi Bello urged government at all levels to urgently address all impediments to successful running of businesses in Nigeria such as infrastructure, quality framework and funding, among others. He also thanked the governor for his laudable efforts to maintain close working relationship with members of the business community. Bello, who specifically appreciated the exceptional commitment of Ambode to the creation of enabling environment for businesses to thrive, described Lagos State government as a worthy partner to the success story of the Chamber.

Akwa Ibom to host global engineering conference

kwa Ibom State is to host a global conference of engineers next year. Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the conference, Mr Etido Inyang, told a press conference in Uyo on Sunday that the event, which would hold in December 2016, would also showcase the state’s potential to the outside world. Inyang, who is also Commissioner for Special Duties, said the conference would, among other things, discuss the future of the engineering profession. He said the event would also be an avenue for emerging engineers from the area to meet minds with veterans and those who had made their mark in the profession. “All engineers all over the world will converge on Uyo in December 2016 for

this conference. “Everybody is so particular about Akwa Ibom because of our infrastructure development, the speed at which it was done and is ongoing. ``They want to come and learn, while discussing the future of the engineering profession. ``We, as the LOC, have put our acts together to ensure a hitch-free organisation of the conference,” he said. Inyang said apart from the benefits which the state would derive from hosting the conference, participants would also be exposed to the state’s development patterns. On activities lined up for the conference, Inyang said the forthcoming annual general meeting of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in Akure would determine the specific programmes.

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National News

Monday, November 16, 2015

We’ll translate huge potential in solid minerals sector –Fayemi Abiodun Nejo, ADO EKITI

L-R: Representative of Corps Marshal, Deputy Corps Marshal (Operations), Adie Abu; Special Guest of Honour, Chief Medical Director, National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. J. A. F. Momoh; Deputy Corps Marshal (Administration and Human Resources), Barr. Chidi Nwachukwu; Managing Director, NICON Insurance Ltd, Mr. Bayode Samuel and representative of Chief of Army Staff, Brig.-General J. S. Malu (AHQ Garrison), during the month walking and jogging exercise organized by Federal Road Safety Corps in Abuja, at the weekend.

NIS probes 2 Koreans over expatriate laws

ayelsa command of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, says it has begun investigation into the immigration status of two Koreans working for an oil service firm in the state, Daewoo Nigeria Limited. State Comptroller of NIS, Mr Sule Wunti, told News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Yenagoa on Sunday that the investigation was due to a petition by the state government. “We started investigation on the matter after receiving a written complaint on the status of the two Korean expatriates. “We have equally informed our headquarters in Abuja and we must get to the root of the matter. “We have also invited the expatriates for an interview and they pledged to come on Tuesday, November 17. “Therefore, our investigation is underway,” Wunti said. It would be recalled that the Senior Special Assistant on Oil and Gas to Bayelsa Governor, Mr. Basil Kenbo, alleged that the expatriates had irregular work permit. Kenbo, in a letter to NIS and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, on November 6, gave names of the expatriates as Mr I. S. Seo and Mr Park SeoYoung. He urged NIS to carry out comprehensive investi-

gation into their true immigration status. Kenbo, who decried the abuse of Nigerian labour laws by the two foreigners, accused them of taking undue advantage of their stay in Nigeria by doing jobs Nigerians had abundant expertise for. He alleged that Seo had been using his position in the company to cause communal crisis in Obunagha, the host community of Liquefied Natural Gas projects in Yenagoa. “Besides, Seo has been operating with false documentation, contrary to the terms of entry into Nigeria. “It is a fact that Seo was granted entry into Nigeria by NIS over 20 years ago as a technician, but quite amazingly, took appointments as Administrative Manager and Community Affairs Manager, respectively, in the company at different times in the last 20 years. “Yet, a worrisome and devastating development under the unholy administration of Seo as Community Affairs Manager is the deliberate refusal to comply with and implement Freedom to Operate (FTO) agreements; thus escalating the crisis between youths, communities and the company. “It is against this background that I write to demand thorough scrutiny and review of the expatriate quota of the company, with specific reference to

the position of Community Affairs Manager. “NIS should check the permit authorising Mr. Seo’s entry into Nigeria and his work; this should be reviewed for the purposes of effective monitoring and accountability for national development,” Kenbo said. Reacting to the issues raised in the petition, Mr Bernard James, Acting Community Affairs Manager, Infill Project, Daewoo Nigeria Limited, Gbarain, Bayelsa, argued that the

company enjoyed good relations with its host communities. James, who doubles as the Coordinator of Daewoo projects in Bayelsa, denied that the company had issues with its host communities. “Since I assumed office as the Acting Community Affairs Manager of the company in May 2015, there has been cordial relationship between the company and host communities,” he said.

inister of Solid Minerals Resources, Dr Kayode Fayemi, at the weekend said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was committed to translating the huge potential in the solid minerals sector to reality. Fayemi restated that Buhari emphasised Agricultural and Solid Minerals sectors as ways out for the country, especially in the face of falling price of oil and dwindling revenue. The former Ekiti State governor spoke during a visit to his Isan-Ekiti hometown to condole with the community over the death of its monarch, the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Sunday Ajiboye. Portraying the monarch as his cousin, strong supporter and a scholar with commitment to the service of the community, Fayemi described his demise as “a sense of deep personal loss. We will miss him and the community will build on his legacies.” The minister, who lamented that the contribution of the solid minerals sector to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, with minerals resources available in all states of the federation stood at 0.3 per

18 deaths, 39 road crashes recorded in Akwa Ibom –FRSC

ederal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, yesterday said 18 deaths were recorded in 39 road crashes in Akwa Ibom State between January and October this year. Sector Commander of the commission in the state, Mrs Cecilia Alao, dislcosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Uyo. Alao said 16 of the crashes, which involved 194 persons, were fatal, and attributed most of the incidents to overspeeding and violation of other traffic rules. She, however, said there was a significant decrease in the rate of accidents in the state during the period, when compared to 2014, which recorded loss of 22 lives in road crashes in six

months. “Since January to date, we have recorded 39 road crashes involving 194 persons. “In all, 70 persons were injured and 18 lives were lost,” Alao said, adding that the organisation would continue to fashion out strategies to minimise road accidents in the state, especially during ‘ember’ months. Alao said the command had been sensitising the people on the need to install speed limit device in all commercial vehicles to check over-speeding by drivers. She commended Akwa Ibom Transport Company, AKTC, for keying into the FRSC speed limit device programme, announcing that no fewer than 200 vehicles in the company’s fleet installed

the device. She urged other transport operators in the state to install the device to minimise road crashes. Alao also announced that the command would, this week, mark the remembrance of road traffic victims, with a workshop themed, “It is Time to Remember; Say No to Road Crimes.” She said the event was dedicated to millions of people worldwide who lost their lives in road crashes, adding that statistics had shown that majority of those who died in road crashes ranged from between ages 15 to 29. “These are youths, the future of any nation; they are the ones being lost in road accidents every year. “We are appealing to people to rise up and say no to road crimes.”

cent, assuring that the situation would be reversed so the sector would be a major GDP contributor. He said the country has good prospect in solid minerals sector, having 44 key minerals in about 350 spots across the 36 states of the federation, adding that poor management of the sector in the last 55 years of Nigeria’s independence brought about its low contributions to the economy. “The focus for us will be to get to right track and get the potential translated. What the country has not done properly since independence is to translate the potential” and sounded a note of warning to saboteurs in the sector that it was time for them to quit or face the wrath of the law. According to him, the Buhari government will not give illegal mining operators breathing space to prevent efforts to diversify the country’s economy from being sabotaged by them. Fayemi, who said his deployment to the ministry was in view of the confidence reposed in him by the President, said he had broad experience which would enable him have resounding success on the delivery of the administration’s vision and mission in the sector. According to him, the ministry is endowed with experts in geophysics, mineral resources management, geology, metallurgical and material engineering, mineral engineering and other cognate fields that can help him in achieving the task. “Though, I may not be an expert in mineral resources management, but having superintended over every sector as a governor, I think I have the experience. The task is not even about expertise, but service. I should be able to work with these experts to bring about the needed change in the sector.” Fayemi assured that he would do everything within his powers to translate the mineral resources in the 36 states of the federation, including his home state, Ekiti, for the betterment of the country and its citizens.

South West

Monday, November 16, 2015

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Light rail ready next year –Ambode Abolaji Adebayo

agos State government has promised to complete and deliver the light rail mass transit system from Okokomaiko to Marina by December next year. Governor Akinwumi Ambode, who disclosed this at the closing ceremony of the 2015 Lagos International Trade Fair yesterday, said the rail project was not merely to improve transportation in the state but also to facilitate business by free movement of people and goods across the state. He explained that various security agencies had been well-equipped to enhance their capacities to protect all residents and businesses in the state, just as he said the state government would constantly engage the Organised Private Sector, OPS, through the Lagos State Corporate Assembly under which the issues being faced by the business community would be solved in the best interest of the stakeholders. Ambode, who was represented by Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, noted that while the Nigerian economy was identified as one of the emerging markets in Africa, Lagos State holds the key to the country’s emergence as a major trade and investment destination. The governor said the state, with a population of 21 million people, accounts for over 65 per cent of the nation’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and over 60 per cent of the country’s value added manufacturing. Ambode, who also restated the government’s commitment to create more enabling environment for businesses in the state, said the state has demonstrated the will and commitment to address the concerns in a bid to enhance the global competitiveness of the nation’s economy. According to him, a major step already taken in that direction by the state is the establishment of the Office of Overseas Affairs and Investment. He said the office has been mandated to provide

all supports required by investors in an efficient and timely manner, while it would also champion policies to ease business and serve as link between the government, investors and entrepreneurs. He therefore, appealed to investors to take advantage of the rapid improving business climate in the state, particularly in the sectors of power, agriculture, transportation, health and tourism, adding that investment opportunities abound in the development of private estates, shopping malls, Central Business District, industrial parks, and enterprise zones. On the success of Lekki Free Trade Zone project, the governor said: “I am pleased to inform you that the number of investors that have commenced business operations in the zone is increasing on monthly basis. ‘‘Notable among investors at the zone is Dangote Group that is establishing world-class refinery and fertiliser plant therein. I therefore, enjoin you all to take full advantage of the array of incentives on offer at Lekki Free Zone before it is too late.” He specifically appreciated the effort of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, for putting up an international standard trade fair, which gathered investors from countries across the world. He said the theme of this year’s trade fair “Enhancing Value Addition in the non-Oil Sector” would sensitise the entire country to look inward to develop its non-oil sector. However, President of LCCI, Remi Bello, urged the governor to interact with Federal Government for the release of Lagos International Trade Fair Complex at Badagry Expressway to the chamber. Bello said the present mode of organising the fair with makeshift structures was highly inefficient and expensive. He said the chamber had to provide all facilities from generator to mobile toilets. “We need a befitting international exhibition and convention centre, possibly to be promoted by Lagos State government in partnership with the privatesector.’’

L-R: Co-Founder, Young African, Mr. Tomiwa Igun; former Speaker, House of Representative, Hon. Dimeji Bankole and Senior Researcher, Harvard University, Mr. Efosa Ojomo, during an interaction session with Young African in Lagos, at the weekend.

Reject Mimiko’s N7bn loan request, Boroffice warns bank

Ojo Oyewamide Akure

enator representing Ondo North in the National Assembly, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, yesterday warned management of Zenith Bank Plc against granting request of the state government for N7 billion loan. Boroffice wondered why the government should seek loan few months to the expiration of Governor Olusegun

Mimiko’s tenure in office. He said the loan request did not enjoy the support of Ondo State people despite approval by the House of Assembly. A statement by Boroffice’s Media Office noted that the people were not consulted before lawmakers took the decision. The senator stated that it was unfortunate that the lawmakers traded the collective interests of the people on the altar of party loyalty.

He said: “Indeed, the reason advertised for the questionable loan request by the state government is untenable and dubious. A government reputed for doing nothing significant on infrastructural development in about seven years should be resisted from mortgaging the future of our children under the guise of borrowing to fund infrastructural deficit. “This is the same government that could not

Chestrad presents ‘I will give’ to Nigerians

he Centre for Health Sciences Training, Research and Development (CHESTRAD) International, a Pan-African not-for-profit development institution, will next month (December) formally present ‘I Will Give’, an innovative platform for the mobilisation of resources for social development in specific areas to the Nigeria public. ‘I Will Give’ platform, is a unique solution to expand domestic financing through organised private giving in support of social development and key activities in education, health, youth development and women’s empowerment. Speaking on the goals of ‘I Will Give’, the President of CHESTRAD International, Dr

Lola Dare said the platform would help address the issue of inequalities in access to education, health and other productive inputs through its crowd-funding strategy of mobilising from the capacities that exist in the middle class for socialgiving and harnessing them for the purpose of African social development. ‘I Will Give’ presents a unique solution to expand domestic financing for health and development through private and voluntary giving in what is currently an inadequately tapped market segment within retail banking and financial services. Imbibing the principle of crowd funding, individuals, corporations and government are expected

to contribute to ‘I Will Give’, aggregating contribution and channeling resources generated there from, into pro-poor programs of high social impact and economic benefit identified as having the highest return on investment. Beneficiary populations of the programmes will include women, children, adolescents, young people, the socially excluded and the vulnerable. The orientation and targets of the High Impact Social Programs (HISP) align closely with the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CHESTRAD International has a global reach and promotes programmes that have long-term impact on development financing in the 21st century.

offset outstanding workers’ salaries despite procuring N14 billion bailout funds from the Federal Government. “Ondo State is presently faced with grievous financial challenges like cash-flow insolvency, poor internally generated revenue, low state sustainability index, huge debt burden of over N77 billion and failure to meet basic financial obligations. “Therefore, continuous and unsustainable borrowing is not a wise option at this challenging period. Meanwhile, what is the repayment plan of this dubious loan request? What is the interest rate? Is it true that the interest rate has outrageously bloated to over 25%? Can Ondo meet the contractual obligations? “If the repayment plan exceeds the expiration of Governor Mimiko’s term, the bank should as well start preparing provision for credit losses in its financial statements” Boroffice advised management of Zenith Bank to learn and be guided by the decision of Access Bank to reject the loan request having realised the high degree of risk attached. He warned that if the bank went ahead to grant the loan, it would confirm the widely held opinion in the state that it had been co-opted into the grand conspiracy to defraud people of the state.

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South West 9

Monday, November 16, 2015

Police arrest 9 SSCE students during cult initiation Femi Oyeweso Abeokuta

en of Ogun State Police Command have arrested nine Senior Secondary School SSCE students in Sagamu area of the state for engaging in cultism and other related practices. All the nine, identified as students of Remo Divisional High School, were caught in a nearby bush at Kaara area of Sagamu metropolis. The command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, explained that the suspected cultists were rounded up by the police with the assistance of operatives of Vigilance Service around noon last Friday where they were allegedly performing initiation rite for a 16-year-old student identified as Ayoola Ahmed. Adejobi gave their names as Sodik Suleiman (16), Seyi Okebiyi (15), Olaide Sodik (15), Dare So-

diya (16), Ogunfuwa Samson (17), Adegba Michael (18), Usman Adams (17), as well as Isa Suleiman (18). He said the students were suspected to be members of Black Scorpion cult group. “With the arrest of these young Nigerian youths, the Commissioner of Police Ogun State, Abdulmajid Ali, has again reiterated his commitment to fight cultism to stand still and kick against any crimes or social vices that can jeopardise the existing sound security networking in Ogun State,” Odejobi said. He added that the students have been transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, CIID, at the Command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital for further investigation and prosecution. Adejobi warned that no stone will be left unturned in achieving effective policing of Ogun State.

Ambode, Utomi emphasise reduction in cost of governance Francis Suberu

overnor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and renowned political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, have emphasised the need to reduce cost of governance in the country. The duo said the quest to revive the nation’s ailing economy may be a mirage if government’s spending was not reduced. They stated this at the weekend while speaking during a lecture and award ceremony organised by Lagos Governor’s Office Correspondents, LAGOCO, to mark the 2015 Press Week. They argued that in the face of current global economic meltdown, it was imperative to ensure that available funds were well utilised and excesses greatly curtailed. At the lecture entitled “Reduction in the cost of Governance, Socio-Political Implications for Nigeria”, Ambode said the theme was instructive of the path his administration has traveled in the last five months.

The governor, represented by Special Adviser on Community and Communications, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan said: “We have reduced the cost of governance and have commenced funding more projects that would enhance the quality of lives and empower our people.”

L-R: Prelate of Methodist Church of Nigeria, His Eminence Dr. Samuel Uche; Archbishop of Ibadan Dioceses, Bishop Kehinde Stephen; Acting Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Emilolorun Ayelari and Chaplain, Chapel of the Resurrection, Very Rev. Timothy Olatunji, during the Foundation Day Thanksgiving Service of the University of Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Nigerian scholar solves 156-year-old maths problem Abiodun Nejo Ado Ekiti

Nigerian scholar, Dr Opeyemi Enoch, has successfully resolved the 156-year-old Riemann Hypothesis, the most important problem in Mathematics, by providing a proof. With this, Dr Enoch, who teaches at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, FUOYE, has become the fourth egghead to resolve one of the seven Millennium Problems in Mathematics. According to a statement in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the don’s presentation of the proof on November

11, 2015, during the International Conference on Mathematics and Computer Science in Vienna, Austria, became more symbolic, coming on the exact day and month, 156 years after the problem was delivered by a German mathematician in 1859. The Riemann Zeta Hypothesis is one of the seven Millennium problems set forth by the Clay Mathematics Institute with a $1m reward for each solved problem for the past 16 years. The statement said: “Dr Enoch first investigated and then established the claims of Riemann. He went on to consider and

to correct the misconceptions that were communicated by mathematicians in the past generations, thus paving way for his solutions and proofs to be established. “He also showed how other problems of this kind can be formulated and obtained the matrix that Hilbert and Poly predicted will give these undiscovered solutions. “He revealed how these solutions are applicable in cryptography, quantum information science and in quantum computers.” Three of the problems had been solved and the prizes given to the winners.

The Kogi State-born scholar had, before now, worked on mathematical models and structures for generating electricity from sound, thunder and oceanic bodies. The Mathematician previously designed a prototype of a silo for peasant farmers and also discovered a scientific technique for detecting and tracking someone on an evil mission. Enoch has also succeeded in inventing methods by which oil pipelines can be protected from vandalism and he is currently working on mathematical approaches to climate change.

Unions threaten Arik Air over debt, unremitted deductions

Olusegun Koiki

igerian aviation sector may be in big crisis again if the threat of the industry unions to ground activities in Arik Air is carried out. Our correspondent gathered that the three leading unions in the sector; National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, and National Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, had given the management of the airline 21 days ultimatum

to address some naughty issues in the company, which elapsed today. But, there are indications that the 21 days ultimatum may be extended for another seven days and later another three days as stipulated in labour law. A letter addressed to Chairman of the Airline, Sir Joseph ArumemiIkhide, and copied to Managing Director, Mr. Chris Ndulue, and Executive Vice President (Operations) and made available to our correspondent, warned that the unions would not hesitate to resort to industrial action to press home their demands.

However, when our correspondent contacted the spokesman of Arik Air, Mr. Ola Adebanji, he said he was not aware of the letter to the management and declined to speak further. The letter, which was signed by the Secretaries- General of NUATE, ATSSSAN and NAAPE; Olayinka Abioye, Captain Tarnongu and Aba Ocheme was dated October 27,2015 with the title ‘Notice of strike action.’ Some of the demands of the unions, according to the letter, include remittance of all debts to Federal Government agencies, ground handling companies and stoppage of ille-

gal deductions from staff without remitting such to appropriate quarters. Confirming the development on phone with our correspondent, Abioye said the unions decided to take the step in order to prevent the abrupt collapse of the system due to the activities of the airline. According to him, the debts of Arik Air were a threat to safety and security of the Nigerian airspace, adding that staff salaries are also being owed by the airline. He said: “Also, several deductions from workers are not remitted to the appropriate quarters. For instance, the

National Health Scheme is followed by Arik Air. The management only does that whenever it wants to carry out IOSA certification. “Also, management is supposed to remit 10 per cent of the contributory pension scheme of the workers while workers remit the other eight per cent, making it 18 percent in total. “Despite the fact that the management collects the eight per cent from the workers, it does not add its own while the one collected is not remitted. As I’m speaking to you, there is no condition of service for workers in the airline.”

South East

Monday, November 16, 2015

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Umahi sacks all perm secs in Ebonyi Aliuna Godwin Abakaliki

overnor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has ordered the sack of all permanent secretaries in the state’s civil service except Clerk of the House of Assembly, Mrs. Rose Nwokporo. The sack was contained in a statement signed by Principal Secretary to the governor, Mr. Clement Nweke. The statement said the action was as a result of the determination of the governor to reform the civil service and fight against corruption. The statement directed the permanent secretaries to handover to the next in command in their various ministries on or before today. “The affected officers are to complete all handover exercises in their respective ministries, boards and agencies before close of work on Monday, Nov. 16. “All commissioners, heads of parastatals and agencies in the state are to ensure total compliance to this directive,” the statement said. It was gathered that Nwokporo, who was recently appointed by the governor, was not sacked because of the role she played during the last general election. In a related development, the governor has expressed regret over the death of a police officer, who was recently killed by militants. Umahi made this known in Abakaliki, the state capital, during inspection and commissioning of projects in police barracks. The governor also applauded Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Peace Abdulla in her quest and readiness

Emmanuel Ezeh Enugu

ndigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, yesterday reacted angrily to a recent comment credited to Enugu-based Catholic priest, Rev Father Ejike Mbaka. The priest in charge of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu, had called on the pro-Biafran youths protesting for the immediate release of Radio Biafra Director and Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to go back to their businesses

to fight kidnapping among other criminal activities in the state. Umahi equally mandated the commissioner of works to commence rehabilitation of some section of the deplorable Abakaliki- Afikpo federal road, which has led to the death of many Nigerians and loss of property worth millions of naira. In a related development, the government has debunked media report that Government House in Abakaliki was gutted by fire on Friday. This was contained in a statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Emma Anya. The statement urged citizens of the state to disregard the report, calling on media practitioners to be ethical in their conduct by verifying all sources of information. “There was an electrical spark in the office of the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the Governor on Petroleum Products Pricing and Distribution, Mr. Bassey Chima. “No portion of the office was damaged as the SSA was attending the burial of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Sen. Pius Anyim’s mother-in-law, when the incident occurred. “When Chima was alerted of the incident, he ‘raced’ to Abakaliki and to God’s glory, staff of the Government House had ‘doused’ the effect of the spark,” the statement read. The statement indicated that only a photocopier and television set were slightly affected, and that no portion of the Government House was gutted by the fire.

L-R: Traditional Ruler, Hilltop autonomous community of Enugu, Ozo Sunday Orji; Guest of Honour, Ozo Gab Agu and legal adviser to the community, Mr. Cyprian Nweze, during the community's new yam festival, in Enugu State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Biafra agitation, threat to Igbo presidency —APC Emmanuel Ezeh Enugu

ll Progressives Congress, APC, South-East zone, yesterday called on Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, and similar groups to stop “their war drum.” APC said its stand was in reaction to the spate of mass action by pro-Biafra agitators, cautioning that such protest could scuttle the quest for a Nigeria president of Igbo extraction in 2023. Spokesman of SouthEast APC Leadership Caucus, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, made this appeal in a statement.

He said: “Whereas we agree that there is gross unemployment, discontent and despondency among youths in the land; however, it is not peculiar to the South East alone. “The gross unemployment is nationwide and would be addressed holistically, luckily our son, distinguished Senator Chris Ngige is the minister in charge of employment.” Okechukwu appealed to pro-Biafra agitators to stop their mass action and drums of war in the overall interest of Ndigbo at home, across the country and abroad. “Our record shows that it’s better to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Dialogue is the best solution, albeit we

are doing relatively well across the country and our human development index is one of the highest. “Every rational indicator favours Ndigbo and so, we need to guide our hate propaganda and wait patiently to harvest the turn of the South East. To be frank, this is the golden opportunity for us to join the mainstream, and it should not be scuttled by pro-Biafra agitators,” he added. On whether APC would honour zoning when it is not in its constitution, Okechukwu said: “In liberal democracy, there is the law and there is the convention, but convention more often prevails than the law, because of its moral weight.”

He maintained that more than any other factor, it was breach of zoning that signaled the exit of former President Goodluck Jonathan from Aso Villa. Okechukwu noted that APC benefitted immensely from the zoning breach, noting that the north, out of enlightened patriotic interest in 1999, zoned the president to the south, expecting that in eight years, it will be their turn, but were short changed. He expressed his sincere belief that the two major political parties, APC and PDP would obey the zoning convention after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years regime.

...Mbaka not trustworthy —MASSOB, IPOB fire back as the protests could lead to their death. Mbaka had said: “Locking up your shops and disrupting economic activities will not add any naira to your pocket, whatever grievance you have could be resolved through dialogue.” But both MASSOB and IPOB described him as a man who speaks from both sides of his mouth. Deputy Leader of IPOB, Uche Mefor, who fired back at the cleric, stressed that “Biafra is more than money!”

Mefor stated in a broadcast message on Radio Biafra that the youths are protesting against injustice, oppression and subjugation, which is motivating them to seek their freedom. The deputy leader further wondered why Mbaka could not find courage to condemn the extrajudicial detention of Kanu. According to Mefor, Biafran youths had seen the truth, having been enlightened on the need to restore Biafra, and nothing can stop them from demanding their

rights. Similarly, Director of Information, Factional MASSOB, Mr. Uchenna Madu, regretted Fr. Mbaka’s condemnation of Biafra struggle. He said: “How can a revered Igbo clergy man descend so low in making such a condemnable statement few days after President’s Buhari’s wife visited him? “Mr. President should be aware that no money given to Mbaka, persuasion, personal friendship with him can ever frustrate or

diminish the rising status, consciousness and global reawakening/acceptance of Biafra. “A man, who speaks from both sides of his mouth at a time like this is a hypocrite, and not worthy to be trusted. "The Igbo Christians, Catholics and even the Pope will prove Mbaka wrong. Many Igbo clergymen, including Catholic priests are not in support of Mbaka’s government-paid anti-Biafran comment. “This is why Igbo youth and other citizens have lost

confidence/trust on many Igbo leaders in Nigeria. Biafra agitators are more determined to sacrifice our shops, businesses, jobs, comfort and even the supreme price for the sake of our freedom. "Mbaka should be aware that even during our peaceful/non violence demonstrations, the agitators, sympathisers and Biafran patronised his products including his sachet water and yogurts. Mbaka’s business boomed as the protests lasted.”

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Amour Udemude Asaba

nioma indigenes in Delta State, at home and in Diaspora, have condemned the mass protests by groups of people from South-East called "Biafra", calling for the break-up of Nigeria and the release of one Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, founder of Radio Biafra. The socio-cultural group, while also warning the groups to sheathe their swords in the interest of peace, disassociated itself from any purported struggle tagged "Biafra", which has given birth to all the mass protests in the region. Anioma people under Ndi Anioma of Nigeria, in a statement jointly signed yesterday on behalf of Anioma nation by Lauretta Onochie, Emeka Esogbue, Gloria Adagbon, Emmanuel Nwaokolo, Smart Ajaja, Frank

South South

Monday, November 16, 2015

Anioma condemns Biafra protests Ofili, Benson Ozour, Harris Pen Ogbolu, Lawrence Egwali, Gregory Ogbolu, Ifeanyi Onwuli and Fidelis Chimokwu, noted that Biafra died permanently in 1970. "Like most observers who followed the nature of Biafra in 1967, Ndi Anioma is of the view that Biafra died permanently in 1970 with the surrender speech made by Philip Effiong in which he emphatically stated: ‘Biafra ceases to exist’, following Col. Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu’s escape to Ivory Coast. In spite of this circumstance, a few resentful people of SouthEast origin are attempting to exploit a non-existent opportunity to make the present democratic dispensation ungovernable. "But for posterity, Ndi

Anioma must make its position clear thus: Anioma has never been part of Biafra in history or administration. For record purposes, Anioma was first situated in the Western Region, then Midwestern Region, Bendel State, and now Delta State in the South-South. We cannot for any reason afford to be forcefully strong-armed into any region, outside the region within the South-South geographical zone. "Henceforward, the representation of Anioma in different maps of Biafra does not and cannot amount to Anioma being part of Biafra. That can only be in the figment of the imagination of desperate irredentist adventurers who creatively made such maps to satisfy their thirst for empire-building. They may make Ani-

oma to exist in their maps, but the world must note that it does not have our consent as we reject that tag vehemently. "Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is not familiar with Anioma region and we cannot remember any contribution he has rendered towards the growth and development of our region. We cannot also remember him attending a mere social function of Anioma people to warrant our people to die for him. Frequent announcement that Anioma is part of Biafra on Radio Biafra is far from being a favour because we are not prepared to be drawn into any situation that may threaten the territorial integrity of Nigeria, nor to prosecute any war. Anioma is Anioma, not Biafra," Ndi Anioma stated.

FRSC Enugu State Sector Commander, Mr. David Mendie (left) with representative of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUTH), Dr. Ifeanacho Abireh, during FRSC Enugu candle light procession to ESUTH in commemoration of road accident victims in Enugu, on Saturday. PHOTO: NAN

Anioma however warned that any attempt to secede will result in a war that would shatter the region, stressing that the challenges

of the people such as complaint of marginalisation and poor state of federal roads are real but cannot be solved through conflict.

Gunmen abduct musician at Bayelsa burial Osahon Julius Yenagoa

he impunity with which kidnappers abduct their victims in Bayelsa State in recent time was again displayed early Sunday as gangsters wielding sophisticated weapons kidnapped popular musician, Pereama Freetown, as he played onstage in a Yenagoa community. The gunmen also killed a man, Ebikabowei Umbu, 37, as they shot sporadically to scare away any resistance, while escaping with the musician. It was learnt that the abduction and killing occurred in Polako community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state. An eyewitness, who did not want his name in print, said Freetown was seized by the kidnappers, who numbered about eight, while performing at a burial ceremony in the presence of guests. He said: “The kidnappers, about eight in number, came in a commando style and went for the musician, who was performing at a burial wake-keep in Polako. As they got hold of him, the gunmen shot sporadically to scare away people. "As they were taking

their target away, they released a volley of gunshots and unluckily, one man, later identified as Umbu, was hit by their bullet. He died afterwards." Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen, as usual, escaped through the waterways, this time via Polako River to an unknown destination. Meanwhile, the police command in the state has confirmed the abduction of Freetown and Umbu’s killing, adding that the incident took place by 3 am on Sunday. The command's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Asinim Butswat, said, "On November 15, at about 0300hrs, some unknown gunmen invaded Polako community in Yenagoa LGA, and abducted one Pereama Freetown, a popular musician. "While escaping with the victim, the unknown gunmen shot sporadically killing one Ebikabowei Umbu, 37 years old. They escaped through the Polako River to an unknown destination." The spokesman said the marine police, anti-kidnapping unit and Operation Pulo Shield had immediately swung into action in search of the victim and to arrest the suspects.

Emmanuel urges ICPC to sharpen watchdog role A kwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has advised the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC, to uphold professionalism in the discharge of its responsibilities so as to sustain the already-built confidence of Nigerians in the commission. The governor stated this while interacting with members of the commission, who were on a courtesy visit to him at Government House, Uyo. He noted that the commission, as a reputable

anti-graft agency, commands the respect of Nigerians following its operations and understanding of the workings of democratic setting. Emmanuel said given the integrity of members of the commission selected purely on merit, it was impossible to believe that the commission could be compromised or reduced to a tool for political witchhunting and urged the commission to prosecute on conviction rather than on directives. The governor maintained that the operation of the state was

anchored on transparency and accountability, which is key to the industrialisation blueprint of his administration. He said Akwa Ibom people are noted for integrity and openness in all their dealings, which earned them public trust and confidence all over the world. The governor however decried the frivolous petitions by some of its citizens, describing such petitions as smear publications rooted in sheer mischief or/and misunderstandings. While commending the commission for host-

ing a workshop to create awareness on corruption, Emmanuel used the occasion to enlist the services of the anti-graft agency in the training of political office holders as well as its workforce, stating that such programmes would go a long way in sensitising the people on the dangers of engaging in corrupt practices. Earlier, leader of the delegation and Secretary South-South zone of ICPC, Elvis Oglafa, said the visit was to intimate the governor on the sensitisation programme in the state and to take the anti-corruption cam-

paign to the doorsteps of people at the grassroots. The secretary, who said that Akwa Ibom is one of the states with low reports of petitions, advised the people to develop positive mindset for public office holders, explaining that most of the petitions written about those in position of authority were based on misconceptions and disagreements. Oglafa however called on the people to keep watchful eye on those they entrust public offices, stressing that the responsibility of checkmating the excesses of

those occupying positions of authority should not be left in the hands of the commission alone as every member of the society has a role to play in fighting corruption.

Udom

North

Monday, November 16, 2015

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Legitimise your businesses or go to jail, CGC warns high profile smugglers

omptroller General of Customs, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), has warned high profile smugglers operating in the country to legitimise their businesses or end up in jail. Ali, who gave the warning in Kaduna while addressing custom’s personnel of Zone B Command, accused the smugglers of economic sabotage and bringing dangerous drugs into the country. He said the service would henceforth ensure full enforcement of the law against smuggling, adding, “we will arrest, prosecute any person that goes out to smuggle, no matter how highly placed.” The CGC noted that the rate of smuggling into the country, especially in the zone, had become a way of life of communities along Nigeria’s borders. He disclosed that the service would begin a mass education of border communities engaged in smuggling for them to find other means of livelihood, as most of them do not understand that it was an offence to smuggle things into the country. Ali said his current tour of customs com-

mands was to intimate personnel of the direction of the new administration and instill in them the need to adopt new work ethics hinged on transparency and accountability. The CGC told the personnel that henceforth, none of them would be allowed to spend more than three years in a station. “Many of us form the habit of lobbying for posting; that has to stop. Every posting is important and it is what you do on the desk that will determine your promotion. “We have decided that posting now is (after) three years, anybody that has already spent three years in a place must move to another place “If you are excellent in Kaduna command we will want you to go out and display that same excellence in another place, “There is no need keeping you here and depriving others of your knowledge, in customs service, you must have knowledge of virtually everything,” Ali said. He assured that priority would be placed on enhancing their welfare, but warned that those in the habit of lobbying for promotion or posting would be retired.

L-R: Senator Binta Masi Garba; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engr. Babachir David Lawal and former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, during a courtesy visit on Atiku by a delegation of federal elected and appointed officials of Adamawa State origin in Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa State, at the weekend.

Wada alleges plot by APC to rig Kogi guber election Wale Ibrahim, LOKOJA

overnor Idris Wada of Kogi State has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, in its desperation to capture the state at all costs plans to rig the forthcoming gubernatorial election.

The governor said the ruling party intends to use the army, police and thugs, even as he warned that people of the state will resist any attempt to rob them of their votes. In a statement issued in Lokoja yesterday by Wada’s Chief Communication’s Manager, Mr Phrank Shaibu, the governor said the National

NAICOM decries insurance policies in MDAs

ommissioner for Insurance, National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Mr. Mohammed Kari, has said insurance has not been rightly positioned to provide service to Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, nationwide. Kari said the position of insurance in all the MDAs had been relegated to what anybody could do irrespective of profession. He explained that nonprofessionals were handling insurance duties in most insurance offices in the MDAs, He said when in such situation, the office was bound to face problems as regards claims settlements and payments. He said: “I think the MDAs are not appreciative of the position of law; so what we have decided to do is to make them aware. “And to make them aware, we have selected certain stakeholders in

government and business to emphasise the need for them to inculcate the culture of insurance. “We have found that a lot of MDAs do take up insurance but improperly, and improper insurance placement is a big waste because it makes regulation of the industry very difficult. “So, that is why we have made the policy to go round to the major stakeholders to explain to them what needs to be done and seek their cooperation so that going forward things will be done properly.” Kari said that it was important for MDAs in the country to recognise the important role insurers played in the economy and urged them not to take insurance positions for granted. The commissioner said in order to assist MDAs in taking a quantum leap, NAICOM would come up with an advisory circular/

information on what is required of the MDAs as regards insurance. “But first of all we are going to collect data from them, find out what they insure; how they determine the value and who it is insured with. “We have data of every insurance operator; we have the ability to advise the government not to deal with this intermediary if necessary because we have their track record. “If it is too bad we stop it from operating but if it is not too bad we put restrictions on them because we know all their information and the government does not,” he added. Kari said the idea of MDAs writing NAICOM to confirm whether companies were licensed after they had already gone into business with them was not a good idea. He said NAICOM was available to provide professional advice to the

MDAs and they should ensure utilising the service. On efforts geared towards increasing insurance penetration in the country, Kari said the commission would inaugurate an insurance committee that would see to the issue. “The insurance companies will be meeting on a monthly basis with us to find out ways in which we can support ourselves; we can develop the industry and improve penetration,” he said. According to Kari, government’s policies were not centered at profit making but towards service provision and other corporate social responsibilities. He said the duty of a regulator was to guide providers as they were beneficiaries of government policies, adding that when the policies were established properly it would transcend to increased penetration.

Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was the linchpin of the rigging plot, which he (Tinubu) sees as his only avenue to expand his political and economic fiefdom. Shaibu said the twopronged plan involves using state instrument of coercion to cow and conquer members of the PDP before the election and then on the D-day, they will move in for what they have designed as “mop up operations.” He said the rigging plan was hatched after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who attended the APC governorship rally in Okene reported back to Tinubu that massive defeat was imminent in the crucial governorship poll scheduled for Saturday. He alleged that 12,000 policemen and 3,000 soldiers are to be deployed to the state to reinforce over 2,500 permanent and adhoc electoral personnel, who have been detailed to deliver the APC candidate at all costs. According to him, majority of the electoral personnel to be used for the poll are persons whose names were submitted to INEC by the Abubakar Audu’s campaign organisation and others with

confirmed bias for APC. Shaibu alleged that Electoral Officers manning each LGA have been pencilled down to receive N2m each to coordinate the grand rigging plan. He said: “Furthermore another bribe of N2m each has been earmarked to be given to DPOs and other security operatives in each local government police division in Kogi State. “Added to this, thousands of mobile and anti-terrorist’s police uniforms have been procured and are ready for distribution to thugs who will impersonate genuine policemen to visit mayhem on the electorate come November 21st 2015.” He said the plan is to ensure that any protest against the open and crude manipulation they intend to perpetrate is violently suppressed. He said some PDP members were already being arrested on trumped up charges but warned that any attempt to rig the poll in favour of APC will meet stiff resistance. Shaibu said it is sad that the same President, who promised change during his presidential campaign is the one who is presiding over a desperate move to steal the people’s votes on Saturday.

Monday, November 16, 2015

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Politics

Lagos APC faults Economist’s opinion on Ambode Ayo Esan

he Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC has said that The Economist’s opinion on the performance of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode is wrong headed and based on faulty assumptions that have no linkage with the reality on ground. The party said that The Economist merely passed a judgment on a governor that has a four years renewable mandate by flashes of incidents that are not only correctable but are being corrected by the governor.

In a release in Lagos, signed by the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Joe Igbokwe, the party said that the conclusions the magazine drew about the capacity of Governor Ambode is pedestrian and is clearly in sync with the street lingo of the opposition in Lagos. It said that Governor Ambode is displaying a deep commitment to governance in Lagos that will ensure he will emerge one of the best governors in this dispensation. “We wonder how a reputable institution like The Economist could rush into quick judgment on the capacity of a governor elected for four years on traffic and security

PDP rebranding confab failed to address party issues –Chieftain Abiodun Nejo ADO EKITI

Niger-Delta Youth leader, and activist, Comrade Afoke Okporua, has expressed disenchantment over the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Rebranding Conference which held last week to address issues pertinent to the party. Okporua, a PDP leader from Bayelsa State, lamented that the conference billed to reposition and restructure the party for effectiveness and political vibrancy ahead of 2019 ended without achieving the much anticipated expectation. The youth leader said in a statement in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday that the party’s acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus should be blamed for failure of the conference to achieve the desired result. He stated: “Political p arty re-branding entails overhauling aimed at attaining collectivism, correction for the purpose of appealing to aggrieved persons, discussing with the intention to promote inclusion and restoration and investigating to ascertain

facts for a great leap. However, the PDP Re-branding Conference ended without any of the aforementioned being realized. “Pertinent issues craving for resolutions were left unresolved. The trampling on the Party Constitution by the Acting Chairman was ignored, the Ekweremadu report on why the party performed abysmally at the 2015 polls wasn’t deliberated upon, the biometric registration which was initiated and handed over to Chief Raymond Dokpesi was not looked into, zoning which is the bedrock to achieve political unity in pluralistic Nigeria was not dissected and the role of the youths in the party was not visited. According to him, the conference can be likened to a gathering of political characters seeking media attention to gain relevance, promote verbal promiscuity and squander the resources of the party. He said that Secondus must apologise to Nigerians for allegedly killing the party with his tendencies inclinations, adding: “Nowhere in the world do people talk about party rebranding without re-course to the fundamental issues”.

hitches that have traceable origins and are therefore solvable. The traffic and security glitches have endured for few weeks and the governor has openly identified the causes and had gone cracking while, as at today, results have come in as the traffic hitches have gone down while security has greatly improved. “ We did state last week that the traffic snarls were as a result of the governor’s directive to traffic managers to be more humane and considerate in dealing with motorists. The abuse of this directive and the sabotage of the traffic officers led to increased traffic snarls which has made the governor to wield the big stick and effect changes at the echelon of the traffic management agency. We can report today that the traffic situation has

significantly improved and promises to get better in the coming days. “We did also report that the momentary upsurge in crimes was an attempt to dare the good natured face of Ambode’s regime. The governor has not only beef up the security manpower in the state but has procured numerous security gadgets, including helicopters and raided numerous black spots in the state to deal with the issue. It is worthwhile that the security glitches have given way to better security of lives and properties in Lagos. “Because The Economistdid not go further in its analysis beyond these two issues, we are minded to believe that it believes other critical sectors of governance do not matter. But we can tell The Economist and other naysay-

ers that Governor Ambode is fully meeting the huge challenges of governance in Lagos. Such areas that are witnessing huge activity like road construction, employment, education, infrastructure maintenance, health, judiciary, etc are receiving the energetic attention of Governor Ambode, in line with the rich governance tradition in Lagos. We want to assure The Economist that Governor Ambode is fully wedded to his demanding job and is making great impact on governance in Lagos. “We recognize The Economist as a strong and dynamic institution, a reputation built over the years through dint of hard work and commitment. We therefore expect that The Economist should do everything humanly possible to defend this hard-

earned respect and recognition. It amounts to great a disservice to this well respected institution when it goes into gutter journalism and sensational publications to score cheap political points. When gold rust what will iron do?” “Lagos APC wants to assure Lagosians that they have a hard working governor who has been in the system and understands the problems and prospects of the state very well. As Lagosians have seen, the governor has tremendous energy to work and has continued to traverse the state to feel the problems and direct solution to them. We want to firmly state that there is no doubting the capacity of Governor Ambode to govern Lagos and at the end of the first four years, Lagosians will be the best judges.”

Nasarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura (middle) , Secretary to the State Government, Suleiman Azores (2nd right), former Minister of Labour, Dr. Hassan Lawal (left) and others, cutting a cake presented to Governor Al-Makura by old boys of Government College Keffi to mark his 63rd birthday in Keffi, at the weekend. PHOTO: NAN

Bayelsa poll: Oyegun, APC govs storm Dickson home town for campaign Osahon Julius YENAGOA

he campaign team of former Governor Timipreye Sylva and the Governorship campaign of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State is set to hit Sagbama, Sagbama local government area, home town of the incumbent governor, Seriake Dickson, for the flag off of its campaign. A press release signed by the Director of Media

and Publicity for Sylva-Igiri campaign organization, indicated that the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is expected to lead other national officers and party stalwarts to the flag-off ceremony. He also added that State Governors elected on the platform of the APC are also expected to grace the occasion for the flag- off of the election campaign of Chief Timipre Sylva and Elder Wilberforce Igiri

as Governor and Deputy Governor in the December 5 election in Bayelsa State. According to the schedule released by the SylvaIgiri Campaign Organisation, the campaign will move to Ekeremor on Wednesday, 18thNovember, 2015 to be followed by Southern Ijaw Local Government Area on Friday,20th November. The APC Local Government campaign will move to Nembe on Monday, 23rd November, then Brass on

Wednesday, 25th and later on Friday, 27thNovember, it is the turn of Ogbia. On Saturday, 28th November, 2015, the APC gubernatorial campaign will hit Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area before the grand finale on Monday, 1st December, 2015 at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa. The statement urged all supporters, friends and party faithful to turn-out to participate in the campaign rallies across the state.

Politics

Ayo Esan

he South West Consultative Forum has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing credible Nigerians to his cabinet just as it called on him to call for a stop to the drum of war being beaten in the South East. It particularly thanked Buhari for appointing south westerners like the former Lagos

Monday, November 16, 2015

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Forum commends Buhari on cabinet, warns Igbos against drum of war State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Mrs Kemi Adeosun, to champion the change agenda of the country. The forum said it is very glad and full of optimism that they will meet up to the job demand and expectation of Nigerians.

“We are confident that all the ministers will do well in their assigned portfolios especially minister for power, housing and works and finance will serve the good people of Nigeria and the south west people”, the forum said. In a statement is-

sued and signed by its president, Hon. Osinowo Ibrahim, the forum, also called on Fashola, Adeosun and other ministers from the South West not to disappoint the people of Nigeria, President Buhari and the international community by carrying out the task given

to them with all seriousness. Osinowo called on the ministers to serve the interest of all Nigerians and not individuals. “South West Consultative Forum, strongly believe and pass a vote of confidence in the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Mr Babatunde Fashola ,Mrs Kemi Adeosun, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Prof. Isaac Adewole, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Barrister Bayo Shittu as our trustworthy sons and daughters of Oodua and the south west . The forum also urged President Buhari to call on leaders, indigenes and religious fathers in

the South East to call their subjects especially the youths and sponsors of pro- Biafra group to order saying the unity of Nigeria is not for sale to any group . “We want to assure President Buhari that the west is fully behind his government and we will do all that is necessary to protect the sovereignty of this country and his administration. “We also call on Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state and other responsible leaders of the Igbos to continuously provide leadership role and advise the people of the region against precipitating war” the release said.

I am not at loggerhead with Al-Makura –Sen Egyegbola Igbawase Ukumba LAFIA

T Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (left) receiving the PANAFEST Award of Outstanding Leadership from Consulate General of Ghana in Lagos, Mr. Kwabena Appiah, at the Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, at the weekend.

Osun won’t scrap any tertiary institution –Dep. Gov

overnment of the State of Osun has again debunked the rumours of the alleged plan to scrap some of the tertiary institutions in the state. The deputy governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori stated this while briefing members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Education over the development in the education sector. She said the government has advised the Institutions to harmonize some of the courses in the State owned tertiary institutions to avoid duplication of courses and ensure that graduates of the institutions acquire appropriate skills that can make them self sustaining after their education. “The Government has directed the forum of Chairmen of the Governing Board of the Institutions to review their Programmes and come up

with a position paper on how to make our students job creators instead of job seekers after graduation. We want our polytechnics to run courses that would meet the need of the nation and make the graduates self -reliant “Towards this end, the government has directed all the tertiary institutions to devote 50 per cent of admission quota to their main programmes, 25 per cent should be devoted to remedial programmes to cater for the teeming youths that could not gain admission to any tertiary Institution. Finally the polytechnics are to devote 25 per cent of their admission to vocational, technical and skill acquisition courses where graduates that want to acquire such Skills can enrol, and where artisans that want to sharpen their skills and acquire certificates can equally be

admitted while the Colleges of Education are to devote 25 per cent of their admission quota to running of Continuous Education Programmes for training of teachers from all over the State and beyond. “This is to ensure that we produce graduates that will be useful to themselves and be able to establish their own businesses after graduation as well as ensure sustenance of well trained teachers in elementary and Secondary Schools in the State. “There is no plan to scrap any of the four Tertiary Institutions, we just want them to run viable programmes”, she stressed. The Government is still expecting the Position Paper from the Forum of the Governing Council Chairmen before implementation.” Earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Edu-

cation, Honourable Folorunsho Bamisayemi commended the government for the way it has handled naughty issues in the areas of education in the state. He said the series of controversies that had ensued over the education policies of government was an indication that it is committed to get things done in the sector by not dogding the issues, but proffering solutions to them. Bamisayemi said the paucity of funds required that the government should come up with ingenius ways of sustaining the system and increasing the quality in the system. He passed vote of confidence on the government on the way it has been handling the education system, saying, the Assembly would be coming up with ideas to assist the government in realising its goal on the education.

he senator representing Nasarawa south senatorial zone at the national assembly, Sen. Salihu Hussain Egyegbola, has dismissed insinuation that he is at loggerhead with Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura over the 2019 senatorial seat of the zone. Egyegbola, who is chairman of the senate committee on federal character and inter-governmental affairs, stated this in a chat with journalists during the swearing in ceremony of Governor Al-Makura’s 16 commissioners in Lafia, the state capital, saying “as far as I am concerned, I am not at loggerhead with my governor.” His words: “Well it is a very funny because 2019 is still far and I have not heard anything. As far as I am concerned, I am not at loggerhead with my governor. We work perfectly well, nothing has changed; therefore, it is just imagination of pundits who think that if you are a governor, the next thing is to become a senator. The governor has not told me anything and I

am not sure he has even told anybody that he wants to be a senator. But in any case, four years is a long time and we want to make sure that this four years that God has given us, we will use the best of it for the benefit of the people.” The lawmaker also called on his opponent in the 2015 poll, former senator, Suleiman Adokwe, to observe that as a former lawmaker he should accept the verdict that came, as there are various ways he can contribute to his community and not only through the national assembly. “When you subject yourself to electioneering, you should be ready to accept the outcome. If you lose you lose, if you win you win.Therefore you cannot win by banditry. When you carry yourself with bandits and think that bandits will give you victory, then you are into some problems. “Therefore, I will call on my opponent to ensure that as a former lawmaker, he should obey the law. I am a lawmaker, I obey the law and where it is possible to use the law to ensure that we have peace and good governance, we will use it,” Egyegbola said.

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Escalating violence: Do Nigerians need right to guns? ALEX O. ATAWA-AKPODIETE

have always been a proponent of the right of law abiding citizens to own guns, especially handguns. The desire by some people to own assault weapons is another matter. Even shotguns that are used for hunting have been condemned by some people. One of the annoying things in Nigeria is that armed robbers can operate in a whole neighborhood, going from house to house unchecked. If the residents had guns the armed robbers dare not do such a thing. My religious friends always remind me that protection comes from God alone. That is true, but if stretched to the extreme, this injunction will make us irresponsible and not security conscious. I have actually lived in two places within four years where my neighbours were kidnapped, and I was not touched. You can humour me by saying the criminals knew my kidnap value was low. Notwithstanding my pro-gun perspective, I have had a rethink in the last week. Maybe I am getting more conservative on the matter as I approach a half-century mark. I believe my views may be influenced by what has been happening in the last few days in America, where I am now. Americans, supported by the powerful national Rifle Association (NRA), hinge their belief on the right to own guns on the Second Amendment to the American Con-

stitution, which was ratified on December 15, 1791. It states that “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” Most of the constitutional arguments focus on the second portion tagged “Right to bear arms”. Can you imagine disorderly neighbours arguing in Nigeria? One will just pull out a gun. How about husband and wife arguing? Also, Oga will think seriously before he slaps the houseboy. What about road rage? Of course, the lecturer that is demanding sex from a female university student may think twice. In fact, recently an American professor resigned because of a new Texas law that will soon allow students to bring guns on campuses. In God’s own country, a student killed a fellow student and wounded three other students in northern Arizona State University. This is just as Americans were recovering from the shock of the killings in Oregon by a demented Community College Student with Asperger syndrome. In a study on GUN VIOLENCE in the US by various agencies including the National Opinion Research Center, it was learn that “US has an estimated 283 million guns in civilian hands; each year about 4.5 million firearms, including approximately 2 million handguns, are sold in the United States; more than 30,000 people are killed by firearms each year in America; more than 30 people are shot and murdered each

CAN YOU IMAGINE DISORDERLY NEIGHBOURS ARGUING IN NIGERIA?

ONE WILL JUST PULL OUT A GUN

day; homicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-24 year-olds.” In terms of comparative annual gun homicides, less than 50 in Japan; less than 150 in Germany, Italy, France; less than 200 in Canada; and more than 10,000 in USA according to International Action Network on Small Arms of the United Nations. In a 10 day period, Boko Haram terrorists killed about 30 people in North Eastern Nigeria. With a population of about 170 million, we usually lose about 2,000 people to automobile accident annually. According to ConnectNigeria.com, the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) issued the following statistics: “1,936 persons lost their lives in 2012. It is a 12.7% reduction from the 2,218 deaths that occurred at the same period in 2011. In 2010 there were 5,330 deaths and 18,095 injuries from accidents; in 2011, there were 4,065 deaths and 17,464 injuries. In 2009, 4,120 persons lost their lives, while 20, 975 people were injured, in accidents involving 11,031 vehicles. In 2008, 6,661 deaths occurred, and 27,980 injuries.” The statistics on Boko Haram deaths

Secured Lagos, Ambode’s priority K AYODE OLOPADE

or a cosmopolitan state like Lagos, it is not unexpected to experience a high level of insecurity like witnessed in city-states across the world. However, the good news is that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has mapped out different plans to ensure Lagos is secured 24/7. Though, it is strange to hear that a state of 22 million people is policed by about 30,000 policemen, but that notwithstanding, efforts are being made to institute 24/7 communication channels by which security operatives can be reached for prompt response to security as part of the bigger picture to ensure maximum security in this ‘Centre of Excellence’. Let me say it is too early to start passing uncomplimentary remarks on a government of just five months old led by an innovative personality. Let Lagosians calm down and be assured that a safer Lagos where everybody would be sleeping with two eyes closed is assured. Governor Ambode’s governance template is anchored on respect for human rights, hence his directive to officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) not to impound vehicles but do their work of enforcement with human face, because according to him, the people and residents of the state are not animals but rationale human being, who should be treated as such. The governor has stated it times

GOVERNOR AKINWUNMI AMBODE HAS MAPPED OUT DIFFERENT PLANS TO ENSURE LAGOS IS SECURED 24/7

without number that he would adopt ‘continuity with improvement approach’ to governance in the state. “All what I told LASTMA and VIS officials are to treat everybody with respect and employ rule of law to the letter. I didn’t tell them not to do their work as being speculated in some quarters. But that doesn’t mean that the residents too should take law into their hands and be violating it. However, anybody found wanting or disturbing the public peace, what I told the law enforcements agents was to handle them with care and taken them to where he/she would be dealt with as stated by law”, Ambode said. The traffic situation has further been worsened by the fact that over the past few weeks, more than 3, 000 tankers visit Lagos to lift fuel, and this is where the Federal Government must really come in by doing the needful. “As we collectively face the challenge of making Lagos a better place to live in, we must recognize our strength in diversity, a common national identity where everybody counts,” he had said. In essence, the job of making Lagos safer and secured is not that of the government alone, but the collective respon-

sibility of all of us. However, the little being witnessed could just be taken as the replica of what is associated with the cosmopolitan city like Lagos, where people from various backgrounds troop in on daily b with different motives. Please, tell me how many of these illegal immigrants would be known by the government? That is the reason why Lagosians must take it upon themselves to support the government by reporting any suspicious people to the appropriate authorities for necessary action. Moreover, the aftermath of any general elections is also a contributory factor where according to statistics all politicians usually explore all avenues to put candidates of their choice in power, including procuring various arms and ammunitions for their political thugs. The same arms and ammunition are used by the thugs to commit all sorts of crime after elections, when their services are no longer needed by the politicians. In the event that such candidates fail to win the elections, they would be too busy ruminating over their losses than retrieving the procured ammunitions from the so called political thugs. However, we should all be aware that governance is about systematic evolution and positive coordination. Ambode is ready to overhaul security situation in the state, and all would be required to join hands with the government to eradicate crime in the state. Recently, at Third Mainland Bridge and all black spots in the metropolis, men of the Rap-

are illuminating. However, a little international digging helps us. The Washington Post revealed that “Boko Haram-related violence is the most lethal conflict that Nigeria has confronted in decades. Since 1998, at least 29,600 Nigerians have been killed in more than 2,300 incidents reflecting a wide range of ethnic, religious, political and economic tensions across large portions of the country. Since July 2009, when the Boko Haram conflict escalated, at least 11,100 people have died on all sides of the insurgency.” Also, the Nigeria Social Violence Project, based in the African Studies Programme at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), reported that “From January 1998 to December 2014, the dataset records 32,943 deaths from various forms of social violence in Nigeria.” In 2014 alone, a researched report had it that Boko Haram was responsible for approximately 5,500 of the total 7,500 social deaths in the county. Another revealed that “fighting associated with Boko Haram killed 6,347 civilians in 2014. With the popularity of social media and the stupendous availability of home videos, people have increasingly become antisocial, and it has become more difficult to prevent the onset of social dysfunction. By allowing easy access to guns in Nigeria, deaths from social violence will increase. Atawa-Akpodiete, a public affairs analyst, wrote via Profatawa@gmail. com

id Response Squad and Lagos State Task Force, as well as the Governor’s Monitoring Team (GMT) have been combing several places suspected of harbouring hoodlums and criminals at nights. In an attempt to improve on the security situation in the state, Ambode recently established the Integrated Security and Emergency Control Platform to strengthen the security apparatus in the state; and just before the end of this month, three surveillance helicopters will be presented to the security agencies to police the state from the air and carry out rescue operations during emergency. Government has also perfected plans to boost the operations of the Marine Police and the Nigerian Navy on the waterways in the state with various equipments and platforms also before the end of November. On our part as citizens, we owe it a duty to also assist the state government to succeed by voluntarily complying with the laws of the land and reporting any suspicious activity around us to the security agencies. Olopade wrote from Alausa-Ikeja, Lagos.

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, November 16, 2015

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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 OBIORA IFOH ACTING ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF AUGUSTUS IMEKAN ACTING HEAD, GRAPHICS

Recurring Boko Haram scare in South West

he Defense Headquarters, penultimate weekend, dismissed alleged reports that the violent Islamist Boko Haram sect was planning to attack some South West states. Acting Director of Defence Information, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, said the report was “not only baseless but lacks substance in its entirety…”. The Boko Haram scare, however, coincided with another worrisome report that one of the sect’s commanders declared wanted by the military high command was arrested by airport security operatives at the Abuja Airport while he was attempting to board a flight to Lagos. Last month, the Lagos State Government came all out to assure citizens of their safety from the onslaughts of common criminals and terrorists following the arrest by the Department of State Services’ (DSS) operatives of 45 suspected Boko Haram members who allegedly planned to attack Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi, Lagos. The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said the state government had vowed not to relent in its constitutional duty of ensuring the safety of lives and property across the length and breadth of Lagos State. “Due to the economic hardship being experienced all over the country,

with many states and private business owners battling with payments of salaries and wages, Lagos State has become the prime destination for several thousands of people who now throng it daily with no plan to return, because they believe this is the state where economic succour is available”, Ayorinde was quoted as saying. The positions of both the Defence Headquarters and the Lagos State Government are quite reassuring. In truth, however, they appear not sufficient enough to pacify agitated Lagosians and their counterparts in other South West states that have been exposed to incipient threats of Boko Haram presence around them in recent years. In 2013, for example, reports said 42 suspected members of the Boko Haram sect were arrested from their various hideouts in Lagos and Ogun states. The General Officer Commanding, 81 Division of the Nigerian Army in Lagos at the time, MajorGeneral Obi Umahi, revealed that the suspects were picked up during raids by military intelligence operatives between July 12 and 23 from the Ibafo Trailer Park; Ileke New Trailer Garage in Ogun State; Aviation Quarters at Mafoluku, Oshodi; Ketu/Mile 12 Motor Park; Orile Trailer Park; Lekki New Extension and Bar Beach, following hints that the sect planned

IT HAS BECOME ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR THE VARIOUS SECURITY AGENCIES TO STEP UP INTELLIGENCE AND PROACTIVE INTERVENTIONS

to unleash terror on some South West states. He said the suspected terrorists fled Borno State, one of the hotbeds of Boko Haram insurgency following the subsisting state of emergency declared by the Federal Government in the North East states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Earlier, a combined team of soldiers and men of the DSS raided a Boko Haram hideout at Ijora Badiya, Lagos, where they discovered bombs concealed in a cooler and inside the ceiling of one of the dingy rooms they ransacked. Also found were AK-47 rifles, cartridges and daggers. A month earlier, no fewer than three suspected Shiite sect members were arrested in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, among other related reports. But for the pro-active steps of the security hierarchy in fishing out the suspects in good time, so far, it is not unlikely that parts of the South West would have been violated by Boko Haram’s killings, destruction and violence.

ON THIS DAY November 16, 1914 The Federal Reserve Bank (FRB) of the United States was officially opened. The 12 FRBs form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the US. The banks divided the nation into 12 Federal Reserve Districts (FRDs), the 12 banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. The FRBs are jointly responsible for implementing the monetary policy set by the Federal Open Market Committee.

Letters tothe theEditor Editor Letters to

November 16, 1989 A death squad composed of El Salvadoran army troops killed six Jesuit priests and two others at Jose Simeon Canas University; a private university with non-profit purposes in San Salvador, El Salvador, Central America run by the Society of Jesus. It was founded in September 1965 at the request of a group of Roman Catholic families who appealed to the Salvadoran government and to the Society of Jesus.

We reiterate, however, that Boko Haram’s penetration of the South West or any other part of the South portends mortal danger for Nigerians as citizens; as well as the peaceful co-existence of the federating units. Reprisal attacks may follow, and if not swiftly arrested, it may snowball to a major ethnoreligious strife that may herald the eventual disintegration of the country. We recall, for example, the past threat of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) to resist Boko Haram’s incursion into the South West with the “last blood in our veins” when members of the sect were first routed in Ijora Badiya, Lagos. Such appears the mood of other federating units. We commend the military and Lagos State authorities for their commitment to keeping the South West, Lagos State and other parts of the country safe from the purveyors of terrorism. But no stone should be left unturned by Nigerians as citizens; and the government in the country’s bid to root out terrorism from Nigerian shores. It has become absolutely necessary for the various security agencies to step up intelligence and proactive interventions. For their part, all well-meaning citizens should be eternally vigilant and report all suspicious movements and characters to the closest security outfit.

x November 16, 1997 After nearly 18 years of incarceration, the Chinse government released Wei Jingsheng, a pro-democracy dissident, from jail for medical reasons. Jingsheng (born May 20, 1950) is a Chinese human rights activist known for his involvement in the Chinese democracy movement. He is most prominent for having authored the essay, Fifth Modernization, posted on the “Democracy Wall” in Beijing in 1978.

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Ogbeh

Nwanze

Experts hinge nation’s sustainable socio-economic devt on agricultural sector In view of the increasing need to explore the abundant opportunities in the nation’s agricultural sector in order to reverse the ugly fiscal straits the nation’s economy is going through, development experts have urged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to consolidate on the gains recorded by Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA and by so doing, partly address the structural distortions in the economy. Udo Onyeka reports

any stakeholders say the pronouncement by President Buhari during his campaign and after being elected that he would pay greater attention to agriculture is indeed heartwarming. According to them in the face of plummeting oil prices agriculture is expected to serve as a buffer for the Nigerian economy. President Buhari had a few weeks ago reiterated his desire to develop agriculture beyond the level it is now and charged Nigerians to stop paying mere

lip service to agriculture since crude oil and gas exports can no longer provide the country the much needed foreign exchange haven needed for Nigeria’s macroeconomic stability. The President gave the charge at an audience with Kanayo Nwanze, the president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, at the presidential villa, Abuja. “It’s time to go back to the land. We must face the reality that the petroleum we had depended on for so long will no longer suffice. We campaigned

heavily on agriculture, and we are ready to assist as many as that want to go into agricultural ventures,’’ he said. He also pledged that his administration would also cut short the long bureaucratic processes that Nigerian farmers had to go through to get any form of assistance from government, adding that foreign exchange will be conserved for machinery and other items needed for production “instead of using it to import things like toothpicks’’. With the appointment of Chief Audu Ogbeh as minister of Agri-

culture and Rural Development, many stakeholders say it goes a long to show that the president really want to further develop agric sector . Ogbeh ho on his inaugural press briefing at the headquarters of FMARD, on Wednesday promised that his team would work towards reducing the $32bn spent on food import annually by Nigeria is seen by many as a good choice since he is a farmer. According to National Publicity Secretary of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria,

NCAN, Mr. Sotonye Anga, Now that a farmer is the minister of agriculture, it means that he will understand the terrain and set achievable agendas that will move the sector forward”. Many stakeholders have said that the new Minister of Agriculture is going to face a herculean UDO ONYEKA, CO-ORDINATOR BUSINESS COURAGE udonyeka@gmail.com c

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task given the performance of his predecessor Dr Akinwumi Adesina who truly transformed many aspects of the country’s agricultural sector. Managing Director of Okomu Oilpalm Company Plc, a major agribusiness concern operating in Edo State, Dr. Graham Hefer, commended the choice of a practicing farmer as successor to a high flying technocrat. According to him this is clear evidence of an intention to consolidate on the gains of the ATA, but he pointed out that “more work lies ahead”. Indeed indicating his preparedness to deliver on this assignment Ogbeh promised to focus intensely on agricultural research and marketing in order to reduce importation of food and increase self-sustenance in Nigeria. With the success of Efugo farms and the good record he has set in the past, many believe that Ogbeh will deliver in the agricultural sector and stay true to the course set by the immediate past Minister, Adesina, now President of the African Development Bank, AfDB. Considering the impact of the ATA on the agric sector and the economy as a whole, several groups have called on the current government not to jettison the ATA, but to improve on its programmes. Recently Buhari has been urged tovigorously pursue and implement the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA, of the immediate past administration in order to move the economy and indeed the country forward. This was part of the communiqué issued at the end of the One-Day South West Town Hall Meeting convened by AgroNigeria in Ibadan, Oyo State. After an extensive deliberation, the Nigerian farmers (South-West zone), unanimously resolved that President Buhari should never politicise Agriculture, rather he should consolidate on the laudable policies of the immediate past administration especially ATA to move the sector to the next level. They maintained that the present administration should continue to pursue and implement the ATA which had started on a very sound footing. They also recommended that all the states in the South West Nigeria should as a matter of priority, invest massively into commercial agriculture; insisting there must be urgent efforts calculated at bridging the gap in food production between the North and the South. The forum also resolved that: “Policy formulations should adopt bottom-up and end-userdriven intervention approaches especially on fundamental issues affecting agriculture. Experts have said that there

Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

Anga

is the need to resuscitated, strengthened the Farm Settlement Scheme to address the 21st Century needs of agriculture. According to the experts attitudinal orientation should be encouraged and institutionalised by all stakeholders as this will address the negative impressions of the youth in going into agriculture. “Migratory Fulani herdsmen should be integrated into the national agricultural policy to proffer lasting solution to the frequent clashes between them and other farmers.” The town hall meeting also advise that youth and women in agriculture should be accorded priority attention whenever policies on financial interventions are being formulated; adding that there must be a national declaration of a state-of-emergency in agriculture that will insist on a policy that Nigeria has no reason to be food insecure. Many farmers frown at the current huge infrastructural gaps in the rural areas and insisted same must urgently be addressed to make for a rewarding season for agricultural practitioners; adding that the communication gaps between farmers and policy implementation must be bridged. They argued that agriculture in all its ramifications must be projected and made to be profitable and worthwhile, and emphasis should be placed on training and capacity development for agric practitioners, especially women and youths. Agric-friendly financing policies must be encouraged especially among financial institutions for wider impact on the economy, extension services should be given urgent priority attention as the current level of extension services are inadequate nationwide. “Risk management and insurance policies should be tailored

towards the generality of Nigerian farmers in order to make the sector competitive and attractive to investors”, experts said. In spite of its successes the ATA, Joy Obiora of Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria, in her study said that the technology transfer sub-system which should naturally be the major stakeholder in ATA have weak capacities with regards to training, human resource development and workforce. She said this apparently shows that the sub-system cannot meet up with the demands/ needs of the farmers and all other actors along the targeted commodity value chains in the on-going transformation. “The study also reveals some strategies for strengthening the subsystem as capacity building for extension personnel, proper funding of extension, proper staffing of extension service among others. “The study therefore strongly recommends increased funding and general strong support to the sub-system to make them relevant and effective in the transformation agenda”, she said. According to Nwanze, IFAD had since 1985 been providing loans and grants in the nation’s agricultural sector to boost agricultural production. “Nigeria has the largest portfolio of IFAD’s investment in Western and Central Africa and the second largest in Africa. “But the case point here is that this country has all the endowments that it takes not only for it to produce enough food for its population but also to be the bread basket of region. “And this is where my institution on my behalf, I offered our services and our support in the agenda of rural transformation as a key ingrate in this country’s economic and social development,’’ he said. It would also be recalled that the immediate past government at the centre launched a N50bn farm mechanisation policy drive to take hoes and cutlasses into the museums and replace them with affordable and appropriate modern farm machinery” The Federal Ministry of Agriculture demonstrated full commitment to the promotion of increased food production in the country and the overall revitalization of the agricultural sector so that it can become a major employment outlet as well as an alternative source of income to the country. The commitment of the government to see this vision through is evident in the enormous efforts, activities, and policies being implemented in the agricultural sector. According to some analysts Nigeria’s food importation was growing at a rate of 11 per cent

per annum. The reality is that relying on the importation of expensive food from global markets fuels domestic inflation; puts high pressure on the Naira, hurts the economy and contributes to rising unemployment as it replaces local production and displaces Nigerian farmers. The efforts at transforming the agricultural sector is therefore government’s way of saying loudly that food importation is not sustainable fiscally, economically or politically and that it is no longer acceptable that at a period when other countries are becoming self sufficient in food production, Nigeria is still importing food, including the ones it can produce in abundance. Adesina made known the momentous achievements of the government in the campaign to sanitise and transform the nation’s agricultural sector. The former Minister mentioned that in an effort to guarantee the vibrancy of the sector, agriculture is now treated as a business and that the Ministry is integrating food production, storage, food processing and industrial manufacturing. He stated the resolve of the government to create jobs and wealth through agriculture and ensure food security by engaging in investment-driven strategic partnerships with the private sector in addition to undertaking investment drives to unlock the potentials of the States in agriculture. Non availability of farm inputs namely fertilisers, seeds etc and the difficulties farmers encounter in acquiring these inputs; have over the years been a major setback to the development of agriculture. According to Adesina; the government is deregulating the seeds and fertiliser sectors as a step towards solving this age long problem. As it is, the government no longer buys and sells fertilizers and seeds; this

Adesina

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responsibility has been handed out to the private sector, but the government provides 50 per cent support for seeds and fertilizers. Vouchers and electronic-wallets (mobile phones) are being used to better target subsidized inputs to farmers, with the target of reaching 5 million farmers per year. Also, the government has established a Nigerian Seed Venture Capital Fund with the goal of raising the use of hybrid seeds from 8,000 metric tons to 1,000,000 metric tons, per year. The Federal Government is establishing marketing corporations to facilitate marketing of agricultural commodities. The marketing corporations which will be owned by agricultural value chains and run as private sector-led institutions are to coordinate the production, investments, External markets are being developed for cassava chips. In January 2012, a trade agreement was concluded to export 1 million metric tons of cassava chips to China, in two tranches of 500,000 MT each. The total benefit to Nigerian farmers and processors will be N40bn. Also records from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development have revealed that Private sector investments in fertiliser manufacturing have expanded, with over $5bn private sector investments in fertilizer manufacturing in the past three years. It further revealed that the sector witnessed a turn around as the share of total bank lending expanded from about 2 per cent in 2011 to 5 per cent by 2013. Bank lending to seed companies and agro-input dealers expanded from $10m in 2012 to $53m in 2013; while bank lending to fertilizer companies expanded from $100m in 2012 to $500m by 2014. The Agricultural Transformation Agenda, ATA, launched in 2012, is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development to support the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda. The goal of the ATA is to build commodity value chains and the institutions required to unlock the country’s huge agricultural potentials with the targeted outcome such as add 20 million tonnes of food to the domestic food supply by end of 2015, create 3.4 million jobs and ensuring import substitution through the acceleration of production of local staples; aimed at reducing dependence on food imports and turning Nigeria into a net food exporter. One of the major success stories of the ATA in 2014, was the revelation that Nigerian Food import bill had dropped by N466bn thereby adding N780bn to the economy during the period. BC

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News Bonded terminals no longer relevant in port operations – NPA Francis Ezem

he Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, has said that the concept of bonded warehouses is no longer fashionable in a modern port management system such as Nigeria’s. The authority had sometime in year 2000 encouraged private individuals and firms to establish private bonded warehouses and terminals where containers were stemmed as part of measures to check worsening cases of ship and cargo congestionn, which was prevalent in the nation’s port system then. General Manager in charge of public affairs of the authority, Captain Ebubeogu Ihenacho, who fielded questions from newsmen during a media parley organised by the authority at the weekend in Lagos, said that the port system in Nigeria is currently driven by competition and international best practice. According to him, more than after the port reforms, which stripped NPA of its cargo handling functions and handed same to private terminal operators, who would be allocated consignments on the basis of adminisreative fiat. He argued that what the existing bonded warehouses and other off-dock facilities should do is to revamp the facilities and equip them with modern cargo handling equipment to make marketable and sellable. “Bonded terminals are no longer relevant in port systems today and so people should stop dwelling on the sentiments of the past. They should be competitively sellable by building their infrastructure and market them”, the chief image maker said. Ebubeogu also said; NPA cannot compel any terminal operator to allocate cargo to any bonded warehouse. We did it in the past when we were handling cargo, we cannot do it today because we no longer handle cargo”. Investigations however show that many of the bonded terminals are not properly equipped as their cargo stacking areas have been over grown by weeds even as the access gates to many of them are in terrible state of disrepair making containers to fall off while going out or coming in. It was also gathered that many them lack the basic equipment such as forklifts while the few that have cannot boast of fork lifts of more 15 tonnes, which cannot carry heavy cargo such as tiles which weigh 30 tonnes and above, which partly accounts for why they are not getting cargo.

Kachikwu

Kachikwu promises to improve oil production

inister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu has said that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) will be reviewed and resent to the legislature for easy passage. He said the Bill as well as increased oil production; monetisation of oil, gas will be the fulcrum of his focus which is also in line with the present administration initiative to transform the industry. Kachikwu who doubles as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), said in Abuja that the government would pay more attention to increasing Nigeria’s crude oil and gas production within this period to earn more revenue from there. He also stated that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which has remained dormant for years would be revived and represented to the National Assembly, albeit with new or reviewed terms. According to him, the president has directed him to change the age long perception of Nigeria’s petroleum industry as being corrupt and opaque. He added that going forward, the ministry of petroleum resources would have to imbibe new operational character that is in line with standard practices. “The work in this ministry is going to be very intense. There is a lot to be done. I think we have lost a lot of momentum in this sector from the practices in the past and coupled with the difficult international environment that we now need to begin to sit down and map out very clear deliverables for us,” Kachikwu said in a meeting with heads of departments and parastatals in the ministry. Pledging to follow due process in his work at the ministry, he explained that within the next couple of months, the ministry and its personnel would have to work on keying into the government’s plan for the sector.

“I will imagine that the first couple of months, we will get the heads of the various parastatals to work with us to understand what the agenda of the administration is but very quickly, we will also sit down to see if there are capacities that would be needed. I am not saying I am going to change people but we will absolutely require you to show an ability to deliver so that we can help finish the change processes that we have begun. “Clearly, these things cannot be done by one person and the beauty of human association is that once you get everybody to an inclusive position, everybody delivers. I do not have the magic wands, the magic wand will come from all of us and all of us have to buy into this but one thing I want to assure you is that in my time here, I will respect the dignity of everybody,” he explained. Further on the direction of the government, Kachikwu said: “My direction will also be clear and that includes that we will have a very clear and transparent direction. We will have a very clear line of where we are going. “As far as the president is concerned, there are very clear directions and one is that the perceptions and working atmosphere about this ministry must change. We are working on that at the NNPC but people here who supervise the NNPC must change.” “We have dwindling resources and the whole nation depends on this ministry to provide the resources, so, we must be ready to put on the thinking cap of how to cut costs, how to meet federation accounts requirements, how to put controls to block leakages, how to create new income streams and new investments. “So, grow income, cut costs, help the nation stabilise, these are very key and I think once you take that, you have probably gotten a good understanding of where we are headed. I will like to be able to do what we have done in the NNPC in three months where people can come and work and be happy,” he added.

the Benue State University Makurdi. It will also serve as payment debit card for fee payments, ATM withdrawals and online transactions. Speaking at the launch held in Makurdi, the Benue State Capital, the Bank’s Executive Director; Commercial and Institution Banking, Mr. Lanre Adesanya assured that the Bank will continue to expand its frontiers in education finance and partner any institution in the provision of adequate facilities in furtherance of its core purpose of enriching lives. Mr. Adesanya who was represented by the Bank’s Group Head, Strategy & Communications, Mr. Shina Atilola explains how the card works: “The card serves as a ‘combo’ e-solution for the staff and students. It serves as the primary form of identification within and outside the campus environment for students and staff of the university. The high quality of the card prevents ease of forgery outside of the authorized system; helps tighten security in the school as access is granted to only authorized individuals”. Mr Atilola reiterated the Bank’s commitment to offering ingenious solutions to the Education sector via its One Education platform with the provision of Edu-tablets, financial literacy materials and training amongst others. The Benue State Governor Chief Samuel Ortom who was represented by the Commissioner for Trade and Investment Dr. Simon Tersoo Kpelai, commended Sterling Bank for its collaboration with the university and for its contributions to the growth of the education sector in the country. The Governor who assured that the government is willing to partner the private sector operators to develop the education sector in the state called on other financial institutions in the country to emulate Sterling Bank’s pioneering role in the development of the sector adding that the state is open to further programmes that would benefit it and its parastatals. The outgoing Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor

Sterling Bank commissions Access Control Card for Benue varsity

n a determined effort to reposition the nation’s education system in line with its One Education initiatives, Sterling Bank Plc at the weekend, commissioned a co-branded verve /identity card which will serve as access control system and identity management solution for staff and students of

Yemi Adeola, Sterling bank MD

Charity Angya expressed her excitement and communicated her appreciation to the Bank. With the card, she was optimistic that the issue of exam malpractices will become a thing of the past. In his short remark, the Vice Chancellor designate, Prof. Msugh Kembe also lauded the initiative and called on other corporate organizations to support the institution further.

WAICA conference seeks ways to boost insurance

bout 150 insurance practitioners from West Africa had at Banjul conference discussed ways and means to further grow the insurance industry, through indigenisation and reaching out to the grassroots with insurance policies. The conference was the annual educational conference of the West African Insurance Companies Association (WAICA) The delegates, mainly from Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, brainstormed on the theme: ‘Africa rising: The indigenisation of insurance in West Africa’. The rotating conference is being hosted by the Insurance Association of The Gambia, the umbrella body of insurance companies in the country. Speaking at the occasion, Governor Amadou Colley of the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG), said an African insurance renaissance is possible, but only if the aspirations of the insurance practitioners are not circumscribed by the old excuses. Excuses of the industry’s lacklustre performance, such as lack of awareness attributed to illiteracy and religious beliefs interfering with sales should be no more, he charged. “Africans are becoming more literate and many know the advantages of insurance.And religion is no barrier either.The success of Takaful Insurance debunks the notion of religion being an obstacle,” Governor Colley said in a statement read on his behalf by the first deputy governor, Basiru Njai. “True, we cannot change things overnight, but we can honestly resolve to do what must be done while setting off in a new direction that we seek for Africa,” he added. Despite progress in so many fronts, Africa’s institutional drivers of long-term growth, especially insurance, are underdeveloped. Insurance penetration in Africa remains low with several countries at less than 1 per cent. Statistics has it that only seven African countries have

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a penetration rate exceeding 2 per cent.In addition, spending on insurance by Africans averaged US$65 compared to the global average of US$627 in 2010. The Central Bank Governor said no country has ever marched out of poverty without a strong indigenous private sector. “The logic is simple.If we do not invest in Africa, others would hesitate to do so,” he said. “They would want to see our success stories before they invest.We could and must transform the insurance industry. Not alone, but we would lead and others would follow.” Governor Colley noted that although the insurance industry is full of promise in Africa, the industry should and must not be developed using existing approaches.

Peterside

We won’t approve franchise agreement for Stanbic IBTC, – NOTAP

he National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion ,NOTAP,has said it didn’t grant any management or maintenance franchise agreement for Stanbic IBTC Bank The Director General, NOTAP, Dr Dan-Azumi Ibrahim said this in a chat with newsmen in Abuja. He said that what the agency had approved for the bank was software license agreement and not management franchise agreement. News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, recalls that the whole issue started some few months ago when Shareholders of Stanbic IBTC wrote a petition drawing the attention regulatory authorities about some unapproved transactions entered into by the bank. They alleged that tens of billions of Naira deducted from gross revenue earned, had been illegally stashed in suspense account since 2011. They alleged that the amount was to pay Stanbic IBTC’s controlling shareholder, Stan-

Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

dard Bank of South Africa for franchise and management fees without prior approval for NOTAP which is mandatory. The NOTAP Boss explained that his office had no intention of approving a franchise agreement license for Stanbic IBTC because t was not needed in Nigeria. “I want to categorically say that we have not approved franchise agreement for Stanbic IBTC bank. “What was approved for them in 2012 was software licenses agreement. It’s like any other bank. Most of the banks are enjoying that facility. “They were giving approval for three years from 2012 to 2015 and by now it I think the certificate might have expired. “But as far as franchise is concerned, we have not given approval to them. And we categorically made it clear to them that we are not going to give franchise fee agreement approval’” he said. Ibrahim explained that the reason why the agency withheld approval for franchise agreement was because the Nigerian banking system had developed up to a point where the country now had enough capacity to manage banks.

UAC appoints Agbor chairman as Udoma becomes minister Johnson Okanlawon

AC of Nigeria Plc has announced the appointments of Mr Dan Owor Agbor as the Chairman of the company and Dr. Okechukwu John Mbonu as a Non – Executive Director following the resignation from the Board of the company of Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and Dr Okechukwu Enelamah, both recently appointed Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mr Agbor, 55, is the Managing Partner of one of the leading commercial law firms in the country - Udo Udoma & BeloOsagie. A seasoned lawyer, Mr Agbor, who joined the firm in September 1990 until date, has had a distinguished practice in areas covering banking, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, finance, tax, and the laws relating to foreign investment. A former Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of Gulf Bank of Nigeria Limited and had worked variously at the Corporate Finance and Legal Departments of Citibank (formerly Nigeria International Bank Limited) and as a Solicitor in the firm of Ajumogobia, Okeke & Oyebode, a Lagos-based firm of legal practitioners engaged in the general commercial practice of law.

He serves on the Board of the following companies: Chairman, FSDH Securities Limited (Member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange); Director, FSDH Merchant Bank Limited; Director, Pensions Alliance Limited (a Pension Fund Administrator) and Director, Swift Network Services Limited. Also, Mbonu is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, a fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a fellow of the Sierra Leone Institute of Engineers. He is a founding partner of Execution Edge Limited, a company noted for the provision of management advisory services to medium and large scale business enterprises. He worked with Shell Petroleum Development Company Limited, Nigerian Breweries,, Heineken International and PricewaterhouseCoopers. While at Nigerian Breweries,, he was appointed the Human Resource Director in 1999 and the Customer Service Director in 2001. In March 2005, he was posted to Heineken International and then to Sierra Leone Brewery Limited, Freetown as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company. He attended Mayflower School, Ikenne where he obtained his West African School Certificate with seven alpha distinctions and was awarded a Shell-BP Overseas scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manchester, UK, where he graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree, with first class honours and four academic prizes.

Diamond Bank urges MSMEs to embrace Best Practice

n line with its strategic thrust and promise to help enhance the development of human capacity within the Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs), Diamond Bank has charged operators in the sector to adopt best practice in human resource development, pointing that it is the only way to foster business sustainability. The charge was made at the 62ndBusinessXpress Seminar organized by the Bank to train MSME stakeholders on how to efficiently and effectively manage human resources for optimum business outcome. In her opening address, the Bank’s Head of MSME & Agency Banking, Chidinma Lawanson, stated that Diamond Bank’s support for the sector stems from the conviction that the operators hold the key to rapid and predictable economic growth and development in the

Uzoma Dozie, MD Diamond Bank Plc

country. “Diamond Bank is a strong supporter of MSMEs in Nigeria. Our interest is driven by the belief that growing capacity among the over sixteen million MSMEs in the country will have a positive impact on the economy, which will invariably be beneficial to us as a Bank. We have invested hugely in the sector and the BusinessXpress Seminars are borne out of deep insights that reveal that small businesses need more than money to grow.” She stated further that “in addition to providing financial solutions and advisory services to MSMEs, the BusinessXpress Seminar Series was established to build capacity within the sub-sector because we understand the need for continuous business education in order to successfully manage and build a sustainable business. The seminars also serve as credible networking platforms for participants to expand their contacts and clientele base which can be ultimately converted to profit.”

Group seeks sanction of fake iron rods marketers Ayo Esan

ederal government has been implored to take urgent action against any iron and steel manufacturing companies discovered to be flooding the market with sub-standard iron rods. Making the appeal in Lagos, a consumer rights group, Safety Initiative In Construction Industry, SAICI, noted that the iron rod markets has been flooded with products that are not carrying Standards Organisationof Nigeria, SON labels, and were also found to be defective. According to the group’s spokesman, Mr Folabi Ajisola , the influx of the sub-standard iron products posed a serious threat to the construction industry. According to him “As a consumer rights group we are also a stakeholder in the building and construction industry, our association is worried by recent

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cases of collapsing buildings, and consequently we set up an independent investigating team and the result of our investigation revealed that today there is an influx of sub-standard iron rods in the market, and this is one of the reasons why we have an increase in cases of collapsing buildings all over the place especially in Abuja and Lagos. We want government to take urgent action to stop this ugly development. While pointing accusing fingers at some foreign owned steel companies operating in the country as being the brain behind the development, Ajisola said: “We discovered that these fake products are finding their ways into the market because the companies that are involved in this unhealthy practice now bypass distributors and take these iron products, directly to the buyers especially to the sites where constructions are taking place. These fake iron rods being sold to unsuspecting customers don’t carry the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) labels and receipts are also not issued to buyers so that it will be difficult to trace the source of these fake products. Our further investigations revealed that these companies are by-passing the local distributors who used to be in charge of distribution before. We learnt that the local distributors are being by-passed because the always insist on seeing on having SON labels on iron rods to be bought and also for receipts to be issued to them and the foreign companies are refusing to co-operate with them’’,. Highlighting the danger posed to the society and government by the unhealthy practices, Ajisola said the steel companies involved are denying government revenue it ought to remit to government coffers on transactions while at the same time people’s lives are endangered when sub-standard iron products are used to erect buildings. Calling on the Federal government to deploy inspectors to monitor the activities of these Steel companies, Ajisola added that there was an urgent need to restore sanity to avert further catastrophy. “It is only here that Nigerians and the government are taken for granted. For the owners of these foreign Steel companies that are neck deep in this unhealthy practice, no individual or group can do such in their own country. What these people are doing is not only criminal but people’s lives are also being endangered and this is why we want Federal government and even the National Assembly to look into this matter. Economic crime is also involved because the action of these Iron and Steel companies is pushing many Nigerians out of jobs. BC

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Monday, November 16, 2015

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Companies & Markets

FirstBank partners LBS on global Sustainability Conference

Stories by Udo Onyeka

he Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria, a subsidiary of FBN Holdings Plc, Mr.Bisi Onasanya, on Thursday disclosed that business sustenance is not just a requirement for economic growth in Nigeria alone, but entire African countries and indeed the world. Speaking at the second annual International Sustainability Conference organised by FirstBank Sustainability Centre in collaboration with Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University and themed: ‘ Sustainability and Value Creation in Africa’, Onasanya said sustainability and value creation are inalienable imperatives for businesses and all active players in the contemporary world

Onasanya

must seek to ameliorate the world’s problems. He said Africa was no exception in this unfolding paradigm, “adding that ‘sustainability is in vogue globally as a desirable concept in business and civil society. “Business managers, how-

ever, often mistake the perception of sustainability. Therefore businesses are struggling to grasp the basics for integration and exploitation of sustainable business development systems, this is especially the case in Africa, although the challenge is not limited to the developing world”, he said. According to the GMD/CEO the Bank remains committed to the ideals of corporate citizenship and sustainable businesses practices. “Consistent with the Bank’s position as a sustainability thought leader, we established the FirstBank sustainability center in partnership with the Lagos Business School to serve as a specialised center that focuses on knowledge creation, knowledge dissemination and knowledge application of sustainability related issues, amongst other things.

“FirstBank would always strive to provide a unique value proposition that will drive higher levels of sustainability and business continuity”. Onasanya also said recent developments in the corporate world across borders point us to the need to continuously strengthen institutions to brace up for long term sustainability. “In other words, we require strong institutions not strong individuals, as they say. After all it is sustainable and value creating institutions that will outlast individuals as well as sustain succeeding generations”, he said. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Equity Bank of Kenya, Mr. James Mwangi, said ‘Financial Inclusion is a tool for Poverty Eradication in Africa’, using his bank as case study explained that the financial in-

stitution exists to transform the lives and livelihoods of our people socially and economically by availing them modern, inclusive financial services that maximise their opportunities. Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Golden Palm Investment, Ghana and USA, Mr.SanguDelle, while speaking on ‘Prospects for Sustainable Development through Africa Direct Investments’, noted with apology that African nations can hardly survive without Nigeria, judging from her leadership style and sustainable environment for businesses to thrive. He also hinted with dismay, the need to stop paying lipservices to supporting entrepreneurs in African nation. The development, he added, was capable of retrogressing the continent. ‘We need to support small businesses. BC

AXA Mansard Insurance’s profit up 28%

XA Mansard Insurance plc a member of the AXA Group has released its unaudited financial results, for the period ended September 30, 2015, which showed that its gross premium written went down by 8 percent. The company said its written premium was N13.50bn, down from N14.75bn as at September 2014 while net premium income of N7.31billion was up by 12

percent from N6.55bn as at September 2014 The insurance firm reported that its Investment and Other Income recorded a 55 percent rise from N2.06bn to N3.20bn in September 2014 with operating expenses of N3.60bn,indicated a 18 percent rise from N3.04bn as at September 2014 Profit before Tax of N1.72bn showed a 28 percent rise from N1.35bn recorded in September

2014 while Profit after Tax of N1.51bn was up 32 percent from N1.14bn as at September 2014 The company’s total assets grew by 13 percent from N44.89bn in December 2014 to N50.59bn while Insurance Liabilities was up 21 percent to N13.67bn from N11.29bn in December 2014 Commenting on the result, Mrs. Rashidat Adebisi, the Chief Financial Officer said “In the

quarter under review, Profit Before Tax grew by 28 per cent, this was driven by a 55 per cent growth in investment & other income and a 3 per cent decline in underwriting expense. However, Gross Premium Written declined by 8 per cent, this was caused by the non-renewal/delay of certain transactions as a result of the prevailing macro-economic uncertainties. Looking forward, we maintain

a positive outlook as the new administration begins to issue polices that would give the economy a positive direction.” Commenting also on the Company’s integration with the AXA Group, Mr. Tosin Runsewe, the Chief Client Officer, said “In the quarter, we upgraded our brand to align with AXA Group. Our services and processes are being upgraded to ensure all our customers receive best value.” BC

of the institution. Ugochi Odemelam, on the other hand, graduated from the Federal Polytechnic, Nassarawa. She holds an MBA from ESUT Business School. She is also a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), a registered member of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and Chartered Insurance Institute of London (CII London). BC

Onaolapo

Sovereign Trust Insurance elevates two staff

overeign Trust Insurance (STI) Plc said it has elevated two of its erstwhile General Managers to the position of Executive Directors. The duo, who by their recent elevation will automatically become board members of the company are; Mr. Olaotan Soyinka and Mrs. Ugochi Odemelam. Soyinka, before now, was the General Manager/Divisional Head, Technical while Ugochi took charge of Marketing/Business Development for the organization in the capacity of a General Manager/Divisional Head. The two appointments were recently ratified by the Board of Directors and both have assumed their new roles since September 14, 2015. Speaking on this development, the Chief Spokesperson, STI Plc, Mr. Segun Bankole, said the board and management have so much confidence in the two newly elevated directors, and that it is expected they would bring to bear their consummate wealth of experience in galvanizing the organization to the next level of its growth

stage. However, staff members of the firm are enjoined to give all the needed support to the new directors in achieving the overall objective of the company as a leading brand in insurance industry and a profitable one at that. The Managing Director/CEO of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Mr. Wale Onaolapo, in his congratulatory message to the two directors, emphasised management’s commitment to succession plan in the organization and also stressed that “the elevation is expected to further strengthen the board and empower top management team of the company in ensuring that the medium and long term strategic goals of the company are accomplished.” He equally thanked both of them for their immense contributions to the development and growth of the company in time past and charged them to do more than ever before as the organization forges ahead in the years to come. Mr. Olaotan Soyinka is an erudite and well-grounded underwriter with over 20 years cognate

experience. He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria(CIIN). He is a graduate of Insurance from University of Lagos and also holds a Masters of Science degree in Marketing from the same university. He joined Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc in March 1998. Soyinka is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School having successfully completed the Senior Management Programme

Caverton explains drop in financial performance

averton Offshore Support Group PLC (COSG) has expressed commitment to quality services despite drop in financial results. COSG,a leading provider of marine, aviation and logistics services to local and international oil and gas companies in Nigeria, has released its unaudited Q3 2015 results showing revenue of N17.8 billion which represented a 5 percent decrease over the same period last year. Earnings per Share came in at 42 kobo, already trending higher than FY 2014 (29 kobo).

Commenting on the results, CEO of COSG PLC, Mr. Bode Makanjuola, said, “The dip in net profit was due largely to reduction in ad-hoc revenue, increase in equipment lease cost and the effect of foreign exchange loss. We continued with our efficiency measures during the period and achieved some reduction in our overhead cost, however, the impact of the foreign exchange translation loss (yearon-year) muted the effect on our overall performance.” Makanjuola further stated that “In today’s challenging

business environment, we are committed and focused on the delivery of efficient aviation and marine logistics services to our esteemed customers. We work to ensure value-add to their business even as they are also impacted by the present economic condition. “ “As interest for logistics service support from Nigerian Oil Companies (NOC’s) continues to grow, we are adequately positioned to provide increased coverage for this sector and even for the non oil and gas sectors of the economy.” BC

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Companies & Markets

Travelex portraying BDCs as anti CBN – ABCON boss Stories by Udo Onyeka

he Acting President, Association of Bureaux de Change of Nigeria, ABCON, Aminu Gwadabe has urged the Federal Government to properly scrutinise the activities of Travelex Worldwide in the Nigerian BDC market. Gwadebe who said this on Friday in Lagos noted that though licensed as a wholesale supply of forex and importer of forex into the country, Travelex is planning to take over the retail segment of the foreign exchange market, where BDCs operate. He said to actualise this nefarious ambition, the company is trying to portray BDC operators as anti-Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN and the ones behind the depreciation of the naira in the parallel market. “It is for this purpose, we are calling on the federal government, to be alert to the activities and intentions of Travelex in the BDC market. “Travelex is

a foreign company, with most of its profits repatriated abroad, and it wants to dominate an industry that provides jobs for millions of Nigeria, income for millions of families, and the federal government through taxes, as well as the huge commissions paid to CBN by BDCs for foreign exchange sales”, he said. The ABCON boss said the utterances of some of the officials of Travelex in the media also gives the impression that other BDCs are against the use of BVN for forex transactions, while only the company is in support of the policy. According to Gwadebe this was not the first attempt by Travelex in this regard. “In 2001, when the Joseph Sanusi led CBN decided to allow BDC sell travellers cheques, Travelex surreptitiously hijacked the policy by seeking and receiving the permission of the CBN to open desks in the branches of some banks, to sell TCs to the public. On the other

Gwadabe

hand, Travelex made it difficult for BDCs to access TCs to sell to the public as intended by the CBN. “This led to the failure of the policy to achieve the objective of closing the wide gap between the exchange rates. Another reason why the policy failed was that Travelex staff turned the TC business into a racket of malpractices, a situation which led to the sacking of 150 staff of

the company”, he said. He said when the CBN liberalised the forex market in 2006, and introduced direct sale of dollars to BDCs, the policy successfully led to the appreciation of the naira in the parallel market, and convergence of the exchange rates, adding that “rather than being contended with its status as a currency importer and supplier, Travelex incorporated its own BDC, for the purpose of competing with BDCs and eventually take over the business”. Gwadebe said at a time of dwindling revenue from crude oil sale when pressure is on the country’s external reserves, allowing a foreign owned company like Travelex to monopolise a critical industry like BDC, with intention of making more profit that would be repatriated abroad, is not in the interest of the economy. He said that the BDCs have made significant contributions to the development of the economy. BC

ICT to become alternative to oil on earnings – Shittu

he new Minister of Communications Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, has expressed his commitment to boost thr telecommunications and Information Technology (IT) such that the sectors becomes major source of revenue for the country. Shittu while addressing directors and staff of the Ministry of Communications Technology on assumption of duty said the plan was based on the continued dwindling fortunes of the oil and gas, which is the main stay of the nation’s economy. He promised to turn the situation around by exploring the

untapped potentials of the ICT sector as an alternative source of revenue to the economy. He said, “Well, we can tap on agriculture to recover lost ground in terms of revenue generation and finances, but this takes time. But God has help us in this country with our large population that use telecommunications and IT in their daily lives. That means that telecommunication will serve as the new cashcow for the country and I’m going to pursue this and I want all of you to in the ministry to join me in evolving policies that will make us have the best that

we can in terms of income generation from telecommunication technology”. Speaking further, he said, “I want to interact with everybody in the ministry and I want assistance by way of ideas and quality suggestions. I have always been a no respecter of the cut and dry type of bureaucracy. I’m ready to run an exemplary leadership.” “This government will not be the business as usual syndrome of governance. I know that all of you are aware that Nigeria economically is in dire strait. The petroleum, which used to be the cashcow for our nation is

not doing well and because it is a global issue, we hardly have control over this development. Well, we can tap on agriculture to recover lost ground in terms of finances but this takes time. But God has help us in this country with our large population are using population. “That means that telecommunication will serve as the new cashcow for the country and I’m going to pursue this and I want all of you to join me in evolving policies that will make us have the best that we can in terms of income generation from telecommunication technology,” he said. BC

S&P upgrades Ecobank to ‘stable’, at ‘B+/B’ ratings

Jubril Aku, Ecobank Nig MD

cobank Nigeria reflects the profitability and asset quality of its parent, Ecobank Group, and will likely remain core to the Group’s performance.

Ecobank Nigeria has also reduced its nonperforming loans, NPLs, from six per cent in 2013 to 4.7 per cent in 2014 ,the Group went from 6.2 per cent to 4.4 per cent in the same period, S&P said this is commensurate with other Nigerian institutions. “We anticipate that the group’s asset quality should remain broadly stable in 2015, reflecting its diversification across countries and better risk-management practices at the group and affiliate levels,” S&P said, adding that it expects NPLs to average around five per cent through to 2018. “In our view, Ecobank Nigeria benefits from the wider group’s

scale and franchise in corporate and retail segments across Africa, which should help ensure business growth and revenue stability, despite the difficult Nigerian economy. We consider the group’s business stability to be strong, owing to geographic diversification that supports growth in key markets where it operates among the top-tier banks,” S&P said. Its position in Nigeria is underpinned by a wide customer franchise, which S&P said should enable the bank to maximise its cost of funds and compete adequately with top-tier banks to underwrite business with goodquality names and margins.

Ecobank Group more than doubled its core earnings in 2014 after Nedbank entered as a shareholder, recording a $338m profit compared with $96m in 2013. Ecobank Group’s earnings have proved resilient in 2015, despite increasing headwinds in key markets. The group recorded $306 million in net profit for the nine months ended 30 September 2015, compared with $322 million during the same period last year. S&P added that in its view, Ecobank Nigeria has “high” systemic importance in Nigeria, and the government is classified as “supportive” toward the country’s banking sector. BC

NEXIM Bank, World Bank explore funding options for miners

igerian Export-Import Bank, NEXIM Bank and the World Bank have discussed ideas on how to provide structured intervention towards revamping and deepening Nigeria’s mining sector. The Managing Director of NEXIM Bank Mr. Roberts Orya, who received a team from the World Bank led by Senior Mining Specialist, Energy & Extractives Unit, Dr. Francisco Igualada, and Mr. Linus Adie Utsu of Mining Investments Consult that visited the Bank extensively, explored possible ways to develop the sector. Orya told the team that NEXIM was specifically set up to support government’s efforts in diversifying the Nigerian economy away from the oil through the provision of export credit facility, risk bearing facilities, trade and market information and export advisory services to export-oriented investors in the manufacturing, agroprocessing, solid minerals and services, MASS, sectors. He said Nigeria is endowed with huge solid mineral deposits, with about 34 products identified in commercial quantities in different parts of the country. However, the failure of Nigeria, since independence in 1960, to put in place a structure that will make the benefits of the exploitation available to all Nigerians has been the bane of the country. The low activity in the solid mineral sector is not yielding the desired financial revenues as there are scanty records of payment of taxes and royalty to the government. Nigeria is losing lots of resources from untapped mineral deposit as well as from the little that is being mined mostly by illegal miners who smuggle the products out of the country. At the moment, according to Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN reports, the sector accounts for only 0.14 per cent of GDP and 3.8 percent of the non-oil export revenue. BC

Orya

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Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Global News

Mario Draghi, president of the ECB

Traders facing Euribor charge were part of ECB crisis group

hree of the traders accused of manipulating euro money market Euribor rates by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) on Friday were part of a group that helped the European Central Bank (ECB) shape its response to the financial crisis, ECB documents show. The documents on the ECB website show that former Barclays euro money market desk head Colin Bermingham and Joerg Vogt and Ardalan Gharagozlou from Deutsche Bank - three of 10 people charged by the SFO on Friday - were part of the central bank’s Money Market Contact Group at the height of the crisis. The group regularly met and held conference calls as the central bank scrambled to stabilise markets that were threatening to push debt-strained Greece, Portugal, Ireland and even Italy and Spain out of the euro in 2010 and 2011. The interbank lending market, which acts as the plumbing system for financial markets, had frozen up. Banks stopped lending to all but their most trusted peers, fearful that any others in troubled countries would go bankrupt. “During the crisis they (the contact group) were always important,” said Francesco Papadia, head of market operations at the ECB during the financial and euro zone debt crises. “They helped understand what was going on beyond what you see on the screens.” The message the contact group gave to the ECB was that the central bank

needed to provide an unlimited source of euros so that they could shore up their finances and replace the cash panicked customers and investors were withdrawing. Papadia and ECB then head Jean-Claude Trichet did just that. The ECB said in a statement: “The ECB money market contact group is a forum to discuss trends in the euro area money market with the industry. Members are representatives of major market participants.” “The ECB plays no role in the setting of the Euribor rate,” it added. The documents on the ECB website show Bermingham was a member of the contact group in 2010 and 2011, while Gharagozlou was a member in 2010 and Vogt a member in 2011. There were 26 members in total in 2010, including three ECB representatives, and 25 members in 2011.

Capital controls damage Greek economy less than feared in third quarter

apital controls imposed to shore up Greece’s banking system as its government thrashed out a new bailout deal have damaged the economy less than feared, according to data showing only a modest decline in output between June and September. Gross domestic product shrank 0.5 percent from the second quarter, Friday’s seasonally adjusted data from statistics service ELSTAT showed. Economists polled by Reuters were expecting a quarterly contraction of 2.7

Alexis Tsipras, Greek Prime Minister

percent as they factored in the effect of controls that, from the end of June, restricted Greeks to daily withdrawals of 60 euros (42 pounds) from cash machines. “It is clearly a betterthan-expected reading, confirming the resilience of the economy that was reflected by other indicators such as retail sales and industrial production,” said National Bank economist Nikos Magginas. He said the reading suggested Greece was heading for a milder recession that expected, forecasting the economy would shrink less than 1 percent in 2015 as a whole. The official forecast is for a contraction of 1.4 per cent. Athens imposed the capital controls at the end of June to stem a flight of cash from banks by depositors unnerved at a stalemate in discussions with international lenders and speculation Greece could be forced out of the euro zone. It eventually secured its third international bailout, and its future in the currency bloc, in August. The economy expanded in the second quarter - ELSTAT cut its growth reading for the period to 0.4 percent from 0.9 percent on Friday - but the European Commission, the OECD and the EBRD all say Greece is heading into recession again after growth in 2014 ended a six-year depression. Both the Commission and the OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) see a 1.4 percent contraction this year, while the EBRD (the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) sees 1.5 percent. The light at the end of the tunnel, all three say, may be some growth returning during next year - but it is highly dependent on economic and banking reform. Friday’s data showed that year-on-year the economy shrank 0.4 percent in the third quarter, again beating economists’ forecasts that predicted a contraction of 1.9 percent. “The initial shock from capital controls and the bank holiday in early July seems to have been absorbed better than ex-

pected. The data point to a recession of well below 1.0 percent this year, most likely about 0.6 percent,” said Eurobank economist Platon Monokroussos.

David Cameron, Britain Prime Minister

British nightmare worsens for Germany’s RWE

eakness at RWE’s British business power continued to eat into the German utility’s profits, prompting investors to dump shares in a company already struggling with a structural crisis at home. RWE warned it would only just reach the bottom of a 1.1 billion euro (0.77 billion pounds) to 1.3 billion euro forecast for underlying net profit this year, blaming billing glitches in Britain and a loss of customers there that has worsened during the year. Small energy suppliers have been poaching customers from Britain’s six big power utilities, exploiting dissatisfaction with service quality and soaring bills. RWE said on Thursday it had lost about 200,000 customers in Britain since the start of the year, sending npower to an unexpected operating loss of 66 million euros during the first nine months of 2015. “This is an extra headache for RWE shareholders,” a Frankfurt-based trader said of the problems in Britain. “You can’t just blame it all on the weak environment.” Shares in RWE plunged as much as 9.9 percent making them the worst performer in Frankfurt’s blue-chip DAX index and also weighing on the STOXX Europe 600 Utilities Index, which was 0.3

percent lower. Utilities in Germany have been hit by the country’s decision to close nuclear power stations, a plunge in wholesale power prices and a rise in renewable capacity. For RWE, the problems in Britain come as an additional concern. “We were often only able to retain residential customers with expired contracts by offering them new ones with more favourable conditions,” RWE Chief Financial Officer Bernhard Guenther told reporters. Bryan Garnier analyst Xavier Caroen kept a “sell” rating on RWE, saying it was in a more difficult position than E.ON, which reported a record thirdquarter record loss on Wednesday due to writedowns on its power plants. RWE’s nine-month operating profit fell 9 percent to 2.65 billion euros, putting it on track for its third consecutive year of falling earnings and piling pressure on Chief Executive Peter Terium to come up with a turnaround plan. Terium has defended his decision not to follow larger peer E.ON by breaking up the company, but he is under mounting pressure to revive the 117-year old utility.

VW brand chief says no evidence of further cheats

PAVolkswagen’s top brand executive sees no evidence of further misconduct at the carmaker beyond the manipulations of diesel emissions tests and carbon dioxide certifications, he told German news agency DPA in an interview published on Friday. Herbert Diess told DPA he saw no threat of job cuts for the company’s permanent staff. VW is pondering a reduction of temporary workers to help contain the multi-billioneuro costs from the scandal, sources at VW have said. Works council chief Bernd Osterloh, in a joint interview with Diess with DPA, said however that bonus payments to workers would not be at last year’s level. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

A9 25

Brand Watch

Peak Milk wins Iconic Brand of the Year Award David Audu

n recognition of its outstanding performance in the year 2015, Peak Milk, has been awarded the 2015 “Iconic Brand of the Year” award at the annual Marketing World Magazine Awards. The award which is in its 5th edition was presented to the milk brand at an impressive ceremony held at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos last Saturday. According to the organisers, the prestigious awards is designed to celebrate the excellence, creativity and achievements of the marketing industry by rewarding outstanding performance across the integrated marketing communication industry.

The theme for this year’s award ceremony was tagged: “Breaking the mould in marketing excellence.” The ceremony had in attendance major players in the marketing industry across various sectors of the economy, who gathered to celebrate outstanding marketing achievements in over twenty categories of the award. Peak Milk emerged winner in the Iconic brand of the year category beating several others. The award which was presented by Akin Naphtal, Group Executive Publisher, Marketing World, was received by Mrs. Dolapo Otegbayi, the Marketing Manager for the Peak Brand, on behalf of FrieslandCampina WAMCO. Responding after receiving the award, Otegbayi expressed

the company’s appreciation to the organizers of the awards for recognising Peak as the Iconic brand of 2015. “Having been in Nigeria for over 60years, Peak is synonymous to milk and is the nation’s favourite milk. This award coming in the year of our 60th anniversary gives us a positive nudge that we are doing the right thing.” “We thank Nigerians for allowing Peak to be part of their lives for over 60years. Peak promises to continue to support and nourish Nigerians with quality dairy milk and we are also telling Nigerians that with Peak the future is bright”, she added. Peak has won industry recognition as an innovative and trendsetting brand that delivers superior dairy nutrition across

Naphtal

life-stages. The Brand’s positive results and success can be attributed to always connecting with the consumers, supporting its Key Business Partners and general public to pursuing their aspirations and reaching for their Peak! BC

Ayade, Murray-Bruce to receive SERA Award

fter almost eleven months of preparations, all looks set for the grand finale of the ninth edition of The SERAsNigeria’s CSR awards which holds on November 20th, in Lagos. Billed to be honoured are Senator Ben Ayade, the executive governor of Cross River State and Senator Ben MurrayBruce who represents Bayelsa East senatorial district in the 8th Nigerian Senate. Both men would receive the ‘Sustainability Champions’ award. This award category was introduced in 2012 to recognize the work of key influencers and promoters of CSR and sustainability in Nigeria. Co-founder of Transparency International, former minister for education, and former vice

president of the World Bank (Africa), Obiageli Ezekwesili, would deliver the keynote address. Out of the 47 organisations that submitted entries for this year’s awards, those who made it to the finals include – ExxonMobil, Shell, Nigerian Breweries, Lafarge, BAT, Airtel, Nigerian Stock Exchange, Cornerstone Insurance, GTBank, Total Nigeria, Promasidor, DHL, FCMB, First Bank, Dangote, Etisalat, Samsung Mobile, Protection Plus amongst others. The theme for the 2015 SERAs is ‘Building Partnerships for a Sustainable Future: Business Leadership as a Catalyst for Development. International Business mogul, famed entrepreneur and one of the world’s richest men

Murray-Bruce

Alhaji Aliko Dangote who is the Chairman of Dangote Group, would receive The CSR & Sustainability Man of the Year award. Winners of the twenty categories of the awards would be tak-

ing home the SERAs statuette designed and made by worldrenowned R.S. Owens, the makers of the OSCARS and Globe awards statuettes. The evening will also see the unveiling of the overall winner and Nigeria’s most responsible company. Organisers of the awards seem to have also upped the ante as the trio of Ire the stage Devi, Edi Zycs (the new poster boy for jazz music in Nigeria) and the inimitable Yinka Davies will entertain guests at the event. The awards are Nigeria’s top CSR and sustainability honours. The awards process is designed to integrate principles and framework of the Global compact, global reporting Initiative, the sustainable development goals and ISO 26000. BC

Konga excites shoppers with ‘KongaPay’

ne of Nigeria’s online mall, Konga.com, has unveiled an innovative payment solution called KongaPay that allows customers to perform one-click payments for their transactions, creating better shopping experience for them. Associate Director, Payment and Digital Goods at Konga. com, Mr. JR Kanu, explained that the new payment system works in tandem with Nigerian banks to give customers full control of their money while transacting online. Mr. Kanu who led the team that launched KongaPay further stated that KongaPay has an escrow system that holds money paid for an order until the transaction is completed to the satisfaction of

the customer. “Furthermore, he added, “one notable thing about KongaPay is its simplicity and seamless integration with Nigerian banks. Not only have we elimi-

Gab-Umoden

nated the inconvenience of constantly pulling out a debit card or bank token to complete a transaction, we’ve also integrated refunds at the click of a button while maintaining the highest security standards.” Mr. Kanu explained that all KongaPay transactions require two keys for transaction verification. First is the 4-digit pin, a numeric password created at the point of registration. Like all passwords, this is private and should never be shared. Secondly, the bank sends a onetime-password (OTP) via SMS or email. This OTP is only sent to the customer’s registered mobile number, the mobile number used by the customer’s bank and the customers BVN. KongaPay allows anyone with a

bank account and a registered mobile phone number to use the application without necessarily signing up for internet banking. Vice President Marketing, Konga.com, Gabriel GabUmoden explained the significance of KongaPay to online shoppers. He stated, “KongaPay is set to be a game changer in terms of providing online shoppers a platform they can trust. This trust will be built on the guarantee of fast returns and refunds for orders paid for with KongaPay”. Speaking on Konga’s general strategy for satisfying customers, Mr. Gab-Umoden said, “We have discovered that if your value proposition is right, people will use our platform. BC

Etisalat, Union Bank, support 2015 BJAN CSR Conference

s part of effort to promote Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives in the country, one of Nigeria’s leading telecommunication giants, Etisalat Nigeria, a leading financial institution in the country, Union Bank and Multichoice Nigeria have shown their supports to this year’s Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria, BJAN, annual conference scheduled to hold between November 19 to 21 in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. This year’s conference comes with the theme: “Challenges and Prospects of Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, in Nigeria- the Roles of Organisations, Government and the Media”, the conference will feature seasoned industry practitioners who will gather to proffer solutions to the growing need for CSR sustainability in Nigeria. According to the chairman of BJAN, Mr. Goddie Ofose, the 3rd BJAN conference has been designed among other things to provide platform for discussion on serious issues, engender opportunities for bonding between brand journalists and the private sector as well as other critical stakeholders. He said that: ‘’The conference will also provide refreshers for brand writers on critical and emerging issues in global sustainability as well as affording brand writers the opportunity of sharing ideas with stakeholders in the industry.’’ Ofose however acknowledged that the 2015 BJAN conference has received massive boost from corporate organisations like Access Bank, GTBank, Nestle, Nigerian Breweries, Chi Limited, Lafarge, Mr Biggs, Coca-cola, APCON and others. Guest speakers include the Group Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, Chief Executive Officer of Tru Contact Communications, the organiser of the annual CSR Award in Nigeria, Mr. Ken Egbas, and Group Managing Director of SO&U, Mr. Ufot Udeme. BC

Ofose

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Business Courage

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, November 16, 2015

Energy Review

Fuel supply crisis worsens in South south, South east The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, have intensified efforts to supply more fuel in the past few days to tackle the prevailing scarcity in the market. But Udeme Akpan who visited some parts of the nation reports that the situation has worsened, especially in South South and South East geopolitical zones.

An NNPC Mega station

tion has dropped significantly, mainly because many marketers claimed that they lacked funds to import petrol anymore. Second, financial institutions, it was learnt have been reluctant in granting new loans because operators lack the capacity to pay back. Meanwhile, those without commercial stocks have decided to close their retail outlets, others decided to sell in excess of N120 per liter instead of the Federal Government N87 per liter regulated price. Expectedly, the NNPC, has assured that it has enough volume of petrol in stock to satisfy the nation’s domestic consumption requirement, noting that the prevailing fuel queues in some major cities across the country have nothing to do with the lack of supply of petroleum products. Speaking at a press conference convened to update the public with the current fuel supply situation, the Executive Director, Commercial of the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company, Mr. Justine Ezeala, stated that a projected volume of 1.4 billion litres of petrol are available for distribution to fuel stations across the country all through the month of November. Ezeala informed that as part of the extra measure in place to tackle the artificially induced queues, PPMC has increased the volume of petrol being trucked out to fuel stations across major cities in the country, adding that most of the 37 NNPC Retail Mega Stations across the country have been directed to commence 24-hour service. “NNPC Retail has 513 retail outlets all over the country and the strategy is that every one

of these stations is designed to have products at all times. In addition we have decided that most of the mega stations will adopt 24 hours operation model and where for security reasons that cannot be met, we are going to have extended hours of operation in such location starting from 5am and end till about 10.pm daily,” he said. Throwing more light on the operations of the NNPC Retail, Mr. Oladipo Fagbola said that in addition to the commencement of the 24-hour service, the company has opened up some hotlines to enable members of the public provide useful feedback and intelligence on the operations of Mega and affiliate filling stations across the country. He urged members of the public to provide useful information to assist the Corporation achieve its mandate and responsibility to the fuel consumers. The impact of this level o supply has not yet been felt in many parts of the nation because of sharp practices such as arbitrary pricing and diversion of the product to unknown locations. Other reasons included the manipulation of meters and extortion. The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR maintained that it was monitoring the operations on marketers in order to sanction culprits. “The Department of Petro-

‘

Fawibe

leum Resources (DPR) wishes to inform the General Public that it has set up a 24 hours surveillance monitoring team of petrol stations nationwide to ensure unhindered sale of petroleum products at government regulated prices. This is in response to reported cases of panic buying in some Petrol Stations across the country. The DPR wishes to state that the current stock level of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in depots nationwide is about 365million litres and we are also expecting over 800million seaborne litres to be discharged before the end of the week. This translates to a stock level for thirty (30) days’ supply.’’ “To further ensure the supply of products, DPR has fast

NNPC Retail has 513 retail outlets all over the country and the strategy is that every one of these stations is designed to have products at all times

‘

ith many promises coming from some stakeholders, especially the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, consumers of petrol had expected increased supply in the past few days. But was not to be. Investigations showed that the situation has worsened in many parts of the nation, particularly the South South and South East. Take Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state as an example. Travelling across the state showed that all filling stations had no fuel, except the NNPC station which witnessed very long queues of automobiles. These motorists, including those that go on very long journeys have to queue for many hours before they were able to buy fuel. The sad story remains the same in other cities and states. In fact, from Calabar in Cross River state to Eket in Akwa Ibom and from Port Harcourt in Rivers state to Owerri in Imo State and the even Benin in Edo State only very few stations have fuel. Countless motorists and other users of fuel recounted their plights. A commercial driver who gave his names as Mr. Asuquo James indicated that: “There is no filling station that has fuel in Akwa Ibom State. That explains why we all come to NNPC station for fuel. I have been on this queue for over three hours and it is not yet certain that I will buy fuel.” “I cannot understand why this should happen because this government had promised that it was coming in to make a difference,” he added. The reasons are not farfetched. First, many marketers have not yet been able to import fuel because the inability to settle their N413 billion outstanding subsidy claims. Consequently, the level of importa-

tracked the grant of product import permits and vessel clearing process to aid rapid stock build up for importers. We hereby appeal to all Depots and Petroleum Product Retail Outlets nationwide to ensure that products are sold at government regulated price as the DPR will not hesitate to enforce necessary sanctions against any erring marketer. The General Public is hereby advised not to engage in panic buying as there is adequate supply of petroleum Products nationwide,’’ it added. From all indications, the nation would continue to depend on massive importation of petrol and other products for some reasons. First, the nation’s four refineries does not have the capacities to meet domestic demand which has been estimated at about 40 million liters. Second, many investors are not ready to invest in new plant because of unattractive government policy. More than that, the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB has not yet been passed into law. However, many stakeholders have renewed their calls for the establishment of new refineries in the nation. One of them is the National President of the Oil and Gas Service Providers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Colman Obasi who traced the travails of the nation to its inability to meet domestic fuel needs. “Many previous administrations did not do much to construct new plants. The present government should give priority to building new refineries. This is the only way we can add value to our crude oil before it is exported to other nations. We cannot afford to export a bulk of our crude oil while importing refined products from other nations.” “If we continue to do so, we will be assisting to impoverish our people who pay high prices for the imported fuel. Moreover, we will be continuing to create many multiplier effects, especially employment, capacity building and adaptation of new technologies in other nations, “he added. The Chairman of International Energy Services Limited, Dr. Diran Fawibe, also urged the government to create the enabling environment for local and foreign investors. Fawibe indicated that investors would not invest in new refineries because the Federal Government still regulates the prices of many products, including petrol, a fiscal regime that is considered risky to long term investments in the sector. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

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Ericsson, Cisco pact to restructure global ICT market Isaiah Erhiawarien with agency report

new partnership between two the global leaders, Swedish mobile equipment maker, Ericsson and US networking company, Cisco Systems may threaten emerging enterprise particularly those in the Middle East and Africa. But companies have agreed to a business and technology partnership could generate additional revenue of $1 billion for each company by 2018. Both companies had last weekend announced that they would be together offer routing, data centre, networking, cloud, mobility, management and control, and global services capabilities. Ericsson, whose sales were down seven per cent so far this year and were roughly flat over the previous three years, said the partnership means new areas of revenue as it will boost its addressable market, mainly in professional services, software and the resale of Cisco products. According to reports from Reuters, Ericsson Chief Executive Hans Vestberg said that it is the wireless number one in the world, adding that “Cisco is by far the number one in the world when it comes to IP routers. Together we can create innovative solutions.” “The strategic partnership will be a key driver of growth and value for the next decade, with each company benefiting from incremental revenue in calendar year 2016 and expected to ramp to $1 billion or more for each by 2018,” they said. Ericsson expects full-year cost synergies of one billion Swedish crowns ($115 million) in 2018 due to the partnership and said it would continue to explore further joint business opportunities with Cisco. Ericsson, which currently has a stake in NATCOM Development, the consortium of companies that bought moribund NITEL has continued great impact in Africa showcasing recently solutions for a smart Africa at Transform Africa forum. At the forum, Ericsson demonstrated M-Commerce Interconnect and solutions for intelligent transport at Transform Africa. Both solutions showcase Ericsson’s leadership in communications technology and services in building a cashless society in a smart economy. According to Ericsson, it is taking advantage of the fact that

more than half of the world’s population already lives in cities and nearly 70 per cent of people will be urbanised by 2050. Ericsson is particularly focused on contributing to smart and sustainable cities. At the Transform Africa conference, held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 19 to 21 October, Ericsson demonstrated the transformation that ICT and a truly networked society can deliver in building smart cities and a cashless society in Rwanda, particularly in the financial and transport sectors. The conference, hosted by Rwandan President, His Excellency Paul Kagame, brings the continent’s top political and business leaders together to shape Africa’s digital transformation agenda. The Ericsson M-Commerce Interconnect solutions leverage on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the government of Rwanda announced at Mobile World Congress 2015 to demonstrate Ericsson’s technology leadership and experience in delivering meaningful and tailored solutions to reach set objectives. The Ericsson M-Commerce Interconnect provides the total interconnection solution required to bring together all the players in the financial services area, and allow money to flow between them seamlessly, taking cash out of the system. This system has the capacity to connect the formal financial sector with the semi-formal and informal. Particularly, the inclusion of savings co-operatives and micro-finance players in the ecosystem will allow more people to participate in mainstream financial services, thus increasing financial inclusion. Ericsson also showcased the MCommerce Interconnect Switch, in partnership with MNOs, service providers and banks. Ericsson demonstrated the efficiency of its solutions for intelligent transport. The system will help governments to better manage revenue collection in the public transportation system and create efficiency in the utilisation of the existing public transport capacity. According to Ericsson President for sub-Saharan Africa, Fredrik Jejdling, ICT is creating a vast amount of new opportunities for people, business and society and as such, Ericsson is using its ICT expertise to provide innovative solutions and services across a variety of industries that play a key role in

Vestberg

enabling digital transformation in Africa. Another development that is also likely to threaten emerging enterprise is the alliance that Ericsson has with chip maker, Intel to facilitate cloud shift. The telecoms equipment maker and chipmaker agreed to a partnership deal to help network operator customers build data centres, putting them on a more competitive footing against big, cloud-based Internet firms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon. Ericsson Chief Executive Officer, Hans Vestberg told a news conference at the Mobile World Congress 2015 telecoms trade show in Barcelona that it will build data centre equipment, which will actually have the same performance as many of the big cloud providers are doing for themselves. Ericsson said it will help its global base of major telecoms companies to shift to cloud computing using Intel data centre designs to compete more actively with Web rivals. Over the past decade, Webbased services like Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft have stopped buying finished computers, storage devices and network components, and instead developed their own systems in-house to create massive, low-cost data centres in the cloud to serve billions of users. Ericsson’s partnership with Intel, the world’s largest chipmaker, puts it in a crowded market for providing bespoke

data centres, where it will also compete with a range of technology suppliers, including Cisco, which it already has a partnership and IBM. The Swedish company’s plan is to focus initially on equipping big telecom operators rather than competing for new corporate customers in other industries. Telecom operators are rushing to build data centres in the cloud to slash the cost of hardware spending within their networks, improve the range of services they offer subscribers and to obtain the Web-wide reach of the big Internet companies. “The difference is that we are going to provide it to the market,” Vestberg saying, “This is predominately to see that we give a competitive-edge for our customers, the carriers.” The move builds on a number of smaller cloud software company acquisitions made by Ericsson over the past year. In Nigeria, these strategic alliances, surfaced when CA Southern Africa staged a roadshow in Lagos where it showcased products and solutions that fuel digital transformation and enable organisations to seize opportunities in the application economy. The CA Southern Africa roadshow, which successfully launched in Kenya and Botswana, arrived in Lagos as part its expansion strategy. CA Southern Africa, Sales Manager, Carol Ann Searra, said, “We all live in an application economy where customers

are more likely to experience a brand through a software app than a person. To thrive in this new reality, developing and delivering superior user experiences that engage customers and staff is now the ultimate priority.” “Technology is the disruptive influence driving change in the global economic landscape. This coupled with growing consumer demands has fuelled the emergence of the application economy. In this new reality – every company is a software company,” said Searra. Managing Director, CA Southern Africa, Gary Lawrence said that regardless of the size or maturity of the market, the pressures being created by the application economy, across the globe, are tangible to executives everywhere and in every business. “These pressures translate into a need for appropriate investment, augmented by understanding how to: acquire, motivate, and retain, technical talent. This is not an easy task in the African context. In business terms, the application economy provides something of a level playing field as it promotes competition. With the right applications and technology infrastructure, African businesses will not only be able to serve their existing markets better, but also compete with international players both at home and abroad. Cloud computing and software as a service (SaaS) brings the latest technology within the grasp of even the smallest company, without the expense, delay and risk of investment,” he notes. “The CA Southern Africa roadshow aims to deliver information on the solutions available to African businesses to enable them to become part of this emerging digital world. The application economy allows companies to redefine their businesses and even their industry sectors, regardless of location. All that’s needed is access to the right technology backed by the right vision. “Africa’s up-take of mobile solutions – which has enabled the continent to leapfrog to the latest communications technologies is a real example of this principle in action. The same thing is possible in preparing for the application economy where a stable, secured and managed IT platform is the ticket to a game where the currency in this new economic order is data,” said Lawrence. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

Nigeria trails behind South Africa in payTV market Stories by Isaiah Erhiawarien

outh Africa in another consecutive period has dominated the pay TV market in Africa leaving Nigeria to trail behind it. According to a report by telecom, TV and media business market research firm, Dataxis South Africa leds Africa’s payTV market with 35.8 per cent of the continent’s total market share noting that the total payTV subscriptions across Africa amounted to 15.9 million as at the second quarter of 2015, an increase of 18 per cent over the 13.4 million recorded in the same period last year. Dataxis, which tracks all pay-TV operators in all markets worldwide said that South Africa’s pay-TV market is dominated by a single, entrenched player, MultiChoice, with its DSTV offering unlike Nigeria where you have multiple player while MultiChoice is the dorminant player. “We compile subscription numbers based on publically available

information from listed operators, national regulators, government agencies and equipment vendors,” said Research Director at Dataxis, Gavin Patterson. Where information is not publically available, the firm provides market analysis based on primary or secondary research of operators, national regulators, government agencies and equipment vendors. The report said that the top five pay-TV markets account for 65.4 per cent of total African pay-tv subscriptions, adding these are SA (35.8 per cent), Nigeria (14.5 per cent), Angola (6.5 per cent), Tanzania (4.4 per cent), and Kenya (4.2 per cent). “South Africa has the largest number of subscriptions due to a combination of factors, including population size, electricity penetration, a relatively developed broadcast (TV) industry, strong regulation, and various economic factors,” said Patterson. He noted the main growth drivers for pay-TV uptake in Africa are different from market to market based on a number of different factors, including terrestrial

free-to-air network penetration; deregulation of the terrestrial free-to-air market; competition in the terrestrial free-to-air market; availability of electricity supply; and affordability and other economic factors. “In general, however, satellite platforms have seen the majority of net additions due to limitations of terrestrial free-to-air network penetration as well as competition in the terrestrial free-to-air market.” According to Dataxis, direct to home (DTH) is still the dominant pay-TV platform across the region, with 12.6 million subscriptions at the end of June, an increase of 17 per cent over the 10.8 million at the end of June 2014. However, it said, DTH market share fell slightly from 80 per cent to 79 per cent over the period, while its share of actual growth was down to 74%. It adds digital terrestrial television (DTT) is the fastest growing platform – up 31 per cent from 1.7 million to 2.2 million and increasing its overall market share from 13 per cent in Q2 2014 to 14 per cent in second of 2015. BC

Airtel partners stakeholders to promote oral hygiene amongst students A

irtel Nigeria has collaborated with manufacturer of home and personal care goods, Unilever, alongside the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) to promote oral hygiene among students in Nigeria. Through the CSR health awareness programme, which kicked off Thursday, November 5th, 2015 at Oremeji Primary School II, Ajegunle, Lagos the telco and its partners are educating primary school students across Nigeria on how to stay healthy through oral hygiene. Students and teachers of Oremeji Primary School II, one of Airtel’s adopted schools in Nigeria, gladly received the awareness campaign team comprising Airtel’s staff and representative from the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA). Speaking on the initiative, Regional Operations Director, Lagos Region, Airtel, Mr. Adedokun Oye, noted that the telco has taken a step further to care for Nigerian children by ensuring their health and well-being through proper oral hygiene in order to bring out the best in them. “Airtel and Unilever are providing kids in schools with gift items like tooth brushes, toothpastes and leaflets that offer tips on oral hygiene. When children stay healthy, it will be easier for them to learn,” he said. Brand Building Director, Unilever Nigeria, David Okeme, noted that Unilever’s global oral care social missions is to improve the oral health of 100 million people

Segun Ogunsanya, Airtel boss

by 2020 by convincing them to brush day and night to stay healthy and happy, and live a more enjoyable and fulfilled life. “In partnership with the Nigerian Dental Association, Universal Basic Education Board and the Federal Ministry of Health, Pepsodent is committed to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through the Brush Day & Night schools’ programme, and one million school children will be reached directly in 2015. We believe kids can change the world by adopting healthy oral habits and they can convince their parents to do same,” he added. Dr. Abu Dorcas from the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA) took the children through a brief session on how to maintain oral hygiene. She encouraged the children to always brush daily, morning and night, using fluoridated toothpaste.

“It is important to stay away from sweet and sugary things in order to maintain oral hygiene. Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink sufficient water. More importantly, try and see a dentist every six months,” she said. Head Teacher, Oremeji Pry. School II, Mrs. Animashaun Risikat, commended Airtel and Unilever Nigeria for giving priority to the health of students and teachers through the programme. She said: “This initiative will go a long way to boost the hygiene of both teachers and the students. As we know, health is wealth. If the kids are healthy, they will be happy to learn.” The students hailed Airtel and Unilever for providing them with toothpaste, toothbrushes and oral health tips. Rachael Elia in primary six said, “I will be brushing in the right way as we were taught by the dentist. It is the proper way to brush. We thank Airtel and Unilever for this.” On his part, Habeeb Isiaka of Primary 5 said, “From now, I will try to brush morning and night so that my teeth can be strong and healthy.” Under the programme, all the students in schools adopted by Airtel Nigeria will be reached with the health awareness campaign. St. John’s Primary School, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun; Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo; Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba, Cross River and IyeruOkin Primary School, Kwara are next in line to benefit from the programme. BC

Technotalk

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Mobile Business Intelligence Apps

ast week we discussed exploring Mobile Business Intelligence option but this week we are looking at Mobile Business Intelligence (MBI) applications in a broader dimension, focusing more on MBI tools with increasing relevance to businesses. MBI provide real-time sales, revenue and customer data in dashboards small enough to fit on an employee’s tablet or smartphone screen. Employees are using their smartphones to do their work often and as such, they need great MBI tools that will function when they are on the move. Here are few apps that can help you achieve this: Mobi Office: Mobi Office ia a free app which provide viewing capabilities for existing sharepoint reports and charts, as well as microsoft business intelligence. It offers additional functionality, including the capability to download and view reporting services reports from multiple reporting servers and bookmark and history features for quicker navigation. Yellowfin: Yellowfin provides mobile BI tools that are easy to customise and personalized dashboards. Based on its client-based business intelligence app, it lets anyone create customised reports and dashboards that can be published and accessed from any platform or device. The tool also incorporates enterprise collaboration capabilities within the mobile app, which let you collaborate and discuss issues relating to specific charts and associate a conversation with specific reports or data points. It provides both online and offline work modes. Jaspersoft: Jaspersoft has a browser-based architecture for the ipad, iphone and android devices. Features for end users include an ad hoc design environment that allows for on-the-fly creation of new reports or dashboards. IBM cognos mobile: Cognos mobile provides the capability to view BI content from many types of mobile devices, to create multiple dashboards and to push those reports to devices. Cognos mobile provides drill up, drill down and drill through capabilities on and offline. Cyfe: Cyfe is a small business tool of choice with its cloudbased service and mobile app which provides users with allin-one business dashboards for a monthly subscription fee. Dashboards are easy to set up and have ready-to-use widgets that connect to social media, marketing, monitoring and sales data sources such as salesforce, google analytics, twitter, gmail and feedburner. It also connects to internal databases and lets you combine internal and external data to create dashboards. Roambi: Roambi app is intuitive to use and easy to integrate with systems that range from salesforce and IBM cognos to microsoft excel and microsoft reporting services. Microstrategy: Whether on the road or in a conference room with a large LED display, Micro Strategy’s mobile app platform delivers users snapshot dashboards. The app provides interactive scorecards and the capability to use the iOS app airplay to present and control visualised data on to a TV. Microstrategy also includes transactional apps which provide real-time interactions designed to trigger business processes in an internal system. Microstrategy mobile differentiates itself from other mobile BI tools with its support for multi-language content, offline analysis capabilities, and customised alerts that use push notifications when specific thresholds or criteria have been met. TIBCO Spotfire: TIBCO spotfire is analytics software that is cross platform. It integrates with data source types, ranging from SQL server and SAP Business Information Warehouse to XML, Atom and RSS. Microsoft Power BI: Microsoft’s free app lets you browse your office 365 sites to easily find all your reports in the cloud and interact with your live reports by filtering, sorting, forecasting, and highlighting data. SalesClic: SalesClic is a sales management tool that integrates with salesforce, google apps and highrise. It leverages the historical data stored in a salesforce or other database to help fine-tune the sales process, identify risk opportunities BC BC and improve sales forecasts. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

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Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi:

An entrepreneur with trailing results Like most people in his class, he defiled all odds to reach what could aptly be described as the pinnacle of his career. Being an astute businessman and manager of resources with a passion for excellence and value creation, he has had a distinguished career in the business world especially in international trade. Through a rare combination of vision, determination and courage, Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, founder, President/CEO of Nestoil Plc, was able to build the Oil and gas firm from the scratch into a company that provides leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to the biggest players in Nigeria’s upstream space Adejuwon Osunnuyi

rom whatever perspective one may decide to look at it, the fact remains that he is one Nigerian whose name overtly personifies courage, vision, hardwork as well as sturdiness. He is an astute businessman and manager of resources with a passion for excellence and value creation who has a formidable span of knowledge and experience in business development and management. In the last two decades, Dr. Ernest Azudialu-Obiejesi, President/CEO of Nestoil Plc has simply not put anyone in doubt that he is a focused and effective leader with proven ability to turn around and grow companies. As a matter of fact, he has risen to the pinnacle of success in life, becoming a celebrated multibillionaire, successful businessman and a man who embodies the irrepressible spirit of the Nigerian entrepreneur. While his strength include proactively identifying and resolving problems, controlling cost, maximizing productivity and delivering positive results among others, Azudialu’s formidable span of knowledge and experience in business development and management has seen NESTOIL Group, grow into a reputable oil services engineering company with functional subsidiary companies within a few years of operation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry. Born on April 17, 1960, Azudialu-Obiejesi, an indigene of Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State had from his formative years been showing

traits of a successful leader. As a resourceful and energetic young man he started his educational career at DMGS Onitsha, Anambra state from where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1978.He later attended Government College Owerri where he also obtained a Higher School Certificate. The quest for more knowledge had seen him enrolled at the University of Benin where he bagged Bachelors degree in Accountancy. He also attended many local and international courses in Business Development, Projects, Financial and Human Resources Management. He is a fellow of Nigerian Institute of Sales Management and Member, Nigerian – Canadian Chamber of Commerce among others. Said to be one of the few indigenous operators that are well known for boosting local impetus in the oil and gas sector, Azudialu-Obiejesi started his working career with the Obijackson Group, a conglomerate involved in the importation and marketing of Health Care and Personal Products, Industrial Tools and Hardware, Household Items and fabrics etc. Working with the Obijackson Group, he rose to become the Managing Director as he nurtured the group from its inception in the early 80s to its great heights until 1991 when he resigned to establish Nestoil in a manner which surprised many of his friends. To many however, his decision to quit his well-paying job to start Nestoil from the scratch was not surprising. This is because Azudialu-Obiejesi is known to be bullish, a calculated risk-taker and consummate manager of men and materials who dares while others demure,

combining intuition and foresight. That foresight and intuition could be said to have worked aptly for him as Nestoil has today grown to become a major player in the pantheon of Nigeria’s growing army of indigenous oil and gas services companies. Founded in 1991, as a petroleum services company, Nestoil has since grown into a major force in the sector, guided by the administrative and entrepreneurial adroitness of a man many say has been under-celebrated especially given his rich cabinet of accomplishments in a sector imperiously commandeered by expatriates. Nestoil PLC started out as the Oil and Gas arm of the Obijackson Group in 1991. Obijackson Group is an extensive business conglomerate with diverse crosssector interests. It operates on three continents. The Obijackson Group, one of the fastest growing business conglomerates in Sub Saharan Africa, has made vast investments in its operating divisions such as: Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Pressure Vessel Fabrication, Power Generation, Dredging and Marine Logistics, Aviation, Civil and infrastructural construction and Real Estate. Obijackson Group employs over 2,000 people, with operations located across Nigeria, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Regardless of its size, the Obijackson Group is guided by sound corporate governance with a culture of integrity, transparency, accountability, innovation and excellence. The Group aims to enhance long term value and prosperity by means of dynamic growth,

Azudialu-Obiejesi

selective acquisitions and exemplary management of resources. At the time, local participation in the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector was very limited. Nestoil’s original focus was blending and marketing petroleum products, but the new company was compelled by certain factors to reanalyse its focus. The spirit with which it overcame that challenge has continued to define the firm as a company till today. Driven by a desire to create real value as a Nigerian Oil and Gas company, Nestoil boldly identified an opportunity within the sector and reinvented itself as an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) services company. Amid questions of whether an all-Nigerian company had the capacity, structure and organisation to deliver on technically complex projects, or the ability to amass the best talent to aid its cause, it persisted through several disappointments and nearmisses, guided by a conviction that it was on the right path. The ‘big break’ was to come six full years later, when Shell awarded Nestoil a contract in 1997 to rebuild its Waste Treatment Plant in Edjeba, Delta State. Nestoil surpassed every expectation with the completion of the project – in terms of quality and delivery time. It received a Shell award for excellence in quality and safety. Two other contracts quickly followed. They are Opokushi Flowstation Up-

grade Works and the Otumara Flowstation Debottlenecking Train 3 works. With their completion, Nestoil began a tradition of success. Over two decades later, it has become the leading EPCC firm in the region and first choice for industry leaders such as Shell, Mobil and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Nestoil has become a successful enterprise with over 2,000 employees in the Group (at least 95 per cent indigenous) capable of world-class project execution and ranks first among indigenous companies of its kind. Located in Abuloma, Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nestoil Industrial Area is built on 59 Hectares of Land, the facility contains a fabrication workshop capable of fabricating over 17,000 metric tonnes of steel structures per annum with a thickness of up to 130mm, and a pressure vessel manufacturing facility that is UKAS and ANAB ISO 9001:2008 certified, as well as ASME U, U2, PP, S Stamps authorized. It houses a Pressure Vessel manufacturing facility that is UKAS and ANAB ISO 9001:2008 certified, as well as ASME U, U2, PP, S Stamps authorized. It also includes a steel structures fabrication workshop capable of fabricating over 17,000 metric tonnes of steel structures per annum with a thickness of up to 130mm. While it has a prime waterfront Continued on pg A14

Business Courage

jetty providing easy access to the ocean, it is powered by its own transformers and generators. With a capacity to harbor up to 70 vessels, it is a major hub for receiving our equipment. Nestoil principal operations base was built by Julius Berger Plc as it later upgraded it to include a fabrication workshop, pressure vessel manufacturing facility and jetty. The 59 hectare facility has an extensive waterfront measuring 1.2 km in length, and the capacity to harbour over 100 vessels of fuel and bunker stations, floating bunker platforms with gangway, among others. We have also included a steel warehouse to house some heavy duty equipment such as welding machines, light source machines, industrial generators, excavators, dumpers and other components. Nestoil has another operations base located in Warri in Delta State. The base is located in a prime location of Warri – very close to the airport. We also have a jetty in Edjeba, Warri, Delta State. The jetty spans 50,000 square metres. Located in a prime area as well, it provides easy access through the waterways to the ocean and is another vital hub for receiving our equipment. For Nestoil, its client base include, but not limited to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Nigeria Gas Company, NGC and Nigerian Petroleum Devlopment Company ,NPDC among others. With very strong financial standing and sound corporate governance, Nestoil Plc, a diversified oil and gas company, has invested heavily in engineering and major offshore fabrication since its inception over 22 years ago. It has remained one of the fastest growing business conglomerates in sub Saharan Africa as the group is an extensive conglomerate, with diverse cross-sector interests with heavy investments in pipe line construction, oil and gas exploration and production, pressure vessel fabrication, power generation, transmission and distribution, dredging and marine logistics, aviation, civil construction, horizontal direct drilling, telecommunications, dry docking and real estate. In an interview he granted The Independent several years back he chronicled the challenges his company has had to surmount and how it has fared brilliantly in an industry dominated by multinationals who have both the human capital and the funds to invest. He said: “At Nestoil we are fully on-ground: we have developed our own jetties, our own fabrication facilities to handle major projects, and logisticswise we are also fully on-ground because we have marine equipment that we use for our own constructions. Moreover, we have a very good knowledge of the community, so Nestoil is in

a good position for companies that are interested in collaborating with a Nigerian company because we know the business as we have been in it for many years. “Hence, depending on the project, we can expand further and look for new areas of development, we are on-ground, well respected in the local industry and have done some of these things before with some foreign companies that acted as partners. We have the capability and the track record of doing big projects in Nigeria; we have worked for Shell for many years, we have the appetite to grow and we want to develop along the lines of these services.” Nestoil-led consortium acquired a 45 per cent stake in the OML 42 from Shell, Total and ENI, containing developed oil fields and gas reserves. It is to his credit that Nestoil has made significant impact in the sector executing major industry-critical projects including the Nembe Creek-Cawthorne Channel 24″/30″ Trunkline Replacement project for SPDC in Nembe Creek, Bayelsa State, the 18″ Gas Supply Trunkline for Nigeria Gas Company at Alaoji, Abia State, the Crude and Condensate Storage Tanks Revamp Project for Mobil at Eket, Akwa Ibom State among others. As a focus and visionary entrepreneur, Azudialu knew what to do right from the word go. In essence, Nestoil, under his watchful eyes, started off as an oil service company with three clear areas in mind: looking at the environmental management aspect of oil companies, as well as the areas of civil and mechanical engineering. While the firm started operation on these lines, it started getting projects in almost every part of industry. At the initial stage, Nestoil was getting environmental projects, got some civil projects and later went into mechanical projects. “What we were trying to do is to reduce our interest in civil projects and develop more into mechanical engineering projects.” He noted. Over the years, the firm has been involved in a lot of flow station refurbishments, expansion of flow station facilities for some of the leading companies in the industry. It has been involved in the laying of pipelines for multinational companies and maintenance of their storage facilities as well as well as being involved in some environmental monitoring facilities especially for Shell. Nestoil was also involved in building one of Shell Petroleum plants in Warri, called Jebba Treatment Facilities. To Azudialu, while the group has over time developed its core services into three distinct areas of business, it is pertinent furthering the expansion and diversification of the business. For instance, while it was initially into the engineering side of the business, Nestoil decided to diversify into deep waters where serious

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Monday, November 16, 2015

fabrications, vessels and skills are required. “In the industry as it stands now, we have projects coming under these particular areas and these projects are fast developing into mega-projects that will need the participation of companies such as ours in order to make them happen. The fabrication we’ve handled before does not need serious engineering experience, but these days the oil business is going off-shore and into deep waters where you require serious fabrications, vessels and skills. “We are going into areas where we now need expatriate companies to work with us to achieve the demanded magnitude of the projects. That is where Nestoil is working towards now; away from just laying pipelines on ground and into laying pipelines in the deep water, which requires serious engineering experience. “You can only get that from the expatriate companies and that is why we are very much interested in letting people know what we do and hoping to partner with the companies that are interested in developing these capacities along with the Nestoil Group.” He explained. Talking about the main achievements and keys to success of the company over the last 15 years, the Oil and Gas entrepreneur noted that it had not been a smooth journey though. According to him, “I must say that it has been very tough trying to develop an engineering company from scratch. One of the most difficult things we faced

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was trying to get Nigerians that were qualified to join the company and begin to understand that the oil and gas service industry is a very serious business area where you have to stick to plans and schedules and be very serious about your business as you are competing with multinationals and international leaders that are used to doing things in an organised way. “We started with a very small project and then began expanding the number and size of the projects that we took on, which helped clients develop confidence in us and our ability. Today, we have over 15 projects running in the system, some of them have been commissioned while some are coming to completion; others are new ones that we are mobilizing now.” For Nestoil, it was a lot easier in terms of developing capacity. This was so because it had many assets to fall back on from the parent company, (OB Jackson Group). It was easy to develop capacity in terms of equipment, acquiring sites and jetties, as it had to simply convert some of the assets of that company into Nestoil assets. As revealed by Azudialu, “It is not that everything is coming from the profit, as with some other indigenous companies, but rather that we have an asset base already there and what we did was to convert those assets into what is required to develop an oil service company, then it is from there that the growth started.” As an investor known for capacity building, Azudialu believes that it is big issue which the Group has obviously been implementing over the years. According to him, the problem with most of the local companies is their reluctance in re-investing their earnings in the business. As he explained in an interview, Azudialu noted, “When you want to develop capacity, you must have a culture of investing your profits in developing the business. The Oil business is so capital-intensive that some of the activities require that you must have certain equipment and personnel and the only way you’re going to develop capacity is by investing most of your earnings into the business so that you can train your people, have your own equipment and grow. “The way Nestoil has contributed in making people develop capacity is by trying to support smaller companies that we give

I must say that it has been very tough trying to develop an engineering company from scratch. One of the most difficult things we faced was trying to get Nigerians that were qualified to join the company and begin to understand that the oil and gas service industry is a very serious business area where you have to stick to plans and schedules

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project contracts to as sub-contractors. When we have jobs like these, we transfer some of it to smaller companies and support them with the equipment we have. In this way, you find out that some of these smaller companies are getting new jobs throughout the industry based on their experience in working with us. The main problem, as I mentioned before, is that most companies have failed to reinvest their earnings because they don’t understand the concept that the money you invest today, will be returned in the future through increased technical capacity and expertise.” To Azudialu, he is already looking beyond the Nestoil group as he prepares to retire in near future. But by the time he quits, he noted that he would like to be remembered as the man who was the pioneer MD of the company, who drove it from scratch to where the company is now. “By the time I leave this company I would like to be remembered as the man who was the pioneer MD of the company, who drove it from scratch to where the company is by the time I exit. Bearing in mind that we have started planning for those that will take over from us and because the earlier stages of the development involved a lot of energy, I am looking at the next five years. I should step aside and do other things with my time. I would like to be remembered as somebody who built up the company from scratch.” He said. Another major feat of Azudialu was the acquisition of IMPaC Oil and Gas Engineering (Nigeria) Limited last year. Following the acquisition, Azudialu-Obiejesi became the new chairman of IMPaC Oil and Gas Engineering Limited. Established over 16 years ago, IMPaC Oil and Gas Engineering Ltd is a foremost engineering services firm formed as the Nigerian arm of the larger 25 year old IMPaC Offshore Engineering GmbH with head office in Hamburg, Germany. The company’s broad based engineering disciplines include process control and instrumentation, electrical, telecoms, automation, drilling, mechanical, pipeline, piping, civil, structural, naval and procurement. Following the acquisition, IMPaC Nigeria Limited is now wholly owned by Nestoil but will continue leveraging on the expertise and experience of IMPaC Group worldwide since IMPaC Offshore GmbH will continue to provide technical services support to IMPaC Nigeria. According to a statement by Nestoil, the deal is consistent with Nestoil’s strategy to concentrate its footprint on the oil and gas sector. “This acquisition will add significant resources to our existing portfolio. With the pedigree of both Nestoil and IMPaC in their respective core areas, this acquisition is a positive development for the Nigerian oil and gas industry.” BC

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Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 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

his is going to be a fulfilling week for you. Today, all your efforts will be crowned with outstanding success. For some weeks now, I have been discussing improvements and that you that all things are possible for you to improve. Yes! I also will say that you should delete the word ‘Impossible’ from your vocabulary. No matter the challenges you may be facing right now in your business or family, I want you to be optimistic that all things are possible. You may be thinking that the year is almost over and you are yet to meet your target or that you are yet to achieve your 2015 goals. I tell you all hope is not lost. You can still meet your target and achieve your goals in the few days remaining in the year. Dear reader, I urge you to be an incurable optimist, one who does not believe that whatever he wants to accomplish is impossible. All you need to achieve your goals and dreams is the application of the right principles or laws which many people from one generation to another have been practicing and have been getting results in various endeavours. Law provides a fair play ground for everybody in any system but only those who understand that maximise its benefits. Universal laws have no respect for selected persons but everyone who has respect for it will experience its positive result. If the president of Nigeria and president of United States plant maize, the soil will not have respect for one president more than it would for the other simply because of the size of their countries economy or political power. The law of seedtime and harvest will respond to both of them without bias and both presidents will harvest maize. Principle or law works for everybody irrespective of the nationality or gender. Leverage on the opportunity that

universal principles provide and experience success you desire. Some of the universal laws may be suspended but they cannot be destroyed. You will always need another universal law to suspend any universal law. For example, law of gravitational pull can be suspended through the law of aerodynamics. This is the principle that the Wright brothers leverage on to build the first flying object and the aviation business have respect for this law. The biggest responsibility of a leader is to find principles or law to leverage for desire business result. Any business leader who does not understand the importance of leverage will burn out too soon because she will struggle in decision making. Principle or law makes business decision outcome predictable. You must look for point of advantage always and universal law is it. There are facts about laws that entrepreneur needs to understand. One is that it makes life predictable and business success possible. Laws take life out of the realm of chances and put it in the realm of choices. Laws are levelers because they provide a fair playground for all, despite age, sex or status in life.

You can still improve and make progress

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cumstances.

The journey from grass to grace, rags to riches is first an internal trip. All progress remains at a point of rest until mental force is applied

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BUSINESS

Obedience to principles brings providential help that result in miracles. If you are willing and obedient to principles then you will enjoy opportunity in any country. Listed below are some laws or principles that can help any entrepreneur improve and make progress. The first is the “Law of Progress” This law says, “first within and then without.” The journey from grass to grace, rags to riches is first an internal trip. All progress remains at a point of rest until mental force is applied. In the year 1998, I was a youth who was frustrated about life and was finding it difficult to succeed at attempt to get college education. Since I could not get into college, I opted to visit a public library every morning and was always there reading different management, economy, and leadership topics for an av-

erage of 8 hours for about 2 years. After I got admission to college, I consistently visited the library until I graduated and left the town. Over time, I realised that my confidence and approach to life improved significantly and the outcome was very encouraging. My mental work gave values to physical work. Entrepreneur will make significant progress when she invest is developing qualitative mental model through learning consistently. The second is the “Law of Desire” This law says, “Success is for the hungry”. Desire means to crave for something with passion. Desire is business thought plus emotion. A.L William said, “I want it so bad, I can’t stand it”. You create desire by painting a picture of better tomorrow in your mind. You should let your mouth water for the possibility of global brand business, no matter the cir-

Motivational Business Quotes

ometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations. – Steve Jobs You’ve got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It’s called perseverance. – Lee Iacocca The desire of knowledge, like the thirst for riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it. – Laurence Sterne Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were. – David Rockefeller

Well, you know, I was a human being before I became a businessman. – George Soros Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. – Dwight Eisenhower If you did not look after today’s business then you might as well forget about tomorrow. – Isaac Mophatlane The great accomplishments of man have resulted from the transmission of ideas of enthusiasm. – Thomas J. Watson Yesterday’s home runs don’t win today’s games. – Babe Ruth BC

The third is the “Law of preparation” This law says that “success happen when preparation meet opportunity”. The key word is planning. Let me also say that the Law of time perspective helps in planning too. The law of time perspective says the longer time you consider in planning the better is productivity. Preparation is essential for any entrepreneur who will be successful. The fourth is the “Law of responsibility” This law says “you are completely responsible for everything and everything you will become”. Whether your business fails or succeeds is your fault. While I was in the college of earth sciences, one key indicator to extrapolate events in any geological setting is to find the line of fault, where there is shift in arrangement of minerals. In the same way, whatever shift you see in your personal life and business is your responsibility. The fifth is the “Law of Suggestion” This law says that whatever you hear and see consistently over time enters your heart and controls your mind. The advertising industry leverage on this law to market goods and services because the heart is the seedbed. You can guide your heart with all diligence because out of it are the issues of life. Practice selfsuggestion on what is possible with your startup and your long term projection. Talk to yourself, programme your heart for what you want to see and hear. “With your heart you believe and with your mouth you confess to freedom”-Holy Bible. Dear friend, everyday offers you opportunity and I believe this is another opportunity for you to experience a new level of success as you leverage on these laws. Be courageous to move higher. BC

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Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

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ThebuddingEntrepreneurs

Reopen Ikota market access road to curb dwindling sales – Ezeobi Ezeobi Chinedu is a lawyer who specialises in corporate practice, property and litigation. Having finished from Abia State University in 1999, he was at the Nigerian Law School in 2000, while he was called to bar in 2001. Thereafter, he worked with Chief Ziggy Azike and Co. in Surulere for some years, before leaving to co-found his own law firm known as Ezeobi and Ezeobi Solicitors. Early this year, Ezeobi was appointed as a Notary Public of Nigeria by Chief Justice of the Federation. Recently, he was also elected as new Ikota shopping complex, a cosmopolitan market in the heart of Lekki, Lagos, where his chamber is located. In this interview with Victor Udoh, he speaks on number issues especially the need for the Lagos State government to assist in opening the access road to the market to curb its dwindling sales

kota shopping complex in the heart of Lekki is noted for its being a cosmopolitan market, as a practicing lawyer, who operates from the complex, what was your experience like when you got elected as the Chairman? When I was elected as the unopposed candidate for the chairmanship position, I saw it as a way of rendering selfless service to humanity and equally carry this market to higher heights. I don’t see it as a place to make money only for oneself. I do it as a kind of charity work which we are doing to help the masses. As the chairman, what are the areas you are focusing on? First, my dream is to make the Complex a standard market in such a way that it would be greater than what it used to be. If you have noticed, you will discover that Ikota shopping complex used to be a very high standard market where many people prefer to shop. The market used to be very busy than what we are seeing now. But as you can see today, the present road challenge we are facing because of some roads that were blocked by administration of former governor Babatude Fashola has been resulting dwindling inflow here. We are trying to work out something with the new governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to help us open an entry point where people can access Ikota once more. We appeal to Governor Ambode to assist us by open-

ing this access road so that people can come and do business with us. Our business has gone down over the years, and we need government support. The economy is almost down, and with the help of the government, our traders will have more business, make more profits and can equally pay our property taxes and other levies. Second is security. We want to ensure tight security within the complex, which we have done now, and introduced closed circuit television, CCTV, all over Ikota generally. I believe within a couple of weeks, this will be done. Thirdly, the essence of being in the market is to make profits and the people need to be carried along. We need to project them. Let us not pretend, a lot of competitions are coming up now than it used to be. We now have Shoprite, one at Sangotedo, all of which pose great threats to us and we need to be at our best. Having been here for years; we need to be on top of the game. What has been your utmost challenge in bringing the people together? Basically, it has been a bit challenging. There are many issues. First, past people in government here have been compromised, with a lot of things happening here and there. And for you to come out of a background especially being a lawyer, you have to look at things critically. Things must be put in the right perspec-

tive and in the right way, without corruption. If you cannot ease out corruption and take abuse people dish out here, I don’t think you can elsewhere. However, we are trying to create a forum where we can carry everybody along, because believe it or not, there are groups working in opposition to you. So it is not easy to remove something endemic; even Buhari fighting corruption is not easy because not everybody will agree with you. Some will think of a way to fight you back. So they will not always agree with you. But by the special grace of God we will carry everybody along and try to make something out of the bad situation. Earlier, you described the coming of the likes of Shoprite as a threat. What strategy have you put in place to tackle such threat? With the agenda already outlined, we are taking the matter up. This is the best market, you get everything here; it does not stop shop. What we have here is worth over N20 billion. It is a big market and up to international standard, be it in UK or United States of America. So, the quality and caliber of people we have here is high. We have retired judges, permanent secretaries, who settled here after retirement. So we have a lot

Ezeobi

Management Principles

Principles of Fraud Risk Management

raud, be it in a private or public enterprise is one denominator that company/organization managers must strive to contain. While incidences of fraud may not be out rightly avoided, it is pertinent to ensure that its occurrences and consequences are minimized. Discussed below are five basic principles of managing fraud related risks as put together under “Managing the Business Risk of Fraud: A Practical Guide” jointly by the Institute of Internal Auditors, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The guide suggests that organisations follow five principles which can be adapted both by the private-sector businesses and government entities. Fraud Risk Governance As part of an organisation’s governance structure, a fraud risk management programme should be in place, including a written policy (policies) to convey the expectations of the board of directors and senior management regarding managing fraud risk. Management must set the tone for the rest of the organization and make fraud risk management a priority Organizations should have a formal fraud risk management programme, including written policies and procedures. Management should adjust their fraud risk management program to fit the specific characteristics and needs of their organization. Fraud Risk Assessment Fraud risk exposure should be assessed periodically by the organization to identify specific potential schemes and events that the organization needs to mitigate Fraud risk management is not a one-time development. An organization’s plan should be reevaluated and updated regularly. A fraud risk assessment should include an evaluation of the incentives, pressures and opportunities to commit fraud within the organization. Evaluating the risk of fraud should also include an examination of management, including

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ThebuddingEntrepreneurs of personalities who invest here.

You show us your tag (with office) on demand before you park. And based on the time or number of hours you park your vehicle, we would calculate N200 or 500 per hour and you pay. That will eliminate this problem of parking congestion as Shoprite is doing.

With Shoprite’s planned entry into Lekki, what strategies aside the media promotions can we expect from Ikota complex to match the likes of Shoprite? Like I said, our problem still lies with our access road which poses the major problem. We cannot do business under this kind of atmosphere. You see people coming from Ajah: you have to go through Ajah roundabout to access the market. A lot of people, who are from either Chevron or VGC, can’t go to Ajah to turn just to buy one thing or the other. So it is a serious problem, and that is why we are using this medium to appeal to the government to help us by opening this access route from the Landmark building so people can easily come in to do business with us. Looking at your brand, quality of product and sales margin in terms of profits and purchases, how well would you say your business persons here are doing? Our products are affordable and cheap. I do most of my shopping here. Ikota is not just for the big men or millionaires. You do a price survey of goods here compared to that in Lagos and you will see the difference may not be more than N1000 or N2000. How would you appeal to your members for support? Well, my supporters are there already because my emergence as the chairman was unopposed. They believe in my ability. The moment I assumed the position, there have been a lot of development; painting, proper sanitation. We are trying to sink our borehole. Before, getting water was

How will you erase the perception that Ikota shops as only for millionaires? Perhaps, when you come in December, you will know this place is not for millionaires when we hold our trade fair. Things are affordable here. The erroneous perception is due to its closeness to VGC and the mentality that those who live here are high profile personalities, most of who travel abroad. Hence, it is not a market like Alaba, Suru and Ajegule markets. But when you visit, you will know they are almost the same. Ezeobi

difficult but this has been fixed. We are working on security, which is the CCTV room. We have also developed something like a business forum where business can be registered online and advertisement can be placed on platform. What are you doing concerning the parking lot? I have started working on that already. When I came in here, some illegal people used to collect money from the people at the front there, but I stopped it. They used to collect N200 for parking when we do not have space inside. We said no, that they should go. To create parking space because a lot of people park here and go, we are planning to ensure vehicle owners have a parking tag.

internal controls and segregation of duties. Fraud Prevention Prevention techniques to avoid potential key fraud risk events should be established, where feasible, to mitigate possible impacts on the organization. Not all fraud is preventable. However, preventive techniques are an organization’s first line of defense against fraud. Financial controls are not fraud controls; therefore, an organization should develop a specific set of preventive measures designed to address fraud risk. The success of preventive techniques is reliant on awareness and reinforcement. Fraud Detection Detection techniques should be established to uncover fraud events when preventive measures fail or unmitigated risks are realized. Detection techniques are not designed to prevent fraud, but they do work as a check to ensure prevention techniques are working as intended. Detection techniques will act as a deterrent against fraud, but only if they are properly designed, visible and effective. Detection techniques should be flexible and adaptable to meet changing Risks of fraud. Investigation and Corrective Action A reporting process should be in place to solicit input on potential fraud, and a coordinated approach to investigation and corrective action should be used to help ensure potential fraud is addressed appropriately and timely. A documented and timely investigative and corrective action process can improve an organization’s Chances of recovering loss, minimizing exposure to litigation and lessening damage to reputation. Management should establish a specific protocol for receiving, evaluating, tracking and investigating Fraud allegations. The investigation and corrective action process must be a coordinated effort between management and other areas of the organization, including legal, human resources and others. BC

Are you saying things are not expensive here? Yes, it is affordable. You get the best product in Ikota. In fact, I have one of my friends here, she said she doesn’t need to travel again for things abroad when she can get them here in Ikota. There is no need for her to go to America, UK etc, to shop for the same things and the same quality. How did you venture into Ikota Shopping Complex? Well, it was as a result of struggle that brought me into this business. It was not easy at all. It was a serious battle here in Ikota; I was receiving N45,000 per month. Then, HFP was lord of the manor and ran every other groups and you do not have a say. And at a stage we decided that enough was enough, that we needed to cut down the high bills. But HFP said no and the struggle began. We fought them, we brought security as they did too. They took us to court, got injunction against us. They said we were mal-operating Ikota Shopping Complex. Then we went to court to file our objection and followed it up, and in his wisdom, Justice Candida Johnson ordered that the status-quo remains between HFP and ISCOOA, that is, Ikota Shopping Complex Owners and Operators Association. Ever since, we have been in court. We were also taken to court in respect of our registration of the association by some group that acts as Board of Trustees, BOT. They claimed they had been doing so over the years. But along the line, I joined the struggle and supported the past chairman. I dedicated my office to this effect, used the press and money in seeking justice. Finally, when the election came, the whole house reposed their confidence in me because I had been part of the struggles. They chose me for what I stood for, my doggedness and integrity, which I don’t compromise. I was endorsed based on these characteristics. Other groups tried to oppose my choice but eventually I was preferred. And ever since I came on board people have been feeling the impact of my new government. BC

Personal Finance Basic money management tips *G

et organized! Create a list of your current bills. Print a month-long calendar and record the due date of each bill. Paying your bills on time will help you avoid late fees and penalty charges. *Prioritize your debt Decide if you want to start paying off the smallest debts first or if you would rather begin with those with the highest interest rates. Either way, you control your debt payments. Once you pay off bill #1, you should add this money to your next bill in order to reduce your remaining debt faster. *Examine your spending habits by tracking all of your funds and spending on a weekly and then monthly basis. Do this task faithfully for at least two continuous months. Document your current money/cash assets; record all income and record all expenditures. * Using information from your spending tracker, create your monthly budget. * Follow your budget to manage your day-to-day spending. You always want to spend less than what you earn. If you’re having an issue with ‘balancing your budget’ so that your expenses are less than your income – start to research some frugal living tips so that you can cut corners and save money. Some ideas may include: Review/downgrade your cell phone plan; your cable TV options and your insurance plans among others. * Save as much as you can afford. Pay yourself in your budget, just like a bill or creditor. Use the information from your budget and spending tracker to be honest about what you can afford. Use your savings to cover for emergencies prior to borrowing. Experts recommend that you aim to save three to six months wages to cover emergency expenses or unexpected job loss. * Make use of online banking as much as possible. In many cases, you’ll be able to set up payment reminders, schedule future bill payments and review your spending. * Plan in advance for the ‘big ticket’ items. Estimate how much you will need and start saving for it. Opt to gain interest on your savings verses purchasing with credit and then paying interest on the loan. When you’re ready to make the purchase, do spend time doing some comparison shopping, to ensure you’re get the best deal available. * Maximize your employee benefits to ensure that you take advantage of retirement savings options, flexible spending accounts and health benefits that might save you on taxes or out of pocket expenses. *Set specific financial goals for your household. Begin with your short-term goals (attainable in 4-12 months) and then expand to your long-term goals (attainable in 3-5 years). You don’t have to be a financial guru to manage your money. With a combination of financial guidance, discipline and common sense, you should be well on your way to living within your means and increasing your personal wealth. Your family members must understand the importance of saving so that they can assist in controlling expenses. So openly discuss individual spending, personal allowance and financial goals to include the entire family. If you are constantly spending more than you earn and delving deeper into debt, it is important you seek guidance from a qualified and reputable credit counsellor. These financial professionals can assist in negotiating with your creditors, creating debt consolidation plans and finding alternative repayment options that may potentially help you get out of debt faster. BC

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Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

Adejuwon Osunnuyi

ubbed Santa Fe II, the new all-AWD range kicks off with the Active entry-level car available in 2.4 GDi petrol and 2.2 CRDi turbo-diesel variants priced (unchanged) and with a choice of sixspeed manual or automatic versions. The seven-seater arrives with “a fresh new face inspired by the new Tucson” says Hyundai. That translates as new bumpers, more angular headlights, an updated grille and detailed trim changes. At the rear, the top-spec Highlander variant incorporates LEDs for the first time. The new vehicle is far from a major update in terms of sheet metal but there are enough visual cues to make the neighbours take a second look. Indeed, coupled with new alloy wheel designs (Active variants ride on 17s, while Elite and Highlander variants get new 18s and 19s respectively), the effect is positive, positioning the car closer to its newer, little brother. Arguably, the more important changes are inside the cabin and under the skin, including a significant upgrade in active safety

equipment – alas, however, only at the range-topping Highlander level. In a hint of things to come as the Korean marque works to democratise high-tech safety systems, the new Santa Fe Highlander now gets Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Smart Cruise Control (SCC), BlindSpot Detection (BSD), Lane Change Assist (LCA), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and an upgraded auto parking system, all as standard. There’s nothing sparklingly new about any of the systems – most are available in some form across most brands -- but it’s telling that Hyundai has rolled them out at facelift rather than waiting for an all-new model. Expect the pace of change, in terms of incorporating these features on more, cheaper Hyundai models, to accelerate. The Santa Fe II’s radarbased AEB system is on par with the Euros – at least in claimed performance. The set-up offers both pedestrian and vehicle sensing functionality -- the former from 7-80km/h and the latter 8-180km/h. Hyundai says full braking power can be applied and bring the vehicle to a halt at

speeds up to 80km/h. Over that the system “provides partial braking to reduce the severity of accidents and allow the driver to conduct a safe and controlled avoidance manoeuvre”. “At all speeds, the Forward Collision Warning (FCW) function of the AEB system warns the driver of potential danger ahead via audible and visual alerts,” Hyundai says. While these are smarts

you’ll appreciate but hopefully rarely need, the Santa Fe II’s other tech upgrades are everyday ‘delight’ functions. A new 10-speaker 550Watt Infinity audio system is now standard on Elite and Highlander grades and a new user interface with larger screens (7.0-inch in Active variants, 8.0-inch satellite-navigation system with live traffic updates in Elite and Highlander) and

smarter integration makes its debut in the new model. The integration comes via Siri Eyes-Free (iOS) and Google Now (Android) voice activation systems. Coupled with your choice of smart phone, these allow the driver to make calls, play music, compose text messages, access calendar information, add reminders and perform other tasks all hands-free. Under the bonnet changes are tuning rather than

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Behind d Wheels This page is open to sponsorship

‘hardware’ related and aim at improving the real-world performance of the new Santa Fe. The changes see the 2.4-litre petrol four’s output trimmed 3kWand 1Nm to 138kW/241Nm, while our pick of the Santa Fe engines, the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel, is now 2kW and 4Nm stronger at 147kW and 440Nm. In the case of the latter, that torque ‘peak’ is held constant over 17502750rpm, ensuring round town and highway perfor-

mance that belies the four’s relatively small capacity. Turbo-lag seems to have been trimmed too in the update, meaning that the new CRDi model feels a touch more eager away from the lights and when overtaking. Fuel economy has been slightly improved on the turbo-diesel (down 0.4 to 7.7L/100km for the auto). Alas, the petrol engine is 0.3L/100km thirstier than its predecessor at 9.4. The trade-off, says Hyundai, is that “improved drivability

especially at lower and midrange engine speeds.” The other tuning that’s been done is part of Hyundai’s ongoing suspension/ steering localisation program. A rear suspension design change was an opportunity for Hyundai’s local engineering team to re-balance the Santa Fe II’s set-up and they did so by trialing literally dozens of spring and damper combinations. The end result is a slightly firmer set-up at the rear which the chassis boffins suggest not only improves loaded performance but gifts the Sante Fe II with a touch more sporty turn-in characteristics. This may be of interest to those waiting for the sports-orientated SR version, but I doubt many SUV buyers will be basing their purchasing decision on such esoterics. Suffice it to say, Santa Fe II is well behaved in all the normal situations a family SUV will encounter. Steering is nicely weighted and best of all accurate. More likely to impress typical buyers are the subtle improvements in refinement this tranche of Santa Fes exhibit. None more so than in the cabin. The dash and door cards seem to have more elements and material types than they really need and there are odd joins and angles that grate. In this respect Kia’s new Sorento is significantly ahead, although given the example the Tucson has set, Hyundai knows what it has to change.

Autocare Your options with problematic engines

hen a car’s engine begins to exhibit signs of disorder such as excessive smoke from tailpipe; excessive oil consumption; knocking or tapping sounds; low oil pressure; low compression; water mixing in oil; oil getting into the air cleaner and/or radiator, know that it is time to take a closer look at the engine and that is when you will have to decide on the option to adopt in getting your car engine back to optimum performance. Some causes of engine problems are normal like mileage wear and tear, others could be avoidable such poor maintenance culture. Ignorance of right lubricant could also result in engine malfunction/breakdown as well as some unavoidable accidents causing direct physical damage to the car’s engine. So when an engine “dies,” or suffers a major problem does it have to be the end of your vehicle? In a case where the body and interior of a car is still in good shape, an engine packing up should not signify the end of it. When a car or truck needs major engine repair, the first response and reaction of many consumers is to buy a new or used vehicle. Sometimes disposing of your current vehicle might make sense, but often it’s simply not necessary, or is it the best decision. Smart shoppers, like smart motorists, make better decisions when they know all of the options. If your vehicle is in relatively good shape it makes sense to update it by rebuilding or replacing the engine, rather than replacing the vehicle. Once you consider the loaded costs in a new or used vehicle, the economic benefits become very clear. A Rebuilt Engine Option A rebuilt engine is one that has been remanufactured to prescribed standards and specifications by highly skilled machinists using state-of-the-art equipment and components. During this process many new components are installed that meet or exceed original equipment performance standards. Experts believe that rebuilt engines are better than the engines originally installed at the factory claiming that they are dependable, reliable and backed by excellent warranty programs. What are the risks? Choosing to repower your current engine with a remanufactured or rebuilt engine is the most reliable and cost effective choice over the long term. Rebuilt or remanufactured engines get better gas mileage than a worn engine, and emit fewer pollutants. Engine rebuilding also saves the tremendous amount of energy used in processing discarded car engines and vehicles as well as conserving energy and resources required to manufacture new engines. What kind of warranty comes with a remanufactured – rebuilt engine? A remanufactured or rebuilt engine is typically warranted for at least one year, or 12,000 miles. Some engine remanufacturers offer warranties as long as 36 months and unlimited miles. Check with your local service provider for information on their remanufactured rebuilt engines and warranty programs. BC

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REGULATORS

SEC urges compliance with Corporate Governance Code

Udo Onyeka

he Director-General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Mounir Gwarzo has emphasised the need for strict compliance with Corporate Governance codes by companies operating in the country. The Commission has also expressed its readiness to collaborate with relevant bodies to ensure good Corporate Governance in the nation’s Capital Market.

Gwarzo who made the remarks when executives of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria ,ICSAN, paid him a courtesy visit said that as an institute that is vital in the promotion of corporate governance in Nigeria, ICSAN has a major role to play in safeguarding the rights of shareholders. He said, “We have very onerous responsibilities to enforce the Corporate Governance and in doing this, collaboration is very important.

When you look at the market, our scope is wide, apart from the quoted companies you are also looking at about 800 or 1000 operators. When we finish with the quoted companies we also want to extend the code and the compliance to all registered operators. “What we started some few years ago was to say that any operator that is to be registered in the market must have a compliance officer however excellent the sponsored individual has done, once your compliance

NPA committed to industrial harmony – Abdullah

he Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi has said that the Authority is fully committed to the maintenance of industrial harmony in the Nation’s seaports. Abdullahi disclosed this last week while speaking at a stakeholders meeting on the services of Tally clerks and On-board Security men in Lagos. Represented by the Executive Director , Marine and Operations, Engineer David Omonibeke the Managing Director said in a bid to demonstrate this commitment, the Authority will continue to engage all stakeholders in order to ensure that all rules of engagement are followed to the later for the benefit of all, without fouling the law. He noted that NPA as a law abiding corporate organization appreciates the roles of Tally clerks and On-board Security Men in ports operations and has convened the meeting so that all conflicts in the sector can be properly explained in the face of the law and the provisions of the port reforms. In explaining its position, NPA emphasised that its responsibility on payment to dockworkers and tally clerk ceased with the commencement of the present concession regime from 2006 when it was relieved of the following functions, cargo handling operations, dock labour management, development and maintenance of terminal super structure, acquisition and maintenance of operational equipment, Maintenance of safety and security within the terminals amongst others, which were taken over by the private sector. He said the terminal operators engaged stevedoring con-

Abdullahi

tractors who employed NIMASA certified dockworkers needed for cargo handling in operational areas other than the jetties that belong to and are being operated by the Authority. He said “according to the enforcement and ratification Act of 2004, the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code is chapter X1-2 of the International Convention for the

Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). SOLAS was domesticated in Nigeria by the Enforcement and Ratification Act of 2004 . Since ISPS Code is part of SOLAS which is now part of our domestic laws, it spells the duties and responsibilities of all entities in the new maritime security regime.” Stakeholders who made presentations during the meeting included the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Seaport Terminal Operators of Nigeria (STOAN), Shipping Companies and National Association of Stevedoring Companies. Others are the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC). The Representative of Permanent secretary directed all stakeholders to channel their submissions for proper harmonisation through electronic mail to the Federal Ministry of Transport. He promised to reconvene the forum at a future date for a feedback on the decisions reached. BC

officer has not met our minimum requirement that fund will not be registered and the compliance officer has a lot of responsibilities apart from the normal requirements in terms of returns to other regulatory institutions it is also to ensure that the right Corporate Governance practice is being implemented. He said a new corporate governance code for the capital market would soon be launched by the commission. “We don’t want to launch this code and there would be dif-

Waheed Olagunju added that the BOI SME accounting APP, enables one to do his/her accounting work. He said over 120 business developments consultants are working with them presently and they are still in the process of increasing the number to enable the bank meet up with their increasing businesses. The bank according to him is coming up with specific structured financial products that are meant to serve Nigerian youths which include the recently introduced fund for young graduates who have completed their youth service and are interested in becoming entrepreneurs. The MD said that the bank has been able to support more

ficulties and so we need to put deliverables in place. One of the things that we have done is training and so far over 70 per cent of quoted companies have attended that training. BC

Declining cargo: APM Terminals Apapa to sack workers

Francis Ezem

PM Terminals, Apapa Limited, Nigeria’s biggest and busiest container terminal, has concluded plans to reduce its workforce due to the sharp slide in the nation’s economic fortunes, which is currently taking its toll on activities at the seaports Nigeria’s economy has for some time now been experiencing decline in revenue occasioned by the decline in crude oil price and consequent fall in the value of the naira, thus compelling the government to introduce some fiscal measures that led to decline in the volume of imported goods by over 50 per cent. Head of Human Resources of the company, Ms. Bunmi Pratt, in a statement, said the effects of global price of oil falling from $114 per barrel in the summer of 2014 to less than $50 a barrel in October 2015, have rippled throughout the Nigerian economy, Africa’s largest, and are impacting staffing requirements at

BoI reiterates commitment to grow SME’s

he Bank of Industry, BOI, said it has renewed commitment toward the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises, SME’s, in the country. To this end the bank recently launched the SME Apps with necessary information about the Bank to enhance public access to information regarding the bank’s operations. Managing Director of the bank, Rasheed Olaoluwa explained at the just concluded Lagos International Trade fair that the SME Apps was developed to enable the public reach the bank by phone. Olaoluwa who was represented by the Director, Small and Medium Enterprises ,SME,

Gwarzo

Olaoluwa

than one thousand SMEs in the last 13 months and advised people to take advantage of all the available opportunities to access the BOI fund including the N10bn window courtesy of Dangote foundation. BC

APM Terminals Apapa’s handling facility. She said; “With cargo volumes down 30 per cent compared with a year ago, and even after extensive cost-cutting measures taken throughout the terminal, we are unfortunately being forced to reduce our staffing in view of the business realities of the current economic environment,” It was also gathered that the company’s employment profile at Apapa terminals, which began operations after athe port concession programme of the Federal Government in 2006, has risen during the past 10 years from 467 to approximately 1000 in 2015. According to Pratt, Nigeria, with oil and related petroleum products representing more than 90 per cent of total exports, or approximately $90 billion in 2014, and the lion’s share of government revenue, has seen austerity measures permeate the national and local economy. This has led to a sharp drop in demand for consumer goods, which has been particularly and acutely felt at APM Terminals Apapa, which handles over half of all Nigerian imports, has left it with the only option of reducing its staff strength in order to cope with the dwindling earnings arising from the low import level Pratt also said:“Respect and compassion for all employees are the very foundation of our business model and so the company is working closely with the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN during this period of the transition”. Available statistics show that Nigeria’s annual economic growth rate has fallen from 6.3 per cent in 2014 to a projected four per cent in 2015, even as International Monetary Fund IMF calculations project that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product GDP, is expected to rise to 4.3 per cent in 2016. BC

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Stock market last week Equities turnover of 2.064 billion shares worth N23.397bn in 14,992 deals were traded this week by investors on the floor of The Exchange in contrast to a total of 1.949 billion shares valued at N17.336bn that exchanged hands last week in 15,762 deals. The Financial Services Industry (measured by volume) led the activity chart with 1.484 billion shares valued at N14.555bn traded in 8,406 deals; thus contributing 71.90 per cent and 62.21 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. The Oil and Gas Industry followed with 324.106 million shares worth N1.839bn in 1,680 deals. The third place was occupied by the Conglomerates Industry with a turnover of 97.566 million shares worth N225.662m in 938 deals. Trading in the Top Three Equities namely – Access Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Beco Petroleum Plc.(measured by volume) accounted for 1.034 billion shares worth N10.907bn in 1,954 deals, contributing 50.11 per cent and 46.62 per cent to the total equity turnover volume and value respectively. ETPs: Also traded during the week were a total of 4,044 units

NSE trading hall

of Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) valued at N281,820.83 executed in 40 deals compared with a total of 7,291 units valued at N437,490.20 transacted last week in 35 deals. Bonds: A total of 3,026 units of FGN Bonds valued at N3,814m were traded in 4 deals this week. There was no trade recorded on bonds last week. Index Movement: The NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalization depreciated by 1.14 per cent to close the week at 28,841.67 and N9.915trn respectively. Similarly, all other Indices finished lower during the week

with exception of NSE Insurance and NSE Lotus Islamic Index that chalked up by 0.93 per cent and 0.17 per cent respectively, while NSE ASeM Index closed flat. Summary of Price Changes: Twenty-nine (29) equities appreciated in price during the week, higher than twenty-four (24) equities of the preceding week. Thirty-eight (38) equities depreciated in price, lower than fortythree (43) equities of the preceding week, while one hundred and twenty-three (123) equities remained unchanged,same as hundred and twenty-seven (123) equities recorded in the preceding week. BC

Market Indicators for Week Ended 13-11-15 All-Share Index 28,798.67 points Market Capitalization 9,999,292,838,512.17

NASD WEEKLY MARKET SUMMARY-WEEK 46 Equity Report The Unlisted Security Index (USI) and the Market Capitalisation appreciated by 5.55% to close the week. The USI pure price closed at 746.06 points as against the previous close of 706.86 points. The Market Capitalisation closed at ₦442.34 billion as against the previous close of ₦419.10 billion. The USI is calculated using the total Market Capitalisation approach.

1200.00

NASD Unlisted Securities Index

1000.00

800.00

Volume traded rose by 307.59% from 247,319 units to 1.02 million units while the total value of shares traded also appreciated by 1,050.12% from ₦5.92 million to ₦68.13 million in 40 deals. Eleven (11) securities were traded out of the 23 securities admitted to trade on the NASD OTC market.

600.00

400.00

FOOD CONCEPTS, NDEP, CSCS, WAMCO and AFRILAND emerged the five top traded securities per volume and value

200.00

Base date:

Unlisted Securities Index (USI-Pure Price)

TOTAL VALUE TRADED

(₦)

706.86

% Change 39.20

DATE

23.24

5.55

9-Nov-15

743.84

5.23%

760,721.00

307.59

10-Nov-15

744.66

0.11%

68,132,806.76

5,923,978.95

62,208,827.81

1,050.12

11-Nov-15

749.59

0.66%

3.00

8.11

12-Nov-15

700.93

-6.49%

13-Nov-15

746.06

6.44%

NUMBER OF TRADED STOCKS

NUMBER OF UNTRADED STOCKS

GAINER(S) PCLOSE

CLOSE PRICE ( ₦ )

CHANGE

%CHANGE

SYMBOL

Central Securities Clearing System Plc

6.00

6.30

0.30

5.00

Friesland Campina Wamco Nigeria Plc

172.00

195.98

23.98

13.94

SDARMLIFE

Food Concepts Plc

0.67

0.77

0.10

14.93

SDARMPROP

Geo-Fluids Plc

0.47

0.50

0.03

6.38

SDAFRILAND

Partnership Investment Company Plc

0.79

0.82

0.03

3.80

SDCAPDBETO

LOSER(S) PCLOSE

Arm Properties Plc Niger Delta Exploration & Production

CLOSE PRICE ( ₦ )

CHANGE

%CHANGE

PRICE (₦)

0.57

2,000

2.10

12-11

05-11

29-10

22-10

15-10

08-10

01-10

24-09

17-09

10-09

03-09

27-08

20-08

13-08

06-08

305,900

1,775,500 1,000,000

9.00

1,346

170.00

SDFCWAMCO

2.01

SDFOODCPT

159.00

146.00

13.00

8.18

SDGEFLUID SDIGIPLC SDJAIZ

LAST OFFER PRICE (₦)

0.39

2.42

510,000

2.47

2,257,779

69.99

5.70

337,335

0.11

500

1.50

900,000

0.78

1,656,632

0.46

117,320

153.00

FOOD CONCEPTS PLC

500,500.00

385,380.00

SDPARTNER

4,233,800

0.81

NIGER DELTA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION PLC

440,300.00

63,969,000.00

SDRSOURCE

1,049,900

0.45

CENTRAL SECURITIES CLEARING SYSTEM PLC

32,381.00

179,128.11

SDTRUSTMB

4,250,240

0.78

20,259.00

3,561,640.65

FRIESLAND CAMPINA WAMCO NIGERIA PLC AFRILAND PROPERTIES PLC

TOTAL

6,000.00

14,820.00

999,440.00

68,109,968.76

TOP 5 TRADED SECURITIES BY VALUE SECURITY NIGER DELTA EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION PLC FRIESLAND CAMPINA WAMCO NIGERIA PLC

TRADES 7 13

VOLUME

63,969,000.00

20,259.00

3,561,640.65 385,380.00

FOOD CONCEPTS PLC

500,500.00

CENTRAL SECURITIES CLEARING SYSTEM PLC

32,381.00

AFRILAND PROPERTIES PLC TOTAL

4 30

VALUE ( ₦ )

440,300.00

179,128.11

6,000.00

14,820.00

999,440.00

68,109,968.76

Disclaimer This document is provided for information purposes only. It is not a recommendation to buy, sell or otherwise deal in any security mentioned herein. Kindly consult your NASD registered Participating Institution before making any decision on the OTC Market.

SDNDEP

VOLUME OFFERED

790,000 2,000

SDDUFIL 0.05

VALUE ( ₦ )

OUTSTANDING OFFERS & BIDS LAST BID

SDCSCSPLC

2.44

VOLUME

VOLUME BIDDED

SDACORN

2.49

TOP 5 TRADED SECURITIES BY VOLUME TRADES

30-07

23-07

16-07

09-07

02-07

25-06

18-06

706.86

419.10

SECURITY

11-06

6-Nov-15

247,319

SECURITY CODE

%change

5.55

442.34

NUMBER OF DEALS

SECURITY CODE

USI

1,008,040

MARKET CAPITALIZATION (₦ 'BILLION) TOTAL VOLUME TRADED

UNLISTED SECURITIES INDEX (1 WEEK) WEEK 45 Change

746.06

04-06

April 1, 2015 = 1000

NASD MARKET STATISTICS WEEK 46

28-05

21-05

14-05

07-05

30-04

23-04

16-04

09-04

02-04

0.00

A22 38

Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FBN Holdings: retail banking, technology spur profit surge F

BN Holdings posted an increase in profit for the financial year ended December 31, 2014 on commercial banking business, which is built on an extensive retail network and a robust information technology platform. Despite the tough operating environment, particularly the regulatory headwinds that saw most of the lenders reporting negative profits, the group showed commendable growth across all the key performance indicators buoyed by the complementary performance of non-bank subsidiaries with gross earnings growing by 21.3 per cent to N480.6billion and profit before tax at N92.9billion. Profitability The holding company announced a profit after tax of N82.8billion for the 2014 financial year, an increase of 17.3 per cent when compared to N70.6billion recorded in the same period of 2013. The group gross earnings stood at N480.6billion, up 21.3 per cent when compared to N396.2billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2013. The group declared a non-interest income of N111.8billion, up 66.1 per cent from N67.3billion recorded in 2013, while net interest income added 6.0 per cent to N243.9billion in the review period from N230.1billion in 2013. Further analysis showed that other key indices appreciated in value, as impairment charge for credit losses and operating expenses rose 27.7 per cent and 27.5 per cent to N25.9bn and N236.8bn respectively. The bank however surprised many by proposing a meager dividend per share of 10 kobo and bonus issue of one for every 10. By paying 10 kobo, the bank is essentially paying out just 3.9 per cent of its earnings per share of 255 kobo. In trying to assuage shareholders, the bank claimed the cash

dividend and script (bonus issue) represents a N1.05 dividend and a 10 per cent dividend yield. Speaking on the result, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Bello Maccido, said that the group recorded a strong financial performance in 2014, in spite of the highly challenging operating environment. “We remain focused on diversifying our revenue streams through the extraction of value from our recent bank acquisitions, consolidating our position in the investment banking space, especially with the acquisition of Kakawa, and expanding our insurance business scope. “Our investment in technology, human capital and portfolio expansion are beginning to shape the longterm fundamentals of the group and will deliver a positive return on investment over the longer term. However, in the short to medium term we continue to ensure our business remains as resilient as can be to the shifts in the regulatory and macro-economic environment; shore up our risk management processes; and, drive efficiencies across the group,” he said. Liquidity The group total assets hit N4.3 trillion, up 12.2 per cent year-on-year from N3.9trillion recorded in the same period of 2013, while customer deposits rose 4.2 per cent to N3.1 trillion, from N2.9trillion recorded in the corresponding period of 2013. Customer loans and advances (net) stood at N2.2trillion, up 23.2 per cent from N8 trillion recorded in 2013 financial year. On the key ratio, pre-tax return on average equity stood at 18.7 per cent from 20.0 per cent in 2013, while post-tax return on average equity stood at 16.7 per cent, from 15.5 per cent in the corresponding period of 2013. The group net interest margin dropped to 7.6 per

Maccido

cent, from 8.0 per cent in 2013, while cost to income ratio rose to 66.7 per cent, from 62.7 per cent the preceding year. However, the level of non-performing loan ratio dropped marginally to 2.9 per cent, from 3.0 per cent in 2013, while the banking group liquidity ratio stood at 44.0 per cent, from 44.2 per cent as at December 2013. Adequate provisions have been made on the impaired assets with coverage ratio being 137.9 per cent, from 97.7 per cent in December 2013. “We will continue to reinforce loan growth within our preferred sectors and defined risk appetite as well as proactively manage and drive efficiency within our portfolio,” the holding company said. The group capital adequacy ratio stood at 16.7 per cent (Basel 2), just 1.67 per cent higher than 15 per cent minimum requirement by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. This puts the bank at risk at defaulting and as such paying further cash dividends could just

see them fall below the 15 per cent band. Business Strategy The holding company is a shell companies with no significant operations and income streams. FBN Holdings completed the acquisition of 100 per cent equity of Kakawa Discount House Limited (Kakawa) which is now a direct subsidiary of FBNH. FBN Insurance Limited completed the acquisition of 100 per cent equity interest in Oasis Insurance Plc, while First Bank acquired International Commercial Bank, ICB Senegal to complete the acquisition of the ICB West African operations. First Bank concluded a $450 million subordinated Tier 2 debt issuance in the international markets for general banking purposes. FBN Holdings Plc, owner of First Bank Nigeria, said it expects to benefit from a surge in sales of bonds by state governments to replace dwindling oil revenue and after peaceful elections bolstered investor confidence.

“We expect a lot of the state governments to go to the market to issue bonds to be able to fund their projects,” Chief Executive Officer Bello Maccido said in an interview. “It presents an opportunity for the investment-banking business.” Also, the group said it expects loan growth at its banking unit to slow to four per cent this year, down from 23 per cent last year, as it shifts focus to shortterm trade finance transactions. The top tier lender, with over N2.2 trillion on its loan book, will be conservative on loans in 2015 after financing power and oil sectors last year but income will rise from short-term lending. Maccido said that the holdings company should generate a tenth of its revenues from its investment banking and insurance units combined by 2016, up from around seven per cent now, after it acquired Kakawa Discount House and Oasis Insurance last year. Company Background FBN Holdings Plc is the Nigerian-based (non-operating) financial holding company for the banking and non-banking operations of the First Bank Group. FBN Holdings Plc was incorporated in Nigeria, as a limited liability company, on October 14, 2010, to act as the ultimate holding company for the FBN group in compliance with CBN guidelines. The company was converted to a public liability company on August 13, 2012. Analyst opinion For shareholders of the bank, one can begin to prepare for a capital raising exercise by the bank. The bank will surely want to raise equity or quasi equity to help shore up their capital adequacy ratio. Not doing that will mean the bank has to rely on profits this quarter and the next to push it further away from the default line of 15 per cent. BC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

A23 39

STOCKWATCH Stock Exchange weekly equities summary as at Friday, Nov 13, 2015 SECURITY

PRICE (=N=)

AGRICULTURE/AGRO-ALLIED Crop Production FTN COCOA PROCESSORS PLC 0.50 OKOMU OIL PALM PLC. 28.82 PRESCO PLC 30.50 Fishing/Hunting/Trapping ELLAH LAKES PLC. 4.26 Livestock/Animal Specialties LIVESTOCK FEEDS PLC. 1.41 CONGLOMERATES Diversified Industries A.G. LEVENTIS NIGERIA PLC. 1.02 CHELLARAMS PLC. 3.76 JOHN HOLT PLC. 0.96 SCOA NIG PLC 4.16 TRANSNATIONAL CORP. OF NIG.PLC 1.94 U A C N PLC. 27.73 CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Building Construction ARBICO PLC. 5.04 CAPPA & D’ALBERTO PLC. NT Building Structure/Completion/Other COSTAIN (W A) PLC. 0.50 G CAPPA PLC 14.46 Non--Building/Heavy Construction JULIUS BERGER NIG. PLC. 39.50 ROADS NIG PLC. 6.60 Real Estate Development PINNACLE POINT GROUP PLC NT UACN PROPERTY DEV 6.61 Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) SKYE SHELTER FUND PLC 100.00 UNION HOMES REAL ESTATE INV 45.22 UPDC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST 10.00 CONSUMER GOODS Automobiles/Auto Parts DN TYRE & RUBBER PLC 0.50 Beverages--Brewers/Distillers CHAMPION BREW. PLC. 4.17 GOLDEN GUINEA BREW. PLC. 0.97 GUINNESS NIG PLC 143.24 INTERNATIONAL BREWERIES PLC. 16.00 JOS INT. BREWERIES PLC. 1.51 NIGERIAN BREW. PLC. 136.02 PREMIER BREWERIES PLC 2.95 Beverages--Non-Alcoholic 7-UP BOTTLING COMP. PLC. 191.01 Food Products BIG TREAT PLC NT DANGOTE FLOUR MILLS PLC 2.31 DANGOTE SUGAR REFINERY PLC 6.50 FLOUR MILLS NIG. PLC. 21.80 HONEYWELL FLOUR MILL PLC 2.40 MULTI-TREX INTEGRATED FOODS PLC 0.50 N NIG. FLOUR MILLS PLC. 8.99 NATIONAL SALT CO. NIG. PLC 7.18 P S MANDRIDES & CO PLC. 5.35 U T C NIG. PLC. 0.50 UNION DICON SALT PLC. 11.84 Food Products--Diversified CADBURY NIGERIA PLC. 20.10 NESTLE NIGERIA PLC. 814.00 Household Durables BETA GLASS CO PLC. NT NIGERIAN ENAMELWARE PLC. 29.78 VITAFOAM NIG PLC. 5.39 VONO PRODUCTS PLC. 0.92 Personal/Household Products P Z CUSSONS NIGERIA PLC. 24.32 UNILEVER NIGERIA PLC. 31.43 Textiles/Apparel UNITED NIG. TEXTILES PLC. NT FINANCIAL SERVICES Banking ACCESS BANK PLC. 4.47 DIAMOND BANK PLC 2.62 ECOBANK TRANSNATIONAL INC. 18.50 FIDELITY BANK PLC 1.38 FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC. NT GUARANTY TRUST BANK PLC. 23.20 INTERCONTINENTAL BANK 13.50 SKYE BANK PLC 1.94 STERLING BANK PLC. 2.00 U B A PLC 3.60 UNION BANK NIG.PLC. 5.60 UNITY BANK PLC 1.26 WEMA BANK PLC. 0.99 ZENITH BANK PLC 17.71 Insurance Carriers, Brokers & Services AFRICAN ALLIANCE INS. COY. PLC 0.50 AIICO INSURANCE PLC. 0.90 CONFIDENCE INSURANCE PLC NT CONSOLIDATED HALLMARK INS. PLC 0.50 CONTINENTAL REINSURANCE PLC 1.05 CORNERSTONE INS. COY. PLC. 0.50 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INS. PLC NT EQUITY ASSURANCE PLC. 0.50 GOLDLINK INSURANCE PLC 0.53 GREAT NIGERIAN INSURANCE PLC 0.50 GUINEA INSURANCE PLC. 0.50 INTERCONTINENTAL WAPIC INS. PLC NT INTERNATIONAL ENERGY INS. PLC 0.50 INVESTMENT AND ALLIED ARN. 0.5 LASACO ASSURANCE PLC. 0.50 LAW UNION AND ROCK INS. PLC. 0.52 LINKAGE ASSURANCE PLC 0.50 MANSARD INSURANCE PLC 2.60 MUTUAL BENEFITS ASSURANCE PLC. 0.50 N.E.M INSURANCE CO (NIG) PLC. 0.66 NIGER INSURANCE CO. PLC. 0.50 OASIS INSURANCE PLC NT PRESTIGE ASSURANCE CO. PLC. 0.50 REGENCY ALLIANCE INS. COY PLC 0.50 SOVEREIGN TRUST INSURANCE PLC 0.50 STANDARD TRUSTASSURANCE PLC 0.50 STANDARD ALLIANCE INS. PLC. 0.50 UNIC INSURANCE PLC. 0.50 UNITY KAPITAL ASSURANCE PLC 0.50 UNIVERSAL INS. COMPANY PLC 0.50 WAPIC INSURANCE PLC 0.50 Micro Finance Banks FORTIS MICROFINANCE BANK PLC 5.42 NPF MICROFINANCE BANK PLC 0.98 Mortgage Carriers, Brokers &Services ABBEY MORTGAGE BANK PLC 1.25 ASO SAVINGS AND LOANS PLC 0.50 INFINITY TRUST MORTGAGE BANK PLC 1.42 RESORT SAVINGS & LOANS PLC 0.50 UNION HOMES SAVINGS&LOANS PLC 5.23 Other Financial Institutions AFRICA PRUDENTIAL REGISTRARS 2.57 CUSTODIAN AND ALLIED INS. PLC 4.10 CRUSADER ( NIG) PLC. NT DEAP CAPITAL MGT & TRUST PLC 0.58 FBN HOLDINGS PLC 5.10 FCMB GROUP PLC 2.01 ROYAL EXCHANGE PLC. 0.50 STANBIC IBTC HOLDINGS PLC 20.87 SIM CAPITAL ALLIANCE VALUE FUND 103.24 NIGERIA ENERGY SECTOR FUND 552.20 UBA CAPITAL PLC 1.30 HEALTHCARE Healthcare Providers EKOCORP PLC. 3.72 UNION DIAGNOSTIC &CLINICAL PLC 0.50 Medical Supplies MORISON INDUSTRIES PLC. 1.73 Pharmaceuticals

NOTE NT=Not Traded on 13-11-15

QUANTITY

9,140 261,540 107,996

52 WK HIGH

0.64 107.81 41.14

52 WK LOW

0.50 20.92 8.24

SHARES OUTSTANDING

EPS

2,200,000,000 476,955,000 1,000,000,000

0.10 2.29 7.55

MOV. (%)

N/A -0.69 0.00

0.50 29.02 30.50

4.26

60,000,000

0.00

N/A

4.26

1,249,104

7.18

0.68

1,199,549,736

0.07

-11.88

1.60

100,150 300 17,558 512 6,693,406 2,658,148

2.08 6.43 5.89

0.71 4.15 1.07

2,191,895,983 963,900,300 389,151,408

0.11 0.16 1.09

-0.97 N/A N/A

5.89 71.10

0.50 28.00

821,666,666 1,600,720,323

0.09 4.38

N/A N/A

1.03 3.95 0.96 4.16 1.81 26.48

375 3

26.00 95.49

5.05 95.49

148,500,000 196,876,000

0.33 4.50

N/A N/A

5.04 NT

807,550 217

2.66 14.46

0.72 14.46

920,573,765 125,000,000

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

0.50 14.46

27,437 1,832

83.75 10.60

19.86 6.61

1,200,000,000 20,000,000

6.74 1.69

1.78 N/A

38.81 6.60

NT 324,368

7.28 20.90

7.28 8.82

1,375,000,000

0.00 2.20

N/A -5.97

NT 7.03

93 100 6,350

100.00 50.00 10.50

100.00 50.00 0.00

20,000,000 250,019,781

5.82 0.19

N/A N/A

100.00 45.22 10.00

5,016

0.50

4,772,528,415

0.00

N/A

0.50

54,992 8,132 28,374 172,515 50,000 1,808,302 513,550

19.48 0.68 297.41 30.00 9.09 179.40 0.97

3.13 0.68 209.10 5.34 0.81 91.10 0.93

900,000,000 272,160,000 1,474,925,519 2,112,914,681 562,000,000 7,562,562,340 126,000,000

0.00 0.00 8.66 0.63 0.00 5.03 0.00

N/A N/A 14.59 N/A N/A -0.61 N/A

4.35 0.97 125.00 16.00 1.51 136.85 2.95

24,150

75.90

38.12

640,590,362

4.46

N/A

196.00

NT 224,970 1,588,435 187,271 952,850 53,816 159,011 2,835,920 2.08 124,000 50 100

0.50 10.68 12.85 109.24 4.11 1.21 29.70 14.00 5.94 0.93 13.31

0.50 3.85 3.26 50.00 1.83 0.50 17.51 3.65 5.35 0.50 4.22

2,000,000,000 5,000,000,000 12,000,000,000 1,879,210,666 7,930,197,658 3,722,493,620 178,200,000 40,000,000 1,233,375,004 360,000,000

0.00 0.00 0.81 3.38 0.34 0.00 0.00 1.05 0.08 1.13 0.00

N/A -9.41 -6.07 3.02 -6.98 N/A N/A 2.57 N/A 0.00 N/A

NT 2.55 6.92 21.16 2.58 0.50 8.99 7.00 5.35 0.50 11.84

5,725 390,319

64.53 1250.00

8.33 400.00

3,129,188,160 792,656,250

1.57 28.34

-0.25 -1.33

20.15 825.01

25,333 100 187,845 15,000

15.58 36.19 5.54 2.88

10.03 32.27 2.91 0.57

63,360,000 819,000,000 300,000,001

3.90 13.92 0.71 0.00

N/A N/A 1.13 N/A

NT 29.78 5.33 0.93

156,973 119,119

56.00 76.00

21.02 27.60

3,176,381,636 3,783,296,250

1.34 1.42

1.33 -18.74

24.00 38.68

0.97

0.57

843,284,027

0.00

N/A

20,610,779 1,358,484 5,746,153 4,669,271 NT 11,491,149

12.39 7.85 17.51 3.47 8.30 29.99

4.70 1.92 9.90 1.13 3.04 13.02

17,888,251,479 14,475,243,105 9,873,614,567 28,974,797,023 16,271,192,202 29,146,482,209

1.61 1.71 3.67 0.68 0.60 3.08

-2.83 0.00 -0.54 -2.82 #VALUE! 0.48

5,074,965 2,601,379 11,173,106 1,469,943 359,359 1,128,531 9,778,427

7.05 3.05 9.60 15.30 1.16 1.88 27.40

2.65 0.80 1.64 2.34 0.50 0.50 11.96

13,219,334,676 12,563,091,545 32,334,693,693 13,509,726,273 33,675,576,085 12,821,249,880 31,396,493,790

0.97 0.63 1.70 0.44 0.18 0.00 3.30

-2.51 -2.44 2.86 -3.45 0.00 2.06 0.62

200 1,627,718 NT 9,140 1,882,960 62,000 9,054,578 4,754 NT 42,003 165,731 NT 698,304 NT 14,710 100 220 23,600 1,319,465 10,579,013 52,100 1,654,611 27,973 5,028 100 1,650 161,547,689 25,000 200 518,140 1,368,084

0.50 1.42 0.64 0.52 1.45 0.72 2.44 0.50 0.69 0.60 0.50 2.50 2.50 0.50 0.50 0.61 0.50 2.87 0.63 1.01 1.11 0.50 1.24 0.53 0.59

0.50 0.50 0.61 0.50 0.58 0.50 1.08 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.06 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

20,585,000,000 7,809,391,256 211,626,000 6,000,000,000 10,372,624,157 8,820,010,363 5,100,846,808 8,847,298,420 4,549,947,000 3,827,485,380 720,000,000 5,061,804,000 6,420,427,449 28,000,000,000 7,323,313,227 3,437,330,500 4,083,713,569 10,000,000,000 7,998,705,336 5,332,830,881 5,649,693,923 5,003,506,791 2,508,315,436 6,668,750,000 5,203,757,266

0.00 0.19 0.00 0.05 0.15 0.02 0.24 0.01 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.25 0.00 0.37 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.04 0.09

N/A 0.00 N/A N/A 0.00 0.00 0.00 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 0.00 N/A N/A N/A 0.00 -1.89 N/A -5.71 N/A N/A 0.00 N/A 0.00

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 1.55

0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50

8,493,173,450 2,581,733,505 13,000,000,000 16,000,000,000

0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 0.07

N/A N/A N/A N/A

10,000,000 584,766

6.60 1.22

0.00 0.72

500 500 500 220,000 4,570

1.65 0.50

1.37 0.50

4,200,000,000 8,679,148,676

0.03 0.02

N/A N/A

0.50 0.99

0.50 0.50

13,175,732,404 7,812,500,000

0.30 0.00

N/A N/A

313,164 369,250 500 5,000 8,812,914 27045923 1,050,953 3,807,836 465 100 1,926,013

2.1

0.5

0.61 2.02 21.50 5.70 1.33 20.72 103.24

0.50 2.02 8.57 2.90 0.50 10.64 98.33

1.70

0.00

1.18 0.19

3,608,657,661 18,750,000,000

0.00 0.15 2.45 1.23 0.13 1.53

0.50 0.85 NT 0.50 1.00 0.50 NT 0.50 0.53 0.50 0.50 NT 0.50 0.5 0.50 0.50 0.50 2.65 0.50 0.70 0.50 NT 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 0.50 5.42 0.98

0.63 3,778,005,975 1,333,333,333 32,632,084,358

4.60 2.62 18.60 1.42 NT 23.09 13.50 1.99 2.05 3.50 5.80 1.36 0.97 17.60

N/A N/A -14.00 N/A -9.26

0.29

1.25 0.50 1.42 0.50 5.23 2.65 4.20 NT 0.58 5.93 2.19 0.50 23.00 103.24 552.20 1.37

170 40,000

5.05 0.50

4.32 0.50

498,600,908 3,553,138,528

0.13 0.00

N/A N/A

3.72 0.50

100

10.54

7.39

152,178,750

0.00

N/A

1.73

N/A=Not Avialable

SECURITY

PRICE (=N=)

EVANS MEDICAL PLC. 0.54 FIDSON HEALTHCARE PLC 2.81 GLAXO SMITHKLINE CONSUMER PLC 37.07 MAY & BAKER NIGERIA PLC. 1.20 NEIMETH INT PHARM PLC 1.03 NIGERIA-GERMAN CHEMICALS PLC. 4.91 PHARMA-DEKO PLC. 2.14 ICT Computer Based Systems COURTEVILLE BUSINESS SLN PLC 0.50 Computers and Peripherals OMATEK VENTURES PLC 0.50 Electronic Communications Services MTECH COMMUNICATIONS PLC 0.91 IT Services COMPUTER WAREHOUSE GROUP PLC 2.67 NCR (NIGERIA) PLC. 11.02 TRIPPLE GEE AND COMPANY PLC. 1.69 Processing Systems CHAMS PLC 0.50 E-TRANZACT INTERNATIONAL PLC 2.70 Telecommunications Services IHS NT HIS NIGERIA PLC 2 NT HIS NIGERIA PLC 1 NT MTI PLC 0.5 INDUSTRIAL GOODS Building Materials AFRICAN PAINTS (NIGERIA) PLC. 2.59 ASHAKA CEM PLC 22.50 BERGER PAINTS PLC 9.60 CAP PLC 38.00 CEMENT CO. OF NORTH.NIG. PLC 7.93 DANGOTE CEMENT PLC 163.00 DN MEYER PLC. 0.70 FIRST ALUMINIUM NIGERIA PLC 0.50 IPWA PLC 0.50 PREMIER PAINTS 10.93 LAFARGE WAPCO PLC. 94.00 PAINTS & COATINGS MANFACT.PLC 1.14 PORTLAND PAINTS & PRDT NIG. PLC 3.53 Electronic and Electrical Products AUSTIN LAZ & COMPANY PLC 2.09 CUTIX PLC. 1.45 NIGERIAN WIRE AND CABLE PLC. NT Packaging/Containers ABPLAST PRODUCTS PLC. NT AVON CROWNCAPS & CONTAINERS 1.52 BETA GLASS CO PLC. 48.51 GREIF NIGERIA PLC 9.37 NIG. BAGS MANFACT. COY PLC NT POLY PRODUCTS (NIG) PLC. NT W A GLASS IND. PLC. 0.63 Tools and Machinery NIGERIAN ROPES PLC 7.46 NIG SEW MACH. MAN. CO PLC. NT STOKVIS NIG PLC. NT NATURAL RESOURCES Chemicals B.O.C. GASES PLC. 4.18 Metals ALUMACO PLC 7.75 ALUMINIUM EXTRUSION IND. PLC. 9.84 MINING SERVICES MULTIVERSE PLC 0.50 Paper/Forest Products HALLMARK PAPER PRODUCTS PLC. NT THOMAS WYATT NIG. PLC. 0.64 OIL AND GAS Energy Equipment and Services JAPAUL OIL & MARITIME SER. PLC 0.50 Integrated Oil and Gas Services OANDO PLC 7.72 Petroleum &Petroleum Products Distributors BECO PETROLEUM PRODUCT PLC 0.5 CONOIL PLC 27.41 ETERNA PLC. 1.61 FORTE OIL PLC. 290.00 MOBIL OIL NIG PLC. 138.99 MRS OIL NIGERIA PLC. 49.66 TOTAL NIGERIA PLC. 143.00 Exploration and Production SEPLAT PETROLEUM DEVT. CO, LTD. 230.04 SERVICES Advertising AFROMEDIA PLC 0.50 Apparel Retailers LENNARDS (NIG) PLC. 3.15 Automobile/Auto Part Retailers R T BRISCOE PLC. 0.51 Courier/Freight/Delivery RED STAR EXPRESS PLC 4.20 TRANS-NATIONWIDE EXPRESS PLC. 1.02 Employment Solutions C & I LEASING PLC. 0.50 Hospitality TANTALIZERS PLC 0.50 Hotels/Lodging CAPITAL HOTEL 4.07 IKEJA HOTEL PLC 3.20 TOURIST COY NIG PLC 3.51 TRANSCORP HOTELS PLC 6.42 Media/Entertainment DAAR COMMUNICATIONS PLC 0.50 Printing/Publishing ACADEMY PRESS 0.59 LEARN AFRICA PLC 0.68 STUDIO PRESS (NIG) PLC. 2.30 UNIVERSITY PRESS PLC. 5.73 Road Transportation ABC TRANSPORT PLCPLC 0.51 Specialty INTERLINKED TECHNOLOGIES PLC 4.21 SECURE ELECTRONIC TECH.PLC 0.5 Transport-Related Services AIRLINE SERVICES AND LOGISTICS PLC 1.91 NIG. AVIATION HANDLING COY PLC 4.37 SUPPORT AND LOGISTICS CAVERTON OFFSHORE GROUP PLC 2.76 ASeM CONSTRUCTION/REAL ESTATE Property Management SMART PRODUCTS NIGERIA PLC NT CONSUMER GOODS Food Products MCNICHOLS PLC NT OIL AND GAS CAPITAL OIL PLC NT NAVITUS ENERGY PLC NT Personal/Household Products ROKANA INDUSTRIES PLC. NT HEALTHCARE Pharmaceuticals AFRIK PHARMACEUTICALS PLC. NT INDUSTRIAL GOODS Electronic and Electrical Products NT ADSWITCH PLC. NT NATURAL RESOURCES Metals W.A. ALUM. PRODUCTS PLC. NT Food/Drug Retailers and Wholesalers NT JULI PLC. NT ETF’s Sector ETF LOTUS HALAL EQUITY ETF NT NEWGOLD EXCHANGE TRADED FUND NT VETIVA GRIFFIN 30 ETF NT

QUANTITY

52 WK HIGH

52 WK LOW

SHARES OUTSTANDING

EPS

MOV. (%)

74,488 1,444,640 66,411 163,454 251,300 100 572,185

4.80 2.50 69.00 3.38 1.76 8.59 3.50

0.50 0.61 18.97 1.23 0.58 7.36 1.83

486,473,856 1,500,000,000 956,701,192 980,000,000 1,925,717,268 153,786,012 100,000,000

0.58 0.24 3.07 0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00

-8.47 -6.33 -7.30 -1.64 0.00 N/A N/A

Previous 0.59 3.00 39.99 1.22 1.03 4.91 2.14

37,000

0.96

0.50

2,960,000,000

0.11

0.00

0.50

100

0.50

2,941,789,472

0.00

N/A

0.50

0.91

4,966,666,668

0.00

N/A

0.91

400 100 5,460

18.70 2.94

13.12 2.07

108,000,000 492,825,600

0.00 0.03

N/A N/A

2.67 11.02 1.69

27,420 1,080

0.50 4.97

0.50 3.13

4,620,600,000 4,200,000,000

0.04 0.04

N/A N/A

0.50 2.85 NT NT NT 0.5

100

0.50

4,893,594,400

0.00

N/A

2,000 1,557,197 40,673 20,474 1,514,719 1,167,463 40,890 600 6,000 60 109,667 50,000 72,650

2.86 29.98 12.20 67.50 12.99 210.01 3.54 0.75 1.34

2.86 8.01 6.82 13.78 4.00 102.00 0.50 0.50 0.50

260,000,000 2,239,453,125 217,367,585 560,000,000 1,241,548,285 15,494,019,668 242,908,200 2,109,928,275 513,696,000

0.07 0.80 0.91 1.66 1.12 5.77 0.06 0.00 0.00

N/A -2.17 -7.16 0.00 -0.38 -0.01 N/A N/A N/A

110.00 2.41 7.22

39.80 0.50 2.27

3,001,600,004 792,914,256 400,000,000

6.83 0.36 0.43

-3.59 N/A N/A

2.72 23.00 10.34 38.00 7.96 163.01 0.70 0.50 0.50 10.93 97.50 1.20 3.53

100 220,132 100

2.00 2.39 0.73

2.00 1.20 0.50

510,396,608 2,220,000,000

0.05 0.19 0.00

N/A -13.69 N/A

2.09 1.68 NT

NT 561 1,361 100 NT NT NT

3.98 5.94 13.18 13.28 3.60 1.86 0.63

3.98 1.71 9.04 12.68 1.60 1.05 0.63

N/A N/A

42,640,000 6,215,000,000 240,000,000 199,066,550

0.00 0.00 3.23 0.90 0.24 0.22 0.00

NT 1.52 45.15 9.37 NT NT 0.63

100 200 NT

8.69

8.26

265,409,280

0.00

N/A

0.14

2,918,000

0.00

N/A

25,000,000 683,974,528

N/A #VALUE! N/A N/A

7.46 NT NT

10,000

9.35

5.68

393,120,000

0.76

0.00

4.18

320 100

7.75 12.39

7.75 10.55

75,600,000 100,000,000

0.00 0.24

N/A N/A

7.75 9.84

100

0.50

4,058,989,226

0.01

N/A

0.50

NT 4,050

3.22 1.38

3.22 0.67

50,000,000 220,000,000

0.04 0.00

N/A N/A

NT 0.64

1,408,720

1.02

0.50

6,262,701,716

0.00

0.50

4,924,248

24.80

9.32

2,262,711,568

1.24

-22.49

9.96

10000 2,577,516 2,541,040 412,758 22,164 167,074 43,476

76.00 4.87 115.64 146.00 59.00 190.01

16.96 1.32 7.73 106.00 16.20 118.75

693,952,117 1,249,162,828 1,080,280,628 300,496,051 253,988,672 339,521,837

2.69 0.61 1.43 9.93 1.04 12.91

0.00 -5.85 0.00 -9.75 N/A -4.67

0.5 27.41 1.71 290.00 154.00 49.66 150.01

306,355

28,677,671

200

0.72

0.50

100

3.48

209,933

2.45

1.00

2,572,000 3,000

5.10 3.45

2.19 0.73

4,059,547

1.64

1,500

0.75

100 599,750 1,000 2,800

4,035,497,307

234.50

0.00

N/A

0.50 3.15

980,294,400

0.00

-3.77

0.53

589,496,310 198,819,763

0.52 0.00

-1.18 N/A

4.25 1.22

0.85

865,808,912

0.00

N/A

0.50

3,211,627,907

0.00

N/A

0.50

1.72 3.88 10.00

0.64 3.51 10.00

2,078,796,396

0.00

-6.98

4.07 3.44 3.51 6.42

1,000

0.51

0.50

8,000,000,000

0.43

N/A

0.50

16500 224,498 20 20,800

3.09 2.78 5.77

1.39 2.52 3.00

771,450,000 425,641,111

0.00 0.00 0.61

N/A N/A 0.00

0.59 0.81 2.30 5.73

955,140

1.29

0.50

1,507,000,000

0.21

N/A

0.51

6 40,000,700

5.15 1.88

4.90 0.80

236,699,511 5,631,539,736

0.00 0.00

N/A N/A

4.21 0.5

111,000 246,274

5.90 8.81

1.27 5.08

634,000,000 1,230,468,750

0.50 0.43

N/A -0.68

1.85 4.40

189044

3.05

1.43

1.04

45,000,000

0.12

N/A

100

2.26

1.02

201,885,335

0.00

N/A

100000 1000

NT NT

0.60

30,000,000

0.00

N/A

0.50

24,898,850

0.00

N/A

NT NT

1.88

1.63

125,005,250

0.00

N/A

NT NT

NT NT 1,000

0.50

6,650,000

0.00

N/A

3.05

2.76

194,700,000

0.00

N/A

2,706

2,003

41 10

#VALUE! 49467

NT NT NT

A24 40

Business Courage

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Law & Justice nationalmirrorlaw@yahoo.com

Every citizen in this country has a right to go to court and present his case and it must be left to the court to decide he is a mere busy body or not.

—Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, retired Justice of the Supreme Court xx

Let’s close gap between our legal systems and other climes —Akpedeye 42

Senate President, Dr. Saraki

Alegeh, SAN

CCT: Lawyers disagree over colleagues’ conduct

Saraki’s legal team in order —Sagay, Akeredolu, Ayorinde ...Daramola alleges defence aimed to frustrate trial

How juju maestro, Ayinde Bakare was killed 45

How four-year -old girl was raped, killed, court told 46

By the provisions of the Legal Practitioners’ Act (LPA), Nigerian lawyers are expected to maintain the highest standards of professional conduct, etiquette and discipline within and outside the courtrooms. WALE IGBINTADE examines the implications of the alleged ‘walk-out’ by some lawyers appearing before the Code of Conduct Tribunal recently in Abuja, amidst the requirements of Professional Conduct in the Legal Profession.

wo weeks ago, a drama played out in the temple of justice when lawyers representing Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, walked out on the two-man panel of the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja. The walk-out was in protest against the decision of the tribunal to proceed with Saraki’s trial despite his pending appeal at the Supreme Court. The defence team had applied to the tribunal to suspend the hearing pending the Supreme Court’s determination of an appeal filed on November 2. But the tribunal rejected the application on the grounds that no date was fixed yet for the hearing of the appeal and that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 in Section 306 prohibits the granting of a stay of proceedings in a criminal trial. Consequently, the Chairman of

It is within a counsel’s right to withdraw further appearance for his client at anytime of his calling.

He, of course, will inform the judge of his decision before exiting the walls of the court.

the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar, asked the prosecutor to call his witnesses and proceed with the trial. At this point, the defence, speaking through Raji Mogaji, SAN allegedly said “I therefore hereby withdraw my legal services to the defendant”. He then asked for permission from the Judge to leave, to which the Judge told them they were all free to go. But the question on the minds of Nigerians and legal practitioners in particular, is whether it is ethical and proper for a lawyer to abandon his client in the midst of a proceeding as done by counsel to

the senate President. Rules of Professional Conduct in the Legal Profession states that Tribunals are part and parcel of the nation’s judicial system and that the tribunal should be treated with courtesy and respect. Part 14 (c) of Rules of Professional Conduct states how far a lawyer may go in supporting a client’s cause when it states that a lawyer owes entire devotion to the interest of his client. It further added that ‘’in the judicial forum the client is entitled to the benefit of every remedy and defence that is authorised by the law of the land, and he is also en-

titled to expect his lawyer to assert every such remedy or defence. It must however be borne in mind that the great trust of the lawyer is to be performed within and not without the bounds of the law. The office of a lawyer does not permit, much less does it demand of him for any client, violation of law or any manner of fraud or chicanery. He must obey his own conscience and not that of his client’’. Besides, Section 29 of the Rule states the condition in which a lawyer could withdrawal his service for his client when it states that ‘’ the right of a lawyer to withCONTINUED ON PAGE 44

Law & Justice

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Let’s close gap between our legal Dafe Akpedeye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), is a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Delta State. The Harvard-trained lawyer in this interview with WALE IGBINTADE speaks on the just-concluded International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Vienna and the establishment of special court to try suspected corrupt officials, among others. Excerpts.

The International Bar Association (IBA), conference has come and gone. What impact has Nigerian lawyers played at the conference? The IBA conference was held in Vienna, Austria this year. The conference was well organised and over 6,000 persons were in attendance. As usual, a large contingent of Nigerian lawyers was in attendance. But the heavy population of Nigerian lawyers has no impact on the stature that the Nigerian delegation ought to enjoy. I say the time has come for a rethink. It is indeed sad that Nigerians continue to attend the IBA conferences yet the impact is not felt at home. We come back and it is business as usual. We go and listen to how lawyers in other climes have gone ahead to improve the laws in their countries and then we come home and sit and wait for another year to pass so we can attend the next IBA conference. The time has come to close the gap that exists between our legal system and in other climes if we hope to compete effectively in the global market. What is your take on the call for the establishment of special courts to try corrupt public officials? Corruption has remained in the front burner of various discourse within and outside the country as an impediment to Nigeria’s development. It is against this backdrop that there is the need for concerted efforts to effectively curb the menace of corruption from our society. The reason special courts are being advocated is the failure of the court system to facilitate prompt prosecution of suspects. However my question to the proponents of the special courts is will the country import a different set of lawyers and judges to try the offenders? Since it may not be easy to change the system because perfect humans exist nowhere, the best bet is to purify the system. The Judiciary occupies a fundamental position in the fight against corruption as such remaking the judicial process should be a cardinal point in the reformation process. Our courts can be structured in such a way that it is more efficient and effective in the administration and dispensation of justice. We also need to protect our judges and empower them. They also need to undergo training. We must also fund the judiciary and make it more independent. This also goes for the institutions created to fight corruption. Merely playing lip service to this is not enough. A large percentage of students failed the 2015 final Bar examination. What do you think is responsible? The Council of Legal Education has released the results of both the Bar final re-sit examinations held in April 2015 and the Bar

Akpedeye

The Council of Legal Education (CLE) should immediately undertake a review

Law Faculties and the Nigerian Law School.

of the curriculum of

final examinations for regular students conducted in May 2015 in which a total of 5,588 candidates sat for the exams out of which 1805 candidates failed the exams. 2,736 students participated in the Bar final re-sit examinations for the 2014/2015 school year. Of this number, 1,648 students were declared successful at the exams, 98 students secured conditional pass, while a total of 990 students failed. The April results according to the Law School DG translates to 60% pass, 3.6% conditional pass and 36.2% failure rate. For the May 2015 Bar final examinations conducted for the regular students, 2,852 took part in the examinations out of which 4 candidates made a first class, 109 candidates made Second Class upper, 418 candidates made Second Class lower, 1,422 got Pass, while 83 others secured conditional Pass and 815 failed the exams. This translates to 68.5% Pass, 2.9% Conditional Pass and 28.6% failure rate. Previous Director-Generals of the school, have raised alarm over the falling standard of legal education in the country and the high failure rates being recorded in the bar exams. Even the Vice- President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has drawn attention to this development. In the last five years, with the

exception of the 2013 set that posted impressive performance, results of the Law School examinations have returned high number of failures, raising serious questions on the curriculum, teaching methods and capacities of individual students. In my view, it is a reflection of the dwindling nature of the educational system in the country, legal education inclusive. The steady decline is alarming. Anyone that has been a student in a Nigerian university and the Nigerian Law School can attest to the marked contrast in the systems of these different educational institutions. The rigour experienced at the Law School is second to none. The courses are packed and rushed, the students barely have time for a breather before they are shipped out for the mandatory law office and court attachments, where in most cases they undergo certainly strenuous and energy-sapping tasks that further eats into their precious time needed for preparing for the bar exams. Various factors have been adduced for this decline. These include lack of consistency on the part of both NUC and CLE in ensuring compliance with the benchmark minimum academic standards for law in Nigerian uni-

versities and other stipulated requirements by the Council for Legal Education; excessive admission of students, which is often not based on merit or candidates’ scores in the university matriculation examinations; grossly dishonest methods adopted by some universities/law faculties to secure accreditation when they are yet to meet the minimum requirements in terms of staff mix, facilities, student-staff ratio, library etc. stipulated by both NUC and CLE; poor quality and scope of the teaching and learning processes and poor funding/financing of education (legal education inclusive) in Nigeria. The falling standard of legal education has also been blamed on the lack of discipline on the part of the students. What is the way out of this problem? The Council of Legal Education (CLE) is the statutory body charged with the responsibility of ensuring standards in the teaching and learning of legal education. To arrest this development, I call on members of the council to ensure that the necessary restructuring and re-organisation of the legal education is put in place so as to bring it to par with international standard. I urge them to immediately undertake a review of the curriculum of Law Faculties and the Nigerian Law School. Efforts need to be geared towards developing a plan of action and strategic implementation framework to address the factors identified above, responsible for the falling standards of legal education. Also, the laws guiding legal education in Nigeria needed to be updated to reflect the demands

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Law & Justice

Monday, November 16, 2015

systems and other climes —Akpedeye

of the time. Legal education does not end in the Law School. There is also a need for mandatory continuing legal education for even practising lawyers. I would advise the NBA to take a cue from the practice in other climes where continuing legal education is mandatory and ensure that all lawyers take part in some form of continuing professional development.

Do you support the clamour that public declaration of assets should be made compulsory? Provisions on the declaration of assets by all public officers in Nigeria are entrenched in the Constitution. Also, one of the most important provisions of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers contained in Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution relates to the declaration of assets. By paragraph 11 of the Code, every public officer shall immediately after taking office and thereafter, at the end of his term of office, submit to the Code of Conduct Bureau a written declaration of his properties, assets and liabilities and those of his spouse and unmarried children under the age of 18 years. It goes on to list those considered public servants for the purposes of the Code of Conduct. The law is clear on the matter. Public Officers are expected to declare their assets. However, it is silent on whether such declaration should be announced or published by the maker. This lacuna inadvertently has given room to different interpretations by different persons on the issue. Although they are not obligated by law to do so, public officers have gone ‘public’ on their assets declaration. This has in turn put pressure on others to do so. Over the years in Nigeria, corruption and the massive mismanagement of public funds have been the order of the day. Public officers treat the national and state coffers as their private fiefdom. Funds which ought to be for infrastructural and other social developments find their way into public pockets. The necessity for public declaration of assets cannot be over-emphasised. The main aim of income and asset declaration is to combat corruption. In a number of cases, information published in asset declarations has led to the exposure of substantial unjust enrichment in several countries. Those countries with detailed disclosure requirements have experienced a reduction in corruption. There

is now a growing trend toward requiring financial disclosure by government officials, including publication of asset declarations, in order to combat corruption, foster public confidence in government, and encourage foreign investment. That is what the Freedom of Information Act is for. It is expected that the Code of Conduct Bureau will uphold the requirement of FOI, by making this information available to Nigerians who request for it. How do you see the refusal of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to display Buhari’s portrait in the party secretariat. Is this a breach of the constitution? The constitution does not provide for the hanging of the President’s portrait, however, it is the civic duty of all Nigerians to hang up the portraits in public places as a mark of respect for constituted authority. Convention requires that whatever public place within the area where a person is President, his picture must be seen, whether it is provided by the law or not.

Do you agree with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that corrupt officials should face death penalty? Though the current level of corruption in Nigeria is so high that it calls for drastic measures I do not believe the death penalty for corrupt public officials is the way to go. The death penalty has been imposed on armed robbers since 1970. Has it stopped robbery? Capital punishment has not served as deterrent for crime and I do not believe it will do so now. Furthermore, I share the views of the NBA President, Augustine Alegeh, SAN, that that government should evolve pragmatic measures to prevent people from looting the treasury. In corruption cases, the focus is on recovering of the money. Let us recover that money and use it to develop our country and not to kill the man. Recently, lawmakers who are lawyers in the Senate and the House of Representatives said they should be considered for the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). What’s is your take? The award of the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a privilege awarded by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges’ Committee as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who are in full-time legal practice; have distinguished themselves as

Akpedeye

Plans by the National Assembly to give lawmakers immunity from prosecution will be a setback for transparency, accountability and the rule of law. advocates or academic and have made significant contributions to the development of the legal profession in Nigeria. It is the equivalent of the rank of Queen’s Counsel in the United Kingdom, from which Nigeria adopted the rank. Over the years, the title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria has been conferred on lawyers who have practised for at least 10 years and also distinguished themselves through exemplary performances in advocacy. It is also conferred on top-notch law teachers. One of the criteria to be met for the award of the rank is that the candidate must be a legal practitioner called to the Bar and practising in Nigeria as an advocate and must have been in active current legal practice for at least 10 years immediately preceding the date of application. Some of the lawmakers who are advocating for the conferment of the rank on lawmakers have been in the National Assembly for a long time and have been out of active legal practice during this period. The fact that they make laws which lawyers in active practice apply does not qualify them for the title. They are in the National Assembly to enact laws for the peace, order and good government of Nigeria. That is the task of lawmakers not to be hankering for honorific titles reserved for practitioners. After their tenures in office and they are back to active practice of law, then they can apply for the conferment of the rank. Are you satisfied with the number of law lecturers awarded the rank of SAN in recent time? As stated earlier the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is a privilege awarded by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges’ Com-

mittee as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who are in full- time legal practice; have distinguished themselves as advocates or academic and have made significant contribution to the development of the legal profession in Nigeria. The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges’ Committee may in appropriate circumstances, appoint an academic who has distinguished himself and has made substantial contribution to legal scholarship and jurisprudence through teaching, research and published works in any Nigerian University, Research Institute, Nigerian Law School and other recognised institutions. There are certain criteria to be met and if a lecturer meets this why not. A lot of academics have contributed to the development of the law through their publications and the training they give to law students in the course of their career. The National Assembly is in process of enacting a law that gives immunity to lawmakers. How do you see this? Plans by the National Assembly to give lawmakers immunity from prosecution is a setback for transparency, accountability and the rule of law. The problem with such immunity in Nigeria is the fact that we are a country, or a people notorious for flagrant disregard for rule of law. We do not respect any law. In fact, Nigerians believe that when a law is made, it is meant to be broken. This is why if parliamentary immunity is granted, the level of abuse, judging by the behaviour of our legislators, will be immense. I have no doubt that such immunity conferred on them will be further used to intimidate the citizenry and their political opponents.

Law & Justice

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, November 16, 2015

‘Defence lawyers didn’t violate any law, rule of practice’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41 draw from employment, once assumed, arises only from good cause. Even the desire or consent of the client is not always sufficient. The lawyer should not throw up the unfinished task to the detriment of his client, except for reasons of honour or self-respect. ‘’If the client insists upon an unjust or immoral course in the conduct of his case, or if he persists over the lawyer’s remonstrance in presenting frivolous defences, or if he deliberately disregards an agreement or obligation as to fees or expenses, the lawyer may be warranted in withdrawing on due notice to the client, allowing him time to employ another lawyer, so also when a lawyer discovers that his client has no case and the client is determined to continue it; or even if the lawyer finds himself incapable of conducting the case effectively. Other instances as they arise may justify withdrawal. Upon withdrawing from a case after a retainer has been paid, the lawyer should refund such part of the retainer as has not been clearly earned’’. In a statement signed by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, SERAP said “that a lawyer’s duty to the court is a fundamental obligation that defines a lawyer’s role within the adversarial system’’. Lawyers should at all time act to promote the rule of law and the public’s confidence in the administration of justice and not to be seen to undermine it or facilitate an infringement of the law. “As we have seen many times, without the rule of law, the rule of the jungle takes hold and the economically and socially vulnerable fall victim to the strong and nobody is safe. The rule of law also creates a disincentive for would-be corrupt officials.” Lawyers’ opinions are also divided over the decision of the Senate President’s team of 26 lawyers to stage a walk-out on the tribunal when it allegedly refused to grant their application to suspend proceedings. So far, the NBA through its President, Augustine Alegeh, SAN, has defended the

Akeredolu

Daramola

Sagay

It is not proper for a lawyer to walk out on a judge because he does not like his ruling.

lawyers, saying that on investigation, it was discovered that the lawyers had applied to withdraw from the case and respectively took leave of court after their application was granted. Former Dean, faculty of Law University of Benin, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), said ‘’walking- out per se in the middle of a case without your being completed for that day or the matter coming to an end or walking out in anger, that to me, is contempt. But, this particular case you are talking about, I have read the statement released by the Nigerian Bar Association, to whom the matter was reported. What the statement said was that those lawyers did not walk out on the court and what they did was to withdraw appearance for Saraki. Once their names were struck out as representing Saraki they had no business in the court anymore, so they left. That was the explanation of the NBA President. If that was the case, that their names were struck out as legal representatives of Saraki in the court, they had no locus standi in the court again.

Bar

Jokes

The divorce lawyer A guy walks into a post office one day to see a middle-aged, balding man standing at the counter methodically placing “Love” stamps on bright pink envelopes with hearts all over them. He then takes out a perfume bottle and starts spraying scent all over them. His curiosity getting the better of him, he goes up to the balding man and asks him what he is doing. The man says “I’m sending out 1,000 Valentine cards signed, ‘Guess who?’” “But why?” asks the man. “I’m a divorce lawyer,” the man replies.

Pick pocket

A pick pocket was up in court for a series of petty crimes. The judge said “Mr. Banks you are hereby fined $100.” The lawyer stood up and said “Thanks, my lord, however my client only has $75 on him at this time, but if you’d allow him a few minutes in the crowd. . .”

Bastard in the family

For three years, the young attorney had been tak-

Once the court has accepted their withdrawal, they will get up and bow and leave, but if they did not bow and left in anger that will be wrong’’. In the same vein, former NBA President, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, was quoted as saying “it is within a counsel’s right to withdraw further appearance for his client at anytime of his calling. He, of course, will inform the judge of his decision before exiting the walls of the court. This will not be tantamount to walking out on the court or judge.” Therefore, it seems the defence lawyers did not break any laws when they decided to leave the court. They informed the judge of their decision and asked for permission to leave the court. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria said for anyone to call it a “walk-out” is blackmail to the lawyers. Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) said ‘’you must define what a walk-out is. If during proceedings, a counsel is unable to continue with the proceedings for any reason, he may seek the leave of the court to be excused.

ing his brief vacations at this country inn. The last time he’d finally managed an affair with the innkeeper’s daughter. Looking forward to an exciting few days, he dragged his suitcase up the stairs of the inn, then stopped short. There sat his lover with an infant on her lap! “Helen, why didn’t you write when you learned you were pregnant?” he cried. “I would have rushed up here, we could have gotten married, and the baby would have my name!” “Well,” she said, “when my folks found out about my condition, we sat up all night talkin’ and talkin’ and decided it would be better to have a bastard in the family than a lawyer.”

Consultation Fees

A lawyer’s dog, running around town unleashed, heads for a butcher shop and steals a roast. The butcher goes to the lawyer’s office and asks, “if a dog running unleashed steals a piece of meat from my store, do I have a right to demand payment for the meat from the dog’s owner?” The lawyer answers, “Absolutely.” “Then you owe me $8.50. Your dog was loose and stole a roast from me today.” The lawyer, without a word, writes the butcher a check for $8.50. The butcher, having a feeling of satisfaction, leaves. Three days later, the butcher finds a bill . Culled from Funny Lawyers’ Jokes.com

zzzz

For example, an issue of conflict may arise and he may find himself unable to continue to represent that particular client in court then he can seek the leave of the court to be excused. What the court will do is to probably adjourn the matter to allow the client to get fresh legal representation. So, what happened in the case of Saraki is not a walk -out. A walk-out is when in the middle of the proceedings and you decide you cannot continue and you parked your books and go out of the court. That is unprofessional.’’ Dr. Abiodun Layonu said he stands by the decision of the NBA on the issue saying ‘’ the President of the Bar has been reported to have fully dealt with the matter’’. But, Mr. Olu Daramola (SAN) in his view said ‘’It is not proper for a lawyer to walk out on a judge because he does not like his ruling. In this case, the lawyers adopted the strategy to frustrate the trial and they succeeded. This attitude is capable of bringing down the machinery of justice. The tribunal was right to refuse the application for stay of proceedings. The applicable law which is the Administration of Justice Act, in section 306 forbids the Tribunal from entertaining any application for stay of proceedings. Therefore, the Tribunal is not guilty of judicial rascality in upholding the law. Former Chairman, NBA Ikeja, Mr. Monday Ubani “We were never taught in the Law

legal tips

Garnishee proceedings in Nigeria A garnishee proceeding is a judicial process whereby a judgement creditor who is armed with the judgement of a court may recover such debt owed by judgement debtor from a third party who in turn has an obligation to the judgement debtor. *Thus, there are three parties in garnishee proceedings; the garnishor who is the judgement creditor, the garnishee, who is the third party and the judgement debtor. *For instance, if Mr. A gets a monetary judgement in court against Mr. B and Mr. B has refused to pay, Mr. A can ask the court to help collect Mr. B’s money from Mr. C who in turn owes Mr. B money. The third person indebted to the judgement debtor is called the garnishee while the judgement creditor is also referred to as the garnishor. *The law governing garnishee pro-

Bar

ceedings can be found in Rules of Court, the Sheriff and Civil Process Act (SCPA) Cap 407, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and case laws. *Any debt owing to a judgement debtor from any other person within the jurisdiction of the court can be recovered by the judgement – creditor towards the satisfaction of his judgement by attachment of debts via a garnishee order. *For a debt that is on attachment, it must be due or accruing to the judgement debtor. It must also be a sum certain, examples are, salaries, money in bank account and rent. Written by Francis Famoroti, Head, Judiciary. We welcome feedback and reactions from readers via our e-mail: nationalmirrorlaw@ yahoo.com

Jokes

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FAMOUS CASES

Law & Justice

Monday, November 16, 2015

yinde Bakare was a pioneering Yoruba juju and highlife musician. He began recording on the His Master’s Voice (HMV), a British label in 1937 and is thought to have been the first juju musician to use an amplified guitar, in 1949. His amiable nature, his rhythmic music and good melodies made him a towering artiste in his time, not only in Lagos but in the whole of the Yoruba-speaking Western States. Regrettably, his strange death in October 1972 is still shrouded in mystery. In Lagos alone, Bakare so endeared himself to the social elite that they believed his performance at their ceremonies was the only antidote to make the occasion grand. The account told of the circumstances that led to his death 43 years ago was unambiguous and indisputable. It was revealed that during one of his performances on October 1, 1972, he was called to the backstage by some unknown individuals who had pretended to be his fans and admirers. Specifically, on the day, while the nation was caught in the frenzy of festivities of the independence anniversary, Bakare led his Meranda Band to play at a wedding party on Isale-Gangan Street, Central Lagos. The band had played for the first session and thereafter went on a short break. Shortly before the band reconvened for the second session, Bakare was invited to the backstage by some unidentified persons and thereafter he disappeared. As a Daily Times publication, Headlines in its No 230, June, 1992 edition reported ‘’At first, members of the band felt he had probably left with a lover to a hide-out as was the case with most musicians in those days. They never thought that somewhere in the neighbourhood, death could be lurking and unleashing blows on the juju maestro. ‘’ When the band leader was not forthcoming, the deputy band leader, Mr. Ayanniyi Atanda took over the mantle of leadership and held fort till the end of the party. At the end of the performance, Bakare never showed up. Despite his sudden disappearance, the members of the band shared the money realised. The following and subsequent days rolled by, yet Bakare did not return home. Then, it dawn on the family that something serious had happened to him. The matter was reported to the police. After fruitless efforts to trace his whereabouts, the police declared him missing and this was widely reported in the newspapers. About four days later, on October 4, 1972, Bakare’s body was found floating on the Lagos lagoon shore near Bonny Camp on Victoria Island. According to the Nigeria Best Forum, an online publication in a report posted on

How juju maestro, Ayinde Bakare, was killed

Ayinde Bakare was a legendary musician in the pre-independence era up till the ‘70s. He was extremely popular among the socialite across Yorubaland, especially in Lagos and Ibadan in the 1950s and ‘60s. In October 1972, during one of his performances in Lagos, Bakare suddenly disappeared and he was later found dead. His death became a subject of coroner’s inquest, FRANCIS FAMOROTI, Head, Judiciary writes.

Former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice J. I. C Taylor

During one of Bakare’s performances on October 1, 1972, he was called to the backstage by some unknown individuals, who had pretended to be his fans and admirers. He has since then disappeared. July 25, 2009, the deceased’s eldest son, Sina recounts: He (Bakare) had an afternoon engagement in Lagos and a night engagement in Ijebu Ode. On account of that, he sent the band to go and wait for him in Ijebu Ode. I was somewhere in Mubi , North Eastern Nigeria playing with my band when I got a telegram from my mum saying my father was missing. His body was discovered four days later on October 4, 1972 at the back of Bonny Camp, Victoria Island.’’ Sadly, the musician was cruelly murdered at the height of his fame. His death caused a deep shock to the police, his family, the Lagos City Council, which registered the death, and thousands of friends and his fans, who had grown fond of him and his music. The Police, which suspected foul play ordered and autopsy and a coroner’s inquest into his death.

Sina suspected death by drowning. Fans, family members and juju music lovers held opinion far different from death through natural cause. The government ordered an inquest into the circumstances that led to Bakare’s death. The Coroner, Mrs. Grace Akinboboye, then a Magistrate, (later Justice) started her investigation on April 30, 1973 and some witnesses gave evidence during the proceedings. In his testimony, a consultant pathologist, Dr. Olaseni Akinlade, who performed the autopsy, said there were bruises on his body even though his brain was intact. Risikat, one of his widows, suspected two members of her husband’s band who earlier quarrelled with him over the sum of N60. Another widow of the deceased who testified was Madam Iyabo Bakare. All the witnesses said they believed he was killed, but could not explain the cir-

cumstances and by whom. Mr. Daniel Akinola, a former deputy leader of the deceased’s inner Circle Orchestra, the deputy leader of Meranda band, Ayaniyi Atanda and a drummer, Michael Gasper, were all examined and crossexamined during the inquest. For Akinola, the Coroner ordered him to always be present at the inquest until a verdict was given. In his evidence, he explained that he saw Bakare last in May 1972, five months before his mysterious disappearance and only learnt of his death from the pages of newspapers. Atanda was ordered to be detained in custody for perjury after giving his own testimony. He informed the coroner’s inquest that the leader of the band left during the break session without informing anybody. He also admitted that he directed that the money collected during the performance should be shared among those present at the end of the fateful day’s show. Gasper, who was accused of wishing the deceased dead, said he could not have wished him dead ‘’ because he was my guardian when I was young and also he was a close friend of my brother.’’ At the end of the inquest, Mrs. Akinboboye said she was convinced from the evidence before her that the musicians, who testified, knew more about Bakare’s death than they revealed. According to her, ‘’ It is my confirmed opinion that both Atanda and Gasper knew more about the case than they revealed before the coroner and that same goes for Daniel Akinola who testified before me with a smearing contemptuous face, telling nothing but lies.’’ Though she gave a verdict that the deceased died a result of drowning, she could not link the musician’s death to any of the suspects, due to lack of uncontroverted evidence. Bakare might have gone to the world beyond, but his good works, which includes his music, outlives him since the past 41 years. The deceased is credited to have recorded many music albums with the HMV. His many records include a 1968 LP Live the Highlife, Tribute to the late J.K. Randle; Eko Akete (Lagos Akete); Adura Fun Awon Aboyun (Prayer for the Pregnant Women); Ibikunle Alakija; Iwa Lewa (Your Manner is Your Beauty); Ore Otito O Si (There’s no true friend); Mo b’eru Aiye (I fear the humanity); Ile Aiye Ile Asan (Life is vanity upon vanity); Agboola Odunekan; Olabisi Arobieke ; Akambi Balogun. Others are; Se Botimo; Ojowu ‘Birin; Ore Meta; Herbert Macaulay; and Golden faces.

Law & Justice

Monday, November 16, 2015

SOUTH AFRICA

57-year-old man hacks girlfriend to death LONDON

factory worker murdered his girlfriend, hacked up her body with saws and hid her torso in a locked suitcase, a court has heard. Vitautas Jokubauskas, 57, butchered Ramute Butkiene, 42, at his home in Mayor’s Walk, Peterborough, after strangling her with the cord from her dressing gown. The Lithuanian killed UK Prime Minister, David mother-of-one Ms Butkiene Cameron after accusing her of seeing couple shared. Prosecutor Andrew another man, then dismembered her corpse, Southwark Jackson QC told jurors: ‘At some point between May Crown Court heard. He then buried her body 28 and May 29 this year, parts in some nearby woods this defendant attacked after leaving her torso in a and murdered his girllocked suitcase in the flat the friend.

Court awards woman $4m for wrongful conviction

he state of New South Wales has been ordered by the Supreme Court to pay $4 million, plus legal costs, for malicious prosecution of a woman, Roseanne Beckett, who was wrongfully convicted of soliciting to murder her husband. Roseanne Beckett spent more than 10 years in jail after being found guilty of plotting to kill her husband, Barry Catt and for perjury but her convictions were later overturned on appeal. Beckett, was released from jail in 2001, when new evidence came to light in the case. The charges were quashed in a 2005 appeal, but there was never a re-trial because the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) decided not to pursue the matter. In August, Beckett was awarded $2.3 million but later the Supreme Court ordered the state to pay interest on those original damages, as well as her legal expenses in fighting the case. Beckett said she had been vindicated by the decision. “Twenty-six years is a long time but by gee there’s a powerful message there, don’t give in and don’t give up,” she said outside court. The state has previously indicated that they will be seeking a stay on the order, pending an appeal against the

SYDNEY

Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott decision. But Beckett said an appeal by the Government would be a waste of taxpayer money. “The state is saying they may appeal, but we must make sure they don’t because they have nowhere to go,” she said outside court. “Enough is enough and it is a disgrace that it’s taken 26 years to get to this point and a bigger disgrace as to the amount of money that it has cost the taxpayer.” Beckett said former detective Peter Thomas should never have been allowed to pursue her. “And to think that this corrupt ex-cop could do what he did, and use the state’s resources the way that he did and [bill] the taxpayer pay for it, and he did this up until he died last year, I think that is criminal and it mustn’t happen again,” she said outside court.

asmin Pretorius, the 4-year-old girl raped and killed by her uncle, was in extreme pain and struggled before she died, the High Court in Pretoria has heard. Dr Forunato Beccia, the district surgeon who performed an autopsy on Jasmin, was testifying at the trial of Sarel du Toit. The 52 year-old Du Toit, Jasmin’s uncle, pleaded guilty to raping and murdering her at his mother’s flat in Brakpan in December 2013. Jasmin and her older sister were visiting their father Morné Pretorius for the weekend when she was killed. The community searched for her for a whole day before her body was found under Du Toit’s bed. Du Toit and his brother lived with their mother, who was in the flat with Jasmin’s sister that night. Jasmin’s father was not at home as he was with his girlfriend. Dr Beccia testified that Jasmin had bruises on her face and inside her mouth and there was also blood in her nose, all of which were consistent with very hard blows. ‘Deceased probably battled and struggled’ The numerous scratch marks and bruises on her neck were caused by the fingers of her attacker’s right

How four-year-old girl was raped, killed, court told

South African President, Jacob Zuma hand. “The deceased probably battled and struggled and there was more than one action that caused her death,” he said. Beccia told the court that severe injuries to Jasmin’s private parts were probably caused by repeated and aggressive penetration. “Such a type of injury is definitely very painful and I cannot see that such a person [Jasmin] would be able to sleep [through it] and not struggle. “One sees this type of injury with, for example, a difficult birth when the mother gives birth to a very

Ex-defence employee bags three months jail term AUSTRALIA

former Defence employee from Canberra has been sentenced to three months in jail for publishing a top secret document to online forum 4chan. In October 2012, Michael Scerba, 24, uploaded two pages of a Defence intelligence report to the website. The breach came to light when a former member of the Defence Signals Directorate noticed a thumbnail marked “Julian Assange is my hero” on the site. On closer inspection, he discovered two pages from a “Five Eyes only” document intended only for Australia’s closest allies, and alerted authorities. Despite only being up on the website for an hour, the post attracted 15 comments. The court heard Scerba

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burned sensitive images to a disk and took it home, where police found it broken in a bin. Justice Richard Refshauge acknowledged Scerba’s early guilty plea, and the fact that he had been severely depressed at the time of the offence. Justice Refshauge also took into account Scerba’s clean record, and that he had been socially isolated after being dumped by his girlfriend. But in sentencing he emphasised the importance of general deterrence, and said the “clang of the prison gates” was a way to warn others who may be tempted to breach national security. Scerba is expected to be released from prison in February 2016, and to be subject to a two-year good behaviour order.

big baby... It’s severe pain,” he said. Jasmin’s mother Sasha Bam testified that her daughter had liked and loved Du Toit very much. She had seen him regularly when she visited her father. She said Jasmin was her sister’s best friend and Jasmin’s death had affected her. She was quiet, in contrast to Jasmin’s outgoing, loving and bubbly nature. Defence advocate Francois du Plessis urged the court not to sacrifice his client on the altar of revenge and argued for a sentence of between 30 and 35 years. He said Du Toit had admitted guilt and the letters he wrote to his mother and brother shortly after the incident, asking for their forgiveness, showed that he had true remorse. Annemarie Coetzee, for the State, questioned Du Toit’s remorse, because afterwards he told a social worker he merely “played” with Jasmin, which was disturbing, considering the extent of her injuries. She said his guilty plea was the result of the overwhelming case against him. He was the only person who entered the flat with a key,

the child’s body was found under his bed and his DNA linked him to semen found in Jasmin. Coetzee argued that Du Toit’s low intellect was not a mitigating factor and supported the view that his chances of rehabilitation were slim and that he was a danger to society. Social worker Mariëtte Nolte said in a report that Du Toit had reportedly been sexually abused by a female friend of his mother at the age of five. He had also reported that a woman for whom he did gardening had sexually abused him at 14. He had sexual relationships with older men since the age of about 17. He was always in special classes and left school at 16. He battled to read and write but was, according to his mother, good with sums. Du Toit said he used to fall on his head as a child and was in several accidents when he cracked his head, but never went to hospital. He described himself as aggressive and depressed and said he had previously tried to commit suicide. Judge Mahomed Ismail has postponed the trial for sentencing.

SYDNEY

Sexual assault: Nursing home employee resident granted bail

nursing home employee accused of sexually assaulting an elderly resident in his care has been granted strict conditional bail. Manoj Kumar, 47, is accused of assaulting the woman in her 70s at the aged care facility on October 21. Kumar, who works as a nursing assistant at the facility, was arrested at his home in Heckenberg, after staff reported the allegation to police. Liverpool Local Court heard that Kumar had worked at the facility for nine years and had no criminal history. Kumar’s lawyer pointed out that there was a delay of several days before the complaints were investigated, due to communication difficulties with the woman. His lawyer also said there was no DNA or forensic evidence to substantiate the alleged

assault and the exact details of the woman’s claims were unclear. But Magistrate Sharon Holdsworth noted that the alleged victim’s version is “corroborated to some extent by CCTV”. During the proceedings, Kumar sat in the dock with his arms crossed and stared down into his lap at times. Kumar was granted bail on strict conditions; including that he only leave his home in Heckenberg with his wife. His employment has been suspended with full pay until the legal proceedings are dealt with, the court heard. He is due to appear at Burwood Local Court on December 7.

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Law & Justice

Monday, November 16, 2015

Limits of legislators’ powers in determining their emoluments CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

Bashir Ramoni Furthermore, while Section 80(4) empowers the National Assembly to make law validating the appropriation of all monies allocated and supposed to be released and spent by the government as well as its agencies including the emoluments of the National Assembly members; Section 84(1) empowers the National Assembly to prescribe the remuneration of other political and public office holders to which the Section relates. This does not include the National Assembly. Note also that National Assembly Service Commission is not a creation of the Constitution and does not form an item which the National Assembly has power to establish. Yet, this Commission receives remuneration as fixed by the National Assembly. Section 84(1) also provides that the amount so prescribed (by an Act of the National Assembly) shall not exceed that which has been determined by the RMAFC. The power to prescribe is limited to public offices mentioned in the Section 84(4) and interestingly, this excludes the members of the National Assembly and/or legislators. One is not unmindful that the provision of Section 84(1) envisages some sort of discretion in relation to other public office holders mentioned in Section 84(4) of the Constitution. The National Assembly member’s emolument is excluded in this category. In my mind, the National Assembly has misconstrued the provision of Sections 80(4) and 84(1) by arrogating to itself the power to determine its own emoluments and other allowances receivable by its members. This is demonstrated below. The word “prescribed” used in Section 84(1) simply means that the prescription of the amount so determined by RMAFC will be by an Act of the National Assembly. This is apart from the fact that it is limited to other political and public offices. Section 18(1) of the Interpretation Act, Cap I 23, LFN, 2004defines the word “prescribed” to: “mean prescribed by or under the enactment in which the expression occurs”. The National Assembly’s powers to enact a Law to prescribe the amount so determined by RMAFC does not amount to power to further determine or increase the items and amounts that constitute its members’ emolument. Section 70’s use of the phrase “as RMAFC may determine” evinces that the only body that has discretion in determining the amount including the power to review is RMAFC and no other body. While Section 84(4) of the Constitution contains both words “prescribe” and “determine”; Section 70 omits the word “prescribe”. This further strengthens the argument that the Constitution does not contemplate the National Assembly to have anything to do with the emoluments of its members. Unfortunately, neither the Constitution nor Interpretation Act defines the word “determine”. Consequently, recourse is had to judicial interpretation. In the case of Kolawole v Olori (2010) All FWLR (Pt. 514) 115, the Court of Appeal held thus: “For the avoidance of doubt, Websters 9th New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word “determine” as follows: “to fix conclusively or authoritatively, to decide by judicial sentence, to settle, or decide by choice of alternatives or possibilities, to put or set to an end, to find out or come to a decision about by investigation, reasoning or calculation in answer to a problem, to come to decision” Assuming without conceding that the National Assembly has any oversight function on the determination made by the RMAFC, that oversight function is only limited to political and public office holders mentioned in Section 84(4) of the Constitution. As for the National Assembly members, once the RMAFC determines its members’ emoluments, it cannot enact any Law or engage in any practice to increase or go even an inch outside what the RMAFC has determined. Accordingly, the idea that the National Assembly is setting up a Committee to review its own emoluments is totally ultra vires and an exercise of non-existent powers.

Current modus operandi for evolving remuneration of public and political office holders The procedure of ascertaining the emolument of political, public and judicial office holders is what I characterize as a “Spiral model” as follows: • The RMAFC determines the items and amounts and presents same to the President; • The President prepares and lays before the National Assembly for it to “prescribe” the items and amounts into a Law;

Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara. • The National Assembly enacts a Law as the authoritative source for paying such amount of monies to the concerned officers This model is in tandem with the doctrine of separation of powers with its attending consequence of checks and balances in government which is clearly entrenched in our Constitution. Any model that promotes allocation of power to determine on the National Assembly for itself and approves it for itself is against the spirit of “checks and balances”.

Unconstitutional limitation imposed on the powers of RMAFC by the National Assembly Deliberately or otherwise, in spite of the establishment of RMAFC under Section 153 of the Constitution, the National Assembly pursuant to Section 1 of the Revenue Mobilization and Allocation Fiscal Commission Act, 2004, re-established the body and by Section 6(1) (d) of the Act, it also removed and/ or reduced the constitutional role, power and/or function of the RMAFC already provided by the Constitution. It provides thus: “6(1) The Commission shall power to:(d) Determine the remuneration appropriate to the holders of offices as specified in Parts A and B of the First Schedule to this Act”. Curiously too, Parts A and B of the First Schedule listed all other offices already prescribed in Section 84(4) of the Constitution to the exclusion of National Assembly Service Commission and members of the National Assembly as well as State Houses of Assembly which the Constitution has listed. With all sense of responsibility, the constitutionality of section 6(1) (d) of the RMAFC Act is doubtful and this must receive the judicial axe. It is settled law that where the Constitution has made provision for a certain thing, the National Assembly does not have the power to re-enact, enlarge or diminish such provision again. This principle was laid down in A.G. Abia State v A.G. Fed (2002) 6 NWLR (Pt. 763) 265 at 369 – 372. In that case, the National Assembly in exercise of its legislative power enacted the Electoral Act 2002 wherein it re-established the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a body already been created by Constitution. The National Assembly further empowers INEC to do some other things which the Constitution did not empower INEC to do. The Supreme Court struck down the offensive provisions of Electoral Act on the ground that it was void for duplicity and inconsistency. Furthermore, where the Constitution has given a power to a person or body, the National Assembly cannot take away that power by a Statute. The provision of Sections 1 and 6(1) (d) of the RMAFC which re-establishes RMAFC and removes the emoluments of legislators from the ambit of RMAFC reduces the powers of RMAFC. The provisions are without doubt invalid and unconstitutional.

Are all members of the National Assembly entitled to receive emoluments?

Another serious issue which must be put under searchlight by Nigerians is that assuming without conceding that the National Assembly is empowered to determine its own emolument, do they all qualify to receive the emoluments? Categorically speaking, not all the members of the National Assembly may be entitled to receive emoluments referred to under Section 70 of the Constitution and this is demonstrated hereunder. The condition under which any member of the National

Assembly or any public officer would not be entitled to receive double emolument is provided in the Constitution. By Paragraph 2(a) and 4(1) (2) of Part 1, Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, every retired public officer is not entitled to receive more than one emolument. As a matter of fact, not less than 16 of the former Governors and Deputy Governors in Nigeria are now members of the Senate. By the various Laws of some of those States, the former Governors and their Deputies are entitled, receiving or collecting pensions from their various States (a public authority). It is now an open secret that not less than 12 States have their former Governor and Deputy Governors as members of the current National Assembly. Does any one of them receive pension from their States? The eligibility to receive emoluments depends on any evidence as to whether they receive pensions from their States. It must be mentioned that this country has witnessed a similar situation when the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari retired as the Head of State and was later appointed as the Chairman of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund. History has it that he declined to receive and/or collect any pay / allowance as the Chairman on the ground that he was then already receiving pension from the Nigerian Army and as a former Head of State. I respectfully think that a case of refund is justiceable against any person that has fallen short of the relevant provisions of Law which prohibit dual or multiple payments to the same person from the public treasury since this is not compliant with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution. Although, one is not oblivious of Paragraph 14(a) of the Part 1, Fifth Schedule to the 1999 Constitution, which exempted legislators from dual emoluments. Of course, with respect, this is only limited to legislators who are no more in the House and may be taking up public office. It does not avail those who are coming into the House as a retired public officer. The legal implication of the extant situation will be that the country is being governed in the manner contrary to the provisions of the Constitution. I am sure this is not contemplated by Section 1(2) of the Constitution. Ways out of the current constitutional abberation The concept of checks and balances is entrenched in the 1999 Constitution and all governmental agencies and arms must ensure strict compliance. It is suggested that RMAFC should seek necessary legal and constitutional measures to reaffirm its constitutional role and obligations in our democracy. The Chief Law Officer of Nigeria, i.e. the Attorney-General of the Federation, as soon as one is appointed, should consider this issue as one of the urgent matters of the heart that require urgent attention by the Government of the Federation. Every well meaning Nigerian who is a tax payer should also be concerned with every detail of how the nation’s resources is allocated and spent. Again, the Code of Conduct Bureau should create relevant platforms for patriotic Nigerians to enforce compliance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct for public Officers. It is time the Revenue Mobilization and Allocation Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) woke up from its erroneous impression that it does not have the constitutional competence and authority to determine the emoluments of the Legislators in Nigeria. While the 8th National Assembly’s intention to have a rethink on its members’ emolument is a bit commendable, the highest lawmaking body in the land is also called upon to cautiously and consciously take steps to undo what it has or may have done or may be doing that undermines the constitutional authority and competence of the RMAFC. In as much as one would not advocate an outright removal of remuneration for the Honourable members, the Switzerland model of paying sitting allowance or the US model of Federal civil service pay structure would be ideal for Nigeria. It would not serve any humanitarian purpose if the larger part of the common pool of resources is spent and invested on the minority to maximize pains while the majority’ suffering increases. RMAFC should know that Nigerian tax payers’ resources being taken away from them can only be meaningfully utilized in our political arrangement to satisfy the liberty principle (or harm principle), according to which the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community against his will, is to prevent harm to others.

Concluded

*Ramoni is a Legal Practitioner and Tax Consultant based in Lagos.

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror Since we assumed office in May, I have been mindful of the need to ensure that the appointment of ministers translates into putting round pegs in round holes while showing sensitivity to our diversity as people. -PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI

Monarch hails commissioner’s appointment Dare Akogun

Kwara State Governor Ahmed Abdul Fatah (L) Mr. Jamiu Aro Yahaya, after taking his oath of office as the State Commissioner for Works and Transport recently.

Lagos donates 48 patrol vans, security gadgets to Neighbourhood Watch Francis Suberu

n line with his promises to intensify community security across the state, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration has so far donated 48 patrol vans, 385 walkie talkies and other security gargets to further boost the operation of the Neighbourhood Watchers in order to keep all the communities in Lagos safe. Ambode stated this in his address at the grand finale of this year’s community day celebration which held at the Police College parade ground at Ikeja last week.

He said the donation is meant to demonstrate his governments committed to community development as well as intensify community security as a way of ensuring growth and development at the grassroots level. To achieve the stated objective, the Ambode said his government has initiated a bottom to top approach to governance by making the communities an integral part of decision making process. “It is our communities that must decide what they want from the government and bring it forward. “In keeping with our promise to intensify com-

munity security, we have donated to the Neighbourhood Watchers 48 patrol vans, 385 walkie talkies, 11 base and repeater stations, 1,150 uniforms, 570 handcuffs, 1,150 belts, berets and boots to equip them to keep our communities safe”, Ambode said. He also disclosed that his government is working at a higher level with the Nigeria police and other security agencies to ensure the state is safe and secure for residents and investors assuring that Lagos state government is “totally committed to the implementation of community policing

with active involvement of our people. The governor further highlighted other efforts by the government to make life easier for the communities, these are: provision of 26 transport ambulances and 20 mobile intensive care units; 22 generators for General Hospitals; recruitment of 1,300 primary school teachers; 100 fire fighters; rehabilitation, repair and maintenance of over 268 inner township roads; blue light rail transportation; supply of transformers and electricity to 112 communities that were hitherto in darkness.

Ikosi-Isheri LCDA working to prevent crime –ABK Dare Akogun

xecutive Secretary of Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Afolabi Bamishile Kazeem, has said the council was working closely with community leaders to reduce crime and criminal activities in the council. Afolabi stated this while speaking with newsmen in his office to give account of his stewardship since taking over mantle of leadership of the council early this year, saying security of lives and properties was

germane to the development of a nation. He condemned the new trend of traffic robberies around the metropolis, assuring that the council was leaving no stone unturned in nipping it in the bud by creating an avenue where perceived trouble makers were reported to the police through community leaders for investigation. He pointed that by so doing potential criminal acts in the community would be reduced and prevented and any one found wanting after investigation made to face the law. On infrastructural development, the executive sec-

retary disclosed that three major roads in the council; Ekiti street, Shoyebi street and Oladele street, which links the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, have been constructed to ease congestion on the expressway. He added that bids have just been concluded for the construction of Adebimpe and Bolagun Oyero roads, which are among the 20/20 roads projects embarked on by the council, while pot-holes patching has been carried out at Ikosi, CMD and Old Olowora roads. He added that a borehole was also constructed and commissioned for Ketu Police Station to ease the

problem of water. On health, he said the council has successfully conducted free hypertension and diabetics screening, while free eye screening and distribution of reading glasses was currently ongoing. On environment, Afolabi pointed out that the council embarked on constant monthly environmental sanitation and visiting all wards in the council to sensitize people on the need to keep the environment clean, “we also engaged about 100 street sweepers to keep the inner streets clean at all times.

lesha of Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government of Kwara State, His Royal Highness Oba Abdulkadir Adelodun, AlebiosuII, has congratulated the new Commissioner for Works and Transport, Chief Jamiu Aro Yahaya. In a statement issued shortly after the swearing in of new commissioners by Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed, Oba Adelodun described the appointment of Chief Aro as putting a round peg in a round hole. He expressed confidence that the new commissioner

would not disappoint the governor, as his performance in his former position as Special Assistant to the Governor has proved Chief Aro as a goal getter. The Elesha also expressed the gratitude of the people of Oke-Ode to the Governor for finding one of their sons and title holder of Oke-Ode town worthy of appointment into the State Executive Council. He then prayed the Almighty God to continue to guide the governor and members of his new cabinet towards delivering the desired dividends of democracy to the people of Kwara State.

Communities task Ambode on Disu’s killers Matthew Irinoye

esidents of Idasho community comprising 11 villages in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Lagos, have urged Lagos State government to set up a coroner’s inquest into the death of Mr. Tajudeen Disu, Managing Director of Lekki Worldwide Investment Nigeria Limited, owners of Lekki Free Trade Zone. The villagers also called on the United Nations Human Rights Commission, African Union, Ecowas Human Rights Commission, President Muhammadu Buhari and other stakeholders to wade into the matter. It would be recalled that the late MD was allegedly murdered by residents of the community during a protest by people of Okuniraye village against the taking over of their lands by some investors. While speaking on behalf of leaders of the community, counsel to the villagers, Bamidele Ogundele, said conducting an inquest into the cause of the death of the MD would reveal those who shot him. The villagers denied

shooting the late MD, alleging that the bullet that killed the MD came from the gun of one of his escorts, who escorted him to the land on the day of the incident. “We are calling for a coroner’s inquest to know the cause of Disu’s death. The government should tell the whole world the bullet that killed Dusi, whether it was a police bullet or from a dane gun from the community. “We are saying that the bullet was an accidental discharge from one of the escorts of Disu. The escort wanted to shoot a community leader, but something happened and he accidentally shot the late Alhaji Disu,” Bamidele said. He added that while the community was not against the development of the area, for a solution to the crisis, Lagos State government should return the lands to the community if it was no longer used for the public benefit such as building of schools. It would be recalled that the Lagos State government recently set up a Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Adesuyi Olateru Olagbegi to conduct an investigation into the ongoing crisis, as well as cause of the late Disu’s death.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Monday, November 16, 2015

World News We will not succumb to any intimidation whatsoever in our quest to make our county safe for all persons. –FRANCE PRESIDENT, FRANCOIS HOLLANDE

Afolabi Gambari

WITH AGENCY REPORT

everal Kalashnikovs have been found in an abandoned car believed to have been used by some of the Paris attackers, French judicial sources said yesterday. The black Seat car was found in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil on Sunday, suggesting some of the attackers got away. Earlier, the first of the seven dead attackers was named as Ismail Mostefai. Six people close to him are in custody. Two attackers were French nationals living in Belgium, prosecutors said. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said most of the bodies had been identified and the process should be completed in the coming hours. A special service for the victims, including 350 people wounded and other survivors, was also held yesterday at Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral. Friday’s attacks, claimed by Islamic State (IS) militants, hit a concert hall, a major sports stadium, restaurants and bars in the French capital. French President Francois Hollande cancelled plans to attend a G20 meeting in Turkey yesterday and held meetings with political leaders. The Seat car found in Montreuil

Paris attacks: Weapons found in ‘getaway car’

The suspected bomb-laden car being towed away in Paris yesterday

is believed to have been used by gunmen who opened fire on people in restaurants on Friday, police said. One of the Paris attackers

disagreed and said the US had to “stand up to evil” and lead from the front. The attacks killed 129 people and injured hundreds in the French capital. Hours after the nearsimultaneous attacks on Friday, observers vowed to shift the focus of the debate to put more emphasis on counter-terrorism

lived in Brussels and another in the nearby town of Molenbeek, Belgian prosecutors said yesterday, without naming either. A Syrian passport, found near

the body of one of the attackers at the Stade de France, had been used to travel through the Greek island of Leros last month, Greek officials also said.

and foreign policy. A moment’s silence was observed in Des Moines before the debate began, and the three candidates expressed their condolences to the French people. But then they clashed over the rise of IS, which has claimed responsibility for the atrocities. Clinton, who was the former secretary of state, was challenged

by Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for backing the Iraq War, which he says led to the rise of the militants. She disagreed, saying US foreign policy did not have the bulk of responsibility for the instability in the region, pointing instead to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iraq’s former leader, Nouri al-Maliki.

talks with the president and the army chief in Nay Pyi Taw next week. Reports said they would face the thorny issue of the upcoming “lame duck” parliamentary session. The old pre-election Burmese parliament is due to gather next week for a final session that runs until the end of January. Only once the “lame duck” session ends will the new NLDdominated parliament gather. It will immediately choose a new speaker, quite possibly Suu Kyi, before selecting two vicepresidents and a president.

Myanmar President Thein Sein during their voting exercise

Smooth power transfer pledged in Myanmar

Hillary Clinton

Russian military action in Syria is increasing the number of refugees trying to reach Europe, European Council President, Donald Tusk said yesterday. The G20 summit of world leaders is primarily focused on economic matters, but the two-day meeting in the coastal province of Antalya has been overshadowed by the deadly attacks in Paris. IS said it was behind the series of assaults that left 129 dead, and Tusk said cooperation between the US and Russia in their action against IS in Syria was crucial. “We need not only more cooperation, but also more good will, especially from Russian action on the ground in Syria,” he said.

Libya IS head ‘killed in air strike’

…Democrats argue over Paris attacks

he Democratic presidential hopefuls have clashed over how to deal with militant group Islamic State, in the wake of deadly terror attacks in Paris. Hillary Clinton, who spoke yesterday on a debate stage in Iowa, said: “It cannot be an American fight and I am calling on Turkey and the Gulf states to do more.” But rival Martin O’Malley

AFRICA BULLETIN Migrants crisis: G20 summit blames Russian action

yanmar’s President, Thein Sein, yesterday promised a smooth transfer of power to Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party following last week’s election. The National League for Democracy (NLD) has won about 80 per cent of contested seats with just a few results still to be announced as the 50 years of military-backed government in Myanmar nears ending. “We will make sure it will be smooth and stable without having to worry about anything,” Sein said. Suu Kyi is expected to hold

A US air strike has targeted the leader of the Islamic State (IS) group in Libya and probably killed him, the Pentagon said yesterday. Iraqi national Abu Nabil, also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al-Zubaydi, was a “long-time alQaeda operative”, it said. The strike took place on Friday and targeted a compound in Derna. The Pentagon said the strike showed that it would go after IS leaders “wherever they operate”. “Nabil’s death will degrade Isil’s ability to meet the group’s objectives in Libya, including recruiting new Isil members, establishing bases in Libya, and planning external attacks on the United States,” Pentagon spokesman, Peter Cook, said, using a different name for the group.

Afrikaans face varsity chop An elite South African Stellenbosch University wants to drop Afrikaans as the language of instruction and teach in English. The university management has taken the decision in the wake of a viral video about the challenges and racism faced by black students. It detailed how some struggled with lessons in Afrikaans, one of the main languages spoken by the white minority. A student movement that campaigned for change said: “The doors of learning and culture shall be opened to all.” The university is reportedly twothirds white, more than two decades after the end of apartheid. Opposition to being taught in Afrikaans helped mobilise students to join the campaign against white-minority rule. A post on the Open Stellenbosch campaign group’s Facebook page added: “The Language Policy Has Fallen”, a reference to the nationwide protests last month over tuition fees that used the hashtag #feesmustfall.

National Mirror

Monday, November 16, 2015 www.nationalmirroronline.net

Steer clear, CAN warns miscreants

Igbawase Ukumba Lafia

hristian Association of Nigeria, CAN, yesterday warned miscreants against harassing its members, particularly the leaders, as it would no longer condone the act. President, Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria, YOWICAN, Daniel Kadzai, issued the warning during a chat with journalists after delivering a sermon at Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, in Tudun Gwandara, Lafia, Nasarawa

State capital. He said: “I want to warn some miscreants because they have been on the nerve of CAN in the recent past. They have been making a lot of publications that are very injurious to CAN, which have done so

much harm to the body of Christ that if not for God, we would have had a lot of division. “We want to call them to order. We may not tolerate that any longer because we are going to ensure that we defend the right of our

leaders, defend the right of the church, defend the right of any Christian.” Stressing that the country’s constitution provides the right to worship, the YOWICAN president also expressed concern on why some people would

be stopped from building a church and others allowed to build beer palours all over the place. “You have the right to build your church wherever you may have legitimately acquired; you must be given the opportunity

to build your church. I wonder why some people would want to stop others from building a church but allow beer palours to litter the whole place. I wonder what role beer palour plays in the progress of this country,” Kadzai said.

James Abraham

rian Industrial Revolution Plan, NIRP initiative in the country. President of MAN, Dr Frank Jacobs, made the call at the weekend in an interview with journalists in Jos. The NIRP is the na-

tion’s flagship roadmap to fast-track industrialisation, accelerate inclusive economic growth, job creation, transform Nigeria’s business environment and end the drain on the foreign reserves caused by im-

porting goods/services that could be locally produced. The programme, which was launched during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, when fully implemented, is expected to

generate N5trn revenue target from the manufacturing sector annually. Jacobs said MAN desires to see the implementation of the programme by the All Progressives Congress, APC,+ administration in line with its promise to better the lives of Nigerians. “If we should analyse this properly, we will discover that the bailout we need in this country can come from the manufacturing sector, because we see the roadmap as the best way to diversify the economy,” he said. He also urged the strengthening of polytechnic and monotechnic education in the country to enable them realise their set objectives. “Currently, the polytechnic and monotechnic education that are supposed to play strategic roles in Nigeria’s industrialisation goal and strategy are faced with a lot of challenges.

MAN tasks FG on industrial revolution plan

Jos

anufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, has called on Federal Government to adhere to the implementation of Nige-

Dangote Cement rolls out N300m new promo

ly for 90 days by 180 lucky winners for the duration of the promo, while a whopping N30 million will be won by a lucky winner every month. Giving details, Dangote Group’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Oare Ojeikere, said: “To be part of the promo, a customer is required to buy a bag of cement and cut out the token at the top right side of the bag. Five tokens will make one entry in the

draw. Each entry of five tokens must be attached to a piece of paper with the participant’s name, phone number and address, placed in a sealed envelope and dropped off at a designated drop centre.” He further revealed that 400 Dangote locations and all Access Bank branches nationwide will function as drop centres for the entries. He further assured cus-

Formerly known and addressed as Mohammed Haruna, now wish to be known and addressed as Haruna Jidda. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Salako Kondo/ Jesuyomi, now wish to be known and addressed as Michael James. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed ar Shuaibu Abdulwahab , now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Seybou Abdoul Wahabou. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME

n a bid to compensate and enrich its teeming customers across the country, Dangote Cement will from today, Monday, November 16, commence its biggest promo that would benefit 3,783 customers. The promo, which will run countrywide, is for three months with total benefits of N300 million to be shared among 3,783 customers. Two prizes of N1 million each will be won daiCHANGE OF NAME

This is to confirm to the general public that I,Otti Miracle Onyebushi, am the same person as Otti Caleb Oforbuike as contained in some documents bearing my names. All former documents bearing my names remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME AGBO: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS AGBO ROSELINE CHINYERE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ONUGWU ROSELINE CHINYERE. All former documents remain valid. Federal Polytechnic Oko and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME NORUWA: I, formerly known and addressed as STELLA NORUWA, now wish to be known, called and addressed as STELLA OSADOLOR. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This To Inform The Public That John Raymond Amusa And John Lasisi Refer As One Person But Now Knnwn As John Raymond Amusa. All former documents remain valid general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as. MISS AKINDELE ADEWUNMI RAHFIAT now wish to be known and addressed as. MRS OLUGBODE ADEWUNMI RAHFIAT All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

I,Johnson Samson Olaoni, am the same person as Odhe samson Olaoni. Henceforth i wish to be known and addressed as JOHNSON SAMSON OLAONI. All former documents remain valid. ECOBANK and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as MISS. ARO TOPE MASDALENE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AKINWUNMI TOPE MASDALENE. All former documents valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME ANYANWU: I, formerly known and addressed as PRUDENCE CHI ANYANWU, now wish to be known, called and addressed as ANDREW EMEM. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

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PRECIOUS: I formerly known and addressed as MISS PRECIOUS DIVORE. Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS HELEN AKPOJOTOR. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME SHOOLA: I, formerly known and addressed as SHOOLA KAFILAT BIOLA, now wish to be known, called and addressed as OLOKO ABIDAT OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

tomers that the Dangote Cement management will continue to seek ways to enhance their value as the level of acceptability of its products remain unprecedented in the history of cement business in Nigeria. The company, in the same period exported 3.7 million metric tonnes of cement to neighbouring countries, an indication that Nigeria is now selfsufficient in cement proCHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Olawumi Adefunke Angela, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Adesina Adefunke Angela. All former documents remain valid. Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as ALI BENJAMIN now wish to be known and addressed as ALI MONDAY. All former documents remain valid. First Bank, GT Bank, Fidelity Bank, UBA Bank and the general public should please take note

CHANGE OF NAME IKPILETU: I, formerly known and addressed as MATHEW OGWUCHE IKPILETU, now wish to be known, called and addressed as JOHN OGWUCHE UDEH . All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that I, SULAIMON FATIMOH OYENAZER is one and the same person as SULAIMON FATIMOH. All documents bearing these two names of mine remain valid. General public and Authorities Concerned should please take note

This To Inform The Public That Udeh David Ahize And Dike Kingsley Kelechi Refer As One Person But Now Known As Dike Kingsley Kelechi. All former documents remain valid general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME This Is To Inform The Public That Ekechukwu Grace And Grace Patrick Refer As One Now Mrs Ekechukwu Grace. All former documents remain valid general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as ONYINYECHI ADIRIYE now wish to be known and addressed as. ONYINYECHI DIOHA All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Azu Kalu Nnenna Now wish to be known and addressed as Miss Okorie Ogbonna Nnenna. All former documents remain valid general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as. MISS OLUBUNMI ALADE now wish to be known and addressed as. MRS AJIBOYE TOPE ADIJAT All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

duction. Chief Executive of the company, Onne Van der Weijde while presenting the result said: “I am pleased to report that sales from outside Nigeria have contributed nearly 29 per cent of volumes so far this year and 39 per cent in the third quarter, which demonstrates that we are diversifying successfully and quickly gaining market shares in new countries.” CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Folayemi lucas, now wish to be known and addressed as Folayemi blessing. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as MISS. AYODEJI FELICIA TITILAYO, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OTIKI FELICIA TITILAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME ETAREI: I, formerly known and addressed as ETAREI FAVOUR CHIKA , now wish to be known, called and addressed as ACHIKA FAVOUR .E. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as EMEKA OKAFOR SUNDAY KING now wish to be known and addressed as. MR PIUS KING CHUKWUEMEKA .All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known as Mr Ogunlade Abiola Michael, now wish to be known as Mr Alabi Abiola Michael Former Documents Remain Valid. General Public Should Take Note. CHANGE OF NAME IGWE: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS IGWE IJEOMA GERTRUDE now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. IRUNEGBO IJEOMA GERTRUDE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note LOSS OF DOCUMENT I, Mr. Anthony Eriahunebe Usigbe of Flat 15, Block 5, 511 Road, Festac Town, Lagos. That I am the allotee of the said property in the address stated above. That the letter of Re-allocation reference FHA/FT/1/3215 issued to me in respect of Flat 15, Block 5, 511 Road, Festac Town, Lagos is presently missing. All efforts to trace the document have proved abortive and unsuccessful. Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and general public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Chinyere Iheaka Now wish to be known and addressed Mrs Chinyere Ikechukwu Nwachukwu. All former documents remain valid general public take note.

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National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net CHANGE OF NAME OBINWUNNE: I formerly known and address as MISS OBINWUNNE IFEOMA ANTHONIA, now wish to be known and address as MRS UMEH IFEOMA ANTHONIA. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly miss Adewusi remilekun jokotade, now mrs Ajayi remilekun jokotade all former documents remain valid General public note. CHANGE OF NAME MOHAMMED: Formerly known and addressed as ALI MOHAMMED now wish to be known and addressed as ALI IBRAHIM. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to certified that Elikanah Abioye and Abioye Afolayan is the same one person as HRM Oba Abioye Afolayan Elikanah, that henceforth wish to be called and addressed as HRM Oba Abioye Afolayan Elikanah. All former documents remain valid, Wema Bank Plc,Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to certified that Miss Akinwale Mojirayo Abiola and Mrs Olapade Mojirayo Abiola is the same one person as Miss Akinwale Mojirayo Abiola. that henceforth wish to be called and addressed as Miss Akinwale Mojirayo Abiola. All former document remain valid, general public should please take note.

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CHANGE OF NAME NWIZU : Formerly known as Miss Nwizu Mmesoma Uchenna now wish to be known as Mrs Uchenna Mmesoma Akeelah. All former documents remain valid. Banks and public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that I MULIKAT WAIDI is the same and one person as MULIKAT TUNRAYO AND FATIMO WAIDI. Now wish to be known and addressed as MULIKAT WAIDI. All Former documents remain valid. First Bank PLC and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as miss Olaniyi Jumoke Dasola now wish to be known and addressed as mrs Dawodu Olajumoke Tawakalitu all former documents remain valid general public take note

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CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Solomon Glory James, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nelson Glory Emmanuel. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Monday, November 16, 2015

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that VICTOR CHIJIOKE NDUKWE is the same person as TEMITOPE VICTOR ADEWALE now wish to be known and address as TEMITOPE VICTOR ADEWALE. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

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CHANGE OF NAME Formerly called and known as Saka Waliyu, now wish to be addressed and known as Ibrahim Waliyullah Abefe. All former documents remain valid, general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME EKE : Formerly known as Eke Kenneth O. Now wish to be known as Julius .E Nweke. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

NDUKA : Formerly known as Miss Nduka Amara Patience now wish to be known as Mrs Ezenwankwo Amara Patience. Banks and public take note. CHANGE OF NAME OYEWOLE: Formerly known and addressed as OYEWOLE FEMI now wish to be known and addressed as OKONKWO STANLEY IFEANYI. All Former documents remain valid. Wema Bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mrs. Adetola Christiana Bosede. now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Yussuph Christiana Bosede. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

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This is to confirm that LENGKAT GUMALAK YOHANA is the same person as LENGKAT GUMALAK YOHANA. All former documents remain valid. Bank and General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly Mr Adepoju Emmanuel Adekunle Olusola now Mr Ajibade Emmanuel Adekunle Olusola. All former documents remain valid ,TESCOM Akure and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME OWOLABI: l formerly known and addressed as Miss OWOLABI TEMITOPE VICTORIA now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs OLUMIDE TEMITOPE VICTORIA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME IDIRISA: Formerly known and addressed as IDIRISA BAGANA now wish to be known and addressed as BABANDI BAGANA. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to certified that Amos Mary is the same one person as Ibironke Oluyemi Lydia, that henceforth wish to be called and known as Ibironke Oluyemi Lydia. All former documents remain valid, GTB Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc,Diamond Bank Plc, and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known as Akinmade Mary Oluwabunmi, now wants to be addressed as Bolaji Mary Oluwabunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME ERIC : Formerly known as Mr Eric Nwabueze now wish to be known as Mr Eric Nnanyelu Nwabueze. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME OZIOKO : Formerly known as Miss Ozioko Nkechi .A. Now wish to be known as Mrs Onyishi Romanus.all former documents remain valid. Banks and public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed MR OLUBIYI JEAN-CLAUDE TODOTE, now wish to be known and addressed as MR. OLUBIYI JOHN OLUWAFEMI. All former documents remain valid, general public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as MISS. ODEYEMI TEMITOPE ADEOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AYOADE BALQEES TEMITOPE. All former documents remain valid; National Youths Service Corp (NYSC), general public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Jaiyesimi Prince Ademola Idowu, now wish to be known and addressed as Mohammed Wahab Abiodun. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly miss Onaburekhan Helen Obehi now mrs Okoye Helen Obehi all former documents remain valid General public note. CHANGE OF NAME Job: Formerly known and addressed as Gbala Comfort Job, now wish to be known and addressed as Comfort Iliya Tukson. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME MAKOJI: Formerly known and addressed as MR MAKOJI FRIDAY now wish to be known and addressed as MR MAKOJI MICHAEL FRIDAY. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and called as Miss Ogundele Omolayo Sayo now wish to be addressed and called as Mrs Akande Molayo Feyisayo. All former documents remain valid, GTB Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known as Kate obiomaka ekwuibe, now wish to be known and address as Mrs Kate obiomaka makanjuola. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME EZIKE : Formerly known as Miss Ezike Emilia Oluoma now wish to be known as Mrs Ezenwa Emilia Oluomachukwu. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME UKAJI : Formerly known as Miss Ukaji Ngozi Chioma Confidence now wish to be known as Mrs Ugwu Chioma Confidence. All former documents remain valid. Banks and public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Cecilia Olanrewaju Irhiemi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Cecilia Olanrewaju Edun. All former documents remain valid. Gtb, Ibtc, Diamond bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Akor Samuel Gowon is the same person known and addressed as Micheal Momoh. All former documents remain valid. First bank and Access bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as Mr Sunmonu Fatai now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Usman Fatai.All former documents remain valid and general public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Achudume Esther.now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adibeli Esther. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Matthew Igoche, now wish to be known and addressed as Nafiu Saidu.All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

I formerly known and addressed as Ajibola Oluwafemi Alaba now wish to be known and addressed as Ajibola Oluwakemi Alaba.All former documents remain valid.National Examination Council,Authority of Osun State Polytechnic Iree and general public take note..

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Micheal Philip Frenzy, now wish to be known and addressed as Adoga Philip. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME AAVE: Formerly known and addressed as AAVE GRACE MWUESE Now wish to be known and addressed as ELEWA GRACE MWUESE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Solomon Glory James, now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Nelson Glory Emmanuel. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as Emmanuel Ajibola Frank now wish to be known and addressed as Ajah Godwin frank.All former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME KEJI: Formerly known and addressed as KEJI SALIU Now wish to be known and addressed as OLALEYE SALIU KEJI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.: CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly miss Onaburekhan Helen Obehi now mrs Okoye Helen Obehi all former documents remain valid General public note. CHANGE OF NAME OKANA: Formerly known and addressed as NJOM CHUKWUDI OKANA now wish to be known and addressed as HILLARY CHUKWUDI NJOM. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME ADAGBA: Formerly known and addressed as SIMON ADAGBA now wish to be known and addressed as SIMEON UHANA ADAGBA. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc and General public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly addressed and known as Adebayo Oluwaseun Joshua now wish to be called and addressed as Sule Raji Oluwaseun. All former documents remain valid, general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME MOSES: Formerly known and addressed as OLUBUNMI MOSES Now wish to be known and addressed as ENOCK ELEBI..All former documents remain valid. General public take note.: CHANGE OF NAME

OLUWABUYIJE REMI CATHERINE, now to be called AKINYEMI REMI CATHERINE. Former document remain valid,general public note. CHANGE OF NAME ABDULGANIYU: Formerly known and addressed as MISS ABDULGANIYU NUSIRAT now wish to be known and addressed as MRS ABDULKAREEM MUSA NUSIRAT. All documents, records and certificates bearing my former names remain valid. General public should take note. MISSING DOCUMENTS This is to inform the general public that I, Mr E Mbanefo Obiako declare that my original allocation of land for utility shop lot No. 107, N/C 111B, 1st Avenue, Gwarinpa 11 Estate, Abuja dated 28th April, 2000 got missing on 1st October, 2015 at No. 4. Daloa street, Wuse Zone 1, Abuja. Contact: 08035895583. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that KIRKULI DANBAKI is the same person as KIRKULI DIO. All former documents bearing the two names are valid. First Bank and the General public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ONWUKA : Formerly known as Miss Onwuka Immaculata Ijeoma now wish to be known as Mrs Dike Immaculata Ijeoma. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

NWANKWO : Formerly known as Miss Nwankwo Azuka Angela now wish to be known as Mrs Ezenwankwo Azuka Angela. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME OKEKE : Formerly known as Miss Okeke Eucheria Amaka now wish to be known as Mrs Uzodimma Eucheria Amaka. All former documents remain valid. NYSC, Banks and public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME EGBUNA : Formerly known as Miss Egbuna Ijeoma Josephine now wish to be known as Mrs Onubogu Ijeoma Josephine. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME ONUKELOBI : Formerly known as Onukelobi Nkiru Austin Osundu now wish to be known as Obi Nkiru Austin Osundu. All former documents remain valid. Banks and public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Joseph Kelvin Sunday is the same person as Kashabi Sunday now wish to be known and addressed as Joseph Kelvin Sunday Kashabi. All former documents remain valid. Eco, First Bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly Known and addressed as Owolabi Olalekan Israel now wish to be known and addressed as Ogunsola Olalekan Hammed. All former documents remain valid. Ogun state Bureau of Lands and Survey and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME OGUEGO : Formerly known as Christian Mmaduabuchi Oguego now wish to be known as Christian Charles Oguego. All former documents remain valid. Banks and public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Eze James now wish to be known and addressed as Daniel Ese. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Fatai Rukayat Olawunmi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Adesina Rukayat Olawunmi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE GOD’S DIVINE ASSURANCE BIBLE BELIEVERS

MINISTRY

The general public is hereby notified that the above named CHURCH with headquarters in Benin City has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under Part “C” of the companies and Allied Matters Act 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. PASTOR MABEL IDAHOSA 2. REV (DR) CHRISTOPHER SADOH 3. PASTOR FESTUS OHENHEN 4. SIS PRECIOUS IDAHOSA 5 BRO. KENNETH ERHUMWUNSE 6 DEACON PAUL OSARENKHOE 7 ELDER EJOOR UDI AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To preach the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world 2. To establish and maintain churches and missions in Nigeria and foreign lands 3. To train, ordain and license candidates for the work of the Gospel Ministry Any objection to the registration should be forwarded to the Registrar- General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: CHRIS AWILI & CO 08035024275

Monday, November 16, 2015

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Osarenkhoe Juliet now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. Ransome Juliet. Add: 01/06/1987, add 12 King George V road Onikan Lagos CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Oluwole Kafayat Abimbola now wish to be known and addressed as Oreagba Kafayat Abimbola. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as John Tom now wish to be known and addressed as Alavei Dio Agwosi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as AKINLEYE JUBRIL WASIU now wish to be known and addressed as ADELAKUN WASIU OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as MURITALA MONSURAT OMOTAYO, now wish to be known and addressed as OBISESAN MONSURAT OMOTAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME KALU: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS PROMISE MGBEDICHINMA KALU, now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS. PROMISE MGBEDICHINMA OKWUDIRI. All former documents remain valid. Nig. Police Force and the general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Akor Godday Joseph now wish to be known and addressed as Sunday Chidi Doga all former documents remain valid and general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as FAVOUR NZUBE OBIOKONKWO,now wish to be known and addressed as NZUBE LUKE FRANCIS. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as, Ms. OLAYINKA MARY OLURANTI, now wishes to be known and addressed as Mrs. AKINSEYE OLAYINKA MARY. Previous documents remain valid. LASG and general public, please note.

CHANGE OF NAME UGWUOKE: I formerly known and address as INNOCENT UGWUOKE, now wish to be known and address as INNOCENT ONYEISHI. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note. CHANGE OF NAME

hEZEH:I formerly known and address as MISS EZEH EUNICE AMAKA , now wish to be known and address as MRS ANI EUNICE AMAKA. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME NDOMMADU: I formerly known and address as MISS NDOMMADU MARYANN IFEOMA, now wish to be known and address as MRS OKOLI MARYANN IFEOMA. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME OBIAKOR: I formerly known and address as OBIAKOR CHIGOZIE HENRY, now wish to be known and address as OBIAKOR CHIGOZIE MALACHY. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as AROWOLO ABAYOMI, now wish to be known and addressed as AROWOLO ADENIYI ABIODUN MATTHEW. All former document remain valid, general public take note CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that I Agbamu Obaa refer to one and the same person as Ogbolodo Anthony. All former documents remain valid. UBA, First Bank Plc and general public please take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mr. Joe Martins Ukpaka now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Chibueze Joe Martins Chibueze. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME GANMICIT: Formerly known and addressed as MISS GANMICIT FAMWANG now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. GANMICIT KINTAI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as OLAGOKE LEKAN ABDULHAMEED, now wish to be known and addressed as OLAGOKE HAMMED OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME OLOGUN: I, formerly known and addressed as OLOGUN MAJE JAMES, now wish to be known, called and addressed as JAMES PHILIP. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Balogun Monsurat Olawunmi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Lawal Monsurat Olawunmi all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as EZEKWOBI CHIKA PATIENCE, now wish to be known and addressed as ADINDU CHIKA PATIENCE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as KEJI SALIU, now wishes to be known and addressed as OLALEYE SALIU KEJI. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. CHANGE OF NAME NWACHUKWU: I formerly known and address as NWACHUKWU PRINCEWILL UGOCHUKWU, now wish to be known and address as NWAKAMMA PRINCEWILL UGONNA. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME OKOLIE:I formerly known and address as MISS OKOLIE IRUOMA NKECHINYERE, now wish to be known and address as MRS OBINWA IRUOMA NKECHINYERE. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME NWANKWO: I formerly known and address as NWANKWO SUNDAY, now wish to be known and address as NWOKWU SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as EZEH FRANCISCA CHINEDU, now wish to be known and addressed as UGUNWA FRANCISCA CHINEDU. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note

Formerly known and addressed as Mr. Anikan Omovbude Samuel now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Evbodaghe Omovbude. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

This is to confirm that I Emefiele Cletus refer to one and the same person as Emefiele Cletus Stanley Agbor. All former documents remain valid. Ecobank , First Bank Plc and general public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Isaac Olusola Soetan now wish to be known and addressed as Ranti Lawal Musibau. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Olufunmilayo Temitope Akinbiola now wish to be known and addressed as Olufunmilayo Temitope Juliana Akinbiola. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

The general public is hereby informed that Godwin Ogedi Veritus Johnpaul and Onukwuo Ogedi Veritus Johnpaul belong to one same person. All former document remain valid, general public take note CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mr. Kingsley Iniobong Ekanem now wish to be known and addressed as Mr. Kingsley Iniobong Jonathan. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as ERIC MMADUAMAKA OKAFOR, now wish to be known and addressed as ERIC EMEJULU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mr Muraina Sile Sunday now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Eki Olasile Sunday all former documents remain valid Eko bank and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Olowu kudirat Adetutu now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Arowolo kudirat Adetutu all former documents remain valid and general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Blessed Onyema Ezema, now wish to be known and addressed as Gabriel Onyema Ezema. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as OLARINDE JOEL AKANI, now wish to be known and addressed as ODELEYE JOEL OLARINDE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that I, Onikoyi Ganiu of Access Bank and Onikoyi Olawale Abayomi of Guaanty Trust Bank refer to one and the same person i.e identity and signatory. All former documents remain valid. Access Bank, GTB and general public please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

The general public is hereby informed that Okegbugwu Emelike innocent is the same person as Okugbugwu Emelike innocent that henceforth I wish to be known and addressed . All former document remain valid, general public take note

This is to confirm that I, Emaro Loveth refer to one and the same person as Emaro Loveth Brown Ahweke. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as BLESSED ONYEMA, now wish to be known and addressed as GABRIEL ONYEMA EZEMA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as OLAGOKE LEKAN ABDULHAMEED, now wish to be known and addressed as OLAGOKE HAMMED OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as MICHAEL DENISE now wish to be known and addressed as OTABOR EMMNUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

CORRECTION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that my names were wrongly spelt as NUHU JOSHUA MUSA as contained in some of my documents. The correct names are WAVI POGU. All former documents remain valid. UBA and general public take note.

This is to inform the general public that my names were wrongly spelt as OBADIYA JOSEPH, as contained in some documents. The correct names are OBADIAH JOSEPH. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Mr Odueso Festus now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Oduneye Festus Olugbenga all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Mathar Chukwu now wish to be known and addressed as Njideka Nweke Mata all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as miss Bukonla Adebanjo now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Olasunkande Bola Adebanjo all former documents remain valid and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Emmanuel Tolulope Abisoye now wish to be known and addressed as Suleodu Tolulope Abisoye all former documents remain valid WAEC, NECO, JAMB and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Olagoke Lekan Abdulhameed, now wish to be known and addressed as OLagoke Hammed Olalekan. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Michael Denise, now wish to be known and addressed as Otabor Emmanuel. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly know and addressed as MISS MURITALA AMINAT,now wish to be know and addressed as MRS ABDULYEKEEN AMINAT OMOBONIKE,all former document remain valid. General public take note.

I formerly know and addressed as MR. WILLIAMS IBRAHIM AYOMIDE,now wish to be know and addressed as MR ADETUNJI IBRAHIM AYOMIDE,all former document remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME ONWUKA: I formerly known and address as REUBEN SUNDAY ONWUKA, now wish to be known and address as REUBEN SUNDAY CHUKWUKA. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Olubunmi Moses now wish to be known and addressed as Enock Elebi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Ms. Oluwaremilekun Aramide Lasisi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs. Oluwaremilekun Aramide Jonathan . All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that my names were wrongly spelt as ANURUO UCHENNA, as contained in some documents. The correct names are EMMANUEL UCHENNA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME EZECHUKWU:I formerly known and address as MISS EZECHUKWU CHINYERE, now wish to be known and address as MRS ADIMONYE CHINYERE. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

CHANGE OF NAME OKAFOR: I formerly known and address as MISS OKAFOR JULIET AZUKA, now wish to be known and address as MRS ONUORAH JULIET AZUKA. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME NGWUDO: I formerly known and address as MISS NGWUDO NGOZI EUCHARIA, now wish to be known and address as MRS EZEORUONYE NGOZI EUCHARIA. All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as OWODUNNI OLALEKAN ALABI now wish to be known and addressed as OLANIYI MONSURU OLALAKAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adebawo Hannah Oluwayemisi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Yinusa Oyewale Hannah Oluwayemisi all former documents remain valid Banks and general public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm to the general public that OPAH IKECHUKWU MARYMARTIN. also known as. OPAH MARTINS IKECHUKWU, OPAH IKECHUKWU MERY, OPAH IYKE MERY. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as Miss Adebiyi Victoria Oluwatoyin, now wishes to be known and addressed as MRS. Chukwuma Victoria Oluwatoyin. Previous documents remain valid. LASG and general public, please note.

CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as MRS DANJUMA REBECCA ASHEZI and now wishes to be known and addressed as MISS BAWA REBECCA. All former documents remain valid.general public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME IGBEN: I formerly known and address as MISS IGBEN ESEOGHENE BEAUTY, same person as GENESIS ESEOGHENE BEAUTY now MRS EMERHIVWIE ESEOGHENE BEAUTY All former documents remain valid. General Public to take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ADADJA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION.

ORGANISATION FOR CYBER PROTECTION AND DEVELOPMENT

This is to inform the general public that the above named body has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for registration under the part C of the Company and Allied Matters Act

The general public is hereby notified that the above named organization has applied for registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja under the Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1990.

Trustees,

THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Mr. Sunday Olanrewaju Longe 2. Alade Olusola Bamidele 3. Samuel Adebayo Ojo 4. Alonge Fransis 5. Folasade Oderinde.

1) OGHENEKOWHORHO SAVIOUR, - CHAIRMAN 2) LAJAIBO AUGUSTINE OCHUKO, 3) OROGUN MATTHEW ETAWRIEKOWHIRORO, 4) OGHENEKOWHORHO INNOCENT ONOME

TO FOSTER PEACE AND HARMONY AMONG THE MEMBERS

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1. To promote enlightenment against cyber-crime; 2. To help computer users build lines of defence against cyber threats; 3. To establish centres for research and training in techniques of cyber protection and development; 4. To promote excellence in online business conduct among the Nigerian youth; 5. To collaborate with appropriate authorities and corporate bodies in fighting cyber-crime;

Any objection to the above registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420 Trigis Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street,Maitama, Abuja,within 28 days of this publication.

Any objection to the registration of this organization should be directed to the Registrar-General, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja FCT within 28 days of this publication.

SIGNED OGHENEKOWHORHO SAVIOUR, - CHAIRMAN

SIGNED: Andrew Pius Achimi Esq, Afolabi, Afolabi & Associates, Barristers, Solicitors, Legal Consultants and Notaries Public 34, Oyemekun Road, Akure, Ondo State.

5) HON. DONALD OGHENERIEBORUE BROSUM 6) MOROKO COLINS OVWIGHONYOTA. AIMS:

Monday, November 16, 2015

I love the way Eden Hazard plays. This is not to say I am campaigning for him to come to Real. It’s out of my hands

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Sharks relegated from NPFL

–REAL MADRID LEGEND, ZINEDINE ZIDANE

Glo League results

LMC Chairman, Dikko handing the trophy to Enyimba captain (r)

Wikki

Pillars

Sunshine

Enyimba

Akwa

Lobi

Nasarawa

Giwa

Heartland 2

El-Kanemi

3SC

Dolphins

Kwara

IfeanyiUbah

Abia

Sharks

Rangers

Bayelsa

Enyimba crowned Glo League champions

Ifeanyi Eduzor

ewly crowned Glo Premier League champions, Enyimba, denied Sunshine Stars a continental ticket, holding the Owena Waves to a 0-0 draw at the Teslim Balogun Stadium yesterday. The People’s Elephant who secured their seventh Glo Premier League title after a goalless draw against Warri Wolves last weekend were presented with their trophy yesterday. The Elephants put up a lively display in the encounter, although they had to rely on their goalkeeper Femi Thomas to keep the hosts at bay on a couple of occasions. Sunshine failed to convert many goal scoring chances that came their way in the first half, while last season’s top scorer, Mfon Udoh, also came close to getting a goal late in the first half. Nasarawa secured third position and a berth in the CAF Confederation Cup courtesy of a 2-0 win against Giwa FC in Lafia. Giwa FC players failed to show up for the second half after they had two men sent off in the first half. In Umuahia, Sharks failed to maintain their top flight status after they went down 1-0 against Abia Warriors. Olaha Micheal scored the winning goal

...deny Sunshine continental ticket ...as Anyansi quits Enyimba

nine minutes from time. At the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, Dolphins secured a hard fought 2-2 draw against Shooting Stars to beat the drop. Tope Orelope put the hosts ahead in the 21st minute, while Dolphins rallied back through a brace from Ifeanyi Egwim. Cletus Itodo however salvaged a point for 3SC by grabbing the equaliser in added time. Akwa United beat Lobi Stars 1-0 in a dress rehearsal of the Federation Cup final in Makurdi. Abdulafeez Awakan got the winner in the 30th minute. Wikki Tourists ended their season on a high by edging Kano Pillars 2-0 in Bauchi. Osas Okoro grabbed a brace as Rangers came from a goal down to beat Bayelsa United 3-1 at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium, Enugu. Kwara United ended their campaign in the top flight on a high note following a 2-0 home win against IfeanyiUbah. Heartland beat El-kanemi Warriors 2-1 at the Dan Anyiam Stadium with Fortune Omoniwari and Emeka Ogbugh getting the goals for the hosts.

The game between Warri Wolves and FC Taraba was postponed till Monday following a heavy downpour which left the Warri City Stadium pitch waterlogged. Meanwhile, Enyimba Chairman, Felix Anyansi-Agwu, yesterday resigned his job

2018 World Cup qualifiers

Swaziland Coach reveals ‘killer tactics’ to down Eagles in Port Harcourt Paul Erewuba

oach of the senior national team of Swaziland, Harries Bulunga has said that his wards will go on the offensive when the referee’s whistle sounds for kick –off of tomorrow’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against the Super Eagles. Namibian official Jackson Pavaza will

with the club. ‘’I’m happy to end the season with Enyimba on a high’’, Anyansi told Journalists immediately after the encounter. ‘’ it is unfortunate that some people think i am making money with the club and they don’t appreciate what i had been doing. The pressure on me is much and i must at this juncture call it quit’’, he said.

be the referee for the game that will hold at the 40,000 –capacity Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium, Port Harcourt. On arrival in Port Harcourt yesterday morning, the Sihlangu Somnikati Coach, reportedly reiterated the position he held after the first leg in Lobamba last Friday. “We held our own very well in the first leg and we will go for broke on Tuesday,” he was quoted to have said. Indeed, the Sihlangu are hoping to take the Eagles by surprise and create one of the biggest surprises in international football. But Eagles Coach Sunday Oliseh has dismissed Bulunga’s threat with a wave of the left hand, expressing confidence in his boys to do the job on tomorrow and get the Super Eagles into the group stage.

Sports

Monday, November 16, 2015

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Coe admits to fears over athletics’ future

Lewandowski

Madrid gun for Lewandowski, Morata

eal Madrid could be in the market for two of the top strikers in Europe. According to the players’ agents, the Spanish club has shown interest in both Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich and Alvaro Morata from Juventus Lewandowski is having the best season of his career, scoring at a ridiculous pace for both club and country.

The Bayern Munich striker currently leads the Bundesliga with 14 goals in 11 appearances, and has scored 11 goals in seven matches for Poland. Lewandowski’s agent Cezary Cucharsky was quoted in Spanish news outlet Marca saying “You cannot deny that there is interest from Real Madrid.” Earlier this year, Cucharsky told Polish television that “Spain is the best environ-

ment to play football,” possibly hinting at Lewandowski’s next move. Alvaro Morata began his career with Real, but was sold to Juve in 2014 for around $25 million. However, there was a buyback clause in that deal, which the club could trigger this summer. The 23-year-old’s agent Ernesto Bronzetti told Tuttusport “Madrid’s intention is to bring

him back, but whether they do it or not will depend on the will of the player. The outcome will arrive in the months to come.” Although Morata has only scored once in Serie A this season, he has consistently produced in the Champions League. He scored in the Champions League final last season, and has seven goals in 16 appearances in Europe for Juventus.

ATP World Tour

Djokovic dominance continues

Djokovic

ovak Djokovic began his bid for a record fourth straight end-of-season title with victory over Japan’s Kei Nishikori at the ATP World Tour Finals. The Serb won 6-1 6-1 to claim his 15th consecutive win at London’s O2 Arena, The world number one needed just 65 minutes to see off eighth seed Nishikori, and ended the afternoon with a trophy in his hands as he was confirmed as the 2015 world number one. Djokovic, 28, won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open, and went within one

match of the calendar Grand Slam, losing to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open final. “Undoubtedly it has been the best season and the best year of my life - I became a father and I got married. Those are the kinds of trophies and milestones that mean the most to me. “I’ve been experiencing the peak time right now of my abilities. I was very consistent with my results, 2011 and 2015 definitely stand out. “My team plays a big part in this - I have a great team of experts and most of all they are my friends and people I can rely on.”

ussia’s athletics federation was last week provisionally suspended from international competition, including the Olympic Games, for its alleged involvement in widespread doping. Coe said action needed to be taken against Russia or there were “unlikely to be many tomorrows for athletics”. “It was the toughest sanction we had,” Coe wrote in the Sunday Telegraph. The International Association of Athletics Federations council members voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned after the publication of an independent World Anti-Doping Agency report that alleged “state-sponsored doping”. Coe, who became president of the sport’s world governing body in August, said the crisis had been “a horror show” but accepts that the IAAF should have done more to stop doping.

Paris victims:

Fabregas lays match ball at French Embassy to pay respect

helsea and Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas has paid tribute to the victims of Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris. The former Barcelona star was on international duty for his country, playing against England in their 2-0 win over England, when news filtered through of the barbaric events in France. We were told at the time how at least 129 people were killed by terrorists in six different attack sites, including three people at Stade de France as France took on Germany. And now Fabregas, still with his national squad, travelled to the French embassy in Madrid to pay his respects, and laid the match ball from Friday’s friendly alongside flowers outside the gated building, which included a scribed message of condolence. Fabregas also told reporters at the embassy how news filtered through to him and his team-mates, and the shock it caused, saying:

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Monday, November 16, 2015

Dream Team players Siasia

Ahead Olympic qualifiers

Siasia drops Sokari, others as team arrives Gambia for training

he U-23 National Team delegation has arrived in The Gambia for a 10 –day training program ahead of the 2nd Africa U-23 Cup of Nations taking place in Senegal, even as Coach Samson Siasia has wielded the big stick by dropping Kingsley Sokari, Nzube Anaezemba and Daniel Etor for what he termed indiscipline.

Siasia said the players were sent packing after they requested to leave the camp to go for their Club’s (Enyimba) last NPFL game of the season against Sunshine Stars in Lagos, even after he (Siasia) had told all the players they could not leave camp. “I feel bad in taking this decision, but discipline must be

maintained for us to achieve success in Senegal. All players in camp were told not to leave camp as the team would be travelling this weekend to the Gambia for pre –Championship training, only for these three players to come and ask to be allowed to go play for their club as they wanted to be part of the vic-

tory parade. I had no option but to allow them leave and also in the process, leave them out of the team.” FIFA U-17 World Cup record goalscorer, Victor Osihmen, who was invited alongside three of his victorious team -mates, joined up with the U-23 team to the Gambia.

Before departing the shores of the country yesterday morning, NFF 2nd Vice President/ LMC chairman, Shehu Dikko, charged the players and their officials to do the nation proud at the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations, where Africa’s flag bearers to the men’s football tournament of next year’s Olympics will emerge.

Sharks relegated from NPFL

harks have now been confirmed as the fourth club to be relegated from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) following their 0-1 loss at Abia Warriors yesterday. The Port Harcourt club needed an outright win to stay in the division which could have city rivals, Dolphins, drop to the lower league in their place. Dolphins played 2-2 in Ibadan against Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) who had to score a late goal through Cletus Itodo to level the game. Sharks in the course of their match at the Umuahia Township Stadium had goalkeeper Henry Ayodele to thank for saving Ibe Michael Okoro’s spot kick in the

Sharks players

second half. But nine minutes to time, Sharks failed to clear their lines and Ifeanyi Onyeali’s layoff was finished by substitute Michael Olaha from close range. The loss meant Sharks finished on same point of 45 with Dolphins but their inferior goal difference (-11) compared to that of Dolphins (-2) left them fourth from bottom. Akwa United survived the last day drop also with a 1-0 win over Lobi Stars at the Nest of Champions in Uyo. Abdulafeez Awakan scored the winner. Another relegation-troubled side, Enugu Rangers, survived a scare from relegated Bayelsa United who got their noses in front through Uche Okeke in the 39th minute. A brace from Osas Okoro, however, and an additional goal from Bobby Clement saw Rangers finish the game with a 3-1 success to preserve their longstanding tradition as a top-flight outfit. Already, Bayelsa United, FC Taraba and Kwara United have been relegated before the final day yesterday.

CHAN Eagles in training

Nigeria face Guinea, Tunisia in Chan

igeria have been drawn in Group C of the 2016 Orange/CAF Africa Nations Championship (Chan) to be hosted by Rwanda after the draws were conducted in Kigali yesterday. The Super Eagles were drawn alongside Tunisia, Niger and Guinea. Hosts Rwanda will play the opening game of the tournament against the Elephants of Ivory Coast in a group that also

has Gabon and North African giants Morocco. Group D is another group that will be dicey as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mali and Zambia go toe to toe. Nigeria finished third at the last edition in South Africa in 2014 defeating Zimbabwe 1-0 to pick the bronze medal. Libya, who defeated Ghana 4-3 on penalties to win the tournament, did not qualify for this edition.

The first edition was held in 2009 in Cote d’Ivoire with DR Congo emerging as champions. The second edition held in 2011 in Sudan had Tunisia as winners whilst Libya won the third edition in 2014 in South Africa. Group A will be based at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Group B in Butare, Group C at the Nyamirambo Stadium, also in Kigali with Gisenyi hosting Group D.

WORLD RECORD

Largest smoothie Vol. 05 No. 1244 Monday, November 16, 2015

N150

The largest smoothie contained 2,300 litres (607.6 US gal) and was prepared by Dry July (Australia) at Circular Quay in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 30 June 2014.

Ascendancy of counterrevolutionary forces

ars everywhere in the Nigerian firmament. Poverty is waging its own war on hapless Nigerians; and a mind war of architects of privations exists between the rich and poor. We also have multidimensional geopolitical wars over the sharing of the nation’s political booties. And the mother of it all, the intra-class war among members of the ruling political class orchestrated by President Muhammadu Buhari to clean the nation’s Aegean stables. The inspiration for this discourse came from a friend, who last Tuesday stoked my imagination by this observation: “Editor, have you observed that a coalition of corrupt members of the ruling political class has launched a counteroffensive to undermine the anti-corruption war of this administration?” For me, this was an engaging puzzle. I decided the best way to address this jigsaw

HeartBeat Callistus Oke

Callistusoke@nationalmirroronline.net 08054103275 (SMS ONLY) anthonykila@mail.com would be to seminally dissect it and come up with my findings. My effort is this piece. Admittedly, this is President Buhari’s second attempt to recreate Nigeria and make it a responsible member of the international community. His first was as a military leader (December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985). Then he launched an ethical revolution appropriately capped War Against Indiscipline (WAI). The war was largely supported by majority of Nigerians, but resisted by a segment of the military elite. This explained the short life of the regime. For the period the General was in political limbo, he planned and plotted for a comeback. His dream came through on May 29, 2015, when he was sworn in as Nigeria’s fourth democratically elected leader under this dispensation. During the electioneering Alhaji Buhari left nobody in doubt what his priority as president would be. Fifty five years of independence have seen Nigeria sunk deeper in the mire of underdevelopment and under performance. Many nations of her age in Africa and elsewhere have left her behind. Reports of the various diagnostic reviews on her by local and foreign experts have one deduction in common: Corruption is the bane of Nigeria. Deal with this social cancer and Nigeria will be fine, was the conclusion! Buhari was armed with this report. With the March 28 mandate, Nigeria has become a patient in Buhari’s hands. Whether she will die or survive now depends on him. Since Nigeria has become his charge, Buhari

THE BUHARIAN REVOLUTION WILL BE UNDERMINED

BY THE NATION’S DEMOCRATIC

ETHOS; THE EXTANT CONSTITUTION OF THE COUNTRY…

has been approaching the nation’s governance process with the mindset of a revolutionary. This explains the sweeping reforms currently being witnessed. Last Wednesday, vintage Buhari shocked the nation with his uncommon panache in appointing his point men for the federal ministries. However, I hasten to say that government policies and programmes are only one side of the governance story. The other side is their success. Undeniably, the ongoing Buharian revolution will have salutary effects on the nation if successfully executed. The question, however, is whether the needed supportive superstructure for the needed success exists. My answer to this question is no. The Buharian revolution will be undermined by the nation’s democratic ethos; the extant constitution of the country; the high level of tolerance to corruption among Nigerians; weakness of our legal-politico institutions; attitudinal disposition of some members of our power

elite, and the insincerity of some top echelons of the ruling APC! Already, a deep schism has developed within the APC-led Federal Government with the National Assembly, the legislative arm of the government, working at cross purposes with the executive arm led by President Buhari. The prosecution of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, for corruption related offences has affronted the majority of the senators. The Code of Conduct Tribunal that is trying him is under the control of the federal executive. The expectation of the senators is that with only a nod from Mr. President, the case would be dropped. The trial has pitted the Senate against the Presidency. President Buhari shares part of the blame. If the facts publicly being pleaded about Saraki’s alleged tainted profile are correct, he should have been stopped from occupying that exalted office. The ruling APC’s less than indecorous pro activeness and inexcusable sloppiness in the stop-Saraki affair made victory possible for the embattled Senate President. So, the Buharian revolution suffered its first assault from within when the President still has to continue dealing with a Senate led by a man with question marks on his character. . Moreover, constitutionalism and the rule of law, the two strong pillars of liberal democracy, must be contended with. Buhari’s compliance with this democratic to satisfy both local and international cravings will be a clog in the wheel of his revolution. The aggressive drive of the Code of Conduct Tribunal will be slowed down by this. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that the enforcement of certain clauses in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 is not absolute, enemies of the revolution will not relent until it is dead. Prolonged legal wars on suspected felons in high places as we are currently witnessing will detract from the seriousness of the anti-corruption crusade. And the success of such counterrevolutionary offensives will definitely have its toll on the revolution. To be continued

Sport Extra

Golf: Broberg claims first European title

wede Kristoffer Broberg won his maiden European Tour title with a play-off victory at the BMW Masters in Shanghai. After a four-under 68, the

29-year-old world number 149 birdied the first extra hole to defeat American Patrick Reed after both finished at 17 under. Overnight leader Thongchai Jaidee had a 71 to finish

tied third at 16 under. Englishman Justin Rose was one further back after six birdies in a 67, sharing seventh place with compatriot Paul Casey, who bogeyed the last in a 69.

Reed held a one-shot lead with two holes to play after holing out from 100 yards from a fairway bunker for an eagle at the 15th and carding his fifth birdie of the day on the next.

However, the world number 17 bogeyed the 17th and left a birdie putt short from 12 feet on the 18th, tapping in for par before throwing his ball into the lake surrounding the green.

Broberg Emenike

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