Thursday, November 8, 2012 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

Jonathan, world leaders congratulate Obama PDP, ANPP differ over significance of victory

ROTIMI FADEYI AND

OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

Vol. 2 N0. 487 OBIORA IFOH AND AZA MSUE

ormer Head of State presidential and the candidate of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, General Mohammadu Buhari has said that he did not know any Boko Haram member and that his nomination to participate in a parley with the group was not with his consent. This is even as the Catholic Archbishop of CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday joined other world leaders in congratulating

Reps to probe extortion of job seekers by ministries

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Tambuwal denies rift with Executive

President Barack Obama of the United States on his re-election after a keenly CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

Tambuwal

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Buhari disowns Boko Haram I DO NOT KNOW ANY MEMBER OF THE BOKO HARAM SECT. I DO NOT BELIEVE IN AND I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY RELIGION THAT WILL TELL PEOPLE TO KILL OTHERS AND BURN SCHOOLS

P.7

N150

Okonjo-Iweala

N2.7bn subsidy scam: Group seeks finance minister’s sack P.16

Johnson

L-R: United States First Lady, Michelle, President Barack Obama; Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill after the declaration of Tuesday’s election results in Chicago, USA. More pictures on pages 2,3,14,47.

Appeal Court: Senate asks CJN to swear-in nominee

Lawmakers consider President’s request to borrow $7.9bn

...says professional women need support Insecurity: Gunmen kill cleric in Delta

Nation’s investment ranking worries govt

P.5

P.16

Poor services: FG gives telecoms firms Dec deadline P.7

Mark

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

My best yet to come – Obama Says politics won’t divide America

AYODELE OJO

WASHINGTON DC

e-elected President Barack Obama has said that his best for America and the world is yet to come and that the November 6 election has made him a better president. “We are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people,” he said, assuring that politics won’t divide America. Obama won with 303 Electoral College votes against Republican Mitt Romney’s 206 votes. Romney conceded defeat and congratulated the President for a deserving victory. He told a boisterous crowd in Chicago yesterday after securing his re-election that he is more hopeful about the future. His words: “Despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. “I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. “I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.” Obama noted that the election has made him a better president, saying “whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead.”

Presidential hugs: Obama hugs his deputy, Biden while the First Lady also hugs Mrs Biden.

Obama supporters celebrate victory in Chicago.

Obama supporters jubilate after the victory declaration on Wednesday morning.

The election battleground states

n the results so far released, Obama won all 95 electoral votes available in the battleground states of Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia, Iowa, Nevada, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. In Florida, the biggest battleground state with 29 electoral votes, Obama won with 4,129,502 votes against Romney’s 4,083,441 representing 49 per cent. In the build up to the election, Obama campaigned in Florida for 30 times while Romney made 36 stops. In Colorado with 8 electoral votes, Obama polled 1,210,464 votes representing 51 per cent against Romney’s 1,105,491 votes representing 49 per cent of votes cast. Virginia, a heavily leaned

Republican, also fell for Obama with 1,852,123 popular votes (51%) against Romney’s 1,745,397 votes (48 per cent). The president went away with Virginia’s 13 electoral votes. Iowa’s six electoral votes also thumped up Obama’s victory. The president polled 816,174 votes (52 per cent) against Romney’s 727,545 votes (46 per cent). The president also calls the shot in Nevada. He won the state’s six electoral votes with 528,801 (52%) against Romney’s 462,422 (46 per cent). The home state of the Republican running mate, Paul Ryan, went for Obama. Wisconsin has 10 electoral votes. Democrat won with 1,603,185 votes (53 per cent)

against Romney’s 1,403,038 (46 per cent). New Hampshire’s four electoral votes was also in the kitty of Obama who polled 336,014 votes (52 per cent) against Romney’s 301,237 (47 per cent). The president also turned the tide in Ohio. He polled 2,672,302 (50 per cent) to bag the coveted 18 electoral votes in the state. The Republican got 2,571,539 votes (48 per cent). There was mad rush for Ohio’s 18 votes. To demonstrate the importance of Ohio, Vice President Joe Biden, Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan on Election Day stormed Ohio to sway voters to their sides.

Obama presenting his acceptance speech.

‘Why Romney delayed in

epublican Mitt Romney did not lose the election not because of his failure in character and campaign. He lost because of some of his policy stands. When the result clearly showed that Romney could no longer make it to the White House, he was reluctant to concede defeat and congratulate the winner. Expectedly, he would abide by the tradition by first placing a call to the president and later give the speech conceding victory. Many waited for the moment for more than an hour after it was clear that Romney had lost. Reluctantly he did after Ohio could not go in his favour. In his speech, he called on Americans to support the president and put

people before politics. Supporters were nervous inside the Boston Convention and Exhibition Centre last night. Romney lost among young people, African-Americans and Hispanics. Obama crushed Romney among Hispanic voters by a whopping 44-points, a margin of victory that propelled the president to victories in Nevada, Colorado and possibly Florida. Romney’s policy on immigration also affected his chances. He plans to deport all illegal immigrants in the country. His plan to raise taxes for the middle class is one of his undoing. Under his administration, the rich will get lower tax cut while the middle class will pay more. This is against the majority of voters.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

HOW OBAMA WON

US elects first lesbian senator

he United States has produced the first female Lesbian senator. She is Tammy Baldwin. “Now, I am well aware that I will have the honour of being Wisconsin’s first woman senator. And I am well aware that I will be the first openly gay member,” Baldwin said during her victory speech, adding: “But I didn’t run to make history. I ran to make a difference.” She defeated former Governor Tommy Thompson after an expensive and contentious campaign for the Wisconsin seat. She defeated Thompson 51 per cent to 46 per cent with 78 per cent reporting. Baldwin, 50, is a political veteran. She spent seven terms in the House before launching her Senate bid. The race against Thompson had been close and costly. Between them, the two candidates raised some $65 million. Baldwin will take over from Democratic Sen. Herb Kohl, who is retiring after four terms in office. The newly-elected senator said she would head to Washing-

ton, prepared to fight for “Wisconsin’s middle class.” Tammy graduated from Madison West High School and went on to double-major in political science and mathematics at Smith College. In 1989, she received her law degree from UW-Madison. Throughout her career in public service, Tammy has made education a top priority — fighting to make higher education more affordable for all of Wisconsin students. In Congress, she has supported student loan reform to make college financing more accessible and affordable. To succeed in the future global economy, students from working and middle class families need access to college and technical schools.

POPULAR VOTES AS AT 9PM WEDNESDAY

Indian students react in front of photographers next to a cardboard cutout of President Barack Obama after he was projected as the winner of the U.S. presidential election in New Delhi.

An Obama supporter in Nevada breaks down with happiness as other are jubilant.

Obama and the women in his life.

Obama supporters in california celebrates.

conceding defeat, calling Mr. President’

Mitt Romney, his wife and family thank Americans for their support while conceding defeat.

The issue of same-sex marriage which Obama has a liberal standpoint on is also a major issue. Romney is against this and this affected his chances in states like Maryland, Oregon, Minnesota,Wisconsin among others.

His inconsistency on some salient issues is another factor. Even President Obama has accused Romney of being dishonest on his stand on medicare, foreign policy, auto bailout and tax regime, saying his Republican rival is suffering from Romnesia; a condition affecting Mitt Romney, who has shifted his positions severally conveniently forgetting the conservative promises he’s made over the past six years that he’s been running for president. Obama’s response to the Superstorm Sandy was another point ahead of Romney. The Republican candidate criticised the handling of the hurricane. Obama was at home with the victims. He shared their pains and quickly facili-

tated relief programmes. This informed why New Jersey’s 12 electoral college votes went for him. The slight improvement in the October job growth report also helped Obama. Over 171,000 jobs were added in the month preceding the election. In Ohio, the voters were not comfortable with his stand on the auto bailout which Obama administration did to rescue Chrysler and General Motors. An estimated one in eight jobs depends on the auto industry. Hence, 18 electoral votes in the state went for the president. The support of former President Bill Clinton was also handy for Obama. Romney did not enjoy the support of any former president.

State and Votes

OBAMA

ROMNEY

Alabama (9)

38%

787,027

61%

1,245,221

Alaska (3)

42%

90,743

55%

120,329

Arizona (11)

43%

712,868

55%

902,631

Arkansas (6)

37%

390,240

61%

640,058

California (55)

59%

5,573,450

39%

3.635,571

Colorado (9)

51%

1,232,101

47%

1,121,007

Connecticut (7)

58%

834,499

41%

589,584

Delaware (3)

59%

242,547

40%

165,476

Florida (29)

50%

4,143,342

49%

4,096,314

Georgia (16)

45%

1,745,283

53%

2,054,373

Hawaii (4)

71%

303,090

28%

119,494

Idaho (4)

33%

212,560

65%

420,750

Illinois (20)

57%

2,912,972

41%

2,087,557

Indiana (11)

44%

1,135,983

54%

1,408,889

Iowa (6)

52%

816,174

46%

727,545

Kansas (6)

38%

426,420

60%

674,868

Kentucky (8)

38%

679,257

61%

1,086,467

Louisiana (8)

40%

781,733

59%

1,149,054

Maine (4)

56%

370,595

41%

269,051

Maryland (10)

62%

1,522,345

37%

901,870

Massachusetts (11)

61%

1,892,931

38%

1,168,761

Michigan (16)

54%

2,477,275

45%

2,089,434

Minnesota (10)

53%

1,542,911

45%

1,321,064

Mississippi (6)

44%

523,204

55%

663,760

Missouri (10)

44%

1,215,031

54%

1,478,961

Montana (3)

42%

190,107

55%

249,128

Nebraska (5)

38%

289,154

61%

462,972

Nevada (6)

52%

528,801

46%

462,422

New Hampshire (4)

52%

364,414

46%

324,398

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

PhotoNews

Thursday, November 8, 2012

L-R: Archbishop of Ibadan Methodist Diocese, Most Rev. Kehinde Stephen; donor of the building, Mr. Bode Akindele; Prelate, Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence, Ola Makinde and Most Rev. Ayo Ladigbolu, at the dedication of Methodist Church Nigeria Diocese of Ibadan building in Ibadan, Oyo State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Host, Paul-Kayode Joash, Dino Melaye, Joshua Awesome and Tite Noriseme, at My DoubleDouble Conference held in Lagos, recently.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

L-R: Chief Chris Uche (SAN); Rickey Tarfa (SAN) and Alex Izinyon (SAN), at the commencement of the 2012-2013 Legal Year of the FCT High Court in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: General Manager, Microsoft, Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeje; Chief Executive Officer. Main One Cable Company, Mrs. Funke Opeke and Director, Enterprise Business, Microsft, Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Kunle Awosika, at the launch of Windows 8 in Lagos, on Tuesday. PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

National News

Senate considers Jonathan’s request to borrow $7.9bn GEORGE OJI, EMMANUEL ONANI, AZA MSUE AND TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

he Senate yesterday began consideration on the request by President Goodluck Jonathan to borrow $7.905 billion for some pipeline projects under the Medium Term (2012 – 2014) external borrowing plan. The pipeline projects, which are already at various stages of execution, are geared towards transforming the fortune of Nigerians by supporting the implementation of the government’s agenda. The funds are to be sourced from the World Bank ($2.974 billion), African Development Bank ($731.23 million), Islamic Development Bank ($672.85 million), French Development Bank ($56.61 million) and Exim Bank of China ($3 billion). The Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, who sponsored the motion, explained that the pipeline projects were special initiatives de-

•Shehu Sani, Agoro kick against plan signed to put the economy back on track through growth and employment activities. This was as senators cautioned on proper application of the facilities when finally approved, while some social critics kicked against government plan. Most of the senators, who contributed to the motion, expressed the need for the funds to be applied strictly for the projects they were designed. The funds are to be deployed for the provision of critical infrastructure like electricity and gas improvement projects, erosion watershed management projects, youth employment and social support operation and irrigation and water resources management projects. Others are polio eradication project, agricultural support projects, rural access and mobility projects, urban water financing, flood and waste management projects, etc. The repayment period for the loan facility ranges from

15 years to 40 years, while the interest repayment rates range from 1 to 2.5 per cent. In his contribution during the debate, Senator Ita Enang cautioned that the Senate should not approve more than 15 per cent of the total amount sought by the President. His argument was that some of the pipeline projects for which the facilities are being sought should be taken care of by the annual appropriations for which the country budgets huge sums. Senator Joshua Dariye observed that the Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, facilitated Nigeria’s exit from the various debt clubs. The lawmaker said “if we judiciously manage our economy, Nigeria would not have the need to embark on any form of borrowing. If we must borrow, we must not embark on wholesome borrowing.” Senator Ahmed Lawan advised that before giving approval for the borrowing, there must be full explanation on how previous bor-

rowings were used. He expressed concern that like previous borrowings, the loans might not be properly applied to the projects for which the funds were obtained. On his part, Senator George Thompson Sekibo said Nigeria should go for the loan because it was to provide the country’s basic needs. He also said the loan would stimulate Nigeria’s economy for rapid development. The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, observed that the important thing in borrowing was the actual utilisation of the funds. He said the projects were very critical, adding that the facility should be obtained because the terms and interest rates were very friendly. However, Senator Solomon Ganiyu asked the Debt Management Office, DMO, to be up and doing to ensure that the funds were used for the right purpose as well as to ensure timely deductions for the repayment of the

loans. Meanwhile, the President of the Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria, CRCN, Mallam Shehu Sani, and former presidential candidate of the National Action Council, NAC, Dr. Olapade Agoro, yesterday kicked against the plan by the administration of President Jonathan to secure another loan. Condemning the attempt, Sani described Jonathan’s economic programme as a disaster. He said in an e-mail statement that the finance minister failed to tell Nigerians how the loan would be paid during her tenure without leaving debt burden for another government after the end of the present administration. Sani added that the loan was intended to score cheap political points and to plunge the country into another fresh economic crisis. He said: “The reported attempt by the Federal Government through the Finance Minister OkonjoIweala to secure the approval of the National Assembly to source for a $7.9

billion loan abroad stands condemned. It is irrational, irresponsible, immoral and economically senseless. “The very finance minister who persuaded the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo to part with almost N20 billion, in the name of debt cancellation, is now striving to lead the nation into another debt trap.” In his own statement, Agoro said that Nigeria could not go on borrowing at 15 per cent interest rate and saving at three per cent interest rate and expecting to make headway economically and productively. He said: “According to recent figure released by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the nation’s external reserve now stands at US$42.67 billion but with an immediate highly alarming and embarrassing follow up announcement by Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister that Nigeria was going to borrow US$9.3 billion between 2012 and 2014 to develop infrastructure et al.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Appeal Court: Senate asks CJN to swear-in nominee FRANCIS FAMOROTI, GEORGE OJI AND EMMANUEL ONANI

he Senate yesterday passed a motion urging the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Miriam Mukhtar to immediately swear-in Justice Ifeoma Jombo-Ofo as a justice of the Court of Appeal. Some prominent legal practitioners also condemned the action on the grounds that it was discriminatory and unconstitutional. The Senate in a unanimous vote said it did not find any legal impediments to Jombo-Ofo’s appointment. The action of the Senate was consequent upon the adoption of the motion sponsored by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and supported by all the senators. Justice Jombo-Ofo was nominated alongside 11 other justices for elevation to the Court of Appeal bench but dropped at the last minute due to a petition contesting her state of origin. The judge, who is from Anambra State but married

to an Abia State indigene, was nominated by her husband’s state government and her nomination was confirmed by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and approved by President Goodluck Jonathan. She was however not sworn-in alongside others by the CJN on Monday on the grounds that there were alleged petitions challenging her eligibility to be nominated by Abia State. But the Senate said that having passed through all the necessary processes and with her appointment approved by the president, the CJN has no option but to perform the ceremonial swearing-in as required by the law. The resolution came as the Senate also yesterday decided to embark on a oneweek break starting from today to enable them participate in public hearings across the nation on the review of the 1999 Constitution. The Senate has slated November 15 and 16 as the dates for the simultaneous zonal public hearings for the review of the constitution. In his remarks before the adoption of the motion,

Mark said if the CJN’s action is sustained the sanctity of marriage will be destroyed. “I believe we want to encourage professional women to maintain their profession and keep their marriage,” he said. According to him, if al-

lowed it will compel professional women in Nigeria to choose between their profession and their marriage, “which will not encourage family life in this country.” Mark said, “This will make us think twice about the over-emphasisis on in-

digenship and place of origin. This brings that to the fore. If you are resident in a place why can’t you take appointment there? But particularly on this issue, I think it is just a mistake and that the mistake will be corrected.”

Senator Victor NdomaEgba said, “What has happened has practical implications. Once upon a time in this country, we had a Justice Kalu Anya, who was the Chief Judge of Borno State. Thirty someCONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

President Goodluck Jonathan (right) and leader of investors from the United Arab Emirate, Mr. Iskandar Safa, after a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE

Buhari disowns Boko Haram CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Kaduna, Most Rev. Mathew Man-oso Ndagoso, yesterday declared support for the choice of the former head of state to mediate the proposed Federal Government’s peace dialogue with the sect. The CPC leader, who spoke to journalists in Abuja at the party’s Board of Trustee, BOT, meeting, which he chaired, expressed disappointment over what he described as plans by the People Democratic Party, PDP, government to indict and nail him. “My party has done an excellent job unless you do not want to believe what my party believes. Firstly, I do not know any member of the Boko Haram sect. I do not believe in and I do not know of any religion that will tell people to kill others and burn schools. “There was a stage where I mentioned that I agreed with one intellectual who said there are three Boko Harams, one of

Muhammed Yusuf, whom we know of. A leader of the military then in Maiduguri did what we know in the military about internal security. They looked for Yusuf and they handed him over to the police. “A healthy young man and he died under a very dubious account in the police custody. Again his inlaw was murdered; their houses were razed to the ground. I understood that Borno State government had to pay compensation. “The second Boko Haram was a criminal, attacking banks and market places, stealing money and they issued a statement that they are Boko Haram. “And I said, and I have no regret saying it, the biggest Boko Haram is the Federal Government itself, because it has all the powers to stop anarchy in the country. Now, the social part of the country has been paralyzed, economic activities have stopped. People are no longer thinking of employ-

ment, they are thinking of what to eat and how to go about the following day.” On what was discussed at the BOT meeting, Buhari said: “Today we met and reviewed what transpired in our party from the time of the elections through the tribunals to the Supreme Court and the elections in Kogi, Adamawa, Sokoto and the by-elections across the country. “We are done with all these problems and we have discussed on how to move forward. Among the things discussed is the matter of merger, which has occupied the minds of most Nigerians as the only realistic way of consolidating the multi-party democracy system as opposition parties to come together and fight the ruling party. I challenged the elite to go and do some research, from 1999 till date how much Nigeria earns and where is the money.” On the Obama’s re-election and lessons to learn, he said: “The second com-

ing of Obama is another big achievement in the United States of America and we congratulate them as a country and as a people. He (Obama) worked for it, he deserved it and he got it. His fundamental belief in government’s responsibility to look after the weak in terms of the health policies is a good achievement and it has saved him. And all are behind him and the system is working.” Present at the BOT meeting were Buhari’s running mate at the last Presidential election, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Former Minister of the Federal capital Territory, (FCT), Mallam Nasiru El’Rufai, CPC National Chairman, Prince Tony Momoh, Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Almakura, Former Minister of Works, Hassan Lawal among other party leaders. In his comment on the Boko Haram peace initiative, Archbishop Ndagoso accepted Saudi Arabia as the proposed venue for the talks.

Ndagoso spoke during a press conference held in Kaduna to announce the burial arrangement for the victims of St. Rita’s Catholic Church suicide attack. He said Nigeria is at war with religious fanatics who have been killing innocent citizens regardless of their religion noting that Christians are not against Muslims. He said: “First and foremost, even in the war front, matters like that are only settled on the round table. We are looking for peace and it can hold in Saudi Arabia, Rome or anywhere provided that at the end of the day, peace will reign. I don’t have any problem with the choice of Buhari or anybody as a mediator. Saudi Arabia as venue for dialogue is okay for us, if Buhari and the Saudi government accept the offer. “I support any peace efforts by the Federal Government to end terrorism. We want dialogue. Let me reiterate once again that

the problem we have at hand is not a war between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. No, Christians and Muslims are not at war with each other. Our country is at war with religious fanatics and criminals who are killing innocent Nigerians regardless of their religion. “Good Christians and Muslims and indeed, all people of goodwill must work together to identify, isolate and punish these criminals according to the laws of the land.” Archbishop Ndagoso said the three out of the eight victims of the suicide attack would be buried today near the church. “I wish to inform and invite you to the burial of three of the victims who will be buried on Thursday, 8th November, 2012 near the church where they met their tragic and untimely death. The fourth victim has since been buried in his hometown in Kebbi State,” he said.

News

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jonathan, world leaders congratulate Obama CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

contested race with Republican nominee, Mitt Romney. Obama had won a new four year mandate by securing 303 Electoral College votes against Romney’s 206, in Tuesday’s poll, while also comfortably leading in popular votes with over 60 million votes against Romney’s over 57 million votes. A statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati said: “On behalf of himself, the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan heartily congratulates President Barrack Obama on his success in winning re-election in the presidential elections in the United States.” According to the statement, Jonathan welcomed President Obama’s victory in an intensely fought presidential race as an endorsement by the good people of United States of his leadership, progressive world view and the very good work he has done in the past four years towards ending global

economic depression and fostering global peace and security. The statement added that Nigeria, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU) enjoyed very cordial and productive relations with the Obama administration in his first term, stressing that he looks forward to continuing to build on Nigeria’s and Africa’s developmental collaboration with the United States in the next four years. The President said he looks forward in particular to the further strengthening of US-Nigeria bilateral relations and the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission which was established in Obama’s first term as the primary platform for the promotion of greater trade and economic cooperation between both countries as well as bilateral collaboration in other areas. Jonathan also hopes that the millions of people across the world, especially those in developing nations who watched the beauty and strength of democracy unfold in the United States presidential

elections would come to a greater and better appreciation of democracy as the key to building peaceful, stable and progressive societies. He wished Obama continued good health and God’s blessings and guidance as he prepares for his inauguration in January for a second in office as the President of the

United States of America. From Pakistan despite four years of deteriorating relations between the country and the United States came a statement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying: “President Asif Ali Zardari has warmly felicitated President Barack Obama on his re-election. “The President expressed

the hope that the relationship between Pakistan and the US would continue to prosper during Obama’s new term in office.” Obama’s first term was marked by a severe deterioration of relations between Pakistan and the US, especially since the killing of Osama bin Laden by US special forces in a northern Pakistani town

in May last year. Obama had consistently, during the campaigns, said that the killing of Bin Laden was a major victory for US counter-terrorism and a key achievement of his presidency, much to the ir ritation of many Pakistanis. A series of other incidents has kept tensions CONTINUED ON PAGE 14>>

L-R: Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr. George Afamuefuna; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajya Zinab Maina and Minister of National Planning Commission, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman, during the Performance Agreement between the permanent secretary and directors in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Appeal Court: Senate asks CJN to swear-in nominee CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

thing years later, we are being told of this. Are we progressing or retrogressing? I think we are retrogressing. This is not a good development for women, especially at a time when a woman is the CJN.” He observed that Section 238(2) of the constitution prohibits discrimination on the grounds of colour, race, state of origin etc. Senator Uche Chukwumerije described as most vicious the fact that this kind of discrimination is taking place at a time the country has a female as the Chief Justice of Nigeria. He noted that marriage according to the Bible is for better, for worse, noting that “the sanctity of marriage will be destroyed if we should allow this to happen now.” Meanwhile mounting criticisms yesterday trailed the refusal of the CJN to swear-in Justice Jombo-Ofor on Monday. Four eminent lawyers

including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), who criticised the CJN over the development, were unanimous that Justice Muhktar should have dismissed the petition as being frivolous and gone ahead to swear-in Justice Jombo-Ofor, in a bid to promote the unity of the country. Notable among the lawyers who spoke with National Mirror are, Messrs. Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), Chris Uche (SAN), Fred Agbaje and Bamidele Aturu. Reacting on the issue, Okutepa regretted the action of the CJN, which he described as “discriminatory”. According to him, “The CJN, with respect, was not correct when she refused to swear in Justice JomboOfor of Abia State High Court as Justice of the Court of Appeal. There is no doubt that the decision of CJN and all those who advised her in that behalf

were in breach of Section 42(1) and (2) of the 1999 constitution as amended. “ That decision taken by the number one judicial officer of Nigeria at the venue of swearing in after all due processes of her appointment were followed and it was announced has clearly exposed to us that the preaching of oneness of Nigerian is hollow and useless. There is no doubt that she has been discriminated against on the basis of her birth and state of origin.” Uche also maintained that the CJN’s position was unacceptable adding that “it is discriminatory and unconstitutional. What then is the essence of marriage? It is common knowledge that when a woman marries, she alters her status and indigeneship to that of her husband.” He said, “To deny her an appointment on the basis that she was not originally from that state is to techni-

cally separate her from her husband. Indeed, how can she be expected to return to her maiden home to take up an appointment? That to my mind is an aberration. Is she expected to divorce her husband to take an appointment? If that was the reason for not swearing her in, then it calls for a prompt review. Uche pointed out that “the time has come for us to completely jettison the concept of state of origin in appointments. I can understand it with respect to political positions, but beyond that, it always carries with it the impression of ‘sharing”. Agbaje also argued that the CJN should have swornin Justice Jombo-Ofor while Aturu said Mukhtar deserved to apologise to Nigerians for the embarrassment. Agbaje said although the CJN had done well by listening to the voice of the people, “I was her I would go ahead with the swearingin because the federal char-

acter has always been Nigeria’s problem. The lawyer said what happened had shown that the combined effect of Sections 14 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was an aberration or the contradiction of the principle of what the constitution stands for. Agbaje said section 17 (1) of the Constitution recognizes equality of status pointing out this same grundnorm frowns at all forms of discrimination. His words, “How can a woman from Anambra State left her state, married a man from Abia State , had children for an Abia man, worked in Abia State, pays taxes to the Abia State government and only to be elevated you now deny her due rights. He said any nation that sacrifice meritocracy for principle of federal character would never develop, adding that “Nigerians should learn from

the Obama experience in America.” Aturu noted that the swearing in was a mere formality of the process saying that it was unfortunate that Justice Jombo-Ofor whose nomination had been confirmed by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and approved by President Goodluck Jonathan, had to be stopped. He said on the authority of Ogbuanyiya .v. Okudo, a judge ceases to be a member of a court once he or she is nominated for or elevated to a higher Bench, so the swearing in was meant to complete the process. ‘’I condemn it and I think the CJN should apologise to Nigerians for the embarrassment. He added. Jombo-Ofor was appointed a High Court judge on November 4, 1998, having been called to the Nigerian Bar in 1979. She was said to have transferred her service from Anambra to Abia State, after her marriage.

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News

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Again, gunmen kill three, injure two in Plateau JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

unmen have struck again in Plateau State, killing three people and injuring two others. The latest killing appears to be a reprisal attack as the bodies of the victims, identified as Fulani herdsmen, followed the killing of four Berom family members few days ago.

The victims may have been killed in an attack carried out last Tuesday night at Shonong village in Bachi District of Riyom Local Government Area of the state. A resident, Usman Yakubu Muhammed, gave the names of those killed in the attack as Zainab Yusuf Idris, Salifu Yusuf Idris and Abdullahi Kabiru. According to Muhammed, the attackers laid ambush near a bridge

and attacked our people on their way from Fardan Karshi Market at about 8 p.m on Tuesday. He said two of the victims were members of the same family. Muhammed said the attackers killed the victims and threw their bodies under the bridge. He said: “We went in company of security agents to evacuate the bodies from under the bridge yester-

day morning. Their bodies were ridden with bullets. “The victims’ bodies have been buried while the injured - Yakubu Mohammed and Alhassan Yusuf Idris - are receiving treatment at Sunna Clinic in Barki Ladi Local Government Area.” A Similar attack was carried out in the area last Monday night in which four people were killed and two others injured.

L-R: Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Deputy Governor, Otunba Titi-Laoye Tomori and Ambassador, Embassy of the Bolivarian, Republic of Venezuela, Mr. Enrique Arrundell, during the presentation of educational supplies to selected public primary schools in Osun State on Tuesday.

Reps to probe alleged extortion of applicants by MDAs •Tambuwal denies rift with executive OBIORA IFOH AND TORDUE SALEM

he House of Representatives yesterday directed its Committees on Employment, Labour and Productivity, Anti- corruption, National Ethics and Values and Establishment to investigate allegations that job seekers are being exploited by Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDA) of the government. This development followed allegations that applicants, in some cases, were being asked to cough out as much as N200,000 before being offered employment. The committees would submit their report on the issue to the House in three weeks. The House took the decision to investigate the allegation following a motion by Hon. Tajudeen Yusuf. The sponsor of the mo-

tion observed that the alleged extortion for jobs was rife in para- military agencies, where applicants were also asked to provide items such as T- shirts and canvas for training. He regretted that the situation had prompted public officials to take advantage of desperate job seekers. According to him, desperate youths seeking jobs were required to pay between N50,000 and N200, 000. The lawmaker noted the extortion spree was increasing yearly without concerted efforts to stem it. Hon. Peter Akpatason, in his contribution, said employment was being offered to those who can pay, instead of applicants with required qualifications. He suggested an open probe to allow victims of the unethical practice to come and testify. Hon. Uzor Azubuike said that members of the Na-

tional Assembly were being deceived by MDAs by asking them to bring letters of recommendation from lawmakers, when those agencies were already running their employment deals. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal yesterday denied specula-

tions that members of the lower legislative chamber are at war with the executive. Tambuwal spoke when he led the leadership of the House on a visit to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Dr. Bamaga Tukur and members of the National Working Committee (NWC).

Alleged N104m fraud: Ogbulafor got N2m share –Witness EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

prosecution witness in the trial of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, yesterday told an Abuja high Court that the former party chairman allegedly got N2 million as “gratification” from fraud proceed. The Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is prosecuting

Ogbulafor, Emeka Ebilah and Jude Nwokoro on a 17-count charge of conspiracy and award of fictitious contracts valued at N104 million. The offence was allegedly committed while Ogbulafor was the Minister of Special Duties. Basil Momodu, who testified for the anti-graft agency, told the court presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello that Ogbulafor got the sum of N2 million as his share of the alleged fraud, while Nwokoro was given N6. 5million.

Agencies review security at nation’s airports OLUSEGUN KOIKI

overnment agencies yesterday converged on the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos to review the security situation in all the nation’s airports. At the security meeting were the Aviation Security (AVSEC) under the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the police, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), State Security Service (SSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the military. They all discussed how to tackle various security lapses in the aviation sector. Speaking at the event, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mr. Haliru Guandu, said the synergy between the various security agencies must be strengthened to keep potential terrorists at bay from the nation’s airports.

He noted that the issue of theft in the aircraft, which he attributed to connivance among airport personnel, is a great cause for worry for the police. Guandu called for more logistics for the police to effectively do their job, especially in the area of perimeter patrol, arrest of miscreants and other unlawful interferences on the land and airside. Besides, Commanding Officer, Anti- Terrorism, Mr. Johnpaul Echeta, canvassed the need to enhance security around the airports at both peak and off peak periods. He appealed to the relevant authorities to put right pegs in the right holes to avoid compromise among security agencies, adding that security is everyone’s duty. Other participants advised that the latest security technologies should be acquired to assist airport security agencies to achieve success in protecting the airport and its teeming passengers and users.

Telecoms operators get December deadline to improve services ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

he Federal Government has set December deadline for telecommunications operators to improve on their services or face sanction. Addressing journalists yesterday after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, said that the National Communications Commission (NCC) would do another detailed review of the quality of service indicator in December, stressing that any network operator found wanting would be appropriately sanctioned. She noted the spate of promotion strategies employed by the telecommunications operators was one of the reasons for the current poor quality of service being experienced by subscribers. The minister said that in the coming days, NCC would check all promotions that causing additional congestion on the network. She said: “There are

three major reasons why we are experiencing this poor quality of service. First is the pace at which operators have been investing in expansion, modernisation and upgrade of their infrastructure to cope with the demand for voice, data and SMS services. “The second reason is the promotions that we are seeing by the operators that are causing the degradation of the networks, promotions that ask subscribers to come back, promotions that promise cars, houses, aeroplanes. “The third reason is the combination of the recent attacks on the base stations t in the North-East and the flood in the Southern parts of the country, which has compromised the quality of service and led to both redundancy of those networks.

Omobola Johnson

South West

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Ondo election fallout: Go to court, INEC tells Oke HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE

he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State yesterday advised the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the October 20 governorship election in the state, Chief Olusola Oke, to seek redress in court over the result of the election rather than making baseless allegations on the pages of newspapers. Speaking through its

Director of Legal Services, Mr. Oluwole Uzzi, in a statement issued in Akure, the commission urged Oke to employ legal means in seeking redress in court if not satisfied with the results announced by the commission. The commission was reacting to a statement issued by Oke’s Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Mr. Kunle Adebayo, on Monday, alleging that INEC, the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Service, the Army and other secu-

rity agencies conspired and rigged the last governorship election in the state in favour of the ruling Labour Partyn (LP). Adebayo also alleged that both the commission and security services that operated in the state during the election were part of the severe irregularities, widespread malpractices, distortions and perversions by INEC. However, INEC said it would have been better if Oke employed legal means to express his opinion “in

a responsible, civil, and decorous manner, bereft of provocative and uncouth language, outright falsehood and wild, fanciful but unfounded assertions.” The commission alleged that Oke, in his “vain and fruitless attempt to denigrate, discredit and belittle the nation’s progress and achievements in its path to free, fair and credible elections and a robust, enduring democracy, cast wild, baseless allegations against INEC without particulars.” INEC noted that the elec-

tion was conducted under a free and fair atmosphere and was generally acceptable to people of the state, saying the election was adjudged as a very credible exercise, reflecting the wishes of the people of the state. INEC said in the statement; “No amount of blackmail or lies can discredit this because even prominent and respected Nigerians including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been gracious enough to congratulate the winner and commended

INEC and the electorate. “Mr. Adebayo’s principal (Oke), is a lawyer and he is certainly aware of the electoral dispute resolution mechanism enshrined in our constitution and laws. “Any aggrieved person is, in accordance with the rule of law, encouraged to avail himself of this process, where the facts and evidence adduced are subject to forensic examination, and justice is dispensed according to law and proven fact, and not in sentiments or other whimsical notion.”

Fashola has nothing to learn from PDP, Jonathan –Lagos ACN TOSIN AROWOSOLA

he Lagos State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has told the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Chief Olabode George that the Babatunde Fashola administration and the ACN have nothing to learn from the PDP and President Jonathan on the ban on commercial operators from some roads in Lagos or in any aspect of governance. In a press statement signed by the state Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Joe Igbokwe, the ACN said the PDP and the “Jonathan administration have nothing but decay, atrophy, corruption, incompetence and such other symptoms of bad governance to teach a working, well-governed state like Lagos,” adding

that it was absurd that someone, “even in the acute state of rustiness that Chief George is operating at present, should advise the Lagos State government to emulate the Federal Government that has become a symbol of failure in the last 13 years.” The ACN was reacting to the reported statement credited to Chief George that Fashola should learn from President Jonathan and the PDP on the issue of restricting commercial motorcycle operators from some major roads in Lagos. He wondered what message George wants to send to Lagosians because there is “nothing a Federal Government and a party that has crumbled the country in nearly 14 years of irresponsible, corrupt and mediocre leadership can teach a state like Lagos.”

Osun govt berates Oyinlola over N18.39bn loan SINA FADARE

sun State government yesterday advised the former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, to face his indictment and the consequences of his poor handling of a needless N18.39 billion loan he obtained towards the tail end of his administration. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Akinrogun Sunday Akere, in a press statement issued yesterday in Osogbo, wondered why there has been a debase-

ment of morality on the part of the former governor, asking him to accept his leadership failure like he did during his appearance before the Commission of Inquiry and apologise to the people, rather than attempting to justify his absolute lack of discretion. Akere said the indictment of the former governor by a panel of inquiry with appropriate sanction was an indication that he had erred by deploying the resources of the state on a white elephant project that has no direct bearing on the lives of the people of the state.

L-R: Ogun State Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun; Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs. Oluwande Muoyo, at the Treasury Board meeting on the state’s 2013 budget in Abeokuta, yesterday.

Seven policemen, two Okada riders injured in Ibadan clash KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ommercial activities were yesterday paralysed in Apata area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, as a bloody clash between commercial motorcyclists popularly called Okada, irate youths and policemen left no fewer than seven policemen and two Okada operators injured. Also, the police station at Kuola in Apata, built through the efforts of the landlords’ association in the area and the assistance of the immediate past Dep-

uty Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Kazeem Ayilara and commissioned in 2009, five vehicles and seven motorcycles were torched by the aggrieved Okada operators, who complained about alleged high-handedness by policemen in the area. National Mirror learnt that the clash, which lasted close to three hours and which sacked Apata and its environs, started when the commercial motorcycle operators decided to challenge the high handedness of the policemen in the area, who they said had been extorting money

from them. Trouble started when an Okada rider, who was carrying two students of Government College Ibadan (GCI), was stopped by a police officer in front of Kuola Police Station for allegedly violating a police directive that banned them from carrying two passengers. But, the Okada rider was said to have refused giving money to the police officer on the excuse that the passengers he carried were students and this consequently led to a hot argument between the Okada rider and the police

Ajimobi

officer, leading to his arrest. Dissatisfied with the arrest of their colleague, about 45 Okada operators mobilised themselves and stormed the police station, demanding the release of their colleague.

PDP members dissociate selves from SURE- P protest HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State yesterday distanced itself from the purported protest staged in Abuja over the choice of the chair-

man of the state implementation committee of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P). Speaking to journalists yesterday in Akure, the Chairman of the party in the state, Ebenezer Alabi, said the chairman of the

committee in the state, Adedayo Omolafe and other members of the committee representing each of the senatorial districts in the state were nominated by the party. Alabi said the representatives were nominated after a stakeholders’ meeting of the

party where the issue of the nomination was discussed. He listed the names of the nominees to include; Adedayo Omolafe, Charles Adeduro for Ondo Central senatorial district, Adewale Kukute for the South and Adenigba Akerele for the North senatorial district.

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Four held over Compass MD attack WALE FOLARIN OSOGBO

he Osun State Police Command says it has arrested four suspects in connection with the Monday attack on the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian Compass Newspaper, Mr. Sina Kawonise. According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Folashade Odoro, the suspects were arrested by a joint police and military team. The items recovered from the suspects, according to the statement, include one dane gun, four handsets and N58, 000. Kawonise, who was the immediate past Commissioner for Information and Orientation in Ogun State, was attacked on Monday night while returning from Akwa, the Anambra State capital, where he had gone to present a keynote address at the 17th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Anthropological and Sociologist. The police said Kawonise and others were attacked in a GMC Savana Bus marked Abuja BR 761 KUJ along Owena-Ilesa Road, Osun State. The others, according to the police statement, were Samsudeen Hammed, Yusuf Yaya from Adamawa State, Sunday Ayo from Osun State and Kowei Ebidubagha from Ogun State. It was, however, learnt that the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Kalafite Adeyemi, has visited the victims in hospital and the scene of the attack.

South West

Thursday, November 8, 2012

NDLEA arrests student with 1.535kg cocaine at MMIA A

Oyo governor hails state’s performance in WAEC

OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday announced the arrest of a student with drugs suspected to be cocaine at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The anti-narcotic agency said that the suspect was arrested with the 1.535kg drugs during checks at the airport. An online statement signed in Lagos by the agency’s spokesman, Mr. Mitchel Ofoyeju, stated that the 23-year-old student of Management Accounting was on his way to London aboard Aria Air before he was detected by officials attached to the airport. Ofoyeju said the suspect

ingested the drugs and had since completed the excretion of all the 92 pellets of the substances that tested positive to cocaine. Commenting on the arrest, the NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hams Omar, gave the name of the suspect as Chippie Godson Chieftain. According to him, the suspect was also found in possession of two tickets. Omar said: “Chippie presented a valid Ask ticket from Lagos to at the screening, but during search, a valid Aria ticket from Lagos to London was recovered in his luggage. “The Lone ticket was to divert attention from him, but besides having multiple tickets, he also tested positive for drug ingestion.” Investigations revealed that Chippie is a student

of Management Accounting at Walt Ham College, London where he had lived since 2009. He reportedly told NDLEA officials that he was recruited to smuggle drugs in his school in London. The suspect confessed that the barons promised to pay him £3,500 with which he intended to pay his tuition. He said: “I smuggled drugs against my wish because of my financial predicament. I was at a cross road and there was no help in view. They promised to pay me £3,500 and they also gave me two tickets as a safety measure. “They contacted me in my school in London and directed me to a man in Lagos. All travel expenses was paid and when I arrived Nigeria, they

Abubakar

took me to a hotel in Lagos where they gave me the drugs. I managed to ingest 92 wraps because I had no option. I regret my action”. The suspect hails from Boa in Ideally Local Government Area of Anambra State. The Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Aimed Grade, reiterated his call for members of the public to be strong-willed and resist temptations to make them traffic in drugs. “We have the keys to our success. Unless you agree, nobody can make you a drug trafficked. Those who lure this student into drug trafficking are not with him now. Those who come to you with drug trafficking offers do not wish you well, resist them” Grade said.

L-R: United States Consular-General, Mr. Jeffrey Hawkins; his wife, Annie; Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko and wife of Ekiti State Governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, during the US Mission’s Presidential Election Night Watch, where the governor’s wife spoke on “Setting a Political Agenda for Nigerian Women,” in Lagos on Tuesday.

Christmas: Ajimobi meets with CP over security

overnor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State yesterday met with the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu, stressing the need for the police to beef up security preparatory to the forth-

coming Christmas and New Year celebrations. Ajimobi, while speaking at the police headquarters in Eleiyele, Ibadan, reiterated his administration’s commitment to the security of lives and property of the people. He said that his visit was necessitated by the need to beef up security in the state, particularly as the Christmas and New Year celebrations were fast approaching. The governor said that the importance attached to security necessitated

the setting up of the joint security task force codenamed “Operation Burst.” Ajimobi described Oyo as an amalgam of various ethnic groups and hotbed of political activities in the South-West, saying that the state deserved adequate policing. The governor expressed his administration’s readiness to support the police in the areas of logistics and operational equipment to enhance the performance of security personnel. In his remarks, the Police Commissioner com-

mended Ajimobi for taking time to visit the command, assuring that his men would work assiduously for the success of the governor’s administration. Meanwhile, Governor Ajimobi has paid a sympathy visit to a member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Bamidele Ojo, at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Ojo, representing Ibadan South-East II, was shot by unidentified gunmen in Egbeda Local Government Area of the state, while his car was also snatched.

s against its 34th position in the May/June 2011 West African Examination Council (WAEC), the recently released results for this year has seen Oyo State jumping from its 34th to the 23rd position. This was disclosed by Governor Abiola Ajimobi yesterday at the Ibadan Grammar School during the launch of the maiden Ambassador Olusola Saanu’s Educational Support Foundation. According to the governor, the remarkable difference in the ranking table was achieved as a result of the government’s efforts at improving the state of education inherited by his administration. Ajimobi said though the feat was not the state’s desired position, his administration was determined to have Oyo ranked among the first three in Nigeria. According to him, the feat was a leap forward from the ranking inherited by his administration, even as he urged stakeholders to support the government towards developing education sector. He said the steady improvement recorded by the state in the WASC was as a result of the massive investment of government in education and its resolve to prioritize the sector. Ajimobi said the state established extension classes and unified Mock Examination to improve the performance of students, adding that it organised in-training for teachers in the public Primary and Secondary schools.

188 pilgrims depart Ekiti for Jerusalem ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

o fewer than 188 Christians yesterday departed Ado-Ekiti for Israel, Jerusalem, for the annual pilgrimage. Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, urged the pilgrims to pray for Nigeria and the state. Olayinka said at a special farewell church service organised for them in Ado-Ekiti yesterday that the state government’s involvement in

religious matters was an indication of Governor Kayode Fayemi’s interest in residents’ spiritual wellbeing. The deputy governor advised the pilgrims to be good ambassadors and showcase virtues of love, obedience and discipline. The virtues, according to her, would distinguish them as special people while in the Holy land. Chairman of the Ekiti State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, Chief Aaron Komolafe, urged them not to involve themselves in frivolities.

South-East

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Focus on agric, capacity building, CBN urges South-East DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

L-R: Chairman, NIEMET Plc, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa; Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Kingsley Muoghalu and Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, at the 2012 South East Economic Summit in Enugu, yesterday.

Appeal Court adjourns ruling on Ararume, Okorocha’s suit CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

he Appeal Court sitting in Owerri yesterday adjourned ruling on the suit brought against Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, candidate, Ifeanyi Ararume. After hearing arguments from counsel to the parties, the lead judge, Justice Hussain Mukhtar,

adjourned sine dine to allow for the resolution of all pending suits before the Supreme Court on the Imo State gubernatorial election. Counsel to Okorocha, Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), argued that, “the matter has been settled once at the Supreme Court, but suddenly we heard about the matter which is a pre-election matter.” He said the ACN came to the Appeal Court be-

cause “it is their constitutional right, but suddenly Ikedi Ohakim and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, filed application for leave to allow them to appear, but the same PDP was the petitioner against Okorocha in the Election Petitions Tribunal and that matter has been pursued up to the Supreme Court. “So, the same people came to be joined in the same matter and we said no. Based on the law that

was available to us at that time, we have appealed against that, so is the Appeal Court Election Petitions Tribunal. So, we are opposed to it.” However, counsel to Ararume, D. O. Madu, said “what has happened is that they said they have an appeal at the Supreme Court and they want the Appeal Court to await the judgement of the Supreme Court. There is no ruling really; nothing has been decided.”

No going back on LGs’ financial autonomy –Ekwunife DENNIS AGBO ENUGU

he member representing Anaocha/ Dunukofia/Njikoka Federal Constituency, Mrs. Uche Ekwunife, has reiterated the readiness of the National Assembly to pursue financial autonomy for the local government system in the ongoing constitution review. Ekwunife, who is the chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee

on Environment, said this while briefing her constituents in the United Kingdom. According to her, the National Assembly will ensure that the local government system gets financial autonomy to be able to meet the challenges facing it. She said: “There is no going back on the financial autonomy for local government system because it will, among other things, bring development to the

grassroots and the rural dwellers will feel the impact of democratic governance which President Goodluck Jonathan has brought to bear.” Ekwunife also urged Nigerians to learn from the presidential election of the United States, adding that the country and its leaders should be more interested in facing issues concerning governance instead of engaging in campaigns of character assassination. She said: “I want our

leaders and politicians to learn lesson from President Brack Obama and his closet rival, Mitt Romney, who engaged each other on campaign of issues and not what is obtainable in our democracy where our politicians engage each other in campaign of character assassination.” The lawmaker congratulated Obama on his re-election and praised the resilience of Americans for voting for candidates of their choice.

business model. Moghalu said the region seemed to have no interest in commercial banking space. According to him, out of the 440 active micro-finance banks in southern Nigeria, excluding Lagos, the SouthEast has only 164, all within the category of unity type MFBs that are only permitted to have just one office. He said: “All known and documented industrial evolutions were primarily driven with prudent use of credit. A lot has been achieved so far but much more opportunities abound. “As you are aware, the issues within the banking industry are being firmly addressed and with strong corporate governance and risk management structures. I believe ample opportunities exist in the area of regional banks.” On education and capacity building, Moghalu urged the region to raise the standard of education for capacity building of the leaders of tomorrow. He said it would be disastrous to continue to accept the challenges of education as fate and consign the future of the next generation to intellectual abyss. Moghalu charged the people to take business and entrepreneurial schools both in Lagos and Enugu seriously and take their advantages to avail themselves of modern strategy, management and leadership approaches.

outh-East must focus on agriculture, finance and industrial revolution, education and capacity building, if the region is desirous of attaining economic development and prosperity for its people. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Deputy Governor in charge of Finical System Stability, Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, gave the charge in Enugu yesterday, when he chaired the opening ceremony of the SouthEast Economic Summit that dwelt on harnessing the agricultural and industrial potentials of the region. Moghalu urged stakeholders in the zone to exploit the forum of the summit and rededicate themselves to long term strategies aimed at providing the necessary confidence building structures and environment conducive for attracting capital inflow for investment and support job-creating activities. He added that it was his hope that the governors of the region would use the actionable ideas generated from the three-day summit in policies of their different governments. On agriculture, the CBN deputy governor disclosed that the apex bank was reforming the banking system to refocus on its primary responsibilities of financial intermediation, especially lending to the real sector. He urged the South-East to tap from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture’s new policy of value chain it was doing in collaboration with the CBN, in approaching the challenges in the agriculture sector in a more pragmatic way to treat agriculture as a viable

CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi

He said: “Obama has done to Americans what his predecessors could not do during their own regimes. “Everyone knows Americans as war mongers in all parts of the world in which they have lost trillions of dollars, but Obama has, in his first term, ended all

the wars and perfected the check-mating of deadly terrorism menace in the world.” Saying that Obama is to the Americans what Goodluck Jonathan is to Nigerians, Ezeonwuka added that some leaders emerged as avatars to save and bring fortunes.

Youths celebrate Obama’s victory in Anambra NWABUEZE OKONKWO ONITSHA

bout 5,000 youths under the aegis of Association of Igbo Youths, AIYO, yesterday celebrated excitedly the reelection of Barak Obama as the 45th American president for the next four years.

Obama, the candidate of the Democrats, defeated his rival, Mitt Romney of the Republicans at the November 6 presidential election. The celebration, which commenced as early as 6 a.m. when the news of Obama’s victory filtered into town, took place at the Rojenny Tourists/Games

Village, Oba, Anambra State. The ceremony was organised by the Ogirishi Igbo and founder of AIYO, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, who is the proprietor of the Rojenny Games Village, Oba and head of Ogirishi Igbo Foundation. Addressing the youth,

Ezeonwuka recalled that he had predicted that Obama must win the election or else there would be no more America. Ezeonwuka said Obama’s emergence as America’s president in the first instance was a spiritual phenomenon and not accidental.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South South

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Robbers, others now claim to be ex-militants –Amnesty Office EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

he Presidential Amnesty Office yesterday said the recent protest in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State was not staged by genuine former militants. The spokesman of the Amnesty Office, Abuja, Daniel Alabrah, disclosed in a telephone interview with our correspondent that some of them did not even know the names of their camps in the creeks. Alabrah said some lazy people and armed robbers had turned themselves into former militants to claim allowance. Dismissing the protest, he said the security agencies were responsible for the approved list of former militants submitted by the Joint Military Task Force, JTF, and not the Amnesty Office. Alabrah, however, disclosed that the National Security Council would soon meet to decide the date the 3,642 former militants would embark on their demobilisation programme at Obubra, Cross River State.

He said: “Our job starts from the reintegration stage. The main stage is demobilisation where they engage in various skills. It is a kind of orientation programme for the former militants. We don’t have a third phase amnesty programme. “Why are they protesting? It is not even our issue. It is an issue for security agencies. The Joint Military Task Force only approved 3,642 former militants for the amnesty programme. They have not gone for demobilisation programme at Obubra, Cross River State. “It is not our problem, let them go and see the JTF. It is the security people who demobilise the former militants. They gave us the list that we work with. It is the list they gave to us that we work with. If you are a former militant and you went to surrender yours guns, the security agencies will check whatever you submitted. Why are they saying that they were included in the amnesty programme?

Re-open abandoned oil wells in A’Ibom, Akpabio begs FG

overnor Godswill Akpabio of has appealed to the Federal Government to reopen abandoned oil wells in three communities in Eastern Obolo Local Government Area of the state. About 32 oil wells located in Oko, Okoroette and Utapete communities were explored, sealed and abandoned 17 years ago by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, SDPC. Akpabio made the appeal on Tuesday when the Chairman of Eastern Obolo council, Hon. Francis Charles, and stakeholders from the communities making up the Utapete Oil Field paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Uyo. He said: “These oil wells were operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria 17 years ago, which have been locked up and now constitute a nuisance to and endanger the lives of the children of Eastern Obolo. “These oil wells are onshore. I appeal to the Federal Government to plead with Shell Petroleum De-

velopment Company and the Minister of Petroleum Resources to do everything possible to get the wells functional and reopened, so that business can enter into the towns; our children can have employment opportunities; our state can improve on onshore oil capacity and so that some industries would come to Eastern Obolo. “It is for the overall interest of Nigeria to improve on the daily production of oil; and I don’t see any reason why so many millions of barrels of oil would not come in those 17 years, and if we do not re-open them now, they could be locked up for another 17 years. “So, I want to work with the chairman, traditional rulers, stakeholders, immediate communities and Eastern Obolo as a whole to make sure that in the shortest possible time, the oil wells would spring up there. And I pray the resources that would come from there not be a curse but a blessing to the communities - bringing development, peace, harmony and not acrimony.”

Managing Director, Mike Adenuga Foundation, Mr Yomi Ogunbamowo (left) and Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, during the presentation of relief materials by the foundation to flood victims in the state.

Boundary dispute: Be on the alert, Dickson directs security agencies EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

ayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday asked security agencies to redouble their efforts in the area of surveillance on the waterways, especially in the Oluasiri axis in Nembe Local Government. Dickson said the stepping up surveillance in the coastal axis of the state would consolidate the exist-

ing peace in the state. The governor made the call in Yenagoa at the State Security Council meeting. He said this became imperative going by the current boundary dispute in Oluasiri territory. According to him, effective patrol of the coastal areas would help to check a possible breakdown of law and order. He said: “Bayelsa State has been consistently

rated as one of the most peaceful states in the country. The development was attributable to the gallant efforts of the various security agencies in the state.” The governor expressed confidence in the security agencies’ ability to continually combat crime, noting that there had been a significant reduction in cult and other criminal activities in the state. Dickson later received the new Commander of

the Forward Operations Base, Cape Formosa, Egweama, Brass, Navy Capt. Livingstone Izu and the state Comptroller of Prisons, Mr. John Mrabure. The governor paid glowing tributes to the officers, who left the state, Navy Capt. Aminu Hassan and Mr. E. J. Enwezor, for their meritorious service to the state and wished them well in their future endeavours

World Bank to invest $57.74m in Bayelsa EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

ayelsa State Government yesterday disclosed that the World Bank would invest $57.74 million for a period of five years. The investment, Governor Seriake Dickson said, would be under the Steering Committee of the World Bank Assisted State Employment and Expenditure for Result, SEEFOR, project. Dickson disclosed this in Yenagoa while inaugurating a 21-man committee.

He said the World Bank would assist Bayelsa State to the tune of $37.74 million while the state would get $20 million grant from the European Union. The committee headed by the Deputy Governor, John Jonah, is expected to convene every quarter to undertake some functions. Dickson said government had made an approval of N150 million as its counterpart funding to the project for the 2012 fiscal year. The governor added that the amount was government’s demonstration of its resolve to collaborate with

the World Bank on the project. He said: “The preparedness of the World Bank to assist the state is an attestation of the confidence the restoration agenda of my administration is building in foreign investors and international donors.” Dickson said SEEFOR Project Committee had the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of the state empowerment and expenditure for results projects financed by the World Bank. Describing the steering committee as the highest

policy-making body for the project in the state, the governor said SEEFOR projects would provide oversight functions. He said: “The committee has the mandate to review the implementation of the components of the projects and forward its analysis and conclusions to the national project coordinating unit as well as approve the annual work plans, budget and procurement plans for the state project.” Earlier, Jonah assured that they would accomplish their assignment.

Uduaghan offers flood victims ‘token pocket money’

elta State Government has said it would pay N5,000 to every adult affected by the flood and accommodated in various camps in the state. The government added that every child would receive N3,000 each. Governor Emmanuel

Uduaghan, who announced this at a meeting with political appointees, said the gesture was a “token pocket money” for those anxious to go back to their houses. Uduaghan said the committee inaugurated to work out modalities for the resettlement of the in-

ternally displaced persons, IDPs, had not submitted its report so the ultimate resettlement plan was yet to be unfolded. The governor also explained that once the committee submitted its report, the government would reach out to the victims and resettle them properly.

Uduaghan

North

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Minister to Nigerians: Report one guinea worm case, earn N25, 000 DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

inister for Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has challenged Nigerians to make money by exploiting the opportunity provided by his ministry’s offer of N25, 000 per one case of guinea worm reported. Chukwu described the policy as a deliberate effort by the Federal Government to wipe out guinea worm in the country, saying that the N25, 000 per report had no limit as one could report as many cases as possible. The minister, who spoke during a visit to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Gombe, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Centre in healthcare delivery. He said a lot had been achieved by the FMC for which its Chief Medical Director, Dr. Saidu Abubakar, received commendation. Chukwu said the Gombe FMC was among the first medical centres to establish sickle cell centre as well as many other specialised units. The feat, according to him, would go a long way to enhance healthcare delivery in Gombe State. The minister added that the policy of saving one million lives was to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG)’s health target. He said President Goodluck Jonathan believed and laid emphasis on good leadership because a lot of success could be achieved

through it for the betterment of the lives and well being of the citizenry. Chukwu, however, said that the six year National Health Plan could be adjusted at any stage because it is something that would need continuous improvement as it is being implemented. He said the President believed in the continuity of policies and programmes, imploring health workers to always be their best in whatever they are doing to save lives. The minister said: “The the issue of primary healthcare is a matter of top priority to the Federal Government and so the anticipated success in the area depends upon the performance of the FMC and others at state and local government levels. There is need for them to concentrate in specialised treatment to all classes of patients.” Chuckwu, however, lauded the investment of the Gombe State Government in healthcare delivery. He commended the government for the purchase of 11 specially built ambulances for the provision of emergency service in the state. According to the minister, the vision of Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo was aimed at enhancing robust healthcare delivery across the state. Ckuwku commissioned the 11 ambulances yesterday at the Gombe State Specialist Hospital. The ambulances were fitted with communication gadgets.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Gunmen kill two Chinese nationals in Borno

INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

unmen suspected to be members of a terrorist group yesterday invaded a Chinese Construction Camp known as CGC in Benesheik Local Government Area of Borno State and killed two of the company’s workers - Mr. Li and Mr. Yin. The gunmen also

snatched a vehicle belonging to the company. The incident, National Mirror learnt, occurred at about 7:30am. The five gunmen, armed with AK47 rifles, stormed the premises of the Chinese firm and forcibly pushed the Chinese nationals out before killing them. The victims’ belongings, including an unspecified amount of money, were also

carted away. This brings to four Chinese nationals killed in Borno State in the last one month. Beneshiek is about 96 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital, and the city is identified as a stronghold of the terrorists’ sect. When contacted, the Joint Task Force spokesman, Lt-Col. Sagir Musa, said he was not aware of

the incident, but a security source said: “At about 7:30am in Benisheikh town of Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, some suspected terrorists, armed with AK 47 rifles invaded the yard of a construction company and killed two Chinese nationals.” He added that the gunmen also snatched the company’s vehicle marked DT 932 GWA.

Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Kafur Local Government Area, Alhaji Nafi’u Kuringafa, selling grains to people at the launch of 3rd phase of sale of subsidised grains at Kafur in Katsina State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Labour plotting to destabilise my administration, Jang alleges JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

lateau State Governor Jonah Jang yesterday accused Labour leaders of plotting to destabilise his administration for allegedly refusing to suspend the strike embarked upon by local government workers. It will be recalled that primary school teachers and other local government workers have been on strike since June over the implementation of the N18 000 minimum wage. Speaking yesterday at Jishe Government Lodge while receiving the report of the 11-man elders’ negotiation committee set up by stakeholders to look into the problem of the minimum wage implementation, Governor Jang said it was wrong for the workers to continue the strike even when government had agreed to implement 55 per cent of the minimum wage.

According to him, to implement the minimum wage fully to the over 45,000 local government workers, the state would need N3.2 billion monthly. The governor said that the monthly subvention to the 17 local government areas stands at N1.7 billion, wondering why the Labour leaders failed to listen to the advice of the elders’ committee to suspend strike action.

Jang said from facts available to him, there was indiscipline in the state civil service, warning that his administration would not allow anyone to hold the state hostage. He wondered why teachers who had stayed away from work for six months still wanted the arrears of those six months paid. The governor said the fraudulent practices in the

state civil service and local government level must be checked.

A ZA MSUE

confronting the country. The women also called on terrorist to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue offered by the Federal Government. They prayed for peace in the country. They also prayed for those who have died and the injured as a result of the recent bomb blast in St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Kaduna. The woman prayed for all victims of violence in Nigeria and for a change of heart of the masterminds of the crisis. In an address to Kaduna State Governor Patrick Ya-

kowa, IFMCWA General Co-ordinator, Rev. Sister Kathleen McGarvey Ola; Muslim Co-ordinator, Hajia Amina Kazaure and Christian Co-ordinator, Mrs. Comfort Fearon, said the Forum would work together in the peace-building process of the state. “We have gathered today to join our voices in prayer and supplication to God, our creator, to entrust our lives and our country into His care and to beseech Him to bring peace to our land,” they said.

Jang

Women seek God’s intervention over nation’s insecurity KADUNA

group under the auspices of Interfaith Forum of Muslim and Christian Women’s Associations (IFMCWA) yesterday prayed against terrorism in the country. The venue was Women Multipurpose Hall, Kaduna. The programme was entitled: “Interfaith Solidarity Prayer for Nigeria.” The prayer warriors appealed for God’s intervention against the insecurity

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Why NASS should probe River Niger dredging – Eradiri

PDP, ANPP disagree on Obama’s victory OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

he victory of President Barak Obama in Tuesday’s presidential election has pitched leading political parties in Nigeria against one another, as both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) differ on the significance of the

victory. While the PDP thinks that attitudinal change of Nigerian politicians will change a lot in the development of Nigerian democracy, the ANPP thinks that transparency in the conduct of election will achieve the desired result. The PDP also appealed to Nigerian politicians to emulate the attitude of the Republican candidate Mr.

Mitt Romney, who swiftly congratulated Obama after he was declared winner. Reacting to the election of Obama and the Democratic Party in the U.S, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh said: “The swift manner of congratulations and the graceful conduct of the defeated candidate is a shining example of patriotism and

submission to the overall will of the people.” This act, according to the PDP is one of the elements that have made America’s democracy the envy of all nations. Metuh urged Nigerian politicians to take a cue from this saying: “The greatest threat to the stability of our democracy is the reckless bickering that happens after elections in

Nigeria. “A lot of time and energy is decimated on frivolous legal suits and the pursuit of bitterness which indeed affects valuable time for the delivery of electoral promises.” But National Chairman of the ANPP, Ogbonnaya Onu, said defeated candidates can only congratulate a winner only in a situation where elections are conducted under transparent atmosphere and that there would not be any need for tribunal.

He said: “It has been done in United States, it has been done in our neighbouring countries where elections were won with very large margins and yet nobody went to court just because everybody was convinced that the elections were free and fair and these helps the nation to channel her efforts to nation building instead of the acrimony, the tension that would arise because people feel they were cheated or that they were no justice.”

Appeal Court reserves ruling on Airhiavbere’s petition sine die SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN CITY

Romney’s campaign headquarters after the declaration of results.

Igboka demands reimbursement of N8m from PPA CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

he embattled Anambra State Chairman of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Frank-Anthony Igboka has urged the national leadership of the party, to reimburse him the sum of N8 million, which he claimed was part of the money used in running the affairs of the party in Anambra during his tenure. Speaking to journalists in Awka, on the current state of affairs in the Anambra chapter of the PPA, Igboka said the money was used to run the party in the state after the national office abandoned its affairs to him since 2010 when he took over as

the chairman. He stated that it is appropriate that the national leadership of the party pay him the debt before considering changing the Anambra State Executive Committee of the party. He said: “I must recover every money I have spent for the party,” adding that he was not surprised that the national executive of the party has elected a new executive for the party for Anambra, as they take delight in using and dumping chairmen. He described the PPA as an opportunist party which does not cater for the interest of its members, saying: “They are coming to Anambra again because the governorship election is at hand, I am

not surprised, but one thing I can tell them is that I will get every kobo they owe me.” He stated that the issue of who was the State chairman of the party is

already a matter in court, adding that it was unfair for the leadership of the party to announce his removal from office, without resolving the court dispute.

he legal battle between Governor Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and MajorGeneral Charles Airhiavbere (rtd), candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the July 14, governorship election in Edo State, shifted to the Appeal Court in Benin City yesterday. The appellate court, presided by Justice H.M. Ogunmiju and assisted by Justices S. Yakubu and T.O. Awotoye, listened to arguments and counterarguments from all the parties before reserving judgment or indefinitely

National Mirror reliably learnt that the date for the ruling would be communicated to the parties. Airhiavbere had gone to the appellate court, seeking a declaration that the issue of Oshiomhole’s educational qualification is a matter, which the lower tribunal must reassume jurisdiction over, after dismissing it last month. On the other hand, Oshiomhole counter-appealed Airhiavbere’s appeal, seeking to quash the remaining reliefs sought by the appellant at the tribunal, basing his counterappeal on the ground that the issue of qualification had already been determined by the tribunal.

Conduct council polls, ACN tells Mimiko OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

he Ondo State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has called on Governor Olusegun Mimiko to democratise local government administration in the state by conducting election into the 18 local government councils. The ACN, which asked Mimiko to stop running the local governments

like his personal estate, added that it was appalled that the he had refused to conduct local government election for almost four years. Speaking yesterday through its Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy, Idowu Ajanaku, the ACN said: “We feel that this is not only barbaric but a surprise that a beneficiary of the democratic struggle will lend itself to such undemocratic tendency with im-

punity. “We therefore call on Mimiko to immediately commence the democratisation of the local government administration by conducting election within three months failure, of which we have no choice than to seek judicial intervention.” Describing the recent sacking of nine caretaker committee chairmen by the state House of Assembly as not only a ploy to deceive the people

but an attempt to cover up what it described as nefarious activities at the local governments, the ACN alleged that Mimiko spurred the House into the purported sack, citing cases of mismanagement of funds, a development which the party said confirmed the fears that the local government appointees have become the conduit pipe through which the state funds have been frittered away.

Politics

Republican Mitt Romney has conceded victory to President Barack Obama in the Tuesday election. This is Romney’s concession speech.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

I wished I’d been able to lead America – Romney I SO WISH THAT

I HAD BEEN ABLE

hank you, my friends. Thank you so very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters. This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation. I want to thank Paul Ryan for all that he has done for our campaign. And for our country. Besides my wife, Ann, Paul is the best choice I’ve ever made. And I trust that his intellect and his hard work and his commitment to principle will continue to contribute to the good of our nation. I also want to thank Ann, the love of my life. She would have been a wonderful first lady. She is, she has been that and more to me and to our family and to the many people that she has touched with her

TO FULFIL YOUR HOPES TO LEAD THE COUNTRY IN A DIFFERENT

DIRECTION, BUT THE NATION CHOSE ANOTHER LEADER

Romney

compassion and her care. I thank my sons for their tireless work on behalf of the campaign, and thank their wives and children for taking up the slack as their husbands and dads have spent so many weeks away from home. I want to thank Matt Rhoades

and the dedicated campaign team he led. They have made an extraordinary effort not just for me, but also for the country that we love. And to you here tonight, and to the team across the country – the volunteers, the fundraisers, the donors, the surrogates – I don’t

Jonathan, world leaders congratulate Obama CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 raised between the two countries. In pre-election poll, Pakistanis had pitched their tent with Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential nominee. British Prime Minister, David Cameron, speaking while on a visit to Syrian refugee on the Jordanian border said: “One of the first things I want to talk to Barack about is how we must do more to try and solve this crisis (in Syria). Above all, congratulations to Barack. I’ve enjoyed working with him, I think he’s a very successful U.S. president and I look forward to working with him in the future. French President Francois Hollande, while congratulating Obama said: “Your re-election is a clear choice in favour of an America that is open, unified, completely engaged in the international scene and conscious of the challenges facing our planet: peace, the economy and the environment.” In a congratulatory message to Obama, Pope Benedict XVI, speaking through Vatican spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, expressed the hope that “ideals of liberty and justice, which guided the founders of the U.S.A., may

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

continue to shine on the road ahead for the nation.” While also warmly congratulating Obama on his resounding victory, the United Nations said Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon looks forward to continuing to work with the Obama administration on the many global challenges ahead that range “from ending the bloodshed in Syria, to getting the Middle East peace process back on track, to promoting sustainable development and tackling the challenges posed by climate change.” To the Italian Prime Minister, Mario Monti, “the trust that the American people wanted to renew in you will allow the international community, Europe and Italy to benefit from your leadership without interruptions. ... With your confirmation at the White House, Italy knows it can count on a strong and united America.” Former US Vice President and Democratic Party candidate for 2000 presidential election, Al Gore expressed happiness with the American electorate, saying: “The Republican party can’t continue to contest national elections by taking positions that drive His-

panics away.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau, who has had a strained relationship with Obama over Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, pledged to “continue to work with President Obama to preserve the strategic interests of Israel’s citizens.” Calling for a new start to USRussia relations and congratulating Obama on his victory, the chairman of the Russian Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Alexei Pushkov said: “If both parties try to overcome the accumulated distrust and turn over a new leaf, if America comes to realize that it needs to work with Vladimir Putin instead of thinking that it doesn’t like the Russia that we live in, then we could achieve results.” The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte said: “I think Obama is a man eminently capable of building bridges between the Democrats and Republicans. And if you look at the challenges ahead for America — bringing down unemployment, getting the economy going again, strengthening the political and trade relationships with Europe and Asia — there are plenty of reasons to do so.”

believe that there’s ever been an effort in our party that can compare with what you have done over these past years. Thank you so very much. Thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and appearances, for the resources and for the prayers. You gave deeply from yourselves and performed magnificently. And you inspired us and you humbled us. You’ve been the very best we could have imagined. The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens also have to

rise to the occasion. We look to our teachers and professors, we count on you not just to teach, but to inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery. We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counsellors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our society is built: honesty, charity, integrity and family. We look to our parents, for in the final analysis everything depends on the success of our homes. We look to job creators of all kinds. We’re counting on you to invest, to hire, to step forward. And we look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics. I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. And I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to renewed greatness. Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign. I so wish – I so wish that I had been able to fulfil your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation. Thank you, and God bless America. You guys are the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks, guys.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

POPULAR VOTES AS AT 9PM WEDNESDAY New Jersey (14)

58%

1,923,319

41%

1,360,305

New Mexico (5)

53%

1,923,319

43%

331,645

New York (29)

63%

3,861,626

36%

2,211,131

North Carolina (15)

48%

2,175,732

51%

2,272,594

North Dakota (3)

39%

124,490

59%

187,586

Ohio (18)

50%

2,683,690

48%

2,582,931

Oklahoma (7)

33%

442,647

67%

889,372

Oregon (7)

53%

814,004

44%

671,133

Pennsylvania (20)

52%

2,894,607

45%

2,610,572

Rhode Island (4)

63%

263,472

35%

147,091

South Carolina (9)

44%

825,194

55%

1,029,835

South Dakota (3)

40%

144,983

58%

210,539

Tennessee (11)

39%

951,406

59%

1,450,595

Texas (38)

41%

3,294,440

57%

4,555,799

Utah (6)

25%

229,463

73%

671,747

Vermont (3)

67%

192,561

31%

89,816

Virginia (13)

51%

1,874,273

48%

1,765,390

Washington (12)

55%

1,062,561

43%

822,611

Washington D.C. (3)

91%

222,332

17,337

West Virginia (5)

36%

234,985

62%

412,406

Wisconsin (10)

53%

1,612,527

46%

1,488,681

Wyoming (3)

28%

68,780

69%

170,265

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Politics

Why NASS should probe River Niger dredging – Eradiri

ment to the affected states being channelled to areas that will alleviate the sufferings of the displaced persons? It was a good a step but the fear is that the man in a cosy office in Abuja will not understand the pain of those submerged by the flood. They are supposed to go round and meet with the people who were affected by the flood. If you pick people who are in air-conditioned offices to manage the fund, they will only be making money and new friends. I guarantee you that 90 per cent of the money will go into private pockets, which already is the case. Where is the over N1 billion spent by NEMA; where is the over N2 billion spent by the Ministry of Works; which of the roads were repaired?

Niger Delta activist and former Secretary General of the Ijaw Youths Council, Udengs Eradiri in this interview with FELIX NWANERI, speaks on the recent flood that ravaged some parts the country, calling on the National Assembly to probe the dredging of the River Niger, as reasons for the project have been defeated. How do you see the flood that ravaged several states across the country against the backdrop of the huge funds expended by the Federal Government on the River Niger dredging project? Owing to the flood that recently ravaged the country, especially Baleysa, Rivers, Anambra, Imo, Benue and Kogi states, one begins to wonder if there was any need to dredge the River Niger in the first place. The reasons the Federal Government cited then were the excess sand in the river; navigational purposes and mostly, to forestall flooding that could damage lives and property of those living along the bank of the river. Agreed that flood is a natural occurrence and that no one has control over it, the government should have equally taken some actions that would have curtailed or checked the extent of the damage. The government said there was so much sand in the river and that flooding, as a result of it, could lead to destruction of lives and property. The government also added navigational purposes, for goods to be able to move from the South to the North Central part of Nigeria as part of the reasons for the project. Over N30 billion was budgeted and the fraudulent dredging began. But, if you are dredging, the essence is to remove excess sand from the River Niger channel and the sand dumped somewhere. We are saying that we should be shown where the sand was dumped. The people were dredging and discharging the sand into the river at the same time. There was no measure to ascertain the quantity of sand removed as there was nothing visible to that effect and yet, over N30 billion was paid to the contractors.

What then should be the next step by the government? I call on the National Assembly to swing into action and probe the project just as they probed the petroleum sector. This is necessary because lives have been lost, including property and farm lands. I grew up in the Niger Delta and we have been seeing flood, it’s a yearly thing, but we have not seen anyone this magnitude. How can we say that the River Niger has been dredged when the amount of sand in it is unimaginable; you can practically walk across the river at the moment without sinking. They deceived Nigerians and carted away our money, ontinue from Page 3 so the National Assembly should live up to the responsibility of probing them. If we had dredged that river, there would be enough space for the water to channel its movement and the flood wouldn’t have been as massive and destructive as we witnessed. While we are calling for the probe, we also call for the revocation of the contract for the East-West road from Setraco Engineering. As I speak to you, people can no longer move from one place to the other in the Niger Delta because the road is in a bad shape. What is your assessment of the response of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to the crisis? First of all I want to question NEMA operations. I have been to some of the affected communities and

Eradiri

OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS ARE OF THE VIEW THAT WE HAVE IT ALL BECAUSE JONATHAN IS IN

POWER, BUT IF WE CAN’T HAVE THE EAST-WEST ROAD WHICH

EVERYONE MAKES USE OF, THEN IT IS A GOOD EYE OPENER TO THOSE WHO HAVE THAT BELIEF found out that to be able to evacuate those who are stranded, you need special vehicles and it is only military trucks that can assess the areas. NEMA is not prepared they are only interested in the funds, we have not seen them with relief materials and we have complained to the appropriate authorities. I stand to be corrected on this. NEMA should show us the video tapes of the communities they have visited and in which they actually distributed relief materials. The agency, to me, lacks the capacity to rescue the victims, as it doesn’t have the adequate tools. You only see its officials wearing vests, showing NEMA without tools and they claim they are on ground. We are bitter as a people and we are trying to express our grievances. The same goes for the Ministry of Works, which says it has spent about N2 billion on road repairs. I ask; which roads? Is it not the responsibility of the ministry to maintain roads in Nigeria? The President has to make sure that the East-West road is completed because after his tenure, he will return home. He should, despite his busy schedule, go round and see what is happening in his state. Look at our airport, it is in bad shape, some people in the Niger Delta feel that the Ijaw people have got it all, but that is not the case. Do you see the funds released by the Federal Govern-

What exactly is the problem with the East-West road that has made it difficult for it to be completed years after its contract was awarded? The Ministry of Works has been lying to the President that it is working. For over one year, we have not seen the presence of Setraco on that road. That is why I insist that the President should intervene in the matter, because I do not see him folding his arms and watch all that is going on, when he knows that he will take the same road to his village, except he is not from the area. The problem is that anytime he wants to take the road, they will advise him not to; that his enemies are after him. That’s not true; people actually want to see him take the roads. The President should stop using a helicopter to his village. He should drive through the roads and feel the pains of the Niger Delta people. He should also stop relying on pseudo security reports aimed at extorting money from him. Hundreds of our people have lost their lives on that road. U.S. President, Barack Obama is the ‘most wanted president’ in the world, but he goes to crises prone areas like Afghanistan and Iraq. So, President Jonathan must make time out of his busy schedule and go round the region to know what is happening. Other ethnic groups are of the view that we have it all because Jonathan is in power, but if we can’t have the East-West road which everyone makes use of, then it is a good eye opener to those who have that belief. You donated some relief materials to the flood victims recently, what influenced it? I couldn’t sit down and watch the people undergo such suffering; little children crying for food. There are over 500,000 people in relief camps in Bayelsa State alone. The government cannot handle the situation alone, so I am using this medium to call on other well meaning Nigerians who share their pain to equally contribute towards assisting them. We should not allow our people to die because the government has refused to provide succour. My community is under siege, everybody in my community right now is a refugee. So, even a bag of rice will go a long way in helping out. It is painful to watch Nigerians turn to refugees in their own country. The damage is colossal and we are in for tougher times because apart from lives and property that have been destroyed, farms have been washed away and the question is: what is the government’s plan B? Our crops are gone, this is the time when the Federal Government should shun political inclination and look at ways to solve our people’s problems. The flood didn’t discriminate between members of the ruling party and those of the opposition. Also, accidents on our roads don’t consider who belongs to a certain party, it could be anyone. How do we avert this kind of disaster in future? Let us have a master plan and invite experts to come and study the pattern of the flood, so that during the dry season we will start construction of canals, open up the water ways, so that by the time the raining season comes next year, the excess water will have easy passage. This is also the time to begin the proper dredging of the River Niger.

National News

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insecurity: Gunmen kill bishop in Delta SOLA ADEBAYO WARRI

he leader of the Voice of Faith Christian Church, Effurun, Delta State, Bishop Sylvanus Kenerekedi, was on Tuesday killed by gunmen. It was gathered that Kenerekede lost his life in a kidnap attempt in Agbarho, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state. Kenerekedi was consecrated bishop by the leader of the Church of God Mis-

sion, Arch-Bishop Margaret Idahosa in May, 2012, in an event attended by the creme-de-la-creme of the society in the oil city. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, who attended the consecration ceremony, worships in the church. Kenerekedi, a top member of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) was on his way from Ughelli, the headquarters of Ughelli North LGA, where he had joined his colleagues to provide relief

materials to the victims of the recent flood disaster, before his tragic end. National Mirror gathered that the bishop was accosted by the gunmen at Agbarho between 7:30pm and 8:00pm on Tuesday night. Reliable sources in his church, located off Isoko Estate Road, Effurun, told our correspondent that the bandits, who blocked the deceased’s Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) ordered the driver to surrender the key and join his boss at the back

seat of the car. The driver was reported to have obeyed the hoodlums. The gunmen thereafter sandwiched the bishop and the driver at the rear seat of the SUV until the deceased wrestled with one of the hoodlums, apparently in a plot to escape. The action ostensibly angered the hoodlums, as one of them reportedly shot him at close range. It was learnt that the bishop was later confirmed dead at a medical centre.

To this end, his fate has thrown the Christian community, especially the PFN, in the state into mourning. State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Charles Muka, confirmed the report in a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday. Muka, a deputy superintendent of police, said the command has commenced investigation into the dastardly act, adding that investigation would unravel the cause and motive of the action.

N2.7bn subsidy scam: Group seeks Finance Minister’s sack TOLA AKINMUTIMI, OBIORA IFOH AND OLUFEMI ADEOSUN

usiness activities at the Ministry of Finance were grounded for hours yesterday as a group under the auspices of the AntiCorruption Network staged a protest asking for the resignation of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as minister for allegedly paying a fictitious company N2.7 billion subsidy claim. The group also alleged that the minister breached the Appropriation Law by her failure to release funds for the implementation of capital projects, a situation it said had led to less than 50 per cent budget implementation. Addressing the protesters, the Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Network, Hon, Dino Melaye, raised a litany of allegations against the minister, who is also the Coordinating minister for the economy. Responding, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Danladi Kifasi, urged the group to document its allegation in writing for onward delivery to the minister, whom he said was at the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the time of the protest. He, however, absolved the ministry of any underhand dealings, explaining that the ministry is subject to the regulation by the National Assembly.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (left) and members of the State Executive Council during an inspection tour of the ongoing new Oyingbo Market, as part of a Statewide Project Inspection Tour, on Tuesday.

Police grill Fayemi’s aide, others over attacks on Fayose ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI

he police in Ekiti State have invited the Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Deji Adesokan and two other persons for interrogation over allegation of his involvement in the recent attacks on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. The others were an official of the Ekiti State Traffic Management Authority, Mr. Richard Apolola and the leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the state, Mr. Niyi Adedipe. The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Mr. Sulaiman Isah, who invited them, was said to have grilled them for hours. The invitation was said to be consequent upon series of petitions and complaints by PDP lead-

ers linking the trio with attacks on their party members. The governor’s aide told journalists on phone yesterday that he was invited by the police. He said all the allegations levelled against him were false, adding that he was somewhere else when the attack on PDP members in Oye-Ekiti took place last week.

According to him, it was his phone that was used to contact the police when the Ilawe-Ekiti trouble broke out last Tuesday. It will be recalled that the meetings of Ayodele Fayose Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were disrupted last week in various Ekiti communities. The communities include Oye Ekiti, Ilawe Ekiti

and Ikere Ekiti. The PDP had alleged that the attacks were masterminded by the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), an allegation the party had debunked. In a related development, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Sotonye Wakama, is currently at the Force Headquarters to brief his seniors on the situation in the state.

PenCom lists barriers to pension funds investments OMOBOLA TOLU-KUSIMO

ack of clarity on investment opportunities, non-availability of investment instruments and negative perception of risks in infrastructure investments forms major barriers to pension fund investment in infrastructure, the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Mr. Muhammed Ahmad, has said. Ahmad said this at a stakeholders’ forum on Nigeria’s pension system with the theme; “Investing Pension Funds for Economic Development,” held in Lagos. He stated other barriers to investment as lack of expertise in the infrastructure sector; short term investments; lack of clear valuation of infrastructure projects and lack of clear benchmarks. Ahmad, who made it clear that pension fund is not a development fund, said that the commission is not against investment in government bond, but is concerned about fair returns and security of the funds. Speaking on the way forward for the investment of pension funds and long term financing for the economic development in Nigeria, Ahmad said the regulatory and supervisory framework has to be enhanced. He said there is also the need to, “Simplify and streamline processes for corporate debt issuance and approval, fast track the enactment of the law to back security of assets, provide sustainable and reasonable concessions on a holistic basis for infrastructure projects and investment funds and for there to be general awareness campaigns, particularly for the business community.

Reps ask Jonathan to submit revenue formula to NASS TORDUE SALEM ABUJA

he House of Representatives has called on President Goodluck Jonathan, through the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to submit the next revenue allocation for all the tiers of government to the National Assembly. The resolution came

after the Green Chamber passed a motion by Hon. Aliyu Madaki. Leading the debate, Madaki noted that section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution provided that, the President, upon receipt of advice from RMAFC, should table before the National Assembly, the proposals for allocation from the federation account. According to him, the third schedule of the constitution allowed for the

review of existing revenue formula and principles in operation to ensure conformity with changing realities. He noted that the existing revenue formula in use was the “Allocation on Revenue Federation Account moderation order 2002. “The existing revenue formula modification order 2002 has been modified twice without the inputs of the National Assembly,” he said.

He alleged that the RMAFC was yet to meet that constitutional responsibility in line with section 162 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

President Jonathan

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Views

Thursday, November 8, 2012

The onslaught on Okada operators MANY UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES OPERATE

EXISTENTIAL HUMANISM

OKADA AS STOP GAP MEASURE PENDING

FRY

WHEN GOOD FORTUNE

NDUBUISI fryndubuisi@nationalmirroronline.net (08023016709 SMS only)

kada riders have been in the eye of the storm for a while now. Authorities all over the country have seen the business in bad light stressing basically its negative indices .The operators have been associated with all kinds of crimes from robbery to kidnapping .Their business has been in running battle with most state governments in the federation. For instance, in Imo State, commercial motorcyclists are not allowed to operate in Owerri metropolitan area. The same is applicable in Umuahia, the Abia state capital. The Lagos State Government is the latest addition to the war against Okada riders. This has been expected for a while now. It was therefore not a surprise when the Fashola administration brushed aside all criticisms, while insisting on banning them from the Lagos metropolis. It was a great shock to those who have made the business their means of livelihood and transpoartation.The move expectedly elicited violent protest from the opera-

WILL SMILE ON THEM tors, resulting in the destruction of government property, including BRT buses. The operators showed no sign of retreat as the union re-grouped at the Gani Fawenhinmi Freedom Square, Ojota for further protest. They were however stopped by the police,even as the union has gone to court to restrain the government from interfering with their means of livelihood . The Fashola administration on its part has stated without equivocation, that there is no going back on its action, despite the criticisms that have trailed the ban. The arguments of many Nigerians is that the ban is coming at the most inauspicious time when economic hardship is biting hard and forcing many able Nigerians including graduates, into operating commercial motorcycles. The ban it is reasoned has potentials to increase the rate of crimes in the country, as many may be forced into it due to social and economic pressures. Justifying the ban, the government contended that the bulk of criminal activities

in the state are perpetrated by Okada riders. That between July and September 22, this year, 30 armed robbery incidents in the state were carried out by Okada riders. This is in addition to the number of deaths caused by the reckless operation of the riders. It stated that 619 people have either been killed or maimed by Okada riders in the past two years. Investigations by the State Planning and Research Department of the transport sector show a startling level of human carnage and accidents connected with Okada riders. The boom in motor cycle transportation is a creation of circumstance. It became popular as result of economic downturn in the country. It turned out to be an alternative and cheap way of transportation, as well as means of employment for unemployed youths. In a place such as Lagos, the business generates thousands of jobs. The story is the same all over the country. And surprisingly, you find both illiterates and the very educated in the business. Many unemployed graduates operate Okada as stop gap measure pending when good fortune will smile on them .It is a fact that many breadwinners are into it, as the proceeds are used for taking care of house rents, feeding, school fees and health care. Okada business is really a big succour for many who live in the midst of a lethargic government. It is no longer news that many businesses, from small to medium scale have collapsed amidst harsh economic conditions compounded by power

outage. The situation is made worse by the fact that the government does not in way assist anyone that requires genuine assistance for self reliance. The situation calls for concern and for proper exigencies and action. A rash action as it seems to be the case could boomerang. It is a fact that some avoidable deaths have been caused by Okada riders; it is also a fact that many criminals use motorcycles as a fast and cheap way of committing crime. But it is also a fact that criminals make use of fast cars in their nefarious acts. There is no government that will close its eyes in the midst of avoidable deaths. It is also the duty of the state to checkmate the rate of crimes in the state. But it is important not to create serious social and economic problems in the bid to solve another.The government should be careful to avoid throwing away the baby with the bath water. Okada riders who are victims of the economic crises in the country exploited the precarious transportation system in urban areas to make a living. If their activities have become a source of concern to the state, it is important they should be phased out gradually. But before this is done, it is important to create something for them in return. They are also bona fide members of society and so have a right to live and make a living. Professor Ndubuisi, an attorney at Law is of the Dept. of Philosophy, UNILAG

US elections: Lessons from American democracy

y the time this piece is read, the results of the American presidential elections would have been known. Many political analysts believe that while Barack Obama might not post a landslide by making a “mince-Mitt” of Romney as he did to Mc Cain in 2008, he is nonetheless favoured to win. Be that as it may, it needs to be stated though, that this piece is not about who won or lost between the Democratic incumbent and his Republican counterpart, but about what we can learn from the American democratic tradition. The modern democracy, anchored on the principle of elective representation via multiparty political dynamism resulting in periodic election by universal adult suffrage, is one of the best aspects of human civilisation. The practice which started in ancient Greece had undergone evolutionary changes, having substantively attained its modern character back in 1755 with the short-lived Corsican Republic. The modern leader in this human convention is no other country than United States, which today is a paragon of democratic excellence. Granted that democracy is foreign to Africa as our traditional political administration reflected principles of theocracy, gerontocracy, oligarchy and aristocracy more than those of liberal democracy, but since we inherited the democratic tradition as a legacy of colonialism, and having realised that it has proved to be the durable, time-tested and the best form of government ever invented by humans, nothing stops us from making same an abiding culture, progressively improved

upon through collective experience. Unfortunately, we have not been able, through our national character, to uphold the acceptable, not to talk of the best, tenets of democratic civilisation. Ironically, we paid lip service to the concept while basest, unwitting and primordial propensities drive our putative democratic processes. We started active democracy through the internal self-government in 1957, using the parliamentary system of government. In 1979, we adopted the American presidential system and have operated same, (or what we pretend to be the same) till today. Yet our so-called home- grown democracy is a far cry from what is obtainable from the global leaders of democracy we claim to pattern our system after. Using United States which has just concluded a general election as an example, how do we measure up? Election here is like a war, not an ideological war but a physical one. When I first saw the pictures of soldiers, police and other security personnel like the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC) deployed in Ondo State for the governorship elections on front pages of some national dailies, I exclaimed “Ah! Has Nigeria finally decided to go to war with Cameroon over the Bakkassi peninsular?” It was not until I read the captions, that I realised they were meant for local election. Can’t our elections ever be organised peacefully without the open use of force? In America, moneybags don’t install candidates in offices in defiance of the powers of the electorate. You can be sure that the results of American elections are the actual reflections of the wishes of the elector-

AS AMERICANS WENT TO THE POLL, WE ARE YET TO HEAR OF

DISTRIBUTION OF RICE,

KAYODE

KETEFE

GARRI, OR RECHARGE CARDS

ate. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of many, (some people would say most) of our elections here. Over there, power of incumbency counts but little, here it makes all the difference. The laws are in the US to check arbitrary and unconscionable use of state resources to promote selfish political agenda by the incumbent; here it is considered a weakness not to employ the state apparatus, including the radio and television stations, both to sing the praises of incumbents to the highest heavens and to run down opponents. What about widespread use of money in politicking. In Nigeria if you are not very rich or sponsored by the super rich, you would find it difficult to be nominated let alone winning election. The followers have their own blame, as there are many who will not show the slightest interest in the electoral process unless they collect money from candidates. Politics in America is seen as a civic duty, so people themselves are not waiting to be “mobilised” with pecuniary handouts before they could go and exercise their responsibility. As Americans went to the poll, we are yet to hear of distribution of rice, garri,

kketefe@nationalmirroronline.net 08032147720 (SMS only)

or recharge cards. An average voter over there would feel insulted if you seek to buy his or her votes with a bushel or two of rice. Their democratic institutions are clean and vibrant. The court of law for instance, is not encumbered with obsolete electoral laws that would still be interpreted by partisan judges. The judicial officers are free and impartial and could be relied upon to intervene fairly if ever the need arises. In the United States, 85 per cent of all election results are not contested in courts like in ours. There is nothing wrong in going to court, but where preponderant majority of elections end up before election petitions tribunals, it speaks volume of the electoral system itself. Who said we don’t have much to learn from America? Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.netmirrorlagos@ 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

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

STEVE AYORINDE

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HEAD, GRAPHICS

$180m Halliburton bribe scandal: Another $26.5m missing

he meat of the Halliburton bribe scandal blew open in 2010 when a former presidential aide, Bodunde Adeyanju, then standing trial before an Abuja Federal High Court on a six-count charge in connection with the $180 million sleaze, allegedly made a confessional statement to the police in which he gave graphic details of how the money exchanged hands. The suspect was also accused of accepting cash payment of N140 million from an official of Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, a construction giant in the country. Jeffery Tesler, a Halliburton official, among others, who had for long been tried and jailed in the United States, the home state of Halliburton, for being involved in the scandal, mentioned the names of Nigerian government officials who benefitted from the Halliburton bribes meant to facilitate the company’s access to Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) contracts. According to Tesler, Halliburton, through him, used Julius Berger as a front to distribute the bribe money. One thing, however, led to another and the Federal Government, which earlier instituted a case in court against Julius Berger for its complicity in the scandal, withdrew the charges against Berger following a ‘mutual agreement’ (plea bargain)

between the government and the construction company. Berger, according to reports, paid $26.5 million (about N4.24 billion) to the FG to save its neck. But, alas, even the $26.5 million plea bargain money is now said to be missing, while all manner of cock and bull stories are being told as to the whereabouts of the money. Some claim it is with the Accountant-General of the Federation, others allege that the Attorney-General of the Federation took custody of the fund. President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation to locate the missing $26.5 million soonest, and had directed the police to re-arrest the principal suspects in the $180 million bribery scandal which involved many prominent Nigerians for prosecution. It is, nonetheless, obvious that the Presidency woke up from its slumber following America’s diplomatic rejection of FG’s request that about $130 million (fallout of the bribe scandal) presently held up in the US be returned to Nigeria, except the FG prosecutes Nigerian officials implicated in the scandal, like America has done, as well as accounts for the missing $26.5 million Berger plea bargain money, which suggests that until a few weeks ago, the FG never knew that the $26.5

THOSE BEHIND THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE

$26.5 MILLION

DESERVE AS MUCH PUNISHMENT AS THE MAIN CULPRITS OF THE BRIBERY

SCAM, AND SHOULD LIKEWISE BE PROSECUTED IF TRULY CULPABLE million had developed wings. It is also not unlikely that the president’s marching orders that the missing money be located and the culprits of the Halliburton scandal be rearrested for prosecution could be mere grandstanding meant to convince the outside world that FG’s anti-graft war is effective and working, when back home, Nigerians know pretty well that the cancerous sore that has ruined the nation’s public sector is still festering with the speed of light, instead of abating. Of what relevance are loud presidential assurances on curtailing rampant corrupt practices in the country; or the existence of bumbling anti graft agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police, when funds extracted as punishment for the crime of bribery, suddenly disappears before the very eyes of all the agencies of government that ought to know better? Of what use are the purported facilitators of the anti-graft campaign when monies retrieved from one set of errant fellows are literally pocketed by another set of corrupt government officials? It is also most improbable that the FG will bother about the missing $26.5 million had the US quietly surrendered the $130 million balance of the bribe money it requested without any strings attached. The absurd tale of the missing $26.5 million raises grievous fears of the possibility that some of those at the highest levels of the anti-graft campaign are out to ridicule Jonathan and his administration’s fight against corruption. It is, therefore, not just enough to talk tough on fighting corruption. In addition to reviving the Halliburton bribe scandal, recovering the missing $26.5 million and prosecuting the suspected culprits, those behind the disappearance of the $26.5 million deserve as much punishment as the main culprits of the bribery scam, and should likewise be prosecuted if truly culpable. The development is deeply embarrassing to the nation.

ON THIS DAY November 8, 2011

November 8, 2002

November 8, 1973

The potentially hazardous asteroid 2005 YU55 passed 0.85 lunar distances from Earth (about 324,600 kilometres or 201,700 miles), the closest known approach by an asteroid of its brightness since 2010 XC15 in 1976. A potentially hazardous object (PHO) is a near-Earth asteroid or comet with an orbit such that it has the potential to make close approaches to the Earth and is of a size large enough to cause significant regional damage in the event of impact.

Iraq disarmament crisis and United Nation’s Security Council Resolution 1441: The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution on Iraq, forcing expresident Saddam Hussein, now late, to disarm or face “serious consequences”. The issue reached a crisis point in 2002-2003, when former United States President, George W. Bush, demanded a complete end to what he alleged was Iraqi production of weapons of mass destruction.

The right ear of John Paul Getty III was delivered to a newspaper together with a ransom note, convincing his father to pay $2.9 million. John Paul Getty III (November 4, 1956 —February 5, 2011), also known as Paul Getty, was the eldest of the four children of John Paul Getty, Jr. and Abigail (nee Harris) and the grandson of oil tycoon, Jean Paul Getty. Getty spent most of his childhood in Rome as his father was the head of the Italian section of the Getty family’s oil business.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today JAMB commences e-exams in 2013 22

Borno experiments with free food in Almajari schools INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

he Almajiri tradition has occupied, in the recent times, most national discourse, especially with the recent introduction of Almajiri Model Education by the Federal Government. However, opinions differ as to whether the commencement of the new policy will dismantle the old tradition, which is generally believed to be inimical to the socio-economic development. To many, getting children from poor and educationally disadvantaged homes to enroll in schools require that some incentives would need to be introduced to encourage them The Borno State Governor, Kasim Shettima, is one of the proponents of this view. He believes that the high spate of insecurity, especially terrorist attacks in the north could be addressed by revamping the education and the Almajiri Tsangaya education system in particular. He also believes that this purpose could be better achieved by imposing a law that would guarantee all children of school going age in the state to enroll into free Almajiri/Tsangaya primary and secondary schools. Although, the state is one of the states that is yet to benefit from the Federal Government’s gesture in the construction, furnishing and free feeding of the Almajiri school system as being done in Katsina State, among others. The state government recently increased monthly feeding allowance for students in the secondary and Tsangaya Islamic Schools in the state from N30 million to N300 million. This gesture, according to the governor, was to ensure that, students eat qualitative and quantitative foods that will enable them retain their studentship. In preparation for the increased access, government also established additional seven Tsangaya schools across the state. The schools, according to the government, are designed to cater for both western and Islamic systems of education. A visit to some of the schools, including the Bilingual Tsangaya Primary School at Kirenowa in Marte Local Government area of the state showed an improvement in the government’s efforts to take the children off the streets. The governor has repeatedly pointed out that there was no going back on his administration drive to provide qualitative education to the people of the state to enable them contribute meaningfully to the development of the state and the upliftment of humanity. According to him, knowledge is power and when applies correctly, it will enhance the standard of living of the people of the state. While tasking both the Universal Basic Education Board (UBE) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs under Prof. Tijjani Ali and Hon. Usman Durkwa, respectively on the performance of those schools, he equally asked them not to give room for failure of the scheme. He also called on the local government officials and other stakeholders to embark on aggressive campaign to enlighten households that have children of school going age to get them enroll in schools. In his contribution, UBE’s chairman, Prof. Tijjani Ali said the Bilingual Tsangaya Primary School was first of its kind in the North-east sub-region and that if managed properly, Borno State, in no distant time, will no longer be among

Class in session.

2, 657, 765 ALMAJIRIS ARE IN THE NORTH-EAST SUBREGION ALONE WITH BORNO STATE HAVING 809, 317, WHICH ABOUT

IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE HIGHEST IN THE SUB REGION AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY the educationally disadvantaged states in the country. He said the UBE Act 2004, Part 1, Section 2(1) states that “every government in Nigeria shall provide free compulsory Universal Basic Education for every child of pre-primary and junior secondary school age. But statistic revealed that about 2, 657, 765 Almajiris are in the North-East sub-region alone with Borno State having 809, 317, which is considered to be the highest in the sub region and the entire country. Prof. Ali attributed the development to influx of Almajaris from the neigbouring states and countries. On his part, the former Vice Chancellor, University of Maiduguri and former Director- General of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Nur Alkali, told National Mirror that the establishment of Tsangaya Primary Schools and making them boarding schools system was a milestone in the history of education sector in the state. He said aside Islamic knowledge; the schools would also promote western education directly or indirectly and therefore should be given a deserved attention. The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi who equally cried out to the governor of the state sometime ago to come to the aide of Almajiris’ pupils and

A cross section of almajaris on the streets begging for food.

students, who often go to streets in the evenings to beg for alms, saying they could not do that again because of the security challenge in the state. The monarch explained that no fewer than 3,624 have been registered so far in schools in both Jere and Maiduguri Metropolitan Council areas alone, and that, they would need to be helped so as not to go back to streets for alms. Based on the appeal, the governor approved N20 million to purchase raw foods including rice, beans, grains, and vegetable oil, among others and distributed to the schools according to their population. The launch of the distribution of the food items was even held recently right inside the palace of Shehu of Borno in Maiduguri. The chairman of the committee in charge of the project, who is also the Wali of Borno, Alhaji Abdullahi Idris, openly at the occasion expressed appreciation for the gesture, which is now difficult to sustain. Idris, however, told National Mirror that at present, only about 830 Tsangaya schools across the state benefitted so far from the scheme while the rest 2,594 are left to their fate. A teacher, at Bilingual Tsangaya School,Marte, MalCONTINUED ON PAGE 22

Education Today

t was all smiles for Monsuru Popoola, a 31- year- old primary school teacher at this year’s edition of the Lagos State Education Merit Award ceremony held at the state secretariat in Ikeja last Friday. Popoola, an English Language teacher at Ifeoluwa Primary School in Agege with only nine years teaching experience, four of which he got in a private school, was adjudged the Best Teacher in the state-owned primary schools across the 20 local government and 37 council development areas in the state. Although, this was his first time of winning any category award under the scheme, he has produced many students, who represented the state in various school competitions and won various medals including gold. Among them was the Nigeria’s Overall Best Student Debater at Mr. President inter-SUBEB debate in 2010 and that of the South West held this year, as well as the two students, who represented the state at the Junior Engineer, Technicians and Scientists (JETS) and the Science competitions held this year in Akwa Ibom and Akure, Ondo States, respectively. However, when Popoola was leaving home for the award ceremony on that day, he had three things in mind: to be physically present, to catch the fun of the ceremony and to return home with a gift of a giant fridge. But he was dazed to discover that he would be presented with a brand new Kia Rio car, estimated to cost about N3 million. Before now, Popoola didn’t know how to drive but said that was not important to him. “Now that I have a car of my own, I can go to learn driving and begin to drive myself around,” he said. His worry was where he would be parking the car, especially at home. “That was the question that repeatedly came to mind when I leant I would be presented with a car,” he stressed. His was the first time a car would be given out as a star prize to the winner of the category since the resuscitation of the awards scheme by the Fashola administration five years ago and the car was donated to the state government by the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Pastor Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, as his own contribution to boost education in the state. It was only the Best Teacher in the Secondary School category that went home in previous editions with a brand new car and this year’s winner, 33- year old Mrs. Oyenike Olajide, from Sango Senior Secondary School Agege, also went home with hers. Popoola, who studied at the Federal College of Education, Osiele in Abeokuta in

Thursday, November 8, 2012

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Car reward for two Lagos teachers MFM’s Olukoya donates one

To consistently boost education in the state, the Lagos State Government instituted an annual award ceremony where teachers, students, workers in the Education Ministry and agencies, who distinguish themselves yearly in their various endeavours are rewarded with various gift items and award certificates. The height of the event is usually the presentation of brand new cars to the recipients of the Best Teacher Awards at both primary and secondary school levels. This year’s edition was held last Friday, TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE reports:

L-R: Mr. Monsuru Popoola; Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye; Deputy Governor, Adejoke OrelopeAdefulire and Mrs. Oyenike Olajide during the cutting of the tape to hand over the cars to both award recipients.

I WILL ENCOURAGE ALL OTHER TEACHING AND NON- TEACHING STAFF BOTH IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO CONSISTENTLY DO THEIR WORK SATISFACTORILY EVEN WITHOUT FOCUSING ON MATERIAL BENEFITS IN RETURN 2003 and obtained National Certificate of Education, also studied as a part-time student at the University of Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State, where he obtained Bachelor’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling in 2009. He said he loves to equip himself very well intellectually so as to enable him perform well on his job and since he joined the profession, he has never looked back. All his interest, according to him, is to work passionately, determinately and diligently even without making material gains as motivating factors. “I always want to put in my best in class and in any other undertaking I’m involved even without knowing this big reward was around the corner for me. And that is why I will encourage all other teaching and nonteaching staff both in private and public schools to consistently do their work satisfactorily even without focusing on material benefits, in returns because if material gains do not come, they will feel unful-

filled. Material rewards should be seen as added advantage,” said Popoola, who is also planning for his wedding. Like Popoola, Mrs. Olajide was also visibly happy at the event. Mrs. Olajide, a Physics graduate from the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, has passion for teaching and has demonstrated this over the years at her school, where she teaches, Physics and Mathematics. She grew up, according to her in the midst of teachers and that greatly influenced her choice of profession. In every aspect of her work, Mrs. Olajide exemplifies the highest qualities of excellence, dedication, accomplishment, and service. She graduated from Tai Solarin College of Education, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State in 1994 as the best graduating student in Physics and Mathematics as well as the Best Behaved student in LASU in 2006. As a song writer, Mrs. Olajide composed her school anthem and the song adopted for this year’s

World No Tobacco Day ceremony. She also designed an electric mosquito net and an alternative method of solving multiplication problems in mathematics, among other achievements. But all these, achievements, according to her were to spur her to work harder and impact more on the society. There were several other category award recipients at the event. Mr. Olugbenga Akande from Model College, Igbokuta was the Best Principal in the Senior Secondary Schools category, while Mr. Mawonu Ashaka from Model College, Kankan and Mrs. Particia Gbadegesin from Army Cantonment Senior Secondary School, Ikeja were First and Second -runners up respectively in the category; Mr. Adetolu Olatunde from Vetland Junior Grammar School, Agege was the best teacher at junior secondary school level while the best head teacher at the primary school level went to Mrs. A.A. Badero of RCM Model Primary School, Ajeromi-Ifelodun. The Students, as well as the education ministry and agencies workers, who also distinguished themselves, were rewarded at the event for their exemplary performance in the year under consideration. Earlier in her remarks, the state’s Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said the state government instituted the award ceremony to reward

deserving teaching and nonteaching staff in the state-owned primary and secondary schools, students and categories of workers in the education ministry and its agencies every year. She disclosed that the gesture had been really helpful in the development of the education sector in the state. While she congratulated all the award recipients and most importantly the donor of the car presented to the best teacher at the primary school level, the deputy governor who also doubled as the chairman of the award ceremony restated that government would continue to invest in education and make the sector competitive with the rest of the world. On his part, Dr. Olukoya, said he donated the car because he shares in the vision of the state government to honour its best teachers and principals. Represented by Prof. Ade Ojo from the University of Lagos, Pastor Olukoya said the awards would not only motivate teachers and principals and others to invest in the spirit of healthy competition, it would also enable them to dedicate adequate attention to their work. Explaining the significant impact of the award initiative, the state’s Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, said the impact was demonstrated by the consistent improvement in the performance of students in their studies and importantly the external examinations.

Kogi warns principals against extortion ADEMU IDAKWO LOKOJA

he kogi State Government has warned school principals in the state to desist from exhorting money from students in the name of examination fees. The Commissioner of Education, Mrs. Grace Elebiyo, gave the warning on Tuesday while speaking with news men. She debunked the rumour being spread around the state that the state government had decided not pay the 2012/13 WAEC registration fees for students in the state-owned secondary schools. She lamented situation whereby school principals would be promoting falsehood about government programmes and policies with the intention to defraud parents and their wards, saying no responsible government would condone such act of indiscipline.

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Education Today

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Handwriting will help teachers, police in their works –Expert What is handwriting analysis all about? It is one of the many branches of Linguistics as a field of study, which seeks to study and analyse handwriting, especially in order to assess somebody’s personality from patterns or features of his or her writings. It is not a new field of study but it is strange to Africa because there is hardly any university that offers it on the continent.

Jide Oni-Charles is a former lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in Osun State and an expert in grapho-analysis, otherwise known as handwriting analysis. He is the President of the Institute of Grapho-Analysts of Nigeria. In this interview with MOJEED ALABI, he speaks on the relevance of the study of handwriting to students’ academic performance and crime detection. Excerpts:

How importance is handwriting to make it a course of study? It is only in this part of the world that the subject is not popular and that is why we have continued to find it difficult to resolve some critical issues that bother on students’ performance in schools, crime detection and the rising spate of violence in the country. It is important to state clearly that with handwriting study, a student that performs so poorly in class can be made to become one of the best, because there is a great connection between what the brain does and what the hand writes. How did you come to such conclusion? You see, when someone writes, it is the mind that controls the hand that holds the pen. So, as the mind thinks, so is the hand writes. If for instance, somebody is sad and physically weak, when he or she writes, the writings will appear in a slanting or descending form because the writer is physically weak. This may definitely be due to certain conditions the writer is subjected to, and if it is persistent, a teacher can try to verify what the conditions are. But if one has a bright spirit, he or she has tendency of writing better. There are also those, who write faintly and those whose handwritings are very thick. The latter are very passionate people but also have their shortcomings too. These are some of the tips people who deal with students, criminals and even psychologists must know to help them to succeed on their jobs. So, what you are suggesting is that teachers must be made to learn handwriting analysis? It is not only the teachers that need this field of study. Because of its capacity to reveal so many things, the teachers, members of the security teams, lawyers, employers and in fact, partners in marriage need it to get to know the characters of the people they deal with. However, to arrest the declining fortune of education in Nigeria, teachers need it more than the security officials, because an average teacher is a counselor. Teachers guide the pupils to recognise their arrears of interest and they determine how their foundation is formed, which is very essential in life. In an ideal school system, there must be six arms of classes, because there are about six thinking cultures, that is, the fast thinkers, slow thinkers, superficial thinkers, non-thinkers, among others. Therefore, if you treat a slow thinker the way you treat a non-thinker, the result can

guessing, but the clear signs and features are there. Also, banks or financial institutions can be assisted through the study of their customers’ signatures because through their signatures, we can differentiate between a criminal and a sincere customer. On the part of employers, people don’t know why in the foreign countries applicants are requested to write their applications by hands and not computer- typed. It is for the analysts to carry out their analysis so that the features of the applicants are identified. What is the difference between handwriting analysis and forensic analysis? They are only similar but significantly different. Forensic analysis mainly focuses on crime detection but in handwriting analysis, we talk about human character, traits and attributes that will give adequate information about the individual. Do you use any modern tool in your analysis? You see, when we talk of scripts, it can either be manual or electronically transferred. You may then ask, of what documents are typeset? But that is also simple because no matter how long a document is, something that would authenticate it is signature, and that alone is what we need to carry out the analysis.

Charles

APART FROM THE CASE OF CHILDREN PERFORMING POORLY IN SCHOOLS, THEIR HANDWRITINGS CAN GIVE CLUES AS TO THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE FACING never be good. So, a teacher, who studies handwriting system, will easily know the kind of thinking cultures a child has, because there are certain strokes in writings that will enable teachers to know the state of mind of his pupils. In fact, many family problems a child suffers from can easily be detected through his handwriting. There is a particular stroke of writing that if a child has it, he or she, can never do well in school. These are the things parents and teachers need to look out for. But once that is discovered, the solution is found. Within just three months of monitoring, the child will begin to perform better because if the writing changes, the character will change automatically. How do you detect an actual criminal through handwriting without him or her being physically present? You see, it is not automatic. In every crime committed, there are usually suspects charged. It is these suspects that

will be interrogated. For instance, a criminal-minded person has a particular way of writing and once we see that, we will be able to identify the criminal. It must be noted that those who commit crime, are usually those people with low IQ. They are not consistent in their writings and certain features that I will not let out clearly show that they are criminals. In what other areas do you think the study of handwriting can be useful to the society? There are so many of them. In fact, it is not out of place to run clinics for handwriting examinations. Apart from the case of children performing poorly in schools, their handwritings can give clues as to the problems they are facing, it can also help in marriage system. Intending couples can determine the nature of their partners and through handwritings, I tell you, we will know who the persons are likely to be. It is not about

If this field of study is this important, why has it eluded the country for so long? The reasons are multifaceted. Nigeria and Africa as a whole are not really progressive. We tend to value what we see outside our shore but despise whatever is homemade. You would see a Nigerian travelling abroad to study Geography of Africa, History of Nigeria. Is that not an insult to our country. Africans don’t want to take bold moves to carve virgin paths for themselves. I think there is another South African university where the field is currently being explored and the person handling it there was my former student. He is Pastor Samuel Johnson. In OAU, at present, I partner the university consultancy services to teach students the subject on short-term basis. Once I finish the lecture, the agency awards the certificates. Outside Nigeria, the subject is studied up to PhD level. Even in the University of London, you cannot study Guidance and Counseling without learning Graphognomy. Most universities in US and other advanced countries see it as a major discipline. So, what is your institute doing to ensure it gains the required attention and support? As an individual, I have done everything within my capacity to launch this field of study and since I left OAU in 1991, I have trained many police officers, juniors and seniors alike including Assistant Inspectors General of Police. I established some training centres in Lagos, including the one at the Police College in Ikeja, and another at State CID, Panti in Yaba.

Education Today

Ekiti distributes lockers, chairs to schools

he Ekiti State Government has distributed 20,000 sets of lockers and chairs to public secondary schools in the state. A statement signed by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Eniola Ajayi, said the gesture was in line with the eight – point agenda of Governor Kayode Fayemi to provide free quality and qualitative education to the people of the state. The Commissioner said it was as a result of the commitment of the current administration to the provision of conducive teaching and learning environment in schools that the state government recently renovated 100 public secondary schools across the state. According to her, the renovation of schools and the provision of furniture items will enable students concentrate on their studies without distraction. She further advised the students to justify government’s gesture in lifting the standard of education in the state in to an enviable height by concentrating on their studies. In a related development, the state has distributed another batch of laptop computers to both students and teachers in the state-owned secondary schools. Ajayi stressed that the gesture was in line with the vision of the present administration to making computer available on the desk of every pupil in the State by 2014. He advised the students and the teachers to inculcate maintenance culture on the facilities, adding that they should ensure they use the computer for the designed purpose.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

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Katsina to integrate 460, 000 Almajiris into Western education JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

atsina State Government has reiterated commitment to integrate more than 460,000 Almajiris into Western education in line with similar programme launched by the Federal Government some months ago. Speaking in an exclusive interview with National Mirror, the state’s Education Commissioner, Prof. Aminu Kado said

plans were underway to integrate Western and Islamic education with the almajiris at the centre of the whole process. Prof. Kados, however, said the integration process would be a gradual one. He said as prelude to the integration, the state government carried out a survey and it was discovered that the state had over 8,000 almajiri schools, or Makarantun Allo, and over 460,000

almajiris in the state’s 34 council areas. He said 70 of these schools were selected, with the almajiris fed, clothed, given medical care through mobile ambulances, and taught various skills by government. He said there were plans in the nearest future to construct boreholes for selected schools which would assist in provision of water, and that more schools would be involved in the coming months.

He said stakeholders would be sensitised on how they could contribute to the upkeep of the almajiris before the gradual process of integrating them into the Western education system begins. Kado said the state, to some extent, was complementing but not collaborating directly with the Federal Government in integrating the almajiri child into western education. He said under the Fed-

eral Government, UBEC had constructed three schools for almajiris while the state, under its intervention fund, had constructed two schools, with one in Katsina and the other in Batsari council area. He, however, said on the long run, both the state and Federal Government were trying to achieve the same target, which is “to minimise if not solve or eliminate the issue of begging” in the state.

Covenant varsity appoints new VC TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

Registrar, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde (middle), Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, Dr. Sijibomi Olusanya (3rd left), JAMB and College officials during Ojerinde’s visit to the college on Tuesday.

JAMB commences e-exams in 2013 MOJEED ALABI

he officials of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have visited the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, in Lagos, as part of its preparations towards computerising its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in 2013. The delegation, which was led by the board’s Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, was at the college to ascertain the school’s capacity to accommodate

the new development. According to Ojerinde, the college was one of the many centres already penciled down by the board to conduct the examinations otherwise called E-UTME. Listing the benefits of the new system, Ojerinde said it would ensure prompt delivery of raw scores, eliminate case of incomplete results, eliminate result blackout, and controls examination malpractice, among others. Passing a vote of confidence on the college for its capacity to provide the needed support, the registrar commended the insti-

Borno experimenting Almajaris school system... CONTINUED FROM 19 lam Usman Na’Abba told National Mirror that bilingual education policy would enable students to have understanding of the study of both Islam and western education. And a student of the school, Master Modu Kolo, explained that before now when he was into Almajiri programme, he could neither read nor write in English language. “But

I could now do both,” he said, adding that, there was a mark difference between the two systems. Unlike Almajiri system where there is no fixed time of learning, students in Bilingual system resume by 8am and close by 4pm daily. They are provided with free food, school uniforms, books, instructional materials and they don’t also pay tuition fee.

tution’s management for what he called the modest development recorded so far. Ojerinde therefore promised more meetings between the college and the board to facilitate smooth take-off of the initiative. Commenting, the college’s Provost, Dr. S. Olusanya, commended JAMB for the innovation and pledged the college’s support towards its success. Meanwhile, JAMB has made the computer-based testing system optional for the pilot scheme but may subsequently compel all applicants to undergo the system in subsequent years. Also, as part of the new initiatives by the examination body, all applicants regardless of their courses of choice or method of testing would have to be tested on two general reading books: The Successors by Jery Agada and The Potter’s Wheel by Chukwuemeka Ike.

new Vice-Chancellor has been appointed for the Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State. He is Prof. Charles Korede Ayo, a Computer and Information Scientist, who took over from Prof. Aize Obayan, the university’s second substantive ViceChancellor, who served between February 1, 2005 and October 31, 2012. Prof. Ayo’s appointment has been ratified by the Board of Regents, the apex governing body of the university. Also, the university for the first time has appointed two Deputy Vice-Chancellors. They are Dr. Taiwo Olubunmi Abioye and Dr. Aaron Aderemi Atayero, who are to be in charge of Administration and Academics, respectively. The change of leadership was made known by the Chancellor of the university, Dr. David Oyedepo at a dinner he organised to celebrate the just concluded 10th Founder’s Day Anniversary of the university. At a brief hand-over ceremony at the ViceChancellor’s office last week, Prof. Obayan noted that the engine room of Covenant University was the vision of the university and she advised her successor to always be guided by that vision so as to further take the university to greater heights. The outgoing VC, whose tenure attracted over 68 awards, numerous linkages with world class

institutions, among other achievements recorded by the university, appreciated everyone who had worked with her to make her tenure a resounding success. Prof. Ayo in his response, described Prof. Obayan as an epitome of simplicity with finesse for excellence, adding that her personality has demystified university administration and has triumphed where many men have failed. This, according to him, has proved that success is not by gender. Prof. Ayo, a senior Fulbright scholar, joined the university in 2003 as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer and Information Science and he had served at various capacities, including as the Head of Department, Computer and Information Sciences, the position he occupied until his new appointment. On her part, Dr. Taiwo Abioye, an associate professor of English Language, joined Covenant University in October 2005 and served in various capacities. She was the Acting Head, Department of Languages before her new appointment. Dr. Aaron Atayero is one of the pioneer staffers of the university. He joined as a Lecturer II.

Ayo

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Education Today

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Parents, teachers tasked on education development TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

he need for parentteacher associations of various schools across educational levels in the country to always collaborate with governments across tiers has been re-emphasised as an important way to achieve sustainable progress in the education sector. Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Federal Science and Technical College Yaba, Lagos, Mr. Abayomi Jayeoba, stated this during the inauguration of

a block of six classrooms worth N30 million donated by the association to the school recently. According to him, such partnership was necessary since government could not all alone take the education sector to a desirable level. Jayeoba noted that as Nigeria’s oldest technical college, Federal Science and Technical College Yaba, could no longer boast of enjoying adequate and befitting infrastructural facilities, hence the decision of the school’s PTA to donate the classrooms so as to enhance effective teach-

ing and learning in the school. While promising that the gesture would be sustained, he urged PTAs of other schools around the country to do likewise so as to jointly take the education sector to its pride of place with the rest of the world. He said: “I would want to encourage various PTAs to always look for ways to impact on their schools and students. It is by so doing that education goals can be achieved. “Our next plan as an association is to build a befitting hostel accommodation for our teachers. The teachers too need to

be comfortable for them to give out their best and we hope that the Federal Government on its part, would increase its investment on the school by providing facilities befitting a science and technical college in order to encourage technological advancement in the country. We know that today’s world economy is technology- driven and therefore it rests on every individual and group, as well as governement to give all it takes to put facilities that would equip the students for the challenges ahead.” Commending the PTA for the classrooms dona-

tion, the college’s Principal, Mr. William Iweama, promised to ensure that the facility was put to good use. He explained that even with the gesture, the school was still in need of more befitting classrooms and

other infrastructural facilities so as to conveniently meet the increasing number of students’ enrolment, especially due to the return of the junior secondary school arm to the school and other unity colleges across the country.

Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Bamitale Omole (left), presenting a souvenir to the university’s Chancellor and Emir of Katsina, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji Abdul-Mumin Kabir Usman during the former’s recent visit to the royal father in his palace in Katsina.

L-R: Director of Studies, Starfield College, Agege, Lagos, Mr. Eigbe Christopher; Matron, Blue House Mrs. Oderinde Esther; Patron of the winning Yellow House, Mr. Adebola Babs-Ogunleye; Matron, Red House, Mrs. Eyitilo Yinka and Patron, Green House, Mr. Seyi Egbeyinka during the school’s biennial inter-house sport competition recently.

American cultural critic to give speech at AUN tomorrow MUJAHEED L AWAL

n American writer, public speaker, poet and entrepreneur, Mr. Kevin Powell, is billed to speak to students of the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, Adamawa State tomorrow. Powell has been on a mission to teach young people to be all they can be since the early 1990s. A product of Rutgers University, New Jersey, the United States, Powell has lectured all around America and is widely known as the new voice of freedom. His work focuses on economic literacy and empowerment, multiculturalism, curtailing the disrespect of women and girls, America’s fledging educational system, leadership, black history, and the civil rights movement.

“My life calling is to be a servant for the people, period. Money, fame, status, personal achievements and all that means very little to me when pain and suffering are still real on this planet. I’m interested in the powerless becoming powerful,” he was quoted to have said. In 2008, he released The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life, a series of essays that teaches young minority males how to survive. Who’s Gonna Take the Weight, another one of his books, examines the plight of African Americans in the 21st Century. A statement by AUN’s spokesman, Mr. Abubakar Tahir said Powell‘s visit to the school would last two days beginning from tomorrow. Also, Mr. Dorsey Spencer, the Director of

Students’ Activities & Involvement, said “Powell’s coming to AUN provides students with an amazing opportunity to further their leadership development and enhance their life skills all while having fun and being entertained.” Ms. Veronica Otogo, a member of the Campus Activities Board, said the event was beginning to get students excited. “His high profile suggests that he is someone many students want to hear speak.” Mr. Powell has been a leader for over decades, dating back to his days at Rutgers University. He was a participant in the student-led anti-apartheid movement, at the forefront of police brutality and racial bias cases and has worked for the enfranchisation of minority groups. One of the most promi-

nent voices in the hip-hop generation, he has organised a number of concerts, MC battles, rallies, and forums that stress the use of hip-hop as a tool for social change.

L-R: Father of the Day, Mr. Metcaff David; Representative of the Guest of Honour, Mr. Henry Okpere and Mother of the Day, Mrs. Okere at the 20th annual inter-house sport competition organised by St. Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, Lagos.

Basic education critical to development –Obi IJEOMA EZEIKE ABUJA

nambra State Governor, Peter Obi has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for making sustained investments in the improvement of basic education across the country. Obi, who spoke on Tuesday in Awka, Anambra State during a town hall meeting by the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, on the promotion of the enrolment of out-of-school children in Southern Nigeria,

said basic education is critical to the development of the nation. The governor explained that acquisition of basic education would assist Nigerians to contribute to government’s programmes and private businesses that would impact positively on the nation. He said: “President Jonathan has brought education to the front-burner. You cannot turn-around the nation without basic education. I thank the Federal Government for using her resources to support states to enhance basic education.” Earlier, the Minister of

State for Education, Nyesom Wike said the construction of out-of-school children in Southern Nigeria was aimed at improving access to quality education and empowering the children. He noted that the Federal Government was intervening in the infrastructural development to encourage out-of-school children to embrace education to enhance their living standard, adding that the Federal Government would soon commence a vocational training centre building project in Anambra State at a site provided by the state government.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

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FROM OTHER LANDS

UK teachers blamed for pupils’ lack of ambition

eachers are encouraging many children to believe that top exam grades, places at elite universities and professional careers are all beyond them, an education minister has said. David Laws attacked the “depressingly low expectations” that he said were holding back children in many parts of the country and preventing them from getting ahead in life. Even in relatively affluent parts of the country,

schools and careers advisers are failing to encourage children to “reach for the stars,” instead of pushing them to settle for middling exam results and careers with “medium-ranked” local employers, he said. Mr. Laws’s remarks to the Daily Telegraph are his first comments on education policy since his return to the government in last month’s reshuffle. “Teachers, colleges, careers advisers have a role

and a responsibility to aim for the stars and to encourage people to believe they can reach the top in education and employment,” Mr. Laws said. “But that’s not happening as much as it should do at the moment.” Mr. Laws, a liberal democrat and close ally of Nick Clegg, has ministerial posts at the Department for Education and the Cabinet Office and holds the right to attend Cabinet meetings. The liberal democrats are pushing measures to

increase social mobility, making it easier for people to get ahead regardless of their background. Alan Milburn, the coalition’s social mobility adviser, recently criticised policies such as the scrapping of the education maintenance allowance that was paid to pupils from low-income homes. Mr. Laws, a Cambridge University graduate, said social mobility was not simply a question of wealth, arguing that even

children from comfortable backgrounds are being held back by low expectations and a lack of ambition. The minister, a former City banker, who represents Yeovil in Somerset, said many children are effectively being taught that high-flying careers are not possible for them. “Even in my own constituency, Yeovil, which would not be regarded as one of the deprivation black spots of the country, most young people

South Africa comes last in Maths education –Study

he quality of South Africa’s maths and science education has been ranked last in a survey of 62 countries by the World Economic Forum. The report ranked South Africa 54th when it came to gross tertiary enrolment behind India, but ahead of Morocco, Ghana, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, Kenya, and Tanzania. The country placed 28th overall, and was the topranked sub-Saharan African country. The forum’s annual financial development report, which links human capital to economic development, was released on Monday. Together with taxes, infrastructure, and the costs of doing business, human capital contributes to a supportive business environment. South Africa’s nonbanking financial services, such as mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings (IPO), insurance and securitisation, were ranked 22nd, and

financial stability 17th, a “slight improvement”. “These changes were driven by greater currency stabilisation (28th) and more robust IPO (26th) and securitisation activity (44th),” according to the report. South Africa’s business environment (42nd) was the country’s weakest area. Despite an efficient tax regime (16th), there was a “very weak” human capital pool (52nd) and underdeveloped infrastructure (51st). However, there was a comparatively strong institutional environment (25th), resulting from good corporate governance mechanisms (11th) and an ability to effectively enforce contracts (19th). In terms of financial access (36th), South Africa offered varied results, according to the report. “On the one hand, commercial access scores (16th) are solid and improving, while retail access (41st) is relatively weak and declining.” EINNEWS

Students of Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, replicating South Africans, during the school’s International Community Day celebration, yesterday. PHOTO: TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

Syria’s refugee kids in schooling difficulties

yrian refugees, trying to bring some normality to their new life in Turkey, are setting up schools for their children. But this is not always with the blessing of their host, as the BBC’s James Reynolds finds out. “We are from Syria, we are from Syria,” the teacher says in English to her class of 12 year olds. The pupils squash onto benches in a small room in an old apartment building in the southern city of Antakya. One girl lingers

12 years after war: Burundi rebuilds higher education

urundi is working hard to recoup what it lost through a 12year civil war, by rebuilding higher education. The small, crowded country is implementing a new higher education law and is planning to set up a science fund early next year. “It is a process we are working on and we are making progress,” Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Julien Nimubona, told University World News during the Innovation Africa summit held in Cape

Town early last month. “The ambition is to build a strong culture of research that responds to the country’s development needs,” said Nimubona. Burundi was torn apart by a civil war marked by ethnic violence, from 19932005. The war that pitted Hutus against Tutsis led to academics and researchers fleeing the country. Research all but ceased as people sought to survive the war. The country lost bilateral support from former colonial ruler Belgium,

international agencies, and countries such as the United States. The Higher Education Act, signed in December last year, is meant to regulate and breathe life into a declining education system. The law outlines the functioning of public and private universities, the creation and approval of courses, accreditation of training programmes and the requirements of higher education institutions such as libraries and laboratories.

outside the classroom, unsure if there is room for her. After a few minutes, she finds the courage to enter the classroom and everyone moves over to allow her to sit down. The class is studying English words that begin with the letter ‘y’. “What is another ‘y’?” asks the teacher. “Yellow,” she answers herself. This school, called alBashayer, opened in September in time for the start of the Syrian school year. More than 300 Syrian refugee children aged between six and 15 now study here. They barely fit inside the building. The upstairs bathroom is used to store textbooks. The school’s 21 teachers used to work at schools in Syria. They work without a salary here. “I want my sons to have their childhood. I want them to have the kind of life they enjoyed back home in Syria,” says Ali Kamal, father of two pupils. Parents are asked to pay $20 (£12.40) a month for the school bus, but

the classes themselves is free. An Islamic charity helps to provide supplies, including pink backpacks for the girls which appear to be particularly popular. The school faces an overwhelming problem: it is unlicensed. Shortly after it opened, the local authorities forced it to close down for several days. During this time, the teachers took the children to play games in a local park. The Turkish government in the border province of Hatay does not want Syrians to settle in this region. Syria has traditionally claimed Hatay as part of its own territory, which means that Turkey is very sensitive to any sizeable increase in the Syrian population here. The local government insists that Syrian refugee children be taught at schools set up inside official refugee camps close to the border, and has even suggested that this school moves its classes into a camp. BBC

would regard going into investment banking as almost leaving the country, because it’s a different world,” he said. “They will often be encouraged to think it is beyond them.” In many parts of the country outside London, the minister suggested, children without family connections believe that careers such as banking, law and journalism are closed. Instead of aiming high, “there are too many young people, who think that the two or three big employers in their local town are the limit of their aspiration”. Low career expectations can lead children to get lower exam grades than they could achieve, he suggested. “If your expectation in a school is that you only need a modest set of qualifications because that’s all you need to work for the local employer, which you think is the best job you could do, that’s a huge cap not just on social mobility, it is a cap on achievement in examinations,” he said. BBC

China: Many postgraduates, fewer finds jobs

ducation Ministry officials in China have expressed concern over the large number of postgraduates in the country, as students with masters and PhD degrees are finding it even harder than graduates with lower degrees to find employment in a sluggish jobs market. Registration for national postgraduate examinations closes at the end of the October, with exams held in early January, and the number applying to sit the exams could reach record levels. According to one blogger in Jinan, capital of Shandong province in eastern China, writing in July this year, cram schools that prepare students for the postgraduate exams have been overwhelmed by demand, and this year had to open a class in a large gymnasium because of the number of students. The gymnasium’s capacity was put at some 3,500. China Daily

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with Mojeed Alabi mojeedalabi2@yahoo.co.uk or mail@mirroronline.net

MOJEED ALABI

n 89year-old retired Baptist Church minister and leader of the team set up to raise funds for the establishment of Bowen University, Iwo, in Osun State, Dr Williams Ojo, has instituted a N10 million annual scholarship for 10 indigent students of the institution. The octogenarian announced this after he was conferred with the honorary degree of Doctors of Letters by the university at the institution’s 7th convocation ceremony held last weekend. Ojo, who was the only honorary awardee on the occasion, became the third

Thursday, November 8, 2012

recipient of the prestigious honour after the former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the high profile industrialist, Mr. Gamaliel Onosode. He said the scholarship would be funded by the Grace Williams Foundation, which he established in conjunction with his wife, as part of his efforts to give back to the society and positively affect humanity. “I am pleased to announce the establishment of Grace Williams Foundation. This Foundation will help finance the education of 10 Bowen University undergraduates every year. The Foundation will donate a minimum of N1 million each to 10 students, who are in dire need of financial as-

Octogenarian institutes N10m scholarship at Bowen University

Dr. Williams Ojo (middle), being decorated during his conferment with the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by Bowen University, Iwo. With him are Prof. Timothy Olagbemiro, Vice- Chancellor (left), Rev Olasupo Ayokunle, General Secretary, Nigerian Baptist Convention (2nd left) and Dr. Gamaliel Onosode, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, at the institution’s 7th convocation ceremony recently.

sistance. “This scholarship is a way of helping indigent students to fulfill their educational dreams because we recognise the fact that

all fingers are not equal. Having experienced financial difficulties in my early life, I appreciate the debilitating impact of being poor on educational drive;

MTN boosts education of visually-impaired undergraduates

tudents with sight impairment in four tertiary institutions across the country will now benefit from the MTN Foundation’s digital libraries donated to the schools. The universities include Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria; University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka; University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and University of Benin(UNIBEN), Benin, in Edo state.

The libraries in both UNN and UNIBEN have already been provided with the special software called JAWS, while UNILAG and ABU are to be enhanced soon. The Foundation, according to its Director, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, embarked on extending the opportunities availed other tertiary institution students through the UniversitiesConnect digital libraries to

students with sight impairment. This development, he said, entailed integrating the libraries with the software which would enable visually impaired students to use the facilities. He said: “The MTNF UniversitiesConnect project is one of the flagship projects of the foundation, and one that has had profound impact on thousands of our tertiary students. We realized the need to ex-

tend the profound benefits of the facilities to students with visual impairment as well. That precisely was why we embarked on the enhancement project.” The facility, he further explained, would give access to resources in thousands of other libraries in Europe and America, enabling extensive research in every field, including law, arts, architecture, engineering, medicine.

African music must be rediscovered –LASU don MOJEED ALABI

t was part of the management’s efforts to return the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, to its old days of academic glories that the culture of academic presentations in form of lectures, seminars and workshops are being reinserted into the school’s system.

Recently, aside the usual inaugural lectures that have been successfully brought back into the university’s academic activities, the institution once again reintroduced its distinguished lecture series offering scholars in various fields the opportunity to dissect societal problems and suggest solutions. In the series of these distinguished lectures,

Education Reporter with The Nation Newspapers, Mr. Adegunle Olugbamila (right) being presented with a meritorious award plaque by the former Vice-Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Prof’ Aize Obayan, during the university’s 10th anniversary celebration, recently.

was the presentation of the university’s Professor of Music and Musicology, Ademola Vidal, which was themed: From Classics to Pops: The Africanisation of Western Institutions. As expected, Vidal traced the origin of music in Africa and Nigeria in particular to the traditional times when Africans evolved their own brands of music and musical instruments. “Before the advent of European acculturation and subsequent influence of information technology, our traditional African societies are known for producing new songs, new musical instruments, new plays, dance, carvings, among others, reflecting our African way of life on annual festivals, as well as on occasions to celebrate important events. For example, among the Yoruba speaking people, history has it that Koso drums were introduced in 1450 AD at the founding of Oyo Ile,” Vidal noted.

However, the guest lecturer said rather than following this trend of creativity and innovations, the modern African musicians were in the habit of imitating foreign musical styles; the situation he said was inimical to the nation’s quest for socio-economic and political development. “Our contemporary young musicians have suddenly succumbed to aping musical styles from all corners of the globe in order to become modern and relevant. The effect of this, especially on our youths, is the stifling of creativity and imagination in the production of artistic works. Armed with modern technological recording gadgets and devices, majority of young artists rushed to recording studios to produce their ill-digested copies of foreign musical styles and mannerism, which the superhighways have delivered to them, in their living rooms,” he stated.

I therefore commit myself to this scholarship. I believe this will go a long way in challenging students to give their best to their education no matter the obsta-

cles,” Ojo explained. One of Ojo’s children, Mr. Oladapo Ojo, while commending his father’s philanthropic gesture, said he wasn’t surprised by the action, “because his love for education has always been exceptional. On behalf of his siblings, he pledged their support for the foundation. Earlier, while conferring the award on Dr. Ojo, the institution’s Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Timothy Olagbemiro, stated that the award was in recognition of his immense service to humanity, the nation, as well as his invaluable contribution to the Nigerian Baptist Convention in particular and the Christian community at large.

Etisalat extends scholarship to more varsities

he city of Port Harcourt recently played host to five universities from the South-South and South East regions of the country as telecommunication company, Etisalat, rewarded best students from the departments of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Business Management from the various schools. The event was part of Etisalat’s Merit Award Programme, under which students are given scholarship grants annually as part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts in supporting education in the country. The award scheme, which has reached about 36 universities, offers the sum N100, 000 to 10 students from each of the ivory towers. The institutions are also given a grant of N100, 000 towards the uplift of educational facilities. The schools present at this edition of the regional award ceremony were; University of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Port Harcourt; Rivers State University of Science & Technology, Port Harcourt; Anam-

bra State University and Ebonyi State University. In his address, the Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steven Evans, said, “From a country where youths make up about 41 per cent of the population, students make up only a fraction of that number. Nigeria’s literacy rate has been estimated at about 60 per cent; however, from all indications, the actual rate is lower than that figure. For development to truly be actualised, significant investments will have to be made as have been done in South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia.” He further stated that Etisalat Nigeria was passionate about development in the country and particularly education, as it is the bedrock of development. “We realise the challenges facing Nigeria’s educational system and we know that the government alone cannot shoulder this burden. As a socially responsible corporate organisation, Etisalat is lending a hand to the Nigerian government through our CSR initiatives; the core of which is education,” Evans stressed.

“D

Thursday, November 8, 2012

uring this occassion (sic), the Ijebus at home across religious and political divides are joined by their kinsmen in the diaspora, friends and wellwishers in paying homage to the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland.” (Globacom centre-spread advertisement, THE PUNCH, October 26) Ojude Oba 2012: occasion. Latest trend: the Ijebu—not the Ijebus. Did you share in the proud heritage last month? I was a part of the Naija Bam Bam excitement! Still on the above edition of THE PUNCH: “Floods: Severe hunger hits children at (in) Rivers camp” “Yet, this is what piracy is currently doing to the country.” (Editorial) What is the function of ‘currently’ here? Finally from ‘the most widely read newspaper’: “Apple victory (victorious) as Samsung loses US trade ruling” Just by the way: the most widely-read newspaper, Did you take note of the hyphen? It looks insignificant, but it matters. Sunday Champion of November 4 disseminated two blunders: “Why do you need 30 years to clean-up (clean up)?” “…he who pays the piper dictates (calls) the tune.” The next salvo this week comes from Vanguard of September 7: “6 suspects arrested over bombings” Towards a better life for readers: arrested for (not over). “Extracts from past speaches” This misspelling is antithetical to the essence of the 9th Edition of Dialogue: speeches. Still on the extract: “The conversation over the years remain

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Spell-check on ‘Glo Heritage Series…2012’ (remains) fresh and relevant.” (Or: the conversations…remain) “As 2012 edition beckons, we presents (why?) you (sic)….” Right: we present to you…. Still on advertisements: “Cheers! As an achiever par excellency turns 40” (Full Page Congratulatory Advert) This way: par excellence. “Salami’s ouster backed by precedence (precedent)” (THE GUARDIAN, September 6) Yet another school-boy infraction: “Wikileaks: IBB played double standards on Atiku” This is journalistic infantilism that borders on stunted professionalism. Yellow Card: double standard. “…action of holding government establishments responsible for whatever actions it (they) takes (take).” What’s going on? This grammatical lawlessness was taken from THE PUNCH LAW REPORT of September 5. “Boko Haram’s grouse with the UN is misplaced.” (National Mirror, September 5) Heart beat: grouse about the UN. “UN blast: A panorama of event” (THISDAY, September 3) Cover story: A panorama of events. “Poverty of ideas haunt our leaders” (SATURDAY Vanguard, September 3) If weekend newspapers were role models: Poverty of ideas haunts our leaders (and, if I may add, subeditors or whatever name they bear these days!) “…as investment on (in) water projects yield dividends” (Nigerian Compass, September 3) Subject-verb disagreement

BURGLAR PROOFS

(NOT BURGLARY PROOFS)

(S-VD) is becoming a major structural challenge to most colleagues of mine: investment yields dividends. Let us welcome THE MOMENT to this column. Its September 3 edition introduces us to juvenile errors: “Jos crisis: ACF urges warring communities to sheath sword” Spellcheck: sheathe. “…the Obasanjo administration spent a whooping (whopping) 16 billion US dollars on power projects between 1999 and 2007 without anything to show for it….” “In (On) the premises were some chairs, burglary proofs….” Get it right: burglar alarms. Acceptable, too: burglar proofs (not burglary proofs). THE NATION of September 3 took us back to the country’s first-time doctoral presidency: “As President and Chief Security Officer of the nation, I will employ every means and instruments….” Sir, where is Reuben Abati? Either every means and instrument or all means and instruments. No lexical mix-up! ‘Every means and instruments’ is un-presidential. For Dame (widowhood and recuperation disinformation!) …it is understandable and pardonable! “Tales of woe in Ibadan” (DAILY SUN, September 3) The magnitude of disaster notwith-

standing: tale of woes (stock expression) “Forum condoles Kogi flood victims” (Blueprint Headline, September 3) We must persist as long as these solecisms recur despite their almost weekly repetitiveness in this column: either condole with or console. “Legends of yesteryears” (Nigerian Pilot Screamer, September 4) Basic knowledge: yesteryear (uncountable). “How many of our employers (employees) are paid their monthly salaries in advance, talk less of (let alone) earning a year’s salary in advance.” (National Mirror, September 2) “Customs seizes N50m contrabands, 4 luxurious vehicles” (THISDAY BUSINESSWORLD, September 2) This way: ‘contraband’ is non-count and, of course, luxury vehicles. Still on THISDAY: “Ijeshaland roles out the red carpet for Obada” City Strings: rolls. The next eight blunders are from DAILY INDEPENDENT of September 2: “Returning Sapele to glory days of growth (1)” Niger Delta: glorious days. “This time around (round)….” “When Ngozi Iweala (sic) was the Minister of Finance during Obasanjo regime (the Obasanjo regime or Obasanjo’s regime), lots of progress was (were) made.” From the editorial of ‘a voice of your own’: “The social consequences of mass youth unemployment is (are) best imagined.” “The EFCC, rather than do the job it was established to do (another comma) have (has)….”

DAILY CHAMPION of September 2 circulated multifarious gaffes that bordered on sheer carelessness and ignorance: “Experts converge in (on) Abuja over terrorism, economic crime.” “NAFDAC mops-up fake drugs worth N300, 000” Business & Economy: mops up. “We have not had any crash in this country that involves (involved) any student of this college.” “Nigeria advocates for locally produced vaccines” No news: delete ‘for’. “Ibadan flood: Farmers dispatch SOS to FG, Oyo govts” Get it right: Federal, Oyo govts or FG, Oyo govt. “Retrenchment: Electricity workers read riot acts to Power Ministry” Stock expression: read the Riot Act (not acts) “As team (sic) Nigeria leaves for 2011 All African (sic) Games” A rewrite: As Team Nigeria leaves for 2011 All-Africa Games…This certainly contradicts the self-stylization of ‘Nigeria’s fastest growing (a hyphen) newspaper’! “This must be a time for introspection, for deep soul searching as a way of paying respect to those who have lost their lives.” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, September 1) A season of editorial bungling over the recent torridity in Ibadan: we pay respects, not respect, in greeting. “The players were now absorbed in the game when somebody ran into the yard, towards the backyard and breathlessly dashed passed (pass) them.”

Youth corps member exhibits art works MUJAHEED L AWAL

youth corps member serving at Gbagada Girls Junior Secondary School, Bariga, Lagos State, Mr. Rapheal Ejime, last week exhibited some creative artistic works which he produced in the last five months. These includedbags, sandals, slippers and beads, among others. He said he found the works as fun and a way of passing information in the society, noting that his interest in the trade was developed within the period he commenced the one year

mandatory programme. Raphael, a graduate of Political Science, from the Madonna University, Anambra State, told National Mirror that he used his leisure periods to learn the trade and also to produce the works. He said he would continue with the production of the artistic works after the completion of his youth service programme to enable him earn additional income. He said by that time, he would also want to further his studies before he would finally settle down for work. The artist also said he was able to produce the ar-

tistic works with the little savings from his monthly allowance, coupled with the financial support from his parents. Earlier in her remarks, the Principal of Gbagada Girls Junior Secondary School, Bariga, Mrs. Olutomilola Tofade, expressed happiness over Raphael’s artistic works, saying it would enable him (Raphael) to be more creative in his endeavours. While urging him to remain focused and dedicated, Mrs. Tofade also advised other youths to take a cue from Raphael’s initiative and be economically engaged at all times.

Exhibitor and member, National Youth Service Corps, Raphael Ejime; Principal, Gbagada Girls Junior Secondary School, Bariga, Lagos, Mrs. Tofade Olutomilola and NYSC Community Development Services Officer, Mrs. Oloruninsomo Shittu at the Art and Craft works exhibition in Lagos.

On her part, the exhibitor’s proud mother, Adeline, said although the fam-

ily would not want Raphael to take art as main proocupation, they would still give

him all the necessary support to take him to the top of his chosen profession.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Lagos City League ends, Ogunade assures on festival gold 30

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Sport

I am not on CAFs short list? Is it because I didn’t score 20? I still believe in my ability and I know my time will come - Osaze Odemwingie

Eagles sweat over USA visas

Super Eagles cooling off during a training session ahead of the Nations Cup final qualifier against Liberia in Calabar last month

Keshi calls up Mikel, Martins, Ameobi for Venezuela EVEREST ONYEWUCHI

uper Eagles’ Coach, Stephen Keshi, has invited 11 foreignbased professionals for next week’s international friendly match between Nigeria and Venezuela in Miami, Florida, United States of America. Chelsea star and Nigeria’s only last-man standing in the Africa Player of the Year race, Mikel Obi tops a midfield cast that includes former junior international, Raheem Lawal, Ogenyi Eddy Onazi and Nosa Igiebor, with Obafemi Martins of Levante staging a come-back, while the Eagles’ boss left out goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, but instead preferred Austin Ejide of Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva. Surprise call-up is former junior international defender, Onyekachi Apam, who is back from injury at Nice FC of France. Also coming for the game against Venezuela is Newcastle United ace, Shola. Ameobi, who was cleared to play for Nigeria last year alongside Victor Moses after a long-drawn process. Ameobi gets his first call and battles for a place upfront with

Moses, Ukraine-based Brown Ideye, Martins and other home-based strikers. Keshi had earlier called up 26 home-based professionals who have been battling it out in camp in Abuja since last Sunday, from among whom 15 will be picked for the trip to America. Yesterday, the Eagles played a warm up match at Marlins Park, one of a number of games meant to prepare the team for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa, starting on January 19. Invited foreign pros

Goalkeeper: Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel) Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (FC Braga, Portugal); Apam Onyekachi (Nice FC, France) Midfielders: Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); Raheem Lawal (Adana Demirspor, Turkey) Forwards: Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United, England); Obafemi Martins (Levante FC, Spain).

here was palpable tension yesterday over travel plans for the national team; Super Eagles, ahead of the international friendly against Venezuela, scheduled for Miami in the United States on November 14, as the American Embassy in Abuja, seem to be footdragging over the issuance of visas. The Ministry of External Affairs had tried to make the issuance of the visas easy for the Eagles by issuing a ‘Note Verbal for the team to the USA Embassy, but that was rejected, as officials of the embassy reportedly said the team was not entitled to such diplomatic treatment. The Embassy thereafter fixed Friday, November 9 for the team to appear at its consulate for visa interviews while the team is scheduled to

FIFA Ranking: Nigeria 57th in the world, gains six places IKENWA NNABUOGOR

igeria gained six places to climb up to 57th place in the FIFA/ Coca Cola World ranking for the month of November released yesterday by the world soccer body. Nigeria, ranked 5th in the world in 1994, by the virtue of its current ranking, is now placed ninth in Africa. Nigeria gained the six places leap by thrashing Liberia 8-3 on goal aggregate to return to the Nations Cup finals after missing out on the Africa’s biggest soccer event last

‘Sidney Sam indicates Eagles’ interest’ IKENWA NNABUOGOR

ayer Leverkusen of Germany midfielder, Sidney Sam, has finally indicated his readiness to join up with the Super Eagles ahead of the Nations Cup championship in South Africa next January. Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, made this disclosure at the Bolton White Apartment of the team yesterday, during the weekly media parley. Keshi revealed that the player gave his words after he told him

that Nigeria was his fatherland and he should come and be part of the setting for the Nations Cup. “He’s keen to join up with us, so we will wait and see how he responds when we open camp for the Nations Cup, but I have spoken to him and he sounded very enthusiastic to be part of the setting.” Born to a Nigerian father and a German mother and has played at junior levels for Germany, he played nine times for the German under-19 national team and for the under-20s and is eligible to play for the Nigerian senior national team.

travel out on Sunday, November 11 the fear in the camp of the team is that the visas may not be issued same day to the team and that may upset travel plans already perfected by the NFF for the first international friendly after the team’s qualification for the SA 2013 Nations Cup. A top official of the team however assured that going by the warn relationship between the Nigerian government on one hand and its American counterpart, he was sure that the visas would be ready on time for the team’s departure on Sunday. “We have a smooth relationship with the USA Embassy and we are sure they will make the issuance of visas easy, but we also have to let government at the highest level know what we are going through”, the top official declared.

Stephen Keshi

year in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Cote d’Ivoire leads the pack in Africa as the continent’s number one in the current ranking but could only occupy the 15th place in the world. They only managed to maintain the place in last month’s ranking despite gaining a place in the current ranking. Africa’s surprise packages in the current ranking are Mali and the Central African Republic, who are ranked 28th and 46th in the world respectively. Mali’s Eagles are third best in Africa and CAR moves up to joint eighth position with Gabon, despite not qualifying for the Nations Cup in South Africa next year. CAR achieved a remarkable feat in the qualifiers to South Africa 2013 Nations Cup, beating five-time champions Egypt but were eventually stopped from making their first ever bow on the continent by Burkina Faso. Meanwhile, Egypt, major absentees in next year’s Nations Cup finals in South Africa, are surprisingly ranked 40th in the world and sixth in Africa, despite not qualifying for the finals. Current African champions Zambia are ranked 39th in the world and fifth in Africa.

Sport

Thursday, November 8, 2012

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Rodgers leaves out G

Euro Champions League

iverpool manager Brendan Rod- l gers is set to leave Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez out of f today’s Europa League trip to face Anzhi Makhachkala. Rodgers is also ready to rest Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel and Joe Allen p in a bid to keep players fresh for Sunday’s Premier League match at Chelsea. Glen Johnson and Pepe Reina will not be risked for the Group A clash in Moscow either, following recent treatment for hamstring problems. Liverpool will not return from Russia until early on Friday, and Rodgers does not want to over-stretch a relatively thin first-team squad ahead of a crucial league game. Instead, the manager is likely to give the fringe players who disappointed in the Capital One Cup at home to Swansea a week ago the chance to atone. Jamie Carragher, one of the few players to emerge with credit from that 3-1 defeat, will captain the side, while there are set to be starts for Oussama Assaidi, Jordan Henderson, Jack Robinson and Sebastian Coates. Assaidi has been restricted to two substitute appearances in the Premier League since his £2.4 million move from Heerenveen in August, but has made three starts in the Europa League and two in the Capital One Cup. The Morocco international is still finding his feet at Anfield, but be-

Suarez (left) and Gerrard

Pardew eyes qualification

ewcastle boss Alan Pardew wants his players to ‘get qualification sorted’ when they face Club Brugge in the Europa League this evening. The Magpies are without Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and James Perch for the trip to Belgium, after the trio sustained injuries during Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Liverpool.

Alan Pardew

But, while the 51-year-old expressed frustration at having to juggle a ‘really stretched’ squad, he remains confident of getting a victory which could seal passage to the final 32. “This is an opportunity to get the qualification sorted, and that’s what we want to do,” he told reporters “But it’s easier said than done because we’re all aware of Brugge’s qualities after the first game and we’re carrying three more big injuries after the trip to Liverpool at the weekend. “Cabaye, Perch and Demba definitely won’t play, so that’s three big players that are out of the equation before we’ve got on the plane. That doesn’t give me a lot of options to rest players or shuffle the team around. The squad is really being stretched at the moment, and there’s no doubt that events at Anfield at the weekend have hurt us.” The Englishman also admitted his side faces a tough test against the Belgians, who he believes will try and dominate the game from the first minute. “It will be a tough game; we’re under no illusions about that. It’s going to be important that we’re the ones controlling proceedings from the very first minute. We’ll do our best to do that and hopefully that will enable us to come away with another positive result in Europe. I’m confident we’ll be going there with a strong enough team to hopefully get a win,” he added.

Atletico tops list of sides eyeing pro

efending champion Atletico Madrid heads a list of several teams that can advance to the knockout stages of the Europa League today as the group phase reaches the business end. Group B leaders Atletico, who are one of three remaining teams with a perfect record thus far, can assure themselves of a berth in the last 32 with a victory against Academica in Coimbra. However Atletico will be without Colombian star Radamel Falcao and numerous other first-team regulars with manager Diego Simeone electing to name a youthful squad for the trip to Portugal. Despite a 2-0 loss at Valencia on Saturday, a result that snapped the club’s 23-match unbeaten run in all competitions, Emre Belozoglu, one of the veterans retained by Simeone for Thursday, lauded the team’s unity. “When I signed for this club, I saw there was a fantastic atmosphere in the squad; it’s like a family. If one player plays and another doesn’t, it isn’t a problem. We are all working very hard under a fantastic coach who is like a friend to us -that is a very important thing to have in a team” he said. However Atletico’s record 16-game winning streak in Europe remains intact and Emre has his sights set on defending the title. “Last year we won the Uefa Europa League and we want to win it again. We have a great team and we are going well. If we can continue progressing, we can achieve our goals and hopefully finish a great season in Spain.” Falcao

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

lieves he is improving under Rodgers, and is ready to help their bid for Europa League progress. Liverpool lead Group A with six points, two ahead of Anzhi and Udinese, with three games played.

YEMI OLUS

Europa League Fixtures v

Liverpool

Neftçi

Rubin

Molde

Steaua

København

Stuttgart

AIK

PSV

Napoli

Dnipro

Fenerbahçe

AEL

Académica

Atlético

Udinese

Young Boys

Plze

H. Tel-Aviv

Marseille

Mönchengladbach

Club Brugge

Newcastle

Bordeaux

Marítimo

Lazio

Panathinaikos

Leverkusen

Rapid Wien

Hannover

Helsingborg

Twente

Levante

H. Kiryat Shmona

Sparta Praha

Metalist

Rosenborg

Tottenham

Maribor

Sporting

Genk

Basel

Videoton

Partizan

Internazionale

Athletic

Lyon

Willams’ visit will revive tennis –Momah

Gerrad, Suarez

Anji

Sport

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Fenerbahce

Fenerbahce to host AEL Istanbul

urkish soccer team Fenerbahce will play their fourth game in the UEFA Europa League Group C against Greek Cypriot club AEL Limassol in Istanbul. Having been the leaders with 7 points, Fenerbahce plan to keep their place by defeating AEL Limassol in their home game. Fenerbahce defeated AEL Limassol 1-0 in away game on October 25. Coach Aykut Kocaman’s likely line-up is comprised of Volkan Demirel, Gokhan Gonul, Bekir Irtegun, Yobo, Hasan Ali Kaldirim, Selcuk Sahin, Mehmet Topal, Kuyt, Cristian, Stoch and Sow. Kristinn Jakobsson of the Iceland Soccer Federation will referee the game that will kick-off at 8:00 p.m. Turkish local time at Fenerbahce Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.

ormer Nigeria Tennis Federation president, Chuka Momah believes that the tour made last week to Nigeria by international tennis stars, Venus and Serena Williams portends a good future for the game on the domestic scene. Some of the activities which headlined their visit included a tennis clinic where they tutored young children, inspirational talks and an exhibition game among others. Momah said the fact that the duo had dominated the game for years and carved a niche for themselves by becoming the top black players in the world was no mean feat. He said, “I am more excited about the visit of Venus and Serena because they are African Americans. They are blacks like us. The presence of people of the same pigmentation is more likely to ignite passion in the minds of

our youth than if we had purely Caucasian players coming here so I think the black world is particularly fortunate to have two players who are dominant in the world. “It is just like having Tiger Woods visiting the country. I wouldn’t bother myself to say Sharapova and Azarenka should come to Nigeria. We still have the Governor’s Cup so there are a lot of foreign players who come around but this is different.” The NTF Life Patron did not want to be drawn into comparing his administration with that of current board led by Sani Ndanusa even as players have complained against lack of competitions which has been the norm in recent years: “The tennis federation is doing all they can under the circumstances in which they find themselves. I worked with the current president and I’m still a part of the federation in a way. I don’t want to go into needless comparison”, he said.

Thugs assault Sharks official IKENWA NNABUOGOR

ogress

Sigurdsson

Spurs want early goal against Maribor

ylfi Sigurdsson believes Tottenham Hotspur must score early against Maribor in the Europa League on tonight. Andre Villas-Boas’ team has drawn all three of their Group J games so far this season and could only manage a 1-1 draw against the Slovenian champions last time out. But the Tottenham midfielder is hopeful that an early lead will open the game up and encourage the White Hart Lane crowd to get behind the team. He told Tottenham’s official website: “It would be ideal if we get an early goal. That means Maribor cannot just sit there and defend and it would the game up. That would also get the crowd right behind us and it will be a great atmosphere. That is important for us.” Sigurdsson, who scored the equaliser at the Ljudski vrt Stadium two weeks ago, also believes the size of the White Hart Lane pitch will work in their favour and that Spurs still have a realistic chance of progressing in to the knock out stages. “It’s a big pitch at White Hart Lane so hopefully we will get wide, get some crosses in and break them down this time. It is still in our hands and we now have the advantage of playing at home. Hopefully we will use that advantage and take the three points. We want to progress to the knockout stage, so it is important for us,” he added.

ngry thugs have reportedly beaten up the General Manager of Sharks FC Okey Kpaluku during their morning training session Wednesda, National Mirror has learnt. The training was abruptly disrupted as a result of the incident, which led to players and the technical crew taking cover for their safety Sources close to the Port Harcourt-based side revealed that a player who is an orphan was allegedly fingered to be responsible for the assault of the club official. The said player was said to be

dropped from the team Kpaluku recently, and threatened to attack the Sharks boss. “The GM (Okey Kpaluku) was beaten black and blue just as training was about to end on Wednesday morning, the source confirmed. “The orphaned player was dropped at the end of the concluded season, and the only means of survival for the player is the football he is playing. “So he felt he has no means of livelihood anymore, and he threatened to get back to Kpaluku, the source said.” The development may lead to an indefinite suspension of training ahead of the next season.

Desert Rollers ready for Africa tourney

he Chairman, Yobe State Sports Commission, Alhaji Sani Fema, yesterday in Damaturu said the Yobe Desert Rollers hockey team had acquired new techniques ahead of their continental outing. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Damaturu-based side is representing Nigeria at the African Men’s Club Hockey Championship in Zimbabwe. The competition will hold from December 1 to December 10 in Harare. Fema said that the new techniques were acquired during the club’s on-going closed-camp training programme in Damaturu.

“The newly-acquired techniques will enable the team emerge the overall winners at the championship. The intensive training activities at the camp have provided coaches and players with new techniques that will make them win the championship’s trophy,” he said. The chairman added that the coaches had trained the players on new skills and the players were raring to emerge victorious at the championship. “With the new skills and vigour exhibited by the team at the camp, I am assuring Nigerians that we are prepared to do the nation proud in Harare.”

Sport

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

SLAMMING AND E-mail: folashayoezekiel@yahoo.com Phone: 08027536696

DUNKING

With SAYO OGUNDEJI

FIBA Okays 7 Nigerian referees

FINAL STANDING Women Champion - Team Lagos 2nd - Police Rookies 3rd - Sea Rovers Men Champion - Islanders 2nd - Chariot 3rd - Union Bank A Union Bank of Lagos player (left) trying to dribble his Bauchi Nets opponent in a match during the last Premier Basketball League at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Lagos City League ends, Ogunade assures on festival gold L agos State Basketball Association (LSBA) chairman, Babs Ogunade, has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Lagos State basketball female team after it emerged champions of the 7th edition of the Lagos City Basketball League last weekend. Team Lagos recorded a 55-46 points win over the Police Rookies team to win the competition inside the Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Islanders’ Basketball Club, who made the semi-finals of the 2011/2012 season in the DStv Premier Basketball League final-8 playoff, won the men’s trophy with a 78-71 points’ victory over Chariot Basketball Club. LSBA used the City League to prepare Team Lagos for the basketball event of the 18th National Sports Festival which Lagos is hosting. Team Lagos men basketball team however failed to make it to the podium but Ogunade believes the experienced ganered by the teams during the league will help them perform well at the festival. The chairman however calls for more grade. A tune-up games which will make the players stay focused and in shape as nothing short of gold medal will be accepted by the association and the state. He said, “We are happy that the 7th edition has come and gone and we can only hope the Lagos Teams will repeat the same performance when the festival commences in few weeks time.

“Lagos State has an enviable record as far as the game of basketball is concerned in the sports festival and we will leave no stone unturned to make sure the trend continues as we hope to win in both the men and women events of the games. “We are already working on how to make the 8th edition of the Lagos City League much bigger and better than what we have witnessed because of the state government’s belief in the develop-

ment of youths and sports in general. Meanwhile, Sea Rovers team finished third in the women’s category after defeating Hope ‘4’ Girls by 38-18 points while Union Bank Basketball Club also won the third place event following their 80-71 points victory over Warriors Academy . Sharon Okwranduku of Team Lagos won the most valuable player (MVP) award for women while Michael Ohiero of Islanders won in the men’s category.

Iguodala gives Nuggets victory over Pistons

iffed by his miscues, Nigerian born American basketball player, , Andre Iguodala, went to work, scoring six of his 17 points over the final three minutes to help the Denver Nuggets hold off the Detroit Pistons 109-97 on Wednesday. “When I make a mistake, I really want to make it up,” Iguodala said. And make it up he certainly did, as he played a big role in the Nuggets snapping a three-game skid. Even before tipoff, Iguodala got the capacity crowd riled up by grabbing the microphone and giving an impassioned speech to the fans: “This is a big year for us! We need your support!” Then, he came through at crunch time. Not just with his offensive exploits, but with his defensive intensity

as well. He also added 10 rebounds. “He was a presence everywhere, on every part of the court,” Danilo Gallinari said. “He’s great for us when he plays like that.” The Nuggets broke out their new canary-yellow uniforms for their home opener and played pretty snazzy, especially late in the third quarter when they began opening up a 17-point lead. The Pistons rallied in the final quarter, before Iguodala closed the door with two baskets and a pair of free throws. Early in the fourth, Iguodala and Corey Brewer hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Nuggets a 96-80 lead. Moments later, JaVale McGee brought the crowd to its feet with a thunderous dunk off a lob from Andre Miller

even Nigerian basketball referees have been certified as International Federation of Basketball (FIBA) Africa Zonal Referees, Tijani Umar, President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), has disclosed. They are Olayiwola Alimi, Samuel Sofoluwe, Olusegun Adekanbi, Musa Gambo, Patrick Obochi, Opeyemi Ogunleye and Rasaq Okedeyi. Umar said earlier in the week in Abuja that the referees were part of 12 Nigerian basketball referees, who took part in the last FIBA Africa Zonal Referees Clinic held in Lagos between October 9 – 12, 2012. “We had 12 of our referees at the course and seven of them were said to have passed the course by FIBA, the organisers of the clinic,”an excited Umar explained. “In essence, we now have seven of our referees certified as FIBA Africa Zonal Referees; it is really a heart-gladdening development, and we at the federation (NBBF) congratulate them on their achievement. “We also enjoin them to bring to bear their newly-acquired competence in their basketball assignments,’’ the NBBF president said. Meanwhile, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) has said that it would hold two national competitions next month in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to round off its activities for the year. Francis Gbiri, NBBF Secretary-General, revealed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the competitions are the National Men’s Division Two Basketball Championship and the National Women’s Open Championship 2012. He also said the National Men’s Division Two Basketball Championship will follow immediately on December 15 - 22 at the same venue. He said, “The National Women’s Open Championship 2012 will hold from Dec. 10 to Dec. 15 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the Abuja National Stadium Complex while the traditional Technical Meeting holds at 3p.m on Dec. 9 at the same venue,’’ The qualified teams at the end of the championships will earn promotion into the next upper level of Nigerian women and men basketball leagues respectively. While qualified teams from the 2012 National Women’s Open Championship will move to the 2013 Zenith Bank Women’s League, teams from the National Men’s Division Two Basketball Championship will also advance to the 2013 National Men’s Division One.

NBBF President, Tijani Umar

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance The hardest question asked today is what is happening to poverty in Nigeria. To be honest, we don’t know. There is a lot of controversy about the poverty estimation rate. We are not sure whether it is actually going up or down

I will step on powerful toes to bring stability to maritime domain Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi

CHIEF ECONOMIST FOR AFRICA, SHANTAYANAN DEVARAJAN

FG expresses concern over Nigeria’s investment ranking OLUFEMI ADEOSUN

ederal Government has expressed concerns over the low level ranking of Nigeria in terms of the competitiveness of investing environment by the international ranking organisation. Dr Samuel Ortom, Minister of State for Trade and Investment stated this in Abuja at the 8th National Conference on investment organised by Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). He said: "This unsatisfactory performance cannot be allowed to continue if Nigeria must take her rightful position as a major player in the global economy given our natural endowment". Ortom who was represented at the event by his Special Assistant, Mr. Stephen Amanse, said that for the country to be able to play efficiently in the global economy there was the need to put in place measures that would improve on Nigeria business environment. He noted that the 2011 Doing Business Report of the World Bank ranked Nigeria as 131 out of 185 countries surveyed, and the 2012 -2013 Global Competitiveness index World Economic Forum rank Nigeria as 115 out of 144 countries surveyed. The Minister who expressed

government dissatisfaction with the situation said “it is for this reason that government has put in place several measures to ensure an improvement in Nigeria’s investment environment”. Some of these measures, according to the minister, included the Doing Business And Competitiveness and the Presidential Committee on Investors’ Care both of which NIPC serves as the secretariat. Ortom noted that the theme of this year’s conference , ‘Creating Jobs and Wealth through Increased Investment in Small and

Growing Enterprise in Nigeria’ could not have been more appropriate, “Giving the fact that government’s transformation Agenda is premised on the need to create jobs and wealth for National Development and security. "We must therefore all join hands, both private and public sectors at the Federal, States and Local levels to ensure that we support the development of SME in Nigeria``. The Minister of State (FCT) Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide said the FCT Administration had put

WITH AGENCY REPORT

here are strong indications that the nation’s low oil output which was affected by flood has improved significantly as the situation

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LAGOS: 01-8446073, 08094331171, 08023133084, 08034019884 ABUJA: 08033020395, 08036321014

in place enabling environment to encourage both local and foreign investors. The minister who was represented by the Managing Director, Abuja Enterprise Agency, Miss Altine Jibril, said this was done through the creation of policy initiatives that provides incentives to investors. This, she said, included fiscal measures in terms of tax relief and allowances payable by entrepreneurs and provision of insurance cover for export oriented industries as specified in the extent laws.

Arik Air Los-Abj: 07:15, 09:15, 10:20, 15:20, 16:20, 16:50, 18:45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) Abj-Los: 07:15, 09:40, 10:20, 12:15, 15:15, 16:15, 17:10, (Mon-Fri/Sat); 12:15, 15:15, 16:15 (Sun) Los-PH: 07:15, 11:40, 14:00, 16:10, 17:15, (Mon-Fri) 07:30, 11:40, 15:50 (Sat) 11:50, 3:50, 17:05 (Sun) Abj-PH: 07:15, 11:20, 15:30 (Mon-Fri) 07:15, 16:00 (Sat) 13:10, 16:00, (Sun) PH-Abj: 08:45, 12:50, 17:00 (Mon-Fri) 08:45, 17:30 (Sat) 14:40, 17:30 (Sun) Abj-Ben: 08:00, 12:10 (Mon-Fri/Sat) 08:55, 12:10 (Sun) Ben-Abj: 09:55, 13:30 (Mon-Fri/Sat) 10:50, 13:30 (Sun)

Aero Contractors

L-R: Assistant General Manager/Head Card Services, Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Chioma Nkechika; Division President, Sub-Sahara Africa, MasterCard Worldwide, Mr. Daniel Monehin; Head E-Business, First Bank Plc, Mr. Chuma Ezirim, and Chairman, CeBIH; Mr. Chuks Iku, at the 2nd Annual CeBIH Conference in Calabar recently.

Oil output recovers as floods recede – DPR UDEME AKPAN

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

improves in some parts of the nation. z quoted a Department of Petroleum Resources as stating that the nation’s worst floods in 50 years are no longer affecting oil output, although foreign oil majors have not yet said their production is back to normal. “Production is back to normal and has been for some time, it was only a brief outage,” a spokesman for the Department

of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said by phone. The agency said there is ample supply of Nigerian crude in the market and loading programmes show December exports are due to be the highest in six months. Nigeria is Africa’s largest crude oil exporter and usually pumps between 2-2.5 million barrels per day (bpd). Widespread oil theft and a lack of ac-

NIGCOMSAT targets global footprint by 2016

curate statistics means output figures fluctuate from month-tomonth. The DPR on Oct. 24 said floods had cut out 500,000 bpd of oil output in the previous weeks, reducing total production to around 2.1 million bpd, but was back to normal by the time of the announcement. Shell still has a force majeure in place on Bonny Light and Forcados crude oil grades, after oil theft and flooding cut up to 20 percent of Nigeria’s output last month.

Unlocking N200bn annual software revenue potential

Los-Abj: 06:50, 13:30, 16:30, 19:45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) 12:30 (Sun) 16:45 (Sat). Abj-Los: 07:30, 13:00, 19:00 (Mon-Fri/ Sat) 10:30, 14:30, 19:30 (Sun) 18.30 (Sat) Los-Ben: 07:45, 11:00, 15:30, (Mon-Fri/Sat/ Sun) 12:30 (Sun) 15:30 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) Ben-Los: 09:15, 12:30, 17:00 (Mon-Fri/ Sat/Sun) 17:00 (Sat), 14:00 (Sun)

EXCHANGE RATES WAUA

234.6271

USD

155.84

CHF

159.2642

SDR

235.0535

CFA

0.2924

GBP

244.1701

EURO

191.3715

OIL / GAS FUTURES ICE BRENT

$123.39

NYMEX

$108.45

-0.78 -0.11

OPEC BASKET

$122.86

+1.16

NATURAL GAS

$2.83

-0.03

Have Nigerian agencies lost their creative spark?

Business & Finance

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Due process: NPA dismisses calls for Procurement Act amendment FRANCIS EZEM

he Nigerian Ports Authority has said that the amendment of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 might not be the way out of the bottlenecks created by the enforcement of the Act in the public service contrary to calls for its amendment. The authority had recently admitted that it has implemented less than 25 percent of its 2012 appropriation, which is a pointer to the non execution of most critical projects that are expected to drive the growth process the industry. Managing Director of the

authority, Mallam Habib Abdullahi, who spoke in an interview shortly after a one-day strategic session on project implementation, in Lagos, said that though NPA could not implement up to 30 percent of its budget in the last quarter on account of adhering to due process, calls for the amendment of the act is not an option. According to him, the only option left to the authority was ensure a synergy between departments, the ports, zonal offices and general management, which are the points of initiation and final execution of projects in order to ensure a seamless procurement process in ports operation.

Abdullahi declared: ’Among the various reforms undertaken by the Federal Government is the enactment of the Public Procurement Act 2007, aimed at bringing efficiency and value for money. It also established processes, approval thresholds and due process requirement for public sector procurement of goods, works and services’ While regretting that this over the years has not translated to good capital budget performance, he however dismissed calls for the review of the legislation but insisted that what was needed was the adoption of a new and sustainable strategy in order to derive all the benefits of the process.

He further argued that the essence of the enactment of the legislation was to enthrone a culture of discipline, probity and accountability in the award of contracts and spending of public funds and so the way out is not to eliminate the law rather it is for us to realign our internal processes to conform to the provisions of the law. “It will take the decision of the Federal Executive Council, National Assembly and other organs of the government for the act to be repealed but for me I do not think that repealing it is the way out rather to readdress our internal processes”, he argued. While describing the authority’s poor budget implementation

as unfortunate and embarrassing, the NPA-boss had disclosed that the reason for the session was to put heads together with his colleagues in order to find out the cause of the problem with a view to forestalling a future occurrence. “Poor budget implementation undoubtedly has been a source of concern to both Federal Government management and of NPA considering the vital role the ports play as gateways for economic trade and commerce of the nation which makes it absolutely necessary that we perform optimally. This requires infrastructure development, maintenance and acquisition of vital operational equipment”, he said.

Provision of infrastructure will encourage investment facility – Perm Sec DAYO AYEYEMI

L-R: One of the beneficiaries, Oando Foundation scholarship programme, Edukan Innocent Job, student of Government School, Ikpe Annans, Akwa Ibom State, Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw and Director, Oando Foundation, Tokunbo Durosaro, during the launch of the scheme for 225 students nationwide, in Lagos recently.

Sterling Bank supports MfBs to access N220bn intervention fund UDO ONYEKA

terling Bank Plc has expressed its commitment to assisting Microfinance Banks (MfBs) access N220 billion Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund (MSMEDF), which would be launched by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) next week. Managing Director, Sterling Bank Plc, Yemi Adeola disclosed this on Tuesday at the MfB Customer Forum organised by the bank in Lagos. He said the fund seeks to provide wholesale funding for MfBs and microfinance institutions for on-lending to micro and medium enterprises. The bank CEO listed other funding opportunities that the MfBs can key into to include the N5 billion small business development funds, $4 million renewable energy project, and another $200 million provided by Ford Foun-

dation to enable them increase their market penetration. Adeola said the plan is part of the apex bank’s strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening the MfB subsector to enable it play its primary role of financial support for the grassroots in the economy. He said Sterling Bank is proactively positioning its key customers in the MfB subsector to benefit from the MSMEDF when it is eventually launched. The Sterling Bank boss said that Nigerian banks concentrate on big customers, not understanding that 50 to 60 per cent of finance in the economy usually comes from the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). He said unless banks refocus on SMEs, the economy will not grow. Noting that massive investment is required to run a bank, Mr Adeola said that Sterling Bank is committed to channeling some of its products and ser-

vices as well as dedicate knowledgeable staff, towards meeting the business needs of MfBs. He said that the MfBs need enabler s such as commercial bank to be able to access the Fund and other intervention finances from the apex bank to the subsector. He said there is also a N600 billion agricultural development fund, which the bank has already assisted several customers to benefit from. Chief Finance Officer, Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman said the bank believes strongly in strategic partnership and is already partnering with some MfBs in relation to electronic business, agricultural finance among others. “We identify with the brand promise of MfBs and believe there is need to leverage on technology to increase their retail penetration and enable their customers enjoy electronic banking facilities,” he said.

he newly posted Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works, Dr. Abukakar Koro Muhammad, has stated that the provision of road infrastructure remains the ultimate thing to encourage investment facility into the country, improve the economy and raise the standard of living of Nigerians. Muhammad took over the affairs of the ministry yesterday after a handing over ceremony in Abuja. In his speech, Muhammad described the ministry as one of the important ministries of the Federal Government saddled with the provision of road infrastructure. He noted that contractors and consultants of the ministry are very important partners in progress towards the delivery of service and requested that pay-

ment for work satisfactorily done should be prompt. The permanent secretary thus requested for cooperation of the staff, maintaining that he believes in dialogue. The outgoing permanent secretary, Mallam Bukar Goni Aji, while making his valedictory speech saw the occasion as another historic day in the transformation agenda of the Federal Ministry of Works on road infrastructure, adding that the ministry is uniquely structured and that road development and maintenance is very critical to national development. Aji who stated that transforming the road sector requires huge funding, assured the newly posted permanent secretary that the ministry is blessed with competent engineers who are highly dedicated and competent to compete with other engineers from any part of the world.

Bi-Courtney assures Med-View Airline of smooth operations at MMA2 OLUSEGUN KOIKI

n preparation for its maiden flight on Thursday, the management of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), yesterday assured the management of Med-View Airline of smooth operations in its terminal. BASL said the airline is joining others, who have been enjoying its ultra-modern facilities in the last five years, and said it would continue to provide an enabling environments to all its clients. A statement issued yesterday by BASL spokesman, Steve Omolale-Ajulo, quoted the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

of the organisation, Mr. Christophe Penninck, as saying that the company feels elated that Med-View decided to operate from MMA2, “which further confirmed the conducive nature of the terminal to airline operations. “BASL has put everything in place to ensure that Med-View Airline sustains its operations at the ultra-modern MMA2 the way we have always done and have continued to do for other airlines that are using our facility, which is the best airport terminal in the country.” Penninck also assured the new airline that the terminal operator would collaborate with its management to restore passengers’ confidence in the country’s aviation industry.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Business & Finance

Thursday, November 8, 2012

NBS to update database on socio-economic, other surveys TOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he National Bureau of Statistics is revving up plans to carry out series of statistical surveys in the country with a view to updating the existing National Statistical System’s database and improving the quality for effective planning and implementation of development policies at all levels of government in the country. One of these is the nationwide enlarged socio-economic survey which may be conducted in the first quarter of 2013. Giving the hint during an interactive session with participants at the National Statistical User Workshop on Tuesday in Nasarawa State, the NBS Director, Real Sector and Household Survey Department of the Bureau, Mr. George Oparaku,

said the planned surveys were aimed at enhancing the production of reliable and timely statistical information on all areas of the national life and usage in the formulation of policies and execution, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes. Oparaku described the enlarged socio-economic survey initiative as one of the proactive initiatives being embarked on by the NBS to produce a more qualitative statistical information and avail users opportunity to access those critical statistical information from a single, more compact and well researched report as against the past when they were produced through many surveys and separate documents. Okparaku expressed the hope that “the enlarged socioeconomic survey and others being planned by the NBS when

completed will meet users’ expectations better through many and diverse indicators that will come out from them. This is in line with the Statistician General’s vision of making the NBS the primary source of evidencebased statistical information for national development”. In addition to the enlarged socio-economic statistical survey, the Bureau, according to the statistician while responding to users and other participants’ enquiries, is also collaborating with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a proposed survey on public perception and awareness of the Commission. According to the officials of the statistical agency, discussions are already going on between the parties with a view to determining when the exercise would formally kick off.

L-R: Executive Director, Diamond Bank Plc, Mr. Abdulrahman Yinusa; Executive Director, Risk Mnanagment , Mrs. Caroline Anyanwu; Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Otti and Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Mr. Uzoma Dozie, during the univelling of new Diamond Bank Plc Identity at Southorn Sun, Victoria Island Lagos, yesterday.

NIGCOMSAT targets global footprint by 2016 KUNLE A ZEEZ

he Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, Mr. Timasaniyu Ahmed-Rufai, has said the company was planning to attain global coverage of its satellite footprint in the next four years. He disclosed the auspicious target during a one-day stakeholders’ forum on the Nigerian Communications Satellite Corporate Bill of NigComSat before the upper legislative chamber, the Senate. The Bill seeks to establish an Act to establish the NigComSat Corporation empowered to engage in, purchase and otherwise acquire or take over the

assets, business, company, firm or persons and act in furtherance of all and any business associated and or relating to the satellite industry. The Bill has already been passed by the lower legislative arm, the House of Representatives as at March 2012. The bill is now set for deliberation at the Senate before it will eventually be sent to the President for assent and with the bill becoming an Act, all assets and liabilities of NIGCOMSAT will be inherited by the new corporation. Speaking at the forum, which held in Lagos on Wednesday, Ahmed-Rufai, said the Bill, if passed into law, will allow NigComSat Limited to engage in international business partnership for the benefit of the

whole country. Ahmed-Rufai, who urged all stakeholders in the nation’s Information and Communication Technology to support the bill, said “as a corporation, the satellite company in about three to four years, would have achieved global satellite coverage.” “The Bill will allow NigComsat to borrow from the bank to launch more satellite for effective business activities rather than rely on the annual budget, as this restrict the extent to which the company can go,” he said. Meanwhile, stakeholders and ICT experts at the forum have expressed mixed views on the Senate to expidite action on the consideration of the bill for final assent by the President.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Airtel storms Lagos Trade Fair

elecoms giant, Airtel Nigeria has stormed the on-going Lagos International Trade Fair with an array of bespoke products designed to cater to different segments of the Nigerian market. Coming off the launch of a bouquet of revolutionary products last week, Airtel is at the Lagos Fair to reach out to a broader spectrum of the domestic market who has been anticipating the arrival of carefully thought-out telecoms products that would speak to their specific needs. These products are valueladen packages that were specifically conceived to provide distinctive telecoms solutions for the nation’s youth, High Networth Individuals and the mass market segment in fulfillment of

Airtel’s recent repositioning as the best friendship network in Nigeria. The special products are Club 10 Padis, Smartbytes, 2 Good Classic and Big Family Plus, specifically crafted to delight the youth, High Networth Individuals (HNIs) and the mass markets respectively. The Airtel Club 10 Padis package offers the youth and the young-at-heart the privilege to connect and have fun with friends at 7.5k/sec call rate, enjoy up to 90 MB of free data every month as well as free facebook and browsing. Other unique freebies are: SMS chat, night radio, ringback tunes, football download, free download of opera mini browser and full access to Airtel Groupie for one month within the club’s base.

Dangote shines at Lagos Trade Fair

angote Group has stamped its presence in a big way at the on-going Lagos International Trade Fair as the subsidiaries of the PanAfrican Conglomerate Companies dominated activities at the trade exhibition. Consumers thronged the pavilions of the Dangote Companies as the group displayed an array of products tailored to meet different consumer needs while also offering wet and dry sampling to arouse the consumers’ interest. The group’s stand was strategically located close to the main entrance thus giving visitors the benefit of having the first contact with the Group’s product on entering the fair while dancers thrilled them to an exciting session. Schools children their teachers were not left out as they have their turn to familiarize themselves with products from the Group’s stable and were showered with customized gifts

Companies from the group that are exhibiting at the fair include Dangote Sugar Refinery, Dangote Flour Mills, Dangote Agro-sacks, National Salt Company of Nigeria (NASCON), Dangote Pasta, Dangote Cement, Dangote Noodles and Dansa Foods Limited, leading producers of juice. A major attraction at the Group’s pavilion is the Dangote Kitchen which is offering a wide range of the delicacies prepared from products manufactured by companies under the Group. The Restaurant offers delicacies like Dangote Noodles, pasta, Alkama (wheat meal), Danvita among others. A range of fruit drinks from Dansa are also on offer at the Restaurant. As the Dangote pavilion is located in a premium area, other participants and exhibitors at the fair are flocking to the restaurant for their daily meals therefore drawing more people to the stand.

Excelon introduces 50% instant discount prepaid card STANLEY IHEDIGBO

xcelon Nigeria, one of the prepaid card providers in the country, has introduced 50 percent instant discount prepaid card called MyReward to visitors at the Lagos International Trade Fair. Speaking with National Mirror, the Managing Director, Mr. Excel Nzekwe, explained that as part of their effort to encourage cashless policy introduced by Central Bank of Nigeria. “MyReward loyalty reward programme offer holder reward points and shopping voucher ev-

ery time the person pay for any transaction at any MyReward merchant points”. According to him, the prepaid cards that include master and visa are issued by Zenith Bank International, which can be use anywhere in the world. He added that a typical MyReward card holder saves over N450, 000 annually in discounts, money back and shopping vouchers. Nzekw added that the annually charge fees for the prepaid card is N3, 500 only and attractive to individuals who want to manage or budget their funds and finance.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Info Tech

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Unlocking N200bn annual software revenue potential In spite of the huge revenue potential of Nigeria’s indigenous software sector, estimated at N200bn annually, lack of proper implementation of policy framework to raise the bar of locally-developed software products still constitutes a setback to unlocking the industry’s potential, writes KUNLE AZEEZ.

atent revenue opportunity available in the nation’s indigenous software industry has remained grossly untapped as a result of inadequate attention to this critical sub-sector of the nation’s Information and Communication Technology industry. Though, there are many software development practitioners in the country, under the aegis of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, who also develop software applications for businesses and government, foreign applications apparently still receive huge patronage at the expense of the locally-developed software’s. For instance, over the years, the poor patronage of locally-developed software is resulting in huge capital flight in Nigeria despite the fact that the potential contribution of indigenous software, if properly exploited, can contribute over N200billion in revenue to the economy annually. According to industry stakeholders, software sector in Nigeria remains a ‘goldmine industry’ yet to be properly tapped by the government and businesses. According to the President of ISPON, Dr. Chris Uwaje, the software sector constitutes a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product and a source of revenue earnings for countries that had given priority to the sector. Unfortunately, the massive importation of software has been robbing Nigeria of major revenue into its economy and this has been retarding the growth of its software sector. According to a survey by the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion, an estimated N150billion leaves the shore of Nigerian economy annually as capital flight due to software importation. Whereas, experts have disclosed that Nigerian software industry is potentially a N900billion industry and can surpass the contribution from the oil industry, especially as the software industry is not a capital-intensive sector. Corroborating the survey, the Director- General of NOTAP, Dr. Buba Bindir, who condemned a situation whereby almost all the leading multinationals and local companies operating in Nigeria are dependent on nearly 100 per cent imported software and other ICT products, said Nigerian required the right policy to unleash the potential of indigenous software industry. According to him, “Huge capital flight being recorded in the industry could be saved with local capacity utilisation, as there are many Nigerian young professional software developers that have the skills to develop software applications and solutions that meet and surpass the requirement of local needs and also exportable to other country.” He, however, noted that such revenue potential can only be unlocked if the right policy is put in place and the ones already put in place are implemented to promote local skill utilisation while encouraging exports. Speaking on recently at a software conference organised by ISPON in Cross Rivers, Special Adviser on ICT, to the governor of the state, Mr. Odo Effiong, noted that the first five richest men in the world are software entrepreneurs, adding that their venture in software has made them richer than they expected. He was of the view that if all framework already put in place by the government can be implemented to the letter, Nigeria could make more revenue in software than in oil, as it currently the case in Indian.

Rutherford

Software box

A RECENT SURVEY BY THE NATIONAL OFFICE FOR TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION AND PROMOTION, ESTIMATES THAT ABOUT N150 BILLION LEAVES THE SHORE OF

NIGERIA ANNUALLY AS CAPITAL FLIGHT. “Even India makes more money from software than we get from oil. Nigeria spends a lot on importation and outsourcing to Indians. All of us are buying foreign software but this should not be. We need to develop capacity in human capital, especially in students in schools to but the critical mass of capacity required to unleash the revenue potential in the software sector,” he said. Also speaking in support of the potential of software sector to create jobs for many Nigerian youths, the former President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, had stated that “Software development matched with the right skill development and encouragement of its patronage locally will go a long way in helping to solve the nation’s perennial unemployment problem.” National Mirror recalls that on October 6, 2010, the National Information Technology Development Agency set up a committee with members drawn from a broad spectrum of stakeholders to develop a National Software Policy (NSP) which would aim at providing a blueprint to make Nigeria a competitive country in the area of software development. With mandates, ranging from designing appropriate strategies for national software research and development, establishing strategies for promoting local demand for software products and services and developing guidelines that ensure the promotion of local software, among others, the committee assiduously

formulated the national Software Policy and submitted same to the government last year. However, since the submission of the draft policy to the government last year, nothing concrete has been heard about the implementation of the recommendations and guidelines contained in it with a view to jump-starting new wave of revolution in software sector in the country. Meanwhile, the Chairman of the software drafting committee, Prof. Oluwole Akinyokun, who also expressed worry at the lull being experienced in the implementation of the software policy, said, “Ordinarily, one would have expected that by now, the a strategic action plan for implementation would be been created to ensure full execution of the policy where each stakeholder’s role in the overall implementation and how to go about the implementation will be specified.” Akinyokun believes that if well implemented, the policy was enough for Nigeria to address critical issues relating to the development, promotion and harnessing of local software skills of young software developers and the professionals in the country. Expressing a contrary perspective to the low perception many have of indigenous software players, however, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, had stated that Nigeria’s software industry has grown over the years to produce local and regional brands like HumanManager, Xceed, Progenics and Symbol to mention a few. “In addition, our software developers are continuing to do us proud both locally and internationally. I had the pleasure of hosting the winners and runners up of last year’s competition and I must say I was not only inspired by the sheer talent of these young men and women but also impressed by the useful and relevant applications that they had developed.” She explained that though Nigerian young software entrepreneurs had been making great strides internationally, the ministry was also building incubation centres to serve as a spring board for software innovation and development in the country. Noting that the government has not thrown away the software policy, Johnson said “We are working to implement it and support the indigenous software sector to grow.”

Info Tech

Thursday, November 8, 2012

TAA mobilises industry for broadband expansion KUNLE A ZEEZ

he Nigerian Communications Commission has provided institutional and financial support for Telecoms Answers & Associates, TAA, to execute the Broadband Expansion Programme (BBExPro), which TAA conceived based on results of several study and summit works done so far on the subject. With the new industry arrangement, the pursuit of broadband penetration in Nigeria has got a new vigour. The project is the broadband expansion initiative for mobilisation of players who will participate in the accelerated spread of broadband internet infrastructure and services across Nigeria. For several years, TAA has

built a track record for critical study of the industry and used research results to shape industry focus via conferences, summits and training. The journey to this final stage of the programme started in 2010 with Broadband for Nigeria (BB4NG), through broadband investment summit in 2011 and now BBExPro. TAA has been a motivating factor in all of the schemes, and immediate past President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu is the arrowhead of the company. According to Omo-Ettu, BBExPro will take three years to get a first review of its impact. He explained that participation is open to businesses which are potential investors in the broadband infrastructure and content development services.

“Participants are to request for and receive full details of the Program Plan and to complete the Expression of Interest to Participate Form,” he said. Scheduled to take off in December 2012, Omo-Ettu said that the pogramme will start with three days of intensive workshop at the end of which participating members will receive an enlistment, support and a cooperative approach to funding opportunities. “The workshop contents include investment opportunities in infrastructure extension; investment opportunities in content development; challenges of the industry and how to engage them; business plan preparation; funding opportunities and how to access them; and operating environment and regulatory requirements,” he said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tech Box Smart Classroom

IT tool to improve education

n indigenous technology firm, Teledom Group, has introduced the latest smart classroom technology in the country. The company said the launch of the educational solution is part of its revolutionary strategy for improved education standard in Nigeria. Smart classroom allow presenters network access and the ability to project data and video screen via a video data/video projector or flat screen installed in the classroom. Explaining the smart classroom strategy, the Chief Executive Officer, Teledom International, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, said that to gain a broad perspective, yet remain relevant to one’s own situation, there was a need to think globally and act locally. He added that despite the ubiquitous appearance of technology

in societies around the world, we continued to grapple with how we can make the best use of Information Technology (IT) in our educational system. He stressed that technology to acquiring knowledge and skill was an extremely essential tool of the educational system, adding that technology as a tool-aided training at all levels, primary, secondary, tertiary and professional education. Smart classroom was a technology enhanced classroom that boosts the quality of teaching and learning by leveraging learning technology, such as computers, specialized software, audience response technology, videoconferencing platform, digital podium, networking, interactive smart board, multimedia projector, LCD TV, DVD player/recorder, USB duplicator, SATA storage device, among others. Listing the benefits of the smart classroom technology,Chairman Teledom Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, said that it allowed the teacher to produce and modify resources quickly and easily, offered real time access to Internet based information and resources.

Windows 8 OS

New experience in Microsoft applications Chancellor, Covenant University, Dr. David Oyedepo (left) and New Horizons, Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tim Akano during the presentation of the Covenant University’s 10th Year Founders Day Award for the promotion of Human Capacity Development and ICT in Africa to New Horizons in Otta, Ogun State recently.

Firm boosts online consumer engagement KUNLE A ZEEZ

ropical General Investment Nigeria Limited, makers of Peppe Terra, a ready-to-use blend of fresh tomatoes, onions and chilli pepper in an easy-to-open pack, said it has deployed Facebook, as a veritable social media platform to improve consumer engagement. Peppe Terra has continued to delight consumers and has become, within less than two years of its launch, the toast of every kitchen. Peppe Terra was launched in Nigeria in December, 2010 and, according to the company, the response from the consumer has been extraordinary. The company said it has embarked upon an innovative and engrossing route to engage its huge base of consumers on its Facebook page. According to statement from

the company, “The Peppe Terra Facebook Page is an innovative and user friendly presence on the web, with a modern approach to cooking and is slowly evolving as the ultimate destination for cooking related discussions, updates and chats, all pertaining to a lively mix of authentic and modern culinary practice in Nigeria. “It features information & interaction on recipes, ingredients, cooking trends and consumer perceptions on cooking & food in general.” According to the Managing Director, TGI Nigeria Limited, Roy Deepanjan, the brand is poised to using the engaging social media, beside Twitter and Google Plus, to add a more personal touch to its marketing campaigns, as well as communicate with the consumers on a direct one to one basis. “Peppe Terra has been able to inform its customers about new and exotic Nigerian reci-

pes in real-time. The company has now being able to also respond in a timely manner to customers’ wants and needs. Consumers can now easily communicate with Peppe Terra across this social media touchpoint where they can share thoughts and ideas back and forth, and constantly interact with the brand. He stated that Peppe Terra, with its phenomenal franchise amongst consumer, will always try to engage with her consumers through every possible touchpoint and Facebook was just one of the options. “The Facebook page has developed an online community where consumers log in on a regular basis, to learn, discuss & share views on Nigerian cooking, food & recipes. The discussions and interactions are lively, frank and hearty as the consumers directly interact with their loved brand, Peppe Terra.”

indows 8 tries to get you to tie your Windows login to your Microsoft account; it’s optional, but if you do link the two, the Windows login and password serve as your Microsoft account login and password. Enabling this link allows tighter integration with the remote and cloud-based features of the new OS. Windows 8 is designed to be part of an ecosystem, alongside Windows Phone and Windows RT. Microsoft believes in this idea so strongly that it has made the Windows 8 user interface (formerly called Metro) the primary interface for Windows users. PCs with the new OS installed will boot into the Windows 8 interface; the OS offers no built-in way to set it to boot to the traditional Windows desktop. The Windows 8 interface acts as the Start menu now. Instead of appearing as columns of small icons that pop up when you click the Start button, all your applications show up as tiles on the Windows 8 Start screen. You can also search for an application by typing its name when you’re in the Start screen; the results list autosorts as you type more characters. In the area of navigating the

desktop, Microsoft now partitions applications into “Windows 8” apps (formerly known as “Metro” apps) and desktop applications. The latter are those programs we all know and love from previous versions of Windows, including Microsoft Office. Another uniqe feature is the touch experience. The PC you own today almost certainly lacks a touchscreen. You may have a laptop with a touchpad, but most existing touchpads can’t take full advantage of the touch capabilities inherent in Windows 8, since they lack the edge detection that is built into recent touchpad hardware. On the other hand, your next PC may very well have full tenpoint multitouch support, even if it’s a stock desktop PC. Manufacturers are starting to ship desktop displays with touch capability; the first touch-enabled displays have built-in capacitive touch sensors, which work via a USB connection to the PC.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Brands & Marketing

he Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival, LAIF, award held last weekend at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, appears patterned after the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the world’s biggest annual awards show and festival for professionals in the creative communications industry. But considering its creativity output level against the global benchmark, it can only aspire to be a local event, at least for now. The LAIF, a brainchild of the Association of Advertising Agency of Nigeria (AAAN) seeks to recognise excellence and help to improve the quality of creative craft and to promote the spirit of healthy competition, applying global best practices. In its sixth edition, the awards recognise brilliant creative work churned out by the ad agencies but there are still worries within the nation’s creative subsector over inability of the ad work that has received LAIF awards to win at the Cannes Lions in site of the affiliation of many of them with global agencies. This is so because creative work from developing nations such as India, which started its first ad agencies in 1928, the same year Nigeria did; South Africa and Mozambique have won and beating ad works from the USA and other developed countries. The stormy LAIF award seminar held a day before the award night however gives an insight into why Nigeria ad agencies have yet to gain that creative spark that will be acclaimed internationally. According to the Chief Executive Officer, Noah’s Ark, Mr. Lanre Adisa, “We don’t just need global rating. We need it badly!” He stated further, “What standard does the Nigerian ad industry subscribe to? Is it local in nature or, by any means, global? The first Nigerian ad agency opened shop in 1928. Advertising at the early stage was dominated by expatriates. The indigenisation policy of the Obasanjo regime in the 70’s led to the ownership of hitherto foreign-owned agencies by Nigerian practitioners. The late 70’s/early 80’s ushered in a new generation of wholly Nigerian agencies. The late 80’s/ early 90’s brought about the craze for affiliation of local agencies to the global networks. After over 80 years of existence and over 30 years of being affiliated to global networks, no Nigerian agency is yet to win an international creative award.” Adisa, whose agency’s work was published in world renowned Luezer’s Achieve, regarded as world “Bible of Advertising,” stated that despite the fact that Nigeria’s established the first TV in Africa, it has been overtaken at Cannes by South Africa, Mozambique and even India . “Nigeria got TV in the late 50’s. South Africa got TV in the 70’s. India’s first ad agency opened in 1928, (same year as Nigeria). India has got almost 10 times the population of Nigeria and multiple diversities across different spheres of life. In Africa, Southern Africa, represented by South Africa and Mozambique, has won Cannes at different times. In East Africa, Kenya has won twice. In North Africa, Egypt and Tunisia have won. West Africa still awaits its first Lion!” In a report, The Gunn, quoted by Adisa, a total of 38 countries in the world has been in the top 25 most awarded countries in the table at least once since 1999, but only South Africa was listed in Africa where Ni-

Have Nigerian agencies lost their creative spark? The just concluded LAIF award rewarded best creative ad work in 2012 with Insight and DDB sweeping most of the prizes. But at the global Cannes Lions award, the ultimate prize for ad industry creativity, no Nigeria ad work has ever been nominated. Where did the country get it wrong? ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI reports. geria claims to be a giant. But as Nigerian agencies strive to measure up to global reckoning, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Bates Cosse, Mr. Funmi Onabolu, believes that Nigeria’s creative work could never be understood by the foreign award and rating bodies like Cannes and the rest. But to become rated, he said, “We must put money behind camera, that is, production value, photography, retouching etc finishing as different from effectes. How? Master the craft, engrain it into your cultural context. Express it internationally via global standards.” Corroborating Onabolu, Adisa also added, “The outside world can’t understand our story.” He affirmed that as the race continues, Nigeria won’t get the global rating. “Our people won’t get it, the clients won’t buy it because award-winning ads don’t sell.” He continues, “The sad truth is there’s nothing peculiar about us to warrant us being treated differently.” While comparing Nigeria’s advertising trajectory to India whose creative work has become a global phenomen, he said India had looked inwards to mark its mark. “Nigeria’s advertising is mainly dominated by western influences predictable forms and jingles but yet to win any international award. India advertising equally influenced by superficial Western values until the 90’s when it evolved a home-

OUR PEOPLE WON’T GET IT, THE CLIENTS WON’T BUY IT BECAUSE AWARD-WINNING ADS DON’T SELL inspired resonant form and won its first Cannes gold lion in the mid 1990’s and a Grand Prix in 2008 for its Lead India campaign. Not only that, the country had one of its stars, Piyush Pandey as President of Jury in 2004,”he notes. He believes that this is a good lesson for Nigerian ad agencies to learn from. As the country continues to seek to win global creative awards, stakeholders said it has paid a price in not being globally acclaimed while also letting others write the nation’s story. With the unexpected end to situations whereby every piece of serious communication work for multinationals are being routed through agencies in Europe or South Africa, the industry creative heads believe the local agencies are denying themselves a chance to add their voices to a global conversation on creativity unlike what is happening in other spheres like journalism where Nigerians have submitted winning entries at CNN/Multichoice African Journalist award and Pulitzer

Prize as well as literature where Prof Wole Soyinka won the Nobel prize. According to Adisa, “ We need to set more ambitious agendas at individual and industry levels; We need to be less pretentious, less Western and more localrelevant in our communication; We need to lay more emphasis on rigour that leads to simplicity of thought and execution (out of over 25,000 print work submitted to Luezer’s Achieve in 2011, only 5.1 per cent made the book); We need more platforms for peer review, leading to the establishment of a mutual minimum standard; We need to embrace the world; Like we’ve done in different walks of life, the world needs to hear our voice.” Meanwhile, as the nation continues to lose grip of foundational training in Fine Art, which is the breeding ground for future creative egg heads, a corporate organisation, Promasidor Nigeria, has launched an arts competition tagged, Amila Painting Challenge for primary school pupils in Lagos State. The Marketing Director, Promasidor, Mr. Kachi Onubogu said the aim of the competition is to encourage the kids to paint, have fun and develop the art skills in them to save the dying art subjects. “Arts is a field that we want to go into because you all know that the environment is developing,” he said.

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, November 8, 2012

LASAA warns against painting on walls STORIES: ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

he Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency (LASAA), has raised the alarm that poster offenders in the state are switching to wall painting, contrary to laws governing signage and advertisement. In a statement, the Managing Director of LASAA, Mr. George Kayode Noah said that the offenders have changed tactics by engaging in a more brazen approach to deface public walls.“These offenders have now

adopted a more brazen approach by painting directly on public walls, bridges and pillars,” he said. Noah said further that decided to adopt this new strategy following the level of success his organisation recorded in the past and presently in curbing the menace of indiscriminate posters pasting. He said wherever the offenders are, the agency would find them. He described how the culprits now deploy painting directly on the walls and pasting small stickers on pub-

lic infrastructures in desperation for publicity as a new method of defacing Lagos. Noah warned, “Our position remains unchanged about indiscriminate pasting of posters, or painting of public walls. Anyone caught engaging in this illegal act will be prosecuted.” He concluded that LASAA will continue to deploy its resources to fight against these practices. It will be recalled that the agency in an effort to compliment its poster removal campaign acquired new heavy

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Samsung ranks 9th on Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2012 report Testament to the brand’s strong global and local presence, coupled with its innovative products and solutions that are changing the consumer electronics industry, Samsung has climbed the ranks in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands Report for 2012, ranking 9th – among the Top 10 brands for the first time in its history. “The market growth witnessed by Samsung over the past year is underpinned by our ability to constantly reinvent our product offerings and our ability to innovate and adapt to the changing needs of the global and African market. Being recognised as one of the Top 10 Best Global Brands is evidence of our success,” Says VP and COO for Samsung Electronics Africa, George Ferreira. Hailed as one of the biggest successes of 2012, marked by an impressive 40% rise in brand value, substantially higher than the industry average of 16%, Samsung have steadily climbed the Interbrand Best Global Brand ranking since 2002.

StarTimes gives 25% price slash for Christmas One of the fastest growing paytv companies in Nigeria, NTA-StarTV

L-R: GMD/CEO, Diamond Bank Plc, Dr. Alex Otti; Executive Governor, Cross Rivers State, Senator Liyel Imoke; and Consul General, United States embassy in Nigeria, Jeffrey J hawkins jr at the unveiling of the Cross River State Tourism Brand in Lagos recently.

21,036 winners emerge so far in Indomie Super Millionaire promo

total of 21,036 consumers have won the different prizes in the ongoing Indomie Super Millionaire promo as more winners emerge during the sixth weekly draws held at the head office of DUFIL Prima Foods Plc, makers of Indomie in Surulere, Lagos last week. The Promo produces 3506 winners weekly including the Winners are seven lucky consumers who won the star cash prize of N1million while others win Apple Ipads Laptops, Refrigerators, TV sets, Blackberry Phones, Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, Microwaves, Cooking Range, Grinder/Mixers, lunch Boxes, Dinner Sets, Emergency Light/ Fan, Printers, T-Shirt and caps and cartons of Indomie.

This was disclosed by the Public Relations Manager, DUFIL Prima Foods Plc, Mr. Tope Ashiwaju while briefing the press after the 6th weekly draws. He also revealed that no fewer than two million entries have been recorded so far within the first six weeks of the nationwide consumer promotion. Ashiwaju noted that the response to the Indomie Super Millionaire Promo from the consumers have been very incredible with several thousands of entries pouring in daily from the nooks and crannies of the country. “The response from our esteemed consumers to the Indomie Super Millionaire promo has been over overwhelming with the volume of entries we receive on a dai-

ly basis and the feedback from the winners, this shows the level of consumers’ loyalty to the brand” he said. One of the winners of the N1m star prize, Mr. Okechi Nkemdirim, an apprentice who was present at the 6th draw and was presented with his cheque thanked Dufil Prima Foods for changing his life as he plans to use the money to start up his own business. Also confirming and authenticating the process of the draw for the Indomie Super Millionaire promo, the Assistant Director and Coordinator, Lagos Zonal Office, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, Mr. Obi Iregbu applauded the company for maintaining high sense of integrity on the promo so far.

Cadbury Bournvita excites consumers with ‘yummy life’ promo

adbury Nigeria Plc, the leading company in manufacturing of beverage in Nigeria is set to excite and reward loyal consumers of its flagship brand, with a consumer promotion tagged; Cadbury Bournvita Yummy Life Promotion. The Marketing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Mr Dele Anifowoshe at a media launch said, “the Cadbury Bournvita ‘Yummy Life’ promo is a distinctive reward program for everyone who purchases either the 450g or 900g promotion jar from now till January 17, 2013 is a winner upfront”. “The Cadbury Bournvita ‘Yummy

Life’ promo is aimed at delighting, rewarding and providing a superior life for our consumers in Nigeria. All consumers will enjoy an instant 10 per cent extra free products and stand the chance of winning any of the ‘Yummy’ prizes worth over two hundred million naira.” On the promo mechanics, Chioma Afe, Cadbury Nigeria’s Marketing Manager (food drinks), explained that consumers are expected to buy 450g or 900g jar of the Bournvita promotion pack, open it and peel off the foil to reveal a special code which will be sent via SMS to the short code provided. She advised

consumers to keep the foil for authentication as prizes are redeemable only with valid promotion foil. According to Afe, “Cadbury Bournvita will continue to demonstrate its leadership position in the food drinks market as the pride of the pack, offering consumers yummy nourishment for non-stop vitality. During the Cadbury Yummy Life promotion, 11 consumers will become millionaires winning N1 million cash each, 11 others will win N250, 000 cash each, 65 consumers will win N100, 000 cash and 300,000 consumers will win N500 worth of airtime each.”

Network popularly called StarTimes is offering its subscribers and prospects customers the best Santa Claus gifts this Christmas season with a bumper promo called StarTimes Merry Saver Promo. The promo which officially commenced on 5th November, 2012 will run till 31 January, 2013 and will allow new subscribers to walk into any StarTimes business outlet and buy a StarTimes decoder for N2, 900 and instantly recharge one month of any bouquet of choice. Monthly subscription for Basic bouquet is N1, 000; Classic bouquet is N2, 000 while unique bouquet cost N4, 000 monthly. Existing subscribers will only need to recharge their decoder with N3, 000 for any bouquet and instantly get rewarded with N1, 000 worth of subscription within the promo period. The Marketing Director NTA-Star TV Network Limited, Mr. Eric Liu disclosed at a media briefing that StarTimes Merry Saver Promo is aimed at given back to the society that has supported the company in the past years that the organization has been in Nigeria. “

Union Bank showcases e-products, campaign at Lagos fair In line with its current media campaign theme, bringing dreams alive, Union Bank of

Nigeria Plc will be at 2012 edition of Lagos International Trade Fair to showcase its electronic Product platforms and demonstrate its rebranded service delivery to the delight of customers, especially young entrepreneurs whose dreams it has vowed to transform into reality in the running campaign. In a release, the bank stated that “the integrated campaign is intended to re-invigorate the brand , change public perception about the bank and its services and offer proofs that it has for a century, assisted and made dreams come through for innumerable customers, even as it just begun.” The bank stated further, “Indeed, the bank is parading an impressive array of e-products using POS terminals, internal transfers -account to account; Card transactions for bills payments and Union mobile for commerce as well as ATM services. Others are corporate pay, internet banking, Pay direct, Pay4me and pay outlets for cashless transactions.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Williams’s sisters partner Always to inspire female gender ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

nternational tennis stars, Venus and Serena Williams have joined forces with leading global feminine protection brand, Always to empower and inspire Nigerian girls. The duo boosted the morale of girls of Government College, Ikoyi, in Lagos during their visit to Nigeria last week as part of their African Tour tagged ‘Breaking the Mould’. Their life story displays a tale of passion, determination, hard work and selfbelief that has triumphed over obstacles and circumstances to become world champions on and off the tennis court. Commenting on the Williams sisters’ visit, Temitope Iluyemi from P&G says, “The Williams sis-

ters being here today has empowered more girls to break the mould that have stood between them and their potential. They surely now dream bigger and strive harder as a result. Their support of our puberty education programme is another way to help give these girls the confidence to enjoy womanhood without limits.” The programme is designed to empower girls to live life to their fullest. 800,000 Nigerian girls take part every year and 8 million have benefited so far since inception 12 years ago. The William sisters were greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by the girls as they entered the class. Serena shared her stories on their setbacks and how she had overcome them to return to the peak of her game; “Luck has nothing to do with it, because I

have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come”. Meanwhile, Venus talked about the importance of self-belief: “Some people say I have an attitude, maybe I do, but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does. That makes you a winner right there.” Commenting on the importance of sisterhood in facing challenges, Serena revealed how supportive her sister had been through the years helping her cope with a variety of challenges both on the field and in life. Venus then said: “I always like to win. But I’m the big sister. I want to make sure she has everything, even if I don’t have anything. It’s hard. I love her too much. That’s what counts.”

L-R: Associate Director, Panasonic Corporation Japan, Mr. Junichiro Kitagawa; Managing Director, Omeba and Associates, Mr. John Woma; Promoter, Panasonic in Nigeria, Mr. Bhujraj Rupani and Managing Director, Panasonic Dubai, Mr. Masao Motoki at the press briefing of the 2012 Panasonic consumer convention in Nigeria held in Lagos recently.

Union Bank and its new brand image

hen consumers have stereotype opinion about a particular brand, it affects the brand’s positioning. This is because when a brand does not engage in pro-active and robust strategies to recreate its image, its rating declines. This is why it is a good news and a very welcome development for Union Bank to engage in a dynamic and forward looking brand communication campaign. It is a timely intervention for a brand that has remained a major force in the banking industry. The new branding campaign is aimed at recreating the Union Bank brand and rebuilding its corporate image. The rebranding effort is clearly designed to chart a new course for the bank in order to conform to the ever dynamic trends in the industry. It is poised to rebuild the image

of the bank to be more customers centric in approach. My age long perception of Union Bank brand is that of one old horse that has refused to shift ground but I believe with this fresh and insightful campaign, the brand can take quantum leap and generate positive perception. Despite my age long perception, I had a pleasant experience at the Onipanu branch in Lagos when a client gave me a cheque and one Mrs Aiyedun attended to me. She exhibited a great zeal and enthusiasm which increased the brand rating. The way she attended to customers’ portrayed her as a dynamic and efficient staff. Such people are needed as brand ambassadors to further validate this rebranding campaign. I have also endeavored to generate insights about the bank through personal visits and ob-

ad VA NT AG E icon G

benga X-adebija is the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Ashton & Layton, a brand communication company with a growing list of clients within and outside Nigeria. The quintessential brands communication manager cut his teeth as Head of Cadbuy’s Corporate Communication at age 29. He took over from Kevin Ejiofor, a widely acknowledged Public Relations doyen who was about twice X-adebija’s age at that time. After years of meritorious stewardship at Cadbury, he established his own company, Ashton & Layton, a global brand management consulting. An alumnus of the University of Ilorin, University of London and the Lagos Business School, he led many strategic initiatives at Cadbury in Corporate Social Responsibility, Marketing, Corporate Communication, Supply Chain, Negotiation & Procurement, Administration and New Business Development for the Europe, Middle East and Africa operations of Cadbury Schweppes. This won him the company’s Award for Excellence, the highest and most prestigious Award in Cadbury for consistent excellent performance in

Brand X-Ray with Ayodeji Ayopo Tel: 08023448199 E-mail: mayomipo@yahoo.com servations. This is mainly to determine whether the rebranding exercise translates to practical expression. I have been to the Oba Akran branch of Union Bank, Ikeja and before the actual rebranding commenced, this branch has started enhancing good perception for the brand. The internal aesthetics received a major uplifting while attitudinal disposition of the staff promote good brand culture. I observed that the branch started making concrete efforts to provide quality service delivery. It is also key that the brand leverages on the trust that it has built over the years as a strong and reliable bank. This gives

the brand a veritable platform to showcase its pedigree in the industry. The rebranding effort can only achieve desired result when the bank creates touch points for customers to have firsthand experience of the new things taking place. It is also expected for the bank to immerse the staff in the new rebranding campaign. The enlightenment of the staff is key as observation at the Allen branch shows that service delivery can still be better. The touch point is an essential element that will enhance believability for the rebranding campaign. The touch point is any point that a customer comes into contact with the brand. The vari-

X-adebija

I WAS FORTUNATE AND BLESSED TO HAVE SEEN AT CLOSE QUARTERS THE LEADERSHIP STYLES OF BUNMI ONI AND CHRISTOPHER KOLADE 2003. On his leadership style, he said, “I was fortunate and blessed to have seen at close quarters the leadership styles of Bunmi Oni and Christopher Kolade. Most likely, therefore, my leadership style may have been significantly influenced by both men.”

ous touch points might influence them positively or negatively and that is why the bank needs to retool its service delivery module. The rebranding campaign places huge responsibility on the brand to deliver its promise. The brand custodians need to realise that refreshing the brand image goes beyond new logo and signage design. It is one that should permeate the entire breath of the organisation. A refreshed brand image should evolve a customer centric approach and stimulating experience for the customers. The rebranding campaign is clearly aimed at reinventing the rules and raising the bar of service delivery. Every customer should start having a feel of a refreshed and re-invigorated Union Bank brand. The new print campaign focuses on how the bank has fulfilled hopes and aspirations. Every customer should have a pleasurable experience of bringing dreams alive as claimed by the bank.

Global Business

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Poland holds rate at three-year high as growth slows

oland’s central bank kept borrowing costs unchanged for a fourth month at the highest level since 2009 even after the economy expanded at the weakest pace in almost three years. The Narodowy Bank Polski left the benchmark seven-day interest rate at 4.75 percent, the highest since January 2009, in line with the expectations of 27 of 28 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. One economist predicted a rate cut to 4.5 percent. The bank will comment on the decision at a news conference at 4 p.m. in Warsaw. The zloty pared its decline against the euro after the announcement while bonds were steady. The central bank, the only one in the European Union to raise borrowing costs this year, increased the benchmark in May after keeping it unchanged for almost a year. While policy makers said Poland’s expansion in the face of Europe’s debt crisis allowed them to focus on inflation, growth slowed more than economists forecast in the second quarter, bolstering the case for monetary easing. “The recent data should be sufficient to lead to a gradual softening of the MPC’s tone,” Piotr Kalisz, chief economist at the Polish unit of Citigroup Inc.,

President Bronislaw Komorowski

said before the decision. “The economicgrowth slowdown increases the chance of a rate cut in November, and in the next 12 months rates will fall by around 1 percentage point.” The zloty traded 0.3 percent weaker on the day to 4.2057 per euro yesterday. in Warsaw, after touching a six-week low

of 4.2176 earlier in the day. Two-year government bond yields increased one basis point, or 0.01 percentage point, to 4.01 percent, according to generic data compiled by Bloomberg. Gross domestic product rose 2.4 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, the slowest pace since the third quarter of 2009 and down from 3.5 percent in the January-March period as companies and consumers scaled back spending amid the debt crisis. Poland sells more than half its exports to the 17- nation euro region, where the debt crisis is crimping demand. The government, which has kept its target for 2.5 percent growth this year, yesterday lowered its prediction for 2013. GDP will rise 2.2 percent instead of a previously estimated 2.9 percent, according to a new 2013 draft budget. While central banks across the world are undertaking the broadest cut in borrowing costs since 2009 to avert a global slump, the Narodowy Bank Polski has kept rates at their highest since 2009 for a second year. Still, the bank has now changed its “policy bias” and prospects for cutting rates have increased, Governor Marek Belka told Radio PiN in an interview on August 28.

Bank lending stress holds at 14-month low in Euro money markets

uropean banks’ reluctance to lend to one another held near the lowest in more than 14 months, according to a money market indicator. The difference between the euro interbank offered rate and overnight indexed swaps, known as the Euribor-OIS spread, was 20 basis points, or 0.2 percentage point in London, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The gap is the smallest since June 20, 2011. Three-month Euribor, the rate banks say they charge each other for loans, was set at a 0.269 percent, a record 48 basis points below the European Central Bank’s refinancing rate. Euribor, derived from a daily survey of lenders for the European Banking Federation, has fallen for 23 days to the lowest ever. One-week Euribor was set at a recordlow 0.089 percent from 0.090 percent yesterday. The London interbank offered rate, or Libor, for three-month dollar loans fell to 0.410 percent, the lowest

since Oct. 18, 2011, from 0.412 percent yesterday. Libor is published by the British Bankers’ Association. The cost for European banks to borrow in dollars held at the lowest since July 22, 2011. The three-month cross-currency basis swap, the rate banks pay to convert euro interest payments into dollars, was unchanged at 27 basis points below Euribor. The one-year basis swap was little changed at minus 34. The European Banking Federation’s euro overnight index average, or Eonia, of unsecured lending deals was set at 0.102 percent yesterday from 0.108 percent the day before. The Eonia swap, an estimate of average overnight borrowing costs over the next three months, was at seven basis points from 7.2 yesterday. Lenders increased overnight deposits at the European Central Bank yesterday, placing 342 billion euros ($429 billion) with the Frankfurt-based central bank from 341 billion euros the day before.

Mario Draghi

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Spain surrenders rank of 12th-biggest economy to Australia

Rajoy

ustralia, driven by the biggest resource-investment expansion since the 19th century, is poised to overtake debt-laden Spain as the world’s 12th largest economy, measured by gross domestic product. Australia’s $1.379 trillion economy will probably supplant Spain’s $1.386 trillion GDP this quarter, data compiled by Bloomberg from the national statistics agencies of both countries show. The International Monetary Fund projected in January that Australia’s economy would be $3 billion smaller than Spain’s by the end of this year. “This is a nice microcosm of the structural shifts in the global economy away from the old developed core to the emerging and peripheral part of the global economy, in Asia particularly,” said Richard Yetsenga, head of global markets research at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. While the Iberian nation struggles to extricate itself from a recession, government data today showed Australia’s economy expanded 3.7 percent in the three months to June 30 from a year earlier, marking 21 consecutive years without a recession. Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy said this month his country is unable to fund itself at the current cost of borrowing and needs sacrifices such as higher taxes to restore its national standing. Australia, which is aiming to return its budget to surplus this financial year, has the top debt grade from all three main ratings companies, while Spain is ranked as low as Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, the lowest investment-grade rating. That means one more downgrade would see Spanish bonds categorized as junk debt by Moody’s.

Thailand holds policy rate as prasarn resists calls to ease

Shinawatra

hailand’s central bank kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged for a fifth straight meeting after the economy rebounded, resisting calls from Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s government for lower borrowing costs. The Bank of Thailand held its oneday bond repurchase rate at 3 percent, it said in Bangkok yesterday. The decision was predicted by 18 of 21 economists in a Bloomberg News survey, while three expected a quarter-point cut. Only five members of

the seven-person policy committee attended today’s meeting, with three voting to hold rates and two preferring a cut. The central bank has refrained from adding to its November and January rate reductions as the country recovered from its worst floods in almost seven decades. Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong has urged lower borrowing costs and a weaker currency, putting Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul in the same position as counterparts from the euro re-

gion to Japan and the U.S. in facing pressure from politicians to shore up growth. “Thailand did benefit from reconstruction” after the floods, said Frances Cheung, a strategist at Credit Agricole CIB in Hong Kong, who predicts the policy rate will be kept stable until the end of the year. “But if the external environment continues to weaken, then some stimulus would be needed.” The Thai baht fell 0.3 percent to 31.29 per dollar yesterday in Bangkok.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, November 8, 2012

ASI rises 0.3% as bulls sustain hold JOHNSON OKANLAWON

rading in equities continued on bullish note on the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, as investors’ appetite on stocks rose further. The All Share Index gained 0.26 per cent to close at 26,792.27 points, compared to the increase of 0.46 per cent recorded the preceding day to close at 26,724.02 points. Market capitalisation increased by N21bn to close at N8.54trn, lower than the appreciation of N40bn recorded the

preceding day to close at N8.52trn. The Insurance Index led sectorial indices by 1.08 per cent to close at 132.86 points, followed by the Banking Index with 0.29 per cent to close at 428.84 points. The NSE 30-Index rose by 0.22 per cent to close at 1,264.82 points, but the Consumer Goods Index lost 0.08 per cent to close at 2,303.25 points. The Lotus Islamic Index and the Oil and Gas Index shed 94 per cent to close at 1,651.27 points and 156.03 points respectively. Red Star Express Plc led the gainers’ table

with 28 kobo or 10 per cent to close at N3.08 per share, followed by Custodian Insurance Plc with 10 kobo or 8.40 per cent to close at N1.29 per share. Neimeth Pharmaceuticals Plc gained five kobo or five per cent to close at N1.05 per share, while Oando Nigeria Plc appreciated by 58 kobo or 4.96 per cent to close at N12.28 per share. Honeywell Flour Mills Plc rose by 10 kobo or 4.74 per cent to close at N2.21 per share. On the flip side, Conoil Plc shed 98 kobo or 4.96 per cent to close at N18.78 per share, while UAC-

Property Plc declined by 55 kobo or 4.89 per cent to close at N10.70 per share. Berger Paints Plc dropped 41 kobo or 4.88 per cent to close at N8.00 per share, while Mobil Nigeria Plc dipped by N5.30 or 4.61 per cent to close at N109.70 per share. AG Leventis Plc fell six kobo or 4.44 per cent to close at N1.29 per share. Transaction volume in equities declined by 16 per cent, as a total of 212.89 million shares worth N2.36bn were exchanged in 4,803 deals, compared to 253.21 million shares valued at N2.76bn traded in 4,876 deals the preceding day.

Stanbic IBTC completes adoption of holding company structure JOHNSON OKANLAWON

tanbic IBTC has adopted a holding company structure, following the final approvals by regulatory authorities. Under the new structure, the operating subsidiaries of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc are Stanbic IBTC Bank (including Stanbic Nominees Nigeria Limited), Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management Limited, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited and Stanbic IBTC Trustees Limited. Others are Stanbic IBTC Ventures Limited,

Stanbic IBTC Capital Limited and Stanbic IBTC Investments Limited. A statement from the company yesterday said with the adoption, the shares of the bank listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange are on full suspension and the process of delisting the bank from the trading list and listing Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc has commenced. The statement said, “The entire process should be completed in about two weeks.” It explained that in line with the provisions of the scheme document approved by shareholders, the excess capital

from the bank’s share cancellation will be returned to shareholders as cash. “The bank intends to pay shareholders for the cancelled shares within 21 working days from November 8, 2012,” the statement added. Confirming the development, the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Holdings, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, stated that the new structure will consolidate the strengths and expertise of different business unit and enhance the group’s ability to drive future growth. “With the completion of a holding company

UK stocks decline after Obama wins

nited Kindom stocks fell yesterday from a twoweek high as a selloff by mining companies overshadowed the re-election of United States President Barack Obama. Randgold Resources Limited lost 3.9 per cent after the gold producer said that output will be at the bottom of its forecast range, while Xstrata Plc and Anglo American Plc both retreated more than 1.5 per cent as copper dropped in London. Pennon Group Plc slid 3.2 per cent after Citigroup Inc. downgraded the shares. The benchmark FTSE

100 declined 43.66 points, or 0.7 per cent, to 5,841.24 points, erasing an earlier advance of as much as 0.6 per cent. The gauge climbed to its highest level since October 19 on Tuesday as Americans went to the polls. The FTSE All-Share Index also decreased 0.7 per cent, while Ireland’s ISEQ Index slipped 1.2 per cent. Stocks initially rallied after Obama defeated Republican Mitt Romney, winning at least 303 electoral votes in the election with 270 needed for the victory. With one state, Florida, yet to be decided,

Romney had 206 electoral votes. “We don’t think it matters a huge deal,” said Kevin Gardiner, head of investment strategy for EMEA at Barclays Plc’s wealth management unit, on Bloomberg Television in London. “The key thing for us and our clients is very much what happens to that fiscal cliff as we go into 2013. We haven’t seen that risk dispelled significantly just yet.” The president now faces a partisan divide in Congress as Republicans retained their House majority, while Democrats kept control of the Sen-

structure, Stanbic IBTC proceeds to a new stage of growth. The ultimate goal is to become Nigeria’s leading end-toend financial solutions provider by leveraging the global network of Standard Bank Group, Africa’s biggest banking group in terms of total assets and earnings, to which Stanbic IBTC belongs,” she said. According to her, the company’s performance in the nine months ended September, 30 2012, clearly underscores its formidable growth potentials as all the key performance indicators recorded significant improvements.

ate. The government will have to impose automatic spending cuts and tax increases at the beginning of next year unless Obama reaches a compromise with his opponents. The European Commission said the combined economy of the 17 nations that use the single currency will expand 0.1 per cent in 2013, slower than the 0.25 per cent median forecast of 55 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The volume of shares changing hands in companies on the FTSE 100 was 5.2 per cent higher than the average of the last 30 days, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Source: NSE NIBOR QUOTES 6 NOVEMBER & 7 NOVEMBER 2012 20.00 19.00 18.00 17.00 16.00 15.00 14.00 13.00 12.00 11.00 10.00 9.00 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00

6 -No v -1 2

7 -No v -1 2

Market indicators All-Share Index 23,105.05 points Market capitalisation 7,354 trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

NAHCO

5.60

5.88

0.28

% CHANGE 5.00

UBN

5.61

5.89

0.28

4.99

DANGSUGAR

4.41

4.63

0.22

4.99

WAPCO

44.11

46.31

2.20

4.99

FLOURMILL

57.77

60.65

2.88

4.99

CADBURY

19.67

20.65

0.98

4.98

INTBREW

9.24

9.70

0.46

4.98

ASHAKACEM

10.20

10.70

0.50

4.90

CCNN

4.12

4.32

0.20

4.85

MAYBAKER

1.45

1.52

0.07

4.83

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

ARBICO

11.50

10.93

0.57

-4.96

LONGMAN

2.03

1.93

0.10

-4.93

DNMEYER

0.85

0.81

0.04

-4.71

ETERNA

2.41

2.30

0.11

-4.56

UTC

0.69

0.66

0.03

-4.35

IPWA

0.73

0.70

0.03

-4.11

LIVESTOCK

1.38

1.33

0.05

-3.62

REDSTAREX

2.67

2.58

0.09

-3.37

IKEJAHOTEL

1.15

1.12

0.03

-2.61

FCMB

3.05

3.01

0.04

-1.31

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Day

32,970.71

14.10

4-Nov-12

182-Day

50,000.00

15.49

03-Nov-12

364 -Day

60,000.00

9.05

08-Nov-12

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

48 Days

7,302.20

14.39

08-Nov-12

118-Day

50,282.86

14.08

08-Nov-12

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$200m

N/A

$200m

08-Nov-12

$200m

N/A

$200m

08-Nov-12

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at November 7, 2012 1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

1st Tier Securities No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

We want to get children reading –Olagoke Kiddies Digest is a magazine that has become popular among pupils due to its aesthetic and rich editorial contents. The co-publisher and editor-in-chief, Mutiat Olagoke, in this interview with LEONARD OKACHIE, explains that the vision is to inspire children, not just in Nigeria, but all over the world. Excerpts:

WE ARE INSPIRING

Why did you start Kiddies Digest? Kiddies Digest is the brainchild of the little experience I had during my youth service in Yobe State. It was there I got to realise that the advantages that comes to someone might not be as a result of who you are or how beautiful or rich you are, but the most important thing that seems to be a universal language is knowledge. I was fortunate to gain some knowledge. When I came back, from the youth service I told my partner about the idea and we started it. We wanted children to have a certain level of intelligence that will help them cope wherever they go to. You don’t have to be poor or rich. If you are intelligent, people will respect you for that and you can cope everywhere you go. We want to get children reading, because we believe that no matter how educative the TV show and other programmes are, books are the best form of knowledge. We are hoping that a magazine like this, that has so many things, will get them to enjoy reading. How old the magazine? The magazine was three in April this year. We sell to schools because we wanted a partnership with the children. So, we sell to schools that we call partner schools. They distribute the magazine and we do pep talks, competitions, counselling as well as give them educational resources so that we can reach the child directly. We don’t just see them as readers; we see them as our own. We have over 5,000 children under us at the moment. The magazine is sold in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Ilorin, Kano. We have been to other cities, but the aforementioned cities are where we have distributors. In what ways have you impacted their lives? Honestly, I have learnt a lot about the attitude of children and parents. We go to some schools and they say

THE NEXT GENERATION OF

GREAT MINDS, NOT JUST

other things as relate to children.

Olagoke

“no, no, it is too expensive”. It used to be N100 per copy, but it is now N150. So, to a large extent, I think we have improved on the attitude of the children. Some of them have become regular readers. I have a family that buys a copy for each of the children and the youngest in that family is about two years old. The magazine is becoming very popular in schools.

I’m neither a musician nor a Nollywood star, but in most of the schools, I am more like a star. The kids are getting to appreciate not just the musicians or the artists, but people like us that are into education. I think that we are impacting lives because that is what we are all about- inspiring the great minds of tomorrow. We are inspiring the next generation of great minds, not just Nigerian kids. We hope that four, five years from now, we will be in every state that we will have partner schools and hopefully take it to Ghana. We also hope to have French and Arabic versions, because we want to inspire children all over the world. We want to do some

What is sustaining the magazine? I have a solid support system. It’s actually challenging; every new edition, we have to keep up with so many things. We don’t want to give out thrash or junk. We know we have content but what about the presentation? So, there is challenge of working with the printer, in getting the best edition. There is the challenge of getting your money from the distributors as well. But I am grateful to my partner, my parents and everybody that is supporting me, because without them, we probably would have stopped. Aside the facts that I like to read and write, this is the best job for me. I remember when I was small; I always wanted to be a teacher. I always wanted to work with children. I am very passionate about children. They are the future. In fact, they are not just the future, they are the now . Whatever is wrong with them is also wrong with us. I studied Microbiology. I started writing when I was eight. I used to write for my younger ones. I got my first dictionary at eight, but I didn’t know why my uncle gave me that. I guess the public saw that in me. But you know that when you are brilliant, they say you should go for science course. I my grateful that I studied Microbiology too, because I still do some medical counselling. School wasn’t easy for me. So, the best time I got was in the writing club.

M.I set to sensitise the youth on smuggling

his November, as part of his responsibilities as UN Goodwill Ambassador for the smuggling of migrants, respected hip-hop star, Jude Abaga, better known as M.I, will embark on a nation-wide tour to raise awareness about the dangers in illegal migration from African nations to the Port of Spain. “Everyday, I hear new cases of hundreds of young people who embark on this tortuous journey that often leads to their deaths,” the star popularly referred to as Africa’s number one rapper said. “What is even more saddening about it is that we have girls, women, graduates following this route, the search for a better life is

NIGERIAN KIDS

not limited to uneducated men only,” Abaga added. As part of his responsibilities, the hip-hop icon will embark on a nationwide tour that will cover six states in Nigeria. Abaga is scheduled to visit states with higher rates of illegal smuggling and will be part of stakeholders' meetings and visits to young people. On October 9, the respected star was appointed United Nations' ambassador for the smuggling of migrants alongside Nollywood icon, Joke Silva. This is part of the “I AM PRICELESS” campaign against trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, under the European Union

funded project “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria by Combatting and Reducing Irregular Migration that occurs, inter alia, through Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM).” The tours are set to begin this November. The multi-award winning M.I shot to fame with his single, ‘Crowd Mentality’ in 2004. He has since gone on to win international awards and will release his 3rd studio album in 2013. He is signed onto Chocolate City and is the founder of avant-garde music label ‘Loopy Music’ which is home to artistes such as Afro-soul artiste, Ruby and Rock group, Treadstone.

M.I

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Young & Next Generation

Thursday, November 8, 2012

NFVCB urges parents to screen programmes

A cross section of participants at the last edition of the summit.

Jade Academy holds youth empowerment summit STORIES: LEONARD OKACHIE

ade Academy, a vocational, education and youth development centre, is organising youth empowerment summit with the theme: “Taking Giant Strides”. The event, which holds by 10:00 am November 17, 2012 at Grace Multipurpose Hall, Okota Road, Isolo, Lagos, is aimed at advocating positive values, inspiring youths to achieve beyond their limitations, and raising healthy leaders. A statement by the Administrator, Jade Academy, Olorunfunmi Adebajo reads thus: “With the upsurge in public examination failures, social menaces and unemployable graduates, to mention a few, it has become quite obvious that measures other than Formal Education need to be appropriated in other to instil positive values required for successful and meaningful living. “Beyond the schools, young people need motivation and inspiration, a platform to rub minds, listen to, and be mentored by successful individuals and through that, aim to achieve same. They also need

USAID policy highlights importance of youth participation

ew guidance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recognises young people as a driving force in global development and promotes youth participation as partners and leaders. USAID's new Youth in Development Policy, announced November 1, supports USAID's efforts to mainstream youth in development, carry out effective programmes and elevate youth participation throughout the world. The 25-page guidance document begins with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's words, from a February 2012 speech in Tunisia: "Young people are at the heart of today's great strategic opportunities and challenges, from rebuilding the global economy to combating violent extremism to building sustainable democracies." With more than half of the global population under the age of 30 and a majority residing in developing countries, USAID said, the new policy "reinforces that young people must be a central focus when developing country strategies and

to be exposed to the principles of hard-work, integrity, creativity and enterprise, and to be assured that their contributions matter. Only then, can we lay claim to value oriented individuals who are able to respond positively to both personal and national development. “The summit will be employing conferencing, counselling, mentoring and real life success stories to ignite passion and to channel the right use of creativity. By the end of the event, we want the participants to be excited and ready to make a difference in their community.” Speakers for the summit which participation is free, include Bayo Omoboriowo, winner, The Future Awards, Creative Artiste of the Year, 2012; Tolu Sangosanya: Founder, LOTS Charity, Dustbin Estate; Eric Obuh (Vocal Slender): Music artiste, "OWO YAPA, WELCOME TO LAGOS; Ranti Solesi : Retired Human Resource Manager, Nestle Foods, Nigeria; Abiola “Champ” Salami :Motivational speaker and author, “GET MAD” and “I AM A CHAMP”; and Stephen Akintayo: Founder Infinity Foundation and CEO GileadBalm Group. recognizes the need to support, prepare, engage and protect youth today as well as harness the energy and creativity of young people for positive change." As articulated in the new policy, USAID seeks to improve the capabilities of young people to achieve their aspirations so they can contribute to and benefit from more stable and prosperous communities. "These efforts will not only advance youth development and empowerment, but can also help nations accelerate economic growth and capture a demographic dividend," USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said. "Harnessing this demographic opportunity is not inevitable. It will require strategic, result oriented investments in youth today." According to an April 2012 report by the United Nations secretary-general, 1.8 billion of the world's 7 billion people are between 10 and 24 years old and live primarily in the developing world. Even though considerable progress has been made recently in national youth policies, those policies often lack the necessary investments or are not mainstreamed into national policy agendas, the report said, and young people continue to face poverty, high unemployment, inadequate education, poor health and violence.

he National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) has urged parents to strictly screen all programmes that children watch to enable them attain healthy mental growth. Mr. Okolue Chiedu, the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, NFVCB, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, that the board needed the support of parents in controlling the consumption of unhealthy content. He said that this goal was constantly challenged by some movie makers and marketers who still produced and sold unhealthy films in the market. "There was a time when our films did not have any form of nudity or use vulgar language, but in recent times, we see these in movies, so we try to restrict filmmakers on what content is acceptable for public consumption. "Movie makers are mandated to bring their films to be censored by the board before selling them in the market, but some of them do not comply, that is why there are still unhealthy films being sold in the market,” he added. He said that the lack of compliance was a challenge the board continued to face as some movie makers did not show professionalism in their work but what monetary gain they could get. He said that some members of the monitoring unit of the board had been harmed while in the

field trying to put a stop to sale of unhealthy content by marketers as they react violently to the move. According to Chiedu, the board has also tried to restrict movie contents to suit particular age groups by putting classification labels but parents need to make sure that their children watch only movies suitable for their age. The Deputy Director, therefore, said that the board had resorted to dialogue instead of its usual raids and arrests in order to seek cooperation and achieve compliance. He said that if Nigerians could comply with the classifications given to films and observed them, the problem of consumption of unhealthy content would reduce. Chiedu called on the Federal Government to assist by providing funds for the board to increase its outreach and achieve total compliance.

Ag DG, NFVCB, Patricia Bala

SCIENCE FOR KIDS

Why do rotten eggs smell?

ggs are a very rich source of protein which is an important part of our diet. Eggs will always be part of every kitchen. However, once the egg spoils, it also ruins our appetite. Fresh eggs don’t have that strong odor but once these rot, expect a very pungent smell which spreads around the kitchen. Rotten eggs smell because of the molds that accumulate in them. If the egg ages, the bacteria will break down the proteins in the egg specifically in its white part. When this happens, gas is created, and that gas is hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is actually colorless but it is flammable. It is produced when waste materials break down. It is poisonous when the gas at its higher level is inhaled. Hydrogen sulfide has also a strong odor which can be compared with the rotten egg smell. It is harmful when eaten

or inhaled because it results from a bacterial breakdown of any organic matter given off by human and animal wastes. In the case of eggs, it smells bad when rotten because it is already a waste, and it is not safe anymore to eat it. If you don’t want to inhale the egg to find out if it is rotten, then there’s a safer way to find out if the egg is still edible to eat. All you need is to put the egg in the water. Once it floats, then it is already rotten and bad. If you are still in doubt, then you break the egg and you will be smelling an odor which you don’t want to inhale at all. Aside from the bad smell, a rotten egg floats because it loses its moisture. This causes the air space in the egg to increase. Once the air space widens, then the buoyancy of the egg also increases. Source: knowswhy.com

Media

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Big Sister is a voice for plus size woman –Utong Elsie-Coco Utong is the Publisher/CEO of Big Sister, a lifestyle magazine for the curvy and plus size woman. She was a co-presenter of a love talk show, Cupid Flavour on Choice FM, Lagos. A graduate of History and International Studies, the Akwa Ibom State- born publisher, shares her passion for the publication with LEONARD OKACHIE. Excerpts: Why did you choose to publish on plus size woman? Almost everyone is harassing me with that question of late. Well, I might not be on the big side, but I am on the curvy side, which still puts me on the spot. Big Sister is a life style magazine for the curvy and plus size woman. On the inspiration behind Big Sister Magazine (BSM), when I made up my mind that I was going to publish, it was important that I had my own concept. I didn’t want to come up with what was already in existence. I wanted something to be identified with. I needed to be a first class version of myself in my own way and then grow from there. So, I said, what is this magazine that I would love to see on the stands that I am yet to see? One of my major challenges then was weight control. I was a size 18 going on 20. I later went into dieting and exercise and after I reduced to a size 12, I decided to do something to inspire other big sized women and I could only achieve that through Big Sister. The idea actually came up in November 2010, and by July 2011, the first edition was published. BSM for now has a maximum of 46 and minimum of 32 pages. We intend publishing twice monthly. We are working on a magazine TV show for Big Sister-more like a visual format of what the brand is all about. How is the reception? Big Sister Magazine happens to be the first and only lifestyle publication for the curvy woman in Nigeria. We’ve been able to break away from the normal flair publications around. The reception has been so warm from my target audience which is the plus size sisters. We started the awareness of the Big Sister brand on social networks just to prepare fans before publication. You won’t believe the first mail I received was from a fan in Zimbabwe residing in Malaysia. To fans, it was like a breath of fresh air, they keep wondering why no one thought of this concept all this while. The magazine in the last one year has gradually become a voice that represents the plus size women. I see Big Sister as a forum where the plus size sisters can shine and feel free to express themselves. How have you been funding it? I started with nothing. It just took God’s grace and passion for what I do to keep me on point. Lack of finance was enough to discourage me. But I don’t let these things distract me, I know where I am going and

BIG SISTER MAGAZINE HAPPENS TO BE THE FIRST AND ONLY LIFESTYLE PUBLICATION FOR THE CURVY WOMAN IN

NIGERIA

the only option is to be prayerful and d staying focused. What inspired you? I was tired of the regular magazines; zines; they weren’t giving me what I wanted nted to read, well maybe in a mild way. I remember reading a magazine, the cap-tion read ‘FAT IS OLD AND ULGY’ and I felt that was a rather mean caption and could kill the self esteem of any plus size person, no matter how useful the content was. I would like to state that Big Sister Magazine doesn’t encourage obesity. Whoever flips through ourr inside pages, would see columns thatt encourage healthy living, fitness and d self esteem for the plus size woman. n. For instance, a week before the offificial launch, we teamed up with some me of our partners in the industry for prelaunch activities that included fitness ness session and seminar session where e some of the notable names in Nollywood addressed participants on importance of having a good self esteem, style tips and career empowerment. These and more is what the brand is all about. Every feature in our inside pages is meant to inspire and not spite our target audience. Our aim is for our readers to have total control of themselves. We want them to have a high self esteem and to dress trendy. Their weight should no longer control them, but rather they should be in control. Utong

What are your regrets? My only regret is that my father is no more. I started writing in his office as a child. I use to write on the walls of his office. When he realised I was messing up the walls, he started giving me papers to write on. Those were actually traces of who I would be; I remember his colleagues used to call me, ‘young writer’. Aside that, I would say Big Sister has been worthwhile and fulfilling in the sense that I’m living my dream and doing what I’ve always wanted to do. It has opened many doors for me; it has given me access to whole lot of personalities. I’ve had cause to mingle and make friends with great people from all walks of life. People trust me so much as to let me into their personal issues aside the plus size thing. I must say, I’m blessed. This comes with hard work anyway and at the same time, I won’t take the credit, I give it to Almighty God.

Groups call for speed hearing STORIES: LEONARD OKACHIE

Participants in a group work at the CSO workshop in Benin.

ights groups have called for summary hearing of numerous law suits arising from the Freedom of Information Act and be decided in accordance with the provisions of Section 21 of the Act, so that they can serve as precedents for subsequent cases. The groups comprising grassroots and civil society organisations, also urged all the states in Nigeria to adopt and begin to apply the FOI Act, as passed in by the National Assembly, to foster accountability, openness and public participation in governance at the state level instead of campaigning for domestication by states. These were the recommendations at

a one-day sensitisation workshop on the Freedom of Information Act for representatives of grassroots and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Benin City, Edo State, recently. The workshop, organised by Media Rights Agenda (MRA), which took place at Prestige Hotel and Suites, brought together about 56 participants from CSOs working on diverse issues across the state. It was made possible with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through a grant from Pact Nigeria. The objective of the workshop was to build the capacity of CSOs, including community based organisations (CBOs), faith-based organisations (FBOs) and other grassroots organisations, to effectively engage with

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Media

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Media Abroad

20 BBC staff facing ‘sexual misconduct’ allegations

T Zakaria

Airtel to host CNN’s Zakaria, other Nigerians

ne of Nigeria’s leading telecoms services providers, Airtel Nigeria, has announced plans to host select influential personalities at a high profile event that will feature Fareed Zakaria, renowned journalist, internationally acclaimed author and host of popular Fareed Zakaria’s GPS on CNN. The event tagged, ‘Airtel’s Night of Influence’, is a distinct platform that will provide a great networking opportunity to prominent international personalities, very successful Nigerians and the Airtel brand. It will hold on Sunday, November 18, 2012 at the prestigious Eko Hotel & Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos. Zakaria, who has confirmed to speak on the theme: "Africa’s Political Economy: The Challenge of Leadership", will bring on hand rich insights into the continent’s economy and its interactions with the global socio-economic and political landscape. About 500 influential men and women drawn from both the private and public sectors within and outside Nigeria as well as top politicians and government officials will be attending the event. Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Rajan Swaroop, said the company is committed to providing significant forums for interactions and creating credible platforms to im-

prove the quality of leadership in Nigeria and Africa through dialogue. “The 'Night of Influence' will deepen the interface between our brand and the cream of Nigerian society whose decisions and activities influence, to a large extent, the trend of fashion, lifestyle, and indeed socio-economic development of the country,” Swaroop said. Fareed Rafiq Zakaria is an IndianAmerican journalist and author. From 2000 to 2010, he was a columnist for Newsweek and editor of Newsweek International. In 2010, he became editorat-large of Time Magazine. He is the host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS. He is also a frequent commentator and author on issues related to international relations, trade and American foreign policy. Zakaria attended the Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Yale University, where he was president of the Yale Political Union, editor-in-chief of the Yale Political Monthly, a member of the Scroll and Key society, and a member of the Party of the Right. He later earned a Doctor of Philosophy in political science from Harvard University in 1993, where he studied under Samuel P. Huntington and Stanley Hoffmann, as well as international relations theorist Robert Keohane.

on FOI suits the FOI Act. It was also intended to encourage the participating organisations to mainstream FOI in their organisations, regardless of the sectors in which they work, while also equipping them with the knowledge, skills and practical tools with which to sensitise and train others in their immediate communities to use the FOI Act. It was also was aimed at training the participants to formulate actual requests for information relevant to their sectors and encourage them to submit such requests to the relevant public institutions after the workshop. Similarly, the groups recommended that the Federal Government make adequate budgetary allocations for the effective implementation of the Freedom of Information Act in its 2013 budget proposals and where it has not done so,

the National Assembly should factor it into the budget before the 2013 Appropriation Act is signed. State governors who are perceived by the public to be using state resources to improve lives of citizens are requested to as a matter of urgency proactively disclose information about decisions they have taken on contracts and expenditures. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, is however requested to as a matter of urgency take action to widely publicise the operational and implementation guidelines, particularly the aspects which require public institution to re-organise their information and records management process to facilitate compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

wenty current BBC staff are facing internal allegations of sexual misconduct following the Jimmy Savile revelations, the corporation said today. The BBC, Savile’s estate and five other institutions including Stoke Mandeville hospital have also been informed that they face legal action from 43 victims seeking damages for alleged sexual abuse. The claimants include a woman who was eight years when she claimed that she was molested by Savile when she was recovering from surgery at Stoke Mandeville. Slater and Gordon, which is acting for 36 people who were aged from eight to 23 when they were abused, has sent letters before action to the BBC, Leeds General Infirmary, Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor hospitals, and the executors of Savile’s estate. Another law firm Pannone is acting on behalf of seven potential victims and has sent letters of claim to Savile’s estate. One claim has also been made against the BBC. Mark Thompson, the former BBC Director-General, who was told about

Ignorance is no defence on Twitter, Facebook –Legal experts

edia lawyers Niri Shan and Lorna Caddy explain why commenting on Twitter and Facebook is no longer the same as a chat down the pub. District Judge Andrew Shaw,has ordered nine people to pay footballer, Ched Evan's, rape victim £624 after they admitted disclosing her identity on Twitter and Facebook. They were charged with publishing material likely to lead members of the public to identify the complainant in a rape case (an offence under the Sexual Offences (Amendments) Act 1992. These days, whether it’s on a social media website or in relation to an online article, we all expect to have our say and post our own content. The legal position of an individual who posts content online (whether on Facebook, Twitter, on comment sections of online news pages) is clear. He or she is responsible for that content. the case is notable because the defendants were not aware that naming the lady was a criminal offence. This was irrelevant: ignorance was not a defence. When we post material online, we act as publishers and our publications are subject to the same laws as those of professional publishers, such as newspapers. We are likely to see a proliferation of these sorts of cases, with the Attorney General and the Crown Prosecution Service taking action against individuals, teaching them the basics of publishing law. -Telegraph

Newsnight journalists’ concerns over the scrapping of the Savile expose last year, faced further questions about his response. Mr. Thompson, who is due to become chief executive of The New York Times next week, told the paper that he had been assured that the report had been dropped for journalistic reasons. “I wasn’t told any specific lines of inquiry and certainly not anything related to the BBC,” he said. “It didn’t occur to me that there was a contemporary corporate interest to defend. You can say it’s a lack of imagination.” -The Independent

Authorities in DRC force station off the air

ecurity forces arrived at the offices of Radio Télévision Autonome du Sud Kasaï (RTAS), in the south central town of Miabi, on August 15 and forced the station off the air, according to local press freedom group Journaliste en Danger (JED). The agents also confiscated the station's transmitter, JED said. Placide Lufuluabo, news director of the station, told CPJ that when security forces came to the station, they already had the owner of the station, Fortunat Kasongo, in custody. Kasongo was one of five people that local authorities had arrested the day before on suspicion of being linked to renegade army mutineer, Col. John Tshibangu, U.N.-backed station Radio Okapi reported. Tshibangu had defected from the Congolese army and started an armed insurrection seeking to overthrow President Joseph Kabila, according to news reports. Lufuluabo told CPJ that Kasongo had not participated in any of the program's stations and that RTAS had not aired any political programs nor conducted any interviews with Tshibangu. Local journalists believed the attack on RTAS was a consequence of Kasongo's arrest. The station is still off the air, and Kasongo is still in custody, according to news reports and local journalists.

Kasongo

Cocktail

Thursday, November 8, 2012

FOR YOUR SUCCESS

WITH DR. DEJI FOLUTILE

Today's Tonic (39)

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. –Walt Disney *** It’s A Dreamers’ World! A popular wisdom teacher once wrote, “The proof of desire is pursuit.” How true! Whatever dream we are not willing to pursue is not a true dream. The world is full of beautiful and usable things today because certain people rigorously pursued their dreams. Many great things are yet to appear in the physical because true dreamers are wanting. Will you be one? And why not? You are a spark of the divine. You are a piece of the Master. You are created in the exact image of God. Wow! You have whatever it takes to manifest the treasures loaded into you by your Creator! Dream without action is not a dream. Whatever you believe in and does not move you into action is fake. Hear me friends: Pick up that dream again and go for it. You can do it. And you will succeed! TEL 08104942999 E-MAIL deji.folutile@gmail.com Follow me @TwitterOWOTIDE

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Oddities

Police chief charged with theft

he memory and usage record of a stolen iPad led to the arrest of the police chief of a small force in rural Missouri. An iPad and iPod were seized as evidence by New Athens police in July after a commercial burglary. The devices were locked into the force’s evidence room but vanished after September 19, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The devices were then found back in the evidence room about a month later. Capt. Steve Johnson of the St. Clair County Sheriff ’s Department said

the iPad’s memory and tracking history showed it had been used by New Athens Police Chief Dallas Hill. The 27-year-old chief turned himself in Monday

to respond to the felony charges of two counts of official misconduct and one count of theft. He posted $2,000 bond. Johnson said it was a blemish on policing.

“This is not just a procedural error,” Johnson said. “Every time a police officer is charged with a crime, it makes all of our jobs just that much more difficult.”

Man who lost leg in crucifix mishap sues church

trial has been scheduled for early next year in the lawsuit filed against an upstate New York church by a man whose leg had to be amputated after a 600-pound crucifix fell on him. Attorney Kevin Kitson of White Plains told The Associated Press that the

case of his client, David Jimenez (hih-MAN’-ez ), is scheduled for trial in January in an Orange County court. Kitson says Jimenez prayed to the crucifix outside St. Patrick’s Church in Newburgh after his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. When she recov-

ered, he showed his thanks by volunteering to clean the cross. In May 2010, the crucifix fell on him, crushing his right leg. It was later amputated. He’s suing the church for $3 million. The church says it’s not liable for the accident.

A man sleeping on sculpture.

PHOTO: CREATIVENERDS.CO.UK

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

“I believe you can be very happy on an island, but being alone in this world doesn’t make you any happier” – German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, tells British politician Nigel Farage

aving her walking cane and smiling broadly, the stepgrandmother of Barack Obama celebrated yesterday as this tiny Western Kenyan village danced and rejoiced after the United States president won four more years in the White House. Kogelo, a dirt-road town where children play soccer in bare feet, was the home of Barack Obama’s father, and claims several relatives of the president among its population. The family matriarch is Sarah Obama, who was married to the president’s late grandfather. “Take the great job that people have given to you and lead them well,” Sarah Obama advised her relative by marriage after his victory. “They have shown immense love to have voted for you.” Residents hoisted branches of green leaves, red plastic chairs and even one-speed bicycles into the air to celebrate Obama’s win. “The community is happy. The community is waking up from their sleep to come and celebrate,” said Kennedy Rajula, the president’s cousin. Sarah Obama is the second wife of Obama’s paternal grandfather. Obama referred to her as “Granny” in his memoir, “Dreams from My Father,” and described meeting her during his 1988 trip to his father’s homeland and their awkwardness as they struggled to communicate.

Obama’s granny, Kenya celebrate White House win

Sarah Obama, step-grandmother of President Barack Obama.

Kenya takes great pride in its association with Obama, and Prime Minister Raila Odinga told reporters that the election victory was a great day for the U.S. and Kenya. “Obama’s victory has proved that it was not a fluke the first time round, that the American society has changed, that the people of America have now, basically living the American dream of a people who are unit-

PHOTO: AP

ed by race, by religion, by ethnicity and so on,” Odinga said. “People are prepared to work together to build their country.” Kenya has its own presidential election coming up in March. The country’s last vote in late 2007 turned devastatingly violent, and more than 1,000 people were killed. Many people in Kenya vote along tribal lines, adding to the tension, but Odinga said the U.S. vote showed

that elections should be decided based on issues. “This is what we should learn from these elections, American elections, and try to see if we cannot replicate it here in Kenya, that we move away from personality based campaigns or ethnic based campaigns and move toward issue-based campaigns,” Odinga said. John Githongo, a former adviser to Kenya President Mwai Kibaki on ethics and governance who resigned and then exposed hundreds of millions of dollars in government corruption, said Obama enjoys “an unprecedented level of trust” among the people of the world, though he said there are some in Kenya who worry the U.S. will now begin cracking down on corruption and tribalism in Kenya. “Many leaders thrive on corruption and whipping up tribal sentiments to consolidate political support,” he said. Eric Lugalia, a 31-year-old pilot, said he is excited Obama won again. “It also motivates us before our elections. Him being Kenyan, it motivates us to vote wisely for leaders who can bring change, unlike voting along tribal lines as we do.”

Ghana building collapse traps dozens, kills one

five-storey shopping center built earlier this year in a bustling suburb of Ghana’s capital collapsed yesterday, killing at least one person

and leaving several dozen people trapped in the rubble, authorities and eyewitnesses said. Rescue crews used cranes to try and remove debris from the

A rescuer using sawmill machine to remove debris, in order to free trapped victims PHOTO: TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

top of the building amid fears that machinery sifting through the wreckage could injure trapped survivors. Crowds of bystanders gathered as rescuers sifted through cement and glass. The fatality at the Melcom Shopping Center at Achimota, a suburb of Accra, was confirmed by Public Affairs Officer of the Ghana Fire Service, Billy Anaglate. “We are still working to find out the fate of others who may be trapped under,” Anaglate said. Other officials told The Associated Press that the death toll was likely to rise. An AP reporter at the scene saw at least one man pulled from the debris, covered in dust who was then whisked into an ambulance. At least five people had been rescued while about 35 more are known to be trapped, said Free-

man Tetteh, Greater Accra Regional Public Affairs Officer of the Ghana Police. “I was on my way to the shop when l saw it crumbling down,” Kojo Boadi, an eyewitness, said. President John Mahama declared the scene a disaster zone and cut short his election campaign in the north of the country to be able to visit the site. The presidential election is scheduled for December. The five-storey store, opened in February, is part of the Melcom chain owned by Indian immigrant magnate, Bhagwan Khubchandani. His late father arrived in Ghana in 1929 as a 14-year-old to work as a store boy in the-then Gold Coast. The store sells a variety of cheap, imported household goods and appliances that are popular with workingclass Ghanaians.

WORLD BULLETIN Libyan wartime leader to be probed over killing A Libyan court yesterday ordered Mustafa Abdel Jalil, former political leader of rebels who toppled Muammar Gaddafi last year, to be questioned by military prosecutors over the killing of the insurgents’ top field commander. Abdel Fattah Younes, Gaddafi’s interior minister before he switched to the rebel cause soon after the start of the revolt, was killed by gunmen on his own side in July 2011. His death betrayed ideological splits in the rebel movement and was seen as the work of a faction that mistrusted any ex-Gaddafi loyalist holding a commanding position in the insurgency. Eleven men, including a former deputy premier in the National Transition Council, the political wing of the rebellion, have been charged in connection with Younes’s murder but only one has been arrested.

‘Sudan’s Bashir leaves Saudi Arabia hospital’ Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir left hospital in Saudi Arabia yesterday, a day after what state media called a “small successful” operation. It was the second operation this year for Bashir, 68, who has ruled Sudan for 23 years since taking power in a bloodless 1989 coup. In August, he had surgery on his vocal cords in Qatar, according to a government official. Officials say Bashir is in good health, but local newspapers and blogs had begun to speculate about his health because he had held fewer public rallies in recent months.

North Mali Islamist group says it rejects violence An Islamist group carrying out public executions and amputations in northern Mali said that it rejects “all forms of extremism and terrorism” and called upon other armed organizations controlling the region, including a branch of al-Qaida, to engage in political talks with the government. The turnabout was announced by a representative of an Ansar Dine delegation that has been holding talks for the last several days with mediators in the capital of neighbouring Burkina Faso. The meetings in Burkina Faso appear to be part of a new, regional attempt to set up negotiations to resolve the Mali crisis ahead of a possible military intervention that is expected to be led by African forces with logistical backing from the European Union and the United States.

World News

Thursday, November 8, 2012

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Election has made me a better president – Obama President Barack Obama delivered remarks yesterday in Chicago on his re-election. Excerpts:

onight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come. I want to thank every American who participated in this election, whether you voted for the very first time or waited in line for a very long time. Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone, whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. I just spoke with Mitt Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hardfought campaign. We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service and that is the legacy that we honour and applaud tonight. In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward. I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, and the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. Let me say this publicly: Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too, as our nation’s first lady. Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes you’re growing up to become two strong, smart beautiful young women, just like your mom. To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics, the best ever. Some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning. But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together and you will have the life-long appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way, through every hill, through every valley. You lifted me up the whole way and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work

that you put in. I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics that tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym, or saw folks working late in a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else. That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won’t change after tonight, and it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty. We can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter, the chance to cast their ballots like we did today. But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future. We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers; a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology, discovery and innovation, with all the good jobs and new businesses that follow. We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. We want to pass on a country that’s safe, respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this world has ever known. But also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war, to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being. We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America, open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag. To the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner. To the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president - that’s the future we hope for. That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go - forward. Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock or solve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward. But that common bond

Obama

is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. A long campaign is now over. And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you, and you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit; reforming our tax code; fixing our immigration system; freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do. But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us. It’s about what can be done by us together through the hard and frustrating, but necessary work of self-government. That’s the principle we were founded on. This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What make America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. The belief that our destiny is shared, that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations; the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great. I am hopeful tonight, because I’ve seen the spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbours, and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a

friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. And I saw just the other day, in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his eight-year-old daughter, whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything, had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father, but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes, because we knew that little girl could be our own. And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president. And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope. I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the roadblocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunity and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founders, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, able, disabled, gay or straight, you can make it here in America if you’re willing to try. I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America. And together with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on Earth. Thank you, America. God bless you. God bless these United States.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror Beggar arraigned for absconding “I am constrained to observe that the Bar has, over the years, consciously or unconsciously contributed to the negative image the judiciary has suffered in recent times.” with colleagues’ N.25m ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE; MOHAMMED BELLO ADOKE

Bus conductor shot dead in Lagos … As Okada riders attack three BRT buses FRANCIS SUBERU

here was pandemonium at Ketu area of Lagos yesterday evening as a yet to be identified police officer from Alapere Police Division shot and killed a bus conductor at Tipper Bus Stop, Ketu, Lagos. Though details of the incident was sketchy, it was learnt that the bus conductor was allegedly shot at while the bus driver was trying to evade arrest by flouting the orders of the police officer to stop. It was said that the driver, rather than obey the policeman,

directed his vehicle at the officer, apparently aiming to scare him off the road, but his conductor was shot in the process. Reports had it that angry mob who immediately took to the street in protest against the killing, vandalized many vehicles, even as the incident caused gridlock which affected Ikorodu road and other adjourning routes. All efforts at reaching the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ngozi Braide to comment on the issue proved abortive as her mobile telephone lines were unavailable. However, a highly placed police source con-

firmed the incident, saying the PPRO had been briefed. In a related development, the entire Berger area in Lagos metropolis was thrown into confusion yesterday morning as commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada continued their protest against the implementation of the newly introduced traffic law in the state. Community Mirror gathered that three Bus Rapid Transit [BRT] buses were damaged by the rampaging okada riders. It was said the rioters smashed the buses’ windscreen, injuring some passengers who were on board.

The protest almost got out of hand as miscreants hijacked it, leading to serious stampede as people scampered to safety. Many pedestrians were reportedly stranded as commuter buses quickly deserted the area. The protest, it was gathered, was as a result of the seizure of some motorcycles by a team of policemen and task force officers from the state secretariat in Alausa. Eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the riot started around 10a.m shortly after the police team had taken away some motorcycles. He said: “After the policemen and taskforce officials had left,

the Okada operators reinforced and chased away LASTMA officials who were controlling traffic in the area; after which they descended on the BRT buses.” Three Daewoo red buses were damaged by the protesters, who also threatened to kill any LASTMA officials that came their way. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ngozi Braide, said she was not aware of the incident but promised to investigate and react later. It would be noted that protest by Okada riders in Lagos State has become a recurring incidence since the new traffic law placed ban on their operation.

Traders protest Ogun government’s quit order FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

undreds of traders at the popular Itoku market in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, have appealed to the state government to extend the deadline issued to them to vacate the market to allow for its demolition. The traders, who expressed disapproval of the ultimatum,claimed that the planned demolition of a century old market would send them out of business earlier than expected. They requested the state government to extend the ultimatum till January 2013 to enable them service their numerous customers who will be patronising them during the Yuletide and New Year season. In protest against the vacation order and the planned market demolition, the traders briefly blocked the road leading to Itoku market but ensured that the demonstration was peaceful; even as they urged Governor Amosun to give them more time as well as an alternative space. Community Mirror recalled that Governor Amosun had last Monday personally visited the market where he pleaded with the traders to vacate the market, latest by yesterday in order not to be caught unawares by

the demolition exercise. Speaking with newsmen yesterday, the Iyaloja of Itoku Market, Chief Funmilola Ayorinde alleged that the news of the planned demolition shocked the traders, saying many of them are still hospitalised as result of the news. She claimed that many of the traders had since Monday developed various ailments and some had actually been hospitalised. “In fact, since Monday when the governor visited this market, many of our members have developed all sorts of ailments, including hypertension. Many are still on admission in hospitals. That is why we are pleading with the governor to extend the deadlines for us to vacate the market. We are not quarrelling with him over the plan. We are in fact happy that he is taking steps to bring development to Abeokuta. “We thank our governor for having the interest in developing the state but our appeal to him is that he should please give us more time. We have just got new stocks for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. “As such, he should allow us to sell our new stocks during this period so that what would be left will be little wares that can easily be packed out for the demolition exercise to commence”.

The Bishop’s Court of Mbammili Diocese of the Anglican Communion in Anambra State submerged in flood recently.

Katsina to partner ABU on agriculture JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

atsina State is to partner with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in the area of consultancy services and manpower training to boost agricultural production. Governor Ibrahim Shema stated this while receiving members of the local organising committee of the National An-

nual Conference on Weed Science from ABU in his office. The delegation was led by Professor Salihu Dadari. Shema said the state would partner with the university to achieve the desired boost in agricultural sector; saying his administration from inception had engaged the institution to help improve on the state’s agricultural programme. He said since partnering with

the institution, government had re-energised 27 irrigation programmes and cultivated more than 12,000 hectares of land during the dry season; adding that Jibia irrigation site would be fully explored during this dry season. He revealed that a firm in Tanzania has shown interest in reviving the Runka cattle diary which was rehabilitated by the federal government.

Community Mirror

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Beggar arraigned for absconding with colleagues’ N.25m FRANCIS SUBERU

he police in Lagos yesterday arraigned a beggar, Aminat Aliyu, 48, before an Oshodi Magistrate’s Court for allegedly absconding with N250,000

belonging to one Malam Ya’u Yusuf and 11 other beggars. The accused, who resides at Carol market, Oshodi, is facing a twocourt charge of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing. The police prosecutor,

Cpl. Kehinde Olatunde, told the court that the accused committed the offence between August and October, 2012 at 17, Araromi Street, Oshodi. He said that the accused obtained N250, 000 from her victims at Araromi and Cairo mar-

kets under the pretence of helping them to keep it until they would need same, but converted the money to her own use. “The accused collected various sums of money in the name of contribution from the physically-challenged beggars. The beg-

gars have been contributing money they have been receiving from people from August to October to the accused for safe keeping,” he said. The prosecutor said that the offence contravened sections 285 and 312 of the Criminal Code,

Laws of Lagos State, 2012. When the charge sheet was read to her, Aliyu pleaded not guilty and the magistrate, Mrs. M.R. Osho-Adebiyi, granted her bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Relocate people from quarry zone – LG boss DANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

aretaker Committee Chairman of Funakaye Local Government Council in Gombe State, Alhaji Bakura Mohammed Bajoga, has asked the management of Ashaka Cement PLC to relocate villagers affected by the mining and quarrying activities of the firm to a less hazardous area. The Chairman made the appeal when management of the company, led by its Managing Director, Mr. Neeraj Akhoury paid him a congratulatory visit over his appointment as the caretaker committee chairman of Funakaye Council. He also urged the company to give priority to indigenes of the area in their recruitment exercise. The chairman, who un-

til his appointment was the Corporate Affairs Manager of Ashaka Cement, stated that the relocation had become mandatory as it would bring about greater protection for the villagers. Earlier, Managing-Director, Ashaka Cement, Mr. Neeraj Akhoury had informed the chairman that they were in his office to congratulate him for his appointment as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Funakaye Council. He said the firm would continue to support its host communities by embarking on developmental projects, especially in the area of education. He equally asked for the support of the council boss and the communities in the area for the actualization of the company’s transformation agenda.

President, Lions club Maryland district, Lion Adewale Afolabi (left) and immediate past president of the club, Lion Akeem Mabogaje, during the investiture of the new president and fund raising ceremony in Lagos recently.

Foundation donates relief materials to flood victims

he Mike Adenuga Foundation has eased the pains of victims of the recent flooding in parts of the country as it donated relief materials worth over N70m to those affected in Bayelsa State. The relief materials which were presented to Governor Seriaki Dickson at the Government House, Yenegoa included 4,000 mattresses, 4,000 pillows, 4,000 blankets, 2,000 cartons of noodles, 2,000 cartons of detergent, 500 bags of rice, amongst several other items. Handing over the items to the governor on behalf of the Foundation, the Managing Director, Mike Adenuga Foundation, Mr. Yomi Ogunbamowo, said the gesture was aimed at supporting the government reduce the pains of victims of the flood disaster and assist them in getting back to

normal lives again. He said: “We commiserate with you on the unfortunate flood disaster that devastated many states across the country, with Bayelsa State being one of the worst affected. We quite appreciate the agony of the people affected by the flood disaster. Many of them lost their loved ones, including their bread winners while several others were displaced from their homes or business premises. Yomi noted that the mission of the Foundation was to help improve the quality of life of disadvantaged individuals and communities by supporting socio-economic development related causes in Nigeria and other countries in Africa where the Mike Adenuga Group of companies has its footprint. Responding, Governor Dickson expressed his gov-

ernment’s appreciation for the foundation’s timely intervention by noting that the donated materials will go a long way in assisting his government to ameliorate the plights of the flood victims. Governor Dickson praised Dr. Adenuga’s magnanimity, noting that he has shown he is a friend of Bayelsa. “The devastation was catastrophic; people were displaced. All our farmlands wiped off and government cannot adequately take care of the affected persons. We appreciate what Dr. Adenuga has done. Anyone who supports a good cause will be greatly rewarded and since he has decided to support a good cause, he will continue to grow in leaps and bounds. We are proud of his achievements and what he has done for the country”, he concluded.

Nigerians tasked on assisting the needy KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

he President of a non-governmental organisation, Eternal House of Divine Mercy, Mr. Rosano Adeola, has called on well meaning individuals in the country to always spare a thought for the less privileged in the society, saying it is by doing this that the country can have the needed peace and tranquility. Adeola who made the appeal while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on the activities of the organization, said giving helping hands to the needy at all times will make the downtrodden have sense of belonging and see themselves as part of the country. He maintained that it is by bringing succour to

those who do not have that the lives of the less privileged can be transformed as it would ensure that the rich and the poor see each other as being equal before God. While speaking on the achievements of the organisation, established in 1986, Adeola said Eternal House of Divine Mercy came into being as a source of hope and mercy for those in spiritual bondage; adding that the organisation has been assisting those in need and pitiable situations. According to him, the organisation care for destitute at various levels by providing food to street beggars twice a week in places like Oja Oba, Sabo, Challenge and Iwo road all in Ibadan; providing relief items and sharing words of God

with prison inmates at the Agodi Prison, also in Ibadan. Others activities of the group include rehabilitation of the sick and the abandoned, and care for mentally challenged orphans and ex-convicts among others. He then enjoined government at all levels and well meaning philanthropists to partner with the organization in order to do more for the poor in the society, stating that the burden of being brother’s keepers cannot be done alone by an individual or organisation but by the support of all. He said, “ with the support of governments and well to do Nigerians, this organization cannot but do more to bring succour to the less privileged not only in Oyo State but throughout the country.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

North

Thursday, November 8, 2012

JTF escapes bomb blast in Maiduguri INUSA NDAHI MAIDUGURI

peratives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) yesterday in Maiduguri survived another bomb explosion which was targeted at one of their patrol vehicles along the major road linking GwangeLondon Ciki wards of Maiduguri metropolis. National Mirror reports that the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which was planted by suspected terrorists’ group exploded at about 8.00 am few metres away from the JTF vehicle that was patrolling the

area, a situation that led to the shattering and damaging of the windscreens, as well as the body of the vehicle, but there were no casualties. After the blast, National Mirror gathered that there was exchange of fire around the area which lasted for about 20 minutes before the JTF cordoned off the area to prevent further attacks.

An eye witness, who spoke with National Mirror and who does not want his name mentioned, said the explosion was a remote-controlled type, but that the JTF vehicle and the occupants were lucky as they had walked some distance before the blast. He said he could not give details on whether the blast injured any of the JTF personnel, but

that immediately after the blast, he heard a voice screaming inside the JTF patrol vehicle, adding that with the gunshots that followed the incident, he had to run for his dear life in order not to fall victim. Confirming the incident to journalists, JTF spokesman, LieutenantColonel Sagir Musa, said an IED targeted at one of their patrol vehicles

around Gwange general area exploded in the early hours of yesterday, he said the blast did not injure or kill anybody; instead, the vibrating power of the blast shattered the windscreen of the JTF patrol vehicle. He said after the blast, the whole area was cordoned off with a view to apprehend those behind this evil act.

Raid on Kaduna flash points to flush out criminals –Army

he Nigerian Army yesterday said that the recent raids of identified flash points in Kaduna are part of security measures adopted to rid the state of terror and criminals gangs. Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Col. Musa Usman, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the raid was not intended to humiliate anybody. He said a number of arrests had been made, adding that some of those arrested had been released after a thorough screening. “It will be a continuous activity meant to fish out members of criminal gangs in the city.” NAN recalls that soldiers on Friday and Saturday conducted house-to-house search at Kwaru and Angwan Yero areas of Kaduna and allegedly arrested more than 70 people, including women. The areas are located within the vicinity of St. Rita’s Catholic Church, where a suicide bomb attack on October 28, killed eight persons and injured more than 145 others including the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Mathew Goni. Usman appealed to residents of the affected areas to cooperate with the soldiers to ensure the restoration of peace and stability in the state. “We shall be as civil as possible; the raid is not meant to humiliate the residents.”

L-R: Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kenedy Ishaya; Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo; Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and Deputy Governor, Mr. Tha’anda Rubainu, at the inauguration of new ambulances in the state, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Kogi promises judicious use of FG’s flood relief fund KOLAWOLE TIMOTHY LOKOJA

ogi State government yesterday promised that all financial donations it received from the Federal Government and individuals regarding the recent flood disaster in the state are intact and would be used for the purpose intended. The state Deputy Governor, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, disclosed this in a chat with journalists shortly after he addressed victims of the flood disaster at the Adankolo Primary School, against the backdrop of

the protest carried out by some of the victims that government had abandoned them to their fate. Awoniyi, who is also the Chairman of the state Flood Disaster Management Committee, said the state government would soon wind up some of the camps located in primary schools so that pupils of those schools could resume normal academic activities without further delay. He informed the victims that their protest was carried out in bad faith as government was doing its best to relocate them adding that the state government had not misused

the fund allocated to the state by the Federal Government. According to him; “Government had concluded arrangement with the Federal Government to take over the 200 housing units in Ajaokuta Steel Company and some units of federal low cost housing estate in Lokoja, which would serve as residence to those that will be relocated from the primary schools’ camps.” The deputy governor appealed to the victims to be calm, stressing that government was doing all it could to make them comfortable. “I want you all to obey the rules and

guidelines of government, very soon all of you will be relocated to a befitting place, no need to believe in unfounded lies that government has used the money received for other purposes, I want to assure you that the money is intact and would be used to take good care of you all.”

Awoniyi

FERMA to commence Ilorin-Omu-Aran-Egbe road repairs

he Kwara State Coordinator of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr. Babatunde Ige, said yesterday that approval had been given for the rehabilitation of the IlorinOmu-Aran-Egbe highway, to ease traffic flow during the Christmas period. Ige told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in OmuAran, Kwara State, that

the agency was aware of the deplorable state of the road, but that the rains had delayed its rehabilitation. He said since approval had been obtained, work would commence next week. “The good news is that I have just arrived from a meeting in Abuja, where proposal for the rehabilitation of the Ilorin-OmuAran-Egbe road was approved.

“The rehabilitation was a little bit delayed due to the downpour witnessed in recent times. “As I am talking to you, efforts are already in top gear to mobilise and move workers to site probably next week,” he said. Ige also said that the agency was now well positioned to effectively maintain all federal roads across the country.

“With the acquisition of relevant machines tailormade for a round-the-clock maintenance, traffic gridlock and crashes on our major highways would be a thing of the past.” NAN reports that the road traversing towns such as Ajase-Ipo, Idofian, Oro, Oke-Onigbin,Omu-Aran and part of Egbe in Kogi State, is currently in deplorable condition.

NEMA cautions on fire disaster WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

he National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday cautioned Nigerians against indiscriminate bush burning and carelessness as the dry season sets in. Also, the agency cautioned against activities that are capable of destroying the eco-system leading to untoward climate change. The Coordinator of NEMA Abuja Operations Office, Ishaya Chonoko, gave the caution in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a fire prevention, mitigation and preparedness programme organised by the agency. According to him; “The programme is aimed at sensitising all and sundry to be extra careful this dry season in their dealings with fire. Indiscriminate bush burning such as for hunting purposes should be avoided as this could extend to neigbouring farmlands and houses; destroy the ecosystem and also contribute to climate change. “Naked fire should not be left unattended. Bushes close to our surroundings should be cleared. Fire extinguishers should be refilled and kept in handy positions. Dried leaves and papers should be disposed of properly. “Electrical appliances should be switched off and unplugged when not in use. Observing this would go a long way to check the outbreak of fire as well as mitigate its impact. “Disasters in the past have caused great losses, including loss of lives, damage and destruction of property worth millions of naira. These losses are irreplaceable. This cannot be allowed to continue, he added. “It has been found that disaster risk reduction is cheaper and safer than disaster response which is why there is a paradigm shift from disaster response to disaster risk reduction. It is in this light that NEMA is carrying out this programme.” In his lecture at the ceremony, Assistant Chief Superintendent, Kwara State Fire Service, Falade Olumuyiwa, said fire disasters occurred out of carelessness and ignorance.

Insight

Thursday, November 8, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stigmatisation: The war against

• Private hospitals reject patient • Nurse divulges patient’s status • NACA promises legal aid to stigmatised patient

One of the key issues addressed by the 2009 revised National Policy on HIV/AIDS is the right of people living with HIV /AIDS in Nigeria. Specifically, the policy spells out the right of individuals living with HIV/AIDS to life, to be treated when they are ill and visit hospitals/clinics for treatment, to be treated equally before the law and be given access to the best medical care available. National Mirror’s health correspondent, TOBORE OVUORIE, however, discovered a total disregard for this policy when she went undercover and visited some private hospitals in some states as a person living with HIV in search of medical attention. Contrary to the provision of the policy, her investigation reveals a high level of stigmatisation by health workers, especially nurses.

“

is girl, na wetin? I don tell you say we no dey treat dat kain disease for here abi na me give you the thing?” These were the words of a nurse at Kowa clinic, Isoko road, Ughelli, Delta State in disgust over the reporter’s insistence and plea for access to the doctor. Her offence? She was supposedly HIV positive and asked to see the doctor in the clinic for treatment. She never saw the doctor as the nurse ignored her thereafter. At Ketu, a Lagos suburb, this reporter was not only treated shabbily when she disclosed her supposed status at Deji Clinic as she was prevented from seeing the Medical Director. The nurse didn’t stop at that, she divulged her (the reporter’s) alleged status to a male friend (reporter’s) whom she thought was dating her. This was the general trend in most of the hospitals visited by our reporter in Lagos, Delta, Bayelsa and Edo states over a six month period. Though discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS has been reported to be on the decline in most parts of the country, National Mirror’s investigation reveals that this could be a hasty conclusion as it seems to be the order in several private hospitals across the country. And it is perpetrated by people who should know better: health workers, especially nurses! Out of 13 hospitals across the country visited by this reporter, only three health care giversan elderly nurse and two doctors-showed some form of understanding and willingness to treat her. Although Nigerians confidently mention the various ways of contracting HIV and supposedly state all the time that not all people get it through unprotected sex, these seem to be lip service as some, if not most health care givers still believe it is contracted only through sexual intercourse. At St. Peter’s Hospital, Amarata, Yenegoa, a nurse on hearing this reporter reveal she was HIV-positive and needed the services of a doctor who could manage her condition immediately told her: “how a whole educated fine lady like you go do am without condom? Abi you wan tell me sey you no know sey AIDS no dey show for

face and cure no dey for am? Like her counterpart at Kowa clinic, she refused returning the reporter’s friendly gesture by even refusing to disclose her name. Rather, she hastily declared there was no need for the reporter to see a doctor at the hospital as they “do not treat such disease”. When the reporter insisted on seeing a doctor, she remarked: “Why are you stubborn? Go to Lagos, they can treat you there. Doctor is not around and if he were, we treat other sicknesses, not that one. Please, I’ve to go and attend to my patients” she said and walked away. It was Easter and Nurse Juliet (she had mentioned her name) excitedly wished this reporter “Happy Easter beautiful sister” as the latter arrived Gloryland I.N.R.I Medical Centre, hospital junction, Yenegoa. She openly admired and complemented the reporter’s hairdo, skin, and make-up. This, however, changed immediately the reporter disclosed her HIV positive status and asked to be allowed to see a doctor to help manage her condition privately. Suddenly, Nurse Juliet’s smiles changed and she became placid. Silent for some seconds that seemed like eternity, Juliet regained herself and calmly said: “I would have directed you to the doctor, but take my advice, it’s better to go to Federal Medical Centre, Asaba; I hear they give treatment free of charge there and there are so many things you’ll benefit if you go there. Go to FMC, my sister because you’re not supposed to pay for HIV drugs, but private hospitals will go there, collect them free and sell to you at very high rate”. Nurse Julliet seems to have a point. At St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos Island, one of the front desk officers told the reporter who would need to register with N25,000 to see one of the hospital’s General Practitioners who would then refer her to the visiting specialist after more tests. She also advised the reporter to go to the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, NIMR, Yaba. “Why waste money when you can go to NIMR? All the Professors and doctors you’ll pay so much to see at SNH, are some

Prof. John Idoko, NACA DG

of the persons you’ll see free of charge if you go to LUTH, NIMR, VCT clinic, and even Mainland Hospital, Yaba. I’m not saying you should not come to SNH, but after that N25,000 I told you, you’ll continue the cycle of payments for what you’re to get free were you to go to the appropriate place, besides, these outsourced consultants don’t come regularly. When you go to these places, you’ll see other victims like you. You people will even become friends, and can marry yourselves” the lady said. Though only trying to be of help, the young lady, like many health care workers, still lack the right skills and knowledge in relating with people living with HIV. In virtually all the hospitals, phrases like “your disease”, “your sickness”, “HIV-victim”, “can/should marry fellow HIV victims” are used freely not knowing they denote discrimination. For instance, at Narrow way clinic located in Oduwawa, Benin, the three nurses at the hospital’s reception desk tried consoling this reporter on hearing she was HIV positive and needed a doctor to privately manage her.: “Sorry about your sickness, don’t worry, you won’t die soon”, one of the nurses consoled the reporter. “Don’t worry, you’ll get a husband of your own. HIV victims have associations and they even marry themselves there; you can locate them and join the group”, the second counselled while the third added: “They will treat you fine in the HIV association and a beautiful lady like you will quickly get one of the men to marry you”. The “dirge” did not end there as it continued at Madona hospital, 60, Enerhen road, Warri; Winrose clinic, 6 Petibi Lane, off Enerhen road, Warri; and Veenel hospital 61, Okumagba Avenue, Warri respectively, when this reporter continued her search for a doctor who could manage her supposed condition, no matter the amount to be charged. Like hospitals, the nurses prevented her from seeing a doctor. But at Sage Clinic, Okere/Ugborikoko road, Warri, a nurse told our reporter that: “We never treat that kain thing here before”. After a second thought, she went

ABI YOU WAN TELL ME SEY YOU NO KNOW SEY

AIDS NO DEY

SHOW FOR FACE AND

CURE NO DEY FOR AM? into an office to speak to a doctor. Unfortunately, this nurse returned with both a sad and discriminatory response. Her words: “doctor say make you go UBTH. He talk say him no fit treat HIV. Na UBTH and big, big government hospital dey do that kain work”. The doctor never came out or requested to see the supposed HIV positive patient. Obviously, the nurse was quite ignorant about her discriminatory use of words. After a second thought, she walked up to our reporter on her way out pleading: “I hope sey we no vex you. But true true, we never treat that kain sickness before and doctor true true no fit treat am”. But when asked her name, all she said while reluctantly returning a handshake from this reporter was: “no worry about my name”. The situation was not different at Fenoma Hospital, Forestry road, Benin City as the nurse at the hospital’s reception hastily dismissed this reporter on hearing about her health condition. But one of the hospital’s patients who saw how the reporter was treated and how the nurse kept on looking at her (the reporter) from head to toe, joined the latter at the door when leaving the hospital premises. At a safe distance, she revealed that she was also HIV positive and the attitude of nurses towards her prevented her from telling anyone about it. Ibinabo Pepple, a final year English language student in one of the universities in Edo State, disclosed: “I tested positive while I was in 200 level and like you, tried being responsible by seeking a doctor to manage me. Again, like you, I wanted to make it secret and would pay any amount for it. But you needed to see how the nurses I came across treated me. “Don’t feel bad, these health workers are more ignorant than they should be. It was during my second semester while in

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insight

Thursday, November 8, 2012

people living with AIDS

A health worker dispenses ante retroviral drugs to a patient with HIV

300 level that I met one doctor; one thing led to the other, we became close friends and I opened up to him. He’s the one who introduced me to APIN in LUTH and I’ve been on antiretroviral drugs , doing my CD count and other things since then. “My dear, forget these stupid nurses and baby doctors, I doubt if they even know their own status. Just go to APIN, at LUTH whenever you can, all you need is your transport fare to Lagos and back to Benin and you’ll live your normal life without anyone here in Benin knowing you’re HIV positive. My family members don’t know, so cheer up sweetheart”, she said. The reporter was, however, able to locate a few health workers who showed some understanding towards her plight. At Fuja hospital, Lagos Island, Dr. Ajenifuja with so much warmth, continued chatting with this reporter the way he was doing before she broke the news that she was HIV positive. As a matter of fact, he continued the maintenance of close contact with her and continued holding her hand, tapping her arm gently from time to time in a very friendly manner while educating her that she’s not a victim as HIV is just a condition which shouldn’t limit her from becoming who and what she wants to become. Without being asked, he offered this reporter his phone number that she could call and ‘pop’ in anytime to see him after assisting her with names and contacts of hospitals where she could be properly managed for free. Dr. Olumide Sanni, a General Practitioner with Hanoba Medical Centre, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos was as amiable as Dr. Fuja. He walked into this reporter at the hospital’s reception while an elderly nurse, Mrs. Nwanyanwu, was counselling her and assuring that the condition was quite manageable. When told by Nurse Nwanyanwu about our reporter’s supposed condition, the doctor swung into full action. He ushered her into his office, offered her a seat and some candies and cracked so much jokes which got this reporter laughing. Like Dr. Ajenifuja, he spoke at length about HIV, dis-

closed he had delivered pregnant women living with the virus but their babies are negative and went on to teach her about how she could care for herself. At the end of their discussion, he made her promise to visit NIMR (where he referred her to), take her drugs regularly and religiously keep to the appointments she would be given at NIMR. Without being asked, he supplied his names, contacts and has continued calling the reporter to find out if she’s taking her drugs and adhering to all medical appointments and instructions. But Mr. Sam. Archibong, Head, Corporate Communications, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) could hardly believe that the reporter’s findings would come from Nigerian hospitals.. “These are things that used to exist and were very heavy, but I doubt today if they are as bad as they were then anymore. Today, the issue has mellowed down. Corporate organizations have been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS”. He didn’t rule out the possibility of such health workers still existing. “In all issues of life, you will find people who are deviants. Deviants will not go with what is expected of them. They will like to behave differently. This behaviour could be bad, but they may not feel it while the way somebody, somewhere is feeling it. That somebody could be your relative or mine, even our acquaintance. They may not know it, but somebody is paying for the results of the action that has been taken by other person somewhere, someday. “We want to use this opportunity to restate that discrimination should be a thing of the past. Even employers of labour have stopped it. You often hear employers say: “If you are positive, that is not the end of life; you can still add value to what we are doing here as one of our workers. You are expected to receive all the entitlements. You are welcome to the job”. These are some of the good things we hear from employers of labour. We have campaigned against it. People living with AIDS have campaigned against it, too. People who are employers of labour have discovered that of as a matter of fact, that those who are positive could still add value to what they are doing. It also shows that such or-

Counselling session against stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS

HIV IS A CONDITION, NOT A DISEASE OR DEATH SENTENCE ganizations have caring hearts for those who work for them”. As regards private hospitals getting antiretroviral drugs free from designated HIV/AIDS management centres and reselling at very high prices to patients, Archibong said: “Well, I cannot answer this”. According to him, the drugs are available in some hospitals, but not all due to the country’s high population of those using antiretroviral. “Even we are aware that we have gone down in prevalence level, we are also aware that quite a number of people are yet to gain access to getting retroviral drugs as quickly as they will want it. Sometimes, the drugs are not available; that is true. But, I do not know that drugs are sold exorbitantly in hospitals. I do not have that information. That could be true; but you have a group of positive people living around the hospitals who try to ensure the drugs are sold at the expected price. They also ensure that if it is a hospital that is receiving drugs on percentage support from government, they know that the drugs will be cheaper. They know exactly how much they are. They also make sure that the hospital or the health centre is selling the drug at the expected price to the public” he added. On the attitude of nurses not willing to protect patients. Archibong said: “This is a little strange to me at this point in time. Some few years back, yes, that occurred. We have dealt with the issue so much so that we hardly hear it now. But, we remember that there was a time when people were castigated if they were discovered to be positive. To hear now that individual’s status is being divulged, is a serious issue and deserves a serious reprimand. This might, however, be a misconception and one cannot be very sure that this is the situation. I am very surprised to hear that people could divulge such information; something we thought had ended. It happened years ago

at a teething age. But now, I would want you to really investigate. NACA will give you necessary support because when you find out the truth, it will help us to position ourselves well when we are planning intervention activities. he said” “Let me add that it is not enough to be aware of HIV. It is also important that the means of ensuring that the prevalence is reduced and there is a cure for HIV/AIDS is very important. So, this country supports all efforts, globally, to ensure that the vaccine that can help cure the disease is discovered and put the problem at rest once and for all. The government of Nigeria is supporting that call by making resources available in order to ensure that when it is possible, the world will discover a cure for HIV/AIDS. We would then all see the disease as what it had once been. Across the world, there have been very heavy campaigns to ensure that those that are currently down with HIV/AIDS are given succour, care and support. It is important we let our people know that HIV is not anything one contracts and brings an end to one’s life. We need to always call those with the virus and encourage them that all is well. There are people with HIV who have lived for 20 years and they are still not down with AIDS”, he explained. It was, however, a different picture at NIMR, Yaba Lagos. The reporter, still mixed freely with people living with HIV/AIDS who had reported at the institution for treatment. The health workers were not only professionals, but related freely with their patients. For over five hours of the two days this reporter observed activities at the centre, no caregiver acted or used any discriminatory words against any of the PLWH. In a chat with one of the caregivers who simply identified herself as Susan, she emphatically stated that: “HIV is a condition, not a disease or death sentence. I don’t doubt your experience because you’re not the first person to tell me this, but all I’ve always told people and I will say it to you that go to only any of the centres designated for the purpose of rendering care in managing the condition, when you go elsewhere other than these places, there’s a possibility of being treated the way you were”.

WORLD RECORD

Oldest analog computer Vol. 02 No. 487

N150

Thursday, November 8, 2012

The 2,000-year-old Antikythera Mechanism was discovered in 1900–01 in a shipwreck close to the Greek island of Antikythera. It is a collection of bronze gears encrusted with sea accretions, built with a mechanical complexity that has not been

On the front row of American theatre

gain, America has succeeded in wooing the world with its theatrics. Tuesday’s general election that returned Barack Obama into the White House for a second term was the grand finale of that intensely dramatic episode with which America reinforced its pre-eminence. A country that has the Cable News Network (CNN), controls the internet and the social media, enjoys the biggest military budget and is home to the world’s largest native English speakers must expectedly have the ears of the world. It is the New World of the modern age and very adept at prolonging its staying power on world stage. Without doubt, America is the showman of international politics. And we have seen the glorious evidence of it again yesterday morning when Obama, a man with African heritage whose governance experience was meagre until his historic election into the world’s most powerful of-

SOMETHING BEFORE THE WEEKEND

Steve Ayorinde

sayorinde@nationalmirroronline.net (08054500808 sms only)

fice in 2008, got a convincing victory over 65-year-old grandfather and wealthy businessman, Mitt Romney. Yes, we rejoice over the fact that a man with Kenyan origin, whose name is still underlined in red by Microsoft computers can aspire not just to be a senator, but the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful nation. Yes, Obama’s story of hope and possibilities serves as an inspiration to every Blackman, minority or dare-to-challenge-the-status-quo person. But the man we celebrate today is just a lead actor in a skilful ensemble that has the good fortune of performing in a soldout theatre. The United States, with its dogged faithfulness to democratic values, free enterprise, openness and, above all, the rule of law, is that theatre of the progressives calling for the enlistment of like minds unto noble and civilised causes. It is necessary, of course, to acknowledge the many areas where other nations may find America’s stance objectionable. The mere posturing as the policeman of the world, on face value, can be abhorrent. Those who want to stretch the argument would point at the fact that only America has ever used the dreaded atomic bomb on an ‘enemy’ when it dropped the real weapon of mass destruction on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during the final stages of World War II in 1945. The world is often reminded even by Americans themselves that the military expedition that got Saddam Hussein removed was motivated by the desire to con-

AS THE ENVIABLE CEO WHOSE CONTRACT HAS JUST BEEN RENEWED,

OBAMA WAS

MAGNANIMOUS IN VICTORY trol Iraq’s oil fortunes rather than halting the alleged proliferation of deadly weapons. Some Muslim nations say America’s unwavering support for Israel is unfair and arbitrary and that its near monopoly of the machinery of World Wide Web and media propaganda attest to it mastery of double speak and double standard. In other words, the biggest criticism against America is its holier-than-thou attitude. The American hegemony, its fiercest critics claim, is ‘the king can do no wrong’ approach to diplomacy. Some of these attacks may have merit. But subjecting them to rational interrogation would, at least, answer the question about which President you would want to trust with world peace and security – the one who advocates live and let live or the other who desires that another nation be completely wiped off the earth? In any case, which of the other superpowers like Russia or China has not shown penchant for flaunting, even misusing, its

power over lesser foes or is not selective in its military and economic assistance to needy countries? America draws more admirers mainly because of its demonstrated commitment to values that the generality of the world considers inspiring. The mere fact that it is a land of dreams and opportunities, open to immigrants and hope-bearers is the nectar drawing visitors. It is, perhaps, in such environment alone that an Obama could have emerged and thrived. Nations that celebrate the bravery and brilliance of Obama sure have a role model in this 51-year-old suave father of two daughters. But they must give bigger credit to the environment that has nurtured his value of excellence. It is the type of architecture of greatness that America provides that nations desiring their own Obama should first seek to create before looking for political messiahs. Yet, lessons abound from yesterday’s victory. First was the near perfect transparency of the election process. Nothing demonstrates the federal structure of America more than its poll. No single electoral umpire like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Each state conducts its poll and declares result. Even while Florida was still counting, Obama was already presenting his victory address, having crossed the 270 Electoral College mark. Like others before him, Romney was civil in conceding defeat. Even if he felt he could lead the nation through a better direction, he said the wish of the American people was supreme. No foul words or threats of law suits. Not to congratulate the winner would be seen as uncouth and antiprogress. And as the enviable CEO whose contract has just been renewed, Obama was magnanimous in victory, in spite of the utterly acrimonious debates and campaigns that culminated in Tuesday’s election. A united country must emerge henceforth, he rightly says and it would take both the Republicans and Democrats to sustain that culture of greatness.

Sport Extra

igeria’s Super Falcons failed in their bid to claim their seventh title as they were ousted from the ongoing African Women’s Championship (AWC) by 2010 host, South Africa, in the semi-finals yesterday. The Kadiri Ikhana-led side was edged out of the competition when

AWC: Falcons bow to South Africa the Banyana Banyana secured a 1-0 victory The first time both nations met was in 1995, when Falcons triumphed 11-2 on aggregate with 4-1 and 7-1 wins in both legs. Nigeria also beat them in the final

of 2000 AWC 2-0 and also defeated the South Africans 2-1 in the 2010 edition of the competition. South Africa has set up a final clash against host Equatorial Guinea who thrashed Cameroon 2-0 in the second semi-final match. The third place

match and final will be played on Sunday at the Nouveau Stade- Malabo.

AWC s/final results E’ Guinea

2- 0

Cameroon

Nigeria

0 - 1 S’Africa

Kadiri Ikhana

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