Thursday, December 27, 2012 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

Motorists, travellers groan as fuel queues lengthen 20 shiploads of pms arrive

UDEME AKPAN, FRANCIS EZEM AND CHIDI UGWU Alison-Madueke

Vol. 2 N0. 522

Boxing Day tragedy:

he poor state of the nation’s depots and pipelines is a major problem affecting fuel distribution in the country.

‘Blame N’Assembly for parties’ deregistration, not Jega’

The distribution problem became pronounced during the Yuletide with fuel queues lengthening CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

P.8

Jega

Thursday, December 27, 2012

N150

Explosions rock Lagos

SUBERU FRANCIS AND MURITALA AYINLA

owerful explosions rocked yesterday Lagos Island, killing two persons and destroying at least 12 buildings and 15 vehicles. The explosions occurred at Giwa and Opeyatu area of Lagos Island when fireworks stored in a building in the Jankara market ex-

...as firecracker stores go up in flames Two die, 40 injured, 12 buildings, 15 cars destroyed

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Azazi begins final journey home P.8

Some of the buildings affected by the explosions. More photos on page 4.

PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

Govs have hijacked 13% derivation funds –Clark Poverty, main driver of conflicts in Africa –Achebe

P.12,13

Yero, commissioners shun CAN’s prayer session for Yakowa

P.53

Rescue workers sympathising with a relative of a victim. PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

Year 2012 in Review

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Restoration of financial system stability Despite the completion of the banking sector reforms, enthronement of stability in the banking system and increasing profitability of banks, real sector players continued to groan over lack of access to credit and amid high interest rates. TOLA AKINMUTIMI reports

ppraising the performance of the banking sector in the outgoing financial year could be likened to rehashing an old song with slight modifications of the lyrics that may not necessary sound new to the listening audience. Consistently, the operations of the industry have been characterised by sundry regulatory measures fashioned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and specifically intended to consolidate on the restoration of the stability of the financial system and the implications for the macro-economic improvements in the overall performance of the economy. In addition to the various guidelines and operational requirements for the Deposit Money Banks, Primary Mortgage Institutions (PMIs), Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) and the Foreign Exchange modalities, the apex bank also in the course of the year has remained totally committed to inflation and exchange rate stability as a strategic step towards ensuring that operations of the banking sector rob on positively a broad spectrum of the economy. As has been noted by industry analysts, although the economy is gradually experiencing some measure of growth just as a combination of fiscal and monetary strategies are being adopted to re-activate key sectors of the economy, particularly the non-oil sector in the past year, the truth is that the trend had to do more with the apex bank’s monetary tightening stance than funding support by the financial institutions for key sectors. For instance, in its recent Economic Monthly Publication, Financial Derivates Company (FDC), one of the leading financial advisory services firms in the country noted that the monetary prescriptions by the CBN to stabilise the naira exchange rate and overall lending rate were achieving positive results and therefore require to be sustained. The FDC stated: “The recent Monetary Policy Report (MPR) clearly evidences the fact that the CBN is seriously concerned about the risk of a potential depreciation in the Naira, as a result of the recent developments in the international commodity and financial markets. This concern is understandable as the Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on oil, the possibility of a softening in crude oil prices with potential fiscal revenue losses could lead to renewed pressure on the exchange rate. “If the weakening in the naira persists, which we expect, then the nation’s forex reserves could deplete even faster than the CBN anticipates. The market would likely see such depletion as a sign of weakness

Customers at the banking hall

BANKS SHOULD STRUCTURE LOANS TO MANUFACTURERS IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT

WILL BE EASY FOR THEM TO MANAGE.

MANUFACTURER WILL RUN AWAY WITH ANY BANK’S MONEY

which could lead to a further increase in currency speculation”, it added. Beyond the domestic frontiers are also coming some commendations, including sovereign credit rating, by global rating agencies which suggested that the monetary and fiscal stance being pursued during the year were desirable for sustainable growth and improved competitiveness of the nation’s economy. For instance, the country recently got a much needed boost in her sovereign credit rating with Standard and Poor’s, one of the world’s leading ratings agencies, which upgraded Nigeria to BB- from a B+, a rating which is three notches below investment grade, thereby joining Fitch in ranking Nigeria with this grade while Moody’s, another well respected global ratings firm, assigned Nigeria Ba3 rating, the first time ever it included Nigeria as part of its coverage. The ratings by the international rating firms was informed by the improved financial sector stability a robust external reserves’ level of over $43bn as at 15th November and optimism over ongoing

policy reforms in the oil & gas, power and banking sectors of the economy. The ratings upgrade, is seen by financial experts as a welcome development, particularly for an economy that is trying to transit itself from non-tier market into a fullfledged emerging market. Speaking on the fiscal and monetary policy regimes in the economy and implications for general price stability in its recently published Regional Economic Outlook report of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Senior Resident Representative/Mission Chief, Mr Scott Rogers, described the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and fiscal policies as desirable since the hike in interest rate is, by the Fund’s rating, a strategic measure to curtail the increasingly rising inflation rate in the country. Specifically, the IMF Resident Representative, who advised the government on the need for structural reforms in the economy since the cost of doing business is too high and constitutes a major disincentive to investors, commended the CBN for its role during the banking crisis, pointing out that the bank “took firm actions to contain the damage and considerably strengthen the system. On the cashless banking agenda, which has generated serious concerns amongst economic and financial analysts, the CBN has succeeded in kick-start the ‘Operation Cashless Lagos’ and has gradually been

creating the necessary and institutional frameworks and structures, including the massive deployment of Point of Sales (POS) and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) terminals in strategic locations to ensure the success of the programmes. The CBN had projected to increase the number of deployed ATMs to 75,000 ATMs per 100,000 persons by June this year and at least 150,000 ATMs per 100,000 persons by year end. The medium term projection is to have 375,000 ATMs deployed nationwide by 2015. Over the past six months, the CBN has been engaging various stakeholders, particularly Telecom Operators, Terminal Service Providers, the DMBs, Card holders, Merchants and power sector investors on the way to achieve a seamless implementation of the policy nationwide. The apex bank has issued new Guidelines on Point of Sales Card Acceptance Service in which laid out explicitly the roles of key players in ensuring that the POS terminals and modalities for running them conform with best practices that will guarantee the integrity of the platforms. Apparently to reflect the realities and in deference to public agitations, the bank also recently reviewed the key components of its cashless policy by extending till December 31, 2012, the test-run of the policy in Lagos and fixed January 1, 2013 as its implementation to other parts

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Year 2012 in Review

Thursday, December 27, 2012

fails to impact on real sector of the country was deferred to as against June this year as earlier planned. In the reviewed guidelines, the daily cumulative limits for individual and corporate customer which were hitherto N150,000 and N1m were reviewed upward to N500,000 and N3m on free cash withdrawal and lodgement respectively. Another measure planned by the CBN in its efforts to achieve improved management of the currency in circulation and by implication cost of banking operations during the year under review was the aborted restructuring of the nation’s currencies which sought to introduce N5,000 banknote and change N5, N10 and N20 notes into coins. According to the CBN, the exercise and modifications of the key features of the other bank notes would complement the bank’s cashless policy by reducing the volume of currency in circulation in the long term just as the redesigning of other old notes and redenomination of others into coins would enhance their security and other transactional features. The restructuring exercise which was code-named ‘Project Cure’, would have, in the bank’s management’s reckoning, would have ultimately changed the naira currency structure to 12, comprising of six coins and six banknote denominations. The project did not sail through as the Presidency had to tactically rest its pursuit in deference to opposition in some quarters to it. Even with all the remarkable strides by the regulatory bank, the performance of the DMBs, the PMIs and the MFBs, amongst other operational entities in the sector, did not show substantial impact on the overall economy as interest rates remained very high, leaving real sector operators worse off than previous years. Although the fundamental performance indices in terms of Capital Adequacy Ratio, Quality of Assets, liquidity, management efficiency, earnings and profitability of most banks continue to show some improvements consequent upon the intervention of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and CBN’s monitoring and evaluation activities, the truth of the matter is that the banks are deficient in the most vital area of their financial intermediation responsibilities – abandonment of the real sector in their lending. For instance, the CBN recently noted with serious concern that despite efforts to get interest on credit lower, the rates remained high, thereby undermining government’s drive towards inclusive growth of the economy. This was the same fears it nursed at the conclusion of the MPC meeting in August, when in the issued communiqué lamented that developments in the interest rate structure indicated that the retail lending rates remained high in August 2012 with average maximum lending rate increasing marginally to 23.76 per cent from 23.45 per cent in July. This was in contrast to the average interest bearing deposit rate declined to 6.24 per cent in August 2012 from 6.64 per cent in July. The Monetary Policy Committee of the apex bank expressed serious concerns that lending rates have remained high

Sanusi

Emefiele

Imokhuede

WE FELT THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO GO INTO MANUFACTURING BECAUSE OF LACK OF SUPPORT FROM BANKS, AND MANUFACTURING

IS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN MOP UP ALL THOSE UNEMPLOYED PERSONS ON THE STREETS.

GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO SOMETHING THROUGH THE CBN. and enjoined the Bank to sustain its efforts towards the reduction in interest rate spread, while stabilising interbank rates to sustain liquidity and facilitate intermediation in the banking system”, it added. Reflecting on the experiences of real sector operators in the face of high interest rates on bank credit last month, the Director General of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Muda Yusuf, decried the dearth of credit facilities to investors, saying that the rather than lend to manufacturers and other real sector operators, the banks believe “it is clearly more attractive now to invest in government securities than to invest in ventures that would create jobs. Yusuf explained further in the banks’ morbid desire for quick money and profitability they “would rather buy treasury bills and government bonds than give loans to investors. This credit and interest rate structure would continue to create distortions in the economy, which will only perpetuate the phenomenon of jobless growth and further depresses the stock market. “Many entrepreneurs cannot meet the banks’ credit requirement, especially collateral; experience of the banks with loan quality of manufacturing and other real sector investors would not dispose them to give further loans; monetary policy tightening of the CBN has pushed up cost of fund; risk asset provisioning requirements of the CBN is a disincentive to lending,” he said Speaking in a similar viewpoint, the Chairman, Rivers/Bayelsa Chapter of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mrs. Emilia Akpan, , lamented that the

high interest rates in the banking sector had thrown many industrialists out of business. Akpan said: “Banks should structure loans to manufacturers in such a way that it will be easy for them to manage. No manufacturer will run away with any bank’s money. “We felt that many people are afraid to go into manufacturing because of lack of support from banks, and manufacturing is the only way they can mop up all those unemployed persons on the streets. Government should do something through the CBN.” Worried by the ugly development, the Federal Government came hard on the deposit money banks in the country for their failure to impact positively on the economy despite substantial supports provided and urged them to adopt new business models to reverse the ugly trends of high lending rates and massive turnover of professionals from the banking sector. Accusing the banks of failing in their primary financial intermediation roles in the economy at the 6th Annual Conference of the Chartered Institute of bankers of Nigeria in Abuja, the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Yerima Ngama, carpeted the banks for contributing little to the Gross National Product (GDP) and encouraging high interest rates on lending which, he said, had made credits inaccessible to farmers, small and medium enterprises and the manufacturing sector. The minister noted that rather than lend to real sector and farmers, the banks had continued to show preference to financing import trade and by implication, contributing to the crisis in the real sector and the volatility of the foreign exchange

Onasanya

market. The Minister said: “Since 1989 the Government, through the CBN and the NDIC have intervened to save the banking industry. In fact, it is the most protected industry in Nigeria. It is important that a healthy and strong financial sector is needed in order to have economic growth. To what extent this is true, is a subject of debate. “Most commentators believe that the banking sector is not supportive of the real sector. It only engages in financing imports at the detriment of the productive sector. For instance, the Textile Industry, Agriculture and Mining are not adequately supported by the banking sector hence the CBN intervention. “This cannot be sustained and it is therefore necessary for us to review our business model to ensure that the banking industry takes its rightful place in financing the vital sectors of the economy”, Ngama advocated. With the scorecard of the performance of the DMBs laid bare by the government, the outgoing year may not have fared better for the economy as the financial institutions continued to deny the real sector and other ancillary sectors the financial life-line required to improve the performance of the overall system.

PhotoNews

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

BOXING DAY TRAGEDY IN LAGOS

Two of the houses affected by the fire caused by explosives at the Jankara Market in Lagos Island, yesterday.

One of the burnt houses being demolished.

Fire fighters putting out the fire from one of the buildings.

Men scooping water from a damaged pipe to help in putting out the fire.

Policemen arresting a suspected looter at the scene.

A relative of a victim of the fire incident.

A trader whose goods were destroyed in the inferno being consoled. Sympathisers at the scene of the incident.

PHOTOS: ADEMOLA AKINLABI, YINKA ADEPARUSI AND OLUFEMI AJASA

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Motorists, travellers groan as fuel queues lengthen CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

in Abuja, Lagos and other cities, worsening the plight of cash-strapped citizens during the festive season. Travellers to the East have had to take huge risks by carrying extra fuel in their vehicles to avoid being stranded. Investigations showed that most of the depots were currently in very poor condition which

could not be used for fuel distribution. Of the country’s over 21 depots, about five, including Suleja, Ejigbo, Mosimi and Ibadan, are presently being used to distribute fuel. Others, including Jos, Gombe, Yola, Maiduguri, Minna, Suleja, Kano, Gusau, Ore, Ilorin, Enugu and Makurdi depots, are said not to be operational. Consequently, the de-

pots that have the capacity to store commercial stocks of fuel and other products have not yet been put into use. Some of them are technically operational but cannot be utilised as pipelines that should deliver products to them have completely been rendered useless as a result of frequent vandalism. Under the present arrangement, the Nigerian

Fun seekers at Wonderland Park, Abuja, yesterday.

National Petroleum Corporation’s subsidiary – the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company Limited – operates a fleet of marine vessels used for moving products along Nigeria’s coastal water from Port Harcourt and Warri to Lagos and from PortHarcourt to Calabar. Products moved into Lagos through the coastal vessels are discharged primarily at the Atlas

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Cove Terminal where they are received into storage tanks for onward pumping to Mosimi depot near Sagamu in Ogun State from where the products are pumped to other depots in Ibadan, Ilorin and Ore. The apex oil firm also has an agreement with some private depot owners for the use of their storage tanks and load out facilities for product reception and distribution which should enhance fuel distribution, particularly after the rehabilitation of Arepo pipeline. But this has not yet been achieved as a survey showed that the scarcity situation has worsened in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the nation following increased demand as many commuters travel from one part of the nation to another to mark the Christmas and New Year celebration. The survey of the situation in Lagos and Abuja showed that there was huge presence of automobile owners who hijacked almost every available space at the filling stations. In Lagos, long queues

of vehicles, which returned in parts of city at the weekend, have since lengthened as many petrol stations now sell PMS as much as N120 per litre above the N97 pump price in anticipation of possible hike in the pump price of the product despite assurance to the contrary by the government. Even though, there are products in most of the filling stations visited, the queues seem to be swelling by the hour as motorists queued for fuel in anticipation of scarcity. Some major marketers, including Total Nigeria Plc that still have the product sold at the regulated N97 per a litre. Others, particularly independent marketers sold at between N100 and N150 per litre, depending on location and other considerations. Many filling stations across the city however remained shut though it was learnt that some dealers gave their staff the day off to enjoy the holiday while others had simply ran out of stock. In Abuja, illegal fuel vendors yesterday reappeared on major streets of CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

Explosions in Lagos as firecracker stores burn CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

ploded at about 9a.m. National Mirror gathered that trouble started when a locked-up shop under one of the razed buildings stocked with fireworks, popularly called ‘bangers’, suddenly exploded and went up in flames. Some witnesses said the fire broke out after someone mistakenly threw fireworks into the building in which cartons of assorted fireworks were kept. Others said the incident started in a residential building close to where the fireworks were stored. Lagos State officials confirmed that 12 buildings including Isale-Eko Grammar School, King Ado Senior and Junior School, the Local Government Vocational Training Centre and eight other buildings, some of which had fireworks stored in them, were razed to the ground. Fifteen cars were also burnt. Residents scampered for

safety as multiple explosions followed the initial big bang. Women were seen running helter-skelter in search of their wards. Many traders in the ever busy streets abandoned their wares and ran for their lives Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA; Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA; fire service men, police, Nigerian Security Civil and Defence Corps, NSCDC; Lagos State Ambulance Bus, LASAMBUS and other emergency agencies had a hectic time curtailing the inferno and controlling the huge crowd that hindered rescue efforts. As emergency and rescue operations were going on, there were more explosions with people scattering in different directions. It was like a war situation with injured and bloodied residents and onlookers at the scene. A journalist from Radio

Nigeria was hit by an object triggered by the explosion in one of the buildings. “The force of the explosion lifted up 11 cars and destroyed them. Electric poles were falling, buildings were crumbling like packs of cards,” eyewitness told National Mirror. The fire service had to call for reinforcements following which more Skylift F32HDT fire trucks arrived as more buildings were gutted.

Incident, monumental loss – LG chair The Chairman, Lagos Island East, Hon. Wasiu Eshinlokun, at the scene of the incident confirmed that the fire outbreak was caused by stored fireworks in one of the razed buildings. He noted that the incident was a monumental loss but could have been avoided had the people obeyed the law banning the use of fireworks during festive periods. He said: “I know the

use of fireworks had been banned for a long time but people just don’t want to obey the law. “They want to continue to engage in illegal businesses. Something like this had happened before like 12 years ago and the Lagos State Government placed a ban on the use of fireworks during festive periods but unfortunately, people continue to engage in such an illegal business. We would continue to orientate and re-orientate the people on the dangers in this and that it is illegal. “However, as from tomorrow, all shop owners here would be compelled to open their shops and if we find any fireworks, we would confiscate the goods inside the shop. Most of the fireworks are not meant to be used everywhere anyhow. Even the Europeans used them in a very controlled environment.” Also speaking at the scene of the incident, the General Manager of the La-

gos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr. Olu Oke-Osanyintolu said: “Immediately it occurred, we activated our emergency response stand, all the stakeholders that are important in managing emergencies were mobilised and they were on ground. “We have the LASTMA, the LASEMA, the LASAMBUS, Fire Service men and we were able to curtail the spread of the fire and disseminate information to the public to calm them that it was not a bomb or plane crash. “It is disheartening that despite the ban on fireworks, the people went ahead to store the fireworks. But, right now, there is no casualty, no mortality and the rescue operation is still going on. There are only 10 buildings that are severely affected.”

NEMA decries conversion of residential buildings to

warehouses The NEMA PRO, Ibrahim Farinloye, blamed the incident on conversion of residential building to warehouses, adding that buildings were built too close to each other which made rescue efforts very tedious. “The buildings are two close and we don’t know why residential building were converted to warehouses where deadly materials are kept. “Officially, we recorded one dead and about 40 people sustained varying degrees of injuries. Those wounded had been discharged. Also there is non-availability of water hydrant in the area. At least there should be distance of about six metres between the houses,” he said Meanwhile, the state government and the state police command have vowed to bring the owners of the warehouse where fireworks exploded destroying about CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

News

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Explosions in Lagos as firecracker stores burn CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

10 buildings and property to justice. National Mirror learnt that the explosion was caused by heat from the poorly ventilated buildings. According to Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, the usage of fireworks and its importation into the country are illegal, adding that the police would investigate and arrest the warehouse owner. Briefing journalists during her on-the-spot assessment of the situation, Briade said the police would comb all the buildings around the area with a viewing to forestall future occurrence. “We are going to ensure the other buildings are searched to uncover if such devices are stored in other warehouses on the Island. “The police would also conduct thorough investigation because the owner of the warehouse would not go unpunished. People shouldn’t patronise importers of such devices. It is illegal to deal in goods that are prohibited by law let alone importing such goods into the country.” The Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Wale Ahmed, assured that the situation would be brought under control, saying the state would deploy its entire emergency and rescue apparatus to safe the situation. “As you can see the fire is still raging, smoke is bellowing, unfortunately we have recorded casualties. It is illegal to store that kind of device in any part of the state especially residential areas. “The state would ensure perpetrator is brought to book,” he said. When asked if government is not regulating the conversion of resident buildings to warehouses, Ahmed added: “Well it is too early to blame government, but certainly this development will make government take some decisions but we have to focus on arresting the raging fire now.” Assistant Commander of NCSDC in Lagos Central, Mrs. Cynthia Amakere, said 11 cars were badly destroyed, adding that crowd control was the major challenge in rescuing the victims. The Director of Lagos Fire Service confirmed that

explosives might have been stored in several buildings in the area, saying that they had to embark on fighting the fire in some buildings simultaneously. “As we were fighting the fire other explosive fireworks went up. We had to call for more Bronto Skylift F32HDT truck that could fight fire in high rise buildings. Some rescue team members and journalists were wounded.”

lives. We have lost property worth millions of naira here. “There must be a lot of soul-searching among us. The way we do business, does it benefit all of us? Or do we do business without any consideration for others. “All of us must do a lot of soul-searching; it is not what the government alone can solve. But we, on our part, we will continue to equip the Lagos State Fire Service and the Lagos State Safety Commission. But we

all must ensure that we adhere to the safety rules. “We have had too many fire incidents in the state, despite my appeal to residents of the state that they should desist from storing inflammable materials in their homes, because the dry season has commenced. “Two weeks ago, the state fire service responded to over 22 fire cases. We can reduce such statistics but government cannot commence door-to-door check

to know who have stored any inflammable materials in their home. “We should keep explosives away from homes. If we continue storing these inflammables in our homes, we will overstretch the men of the state fire service. “I will appeal to residents of the state to desist from this dangerous business. The consequences are more than the gain. When

government moves to enforce rules in the state, we all see the government as anti-people. “We cannot be everywhere; all the government could do is to appeal to the residents to desist from such business. “We know that people have the right in a democratic government to decide whatever they wish to do but they can only embark on such act when it is not injurious to others.”

Hotel owner loses son A hotel, located on Ojo Giwa Street, was razed by the raging inferno, while the son of the hotel owner was said to have died in the inferno. National Mirror gathered that as explosions rocked the hotel, leading to the collapse of the building, the operator simply identified as Murphy, and his wife were said to have fled with other residents and in the confusion that followed, leaving behind their son. A resident told National Mirror that the man and his wife were in a critical condition at a nearby hospital. “Before he fainted, he told me that he was looking for his son, who was missing when they were running away from the building. “I learnt Murphy and his wife are on admission in the hospital,” he said.

Fashola warns residents Governor Babatunde Fashola who was on a visit to the explosion site yesterday warned Lagosians to desist from engaging in killer businesses. He called for holistic and intensive investigation to unravel the cause of the incident right from the importation of the goods from the port, saying that those who cleared them at the ports must also be unravelled. Fashola said: “We make rules daily and citizens of this country break them as well. “We have men and women in our ports, but the question is that how does this explosive get into the country? Who was the clearing and forwarding agent? “These are very critical questions that must be answered urgently. “We must also ask ourselves: must we do every business? In order to make quick business, we have lost

Children having fun at a picnic centre, Lagos, yesterday.

Motorists, travellers groan as fuel queues lengthen CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

the FCT, selling petrol at cut-throat prices to motorists who could not withstand the long queues and were in a hurry to fill the tanks and hit the streets as the Christmas holiday continued. National Mirror monitored the development and reports that there is yet no price increase on fuel as all filling stations visited within the FCT still maintained the regulated price of N97, but long queues ensured that business was booming for the roadside vendors One teenage vendor, Isah Mohammed, told our correspondent that the gain from the “business” is worth the trouble of standing in the hot sun to sell their products. He said 10 litres-gallon is sold for between N1, 700 to N2, 000 as against the normal price of N970, adding that the price is determined by the desperation of the customer and the

length of the queue at a particular point in time. Even though, a 33,000-litre fuel tanker was seen discharging petrol at the Total filling station at the Central Area at the time of speaking with our correspondent, Isah insisted that he could not sell 10 litre-gallon of petrol for anything less than N2,000. Products were available in major filling stations visited but many motorists still remained on the long queues in what appears like panic buying. For instance, at the Total filling station opposite NNPC headquarters in the Central Area, the growing queue extended to about two kilometres, but an attendant who simply identified herself as Mary told our correspondent that they had been selling since 9a.m. However, efforts to ascertain whether there is official anticipation of scarcity were unsuccessful as a call put through to

the NNPC’s Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Fidel Pepple, was not responded to as at press time. The apparent shortages continued despite a confirmation by the NNPC that the Warri Refinery which is operated by its subsidiary, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, WRPC, is up and running and has no maintenance issues to warrant a shutdown. Pepple, who disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists, said the clarification became necessary to ease the anxiety generated by a report carried by a newspaper on Christmas Day indicating that the Warri Refinery has been shut down for a routine maintenance that would last for 21 days. “There is no iota of truth in that report. The Warri Refinery is up and running; the day-to-day operations report from

the refinery shows that it is producing at 63 per cent of its installed capacity, even on Christmas Day. The plant has no immediate maintenance issues that would require it to be shut down for 21 days as reported,” Pepple stated. Meanwhile, a total of 20 shiploads of diesel and petrol have arrived the Lagos Pilotate District as at last Friday when the berthing meeting held before the two-day public holidays declared to mark the Christmas celebrations. Statistics released by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, shows that a total of nine vessels laden with AGO are currently discharging a total nine shiploads of diesel comprising of 46, 550 metric tonnes of the product while 11 shiploads of petrol containing 213, 950 metric tonnes the product are being discharged at various terminals in Lagos.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, December 27, 2012

CHRISTMAS MESSAGES

Oritsejafor tasks govt, multinationals on empowerment

•Doles out six cars, 15 tricycles, other gifts OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

he President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, has called on government at all levels in the country and corporate organisations to be more proactive in coming up with empowerment programmes that would help in reducing the level of poverty in the land. This was even as the man of God doled out gift items that include six brand new Hyundai cars, 15 tricycles, 100 grinding machines, 3.8KVA power generating plants, 200 bags of rice, amongst others to the needy. The empowerment programme was organised by the World of Life Bible Church through Eagle Flight Micro-Finance Bank, owned by the church. Oritsejafor, who spoke in Warri yesterday while giving out the gift items, said the level of poverty in the land necessitated the intervention of all well meaning Nigerians, including corporate organisations and churches. He noted that the responsibility of government at all levels is to cater for the welfare of the people, stressing that government would have failed in its responsibility to the people if it falls short of lifting the hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken people out of the wood. The CAN president said it

was unfortunate that while some companies operating in the country were making so much money, they had done very little to affect the communities where their business were domiciled. His words: “Why is it that wealthy Nigerians and corporate organisations cannot do much more than what the church is doing in terms of bringing succour to the people? Is it the church really that people should be concerned about? “There are institutions, corporate bodies, industrial establishments that are entrenched in different communities and are making

millions of naira. You want to look at how much some of these companies are putting back into the communities; it would be ridiculous how meagre it is. He continued: “I will personally use this opportunity to challenge corporate organisations, micro-finance and commercial banks and all different kinds of organisations to look again at this very important issue. “If we have done this little and another does the same thing, when you add all of them together, you will be surprised how many Nigerians will be out of the poverty level.

The high point of the event was the presentation of cars to the recipients, one of them, Mrs. Osatemu Tejiri Jennifer, was shocked when he heard her name over the microphone. When she finally sauntered to the stage, she clutched her hands to her chest and was unable to speak for several minutes. When she finally spoke, Osatemu, a teacher in a private primary school in Okwagbe, one of the riverine communities around Warri, was full of praises for the pastor even as she said she would deploy the new car for commercial purpose.

Picnickers at the Wonderland in Abuja, yesterday.

Speaker charges Christians, Muslims on security WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

hristians and Muslims in the country have been urged to use the lessons of the birth of Jesus Christ and this yuletide to reflect on the security challenges and other anti-stability factors bedevilling the nation with a view to finding a way out of the menace. Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Rasaq Atunwa, who made this plea in Ilorin yesterday, noted in particular that the security challenges bedevilling the nation called for the concerted efforts of Nigerians, irrespective of their religious, political and ethnic affiliations, to overcome it. The speaker extolled the virtues of Jesus Christ and enjoined Christians and

PHOTO: ROTIMI OSASONA

Muslims, who should know the virtues of Jesus Christ as one of holy prophets, to continue to demonstrate high sense of tolerance, perseverance, sacrifice, love for one another and benevolence to the less privileged. He commended Christians in the state for ensuring harmonious co-existence with other adherents of other faiths in the state and charged them to sustain the tempo. According to him, no meaningful development could be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour and acrimony and enjoined Nigerians to continue to live together in peace and harmony. Similarly, the former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Kawu Baraje, urged Christians in particular and Nigerians in general to continue to promote all that would enhance the unity of the country by guiding against combustive utterances or actions that could ignite violence and a breakdown of law and order in the nation. Baraje also urged clerics of both religions to continue to pray for the nation’s leaders, saying that even with all the happenings, Nigeria can be seen to be gradually overcoming her challenges. The former PDP boss, who wished all Nigerians a blissful and peaceful celebration, pleaded with the citizens “to embark on progressive programmes that would make the march towards good nationhood realisable within a short period.”

Police assure of safety at crossover night Katsina donates food items to Christians PRISCILLA DENNIS MINNA

he Niger State Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Desire Diseye Nsirim, has assured Christians of the safety of their life and property during the New Year crossover service. Reacting to the alleged rumour that the service might not hold, due to the security challenges in the state and the north generally, Nsirim urged any church that wants to hold its crossover service to go ahead as security has been fortified by the security agencies around all churches in the

state. Speaking at a media briefing in Minna, yesterday, she said; “Measures have been taken to safe guide the lives of people with the security beefed-up at strategic points. People can go freely and pray during the New Year eve, this is because every church has been covered by the security agencies, but we will re-enforce areas where intelligent reports inform of possible threats. As part of the security measures, the commissioner said sniffer dogs have been sent from the force headquarters to sniff

for the presence of bombs; amoured cars would be stationed in strategic locations, while a bomb squad has been deployed to assist in detecting bombs, among some of the steps taken to ensure a hitch-free celebration in the state. The commissioner also disclosed that the reason for the restriction of movement in Suleja on Christmas, saying due to the series of bomb explosions recorded there, the partial curfew was imposed on the request of the local government chairman, the emir and the security operatives based in the area.

JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

he 34 local government area councils in Katsina State have distributed food items worth millions of naira to Christians and other non-indigenes as part of the Christmas celebration. The distributed food items include rice, maize, sugar and groundnut oil, with the gesture being the first of its kind since the state’s creation in 1987. Speaking during the distribution of the items, the Chairman of Batsari Local Government Area, Musa

Aganku, said the measure was to recognise the contribution of non-indigenes and Christians in the development of the state. Aganku said the food items would encourage nonindigenes to consider themselves as indigenes of the state. He, however, commended them for living peacefully with their host community and their positive contribution to the general economic development of the state. Also, Chairman of Danja council area, Tijanni Lawal, assured that the council would continue to give equal treatment to all people irre-

spective of religion and language background. Responding, one of the beneficiaries, Mr. Emeka Alex, expressed appreciation for the gesture and assured that non-indigenes and Christians would continue to contribute their quota to the state’s development.

Gov Ibrahim Shema

News

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Azazi begins final journey home EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

s the former National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Azazi, begins his final journey home this weekend in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, yesterday assured that the late soldier would be given a befitting burial. Azazi, 64, hailed from Peretorugbene in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state. Dickson said this was in recognition of his enviable record of service to the state and nation. The governor spoke in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, while approving the burial programme of the late General at the Government House; he said Azazi’s remains would be laid to rest on December 29, at the Ijaw National Heroes Park in Yenagoa. “This is clearly to demonstrate our respect and high regard for Geneneral Andrew Owoye Azazi, as a true hero of Ijaw nation,”

part of the statement read. Azazi and the former Governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa

ollowing the criticisms that greeted the deregistration of political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Country Director of the Centre on Convention for Democratic Integrity (CCDI), Olufemi Aduwo, yesterday took a swipe at those kicking against the INEC decision. Aduwo, who is also the National Coordinator of Rights Monitoring Group (RMG), in a statement made available to National Mirror, said the National Assembly should be blamed for deregistering political parties in the country and not the Prof. Attahiru Jega-led INEC. “Jega is not to be blame for the deregistration of political parties, but the National Assembly that amended the Constitution and the Electoral Act that allowed INEC to deregis-

state. Remains of the late General have been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre,

Yenagoa. The dignitaries were returning from the burial ceremony of the father of the Special Adviser

on Documentation, Research and Strategy to the President, Oronto Douglas, when they met their misfortune.

L-R: Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Moghalu; Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Mr. Oscar Onyema and Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, during an essay awards presentation in Lagos, yesterday.

Blame NASS for parties’ deregistration, not Jega –Activist TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE

and four others on December 15, died in a helicopter crash at Okoroba forest in Nembe Local Government Area of the

ter the parties. “Jega is democratic, he would have love many parties to be. At beginning both the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Labour Party secured no single seat at any level, but today they have governors and other members of the national and state houses of assembly,” the statement read. Commenting on the recent drama between the Chairman of the Pension Reform Tax Team (PRTT), Mallam Abdulrasheed Maina, and the Senate over pension fund scam, Aduwo tasked Nigerians to kick against corruption in the system. “We call on all discerning Nigerians to disregard the blind lies being perpetrated by the cabal, the criminals who are benefitting illegally from the pension fund over the years through their collaborators at the National Assembly,” he said.

MMA domestic wing gets airfield lighting

he domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, came alive on Tuesday, as the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) successfully deployed the emergency airfield lighting on its runway. The equipment was deployed on the popular 2.7 km runway ‘18 Left’. The General Manager (Public Affairs) of NAMA, Mr. Supo Atobatele, announced this to

Aviation Correspondents in Lagos. He said that the deployment had put an end to more than five years of flight restrictions placed on daylight operations at the local wing of the airport. “The absence of the airfield lighting on the runway for half a decade had forced the domestic airlines to land after sunset at the international wing of the airport,” he said.

Atobatele said that the development had compelled domestic aircraft at MMA to burn extra fuel to taxi down to their various terminals before disembarking their passengers. “This looks like a Christmas gift to the airlines, travellers and Nigerians in general. “It is made possible by the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring speedy clearance of passengers and

their goods by the Customs at the domestic terminal of the MMA. “It is also due to the foresight of the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, who ensured quality service delivery at the nation’s airports,” he said. “In all, 66 KALKIT brands of emergency airfield lights and additional two approach lights had been deployed by NAMA engineers,” he added.

Work together in Nigeria’s interest, union leader tells politicians

he General-Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), Mr. Joe Ajaero, yesterday in Lagos called on the country’s political leaders to work together and promote peace in the nation. “The Nigeria project should be paramount. Everybody should forget their differences and do things that will edify the nation. “Our political lead-

ers must lead the path to progress,” Ajaero told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). He said workers’ agitation in the electricity sector was as a result of some of the on-going reforms. The general-secretary said the agitation was further fuelled by the non-implementation of the payment of workers’ entitlements and salaries in consonance with laid-down industrial

agreements. “Those who are supposed to be the drivers of the development process in the energy sector ought to have the interest of the country at heart,” he said. Ajaero further said government ought to have regularised the employment portfolios of “about 4,000 casual workers still in the sector.” He also said that many electricity work-

ers who had retired since 2011 were yet to be paid their gratuities and monetisation benefits. The union official condemned the use of soldiers to protect power stations and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) offices. “Using soldiers to do the work of regular police is an aberration and a dangerous precedence to industrial relations,” he said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

National News

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Olunloyo, a political liability to ACN –Akala KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ormer Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala said the Oyo State chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, had inherited a political liability for accepting Dr. Omololu Olunloyo, who recently defected to the party. Akala said Olunloyo, also a former governor of Oyo State, had no electoral value. Speaking yesterday

with journalists at his Ogbomoso residence during his annual Christmas party, Akala said anybody defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to any party was a political jobber and parasite, always looking for where to suck. Olunloyo recently at the Ibadan South-West Local Government Secretariat of ACN led other members of the PDP to which Akala belongs to the ACN. But Akala said “those de-

fecting are political jobbers. Take a look at the pedigree of such people and you will be able to determine their substance. They are parasites. They just always want to hold on to something. Anybody who thinks those people matter is just making mistake. “For Olunloyo, I ask, who is Olunloyo? Olunloyo is just somebody who does not have a pedigree. His problem is that he is consistently inconsistent. He

is not a politician. What is his electoral value? He has no electoral value. If he has decamped, let him show us his followers. “Who will follow him to ACN? Can he command any followership? At the beginning of our government, we only accommodated him. “Successive governments have been accommodating him because he was a former governor. I am a former governor and

so I deserve such privilege also. He has never been a member of the PDP. He is not a card-carrying member.” When reminded that Olunloyo was a member of the Elders’ Council of the party while he was in office, Akala said he was brought in because all the past governors were there. He said: “That was because we brought all the past governors together. “That was why he was

given the privilege. He is not significant as far as I am concerned. If AlaoAkala should decamp to another party now, you can imagine how many people will move with him compared with that of Olunloyo you talked about. So, that cannot move us a bit. “We are still together in the PDP. We are everywhere across the state and by the grace of God; we are going to make it in the end.”

Tussle over Olofa’s stool goes to Appeal Court WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

L-R: Wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief (Mrs.) Bola Obasanjo; her husband, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, during the 2012 Ibogun Olaogun Day celebration in Ogun State, yesterday.

NDLEA arrests man with 1.6kg cocaine OLUSEGUN KOIKI

en of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, on Christmas day arrested a suspected drug trafficker at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos. The suspect, Mr. Madueke Chukwuemeka Patrick, according to the NDLEA, was arrested with 1.620 kilograms of cocaine on his return from Sao Paulo, Brazil. The drug according to an online statement signed by the Head, Public Affairs, NDLEA, Mr. Mitchel Ofoyeju, was concealed in his shorts. Ofoyeju said the drug was detected during inward screening of passengers on an Emirate flight about 1526 hours. The suspect reportedly confessed to have ignored his wife’s warning of danger on the courier of the

•I ignored my wife’s warning, suspect laments drug. The NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the suspect was apprehended on his way from Sao Paulo, Brazil. He said: “During inward screening of Emirate passengers, Madueke Chukwuemeka was found to have hidden 16 parcels of cocaine in his inner wear. “The cocaine weighing 1.620kg was carefully sewed on the shorts he wore on arrival. The case is under investigation.” The 48-year-old suspect said his wife warned him against smuggling the drug, but he ignored the warning. He said: “I am a businessman living in Brazil. I import Brazilian hair for sale in Nigeria. My regret is that my wife told me that she had a dream where I was arrested at the airport some days before my trip, but I ignored her. “I had thought that Christmas day was a good

timing to bring the drugs, but I was caught at the airport. “A Brazilian friend gave me the drug and I was to sell and give him half the amount and take the remaining half. I felt it was a good deal and ignored my wife’s warning. I do not know what to tell my wife. In fact, I am confused.” The suspect, who lives in Brazil with his wife and three children since 2007, hails from Orukwu village in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. According to the Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade, the arrest is a sign that drug barons are running out of tricks. He said: “The agency will continue to detect drugs and apprehend drug barons. This seizure is a demonstration that officers are always at alert to clean our society of narcotics.

“Those who are planning to make quick money through drug trafficking should be ready to face the wrath of the law.” Ofoyeju said the suspect would be arraigned immediately after investigation.

he tussle over the stool of Olofa of Offa has now shifted to the Appeal Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Earlier in July, a High Court sitting in Offa had dismissed the suit filed by Alhaji Sheu Oyeniyi, Magaji of the Olugbense ruling house, seeking to invalidate the Obaship of the current Olofa, Alhaji Mufutau Gbadamosi, Esuwoye II of Anilelerin ruling house. In the appeal filed on December 20, counsel to the appellants/claimants, John Olusola Baiyeshea (SAN), had prayed the court to set aside the judgement of the High Court which was in favour of Oba Gbadamosi. Baiyeshea argued that “the trial judge wrongly rejected exhibit ‘G’ in evidence which is the original copy of the Kwara State Government press state-

ment of 1969 informing the general public and the whole world that the chieftaincy crisis in Offa was resolved by the government which recognised two ruling houses in Offa i.e the Olugbense and the Anilelerin ruling houses which by that, established rotational chieftaincy in Offa between the two ruling houses. “A combination of credible, cogent, concrete, strong oral and documentary evidence and exhibits presented by the claimants/appellants are strong enough to be relied upon to give judgement in favour of the claimants. “The purported appointment of Alhaji Gbadamosi (who is the fifth respondent) is liable to be nullified, and the second claimant/appellant, Prince Abdulrauf Adegboyega Keji, is entitled to be declared and installed as the Olofa of Offa.” No date has, however, been fixed for hearing by the Appeal Court.

CPC tasks Ajimobi on governance at 63 KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

group in the Oyo State chapter of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Positive Change Vanguard, PVC, has felicitated with Governor Abiola Ajimobi on his 63rd birthday. The group urged the governor to always refrain from putting the cart before the horse in his style of administration. This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Annual General Meeting of the group held at the Green Springs Hotel,

Ibadan and signed by its Coordinator and former state Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abdul Hafiz Oladejo. Wishing Ajimobi well in his efforts to transform the state, the PVC said the “hardship is enormous in our land and people’s small scale businesses should not be thwarted before succour”. The group said this against the ongoing beautification exercise being embarked on by the government, leading to demolition of many illegal structures and market stalls without alternatives. It said: “We agree that without pain there is no

gain, but it can be moderated in order not to have killed the governed before setting up a tidy meal on their dining table.” The political group also expressed reservations on the ongoing overhead bridge at Mokola and the agony it has brought upon commuters and motorists in the last few months. It added: “As much as we agree that the bridge could be needful, we feel that more life-threatening points require only pedestrian bridges for example at Alakia junction, Adegbayi junction, and also major junctions along Oojo - Toll Gate Ibadan.

South-West

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fasoranti, cleric condemn attacks on worshippers OJO OYEWAMIDE AKURE

he leader of Afenifere, a Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, yesterday condemned the separate attacks by terrorists in the North in which no fewer than 12 worshipers were

killed and 20 houses razed. Chief Fasoranti, who described the attacks as unprovoked and ungodly, said the blood of the innocent victims was upon the heads of the perpetrators. Speaking with National Mirror in Akure, the Ondo State capital, he urged the Federal Government, political and traditional leaders in the North to

find lasting solutions to the activities of terrorists in that part of the country. Fasoranti said any lover of peace and unity of the country should come out and condemn the act, urging all religious leaders to continue to pray for the country. He said: “It was unprovoked; it was ungodly; it should be condemned by

those who want peace and the unity of this country to continue. The blood of the dead is surely upon the perpetrators of the evil. They shall not go unpunished. We should keep on praying because nobody knows the intentions of the evil minds among us.” The founder of The Vision Christian Church In-

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (right) and General Evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide, Prophet Samuel Kayode Abiara, during a courtesy visit to the governor at the Government House in Osogbo, yesterday.

OyocollaborateswithUIonqualitycontrolinpublicschools

he Oyo State Government has collaborated with the University of Ibadan on joint inspection of all public schools in the state to ensure quality control. The state Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Adetokunbo Fayokun, who made the disclosure in a statement issued yesterday in Ibadan, said that the state had begun to reap the dividends of the education summit organiSed earlier in the year by her ministry. She said that some of the recommendations made by the summit had been implemented, adding that there had been marked improvement in the education sector in the state. Parts of the recommendations implemented, according to him, are the introduction of extension classes and unified mock examinations for SSS III students as well as stoppage of mass promotions in public schools. The commissioner also

in public examinations, particularly WAEC and National Examination Council (NECO). For instance, Fayokun said that there had been improvement in the state ranking in WAEC examinations from 34th position to 23rd within nine months.

ternational, Pastor Julius Olaribigbe, also flayed the attacks, describing them as the sign of the end time. Saying the killing of

innocent people and burning of churches was sacrilegious, Olaribigbe advised Nigerians to return to God.

Lagos lifts order banning movement on sanitation day

he Lagos State Government has lifted the order restricting vehicular and movement of people during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise expected to come up on Saturday, December 29. The decision was taken by the government to allow free movement of persons who may be travelling during the festive season and enhance hitch-free preparation for the New Year celebration. The state Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, stated this at an interactive session with the media. Quoting a popular saying that cleanliness is next to Godliness, Bello said: “We cannot but encourage cleanliness in all aspects of human endeavor and therefore enjoined all and sundry to ensure that the festival is celebrated in the cleanliest environment possible.” The commissioner, therefore, urged Lagos residents to still observe the monthly exercise as well as clean their homes and immediate environment irrespective of the lifting of the restriction order which is only for the month of December, as the monthly cleaning exercise will commence in the New Year.

While wishing all Lagos residents a merry Charismas happy New Year in advance, he advised them to cultivate clean habits and way of life and bag their refuse properly to allow for easy collection and disposal to designated dumpsites by LAWMA and PSP operators. Bello also said that LAWMA has been fully mobilised and would deploy men and equipment to ensure quick evacuation of waste generated during the festive period. He also reminded Lagos residents that as they approach the New Year, they should consolidate on the gains of a clean city, which the government had worked hard to attain. The commissioner also advised the residents to desist from dumping waste into canals and drainages as the consequences of massive flooding being experienced across the nation is enough warning to discourage them from dumping into drains and canals. He stressed that the state government is committed to a clean, hygienic and flood free environment and therefore urged Lagos residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drains and unapproved sites.

said that contract award had been concluded for additional 100,000 school furniture aside the 17,000 which had been distributed in the first tranche, stating that no fewer than 2,000 schools had so far been renovated. She also said that government had paid West

African Examination Council (WAEC) fees of all SSS III students, while teachers’ promotion, which had been stagnated since 2006, had been effected. All these, the commissioner said, had impacted positively on the performance of students

Abiara hails Aregbesola’s achievements

he General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church worldwide, Prophet Samuel Abiara, has commended the administration of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola for providing good governance for the people. Prophet Abiara commended Aregbesola’s achievements yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on the governor in Osogbo, the state capital, as a mark of Christmas festivity. He described the governor’s achievements as a thing of joys to him and numerous others from the state. The cleric listed road constructions, creation of

employments, the OYES scheme, clean environment and others as some of the laudable programmes the governor has instituted. Abiara, who hails from Erinmo, a town in Osun State, noted that the care of elderly persons by the government is reminiscent of what Christ lived for, which is to show compassion to the people. The Prophet said: “I have come to say hello and thank you for the good work you have been doing. The general cleaning of the expressway, the environmental cleaning in the state, the road constructions and

employment opportunities are all wonderful things of your administration are worthy of commendation. “A lot of people have also been commending your administrative style and achievements. So, my visit is also to come and greet you on the occasion of this Christmas celebration and also to show gratitude for what you have been doing for the people of the state. “Christ left a legacy of good work that people today still talk about. I believe that the good work you have embarked upon are also a legacy that will live after

your tenure as governor of this state.” In his response, Governor Aregbesola charged religious organisations to preach the essence of the birth of Jesus Christ to their followers. Aregbesola said the essence of the birth of Jesus is anchored on love, compassion and sacrifice, which anyone who aspires to be like the Messiah must emulate in order to live a Christ-like life. The governor equally urged the people of the state to embrace agriculture by making a covenant to practice it as a New Year

resolution in order to guarantee food security. He added that with the presence of love, compassion and sacrifice by the people, the society and the family, state and the entire country will be the ultimate beneficiary of an orderly and better society. Aregbesola said: “Christ came to demonstrate undiluted love of god for humanity. Christ came to demonstrate compassion. Christ came to demonstrate sacrifice. So when we mark Christmas, what we are marking and celebrating is love, compassion and sacrifice.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South East

Thursday, December 27, 2012

South-East governors frustrate state creation agitation –Investigation CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

he agitation for more states by some stakeholders in South-East may be a mirage as governors from the zone are not cooperating with one another to ensure that the dream is realised. It was gathered that the governors are pursuing individual cause, a situation which is likely to put the agitation for more states on hold. A reliable source told National Mirror yesterday that all efforts to bring the governors together to make them see reason why they must pursue a united agenda have failed, “but they are bent to see their selfish purpose achieved.” The source said: “We, members representing the South-East in the National Assembly, have called the governors at different occasions where we appealed to them to come together and make a common demand, but it appears that each governor wants his demand for state creation answered.” According to the source, the region may not realise the dream if the governors continue to pursue the cause in their separate ways. “In fact, we know that the South-East merits one more state. I have told the governors that the legitimate de-

mand cannot be achieved the way they are going about it,” the source added However, the President of Ndigbo Peace Movement, Mr. Dede Uzor, said the South-East Governor’s Forum led by the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, “is not capable to represent the interest of 60 million Igbo people in the agitation for more states.” Uzor said: “This is the time the 60 million Igbo people should rise up to the occasion and fight their common right.” He condemned the statement credited to the Depu-

OWERRI

he Imo State Police Command has arrested more suspects in connection with the kidnapp of the Nollywood actress, Miss Nkiruka Sylvanus. Sylvanus, who is the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, was kidnapped on December 16 2012 in Owerri, the state capital, with former Mr. Nigeria, Kenneth Okolie, as both were on that night shooting their new film entitled Reincarnation. They were both released by their abductors last Thursday night. Sylvanus and Okolie were taken close to the

Federal Constituency in the House of Represenatiaves, Hon. Gerald Irona, told National Mirror that the sudden consciousness of the Ndi-Igbo was belated as they had earlier scuttled opportunities to have additional states created in the South-East. Irona asked: “Why are they becoming conscious of additional states? Were they not alive when Chief Author Mbanefo was the chairman of state creation? What did they do that time? Why are we now saying that we are marginalized when we have botched many chances?”

Group urges Kwankwaso to stop planned Kano drug market closure CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

group, Ndi-Igbo Peace Movement (NPM), has condemned the planned closure of Sabon Gari Drug Market in Kano by Kano State Government over alleged sales of sub-standard drugs by a few traders. The state governor, Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, said in a recent statement that the government would not reverse its decision on the permanent closure of the market by December 31, 2012. But in a statement signed yesterday by the NPM Chairman, Chief Uzor Uzor, the group said the planned clo-

Nigerian Christian pilgrims arriving from Israel, yesterday.

Actress’ abduction: Police arrest more suspects CHRIS NJOKU

ty Senate President, Hon. Ike Ekweremadu, that the Senate had foreclosed state creation. The group president, therefore, called on Ekweremadu to stop making “such unguarded statement.” He said: “The Deputy Senate President knows well that the South-East has only five states and the Igbo people are marginalised as far as state equality is concerned. So, such unguarded statement does not show he is truly the representative of the people from the zone.” But a member representing Oguta-Ohaji-Egbema

Concorde Hotel, Owerri, with the kidnappers demanding N100 million ransom form Sylvanus’ friends. But the family of the Nollywood actress eventually parted with N8 million against the police advice. However, our investigation revealed yesterday that detectives told National Mirror that the police had arrested more suspects aside the 16 suspects earlier arrested in connection with the abduction. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Vitalis Onugu, said: “The police are still investigating the matter and our findings will be made public soon.”

sure would not be in the best interest of the state and the country in general. It said the planned closure for the wrong doing of a few traders was not in the best interest of the healthcare of the Kano State, the North and the country. The group said: “The blanket accusation and planned close-down over a fault of a few unscrupulous traders is not in the best interest of justice and sound judgment. “Also, if the planned action takes place, fairness had not been shown to over 90 per cent of the traders, who are doing their businesses genuinely and abiding by the NAFDAC guide-lines and regulations. “The plan will affect 2 million Nigerians traders from Igbo extraction who are getting their livelihood from the existence of the drug market as there is already mass exodus of Ndi-Igbo due to the Boko Haram insurgency in the North for some months now.’’ NPM, however, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the governor to stop the planned closure in the interest of peace and oneness of the country. “Public office holders should be bridge builders instead of engaging in destructive activities in this critical period. The country is facing numerous economic and security challenges now,’’ the statement added.

IFAD spends $447,000 on agric projects in Cross River

he Cross River State Government has assessed $447,000 from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for projects since 2006, the State Programme Officer, Mr. Innocent Ogbin, said. Ogbin told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview yesterday in Calabar that the amount represented 40 per cent of the total project cost. He said that the lack of prompt payment of counterpart funds by contributory partners was responsible for the low level of implementation of IFAD programmes in the state. “So far, we have been able to draw down 447,000 dollars from IFAD to date

and that is just over 40 per cent. We still have more than over 50 per cent yet to draw. “And the reason is because of low commitment in terms of counterpart funding,” he said. Ogbin said that the state government had paid N154 million as counterpart funding between 2006 and 2011, but had yet to pay for 2012. “The state is doing very well, the state’s yearly contribution is N45 million, which they have paid upto 2011, as at today, the state is 75 per cent compliant. “But the huge challenge lies with the local government councils. Incidentally, this takes about 45 per cent of the entire project funding. “So you can agree that

if you take away 45 per cent funding in the project, the remaining 55 per cent cannot complete the project. That is a huge challenge,” Ogbin said. He, however, said that an agreement had been reached for the funds to be deducted at source from the accounts of the nine councils involved in the project. “But now we have been able to get the commitment of local government councils involved. And they are in line with the agreement that this fund should be deducted from their allocations. “We hope that by the first quarter of 2013, these funds would be paid,” Ogbin said. He said that his office had devised a means of taxing the benefiting

communities in order to augment the lack of payment of counterpart funds by the councils. He further said that in spite of the shortcoming by the councils, they were still asking for more projects in their communities. “The councils are equally asking for expansions of the projects to more communities which we had recommended in the last review mission,” he added.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina

South South

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Govs have hijacked 13% derivation funds –Clark SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

he Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, has lampooned the Niger Delta governors for diverting the 13 per cent derivation fund meant for the development of the oil and gas producing communities. Clark said it was a display of sheer greed on the part of such governors to have misappropriated the fund which the communities had been agitating for. The former minister of information said this in a statement after he was briefed by the leadership

of the oil producing communities who told him that the Federal Government had paid out over N7.282 trillion in the past years 13 years as 13 per cent derivation fund to the oil producing communities but without any meaningful development on ground to justify the money. Clark, who hosted a delegation of the oil and gas producing communities from Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo and Ondo states, who visited him in Warri, recalled the pressure exerted by the oil producing communities on the Constitutional

Conference in 1994/95 and during the drafting of the 1999 Constitution. The delegation was led by a leader of the Niger Delta, Chief Wellington Okirika. Clark said it was the agitation by the leaders and people of the communities that made the Federal Government to entrench the 13 per cent derivation fund in the 1999 Constitution to pacify the communities. He explained that Section 162 (2) of the constitution, which specifically provides for the payment of derivation fund as a first line charge, did not

say that such payment should be made through state government to the oil producing communities. The Ijaw leader, who disclosed that the fund was created by the government to address certain infrastructural deficits and neglect of the communities, pointed out that the 13 per cent derivation fund belonged to the oil and gas producing communities. He advised the Federal Government to ensure a direct payment of the funds to the communities to engender faster development of the oil bearing communities.

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No plans to impeach Imoke, says Ndoma-Egba EMMANUEL ONANI ABUJA

ajority Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba (representing Cross River Central), has allayed fears of possible impeachment of Governor Liyel Imoke by the state House of Assembly, on the grounds of ill-health. Responding to an inquiry by our correspondent on Imoke’s state of health and speculations that powerful forces were rooting for his ouster, Ndoma-Egba said the governor duly transmitted power to his deputy, Efiok Cobham, via a letter to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Larry Odey. This, he noted, empowered Cobham as acting governor. According to the senator, Imoke fulfilled the necessary condition for a governor to go on leave; medical or otherwise. On that basis, NdomaEgba said that nobody could plot the governor’s impeachment. He said: “There is no such plan (to impeach the governor) and there will be no basis for it. He has duly transmitted power to his

deputy as required by the constitution. There is an acting governor in place.” The Commissioner of Information, Mr. Akin Ricketts, recently dispelled rumours of Imoke’s purported death. Ricketts said the governor was recuperating and would soon return to the state. An online paper, Premium Times, had on December 15 quoted Ricketts as admitting that Imoke actually travelled abroad for treatment for an undisclosed ailment, but would soon be back. “There is no iota of truth in the rumour making the round in the state and beyond that Imoke is dead. “He is not dead, he is now recuperating. There are strong indications that he will soon return to the country,” the commissioner was quoted as saying.

Imoke

Key into govt programmes, Akpabio urges citizens TONY ANICHEBE L-R: One of the six beneficiaries of a poverty alleviation programme; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu; President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and his wife, Helen, during the presentation of brand new taxi cabs to the beneficiaries in Warri, Delta State, yesterday.

Bayelsa votes N30m for Assembly renovation EMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

he Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Konbowei Benson, yesterday disclosed that Governor Seriake Dickson had approved N30 million to enable the legislature commence work on the ongoing renovation work at the Assembly complex. Benson, however, said the money was inadequate for the renovation of the Assembly complex. The speaker promised to send to a fresh memo to the governor for more funds to complete the renovation. Benson spoke in Yenagoa when he met with Assembly workers, where he gave them N2 million for

the Christmas celebration. He said the renovation was meant to provide a conducive working environment for the staff and Assembly members. The 24-man House, now on a recess, would resume legislative duties on January 20.

Benson expressed concern on the current poor working environment in the Assembly complex, saying that there was need for optimum productivity among staff and members by performing their legitimate functions. According to the speak-

er, the renovation would create more space at the press and public galleries, including other apartments in the complex. “I will stop at nothing, until a very conducive work environment has been provided for members and staff of the legislature.”

Lawmaker seeks constituents’ support for self, gov TONY ANICHEBE UYO

ember representing Ika/Etim Ekpo state constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Gabriel Toby, has promised to deliver more dividends of democracy to his constituents. Toby made the promise while calling on the people to continue to support him and

Governor Godswill Akpabio. The lawmaker spoke during his second constituency briefing at Etim Ekpo Local Government Stadium. He said he had contributed greatly in the lawmaking process as his primary assignment and had not failed to bring issues affecting his constituents before the House. Toby listed the issues to include the boundary clash between Ika and their neighbours in Abia State

and the accident which claimed almost 40 lives at Etim Ekpo roundabout which had received the attention by both the House and state government. The legislator said that to touch the lives of the people of Ika/Etim Ekpo state constituency, he had constructed solar powered water projects at three different locations in Ika and Etim Ekpo local government areas.

UYO

overnor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has called on socio-cultural organisations to take advantage of his administration’s programmes geared towards the development of the state. Akpabio made the call after he was made the Grand Patron of Ati Annang, a foremost socio-cultural organisation in the country, at Ikot Ekpene Mini Stadium at the 2012 Ati Annang ‘End of Year’ party. The governor, who spoke through his deputy, Lady Valerie Ebe, said the harmony, unity and the peaceful coexistence being experienced in the state were as a result of the love, which radiated from the top. Akpabio commended the organisation for keying into the vision of his administration which, ac-

cording to him, is to make the state a destination of choice by reviving its cultural heritage to ensure oneness. He said: “There is nothing that can break us if we love one another. Love can strengthen the bond of unity and togetherness needed for the development of our fatherland.” The governor lauded the organisation for striving to maintain the rich culture of Akwa Ibom State people and the unity of the state, saying it was in line with the spirit exhibited by other civilised organisations in the country. He said that the event, coming a few after his Golden Jubilee celebration, was significant because the state was named after God and the period also marked the birth of Jesus Christ. The governor added that the state had plenty to celebrate as a result of the grand achievements of his administration.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

De-registration: What next for parties without elective oﬃces?

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Politics

Pension probe: How far can Maina dare Senate?

Poverty, main driver of conflicts in Africa – Achebe • Africa needs indigenous investment, not foreign aid OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU

he fourth edition of the annual Chinua Achebe Colloquium has said that poverty, originating from leadership failure and bad governance, is the main cause of conflicts in the African continent, adding that what the continent needs is indigenous investment and not foreign aids. The colloquium also raised concern that current security challenges and other acts of violence are a reflection of “deeper sociopolitical inequalities and pathologies. These were contained in resolution of the Colloquium released this week. The colloquium, convened by Prof. Chinua Achebe, was held at the Brown University’s Perry and Marty Granoff Centre for the Creative Arts in the United States of America. In attendance at the event, which held between December 7 and 8 with the theme: “Governance, Security and Peace in Africa,” were leading experts from the academia, business,

non- governmental organisations, and governments from Africa, Europe and the USA. Features of the colloquium included discussions on “the complex security issues that confront African nations, security challenges surrounding the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, home-grown terrorism, and the persistence of ethno-religious

insurgency,” which were noted as serious concerns that challenge institutions and good governance on the African continent. Resolutions of the Achebe Colloquium include among others: urging African governments to work at growing “additional, dedicated indigenous investment and entrepreneurial groups rather than depend largely on foreign

aid,” as according to one of the speakers, “foreign aid is morphine, what is really needed in Africa is a dedicated and thorough operation to remove debilitating poverty that robs the people of their dignity and makes them vulnerable to the manipulation of corrupt, selfserving, and divisive leaders and warlords.” It also called on all Africans both home and abroad

ABUJA

he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the reaction of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to President Goodluck Jonathan’s Christmas message as another clear evidence that the CPC is not ready to step down its philosophy of violence and vile communication module. A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the intentions of the CPC which is to stir public distrust and trigger a flood of mutiny against the PDP-led Federal Government will continue to

for young people to participate in the democratic process, African leaders could create a more conducive environment for politically negotiated settlements of conflict through dialogue instead of through arms.” Other resolutions of the colloquium are the review of the strategic role of AFRICOM vis-a-vis African peace keepers and the African Union Mission in certain flashpoints around the continent like Somali, Sudan and Mali. It also highlighted “the values and continuing roles of women in all African communities and countries and calling on all African governments to enhance and institutionally empower more women in leadership and government among other resolutions.

Nyako warns council chairmen against extravagant spending

G L-R: Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State at the service of songs for late Gen. Andrew Azazi in Lagos yesterday.

PDP berates CPC over criticism of Jonathan’s message OBIORA IFOH

as well as the international community to promote good governance in the continent through the acknowledgement of outstanding remarkable African leaders like former presidents of Mozambique, Cape Verde and Botswana, Joaquim Alberto Chissano, Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires and Festus Gontebanye Mogae; recognition of the teeming African youth and children as the hope for a new cultural politics for the development of the continent, as the colloquium encourages African governments to create opportunities for citizens, especially the youth, to freely express themselves. It added that: “By ensuring openness in governance, transparency, and increasing social spaces

suffer still birth as Nigerians are capable of sifting the truth from tissue of lies. The PDP, however, insisted that President Jonathan was correct when he declared in his Christmas message that he has the political will and determination to deliver on the party’s promise of positive changes in the living conditions of the people in the shortest possible time, insisting that the gains of the party’s transformation programme will bear more fruits in the coming years. The PDP said that President Jonathan has invested heavily in critical infrastructure such as power, road and rail transport, security, agriculture, and

education among others. “While the maturity span of some of these infrastructure is long term and are expected to yield benefits in coming years, there is abundant evidence that steady gains are already crystalizing in sectors such as power, education and rail transport,” the party stated. The party said that CPC will definitely be blind to the steady progress because constructive engagement is not the ultimate motivation of its criticism. The PDP said: “The CPC’s argument that PDP has mismanaged the fortunes of the nation in the last 13 years flies at the consistent renewal of the party’s mandate by the people

since 1999. “Even in 2011 when the CPC took desperation to a criminal level, orchestrating an orgy of election violence that claimed many lives, Nigerians stood firm for the PDP in an election adjudged locally and internationally as the most credible in the nation’s recent record. But has the PDP squandered its mandate in over a decade in saddle? “This can only be true in the diseased imagination of the CPC. The PDP has remained the only truly national party on whose shoulders revolve the unity of the nation. Need we say that a Nigeria in the hands of a political party like the CPC is on an expressroad to Somalia.”

overnor Murtala Nyako has warned newly elected local government chairmen in Adamawa State against extravagant spending of council funds. Nyako gave the warning when he received the chairmen, who paid him a Christmas visit at Government House, Yola. He advised them to give priority attention to education, health and youth empowerment. “The welfare of our children who are leaders of tomorrow must be given priority. Our children must read and everything possible should be done to ensure that,” he said. The governor expressed concern over some social ills, such as drug abuse among youths, and said his administration was considering making a law that would provide for the demolition of any house where hard drugs were sold. He urged the chairmen not to depend on monthly subventions from the state or the Federal Government for the execution of

development projects but to explore other sources of funding, such as the Millennium Development Goal Office and UN agencies. Earlier, the spokesman for the chairmen, Alhaji Sahabo Aliyu, said they were at the Government House to pay Christmas homage and express their loyalty and support to the government. Meanwhile, members of the Association of Physically challenged Persons in Adamawa have called on the state government to pay their nine months salary arrears to enable them to enjoy the Christmas and New Year celebrations. The Chairman of the Association, Malam Abubakar Hosere, made the appeal when he led members to pay a Christmas visit to Nyako at Government House. Hosere said: “105 members given appointment by the state government in April were yet to start enjoying their salaries. Also, some of us given political appointments are still waiting as the appointments are still hanging.”

Politics

With the de-registration of 38 political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU writes on the fate that awaits political parties which failed to win at least one elective office in previous elections among the remaining lot.

ne major task outside the conduct of pockets of governorship and bye elections the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has embarked upon after the conduct of the 2011 general elections was the deregistration of 38 political parties. This action which had come in three phases has generated lots of controversies among stakeholders. The INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had announced to a stunned political class that by virtue of the powers vested on the commission by Section 75, Sub-Section 2 of the Electoral Act, 2010, the electoral commission would deregister political parties that fail to meet required electoral standard. Hence, INEC wielded the big stick in August 18, 2011, when it deregistered seven political parties, citing the powers conferred on INEC by Section 75, Sub-Section 2 of the Electoral Act, 2010. The deregistered parties last year were: Democratic Alternative (DA), National Action Council (NAC), National Democratic Liberty Party (NDLP), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Nigeria Peoples Congress (NPC), Nigeria Elements Progressive Party (NEPP) and National Unity Party (NUP). Jega said that the affected partiers failed to field candidates anywhere across the country in the April 2011 general elections, adding that by virtue of the exercise, the affected parties were by law precluded from engaging in any electoral activities including, but not limited to, canvassing for seats in any electoral process. The first exercise prompted the National Conscience Party (NCP) to approach the Federal High Court, Lagos to challenge the powers of INEC to deregister political parties. NCP is challenging the provisions of Section 78(7)(ii) of the Electoral Act 2010, which empowers INEC “to deregister political parties, for failure to win presidential or governorship election or a seat in the National Assembly or State House of Assembly.” The section relied upon states: “The commission (INEC) shall have powers to de-register political parties on the following grounds: (i) breach of any of the requirements for registration, and (ii) for failure to win a seat in the National Assembly or state Assembly election.” But the NCP and INEC would have to wait till March 6, 2013, when Justice Okon Abang will decide whether NCP would escape INEC’s hammer or whether the provisions of Section 78(7)(ii) of the Electoral Act 2010, which empowers INEC to deregister political parties” is constitutional. In the 2011 general elections, only 23 political parties of 63 registered presented candidates for one or more elective offices while only 11 won election into any political office. The top six players in the political turf, who won at least one governorship seat, are: the ruling Peoples Democratic

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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De-registration: What next Party (PDP), which has in its kitty 24 governorship slots, 72 senatorial seats and 209 House of Representatives’ seats; the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which is in control of six states also controls 18 senatorial seats and 69 House of Representatives slots; the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), which is in charge of two states, eight senatorial seats and 31 House of Representatives’ seats; the Labour Party (LP), with its solitary Ondo State, one senatorial slot and seven seats in the House of Representatives; the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), which holds forth in Anambra and Imo states with one seat in the Senate and six House of Representatives’ slots and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) which is holding sway in Nasarawa State and also has in its kitty six seats in the Senate and 30 seats in the House of Representatives. Other parties which satisfied the relevant section of the Electoral Act 2010, to wit: winning a National Assembly or state Assembly seat are: the Accord Party (AP), which controls seven seats in the Oyo State House of Assembly and four House of Representatives seats in Oyo State and another one in Delta State; the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), promoted and supported by former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State, which mustered the courage to win one seat in the Ogun State House of Assembly as well as another one seat in the House of Representatives. Others include: The Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) with one senatorial seat and two seats in the lower chamber of the National Assembly from Delta State; Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) and KOWA Party which won a seat each in the Abia and Bayelsa states Houses of Assembly. Going by the section of the Electoral Act which INEC claimed to have derived its powers of deregistration from, of the 63 registered political parties before the April 2011 general election, only the 11, which scaled the hurdle as stated above and the United Progressives Party (UPP), promoted by the former National chairman of APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie, registered barely two months ago and is yet to be tested in any electoral battle will be remaining to contest the forthcoming 2015 general elections. Hence, INEC wielded the big stick by deregistering 28 political parties. The affected political parties were the: African Liberation Party (ALP), Action Party of Nigeria (APN), African Political System (APS), Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Community Party of Nigeria (CPN), Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN), Fresh Democratic Party (FDP), Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Justice Party (JP), Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN), Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ), Movement for the Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP), New Democrats (ND), National Majority Democratic Party (NMDP), National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP), National Reformation Party (NRP), National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP), Progressive Action Congress (PAC), Peoples Mandate Party (PMP), Peoples Progressive Party (PPP),

Jega

Musa

FIRST SET OF DEREGISTERED PARTIES

THIRD SET OF DEREGISTERED PARTIES

Democratic Alternative (DA)

African Renaissance Party (ARP)

National Action Council (NAC)

National Democratic Party (NDP)

National Democratic Liberty Party (NDLP)

National Transformation Party (NTP)

Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN)

WAITING FOR INEC’S HARMER

Nigeria Peoples Congress (NPC)

Action Alliance (AA)

Nigeria Elements Progressive Party (NEPP)

Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN)

National Unity Party (NUP)

Alliance for Democracy (AD)

SECOND SET OF DEREGISTERED PARTIES

African Democratic Congress (ADC)

African Liberation Party (ALP)

All Peoples Liberation Party (ALP)

Action Party of Nigeria (APN)

African Renaissance Party (ARP)

African Political System (APS)

Citizens Popular Party (CPP)

Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP)

Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP)

Congress for Democratic Change (CDC)

New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)

Community Party of Nigeria (CPN)

United Democratic Party (UDP)

Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA)

National Conscience Party (NCP)

Freedom Party of Nigeria (FPN)

SURVIVING PARTIES

Fresh Democratic Party (FDP)

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

Hope Democratic Party (HDP)

Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)

Justice Party (JP)

All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP)

Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria (LDPN)

Labour Party (LP)

Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ)

All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA)

Movement for Restoration and Defence of Democracy (MRDD)

Congress for Progressive Change (CPC)

Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP)

Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN)

New Democrats (ND) National Majority Democratic Party (NMDP) National Movement of Progressive Party (NMPP) National Reformation Party (NRP) National Solidarity Democratic Party (NSDP) Progressive Action Congress (PAC) Peoples Mandate Party (PMP) Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) People’s Salvation Party (PSP) Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN) United National Party for Development (UNPD) United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP) Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), People’s Salvation Party (PSP), Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN), United National Party for Development (UNPD) and United Nigeria Peoples Party (UNPP). But as the hullaballoo generated by the deregistration of 28 political parties is yet to settle, INEC also on December 21 added three other political parties to the ranks of deregistered parties, bringing the total

Accord Party (AP) Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) KOWA number to 38. The newly deregistered parties are: the African Renaissance Party (ARP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and National Transformation Party (NTP). However, National Mirror investigations revealed that no fewer than 14 more political parties might come under the hammer of de-registration before the next general elections. Going by the reason for the deregistration of the 38 already deregistered, other parties that may face the hammer include: Action alliance (AA), Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Peoples Liberation Party (ALP), African Renaissance Party (ARP), Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and United Democratic Party (UDP) among others.

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Politics

Thursday, December 27, 2012

for parties without elective offices? “It is the electorate that determine the survival of any political party and not any electoral body. He is just wasting his time because power belongs to the people.” But ironically, one of the leaders of the deregistered parties, Junaid Mohammed, of the PSP, however, supported INEC when he said: “The parties were simply too many. Jega himself registered a few; it would have been difficult for him not to register them on resumption because the paper work had been done. “Coming to my party, strictly speaking, I was simply tired with mine anyway because some elements were using the platform to go begging for money. I have no intention to challenge the decision in court but if other parties do so we will join them because Jega did not follow the rule of law. “And without the rule of law, there is no basis for a democracy. My concern is that all of the actions of a body like INEC must be within the law.” Other leaders of the affected parties have threatened legal action against INEC and Jega. Pastor Chris Okotie, in a release made available to National Mirror said that his FDP has commissioned Fred Agbaje and other lawyers to institute a court action to stop INEC from deregistering his party, saying that INEC’s action would not deter him from contesting the 2015 presidential election. Okotie said his party would fight it’s deregistration and battle INEC to a standstill, adding: “The so-called deregistration will not be allowed to stand. The PDP has no right to kill other parties in order to perpetuate itself in power.”

While criticising INEC for acting a PDP script, the cleric-turned-politician said that he expected the commission’s action, saying that it however would not deter him from his “commitment to promote good governance and a paradigm shift in the political configuration of the nation, whether the governing cabal likes it or not.” But with the threat of legal action and the NCP already in court fighting the battle of its life over the deregistration exercise, who has the last laugh? Political observers have always said that reducing the number of political parties in the country to a maximum of five is desirable, despite the constitutional provision for freedom of association. Former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP (South), Bode George would however have preferred that INEC give the deregistered parties the necessary conditions as stipulated in the Electoral Act 2010, which would have accelerated their winding up, rather than deregistering them, because according to him, the deregistration exercise may have painted the country in a bad picture to the outside world. However, as it stands, every stakeholder waited with bated breath for the outcome of this logjam as well as what fate would befall the remaining political parties whose heads dangles the sword of Damocles. INEC had assured that it would abide by the decision of the court on its action whether to allow the parties to exist or to affirm its action to deregister the 38 political parties. The deregistered parties also have the option of margin with the stronger parties.

Okotie

Muhammadu

What however has remained a mystery is why the remaining 14 political parties, which are yet to fulfil the relevant section of the Electoral Act 2010, which gave INEC its powers to deregister the already deregistered 38 political parties, are still in existence. However, like the first deregistration exercise, the last two exercises has attracted stringing criticism and court cases from majority of the leaders of the affected parties. Reacting to the deregistration of the PRP, its national chairman and former presidential candidate, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said INEC’s action would not stand,

saying that he was not told why his party was deregistered. His words: “We have contempt for those who think they can kill PRP and what it stands for. We will rely on Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution to continue to function as a political party and also continue the struggle for democracy.” The National Publicity Secretary of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties in Nigeria (CNPP), Osita Okechukwu, aligned with Musa. He said: “They are deceiving themselves. Jega wants to become a dictator and he has failed to understand the concept of liberal democracy.

MUYIWA POPOOLA

Hakeem Adeyemi: The people’s prince

he success of any leader depends on his acceptability by his people; any leader who fails to carry his followers along in the process of governance will definitely tread a path full of hurdles. For Prince Akeem Adeyemi, the caretaker chairman of Atiba Local Government Council in Oyo State, selfless service is the essence of leadership. This, he has continued to demonstrate since he took over the affairs of the local government council. His achievements while serving as an elected chairman and now as the caretaker chairman of Atiba Local Government have endeared him to the inhabitants of the council. His characteristics as a hardworking, selfless and friendly heir of a very distinguished, prominent and first class monarch in Nigeria, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, have placed him on a pedestal of honour within and outside the Oyo kingdom. He has been given different names by people of different age groups and social classifications because of his cordial relationship with them. His flair for sports, especially football, has drawn him very close to the youths. He has created different platforms for youth and sports development which youths in the state have benefitted from. Though a prince, Adeyemi has succeeded in separating royalty splendour from governance. When he wanted to contest as the executive chairman of Atiba in 2007, many thought he would tout royal exuber-

ance because of his background. He, however, proved critics wrong by doing great things which no local government chairman has done in the history of Oyo town. He has brought glory to Oba Adeyemi, his father, and to all sons and daughters of Oyo across the globe. He has shown that the essence of power is ceaseless commitment to development at the grassroots. The giant strides Prince Adeyemi has achieved in Atiba Local Government show the good intention of the Oyo prince in building a developed community. The influence of his father cannot also be relegated to the background because his charges, suggestions and contributions have midwifed and broadened the vision of the prince, while also setting him on the path of success. For instance, when Oba Adeyemi was about to celebrate his 74th birthday, he mandated all the local government chairmen in Oyo Federal Constituency to embark on developmental projects which he would like to commission as a part of the activities to mark his birthday celebrations. The monarch said that it was important to ensure that the people in his domain reap the dividends of democracy. Prince Adeyemi granted the wish of his father by sinking 10 boreholes in different communities in the local government area. Adeyemi said that his royal background has been a source of the exploits he has made politically, saying: “The Alaafin ex-

Adeyemi

posed me to the basics of leadership while I was still a teenager. Anytime I remember my royal background, I have no choice than to do what will not bring the image of the Alaafin into disrepute. I need to fulfil electoral promises and above all, the fear of the Almighty God has been my major drive.” No doubt, Prince Adeyemi is building a formidable political platform which appears would stand the test of time and as a grassroots politician, he has been able to win the hearts of his people. His choice

as the caretaker chairman of Atiba was borne out of the recommendations of the people of the local government area. He has initiated budding models that are supportive of the socio-cultural structure of the area where he operates. Interestingly, other local government administrators have been replicating and relishing these models. Prince Adeyemi however attributes the feats of his administration to the unequalled political dexterity and administrative competence of the executive governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. The prince, on various occasions, has lauded the giant strides the governor has recorded since his assumption of office, adding that it is very evident that Ajimobi is God’s chosen for Oyo State, and that the governor’s principles of accountability, transparency, hard work, commitment and selfless service are the beginning of wisdom for every political office holder in the Pacesetter State. Indeed, Prince Adeyemi has set a high standard in Atiba Local Government. His leadership qualities have distinguished him from his contemporaries within and outside the state. His large followership base shows that his political family is becoming more popular on daily basis. His rise to stardom is inevitable. Popoola is of the Department of Communication and Media Studies, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State.

Politics

The acting director of the Customs, Immigration, Prison Pension Office (CIPPO), Abdulrasheed Maina, has consistently refused to honour several invitations to appear before the Senate joint committees probing the pension administration and management in the country to give account of his stewardship. GEORGE OJI writes that by flouting a warrant of arrest duly signed by the Senate President Maina may have over reached himself.

s far as one can recall, this is the first time in the history of the Senate since the beginning of the current democratic dispensation that the Senate President will, pursuant to the powers conferred on him by section 89 of the constitution, issue a warrant to the Nigerian Police for the arrest of anybody. The said arrest warrant was issued by Senator David Mark for the arrest of the acting director of the Customs, Immigration, Prison and Pension Office (CIPPO), Abdulrasheed Maina. That warrant was signed by Mark on December 13, and was also counter- signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Ben Efeturi, as required by the law. Section 89 of the constitution states that for the purpose of any investigation under section 88 and subject to the provisions thereof, the Senate or the House of Representatives or a committee appointed in accordance with section 65 of the constitution “shall have powers (a) to procure such evidence, written or oral direct or circumstantial, as it may think necessary or desirable, and examine all persons as witnesses whose evidence may be material or relevant to the subject matter.” Then subsection (2) states that a summons or warrant issued under this section may be served or executed by any member of the Nigerian Police Force or by any person authorized in that behalf by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be. The Senate said it was compelled to issue the warrant of arrest following series of failure by Maina to honour the invitation extended to him by the Senate joint committees on establishment and public service, states and local governments to respond to allegations of corruption. The truth of the matter is that, for the Senate President to have gone out of his way to sign the warrant of arrest demonstrated clearly that the game is up for Maina. The matter is no longer between Maina and the Senate probe committee. It is a matter between Maina and the entire parliament of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is a clear message to Maina that whatever forces may have been backing him before now will surely fail him. It is only a question of time before Maina will be sacrificed. The question is how did matters get to this terrible state? The whole imbroglio dated back to the beginning of the probe in February this year. For whatever reasons,

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PENSION PROBE

How far can Maina dare Senate? WE WANT TO GIVE MAINA THE LAST CHANCE AND... WHOSOEVER IS BEHIND

MAINA’S ARROGANCE SHOULD KNOW THAT HIS TIME IS UP AND THE MASSES WANT HIM TO ACCOUNT FOR HIS STEWARDSHIP

Maina demonstrated a great disdain for the Senate probe committee early enough. Maina, who is also the chairman of the Federal Government Pension Reform Taskforce Team (PRTT) then turned down all the invitations extended to him by the Senate probe team to appear before it to answer to series of allegations. In fact, it took a threat of issuance of an arrest of warrant before Maina could appear before the probe committee to testify. All other subsequent invitations by the committee were disregarded by the CIPPO director. All through the initial probe exercise, Maina did not mince words to accuse the Senate investigation committee of fraud and bias. In fact, he alleged that the probe committee was out to do a hatchet job against him. He once alleged that the probe committee was angry with him because he failed to part with N2 billion, which the committee demanded as bribe in order to write a good report for Maina. Following this allegation, a coalition of civil society organizations comprising the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC) corroborated the fears of the taskforce team and some Nigerians that the Senate probe panel were out to do a hatchet job and called for its immediate disbandment. In the statement jointly signed by Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), Executive Director of CISLAC and Jibrin Ibrahim, Executive Director, CDD, the coalition noted: “Indeed, the manner in which the Committee went about its task of investigation left much to be desired. The tendency toward leaving the issues to pursue trivialities became obvious and elements of bias began to manifest, eroding the neutrality and objectivity required for this crucial assignment and calling the integrity of the legislature to question.” The committee’s response to this allegation of bias was to say the least unfortunately, unconvincing and un-dignifying. Instead of addressing the issues raised, the Chairman of the Senate probe panel, Aloysius Etok alleged that the Maina-led team had approached the committee with huge sums of money which he said the committee rejected. Etok disclosed how the task force team had sent some “big people to offer bribe to the committee to soft pedal, and we refused because we are not ready to

Mark

Maina

compromise our work.” The committee declared that the taskforce resorted to blackmail “when it became obvious that the committee was not ready to compromise its assignment. “We cannot be intimidated and we see the media war orchestrated by the task force as a blackmail and attempt to distract the committee. Let the task force make public any form of bias by the committee.” It did not therefore surprise National Assembly watchers when the probe committee turned its report in July and heavily indicted Maina in the report. The Senate accepted 141 of the recommendations of the probe committee and rejected 22 others. Among some of the recommendations accepted by the Senate was the call for the dissolution of the PRTT, and the arrest and prosecution of its members for fraud and embezzlement. “The Chairman of the PRTT, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, John Yusuf, B.G. Kaigama and all the members of the PRTT involved should be arrested and prosecuted by the Nigeria Police Force for the crimes of fraud, embezzlement, misappropriation, misapplication, illegal virement, contract splitting, award of contract to non existing companies, award of contract without appropriations and outright stealing of pen-

sion funds and the stolen funds should be recovered from them,” the report said. Somehow, three months after it submitted its report, the Senate probe committee was able to elicit the approval of the Senate leadership to re-open the pension probe. The fresh probe is to be centred on the CIPPO, where Maina is the acting director. Immediately, Maina fired a memo to the Senate President through his lawyers complaining about bias of the Senate probe committee headed by Etok. He made it point blank that unless the issue of bias was addressed he would not appear before the committee. No wonder in five different occasions, the committee extended letters of invitation to him, yet he did not honour any of those invitations. On the last sitting before a warrant of arrest was finally issued against Maina, the committee chairman, Etok said his committee had invited Maina to appear before it for a record five times, but he failed to honour any of the invitation with flimsy excuses of not being disposed or having a conflicting engagements. He said that the committee was left with no other option but to resort to the arrest. Etok explained that the probe committee gave Maina a very long rope following complaints by him that he was not given fair hearing by the committee before indicting him in the committee’s report submitted to the Senate in July, saying: “We want to give Maina the last chance and this Committee, which represents the Senate of the Federal Republic is saying that whosoever is behind Maina’s arrogance should know that his time is up and the masses want him to account for his stewardship. “He should appear before this committee tomorrow at 11a.m. without fail. If he doesn’t come tomorrow, the committee will proceed to hold the public hearing and we will take presentations from Prison Service, Police and other agencies. We will get all the presentations and make up our case and tell the public what we have discovered in the course of our investigations,” Etok had said Unfortunately, on the appointed day, while all the invitees, including members of the Senate probe committees were seated at the committee hearing room, Maina was nowhere to be found. Instead, information later filtered in that he was sighted at the main entrance gate to the National Assembly, dancing and cheering to some paid supporters who had earlier in the day thronged the place singing praises of him and carrying placards eulogising his virtues. Maina was also to send words through one of his agents to the probe committee stating that he was ready to appear before the committee but was prevented from doing so by some demonstrators at the National Assembly gate. In the wisdom of the committee members, they closed their eyes to the obvious slight by Maina, instead took time to apologise profusely to all the invited persons for the disappointment occasioned by the absence of Maina, who the committee described as the principal culprit and adjourned the public hearing sine die. For now, the committee and Maina are waiting for who will blink first.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Views

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Creating wealth through education IT IS A BIG IRONY THAT THE

EXISTENTIAL HUMANISM

GOVERNMENT COMPLAINS ABOUT

FRY

FALLING STANDARD

NDUBUISI

OF EDUCATION, YET

fryndubuisi@nationalmirroronline.net (08023016709 SMS only)

MAKES NO SERIOUS

ducation is the catalyst for every nation’s development. Human capital, according to the World Bank, is the most important factor for wealth creation in the world. This is why patriotic Nigerians and pressure groups have continued to impress it on the governments to appropriately fund the education sector. However, these calls have not made the required impact on the powers that be. Expectedly, Nigerians have continued to patronize foreign countries that have standard educational facilities. This development has exerted considerable pressure on our foreign exchange holdings. It is only comparable to the situation where we produce crude oil and yet import refined petroleum products for local consumption. We need to find a way out of this quagmire. Nigerian youths want to be educated and they want to develop their skills. In recognition of this fact, President Goodluck Jonathan recently at the 39th convocation ceremony of Obafemei Awolowo University, charged the nation’s universities to create more admission opportunities to

EFFORT TO IMPROVE ON THIS THROUGH PROPER FUNDING meet the aspiration of youths yearning for higher education. He specifically encouraged the universities to bridge the gap between current total absorptive capacity of 500,000 in our universities and the over a million qualified candidates each year. He also urged the universities to train scholars at the post graduate level for the needed manpower for the academia. This observation by Mr. President has been made severally by other education stakeholders, yet there has been no corresponding effort to bring about the needed change. One point that is obvious is that our youths are ready and willing to go to any length to get higher education. With about 35 private universities, 27 federal universities and 34 state universities, there is still a big gap between the available space and the number that long to acquire

university education. It is for this reason that Nigerian youths go abroad in search of higher education. There is an estimated 75, 000 Nigerians in Ghanaian higher educational institutions and they pay between them about N160, 000 billion annually. Earlier, the Committee of Vice Chancellors maintained that Nigerian students spend about N785 billion annually in European and American universities. This amount sadly represents about 70 percent of the total budgetary allocation to education sector annually. They maintain that the rush for foreign education is a demonstration of loss of faith in the system. To show how bad the situation is, Nigerians contribution to education in the United kingdom in 2011 is said to be about N246 billion. The UNESSCO’s recommendation is that 26 percent of a country’s annual budget should go to education. It is obvious Nigeria is not anxious to achieve this goal. It is a big irony that the federal government complains about falling standard of education, yet makes no serious effort to improve on this through proper funding. As a matter of fact without internally generated revenue many universities would have since gone under. The frequent strikes by universities workers have been essentially aimed at calling the government to accept its responsibilities. At the end of every strike an agreement will usually be signed on the way forward, but more often than not, the terms of such agreements would not be complied with by the federal authorities. The National Universities Commission

(NUC) should play positive roles in upgrading the standard of the universities. While it makes sense for it to regulate part time programme in the universities, it is necessary for it to realize that this should be part of a university programme. It creates additional funds for the universities and also affords many Nigerians the opportunity to acquire higher education. It is important that we make the learning environment to be friendly. We are in a peculiar environment where accommodation and transportation constitute a big problem. It does make sense that there should be adequate arrangement for students’ accommodation within the campuses. Aside from this, there should be provision for minimum facilities such as electricity and water, which are currently big luxuries to many of our campuses. The money that is being expended abroad for higher education, if properly invested here in agriculture and infrastructural development, would help reduce the rate of unemployment in the country. You cannot give what you don’t have. If the quality of facilities in the universities is improved it will impact on the students that are the beneficiaries of the system. Beside, the old generation universities should be encouraged to expand their facilities to make way for the accommodation of more candidates. Nigeria can improve her education standard and also at the same time leverage on it to create wealth for the citizenry. Prof. Ndubuisi is of the Dept of Philosophy, UNILAG

Searching for Nigeria’s achievements in 2012

or Nigeria and Nigerians, 2012 started on a positive note; not because of any empirically verifiable fundamentals of the nation’s economy. The optimism only flowed from the never-say-die Nigerian spirit. The millions of churches and mosques all over the land, as always, had also contributed to these benign prognostications, with their prophecies, homiletic persuasions and pacific spiritual entreaties that 2012 would certainly turn out to be fine. I recall the famous article of late educationist and social critic, Tai Solarin, entitled “May your road be rough!” which he published in the 1960s. It drew widespread and sustained condemnation then with many people, surprisingly interpreting the statement as a curse, instead of seeing it in the intended realistic perspective. The postulation by Solarin was that since human life is dogged by countless number of fortuitous occurrences embodying successes and vicissitudes, the proper mentality for facing a new year, like any other period of one’s life, is to anticipate the best and prepare for the worst; that people must have an enterprising spirit that dares bitter experiences and an unquenchable mind that refuses to bow to whatever formidable challenges life brings. The article was a piece anchored on three virtuous corner pieces of Spartan work ethics, passionate self-discipline and phenomenal self-belief. But a vast majority of the people would have none of that; they could not reconcile themselves to the fact that hardship and

calamity could not be wished away and that these so-called negative aspects of life are the crucible that turns raw humanity into “gold” of superlative achievements and ennobling sublimities. They would rather prefer the escapist approach that discountenances the inevitability of nasty experiences. What a simplistic reasoning! Be that as it may, the first omen that 2012 would not spare Nigeria of hardship came on the first day of the year when the Federal Government presented Nigerians with a New Year gift when it announced removal of fuel subsidy. The announcement led to the first major crisis of the year, a “revolt” called “Occupy Nigeria”. The mass protests crippled all sectors of the economy for days-on -end costing the nation an estimated loss of N9000 billion. Since then, series of national hiccups and disasters etc have been our lots. There was unprecedented upsurge in terrorism, kidnapping, flooding, criminality and general state of insecurity with the standards of living having deteriorated, at least marginally. The worrisome thing is that in spite of these upsurges of our problems in all ramifications, there is hardly a single thing one can cite as a genuine advancement on any front. Even our much vaunted average national growth rate has slowed down from 7.4 percent in 2011 to 6.3 percent in 2012, the result of recession in the nonoil sector, especially the agricultural sector. The other sectors most affected by the selfinflicted recession included, wholesale and retail trade, financial intermediation, real estate, business services, and construction.

WE WERE ABLE TO GO TO THE LONDON SUMMER OLYMPIC AND CAME BACK

(MEDAL OR NO MEDAL) WITHOUT ANY SCANDAL Even our Gross Domestic Product has reduced from its 2011 level. I stand to be corrected that there is any substantial progress in Nigeria in any sector in 2012. Maybe I am only being biased; I have refused, failed or neglected to look properly to see our wondrous achievements: We have been able to defend our territorial integrity in 2012 having ceded not a single inch of our land to external aggressors. We were able to go to the London Summer Olympic and came back (medal or no medal) without any scandal as none of our athletes tested positive to any banned substances. We have also managed to keep our nation together in spite of uncontrollable level of insecurity as evinced in kidnapping, armed robbery, and terrorism. Who says there is no prosperity in the land? Maybe the person has not been reading newspapers about the cheery news of our pastors and church leaders joining billionaires’ club with some of them even acquiring private jets! Let us once again return to reality from the momentary flight to the land of hu-

KAYODE

KETEFE

kketefe@nationalmirroronline.net 08032147720 (SMS only)

mour. The consensus of many Nigerians is that the year 2012 has not ushered in any authentic advancement in their standards of life. Let no federal minister or presidential aide on this or that churn out any statistics to fool the people about any theoretical advancement in any area, any paper-workbased progress that fails to transform into tangible, experiential outcome is nothing but phantom claims. What makes the matter worse is that the prognostications for the future are, sad to say, inauspicious. Who are the optimists among us who can beat their chests that there will be reduction in the now familiar problems of hunger, unemployment, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery and infrastructural underdevelopment in 2013? 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, December 27, 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

MD/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

YELE AKINROLABU

ED OPERATIONS

SEYI FASUGBA

DAILY EDITOR

BOLAJI TUNJI

SUNDAY EDITOR

GBEMI OLUJOBI

SATURDAY EDITOR

DOZIE OKEBALAMA

COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD

ADESOYE ADEKOYA

CONTROLLER, PRODUCTION

CALLISTUS OKE

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

ISE-OLUWA IGE

ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

KAYODE BALOGUN JNR

SM, STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

FRANK OBOH

HEAD, GRAPHICS

On politically motivated airports

he Federal Government’s initial vote of N13.9 billion to build an airport in Bayelsa State, when dozens of existing airports operate as white elephants without requisite facilities, seems a distressing indication that the project is largely politically motivated. It is, indeed, sad that the FG is involving in such frivolities when it is in dire need of funds to remedy the mournful socioeconomic infrastructure deficit in the country. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the airport project recently. President Goodluck Jonathan hails from the predominantly rustic, underdeveloped state. State governors are also competing to establish unviable airports to service elite interests at the huge expense of the welfare of ordinary citizens. The development signals a gross misplacement of priorities in the application of public funds. Sponsored politicians who lack understanding of the public service, and how cruel life has been to ordinary Nigerians, but were able to grab power by fair or foul means, are at the root of building international airports in settings without any viable industry or tourism potential to attract enough clientele revenue to service airport infrastructure. The same governments of the ‘village’ state economies have been unable to mobilize their largely farming populations for productive farming despite increasing reports on impending food crisis.

Our thinking is that public funding of these unviable airports makes a mockery of government’s avowed policy to give the private sector a free hand in controlling the economy, so that scarce public funds are freed for the provision of more important public infrastructure. In other climes, airports are largely built by the private sector, with viability and profitability as the major considerations. But in the Nigerian situation, the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, says the proposed Bayelsa Airport, for example, is viable, if not now in the future, and that it would reduce man-hour losses by businessmen in the oil producing state. But it is obvious that the FG’s Bayelsa airport project is meant to meet the ethnic and political vanities of President Goodluck Jonathan, apparently based on the frivolous advice of the leadership of the Ministry of Aviation. Jigawa State, which was excised from the old Kano State, is building an international airport close to Kano International Airport. The major commodity of industrystarved Jigawa is date palm fruits, which is not produced in commercial or exportable quantity. Out of the 22 existing airports in the country, only five are viable and making enough revenue to assist in the servicing of airport equipment. Minna Airport in Niger State is redundant. It registered only 844 passengers in 2011. About

THE FG SHOULD RESTRAIN ITSELF FROM, AS WELL

AS ADVISE STATES AGAINST USING PUBLIC FUNDS TO BUILD UNVIABLE AIRPORTS 808 passengers used Makurdi Airport in Benue State; Katsina Airport that is very close to the airport facility in Kano recorded 5,066, while Sokoto Airport had 3,823 passengers during the same period. Ibadan and Akure airports are idle, being too close to each other and to the more viable Lagos airport. These fund guzzling airports (maintenance wise), established to service indigenous political ego, have become major drain pipes for the Federal Civil Aviation Authority (FAAN). The about N40 billion FAAN generates every year is provided by the four airports in Lagos ((lion’s share), Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt. But in 2004, FAAN spent N70 million on the Makurdi Airport but generated a miserable N1 million from the same airport. It spent N90 million on the Kaduna Airport from where it made N10 million. Benin and Asaba Airports in Edo and Delta States, re-

spectively, are largely redundant. The proposed Bayelsa Airport that is roughly 40 minutes drive from the Port Harcourt International Airport and one-hour drive from Owerri Airport cannot, by any consideration, perform better. The FG should restrain itself from, as well as advise states against using public funds to build unviable airports. The Federal Executive Council should find alternative ways of massaging the ego of President Jonathan, not by wasting public funds at the expense of improving waterways, rail and road transportation networks. The nation is replete with over 11,800 abandoned projects by federal ministries, agencies and departments, (MDAs), including the all-important East-West rail and road projects that would make access to Bayelsa State much easier. With the huge number of aircraft grounded at home and abroad over maintenance inabilities; and the idleness of existing airports due to the lack of patronage, the Bayelsa airport appears a colossal waste that must be halted. If the truth must be told, the public impression is that the airport contract is being awarded to raise slush funds ahead of ‘2015’; especially considering the foot-soldier relationship between President Jonathan and the aviation minister. Even at that, the National Assembly should verify whether the Bayelsa Airport project was captured in the 2012 or 2013 budget.

ON THIS DAY December 27, 2008 Operation Cast Lead: Israel launched a three-week operation on Gaza. The Gaza War was a three-week armed conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Palestinian militants during the winter of 2008–2009. It began on December 27, 2008 as an Israel Defense Forces operation called Operation Cast Lead. Hamas referred to the conflict as the Battle of al-Furqan, while others also referred to it as the Gaza Massacre.

December 27, 2007 Riots erupted in Mombasa, Kenya, after Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the presidential election, triggering a political, economic, and humanitarian crisis. Supporters of Kibaki’s opponent, Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement, alleged electoral manipulation. Perpetrated by both parties in the election, the fraud was widely confirmed by international observers.

December 27, 2007 Former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated in a shooting incident. Bhutto was killed while leaving a campaign rally for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) at Liaquat National Bagh in the run-up to the January 2008 parliamentary elections. After entering her bullet-proof vehicle, Bhutto stood up through its sunroof to wave to the crowds. At this point, a gunman fired shots at her, and subsequently explosives were detonated near the vehicle.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Education Today I’m fulfilled as an author, says 76-yr-old 20

My 2012 scorecard, by Ruqayyatu Promises a better 2013

IJEOMA EZEIKE ABUJA

t the begging of the outgoing year, the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai Ahmed, promised Nigerians that there would be significant improvement in the education sector. Obviously realising that quality education remains the bedrock of a nation’s development, the minister promised to initiate far-reaching policies to help lift the country out of doldrums that has been the fate of Nigeria’s education sector over the years. With just four days remaining in 2012, another year in her almost threeyear tenure as Nigeria’s education minister, just has how the sector feared? For sure, it would have been difficult not to measure Ruqayyatu’s performance with abysmal performance of students in the recently released Senior Schools Certificate Examination results by both the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO), or the university world ranking by Webometrics, which still does not place any of the Nigerian universities among the best 100 universities globally. However, while presenting her ministry’s scorecard recently, the minister submitted a comprehensive review on a number of strategic documents that contains the four- year strategic plan, which she said was developed by the ministry with the aim of providing co-ordinated approach to addressing challenges facing the education sector. Ruqayyatu, who gave an update on the implementation activities in the six focal areas of the four-year strategic plan also identified the strategic direction and activities involved, and gave an insight into achievements that may have been made so far, challenges, as well as the required steps to be taken in subsequent years. It will be recalled that the four-year strategic plan for the development of the education sector to cover 2011 to 2015 was unveiled in May this year. The plan represents the education component of the transformation agenda and covered six focal areas, which includes: Access and equity, standard and quality assurance, strengthening the institutional management of education, teacher education and development, technical and vocational education, training and funding, partnerships, resource mobilisation and utilisation. While enumerating the progress the ministry has made in the past one year, on access and equity, she said a national campaign was carried out in June in Enugu with the theme: ‘Back to school’ targeting outof- school children in the South- east geo-political zone, especially

Ruqayyatu

AT THE TERTIARY LEVEL, OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE NOW TAKING A NEW SHAPE AS A RESULT OF INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF THEIR OUTPUTS boys, while Almajiri education programme was launched in Sokoto as part of strategy to reduce the number of- outof- school children mostly in that region.. “A total of 102 day and boarding schools are due for completion by the end of this year, the programme is mainstreaming the Almajiri system into basic education, thereby giving them the opportunity to develop skills that will make them contribute to the national development curriculum. Textbooks in 11 subjects have been produced for use in schools nationwide,” Ruafa’I stated. To further enhance participation in the Nomadic education programme, the minister said advocacy had been intensified with a total of 60 targeted communities reached in 2012. While on a draft and blue print on Albinism education, Ruqqayatu said the national policy on albinism and the guidelines on its implementation have been produced, adding that Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination time table has been adequately restructured to accommodate albinos, thereby expanding access and equity for albinos, in

keeping the National policy on them. On the challenges, she said the implementation of the one year Early Child Care Development Education (ECCDE), which requires states to establish its centres in public schools, has been very slow to implement. “States across the country have not been active in taking the national campaign on access to their local governments and communities while calling on state governments, through SUBEBs and LGEAs to intensify efforts towards integrating the unit into school system by providing facilities in public schools. On standard and quality assurance, she said the nine year basic education curriculum had been revised, produced and were being distributed to states. In the revised curriculum, the minister said students in from primary1 to3 are to take six subjects while those from 4 to 6 will add French and pre vocational studies to theirs. “At the tertiary level, our institutions are now taking a new shape as a result of investments to improve quality of their output. Under phase 4 of the high impact fund, N24 billion has been granted to

six universities, three polytechnics and three colleges of education by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). Each of the universities received N3 billion while polytechnics and colleges of education received N1 billion each,” the minister explained. The non release of necessary appropriation, the minister noted, which has been hampering the full implementation of some of the activities identified is one of the basic challenges in the sector. On teacher education and development, Ruqqayatu said colleges of education and universities had particularly enhanced their use of ICT in the education of teachers, while the Nigerian Universities electronic learning and teaching platform had been implemented in 12 universities. She however, noted that a number of programmes were also been implemented to enhance the recruitment and retention of quality teachers At the tertiary level, she said attention had continued to be focused on the development of staff with over 5,000 currently studying in universities, both in and outside the country, with a view to increasing the number of academic staff with doctoral degrees. The technical, vocational education and training, which is one of the critical areas the Federal Government is focusing at in order to address the challenges relating to skills development and eradication of poverty, the minister explained that 98 laboratory technicians had been trained in fabrication and instrumentation and many centres had been granted interim accreditations. She added that while 650 technical instructional materials had been fabricated and distributed to 104 colleges of education, a total of 400 primary and secondary science, technical and mathematics teachers had also been trained on sourcing and improvisation of instructional materials from local environments. “Training programmes is ongoing to develop mid -level manpower of which 82 outof -school nomadic youths have been trained in artificial insemination and fodder bank to enhance animal production,” she stressed. On funding, partnership, resource mobilisation and utilisation, Ruqayyatu said: “During the period under review, diverse sources of funds were available for government and its agencies to use in the provision of infrastructural facilities. And that states have access to intervention funds and grants worth over N30 billion for a year. This, according to her, is in addition to grants from non-governmental organisations and international development partners, among other special funds made available to tertiary educational institutions in the country.

Education Today

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Go, impact society, Crawford graduands told ...as 14 makes First Class TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

ourteen out of the 253 newly graduated students from Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State made First Class degree honours. They and their mates with various lower grades were presented to the public at the institution`s fourth convocation ceremony held on campus last week. Presenting them, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Samson Ayanlaja, disclosed that the graduands, like those before them, were thoroughly baked not only in academic work but also in moral character acceptable to the society. Further breaking down the results of the graduands, the VC disclosed that 78 of them graduated with Second Class upper, while 114, 45 and two made Second Class lower, Third Class and Ordinary Pass, respectively. While congratulating them on the successful completion of their various programmes in a record time, he asked them to make good use of the knowledge and skills they acquired during their studentship to impact positively on the society and also be good ambassadors of their families and the university at large. His words: “As the university is releasing you into the world by virtue of this convocation, we want you to go forth and soar like eagle in your next endeavours. While we are also wishing you success in life, you should know that success has a price tag and does not come on a platter of gold but earned. You should equally know that all the knowledge you have acquired so far has a life span of 18 months

TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

76-year-old grandfather, Pa. Lateef Bada, has just launched a book, titled: “Blessing: Personal Reminiscence of Eko Club and Lagos State.” He was visibly happy about the achievement and demonstrated this at the public presentation of the book last week, with many dignitaries, including the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) in attendance as a guest of honour. The launch of the 304-page book was a dream fulfilled to him, being a septuagenarian and also being a foundational member of Eko Club, a humanitarian association that was formed in 1974. Pa Bada began work on the book three years after he conceived the idea and its completion took him two and half years. “It would have taken me more years to write the book if not that I know the entire history of Eko Club. I am a foundational and active member since inception. So, aside using my personal experiences in the club, I also sourced materials

Overall best graduating student, Miss Olubusayo Babalola and her mother, Adenike at the event.

A cross section of graduands.

and therefore, you will need to further your training now and then to enable you do well in your chosen fields and endeavours.” In his own address, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okogie, congratulated the graduands and asked them to remain focused and dedicated to whatever legitimate assignment they chose to purse. Okogie, represented by Dr. Adebisi Balogun, charged the graduating students to go into the world and make a difference in the diverse areas of needs in the country so as to make Nigeria a better place to live. He however, charged parents and guardians not to discourage their wards from taking courses in humanities. He noted that medical doctors, engineers and the professionals in other science

fields would still require the services of management experts and psychologists to be able to function and operate optimally as professionals. In her valedictory address, the overall best graduating student from the department of Accounting, Miss Olubusayo Babalola, who scored 4.87 Cumulative Gradient Pint Average (CGPA) from 5.0 obtainable mark said apart from the high academic tutelage, the university also instilled in them strict moral standard and good manner that should reflect in their ways of life even after graduation. Olubusayo , 21, who is currently observing one year mandatory national youth service programme in Anambra State, went home with a total of five prizes to the admiration of her mates and audience at the forum.

The young graduate from Ekiti State, who is aspiring to be a seasoned accountant, however, appealed to the Federal Government to address corruption in the country. She noted that the social vice, if unchecked, would continue to jeopardise the future of younger generations. Other dignitaries present at the ceremony included, the university’s ProChancellor and former NUC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola; the convocation lecturer and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria in charge of Operations, Mr. Tunde Lemo; the university’s visitor and District Superintendent of West and Central Africa, Apostolic Faith Mission, Rev. Emmanuel Adebayo; the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Segun Odubela, who represented Governor Ibikunle Amosun, some Vice –Chancellors, the principal officers of the host university and the parents of the best graduating student, Mr Oluwole Babalola and his wife Adenike.

I’m fulfilled as an author, says 76-yr-old from old colleagues, as well as from the Lagos Museum and so on to write the book and I thank God that it is now a success story.” Pa Bada’s inspiration into writing the book was informed by what he described as distorted history of Eko Club in relations to Lagos State so as to put the record straight not only for posterity sake, but also to sensitise youths and other members of the public on the importance of the club to the socio-economic development in the society with a view to encouraging new members. The book, according to him, was the first to be published on issues surrounding Eko Club ever since its inception. He, however, noted that many more Nigerians had begun to forget their roots because of their lackadaisical attitude to their history, adding that students who do not know their history and that of the society particularly of where they belong are missing a lot. “People should know that

human history is as important as life and therefore should be taking very seriously,” he said. Pa Bada, who also bemoaned the falling standard of education in the country and blamed it on lack of commitment of not only by successive governments, but also parents and students, as well as other stakeholders, pointed out that nowadays, the young ones no longer value tradition as they disrespect the elders at will. “And the society is suffering for all these, particularly from the moral decadence that pervades the land,” he said. Book reviewer, Prof Adele Jinadu, of Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, said the book revealed information that would be useful to both the indigenes and non-indigenes of Lagos State. According to him, the wellresearched book dwells richly on the historical perspective of Eko Club and its benefits to members of the club and the society, particularly the needy and its contribution to the na-

tion’s building. Presenting the book to the public, Governor Fashola, also emphasised the need for people to know and understand their history. Fashola, who is a member of the club, recalled his secondary

Bada

school days when he used to follow his father to the club to run errand, and he saluted the courage of the old members for staying firmly and working for to the development of the club and the society.

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We can only train 40, 000 teachers –NTI TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

he National Teachers Institute (NTI) will only accommodate 40,000 out of the initial plan to train 120,000 teachers in the ongoing training workshop organised for teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools across the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, the federal capital territory. The shortfall was blamed on inadequacy of fund confronting the teachers’ training institution. The Director-General and Chief Executive of the institute, Dr. Aminu Sharehu disclosed this recently in Lagos at the inauguration of the Lagos version of the training project, tagged: “2012 nationwide Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) capacity building workshop.” He said this year’s edition of the training programme would focus on three major areas, namely: general capacity building, special educational needs and disabilities, as well as faith-based HIV aids initiative. He noted that while teachers in JSS would be trained on four core subjects, which are: English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Basic Science and Technology, those in primary schools would be trained on language communication, effective classroom management, basic teaching methods, and Information and Communication Technology. “The trainers will adopt current innovative strategies and techniques using participatory and active-based approaches so at to be able to get maximum result at the end of the whole exercise,” he said. Sharehu, who disclosed that each state of the federation would operate from three centres and one for Abuja said the workshop training manuals were self instructional and would still be useful as references and resource materials even after the workshop. He described teachers as the most important professional group that brings about meaningful development in any nation and thus the need for their continuing professional growth and development. The NTI boss, however, called on the various state governments to support NTI in the production of the needed quality teachers that would move the education sector to appreciable heights.

Education Today

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Alumni set 10-year target to rebuild school There seems to be a renewed hope for the battered Alamuwa Grammar School, Ado-Odo, in AdoOdo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State. The alumni association of the 40-year-old school, apart from organising a N50 million fund raising, has also set a 10-year-target to rebuild the premier school in Ado-Ado and Igbesa communities of the state. MOJEED ALABI reports.

he story of Alamuwa Grammar School, AdoOdo, Ogun State, is similar to that of a valiant hero whose heroics symbolize unity of a people and their quest for growth and development. As a community grammar school founded on the people’s quest for knowledge as a weapon of civilisation, the grammar school was fashioned after a typical British school and equipped with the necessary facilities to offer the best to its students who would have moved to Abeokuta or any other major town in the state to study. It was also named after an ancient military hero of Ado-Odo kingdom- the late Alamuwa. And it served the communities within the vicinity to the people’s satisfaction as students had the best of experiences both in terms of academic works and moral training. Sporting activities, agricultural practices and arts and crafts also got them engaged in preparation for their adulthood. However, the once cynosure of many eyes is today fast degenerating to an eyesore. The dilapidation in the infrastructure and the degeneracy of the moral values are already combining to erode the great school of its hitherto unrivalled academic excellence. The hostels are no longer available and the library and laboratory facilities are already overstretched as the student population continues to increase. In fact, one could easily conclude that the school no longer wears the look of a high school. All these were the basis for the interventionists’ plan of the former students of the institution who believe that the institution where they had their formation years cannot

Some members of the old students association during the anniversary celebration, recently.

be left unattended to. Apart from the massive fund mobilization going on, the association now under the leadership Mr. Abiodun Michael, the pioneer senior prefect of the school, has stepped up the campaign to ensure proper monitoring of both the academic and administrative activities in the school. Part of these efforts was the recent school’s 40th founders’ day celebration and a N50 million fund raising, which was aimed at establishing the required ground for the planned intervention. Spotting blue-stripped Tshirts and fez caps, the alumni gathered in their hundreds at the school’s sports field not only for the fund raising but to also inspire the present almost 2,500 student population of the school. “We have been making efforts to reach all old students of the school ahead of this occasion. We opened an e-mail

and urged members to upload their profiles. Our strategy was to use the individual members of other sets to reach others. Before today, we had about 10 meetings in this school and we realised that each time new faces joined us. So far, we had reached about 3000 members even though not everybody showed up,” the alumni association president said. Also speaking is a member of the association and now the Chief Accountant of Tell Magazine, Mr. Isiak Yusuff, who credited his moderate achievement to the discipline and comprehensive academic training the institution offered him. Yusuff, who pledged his commitment to the new drive to reshape the school’s battered image and ego, said academic institutions cannot be left in the hands of government alone to manage. Rather, he suggested the involvement of all stakeholders including parents, old

students, teachers and students themselves to keep a better and conducive environment for adequate learning. The alumni association, otherwise known as Alamuwa Grammar School Old Students Association (AGSOSA) has decided to be celebrating the school’s founder’s day annually. “The Founders’ Day will henceforth be celebrated annually. We are setting a 10-year target. We the alumni body wants to ensure that by the time the school clocks 50, we will have achieved so much of our objectives to celebrate its Golden Jubilee,” Michael added. The week-long programme of events to celebrate the 40th anniversary featured tree planting, carnival, interschools competitions, drama presentations, the launch of the school magazine, Christian and Muslims prayers and awards to deserving old students and teachers.

Katsina to withhold teachers’ December salaries over strike Philanthropist boosts Oyo education JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

atsina State Government has threatened not to pay December salaries to workers of three institutions of higher learning that have insisted on embarking on industrial action due to government failure to meet their demands. The state government has also threatened to close the tertiary institutions for six months

should the workers continue with the strike. The institutions are the Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, Katsina; Isa Kaita college of Education, Dutsinma; and Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal and General Studies, Daura. In a statement signed by Joint Consultative Forum of the three institutions, the forum maintained that series of meeting had been held between workers and government but some of the demand pre-

sented were yet to be fulfilled by the government. The statement was signed by the forum’s chairman, Tukur Bakiywa, its Secretary, Muttaka Mamman and the Treasurer, Abubakar Ammani. The forum said some the demands were payment of 2012 yearly increments, release of promotions of officer on CONPCASS/CONTEDISS 12 and above, and payment of arrears to the promoted staff and other financial related benefits.

MOJEED ALABI

Canada-based motor dealer and philanthropist, Mr. Saminu Ridwan has donated learning and instructional facilities worth millions of naira to select students and schools in Saki, in Oyo State. The 36-year-old donor and a graduate of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, had, last year, after meeting with stakeholders in the area, recognised the

need to partner the state and local governments in the area of education development to enhance the people’s quest for quality education. He promised to build more buildings and use his network of friends to assist the community in other areas to support its economic and social growth and development. “You can no longer compare the facilities to those we enjoyed some decades ago. I did it purely for community service but I will

not hesitate to serve my people if given the opportunity to serve in any capacity,” Ridwan said. Meanwhile, an Oyo State students-based organisation, Students’ Campaign for Good Governance (SCGG), has advised the Oyo State Governor, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, to include more youths in his administration so that they can also contribute their own quota to the development of their respective communities and the state in general.

Education Today

‘Ogun will continue to reward excellence’

he Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Segun Odubela, has assured the people of the state that Governor Ibikunle Amosun–led administration will continue to reward hard work and excellence either within or outside the service. Odubela dropped this hint while speaking at the send-forth ceremony and award of excellence to both serving and retired officers of the ministry at Simeon Adebo Library, Abeokuta. He, however, cautioned workers that government would not hesitate to “wield the big stick” on erring public servants found wanting in the course of performing their official assignments. He said the award ceremony became necessary to reward particularly the retirees for their selfless service while in the service of government. “We need to know that any person, who works diligently in any area of responsibility, deserves to be celebrated. Civil servants are being monitored as regard their performance and conduct while in the service without them knowing. So, today, we are celebrating two serving officers and those on retirement found exceptionally good at work,” Odubela said. In her goodwill message, the state’s Head of Service Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, applauded the ingenious and diligent manner at which the permanent secretaries, directors and other officers of the ministry conduct themselves, saying their contributions to the economic development of the state was highly commendable. She, however, charged the entire public servants in the state to continue in their support to the state government in its commitment to bringing fresh breath of life to all facets of the state. Another highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of gifts to two retired permanent secretaries from the ministry, Alhaji Segun Solarin and Alhaja Modupe Leshi.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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Be more dedicated, commissioner tells school principals, directors STORIES BY TUNBOSUN OGUNDARE

rincipals of public secondary schools in Lagos State and directors in the state`s Ministry of Education have been advised to be more dedicated to their duties in the coming year. The state`s Commissioner of Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye, gave this advice at the end of year get- together party organised by the minis-

try recently to appreciate them While thanking them for a job well done in the outgoing year and he specifically for their contributions to the improved performance of students from the state-owned schools in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Oladunjoye asked them not to rest on their oars but to work harder to enable the state record better performance in WASSCE next year.

She however, told them that the essence of organising the party was not only to appreciate them as one of the strong stakeholders in the education sector but more importantly to thank God together for keeping them alive and in good health all the year’s round. “Even at this,” she added, “we should all know that we still have lots of work to do as principals, directors, permanent secretaries, tutors generals and as a commissioner, to

L-R: Head of Service, Lagos State, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe; representative of governor’s wife and wife of the Commissioner for Physical Planning, Mrs. Rhonda Ayinde and Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye at the end of year’s get together with principals and officials of the state ministry of education.

move the sector forward and let us all have this in mind as we are hoping for a better 2013.”. Responding, the state’s President, All Nigerian Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Mr. Albert Phillips, thanked the state government for its effort in improving the welfare of teachers in the state employ and called on his colleagues to reciprocate the gesture by being more committed to work and shunning all forms of corruptible practices in the coming year. Another highpoint of the forum was the presentation of awards to some principals and directors in the ministry for their exemplary performance in the last one year. Public functionaries in attendance included the Head of Service, Prince Adesegun Ogunlewe, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Otunba Abdulfatai Olukoga and his counterpart on EKO Project, Ms. Ronke Azeez.

Don’t be satisfied as local champion, Adefuye charges UNILAG

he Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Prof. Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, has stressed the need for authorities of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, not to rest on their oars but step up activities to ensure the transformation of the institution into a world-class academic entity. He stated this while delivering the distinguished lecture of the university’s School of Postgraduate Studies at the university recently. The lecture entitled: UNILAG at 50: From Excellence to distinction – A roadmap. The envoy, noted that the quest for excellence in research and quality teaching should remain the priority agenda for the 50-year old university. He said: “Fifty years is enough time for a university to reassess its progress and determine how far it has gone in fulfilling the objectives of the founding fathers.

From the quality of its graduates, its contribution to national development and for being the most preferred university in the country, there is some justification in crediting the University of Lagos with achieving some measure of excellence.” “It will be a serious error for the university to rest on its oars. It is not enough to be the most preferred university for Nigerians. It is necessary to rank among the best in the world. UNILAG should stop being a local champion and aspire to be one of the leading universities in the world.” Addressing the audience, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor and Chief Host of the event, Prof. Raheem Bello, thanked the Chairman of the event and Guest Lecturer, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Adefuye, respectively, for attending the event, saying it showed that they are lovers of qualitative education. He also congratulated

the Dean and staff of the School of Postgraduate Studies for sustaining the Distinguished Lecture series which is a constant feature on the School’s academic calendar. Similarly, the Chairman of the event and Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emaka

Anyaoku, commended the organizers for providing a platform for ‘town to meet gown’. Other dignitaries in attendance included the Proc-Chancellor and Chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Dr. Gamaliel Onosode, principal officers of the university, members of staff and the students.

NOUN opens special centres for NURTW A ZA MSUE KADUNA

he National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN) said it is partnering with the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) to open a special study center for the union members. Addressing NURTW members during their Central Working Committee, (CWC) meeting, NOUN’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Vincent Tenebe said NOUN was the only university in the West African sub-region involved in open and distant learning system of education. Prof. Tenebe said: “Everything about this university is the same with any other university in the world. The only difference is in the mode of delivery. We deliver education through the open and distant learning model.” Responding, NURTW’s President, Alhaji Najeem Yasin, said it was in their bid to assist members of the union in the area of education, calling on his workers to avail themselves at the designated NOUN centres. Yasin said: “I am particularly pleased to inform you that NOUN’s governing body has agreed to establish a special study center for NURTW. It may also interest you to know that the entire fourth floor of the union’s National Secretariat office complex will serve as the center’s temporary site.

NAPPS honours Ekiti commissioner MUJAHEED L AWAL

he National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Ekiti State Chapter, has presented an award of excellence to the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Eniola Ajayi. Presenting the award in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the state chairman of the group, Chief Babatunde Abegunde, said the award was to reward her for her immense contribution to the development of education sector in the state so far. He described Ajayi as

the best commissioner for education in the history of the state, noting that the commissioner was hardworking and productive. Reacting to the recent closure of schools by the state government, the president said the affected schools were substandard and unregistered, stressing that they had no record with both the state government and the proprietors’ association. He, however, called on the owners of the affected school to improve on their facilities and register with government to enable them continue to operate in the state.

The commissioner who could not hide her feelings expressed her appreciation to the association for the gesture and assured that she would continue to champion the course of developing the sector.

Ajayi

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Education Today

Thursday, December 27, 2012

FG, Daar Communications partner to transmit education signals IJEOMA EZEIKE ABUJA

he Federal Ministry of Education has signed a memorandum of understanding with Daar Communica-

tions Plc to broadcast educational signals to basic education institutions in the country. Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike at the signing ceremony in Abuja said the Federal

Government was ready to partner stakeholders in the private and public sector to deliver quality basic education. He said: “We are determined to improve quality education for Nigeri-

ans and our resolve is to involve everyone, since government alone cannot shoulder the enormous responsibility of creating access for Nigerian children.” Wike noted that though

the Jonathan administration had made monumental investments in the basic education sub-sector, collaborations were still required to increase access across the country. He announced that out of the N29 billion needed for the project, the Federal Government would not make any financial commitments, aside facilitating the participation of local and state governments. In his remarks, chairman of Daar Communications, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, said the communications outfit would commit 22 dedicated channels to airing education programmes patterned in line with approved Federal Ministry of Education

curriculum. He said the required infrastructure would be developed in all localities in the 774 local government councils and the rural communities of the Federal Capital Territory to transmit signals directly to schools. Dokpesi added that highly trained and qualified teachers had been recruited to deliver lessons to Nigerian children. Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Dr MacJohn Nwaobiala, described the project as a landmark initiative to extend the benefits of the Federal Government’s education programmes to all the length and breadth of the country.

Community jubilates as Obi appoints monarch varsity’s chancellor

L-R: Best 2012 WAEC student in Ogun State, Master Omoniyi Ayodeji; wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun and her husband, Governor Ibikunle Amosun during the visit of the best 20 WAEC students from the state to the governor, recently.

Vanguard Academy has zero tolerance for exam malpractice –Adeniyi Donates boreholes to community

SEKINAH L AWAL

arents have been urged to ensure a total education of their children in terms of proper spiritual, educational, economy and social upbringing in order to achieve absolute zero tolerance for all forms of examination malpractices. Speaking at the 10th anniversary of Vanguard Academy., a private secondary school, in Ogun State, the school’s Director of Administration, Dr. Zafaran Adeniyi, said the school had lived up to its name, but that more still needed to be done to meet the goals of the founding fathers, many of who were present. According to Adeniyi, an author of several soul-inspiring books, the school is already producing and encouraging prolific future writers. “Recently, we launched two literary books by our students: Echoes on my mind by Fasuyi Arafat and The Priceless Jewel by Princess Bushra Olagunju. The two books are testimonies of originality

and creativity that Vanguards implants in its students. Indeed, Vanguards has made a landmark in absolute zero tolerance for all forms of examination malpractices. And that is why our graduates have been enviable ambassadors; winning awards in their various fields. Miss Bushra Olagunju, a former student of Osun State University, Osogbo, came first in the first ever essay competition of the university. She got the award the year she finished her secondary education and got admission to the university. Abdullah Arogundade, then a 100 level student of University of Ibadan (UI), was one of the best 10 at the National Essay competition organised by Intercontinental Bank Plc to mark Nigeria’s 50th anniversary. His words: “The school also won awards for participating in American Mathematics competition in 2011 and 2012. It also represented Ogun State at the 2008 National NTA Science Exhibition in Abuja. All these are just a few of the achievements of the school since inception.

And the school is poised to wax stronger, providing conducive atmosphere with aesthetic structures, adequate facilities and God fearing personnel.” Dr. Zafaran said the school had made landmarks in continuous provision of qualitative education in and outside the classrooms. According to him, the school has churned out students with impeccable moral standard. He thanked individuals, parents and groups that contributed to the success of the school in the last one decade, urging them not to relent in supporting the school’s projects.The ceremony also witnessed the inauguration of boreholes, the school’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) gesture to the host town, as well as N150 million fund raising. The Coordinator of Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaib likened the school to a mustard seed that has grown to be an Iroko tree. He commended the school management for impacting academic excel-

lence in the students and urged the management not to relent in achieving the target goals. The school was established in 2002 with 33 pioneering students. Odosengolu, a beautiful village, is sandwiched between Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State and Epe, another ancient and popular town in Lagos State. It is about 45 minutes from Ogun State University, Ago Iwoye and about 30 minutes’ drive from the Ogun State proposed Cargo Airport. It started operation in Isiwo, a few metres away from the Odosengolu permanent site. Isiwo is a town to behold with its undulating topography and aesthetic landscape. It is home to some of the prominent citizens of the state.

kpe leaders on Monday expressed profound appreciation to the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi for finding the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue 1, worthy and credible to be appointed chancellor of the Anambra State University. The Secretary General, Okpe Union worldwide, Mr. Henry Ebireri, in a statement, described Governor Obi as a detribalised Nigerian, who is building bridges of love and unity within and outside the state. The leaders, who applauded the governor and others for selecting a proven leader, congratulated the monarch on his new appointment and on the conferment of honorary doctorate degree in Law, LL.D of the university on him. “We send best wishes for your continued health, peace, happiness and many moments of celebration, as well as for the well-being and prosperity of the people of Okpe” the leaders said.

Ajowa Grams alumni meet on Saturday

he Ajowa Grammar School Old Students Association, Ajowa Akoko, Akoko North West Local Government area of Ondo State will hold its Annual General Meeting this Saturday. A statement by the association’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Sola

Imoru, said all old students of the institution would converge on the school hall at 11.00am. There, they would receive and adopt reports from the various branches of the association and discuss matters affecting the overall welfare of the school and the members.

Obi

The leaders, who recalled the university’s philosophy, particularly the pursuing of academic excellence in all aspects of human endeavour relating to cultural, social and economic developmental needs of the nation, as well as placing high premium on arts, science and technology and their application to enhance the overall well-being of the society, urged the monarch to use his wealth of experience to reshape the 12 years old university and bring it to limelight. “We trust that, like those waiting to see changes in the university, his royal majesty will not be satisfied with preserving the status quo but will demonstrate a commitment to moving the university forward and ensuring Anambra State has the educated workforce it needs to remain economically competitive”. The leaders also thanked the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Uju Okeke, and the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Fidelis Okafor for persuading the monarch to accept the nomination.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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FROM OTHER LANDS

group berates education Protesting Chinese students jailed UK advisers’ ‘conflicts of interests’ E C ight Tibetan medical school students have been sentenced to five years in prison after a major protest involving more than 1,000 people was held in Chabcha in the Tsolho region of Qinghai province. Students demanded freedom of language and equality of ‘nationalities’ – a reference to China’s minority peoples, including Tibetans. The students, sentenced on 5 December for their involvement in the protests, were named on Wednesday by the International Campaign for Tibet as: Rabten, Wangdue Tsering, Chamba Tsering, Choekyong, Tashi Kunsang, Dorjee Tsering,

Sanggye Dundrup and Kunsang Bum. Experts said such long jail sentences were unprecedented so soon after an incident and could signal a shift in government policy against students and others who protest against the dilution of Tibetan language and culture. Many details of the incident that provoked the sentences are still unclear. What has been verified via video footage and other information received by Tibetan exile groups is that on 26 November armed Chinese police used force to break up the student-led demonstration protesting against China’s language policies

and freedoms in Tibet. Many students were injured and almost two dozen students were hospitalised. The Chinese authorities said the protests were led by students of Sirig Lobling Medical School in Chabcha, which is known as Gonghe in Chinese. The school teaches Chinese and Tibetan traditional medicine and other vocational courses. The protests were sparked by a 10-point political questionnaire and the distribution to students of a governmentissued political booklet for ‘patriotic education’ that criticised recent selfimmolation protests in Ti-

bet, and included disparaging remarks against the Tibetan religious leader the Dalai Lama. According to another campaign group, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, which issued a translation into English of the booklet Ten Ways of Looking at the Present Situation in Tsolho Prefecture, it included questions such as: “Will the bilingual education system weaken the language and letters of nationalities?” Students were angry that they would be forced to answer highly political questions. University World News

oncerns of potential conflicts of interests have been raised about individuals contracted to work as advisers in the government’s academies and free schools programmes in England. Analysis by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) in the country reveals that at least four academy chain employees - two of them chief executives - work or have worked as government education advisers on projects boosting the number of such schools. And at least four advisers contracted to work in the sponsored academies programme are also working as Ofsted inspectors, some in ap-

Gender, education experts meet over EFA‘s report

recent report reveals the urgent need to invest in skills for the 116 million young women aged 15 to 24 who fail to complete primary school and lack skills for work. The theme of this year’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report (GMR) – an independent report commissioned by UNESCO – is Youth and skills: Putting education to work. Its Director Pauline Rose yesterday joined gender and education experts from the Population Council, FHI 360 and Intel on 3 December for a policy roundtable organized by the United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI) to discuss the gender dynamics of the learning and skills crises among youth. While significant advances have been made in closing the gender gap globally, 68 countries have still not achieved gender parity in primary education – and disparities are even more pronounced at sub-national levels. Presenting the findings of a gender overview of the report, Rose said, “Girls are more likely to never enroll in school, with rural girls especially likely to be lower paid and working below the poverty line and exposed to the threat of early marriage.” Moderating the event, Dr. Anju Malhotra, UNICEF’s Principal Adviser in Gender and Rights

noted “the report does a good job of relating the disparities in skills and work opportunities and it shows very clearly that gender parity has not been achieved.” The lively discussion centered around the challenges girls and young women continue to face in the acquisition of skills in education and the work environment and its implications for policies and future development of countries and communities alike. Discussing the role of the private sector in advancing gender equality and skills development, Intel’s Director of Social Impact, Dr. Renee Wittemyer said “At Intel we want to foster innovation and encourage critical thinking [….] More than 7 million teachers around the globe – including an estimated 4 million female teachers – have participated in Intel programs, which helps educators integrate technology into the classroom and helps young people in underserved communities prepare to succeed in the knowledge economy.” According to the report, in addition to the US$ 16 billion needed annually to achieve universal primary education by 2015, universal lower secondary school enrolment would require US$ 8 billion. Also the programmes offering alternative skills training would also need to be dramatically scaled up.

Students of the Zigui Hope Primary School for Relocated Children of the Three Gorges Dam Project demonstrate Christmas cards they have made in Zigui County, central China’s Hubei Province.

Madagascan students abroad in financial mess

adagascan students studying in France and China have been facing financial difficulties because the government has not been paying their grants, according to local reports. L’Express de Madagascar reported that about 300 students in France had not received their monthly grant of €485 (US$630) for several months. They presented a ‘book of grievances’ to the Madagascar embassy in Paris, which undertook to notify the relevant authorities. The ‘book’ said that official transfers had not been carried out for some five months, while some students had received nothing for 2011 and a grant for only two months of the following academic year “while we have already begun the 2012-13 university year.”

At the same time the students raised problems they faced over the formalities for renewing residence permits, rents and unpaid enrolment fees, and fines for ‘irregular’ use of public transport, reported L’Express. Sanndya Soazara, spokesperson for the students, said: “We can’t just wait for suitable jobs for students to turn up who, after normal study time, must take on extra work, often very hard and badly paid, to supplement their budget and satisfy their needs for survival, already reduced to the bare minimum.” The Ministry of Higher Education in Madagascar recognised the non-payment problem, said L’Express. It reported a ministry official who said that in spite of promises the finance ministry had not

released the funds. Students who had not received their allowances for a year had not sent in their tuition certificates, and were therefore no longer considered to be students. In November, Newsmada reported that some Madagascan students in China who had not received their grants for the 2011-12 university year had turned to prostitution to survive. It quoted one of the students as saying the last payment dated back to April, since when the higher education ministry had ‘completely forgotten’ them. He said 80% of the students had nothing left to eat, and they had appealed to the Madagascan authorities to find a solution as soon as possible. University World News

parently overlapping areas. The Department for Education (DfE) says it has processes to avoid such conflicts, including a register of contractors’ interests, but added it would sack any adviser found to be in breach of contract. Advisers work in a range of different roles including identifying and developing new academy sponsors, ensuring academies and free schools open successfully and tackling underperformance. Some individuals are contracted to fulfill more than one role, but they all focus on taking forward the government’s wish to develop more academies and free schools. Sir Paul Edwards, chief executive of academy chain Schools Partnership Trust (SPT), is one of the 38 advisers contracted by the government to work on its academies and free school programme. He earns between £120,000 and £140,000 for his role overseeing the not-for-profit company which has 31 open academies and five in the pipeline. “Ofsted has a robust policy in place that insists all inspectors disclose if there are any conflicts of interest with a school,” said Ofsted ‘s spokesman. He has an education adviser contract covering Yorkshire and Humberside, the East Midlands and the north-east of England. The trust has academies in some of these areas, offices in Doncaster and Leeds and is looking to run more schools. Sir Paul told the BBC he had earned £10,000 from the DfE for work involving a school in the North East, where his chain does not currently operate, and for desktop assessments and attending meetings. He insists he does not participate in any activity where SPT will “derive any advantage or has any interest whatsoever”, and says his advisory role is withdrawn in any area where his trust now sponsors academies, and where he has worked as a head teacher. But questions remain about where the academy chain might develop in the future. BBC

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, December 27, 2012

How OAU students enliven campus with Mojeed Alabi mojeedalabi2@yahoo.co.uk or mail@mirroronline.net

ADEBAYO CALEB 300L LAW, OAU

n spite of the very tight academic schedules and work pressure which is peculiar to all departments of architectural designs worldwide, the students of the department at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, recently took time off the academic routine to take to the dancing floor, singing and cooking, among other funny activities to mark this year’s annual departmental week. The week, which began with a road show with members driving in exotic cars, also featured series of events including award ceremony to honour some of the old members of the departmental association, spelling and cooking competitions, traditional

night and dinner. Some of the awardees are members of the alumni association of the university who were former students of the department. They included the Chief Executive Officer of Forms and Spaces, Mr. Tunde Imolehin; a lecturer in the department, Mrs. Cordelia Osason; the Chief Executive Officers of AD Consulting Ltd, Lagos, Crescent Konsult, and Arch Koncept And Ideas Ltd, Lagos, Mrs. Olajumoke Adenowo, Adeniji Akinlusi and Ms. Opeyemi Oluwafemi-Ojo respectively. They were honoured for standing tall among their contemporaries and for making the university proud especially in the course of the career. One of the highpoints of the ceremony was

Winners of the spelling competition displaying their dummy cheques.

the cooking competition which was extended beyond the department and allowed participation from students of other departments. At the end of a very tough battle among several contestants, Fanikun Ayokunle of the Department of English Stud-

ies was declared winner with a trophy of a tabletop refrigerator. The second and third positions went to the students of the host department; Ikerionwu Ude and Ige Abisola. The spelling competition had a huge figure of 106 participants and

so had to go through the elimination processes. The competition, organised in conjunction with the campus-based student group, IQ Niche, produced Obisesan Damola, a 400-level student of the Faculty of Law as the overall winner. He

went home with a prize of N50,000.00. Damola’s runner-ups, Salawu Olajide of the Department of English Studies and Oluwaseun Ajayi of the host department were rewarded with N30,000.00 and N20,000.00 respectively. There was also dancing competition which was won by Fashina Olakunle, who went home with a total prize of N10,000.00. And to round off the weeklong ceremony was the dinner cum traditional night which had members dressed in traditional attires of the different cultures nationwide. The association’s Social Director and Chairman of the Ceremony’s Committee, Odiete Ejiro, said the idea behind the activities was to enable a long space of relaxation for the members after the yearlong busy academic activities.

Covenant varsity wins best maintained institution award Crisis looms in UI over purported

he Covenant University (CU), Ota, Ogun State has emerged the best maintained educational institution in the country in the Institutional Facility Management Award for 2012. The award, which was the second edition, was organised by the Nigerian Chapter of the International Facility Management Association and held at the Eko Hotel and Towers, Lagos, recently.

The Head of Department of Architecture, Dr. Albert Adeboye, who represented the Vice-Chancellor of the university at the event, reported that the ivory tower beat two other universities that were also earlier shortlisted to emerge the winner. In a related development, the university also won 2nd and 5th positions in a Design Competition organised by Ife Architecture Students Association

of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Adeboye also announced that the university received an HP Office jet 7000 Printer and cash awards for her effort during the competition. In his response, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Korede Ayo stated that it could not have been anything less, considering the efforts of the Directorate of Physical Planning and Development and

other departments responsible for maintaining the university’s facilities. On the other awards won by the university, the VC noted that despite the short notice of the competition, the representatives were able to participate and did the institution proud. He appreciated the HOD and his team for the good work and advised them to be more proactive, while promising management’s support for the department.

Students of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, Oyo State, entertaining members of Historical Education Society of Nigeria, during their 9th annual conference held at the college, recently.

accommodation fee increase HAMMED HAMZAT UI

here seems to be impending crisis at the University of Ibadan in Oyo State as the students are reportedly set to protest the likely increase in the accommodation fees on the campus when the institution resumes in January. The university is scheduled to open its doors to the new intakes by Monday, January 7 while returning students shall resume on Monday, 14. To avert the impending conflict, the university authority recently held a meeting with the representatives of the students’ union led by the union President, Edosa Raymond Ekhator. After an extensive discussion on salient issues, the university’s team, led by the ViceChancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated some of the reasons that could make the accommodation fee to retain its current N14,000 cost per bed space. One of the five positions stated by the VC was the implementation of the new regulation banning the possession or use of cooking utensils such as hotplates in the halls of residence. However, Prof.

Adewole stated that the kitchenettes in these halls will be repaired while those without kitchenettes will be provided with appropriate ones which he said will be meant for light cooking only. The decision to eradicate the use of electric cookers and eliminate squatting in the halls, were, according to the VC, parts of the measures to cut down power consumption. Adewole said the existing Federal Government regulations can no longer allow subsidization of accommodation by university management saying such subsidy will not only hinder smooth running of the university. At the time of filing this report, school fees for both fresh and returning students have been uploaded on the university’s website but accommodation fee is yet to be released.

Prof. Adewole

Thursday, December 27, 2012

AILY INDEPENDENT of December 6 disseminated three blunders: “It was none enforcement and none implementation of these provisions….” Get it right: nonenforcement and non-implementation. “And if you are talking about administration, it all bothers (borders) on the Office of the Secretary.” “Media and Communication alumni elects (elect) exco” SATURDAY MIRROR of December 22 circulated errors of different hues: “…the president thanked Suleiman for his services to the nation and wishes (wished) him success in his future endeavours.” “Yakowa and Azazi: Better sung in death than alive” No politics in grammar as illogic is disallowed: dead than alive (in another phrasal context) or death than life (life or death— not dead, by way of extrapolation), which is apposite here. “Hanging over the nation is the spectra of economic corruption and a descent into (to) chaos and anarchy.” And this: spectrum (singular, which applies here) and spectra/spectrums, just like forums (fora), stadiums (stadia)—all plural and interchangeable. “The political intrigues and power-play that have been associated with the preparations for the 2014 governorship race in Osun State has (have) finally led to the….” (ThisDay, November 28) “Coup d’états, juntas, mili-

TERH AGBEDEH

rs. Beffy Onojovwo, wife of the late veteran journalist, Dafe Onojovwo, has opened a school called Christ Glory Daycare and Learning Centre. The formal ceremony to declare the school open took place last Saturday at her residence, 10 Julius Aladeloba Street, Atan-Kekere, Ipaja, Lagos. The event, which was also to celebrate Mrs. Onojovwo’s 50th birthday, was chaired by Pastor Kingsley Olawole, who is the senior pastor and founder of the Foundation of Mercy International Church located in Akiogun area of Ipaja. He declared open the school that has already commenced with a crèche. Speaking to our corre-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Between ‘border’ and ‘bother’

tary governments and transitions to civil rule” A tribute: coups d’état…. “It is therefore most expedient for Robert Mugabe to re-examine his role in government and take a honourable bow from leadership.” Remembering global patriots: an honourable bow. “Even now, no talk of regional or sub-regional integration is complete in this continent without an echo from Nigeria.” Even in French and other languages: on the continent. “I am convinced that what held the audience spell-bounded (spellbound) and excited was the fact of an Anglophone speaker being able to fluently tell them in their own language....” “Instead, people compete and fall over themselves (one another) for the crumbs from the high table (dais/platform/podium…certainly not the Nigerian journalese “high table”) and even defend the indefensible.” “…the two big parties whose promises of no new taxes and an increased service delivery is (are) not taken serious (seriously) by any informed observer.” The right thoughts are bracketed (or in parenthesis, as Americans would write). “…others point out the moral ground for such action (an action), given Labour’s anteced-

NO POLITICS

IN GRAMMAR AS ILLOGIC IS DISALLOWED ents in the past” Gosh! What is ‘antecedents in the past’? Just antecedents, I beg you. One of these days, somebody would write ‘future antecedents’! Yank off ‘in the past’. “Atimes (At times), they sleep inside their ‘clients’ vehicles” “For ON television channel, the emerging identity is that of a musical and grassroot TV station. Whether as an adjective or a noun: grassroots. “As at 1985 there are (were) over 36,000 dams in the world with about 18,000 in China alone.” “Dams construction have (has) generated problems across the world that....” “The accused policeman was said to have actually demanded for N10,000 before he was arrested.” ‘Demand’ does not admit any inflection. “Are you therefore surprised to find mediocres promoted beyond their highest level of competency?” The noun form of ‘mediocre’ (an adjective) is ‘mediocrity’ (personally preferred) or ‘mediocrist’. “His two fundamental actions on assuming the reigns of government in Kinshasa smack

of acts of a dictator.” No lexical autocracy: reins of government. In defence of correct spelling: benefitted (wrong); benefited (right). Again: harassment (not harrasment/harrassment—and is non-count), but embarrassment(s). “Statistics of African debt profile shows (show) that Nigeria is holding about 15 per cent of the continent’s debt.” “But none of these leaders coming with large (a large) retinue of people (would it have been of animals?) will agree that it is important to back-up (back up) their good wishes with concrete policy (policies/a concrete policy) in the area of debt management for sustainable growth.” “Within the 15 years of the four military regimes under review, Nigeria moved twice from one extreme end of the scale to the other in her (its) relation with other nations.” Either ‘extreme’ or ‘end’. Both words cannot co-function in any new school environment. “General Babangida’s emergence on the scene brought an initial soothing balm in Nigeria’s foreign relations because of his early release of a transition programme.” Is there any balm that hurts? The columnist needs to know, please. “While the Chinese were still protesting the bombing of their embassy in Belgrade, NATO

‘We won’t compromise standard’ spondent, Mrs. Onojovwo said the idea behind the crèche was to offer excellent childcare service to parents, especially working mothers while they are away so that they can be very comfortable and rest assured in their offices. Onojovwo, who has a rich background in education having taught for 18 years, four of which she spent as principal of Erejuwa II Grammar School in Delta State before voluntarily retiring and moving to Lagos, said she has plans to grow the crèche into a primary school. “That is the focus, the ultimate goal. The vision is that the Lord said, ‘Go and work with children, start with a creche’. We

started with the crèche and the parents started saying, ‘why don’t you do this?’ I said, ‘okay, since it’s within the vision, the scope of the vision will continue’. So I have the plan of growing into the primary school from a crèche. I don’t want to start the primary yet, I could have started it at once but I want to grow them up, start with them so that they will be the pioneer children,” she said. Already, the school, which opens as from 6.30 a.m. and close by 6 p.m. Monday to Friday has 10 children, five in the crèche and the other five in playgroup. There is also weekend service for those who require it. For the crèche, Mrs. Onojovwo said the school

accepts children up to three months and twoyear-olds for now. “We also render after school service for some parents whose offices are very far away and it takes them a long time to get home,” she added. Even though the school that has applied for approval from the Lagos State Government it is yet to start boarding services but parents can bring their children during the weekend. The school relies on the services of a family clinic, Divine Medical Centre, located in the area. “We want to give a solid educational foundation to the children that is why I’m growing them up, I don’t want to take people from outside,

had gone ahead to bomb the Swiss embassy, causing damages (damage) to the Angolan embassy and hit (hitting) a hospital, among others.” “Our dismal performance at France “98 which led to our early exit from the mundial and at the World Youth Championship hosted by Nigeria signify that our soccer is sick and needs a surgical operation.” “What is laying a siege on (to) public wealth and traumatizing all those who dared to point accusing fingers” Delete ‘accusing’ because of its contextual redundancy and this: point the finger. “Perhaps his recent activities might have qualified him to give the military’s transfer of power to civilians lecture in Abuja last week Monday.” Either last Monday or Monday, last week. “Abubakar, who said the military should congratulate itself for (on) keeping faith with its promise to handover (hand over) power....” “How does the separation of powers that are (is) discernible in Government textbooks operate in real life?” “Perhaps, ladies need to think of less tempting recesses for hiding jewelries” ‘Jewelry’ is non-count. How did you celebrate Christmas? This is wishing you a prosperous New Year!

I want to grow it gradually so that I’ll know the people I’m working with, their entry behaviour,” Onojovwo said.

The opening ceremony witnessed lively presentations from the children with a lot of fun to be had.

Mrs. Onojovwo with one of her wards.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Nigeria, team to beat on the continent, Diogu boasts 30

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

We won’t go to South Africa to be defeated – Ethiopia coach, Bishaw Sewnet

Okonkwo out, Ameobi shaky

Super Eagles’ players celebrating after scoring a goal on their way to AFCON in South Africa.

AFCON: Eagles depart for Portugal EVEREST ONYEWUCHI

he Super Eagles will, this morning in Abuja, round off the first phase of their preparations towards the Africa Cup of Nations holding in South Africa next month. Thereafter, the team will fly out to Faro, Portugal for the second and final phase of the championship that kicks off on January 19.

Media Officer of the team, Ben Alaiya, informed National Mirror yesterday that the Super Eagles would travel to the Portuguese city through Accra, Ghana. All players who will not be making the trip to Faro will be decamped after the morning training at the Practice Pitch of the National Stadium in Abuja. Yesterday at the weekly media parley, Coach Stephen Keshi expressed

regrets that he would not be going to Portugal and to the AFCON finals with all the home-based players in camp. While commending the determination and commitment of the players in camp, he said, “It’s a shame that we can’t take all of them to Faro, but what they have done here shows that they are true professionals and I know when we return they will be part of the set up for the next round of qualifiers in the national team.”

...Final 23-man list out on January 8

igeria’s final 23-man squad list for the 29th Africa cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa next month will be released on January 8, one day before the Confederation of African Football (CAF) deadline. Super Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi told supersport.com yesterday that the list would be released in Faro, Portugal. Keshi had last week, released a provisional list of 32 players comprising of 14 players from the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) and 18 overseas-based players for the final preparations in Portugal.

“The final list will be released on January 8 (2013) at our training camp in Portugal. We would have ascertained the level of fitness, form and mental state of the players in the provisional list by that time,” Keshi said. Stellar names like Kalu Uche, Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Peter Odemwingie were excluded from the provisional 32-man squad but Keshi is optimistic the players, who made the cut will deliver the goods in South Africa. “It’s not going to be easy but I am sure all the players are up for the task. We urge Nigerians to support all the 32 players in the squad. Those players are

all Nigerians and deserve support. “This is not the time to start talking about players who were not here. Everyone cannot play at the same time. We can play even without the players who were not selected. “What these boys (in the provisional list) need now is confidence and I am sure they will deliver the goods for Nigeria,” Keshi said. Nigeria is in Group C of the AFCON with Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and the reigning champion, Zambia and the Eagles will open their campaign against Burkina Faso’s Stallions on January 21 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.

uper Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, yesterday said that new Warri Wolves’ player, Chibuzor Okonkwo, who was scheduled to head to the Faro, Portugal camp with the team may have missed out due to lack of valid Shengen visa. The former Heartland defender will need a minimum of 10 days to get the visa. “By that time we will already be rounding off our training. That is why we may have to leave him behind,” Keshi declared. Keshi also revealed that Kano Pillars’ Papa Idris and Enyimba’s Henry Uche have been offered opportunity to fight for shirts in the Faro camp and should be travelling with the team today. The two have been excellent in training despite the fact that list of homebased players for the camp has already been released.

Keshi confirmed that Newcastle United’s striker, Shola Ameobi, has a clause in his contract that may exclude him from the AFCON. “I spoke to the gangling striker on Christmas Day and he told me that two years ago he signed a clause in his contract that says he cannot go to the Nations Cup without the Manager’s permission. “And to make matters worse, Newcastle fears that Demba Ba, will be leaving the club by the January window and they need a strong strike force and with Ameobi being their most experienced player in that area, we may lose him. “But he has said he will talk to me on Boxing Day Night (last night) and after that I will let Nigerians know what the position is because he wants to thrash out the issue with his Manager, Alan Pardew,” Keshi said.

Martins backs Eagles for glory

xed Levante striker, Obafemi Martins, has tipped Nigeria to win the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. The 28-year-old Martins is one of several top stars axed by Coach Stephen Keshi from a provisional 32-man squad. He had featured in three AFCONs, in 2006, 2008 and 2010. ‘Obagoal’ has said he is not disappointed he has been left out of the Nigeria squad to the AFCON next month despite his goals in the Spanish La Liga. He, therefore, said he believes the Eagles are good enough to land a third Nations Cup trophy in South Africa. “They have a team who are capable of winning the Nations Cup without me. I wish them

all the best in South Africa,” said Martins when he visited a hospital in Lagos on behalf of his foundation on Tuesday. “I will now enjoy my holidays and then return to Spain to focus with my club.” He made a donation of N5 million (about $31,000) to the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital to help offset the bills of mothers who could not afford to do so.

Martins

Sport

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

2012: Britai

Tennis: ‘Serena will compete in Brisbane’ O

rganisers of Brisbane International have said that Serena Williams still plans to compete in the December 30 to January 5 event, despite minor surgery on her big toes that forced her to withdraw from a Decemeber 29 exhibition in Thailand. Tournament Director, Cameron Pearson, said Thursday he had been assured by Williams’ agent that the WTA player of the year will ‘’be fit and ready’’ for the event at the Queensland Tennis Centre. Williams has been affected by chronic foot problems since treading on glass and badly cutting both feet in 2010. The five-time Australian Open winner played at last year’s Brisbane International but pulled out because of an ankle injury at the quarterfinals. Later in the year, she won

Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the women’s singles title in the London Olympics. A few weeks ago, tennis player Caroline Wozniacki during an exhibition match did a comical impersonation of Serena Williams that some in the media immediately called racist. Last week, Williams told USA Today that she considers Wozniacki a friend and didn’t agree with those that were offended by the gag: “I know Caro and I would call her my friend and I don’t think she meant anything racist by it,” Williams said, adding, “Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic do it all the time.” Tennis is and has been a sport where players often spoof each other in the middle of a match.

Serena Williams has had improved performance

Maigari inaugurates NPL interim board today

resident of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari, will today inaugurate the interim board of the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) chaired by Hon. Nduka Irabor. The 13-man interim committee was setup last week to oversee the management of the NPL pending fresh elections into the board. While announcing the constitution of the interim board, Maigari said that the committee’s other mandate would be to study thoroughly the present situation of the league and come out with a suitable kick-off date. “No matter the circumstances, the kickoff must definitely be after the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). There were suggestions that the kickoff be fixed for January 16. “Some have said it was too far while some also observed that it was too close but I set up the committee to do thorough study of the situation and come back with good advice,” he said. The committee will also review all contractual obligations of the NPL including sponsorships and TV rights and develop new standards to improve the welfare of players. It will also develop new strategies to drive the league toward profitability. The membership of the committee, which was approved at the NFF general

assembly on December 13 in Port Harcourt to fill the gap left by the expelled board led by Victor Baribote, include former Super Eagles’ captain, Nwankwo Kanu, NPL Sec-Gen., Tunji Babalola, Mike Enahoro, Shehu Dikko, Mrs. Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, Abubakar Nuhu Dan Buran and Kunle Elebute. Others are Mike Idoko, the Manager of Sunshine Stars FC of Akure; Mallam Salihu Abubakar, a former Sec.-Gen. of the NPL; Sabo Babayaro, the Chairman of Kaduna United FC and Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman of Lagos State FA, as well as Ifeanyi Dike.

Maigari

fter the hope and promise of 2011, Zimbabwe’s 2012 began with its heaviest-ever defeat in Test match cricket and barely picked up thereafter. Not a single international match was played on Zimbabwean soil this year, and cricket in the country began to stagnate. The triumph in the unofficial tri-series against South Africa in June offered a brief and happy respite, but by the end of a year in which little rain fell and drought threatened the livelihood of millions, Zimbabwean cricket looked as thirsty as the country’s soil. Matabeleland has been particularly hard hit by the spell of bone-dry weather, and international competition too has abandoned the parched outfield of the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The situation has drawn the ire of Zimbabwe’s Sports Minister, David Coltart, and the facts lay bare the cause of his grumbling. This year Zimbabwe played just one Test match-the debacle against New Zealand at McLean Park. A handful of limited-overs games, including a World Twenty20 jaunt that came to a crashing halt before some teams at the tournament had even opened their accounts, took their international match tally in 2012 to eight. The year before, during which time they were by no means over-subscribed, they played 24 games-and that included a World Cup. Zimbabwe are in serious danger of regressing, and a lack of top-level cricket is at the root of many of their current prob-

t was the greatest of all years for British sport, with unparalleled success in so many fields and a home Olympics which the rest of the world hailed as one of the best. The images from a memorable 2012 will linger long in the collective consciousness: Bradley Wiggins in yellow on the Champs Elysee, Andy Murray triumphant at Flushing Meadows, Super Saturday and that amazing, emotional night in the Olympic Stadium, the Velodrome a riot of colour, noise and delight... the list has to end somewhere but it is not easy. For so many sportsmen and women 2012 truly was as good as it gets. Murray won silver and gold at the Olympics following his loss to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final and then went on to rewrite 76 years of tennis history by becoming the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a Grand Slam singles title, beating Novak Djokovic in five dramatic sets at the US Open. In any other year Murray would be the undisputed king of British sport. In 2012 he was just another smiling face in the crowd. Wiggins’ achievements were truly stunning; an Olympic gold, victories in some of cycling’s most prestigious early-season events and that glorious and historic triumph in Paris in July. In rugby union, Wales, with an exciting blend of youth and experience, won the Six Nations Grand Slam for the third time in eight years. In rugby league Wigan finished top of Super League, Warrington won the Challenge Cup final and Leeds took the Grand Final prize with a blistering display to eclipse Warrington. Football saw the arrival of Manchester City as a major force, wrenching the Premier

Mixed fortunes in Zimbabwe cricket lems. The Zimbabwean establishment has often called for more A side and representative tours in order to test their mettle against a variety of opposition, but these are only useful when they are supplementary to visits from full international sides. Zimbabwe is stuck in a Catch-22 situation. More matches against lesser opposition would keep the team busy, but they wouldn’t bring in any revenue, and the cost of hosting such tours could well significantly worsen ZC’s precarious financial state. If it aims to play only the Test elite, then it leaves itself at the mercy of an increasingly fickle-and full-international calendar. Zimbabwe’s chances for match time and exposure dwindled with each cricket-less month; they operated without any sort of international context. At the Zimbabwe Cricket awards ceremony in November one senior player was overheard questioning the point of holding the event at all when there were barely any matches from which to judge the winners. Zimbabwe need matches that matter. A more inclusive, fuller touring programme that includes the major associates would greatly enhance Zimbabwe’s opportunities for competitive cricket but a bigger international cricket club would also decrease their ICC stipend. Something’s got to give.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Thursday, December 27, 2012

in’s year of unprecedented glory

Mo Farah

Andy Murray

League title from neighbours Manchester United with a last-ditch winner from Sergio Aguero against QPR in as dramatic a finale as you are likely to witness. As if to prove money makes football’s world spin like never before Chelsea won the FA Cup and then lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time, winning a penalty shoot-out 4-3 against Bayern Munich, with departing star Didier Drogba converting the decisive spot kick. England once more failed to achieve at a major tournament, going out on penalties, how else?, against Italy at Euro 2012 under new manager Roy Hodgson. In truth, however, football was simply overwhelmed by sports and characters who so often in the past have been bit-part players in the shadow of the national sport’s all-consuming drama. In golf, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy polished his aura as the ‘new Tiger’ by winning his second major, the USPGA, at the age of 23, by a record eight shots. If that was stunning then the events at Medinah Country Club, Illinois, in September were extraordinary. Trailing by 10-6 going into the final day, Europe appeared to be playing for pride alone. McIlroy and the rest had other ideas and inspired by a day dedicated to the memory of the late Seve Ballesteros they produced a recovery in the swashbuckling tradition of their former captain. Eight singles matches won, one halved, to deliver a 14.5-13.5 victory which deserves its place in the pantheon of great sporting comebacks. Yet, despite such thrilling highs, for

many years to come 2012 will be remembered for what took place during six weeks in which the London Olympics and Paralympics captured the hearts and minds of a nation. Who can forget the Saturday night it rained British gold in the Olympic stadium for heptathlete Jessica Ennis, long jumper Greg Rutherford and the incomparable Mo Farah in the 10,000m, all swept on by a roaring crowd whose passion brought a lump to the throat? Who can forget Farah making it a golden double in the 5,000m and celebrating zanily trackside with Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter who successfully defended his 100m, 200m and relay sprint titles? The velodrome, meanwhile, rocked as Britain’s Jason Kenny and Laura Trott won double gold and Victoria Pendleton won gold and silver before bidding a tearful farewell to the sport that has made her a star. Sir Chris Hoy was there, too, embracing Sir Steven Redgrave after surpassing him as Britain’s greatest Olympian, his victories in the team sprint and the keirin taking his golden tally to six over four Games. Truly that was the night of knights and while cycling was to be rocked when America’s Lance Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles later in the year after compelling evidence emerged of systematic drug cheating, there was a growing conviction that the sport currently has never been cleaner. At the Paralympics the four gold medals of wheelchair athlete David Weir and

Rory Mcllroy

David Weir

the irrepressible charm of blade runner Jonnie Peacock as he won the 100m epitomised a Games with the emphasis on ability, not disability. So what will we remember most from 2012, apart from 29 Olympic and 34 Paralympic gold medals? It has to be the pride and the glory, the sacrifice and the humility, the gold but also the smiles, which summed up those six amazing and unforgettable weeks of summer.

Jason Kenny

Sport

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

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

DUNKING

With SAYO OGUNDEJI

Nigeria, team to beat on the continent, Diogu boasts D ’Tigers’ player Ike Diogu is hungry for continental action and has stated that Nigeria remains the best team on the continent as it chases the elusive African Nations Cup in Cote d’Ivoire next year. Diogu helped put Nigeria back on the basketball world map, especially after the country secured one of the three places for the London Olympics thanks to a convincing performance at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Caracas, Venezuela. Then he kept his form and remained Nigeria’s leading scorer and rebounder at the London Games, even though the showing in the British capital was somewhat disappointing. After the Olympics, Diogu was given an opportunity to resume his NBA career. But the Phoenix Suns released him a few days before the season started, a frustrating decision for a player with seven years of NBA experience. But he still feels he has many years left to play at the highest level and signed for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China’s CBA. Diogu is 29, and his high self-esteem makes him

believe that sooner or later he will be back in the NBA. At the national team front, whether Nigeria is the best African team remains debatable amongst players and coaches. But Diogu - who has only faced one African team, Tunisia, the continental champions - has no doubts. With former international Ime Udoka - currently an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs - tipped to take the helm of D’Tigers, Diogu feels next year’s Afrobasket will see Nigeria win their first-ever African title. Nigeria has struggled to put its best players together after a major tournament. Following an interesting 2006 FIBA World Championship showing, Nigeria kept only Chamberlain Oguchi, Tunji Awojobi and Aloysius Anagonye, to the following 2007 Afrobasket. For Diogu, things are different now. On Nigeria’s past, recent and future commitments, Diogu stated with respect to the Olympic legacy that “Our goal has been to get Nigeria basketball where it belongs and the Olympic Games were just a tiny step in that direction. We will become a dominant force in basketball.

Ejike debunks retirement rumour

Ejike

igeria international, Ugboaja Ejike, has debunked the rumours making the rounds over his decision to call it quits from international basketball, saying he remained committed to helping the country win medals. An online publication, last week, reported Ejike to have made up his mind on quitting

the international scene after helping Nigeria qualify for the last London Olympics for the first time in its history. But the former Yelwa Hawks’ man says his intention is to contribute his part in making sure D’Tigers not only build on their London 2012 experience, but helping the team win laurels starting with the next Continental tournament scheduled to hold next year. The former Cleveland Cavaliers draft said, “Reports of my retirement from Nigerian basketball were taken out of context and I want to assure Nigerians that I remain as committed as always to the national team” “I am still available for my country and will still serve them with all my heart. We have a major tournament next year and I strongly believe we have what it takes to emerge champions If we have the right blend of players and sound

That is what the tournament [Olympics] meant to us - the beginning of something special. I think our mindset was different in Caracas than in London. We had the talent to win a medal we just didn’t play our best basketball like we did in Venezuela. We were on a mission in Caracas and we refused to be denied.” On the other hand, in respect to the USA versus Nigeria, in his words, he stated that “It was embarrassing that we played that way. In no way, shape or form is the US’s 80-points better than us. “But we played passive. There wasn’t anything positive to take away, except next time we play the USA, it will be a way different ball game, that’s for sure. We take our hats off they capitalized on our mistakes.” Concerning the continent, he revealed “I believe we are the best team in Africa. There is no arguing that no African team other than Nigeria could have faced all those teams and won. For all of us it was a dream comes true, to be the first Nigerians to do it. All of us wanted to play in the 2011 Afrobasket. I remember Ime Udoka was telling me, and I was all set to play then

Tony Parker (right) of France driving in the first half against Ike Diogu during the men’s basketball preliminary round match of the London 2012 Olympic Games

I had to work out with my team at the time because I was trying to re-sign with the LA Clippers. “So I spent all summer under their watchful eye. Same with (Al Farouq) Aminu, he wanted to play as well but the bottom line is we knew it was time to come together and play. No of-

fense, but I was tired of always seeing Angola in the Olympics. I am planning to play for the (Nigeria) federation until I retire from basketball.” The 2013 Afrobasket is going to be an intriguing challenge for American-born Diogu who has never competed in Africa.

ipNX Rookies’ tourney dunks off

he 2012 ipNX rookies’ basketball tournament has dunked-off yesterday, at the Police College, Ikeja according to a statement by tournament coordinator, Mark Balogun, a Deputy Superintendent of Police. Balogun stated that the tour-

nament will feature teams in U-18 category for men and women and U-16 men with side-attraction by U-14 boys. The competition will run through December 31 with winners going home with attractive prizes. “The 2012 edition of the ipNX

rookies’ tournament will features teams in two different categories (U18 and U16 men and women) and a special side attraction from U14 boys. “The tournament is growing and we shall continue to do our best to sustain it year-in yearout,” concluded Balogun.

‘Senator Mark’s tourney to produce league team’

enator David Mark’s Basketball championship will produce a team that will compete in the 2012/2013 DSTV league season, organisers have said. The 11th edition of the annual tournament which started in Otukpo, Benue State yesterday, has the closing ceremony slated for 30th. The championship is opened to Males & Females as well as Kids and adults, Hon. Mark said. Speaking with Trustsports on Thursday, the initiator of

the competition tagged: ‘Mark D Ball’, Hon. Igoche Mark said it was part of the re- branding strategies they were introducing. “’Mark D Ball’ is set to produce a league team to compete in the Nigerian DSTV league for 2012/2013 season.” “The primary goal of this tournament is to bring basketball of international standard to the grassroots, teaching children the game of basketball at an early stage and giving them the chance to pick a career in the game.” Winners will go home with

trophies, medals, prize money and other attractive rewards, according to the organisers.

Mark

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance The huge budget deficits financed mainly by borrowings from the banking system has continued to negatively impact on cost of funds in the economy

Before now, we had recorded about 40,000 .ng domain names but we have also discovered that active ones among them are about 35, 000 due to the fact that some domain registrants have now done their annual renewal

President, Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria, Doyin Owolabi

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, NIRA, OPE ODUSAN

Airlines hike fares, amid high demand for tickets OLUSEGUN KOIKI

s the people celebrates the Christmas outside Lagos, indigenous airlines, have seized the opportunity to slightly hike their air tickets. The airlines had before now insisted that they would not increase their fares, but high demand for tickets by the travelling public may have forced them to increase their air fares. National Mirror observed that an hour flight now cost between N28, 000 - N35, 000 depending on the airline one is travelling with. Before now, an hour ticket costs about N25, 000 and N30, 000 from the airlines. Some travellers who spoke to National Mirror at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) appealed to the airlines not to allow the fare go beyond what their pockets, saying that the poor economy also affect their pockets. Most of the passengers however said they were determined to travel to their home town to celebrate the festival with their families. “We are six people travelling to Port-Harcourt from the same

family and we have to pay huge amount to secure those six seats, I think it’s natural but the operators should also know that were are all in the same country under the same economy, therefore they should be lenient in fares”, a passenger who identified herself as Adebola said. Another, Mr. Johnson Isaac, who was almost stranded at the airport on Wednesday due to the malfunction of the Automated Transfer Machine (ATM) of one of the banks at MMA2, lamented the hike in fares by the airlines.

At least, an hour one-way ticket on IRS flight from Lagos to Abuja was sold for N28, 000, Lagos- Kaduna N28, 000 while it was N33, 000 to Kano. Normally, Abuja and Kaduna would be between N25, 000 and N26, 000 while Kano fluctuates between N29, 000 and N30, 000. However, information gather by our correspondent yesterday revealed that IRS Airlines, which operates five Fokker 100 aircraft now, have one left in its fleet. A source close the airline con-

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FLIGHT SCHEDULE IRS Lagos-Abuja 7.30 8.30 7.45 8.45 09.30 10.30 10.30 11.30 12.30 13.30 14.30 15.30 16.30 17.30 Lagos-Kano 08.00 09.15 10.30 11.45 14.30 15.40 18.15 19.30 Los-Maid&Yola (Mon-Thur) 09.30 11.30 Fri- Sun 10.30 12.30 Kano-Lagos 07.30 08.45 14.00 15.15 17.30 18.45 Kano-Abj 10.45 11.30 Abj-Lagos 09.00 10.30 11.00 12.00 12.00 13.00

Arik Air Lag-Abj:07.15, 09.15, 10.20, 13.05, 15.20, 16.20, 16.50,18.45 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun). Abj-Lag: 07:15, 09.40,10.20, 12.15, 15.15, 16.15,17:10, (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun); 12.15, 15.15, 16.15 (Sun)Lag-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) AbvBeni:08.00, 12.10 (Mon-Fri/ Sat)08.56, 12.10(Sun)

Aero Contractors

L-R: Chief Executive Officer, Novelpotta Y&R, Dr. Celey Okogun; Assistant Brand Manager, LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Mrs. Esther Fagbola and Corporate Marketing Manager, LG Electronics West Africa Operations, Mr. Rajesh Agnihotri, during the 2012 BrandHealth Most Trusted Brands Awards in Lagos recently.

Borno plans to establish six irrigation schemes he Government of Borno state plans to establish six irrigation schemes to boost food production next year, a top official said on Wednesday in Maiduguri. The state’s Commissioner

fided in our correspondent that other four aircraft in the fleet had been taken for C-Checks in Yugoslavia. According to the source, two of the aircraft, which were first taken for checks in August were yet to return four months after taking them out. The return of the aircraft the source said were delayed due to paucity of funds in the airline. The added that the other two were forced to go on check by the safety inspectors of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Organisation (NCAA). “In all, the earlier two sent on checks are expected to return to the country first week of January while the remaining one in operations will then be taken for check in the same country,” the source said.

for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Babakaba Garbai, told newsmen that 35 hectares of farmlands would be cultivated under each of the schemes. He said the schemes would be located in the Mobbar, Askira-Uba, Shani, Muguno, Konduga and Jere Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state. According to the commissioner, 400 households are to

be engaged in the schemes, which are also aimed at creating job opportunities. He said the state government would also establish two other schemes in Jere and Maiduguri to cultivate about 60 hectares of irrigation land. ``We are hoping that at least 550 households will benefit under the 60-hectare scheme, either directly or indirectly,’’ Garbai said. He said the schemes would

Reps divided over Dana crash report

take off before February, 2013. The commissioner also said the state government had also awarded the contract for the provision of electricity in some towns and villages to prevent rural-urban migration. ``Contract has been awarded for the provision of electricity in Gashigar town in Mobbar LGA. ``We have also awarded another contract for the extension of the 33 KVA line from Damasak to Gudumbali in the same LGA,’’ he said.

Tackling high cost of telecoms infrastructure deployment

Lag-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) LagBenin: 07.45, 11.00, 15.30 (MonFri/Sat/Sun) 12.30 (Sun 15.30 (Sat) Ben-Lag: 09.15, 12.30, 17.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) 17.00 (Sat) EXCHANGE RATES WAUA

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2012: Walking on tight budget

Business & Finance

Thursday, December 27 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Broadband: FG to commence spectrum audit soon KUNLE A ZEEZ

he Federal Government will soon commence a nationwide spectrum audit towards ensuring that sufficient spectrum is available for the deployment of wireless broadband services in the country. The Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, disclosed this in Lagos recently while speaking on how important spectrum availability is in delivering wireless broadband services. Spectrum is the electromagnetic frequency occupying a particular band used in deploying telecoms services. Specifically, Johnson indicated that the soon-to-be-commenced audit may lead to the revocation of any spectrum licensed that is not yet being put to use by the licensee for it to be used for broadband infrastructure deployment, which has been described as the next frontier for Nigeria’s telecoms revolution. According to the minister, availability of spectrum is, of course, an important part of delivering wireless broadband ser-

vices adding that as such, “We are actively pursuing the conversion from analogue to digital conversion which we hope to complete by 2015 in order to free up critical spectrum resource within the 460-790 Mhz frequency band.” Johnson disclosed that already, “The National Frequency Management Council is working on ensuring that sufficient spectrum will be made available for wireless broadband including Long Term Evolution and a full spectrum audit will shortly be commenced as input into the development of the best strategy for using this digital dividend for wireless broadband.” Meanwhile, speaking on demand for broadband services, the minister said, “Demand stimulation could be where the real opportunities are, especially opportunities for young Nigerians and it is important that we begin to think about this as we celebrate the build out of infrastructure.” According to her, locally-developed applications are a major requirement for filling the content gap and ensuring that there is enough relevant content to attract people to use the infrastruc-

L-R: Director, Turkish Cargo Africa, Ms. Tarik Parlak; Executive Vice President/CEO, Greater Washington, Mr. Owolabi Awosan and Air Freight Manager, DHL Global Forwarding, Mr. Paul ud Linden, during the unveiling of a new partnership contract between Greater Washington Logistics and Turkish Cargo in Lagos... recently.

ture. She said: “Putting more government services online, media content creation as a major plus for Nigeria’s booming entertainment industry, local applications that address our peculiar social issues and challenges and, of course, applications and content that drive e-Commerce. “We have a pledging software

industry but we need to provide more support for this industry by way of technology training and skills development, incubation and business mentorship to take their ideas from concept to commercial as fast as possible, providing access to capital and markets. “We are catalysing some of these areas through partnerships

with the private sector.” Johnson also pointed out that, globally, broadband makes it faster and more convenient to access information or conduct online transactions. She said the speed of broadband service was bringing about innovations that were impossible at narrow and medium band speeds.

CISLAC, others advocate citizens’ Nigeria to develop MoU with Cameroun on Ladgo dam –Official participation in budgetary processes The official said the visit would ria is not prepared in case of any igeria is prepared to develTOLA AKINMUTIMI ABUJA

he Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and other civil society organisations (CSO) in the country have urged Nigerians to develop a more participatory approach towards national budgetary processes as a strategic option of making political leaders to focus more on core areas of people’s primary needs in the implementation of the yearly capital budgets. Similarly, they also believe that the CSOs would also need to collaborate and have a common voice in their efforts to improve the efficiency of the budgets by constantly engaging governments and other public institutions in appropriate dialogues and criticisms, where and when necessary, from the passage of Appropriation Bills into law and implementation of programmes and projects until the end of every financial year. These were some of the submissions of experts at the Review Meeting of the CSO-Legislative Engagement of the 2013 Budget Process organised by the CISLAC in collaboration with the Federal Public Administration Reform Programme (FEPAR) at the weekend in Abuja. Although most of the experts argued that engagement of the governments by the CSOs in the past few years on the implementa-

tion of yearly budgets are gradually improving public finance efficiency, particularly at the federal level, they however agreed that there was need for the citizenry and CSO leaders to have better relationship with the national budgets through effective monitoring and evaluation of how funds allocated for projects in their domains are being utilised by the governments. In his remarks at the forum, the Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr. Ibrahim Musa, who noted that there were some noticeable achievements by the 2012 capital budget, he however lamented that contrary to what many stakeholders had proposed for the 2013 budget, key sectors of education and health care did not get what they ought to get in order to make the fiscal instrument truly reflective of the people’s needs. “We are not particularly happy that the key sectors if health and education did not get the required allocations in the approved 2013 budget which was just passed by the National Assembly yesterday. Yes, we agree that there has been some improvement in the performance of the capital budget in the current year ostensibly due to advocacy and other engagement by the CSOs and other stakeholders but we believe the allocations to these key sectors are not adequate.

op a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cameroun on the management of water from Ladgo dam, an official told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday. The official at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources told NAN in Abuja that the technical mission to Cameroun on the issue of Ladgo dam would visit the country between Thursday and Friday to discuss modalities for managing water resources. NAN recalls that unregulated water released from Ladgo dam located 50km south of the City of Garoua on the Benue River caused huge flooding in Nigeria in September.

create an avenue for the two countries to discuss how the water resources of the Benue basin should be managed in a sustainable and less disastrous manner. “What informed the decision to visit Cameroun is as a result of the September floods. One of the causes of the floods apart from excessive rainfall was the unregulated release of water from Ladgo dam. “What we are going to do with the visit is to establish a bilateral cooperation that will lead to sustainable management of water resources of the Benue Basin. “We are going there in preparation for the rainy season so that people will not say that Nige-

re-occurrence of floods. “We are going there with a draft copy of MoU on how to achieve sustainable management of the water resources,’’ the official said. According to the official, Cameroun has set up a team of experts which has also prepared an MoU for the same purpose. The official said the MoUs from the two countries would be presented at the meeting, adding that if the parties agreed on the issues raised, it would be signed. In addition, the official said the visit would also provide an avenue to discuss possible collaboration on the safety and management of Lake Nyos.

Young estate surveyors tasked on professionalism DAYO AYEYEMI

state surveyors have been enjoined to uphold the tenets of professionalism and service for the nation in order to rely on their advice and sense of judgement in decision making. Former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai gave the admonition during the induction ceremony for the admission of new associates into the professional cadre of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Sur-

veyors and Valuers (NIESV). In his speech titled, ‘’The roles of Real Estate Professionals in Nation Building,’’ the former minister charged the inductees to ensure that they distinguish themselves and always give clients value for money. The ex-minister who spoke through one of his Senior Special Assistant during his reign as FCT minister, Mr. Martins Akumazi, disclosed that the problem with the Nigerian professionals is their disposition towards money rather than creating a niche for them-

selves by building a brand around integrity and professionalism. Integrity and professionalism, he stated would always attract money if not in the interim, definitely in the long run, urging the young professionals to be patient, dedicated to their callings and also to ensure they are always in tune with agreed principles of correct moral conduct. He also urged them to eschew anything pertaining to professional misconduct and dishonesty while carrying out their professional services.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Business & Finance

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Reps divided over Dana crash report OLUSEGUN KOIKI

he end may not have been heard on the recent House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, which called for dismissal of the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren and the revocation of the license re-issued Dana Air by the agency. A member of the committee who preferred to remain anonymous told our correspondent that the report did not enjoy the support of the majority members of the committee who felt the chairperson was pushing ethnic agenda in the sector. It will be recalled that the House’s investigation into the accident had indicted Demuren of incompetence and negligence of duty. The Nkiru Onyejeocha-led committee report that was considered at the committee of the whole House also recommended that Dana’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) should be revoked because it was not issued in compliance with NCAA Civil Regulations Guideline 2009. A source among the committee

revealed that the report proved particularly unpopular with most of the 20 members because they were allegedly working the script of a leading airline operator who reportedly has vowed to unseat Demuren because of his hard stand on safety issues. The source said that one of the ‘sins’ of Demuren was said to be his failure to back the expansionist ambition of the operator. “The truth of the matter is that there was deep division among the members. Some of us disagreed vehemently with the conclusion, and didn’t want to be a part of it while others were simply non-committal. Shortly before the report was presented on the floor of the House, it was clear that they were pushing the agenda of a handful of law makers manipulated by certain vested interests bent on using the Dana Air crash as an excuse to settle scores with the NCAA DG. “I cannot name names, but if you look closely at the NCAA DG’s uncompromising position on safety and aero-political issues and how it affects certain operators, you can see where all this is coming from,” the source said. The leadership of both the Senate and House Aviation

Committees were alleged to be uncomfortable with the NCAA D-G, whom they reportedly describe as “Araldite,” a reference to his well-known frugality with funds. Another source who pleaded anonymity recalled that shortly before the report was presented the Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma granted an online interview in which he made derisive remarks about the capacity of NCAA and its management, singling out Demuren for blame. “Those comments were biased, ignorant, full of errors and ill-motivated. The report has now confirmed it,” the highly placed source said, adding, “It is puzzling when a law maker whose qualification is suspect says that the most respected air safety administrator in Africa, with aeronautical engineering degrees and a Ph D from MIT is suddenly not qualified to head the NCAA.” Another legislative source close to the workings of the Committees expressed concern that the committee leadership might have been pushing an ethnic agenda, echoing widespread sentiments in the civil aviation sector.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

First Bank to sponsor digital Africa 2013 MESHACK IDEHEN

he management of First Bank of Nigeria Plc has said it is putting its weight behind the 2013 Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition slated for Abuja, next year. Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications of the bank, Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, said in that regard that a letter to Compumetrics Solutions Limited, the promoter of the conference has already been issued. Addressing the media to formally announce the sponsorship of the pan African ICT event by First Bank, Managing Director of Compumetrics Solutions Limited Dr. Evans Woherem, said the company is pleased that First Bank Plc has accepted its invitation to be the official banker of Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition 2013. Woherem said First Bank being the oldest Nigerian bank and

Nokia unveils 14 winners in its Asha Millionaire Promo ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

eading mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia, has unveiled the first set of 14 winners in the ongoing Nokia Asha Christmas Millionaire Promo. The lucky Winners are; Bob Igo, Unuajohwofia Erhuvwu, Adeniran Stephen Adebukola, Anajemba Chibuzo Samuel, Chiedozie, Etumemena Ogo,Nwafor Emeka, Joy Nwokolo, Blessing, Adefuye James, Sobanke Azeez, Agatha Okolie,Jeremiah Joshua and Armah Harriet According to the Head of Sales Operations, Nokia West & Central Africa, Oyatayo Oladipo, , “Nokia is very proud of its Asha Smartphone line and how it has over the last 10 months connected to the Internet, whilst providing them a rich smartphone experience at

L-R: Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the FRSC, Osita Chidoka, Chief Executive Officer, Oando Marketing Plc, Mr. Yomi Awobokun, and Sector Commander, Lagos State Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr. Nseobong Akpabio, during a courtesy visit to Oando, recently.

IFAD spends $447,000 on Agric project in Cross River

ross River has assessed 447,000 dollars from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) for projects since 2006, the State Programme Officer, Mr Innocent Ogbin, said.Ogbin told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Calabar on Wednesday that the amount represented 40 per cent of the total project cos t. He said that the lack of prompt payment of counterpart funds from contributory partners was responsible for the low level of implementation of IFAD programmes in the state. ``So far, we have been able to draw down 447,000 dollars from IFAD to date and that is just over

40 per cent. We still have more than over 50 per cent yet to draw. ``And the reason is because of low commitment in terms of counterpart funding, ‘’ he said . Ogbin said that the state government had paid N154 million as counterpart funding between 2006 and 2011 but had yet to pay for 2012. ``The state is doing very well, the state’s yearly contribution is N45 million, which they have paid upto 2011, as at today, the state is 75 per cent compliant. `` But the huge challenge lies with the local government councils. Incidentally, this takes about 45 per cent of the entire project funding.

``So you can agree that if you take away 45 per cent funding in the project, the remaining 55 per cent cannot complete the project. That is a huge challenge, ‘’ Ogbin said. He, however, said that an agreement had been reached for the funds to be deducted at source from the accounts of the nine councils involved in the project. ``But now we have been able to get the commitment of local government councils involved. And they are in line with the agreement that this fund should be deducted from their allocations. ``We hope that by the first quarter of 2013, these funds would be paid, ‘’ Ogbin said.

one with strong global operations has also made his company very delighted about the partnership with the bank. He said further that as a wellestablished and globally trusted financial brand that First Bank is well-positioned to act as the revenue collection bank for delegates, sponsors and exhibitors from all over Nigeria, the rest of Africa and the rest of the world, adding they looking forward to the participation of other leading private and public sector organisations for the premium pan-African digital conference. The Compumetrics Solutions Limited managing director explained further that the Digital Africa Conference and Exhibition is a 3-day annual conference and exhibition for the continent’s information and communications technology sector, saying also that the 2013 conference is departing from the usual gathering of “ICT people talking to ICT people”.

amazing price points.” Only recently, the Nokia Asha smartphone celebrated its 1stBirthday and decided to celebrate this by giving Nigerians the opportunity to stand a chance to WIN a million Naira this Christmas. All a consumer needs to do is to simply walk into a Nokia Retail Store, buy your Nokia Asha smartphone and send your IMEI NUMBER, NAME, and the word ‘ASHA’ to 20050. Consumers can buy the Nokia Asha 302, The Nokia Asha 305, The Nokia Asha 308, The Nokia Asha 311 or ANY other Nokia Asha smartphone and the promotion is for only Nokia Nigeria warranty devices. Please ask your retailer for ORIGINAL Nokia Nigeria warranty devices.

NRC transports 450 recruits to Lagos

he Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) on Wednesday revived hopes for a cheaper means of transportation in the country as it conveyed 450 newly-recruited soldiers from Zaria to Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new recruits had just finished their training at the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria and were posted to Lagos State for service. The Railway District Manager (RDM), Northern District, Mr Adekunle Ayeni told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria that the corporation has been re-positioned to render quality and reliable services. Speaking later to newsmen after the soldiers left, the RDM said ``we want to assure Nigerians of quality and reliable ser-

vices, as the new recruits will arrive in Lagos after 25 hours’’. NAN reports that the passengers’ train with five coaches took off from Zaria at 1.15 p.m and was expected to arrive in Lagos at 2.15 p.m on Thursday. Ayeni called for patronage from government agencies, private organisations and individuals ``as their contributions towards the revitalisation of the rail system’’. While commending the efforts of the Federal Government towards reviving the railways, the manager appealed for more funding to enable the corporation serve Nigerians better. He assured that the essence of re-introducing rail services was to provide efficient and effective transportation of goods and people across Nigeria.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Info Tech

Thursday, December 27, 2012

f the myriad of problems facing telecoms operators in Nigeria, the bureaucratic process involved in getting Right of Way approval as a precondition for laying their telecoms fibre cables across the country, and the high cost bit which governments at all levels and their agencies grant such approval has become alarming in the telecoms industry. The development is particularly worrisome, as most state governments have set up various agencies with the sole objective of ‘milking’ the operators through imposition of prohibitive RoW cost to boost their Internally generated Revenue, IGR, a development that has continued to have adverse effect on the deployment of broadband infrastructures at an accelerated pace across the country. In some states, providers of broadband infrastructure have to contend with as many as seven state Ministries, Departments and Agencies and local government to get permits and permissions to erect base stations or lay fibre optic cable. It is noteworthy that as a result of the high cost of laying fibre optic cable in Nigeria, coupled with the cumbersome process of getting such approvals, most infrastructures deployment projects cable operators such as Main One and Glo 1 and those planed by telecoms service provider had had to delay, at one time or the other, thereby stunting accelerated broadband infrastructure rollout. Lamenting the high cost of granting RoW to operators and its implications for the country’s drive to deepen broadband penetration in the country a broadband forum organised in Lagos recently, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, said Right of Way procurement by telecoms operators contribute at least 50 per cent of the cost of fibre build in the country. She said RoW cost to telecoms operators is one of the highest in the world today, saying it also costs operators a lot of money to maintain their infrastructures once it is deployed as a result of cases of vandalism, power problems and wanton theft. National Mirror gathered that in Nigeria currently, it costs telecoms operators about N500m to build a 100km metro fibre ring in a state capital in Nigeria. As result of this, Omobola said no right-thinking infrastructure provider will invest in the deployment of infrastructure if this situation prevails and we will continue to have tremendous under-utilised capacity international bandwidth. According to Omobola, the importance of Right of Way for fibre optic deployment cannot be over-emphasised on the fact that broadband is about speed and bandwidth size and fibre optics delivers this effectively. According to her, “Fibre is important for both wired and wireless broadband, wired fibre to the cabinet or home/offices and for wireless fibre to the base stations. In Nigeria today, Right of way procurement contributes at least 50 per cent of the cost of fibre build for telecoms operators, making it one of the highest in the world today.” According to the Chief Executive Officer of Computer warehouse Group, Mr. Austin Okere, with less than 6 per cent broadband penetration, there is an urgent need to rev up deployment, access and

A broadband facility

Tackling high cost of telecoms infrastructure deployment One of the major problems affecting the deployment of Information and Communication Technology infrastructures, particularly broadband facilities, has been the high cost of Right of Way procurement from government and its agencies in Nigeria. However, industry stakeholders are calling for accelerated action to address the problem, writes KUNLE AZEEZ.

IN NIGERIA TODAY, RIGHT OF WAY PROCUREMENT CONTRIBUTES AT LEAST

50 PER CENT

OF THE COST OF FIBRE BUILD FOR TELECOMS OPERATORS, MAKING IT ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD TODAY availability of broadband to unleash its huge economic potentials Okere argued strongly that the issue of Row, which currently constitutes barriers to deployment, should be solved alongside while providing Fiscal incentive support and ensuring simplification of licensing/approval process as possible intervention. He lamented that Nigeria is far behind other countries such as South Africa and Ghana have moved ahead of Nigeria in the area of deployment and speed. For instance, it was learnt that despite the fact that Nigeria has internet penetration of 28 per cent (45 million internet users), only 9 per cent (14.5 million people) of the population are actually subscribers and broadband penetrations is at a mere 6 per cent. Some analysts maintain that though access to broadband using mobile phones (smart phones) is increasing, thereby increasing the number of subscribers, what this statistics means is that most Nigerians still access the internet through public ven-

ues such as offices, cyber cafes, computer labs and so on. This, according to the experts, was a result of not only the lack of ubiquity minister, of the broadband network but also the cost of access. It is also instructive that Nigeria today, has one of the highest costs of access in the world at approximately N8, 000 to N10, 000 for 5Mbs of data. The average speed of access is still adjudged very low, as recent statistics has gingered Nigeria as one of the countries with the lowest internet speeds in Africa. Also decrying the problem of Right of Way to the deployment of its infrastructure, the Chief executive Officer of Main One, Ms. Funke Opeke, who acknowledged there had been an ongoing effort to look into the RoW issue by the Federal Government maintained that, “The prohibitive charges which most states request from us is slowing down our effort. It takes three times the cost of laying fibre cable from Lagos to Abuja than it does to link Lagos to London and we feel this need to be looked into properly.” As a result of this, stakeholders believe that work had to be done to remove the obstacles and constraint that state government put in the way of the deployment of telecoms/broadband infrastructures. All over the world, broadband or more importantly, universal access to broadband is becoming a significant indicator of development and competitiveness amongst nations. Indeed, it was gathered that some countries have gone as far as to define access to broadband or super fast internet as a fundamental human right, as important as access to water, electricity and healthcare. Already, there are compelling and em-

pirical statistics that suggested that every 10 per cent increase in access to broadband in developing countries results in a commensurate 1.38 per cent increase in GDP, and industry experts are of the view that any country seeking growth, job creation and wealth creation must address its mind to how it can increase access to broadband. Even developed economies such as the United States and the United Kingdom have been deploying significant sums of money to broadband access. Recently, the UK announced a 362million pound fund to improve broadband connections in 90 per cent of hard to reach communities not catered for by the private sector by 2015. Also, recently, US Congress awarded $2.5billion in the Recovery Act funding to help bring broadband services, through fibre, to rural unserved and underserved communities. In the meantime, National Mirror gathered that though the Ministries of Communications Technology and Works have started a collaboration to provide a review of the current RoW status in the country, the final document, if adopted by the state governments, is expected to help in addressing the contestant being faced by the operators’ lot of benefits to the industry. Additionally, the Ministry of Communication Technology, through the Broadband Strategy and Roadmap Committee, is developing strategies that will include options of policy and regulatory intervention to ensure interconnection of national transmission markets that rely on government provided Right of Way and open access compliance. This, as gathered, is to ensure that Nigeria enjoys an integrated national broadband transmission network instead of the fragmented, duplicated, resources-hoarding networks the country has today.

Info Tech

Thursday, December 27, 2012

NCC seeks local content in telecoms sector KUNLE A ZEEZ

he Nigerian Communications Commission has advocated the need for indigenous companies to play significant role in the provision of services and supply of materials to the telecommunications industry. Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, said that active participation local companies in direct contract delivery to telecoms players had become critical to developing the telecoms industry on a sustainable basis. Delivering a paper during a forum organised by the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria in Lagos recently, the NCC boss said the Nigerian telecoms industry has come a long way in the last decade and as such, allowing indigenous companies to have a space for active participation will help

in creating jobs as well as curbing annual capital flight in the industry. Between 2001 and mid 2012, investment inflow into the nation’s telecoms industry has increased from $500, 000 to over $25billion. Industry analysts have however lamented that while the investment into the sector has been astronomical, a larger percentage of the money, which should have remained in Nigerian economy, is being lost to capital flight, as most infrastructure contracts are awarded to foreign firms, which repatriate the money realised in executing the projects to their respective countries. Meanwhile, explaining his argument for local contents, Juwah, who noted that the industry had grown tremendously from about 400, 000 subscribers in 2001 to over 109 million active subscribers in October, 2012, said operators depended heavily

on major network vendors such as Alcatel- Lucent, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Cisco and so on, for the provision of the critical infrastructure from switches, routers, base station controllers to base transceivers stations which require state-of-the-art technologies. He said these aspects are provided by vendors with both the technological capacity and the economies of scale to compete on a global basis, noting that operators and any business for that matter will ordinarily choose vendors to provide them products and services on economic reasons and technical as well as operational capacity to deliver such products and services. The NCC boss, however, argued that some of the supply and services decisions in an industry such as the telecommunications industry must not only be fair but must be seen to be fair.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tech Box

BB10 offers exciting features

esearch-In-Motion has indicated that its upcoming BB10 scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2013 would exude exciting features for Blackberry devices lovers. Although a work in progress, the BB10 demoed by RIM’s Director, Product Management for Africa, Mr. Rui Brites, in Lagos recently, features a ‘work, life balance’, which allows its user to switch between a personal and work mode. This means that the work mode of the phone’s data can be controlled and wiped if necessary without affecting the personal data. According to Brites, BB10 is not one device. It’s like two, with work apps and data segregated from personal apps and data in a fully sandboxed perimeter with the aim being to avoid sensitive corporate data bleeding out through insecure consumer’s apps and the like. RIM also showed off its forthcoming smart keyboard software which will be used in full touchscreen BB10 devices. Although the demo didn’t offer any major revelations for the keyboard, the main twist remains a feature called ‘next word projector’ which positions suggested words above the next letter that you’d have to type to spell them out. He added that the virtual keyboard also customises to its owner by allowing the keyboard software analyse the persons messaging history to learn more

about the language the person uses, and will apparently incorporate what it learns about the vocab and slang into its nextword suggestions. He further explained that the BB10 browser is based on Webkit and includes full support for Flash and pinch to zoom. “When browsing, tabs and bookmarks can be viewed by pulling on the left-hand side of the screen with a swiping gesture; the browser includes a reader mode view which repackages web content to give it a clean text. This simplifies formatting for the smartphone form factor and avoids the need to do lots of zooming in and out,” he added. The BB10 Camera also comes with a new feature known as ‘Timeshift’ which effectively take a video before you hit the shutter button and allows the user choose from a selection of stills.

Yuletide: Airtel strengthens network quality

L-R: Google Country Manager, Ms Juliet Ehimuan being presented with the ‘2012 Information Technology Personality of Year” award by Osun State Governor Raufu Aregbesola, during the 2012 National Information Technology Merit Award organised by the Nigerian Computer Society in Lagos recently.

95% of Main One cable’s capacity redundant - Opeke KUNLE A ZEEZ

nly about five per cent of the bandwidth capacity available on Main One undersea cable is currently being used, leaving 95 per cent of the capacity redundant, though available for use. Speaking during an interactive session with the media in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Ms Funke Opeke, attributed the low capacity usage of Main One cable to a number of challenges facing last-mile deployment of the cable facilities for optimal access by Nigerians. She, however, noted that if Nigeria is to fully enjoy the benefits of the $250million, 14,000km fibre cable, which landed in the country three years ago, regu-

latory and legislative interventions were required in tackling challenges to last-mile connectivity in the country. Opeke stressed the importance of ‘opening up the landscape’ the country’s landscape to accelerated deployment of fibre cable deployment to boost broadband access. Explaining, she said: “Lack of infrastructure in Nigeria is a major setback for broadband penetration. There is need for more infrastructure sharing. The cost of transporting capacity from Lagos to Abuja is more than Lagos to London and there is no cost basis for this. “We believe that there need to be an infrastructure sharing framework or policy that will ensure that available infrastructure is available on commercial basis. It is a policy that can be set up in 60 days without having

to do any serious studying.” Opeke, who also lamented the problems facing the company in getting Right of Way (RoW) approval on time for the deployment of Main One cable across the country, however, said the RoW issue was being worked on by the ministries of Communications Technology and Works, to work on modalities to resolving the RoW issue amicably. She explained that the ministries were also making efforts to ensure that the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja adopt the resolution that would be agreed upon at the end of the current RoW review exercise by two ministries. She also disclosed that, as part of measures to finalise work on the new RoW guideline, a meeting had been slated for February, 2013 to further discuss the issue.

s Nigerians celebrate this year’s Yuletide season, one of Nigeria’s; telecoms service providers, Airtel Nigeria has announced the roll-out of High Definition (HD) Voice Service, a network innovation that allows customers to experience exceptional voice quality across 3.75G locations in the country. With the deployment, Airtel becomes the first mobile operator in Nigeria to launch HD Voice service in the country. The HD voice service will complement the operator’s HD data service, enabling telecoms consumers to enjoy a rich telephony experience. HD Voice enables mobile operators to clearly differentiate their service offering with high quality voice calls on mobile networks. With HD, customers can talk normally and be heard clearly, without having to raise their voice, even in noisy environments. Airtel says the service will enable more Nigerians enjoy a more fulfilling Christmas cel-

ebration and enter the New Year in grand style as they connect to unite with friends, family members and loved ones across the country. Speaking on the network innovation, the Chief Operating Officer, Deepak Srivastava said Airtel is committed to improving the quality and coverage of its network and also building the most robust network Infrastructure in Nigeria. “We will keep raising the level of our investment in Nigeria. Today, we have the largest and widest 3.75G coverage in the country and we have recorded several milestones in network quality improvement and general customer experience. “Only recently, we recorded huge success in our 4G Trial test in Lagos and now we have deployed HD Voice service across key 3.75G locations in the country. Indeed, this demonstrates our commitment to Nigerians, testifying to our corporate vision of becoming the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians,” he said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, Decemeber 27, 2012

Brands & Marketing

2012: Walking on tight budget While many players in the key sub-sectors of the marketing communications industry hoped for a better business year in 2012, the subsidy removal debacle that greeted the year with its attendant slow growth of GDP to 6.48 percent as against expected 7.8 per cent budget growth dampened such optimism. As brands experience growth in the year, brand managers from advertising, PR and marketing had it tough on slim budget, writes ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

t was a year many players in marketing communications sectorwould not want repeated in the coming year. As a sector whose fortune relies on the clean bill of health of other sectors of the economy, there are no better words to describe year 2012 other than “year of volatility”. Coming from the lingering global economic crunch, to Euro zone and finally into the fuel subsidy debacle, the marketing communication sector witnessed decline in ad spend due to a more prudent campaign plan. Indeed some agencies had to close down. Besides the economy is quagmire, the sector was confronted with activities of government agencies that regulate outdoor advertising across the country which forced rates to sky-rocket especially at the time advertisers reduced ad budget. With about 60 per cent agencies closed, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria in collaboration with other stakeholders which includes Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN), Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) and others whose businesses were also affected, rose against the state signage agencies to stop killing already comatose sub-sector in the name of generating internal revenue. At the 2012 Advertising Forum where stakeholders from the industry and government bared their minds on the regulation of outdoor business by state agencies, the chairman of APCON that Mr. ‘Lolu Akinwunmi said at the forum, Out of N28 billion total outdoor revenue nationwide, Lagos has the share of 17 per cent. We have over 65 outdoor managing over 750 billboards cross the country. But it suffers over 100 percent decline as a result of multiple taxes.” Also, the chairman of OAAN, Mr. Charles Chijide noted that OAAN lost over 60 per cent revenue to multiple taxes and levies as a result of desperate drive for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by various states advertisement and signage. The Chairman of MediaLink, Mr. Akinbobola Babu told National Mirror that, “many senior practitioners have opted for government and political jobs

IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND THE BUSINESS NEEDS TO SCALE DOWN ON COST SIGNIFICANTLY as a result of over regulation and lull in the industry.” Besides outdoor, the advertising creative agencies which recorded a significant increase in ad spend in 2011, battled with cash crunch in 2012 and led many leading agencies closing their second line agencies. Between June and July, the industry witnessed the closure of Azzagai, an Insight Communications’ second line shop and Quest Publicis, SO&U’s second line agency. The closure came barely two weeks after the AAAN affirmed at its AGM in Ibadan that its membership list dropped from 100 to 78. Azzagai was reported to “have lost virtually all its businesses without winning any new account after its re-launch about two years ago. Also, the Group CEO, SO & U Advertising group, Ufot Udeme said the decision to close Quest Publicis was a “cost-cutting strategy.” He said, “It has been a tough operating environment and the business needs to scale down cost significantly,” Udeme told National Mirror. However, to prevent being sunk into the murky volatile operating environment in 2012, one of the oldest ad agencies, STBMcCAN Ericson, reportedly sold its agelong sprawling Tower office at Yaba and relocated to a newly purchased tastefully furnished property at Ajanaku, Ikeja opposite its competitor, SO& U at Ikeja. In

Ebube

addition, the agency owned by Sir Steve Omojafor also relieved its Managing Director, Mr. Rufai Ladipo of his post in a move that also made him step down from re-contesting as President of AAAN. Mrs. Bunmi Oke, was elected unopposed. For PR agencies, the year was not entirely tough. The Quadrant Compnany, Brooks and Blakes, BlueFlower, C & F Porter Novelli, BD Consult and few others were able to benefit from the budget cut experienced in the Outdoor advertising who are major benefactors in marketing communication budget. During its end of the year Chrismas Carol last week the Managing Director of TQC, Mr. Bolaji Okusaga, said for his agency, it was a great year, full of accounts winning and impact delivery. In a review of the industry, the President of Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN), and Managing Director of BlueFlower, Mr. Chido Nwakama said, “Year 2012 was a significant year for public relations in Nigeria as it made steady progress though quietly. There

were positive developments in the private sector as well as in the public sector.” Unlike outdoor and ad agencies that witnessed membership decline, PRCAN said its membership grew in 2012 while many are still on the queue. “The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations elevated five senior professionals to Fellow category, the highest honour, at the last annual conference in Akure attended by over 250 professionals. In the private sector, recognition and deployment of public relations as a strategic tool has continued to grow. Firms that hitherto did not deploy public relations are beginning to do so; firms in the PZ Cussons Group engaged public relations agencies for the first time to help drive their marketing communications.” he said. At the regulatory level, APCON, the industry regulator for advertising businesses set several agenda in 2012 through propose industry reform and alcoholic beverage marketing communication. As Nigeria’s beer consumer market continues to record growth hanging at 19.5 million hectoliters in 2012 and in excess of $3billion capital investment as well as taxes and levies standing in excess of N100million per annum, Stakeholders the 2012 APCON summit in partnership with International Center for Alcohol Policies, (ICAP) and Beer Sector Group, (BSG), set the agenda for alcoholic beverage advertisement to reduce health hazards, road accidents as well as other social vices claimed to have been aggravated by abuse of alcohol consumption. The stakeholders charged brewers to adopt responsible approach to their promotion messages in line with global standard. The year also, witnessed one of the craziest brand promos where MTN offered Aeroplane as prize in its MTN Ultimate Wonder Promo. The promos fuelled public outrage against bogus promos. Eventually on November 12, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), banned all promotions and lotteries ran by telecommunications network operators in the country. Although, the MTN Ultimate Wonder Promo was not banned as a 27 year-old student, Gladys Ebube has won the much talked about MTN airplane. The winner opted to walk away with a cash prize equivalent of N64million. The telecoms operators later suspended some of their promos. The year also witnessed rising hopes for online shopping. Jumia, Sunglass. com, Glamour.com, Dealdey among others emerged strongly in 2012 as alternative to conventional retail shops. With about 50 million internet users, the Chief Executive Officer of of Sunglass.com and Glamour, Mr. Jaime Moreno, who started the online shops six months ago, said online shopping enjoys growing shoppers in 2012. Meanwhile, the Marketing Director, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, described year 2012 as a challenging year for the industry. “It was a volatile year considering what happened in the beginning of the year and globally,” he said.

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, Decemeber 27, 2012

‘2012 was a significant year for public relations’

The President of Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) and Chief Executive of BlueFlower, a PR firm with blue-chip clients, Mr. Chido Nwakanma, says PR experienced positive development in 2012 in this interview with ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI.

How has the PR business fared in 2012? ear 2012 was a significant year for public relations in Nigeria as it made steady progress though quietly. There were positive developments in the private sector as well as in the public sector. Following representations by the Council of the NIPR, led by its President, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, the Federal bureaucracy has now formally recognised the public relations cadre up to Director level in the Federal civil service. The recognition means that professionals can enter the civil service to pursue a long career in their field and not have to move to other sectors for progression.

public and private sector bodies. It has also commenced a brand building campaign, engage a PRCAN agency that invites public and private sector organisations to consider what the I call the “strategic capability and flexibility of deployment” of the suite of tools in the public relations arsenal.

What is the strength of membership like in 2012? The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations elevated five senior professionals to Fellow category, the highest honour, at the last annual conference in Akure attended by over 250 professionals. In the private sector, recognition and deployment of public relations as a strategic tool has continued to grow. Firms that hitherto did not deploy public relations are beginning to do so; firms in the PZ Cussons Group engaged public relations agencies for the first time to help drive their marketing communications. Membership

Many people tend to limit PR business. Beyond media relations, what other areas is PR active?

Nwakanma

of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria grew to 46 members, with nearly that number on the queue for membership. This has to do with increased activism and relevance of the association, propelled by a new executive council led by me. What are your plans for the new PRCAN? I was elected on October 19, the new PRCAN exco is implementing an aggressive four-point programme that encompasses advocacy, professionalism, capacity development and building the right structures for both public relations and the association. One of the key planks is an advocacy programme involving visits to relevant

The survey of member firms shows we render service in 21 different areas. They range from advocacy through brand building to issues management, corporate communication, community relations to trade promotion, strategy and the traditional media engagement and event management. We have businesses relating to advocacy, brand building, content development, community relations, corporate communication, corporate social investment, crisis management and communication, documentation, event management, government relations, internal relations, investor relations, issues management, lobbying, media engagement. Others are, perception audits, public affairs, publications & editorial services, reputation management, strategy and trade promotion

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Winners emerge in DStv mega promo

In keeping faith with its promise to reward its customers, MultiChoice Nigeria, the leading pay-tv content provider, has presented an Abuja based businessman, Mr. Alloysius Onuoha, who recently emerged as the first winner of the ongoing DStvmega promo, with a brand new Renault Sports Utility Vehicle. The SUV is one of the five vehicles on offer in the DStv mega promo. Onuoha, who could not hide his joy at the presentation ceremony in Lagos, said, ‘Winning one of the star prizes on offer is significant especially as it coincided with my wedding anniversary which I had planned to celebrate with my wife abroad but for providence, I had to cancel the trip and opted instead to purchase a DStv decoder just two weeks back.” His plan of buying the decoder was to keep him company with quality programmes and it was therefore a pleasant surprise when he was called up and informed of his winning one of the Renault Duster SUVs on offer. Onuoha added that “The car is coming at an auspicious time and it is indeed a wedding anniversary gift to remember.” Also at the presentation, an all-expense ticket to the 2013 All African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in South Africa was presented to Toyo Osai, the first subscriber to emerge in that category, whilst MultiChoice is reaching out to present various prizes to winners all over Nigeria. General Manager, DStv Nigeria, Mr. Mayo Okunola noted during the presentation that the emergence of thefirst set of winners shows the commitment of MultiChoice Nigeria to consistently reward customersfor their loyalty. He emphasized that many more prizes including four Renault SUVs are still available for subscribers to win over the next few weeks. The ongoing DStv mega promo is offering both new and existing subscribers equal chances of winning any of the brand-new Renault SUVs, lots of all-expense paid trips to South Africa to watch the forthcoming African Cup of Nations tournament in January, LCD television sets and many other prizes on offer upon the purchase of either a complete DStv system for new subscribers, or paying up subscription for upwards of three months for active subscribers. The ongoing promo which kicked off late November is expected to run for the next few weeks to herald the New Year.

Mouka rewards distributors at end of year party

L-R. MD/CEO Rosabel, Kayode Oluwasona; CEO Simon Page Business school, Princewill Omorogiuwa and Brand Manager, Star Larger, Obabiyi Fagade, at the school’s end of year dinner and award held recently.

Promasidor elevates Onyekachi Onubogu to Commercial Director STORIES: ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

romasidor Nigeria Limited, makers of quality food products has elevated Mr. Onyekachi Onubogu to the position of Commercial Director with effect from January 1, 2013. Prior to this elevation, he had been the Marketing Director of the company since February 2012. Onubogu, is an experienced marketing and business development manager with cross functional and multi-national living and working experience

across Africa. His career has spanned over 18years in the sales, marketing, finance and general management functions. He joined Promasidor in September 2010 as General Manager Marketing. Before joining Promasidor, he was an associate director with Prosperity Capital Management, Nairobi in Kenya from September 2008 to September 2010, as well as marketing manager with Family Care, Kimberly Clark, South Africa from January 2008 to August 2008.

He has also worked with Guinness Nigeria Plc as marketing manager for two years and with Procter & Gamble in Nigeria and South Africa for 10 years. He is an Alumni of the prestigious Wharton Business School , where he studied Advanced Management Programme in 2012 . He also has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Gordon’s Institute of Business Sciences, University of Pretoria South Africa and a first degree in Physics from the University of Jos Nigeria.

In a bid to appreciate the good works of its partners who have worked impressively in the year 2012, leading manufacturer of mattresses, Mouka Limited has rewarded its numerous distributors across the country in the annual Mouka distributors’ End of Year Awards party. The awards ceremony was organised in Ibadan, Lagos, Benin and Owerri for all Mouka distributors across the country. At the colourful ceremony in Lagos which attracted the chairman and other members of the Mouka board of directors as well numerous distributors, the Managing Director, Mouka Limited, Mrs Peju Adebajo stated that the End of Year Awards party not only provides the opportunity to reward excellence and performance but also creates an avenue to gather together while thanking God for his mercies all through the year. Adebajo appreciated all distributors and affirmed that the growth of Mouka business and continued sustenance of the firm is based on their unwavering patronage and support, ‘We hold our partners and distributors in a high esteem and recognise their key contributions in achieving our mission of adding comfort to lives”.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Brands & Marketing

Thursday, Decemeber 27, 2012

Guinness promotes road safety campaign ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI

uinness Nigeria, the nation’s leading brewing company, has partnered with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in a bid to encourage responsible and safe driving in the ember months through the festive period. Guinness Nigeria and FRSC Lagos State team led an enthusiastic crowd of officials, staff and members of the public as it embarked on a walk to raise awareness for the Don’t Drive Drunk campaign in Lagos. Speaking, Mr Sesan Sobowale, Corporate Relations Director, represented by Mrs Adrianne Nwagwu, Head, Sustainability and Responsibility said the campaign is part of

Guinness Nigeria’s Responsible Drinking agenda. “At Guinness Nigeria, we are extremely committed to responsible drinking and enlightening the public about the values of responsible alcohol consumption. During the festive period especially we are eager to create increased awareness to ensure that Nigerians have an incident free experience. Partnering with the FRSC is great for us because they are such a credible organisation and over the years, we have all seen the fantastic work they have done in ensuring safety on Nigeria roads.” The campaign which was flagged off with a road walk, began at the headquarters of Guinness Nigeria at Oba Akran in Lagos before leading a crowd of more than 500 individuals all

the way to the bridge at Ikeja, down to Allen and back to the head office. The Don’t Drive Drunk campaign focuses on issues regarding health, safety and responsibility encouraging Nigerians to make the right decisions about driving after consuming alcohol. Also speaking during the 7km walk, the FRSC Sector Commander, Lagos State, Nseobong Akpabio said the campaign is part of the FRSC activities threads the level of awareness on the need for all road users to recognise that attitudinal change is a must in attainment of safe road culture. He also applauded Guinness Nigeria on the partnership and enjoined individuals to plug into this worthy cause.

Branch manager, Mr Linus Eshiet and Admin Officer, Miss Olotewo Ejiro of Shoprite Ikeja, presenting N270,000 worth of shopping vouchers to Mrs Veronica Obi, Matron and pupils of the Beth Torrey Home for Mentally Challenged and Handicapped Children, in Lagos recently.

Nigerian media and the challenges of professionalism

he journalism profession which is the fourth Estate of the realm has become a dump ground for all sorts of unscrupulous elements. The rate at which fake journalists spring up has become alarming. This is because the profession has become saturated to the extent the “fake” are gaining the upper hand. I had an experience years back at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja. The then Group CEO of Transcorp, Tom Iseghohi was bombarded by fake journalists and I suddenly became a security detail at an event I was to coordinate the media. I have also witnessed events where ordinary microphones and tape recorders were the visible means of identification by the so called “journalists”. This upsurge in the discovery of fake

media practitioners should be given utmost priority. The truth should be told that there is a professional decadence in the media. It is very pathetic that the media is gradually descending to a state of abyss. There should be concerted efforts to check the influx of these fake practitioners who continue to drag the image of the profession in the mud. The rot in the profession is not also limited to the issue of fake journalists. It applies to the practising journalists as well. The present generation of journalists are no longer interested in professionalism through their deeds and action. There is no pursuit for cerebral inputs again as intellectual lethargy has become the order of the day. The media needs to be rebranded and positioned as a noble profession that it is.

ad VA NT AG E icon

he leadership role exemplified by the seasoned ad executive often referred to as The guru of Nigerian Advertising comes to fore and significance wherever the history of Nigerian advertising is being recounted. Chris Awusa Doghudje is one of the founding fathers of Nigerian advertising and by record, a man of no lean professional stature. Doghudje began his professional career at the nation’s foremost advertising agency, Lintas, in 1967. He later joined OBM, another outstanding agency of the time, as Client Director between 1972 and 1978. He made a return to Lintas in 1978 as Client Service Director and grew through the ranks to the position of Managing Director of Lintas Nigeria in 1985 till 1992 when he retired. An alumnus of University of Lagos, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication in 1966, He confirmed his leadership skills and the vibrant role he had played in the development of advertising when he became the third Lintas alumni to head the umbrella body which regulates advertising practice in Nigeria, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), as chairman between May 2007 and May 2010. Vintage Doghudje as he is fondly called by admirers has authored over 100 lecture papers and articles on advertising and related subjects. He also authored Advertising in Nige-

Brand X-Ray with Ayodeji Ayopo Tel: 08023448199 E-mail: mayomipo@yahoo.com Professionalism has been relegated to the background while ethics remain alien word to the present crop of media practitioners. The media has become a commercialised venture because everyone wants to make it the fast way. The situation further degenerates through the non-payment of salaries by some media organisations. Media practitioners of the affected establishments use that as a strong point to extort money to eke out a living. When I was a cub-reporter with Sketch Press Ltd, I was in the training school for three weeks. My colleagues and I were subjected to rigorous training before we were admitted into the newsroom. When I also ap-

plied for a reportorial job with the Guardian newspaper, I was also thoroughly trained under the supervision of Late Doyin Mahmud, a journalist par excellence who was the training Editor. The question is; how many media houses train their reporters nowadays? It is highly embarrassing that our present day journalists cannot even write well. They lack the basic skills that can distinguish them as core professionals in their chosen field of human endeavour. It is shocking when journalists attend a briefing and they request that you should send materials to them! The future of the new entrants is being jeopardised when they

Doghudje

HE BECAME THE THIRD

LINTAS

ALUMNI TO HEAD THE UMBRELLA BODY WHICH REGULATES ADVERTISING PRACTICE IN

NIGERIA rian Perspective” in 1985 and edited the popular book “How to Get the Best Results from an Ad Agency in 1977. Doghudje presently oversees Zus Bureau, a firm of advertising consultants, trainers and publishers, as Chief Executive; and loves reading and writing . are not given the training that can make them excel in the profession. The new entrants need to be polished to embrace the ethics of the profession. Without doubt, we have some eminent journalists who are passionate about excellence in the profession. There are some who have become good role models for the new generation of media practitioners. One cannot but commend the efforts of Mr Lekan Otufodurin, Editor, The Nation On-Line who organis es capacity building workshops for journalists. He has an annual young journalist’s competition where the skills and competencies of new entrants are developed and harnessed for maximum impact. Though the media is not insulated from the malaise of corruption but as watchdogs, there is every need to elevate the profession beyond the pedestrian. The task though herculean is one that must be accomplished by all and sundry.

Global Business

Thursday, December 27, 2012

IMF sees European banks facing $4.5 trillion sell-off

he International Monetary Fund said European banks may need to sell as much as $4.5 trillion in assets through 2013 if policy makers fall short of pledges to stem the fiscal crisis, up 18 percent from its April estimate. Failure to implement fiscal tightening or set up a single supervisory system in the timing agreed could force 58 European Union banks from UniCredit SpA to Deutsche Bank AG to shrink assets, the IMF wrote in its Global Financial Stability Report released Tuesday. That would hurt credit and crimp growth by 4 percentage points next year in Greece, Cyprus, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, Europe’s periphery. “There is definitely a need for deleveraging in Europe,” said Michael Seufert, an analyst at Norddeutsche Landesbank in Hanover, Germany, with a “negative” rating on the European banking sector. “The danger is that this produced a downward spiral as the regulation gets stricter and stricter and the global economy cools, potentially meaning more writedowns for banks. States in the periphery are hit hardest.” The IMF doesn’t need to lend money to

Draghi

Spain to help the country tackle its fiscal crisis, Managing Director Christine Lagarde indicated yesterday. The Washingtonbased fund earlier this week cut its global growth forecasts and warned of even slower expansion if European officials don’t address threats to their economies. Asian stocks fell for a third day yes-

terday on global growth concerns, with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index down 0.9 percent. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index declined 0.2 percent yesterday in Frankfurt and the euro was little changed, trading at $1.2893. While the European Central Bank’s plan to purchase bonds of debt-burdened countries has pushed down bond yields, officials are waiting for a bailout request from Spain before putting the programme into action. The European rescue mechanism and the ECB bond programme “must be regarded by markets as real, not ‘virtual’ and should be coupled with credible conditionality,” Jose Vinals, the director of the IMF’s monetary and capital markets department, said in prepared remarks for a press conference in Tokyo. ECB President Mario Draghi in July pledged to do “whatever it takes” to preserve the monetary union, which has been battered by a three-year debt crisis triggered by Greece’s hidden budget shortfall. He said in September that the Frankfurt-based bank may buy the bonds of nations that submit to the conditions of a rescue loan to lower yields.

Singapore may ease currency gain as growth slows

he Monetary Authority of Singapore will probably slow the pace of appreciation in the local dollar as moderating price pressures provide scope for measures to support economic growth, according to a survey of analysts. Officials will curb gains in Singapore’s currency when they meet Oct. 12 by decreasing the slope of its trading band, according to 17 of 23 financial companies surveyed by Bloomberg News. Two said there’s a chance the MAS will widen the band in addition to reducing its slope. Five predict no change, while one projected a shift to a zero slope, the poll showed. Recent data have shown bigger-thanforecast declines in manufacturing and exports, leading economists and investors to flag the risk of a technical recession. Singapore cut its 2012 growth forecast in August, and a report last month

indicated the slowest pace of inflation in almost two years. That means the MAS has room to spur the economy by stemming gains in the exchange rate, its main policy tool, according to analysts. “The Singaporean economy has largely underperformed the MAS’s expectations,” Frances Cheung, a Hong-Kong based strategist at Credit Agricole CIB, wrote in an e-mail October. 3. “The balance of risk has clearly shifted from inflation to growth.” Cheung predicted the MAS will announce a reduction to the Singapore dollar’s trading band slope. Singapore’s central bank uses the exchange rate rather than borrowing costs to conduct monetary policy, adjusting the pace of appreciation or depreciation against an undisclosed trade- weighted band of currencies by changing the slope, width and center of the band. A flatter slope allows slower appreciation or depreciation over time.

President Nathan

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Vodafone may avoid $2bn India tax after report

Andy Halford

odafone Group Plc may win a reprieve in a $2.2 billion Indian tax case after a panel opposed a retroactive clause in the nation’s laws that drove away foreign investors and pushed the rupee to a record low. Retrospective tax demands should only be made in “rarest of rare cases” and changes made to the way capital gains on cross-border deals are taxed should only apply to future transactions, the committee said in a draft report yesterday. Should the government accept the advice, Vodafone won’t be liable for its 2007 purchase of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. (13)’s Indian assets, Ernst & Young LLP and KPMG said. The recommendations were posted on the finance ministry’s website less than a month after Vodafone expressed willingness to settle the case provided it could just pay the original tax claim and not the penalty and interest. Chief Financial Officer Andy Halford said in a September. 14 interview that he may make a provision to cover legal risks after former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee amended the tax law in March. India’s Supreme Court had ruled in January that the operator isn’t liable and dismissed the government’s case. “If the report is fully implemented, then Vodafone will be exonerated entirely,” said Mumbai-based Dinesh Kanabar, chairman of taxes at KPMG’s local unit. “The retrospective amendment, if deemed to be a valid law, would allow the government to proceed against Hutch, not Vodafone. Whether they want to do that is a separate issue.” The panel, set up by Mukherjee’s successor Palaniappan Chidambaram, seeks to undo some of the amendments to “better reflect principles of equity and probity” in commonly recognised tax laws.

Noda says Japan prepared to act on yen as strength hurts

Noda

apanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said his government will act against any disorderly gains for the yen, and urged policy makers around the world to follow through on pledges to rebalance global demand. “We have to observe the market closely to see whether there are excessive or disorderly moves” in the currency market, Noda, 55, said in an interview yesterday at his office in Tokyo. The yen’s strength is a “serious problem,” is out of step with Japan’s economic performance and “when necessary, we will take decisive action,” he said. Noda spoke on the eve of a gathering

of the Group of Seven in Tokyo, where finance chiefs will assess the recovery from the 2009 global recession. The prime minister said, “we have seen a certain amount of progress, but we must remain on our guard.” Japan will continue to contribute to market stability as the world’s largest creditor nation, he said. The prime minister also urged the Bank of Japan to take “decisive” action at the right time to end deflation that’s eroded wages and growth. The world’s third-largest economy will shrink in the last two quarters of the year, according to forecasts from Morgan Stanley and BNP Paribas in Tokyo,

hampered by weakening export demand in China and Europe and strength in the yen that has contributed to record losses in Japan’s electronics industry. The yen is about 4 percent from a postwar high against the dollar, at 78.31 Tuesday. in Tokyo. The gathering of G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors follows efforts by Europe to address its debt crisis with the establishment of the 500-billion euro ($648 billion) European Stability Mechanism. Japan has supported Europe through the purchase of rescue-fund bonds and increased contributions to the International Monetary Fund.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Thursday, December 27, 2012

NSE extends compliance date for companies with free float deficiencies Sanctions Dangote Cement, 96 others for late submition of results JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he Nigerian Stock Exchange has extended compliance due date for companies with free float deficiencies. The free float requirement for companies on the Main Board is 20 per cent and 15 per cent for ASEM companies. The due date for Dangote Cement Plc with 5.11 per cent free float deficiency is October 26, 2014, while Tourist Company of Nigeria Plc with free float deficiency of 1.31 per cent is February 28, 2013. According to the notice posted at the NSE’s website, the compliance due date for NPF Microfinance

Bank Plc with free float deficiency of 14.68 per cent, is May 31, 2013. The compliance due date for Union Bank of Nigeria Plc with 14 per cent free float deficiency is June 30, 2017, while Studio Press Plc with 2.82 per cent free float deficiency is required to conclude placing. The Exchanged explained that listed companies must maintain a minimum free float for the set standards under which they are listed in order to ensure that there is an orderly and liquid market in their securities. The notice said, “The Exchange has identified five companies that have free float deficiencies. These companies applied for waivers from the Quo-

tations Committee specifically provided compliance plans with tentative timelines to support their requests. “The Quotations Committee considered and approved an extended timeframe for the companies to regain compliance with the Listing Requirement.” The notice added that the companies are however required to also provide quarterly disclosure reports to the Exchange detailing their level of implementation of the compliance plans. Meanwhile, the Exchange has sanctioned 97 companies for late filings of their financial statements for the 2011 and 2012 respectively. In a notice titled, “Sanc-

tions for late Filings of Financial Statements,” the Exchange said it applied sanctions in accordance with provisions of Section 14 of Appendix 111 of the listing rules. Some of the companies are Unity Bank Plc, Multiverse Plc, Vitafoam Plc, Access Bank Plc, Ashaka Cement Plc, Unilever Plc, Curteville Business Solutions Plc, Dangote Cement Plc and International Breweries Plc. Others are Berger Paints Plc, Portland Paints Plc, SCOA Nigeria Plc, Dangote Sugar Plc, Julius Berger Plc, Vono Products Plc, Ikeja Hotel Plc, Dangote Flour Mills Plc, Dangote Sugar Plc, National Salt Company Plc among others.

US stocks edge higher ahead of cliff talk resumption

nited States stock index futures edged higher yesterday, indicating the S&P 500 may stem its worst two-day drop since midNovember, ahead of the resumption of fiscal cliff negotiations. US President Barack Obama is cutting short his Hawaiian holiday to leave for Washington on Wednesday to address the unfinished negotiations with Congress. “This is what we’ve come to - the President might get on a plane and this is what the markets might react to,” said Kim Forrest, senior equity re-

search analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh. A Republican plan that failed to gain traction last week triggered the recent decline in the S&P 500, highlighting market sensitivity to headlines centered around the talks. Investors will also look to housing data for signs of improvement in that sector of the economy, with the S&P Case/Shiller Home Price Index for October. Housing data has shown modest improvement in recent months, and continued strength could help support the sagging economy.

“The data is two months old, so it’s interesting, but I don’t know that people will react to it given these other more timely events,” said Forrest. S&P 500 futures rose three points and were slightly above fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures gained 17 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures climbed 3.25 points. The benchmark S&P index is up 13.4 per cent for the year, and has recouped nearly all of the losses suf-

fered in the wake of the US elections, when the fiscal cliff concerns moved to the forefront of investors’ focus. China’s Sinopec Group and ConocoPhillips will research potentially vast reserves of shale gas in southwestern China over the next two years, state news agency Xinhua reported. An outage at one of Amazon.com Inc’s web service centers hit users of Netflix Inc’s streaming video service on Christmas Eve and was not fully resolved until Christmas Day, a spokesman for the movie rental company said on Tuesday.

China shares eke out 3rd straight gain, property strong again

ainland China shares reversed midday losses to edge higher for a third straight day, with the property sector strong as investors found cheer in a media report outlining Beijing’s plan to further urbanise China. Investors took profit on the Chinese banking sector on Wednesday after the country’s vice finance minister warned of rising risks in the banking sector and pressure on government revenue in 2013. Hong Kong markets have been closed since midday on Monday for the

Christmas holiday and will resume trading on Thursday. The CSI300 of the top Shanghai and Shenzhen listings closed up 0.4 percent at 2,457.6. The Shanghai Composite Index crawled up 0.3 percent. Both indexes closed at their highest levels since July 6. Gains on Wednesday came in good volume as both indexes stayed above their 200-day moving average, a level they closed decisively above on Tuesday after strong gains that pushed the Shanghai Composite Index into positive

territory for 2012. After languishing in negative territory for almost six months, both onshore Chinese indexes are now set for their first annual gain in three years. Their 14-day relative strength index readings also suggest they are at their most overbought level in more than two years. “Investors are consolidating strong gains yesterday, but sentiment has clearly changed for the better,” said Zhong Hua, a Shanghai-based equity strategist with Guotai Junan Securities. “Not too long ago, prop-

erty stocks would have suffered if there were headlines, reiterating purchasing curbs for next year. Instead, they are extending strong gains on hopes of better demand from urbanisation policies,” Zhong added. Poly Real Estate rose two per cent to close at its highest since November 2009 in Shanghai. Shares in China’s second-largest property developer by sales are now up 57.2 per cent in 2012, compared with rises of 4.8 per cent for the CSI300 and 0.9 per cent for the Shanghai Composite.

Source: NSE Source: NSE

Market indicators Market indicators

All-Share Index 7,342,308 points All-Share Index 22,191.14 points Market capitalisation 23,066.74 trillion Market capitalisation 7,084 trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

AGLEVENT

1.20

1.26

0.06

5.00

INTBREW

6.61

6.94

0.33

4.99

CAP

24.12

25.32

1.20

4.98

REDSTAREX

2.62

2.75

0.13

4.96

BERGER

6.93

7.27

0.34

4.91

ETERNA

2.35

2.46

0.11

4.68

CADBURY

15.25

15.95

0.70

4.59

BAGCO

1.56

1.63

0.07

4.49

IKEJAHOTEL

1.12

1.17

0.05

4.46

AIRSERVICE

1.57

1.64

0.07

4.46

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CONTINSURE

0.63

0.60

0.03

-4.76

GTASSURE

1.75

1.67

0.08

-4.57

UTC

0.92

0.88

0.04

-4.35

STERLNBANK

1.07

1.03

0.04

-3.74

ROYALEX

0.55

0.53

0.02

-3.64

OANDO

13.99

13.61

0.38

-2.72

DANGFLOUR

6.30

6.13

0.17

-2.70

DANGCEM

112.40

110.00

2.40

-2.14

UNILEVER

35.50

35.00

0.50

-1.41

DANGSUGAR

4.55

4.50

0.05

-1.10

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Day

30,647.81

13.50

23-Aug-12

182-Day

20,000

15.50

23-Aug-12

364 -Day

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

178Days

14,231.30

15.50

23-Aug-12

118-Day

50,282.86

14.08

23-Aug-12

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$200m

N/A

$126m

15-Aug-12

$180m

N/A

$147m

13-Aug-12

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Global funds end bullish 2012 with some caution - Reuters poll

lobal investors pared back equity holdings as 2012 wound down, preferring to bank gains from a surprisingly bullish year as they awaited a green light from United States budget negotiations. With another roller coaster year underpinned by central bank money printing, signs of US and Chinese recoveries and a significant breakthrough in the euro zone debt crisis meant world markets are finishing the year on a high. Could you improve your pension with a SIPP? Request Free Guide The MSCI developed and emerging equities indexes are up over 17 per cent, for example, and few if any of the major equity markets are on course to end 2012 in the red. Respondents to Reuters’ latest monthly poll of 55 asset managers from the United States, Britain, continental Europe and Japan said they remained

Floor of the New York Stock Exchange

upbeat for the year ahead, backing moves into euro zone stocks and bonds, Chinese equities and emerging market debt in their hunt for yield. But strategic asset allocation

mixes appeared to stay cautious on lingering fears of the US fiscal cliff -- the automatic tax and spending crunch Democrats and Republicans have seeking to avoid since last month’s elec-

Consumer sentiment slumps in December as fiscal woes weigh

onsumer sentiment slumped in December as Americans were rattled by on-going negotiations to avert the tax hikes and spending cuts set to come into effect in the new year, data showed yesterday. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan’s final reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment tumbled to 72.9 from 82.7 in November, worse than forecasts for 74.7. It was the lowest level since July and also came in under December’s preliminary figure of 74.5. Talks to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff were thrown into disarray when Republican lawmakers failed to back an effort by House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner that was designed to extract concessions from President

Barack Obama. Economists say the economy could fall back into recession next year if the changes are allowed to go into full effect. Record numbers of consumers spontaneously mentioned their concerns that no resolution would be reached before year-end, the survey said. “Even if something is passed in the next week, unless it includes an extension of the payroll tax holiday, as well as no increase in income taxes except for the wealthy, consumers are likely to be disappointed,” survey director Richard Curtin said in a statement. Of those surveyed, 27 per cent said they were concerned about higher taxes, topping the prior high of 26 per cent seen in August 2011 in the wake of the drawn-out debt ceiling debate.

US stocks as measured by the SP500 index were down about 1.0 per cent in morning trading as hopes faded that a fiscal deal would be reached soon. Consumers were also less upbeat about the economic outlook, with 35 percent expecting unemployment to rise during 2013, up from 19 per cent in October. Only one-third expected an uninterrupted economic expansion over the next five years. The barometer of current economic conditions slipped to 87.0 from November’s 90.7, while the gauge of consumer expectations fell to 63.8 from 77.6. The survey’s one-year inflation expectation edged up to 3.2 per cent from 3.1 per cent, while the survey’s five-to-10-year inflation outlook rose to 2.9 per cent from 2.8 per cent.

Korea consumer confidence fails to gain amid export risks

outh Korean consumer confidence failed to improve this month as a budget stand-off in the United States and austerity measures in Europe highlighted risks for the nation’s exports. The sentiment index was at 99 in December, unchanged from November, indicating pessimists continue to outnumber optimists, the Bank of Korea said in a statement yesterday. The Finance Ministry may follow the Bank of Korea in paring its growth forecast for next year when it releases new projections tomorrow, according to An Ki Tae, an economist at Woori Investment and Securities Company in Seoul.

American lawmakers face a year-end deadline for preventing more than $600bn in scheduled tax increases and spending cuts from dragging down a recovery, while the euro region continues to wrestle with a sovereign-debt crisis. “The government’s current 4 percent projection is unrealistic, and they know it,” said An. “The Finance Ministry is likely to cut it down to a little above three percent to reflect increased uncertainties from the US and Europe.” The BOK estimates an expansion of 3.2 per cent in 2013 under the administration of Park Geun Hye, who takes office in February after winning an elec-

tion on December 19. The central bank made that forecast in October, reducing a July prediction of 3.8 per cent. In the third quarter of 2012, gross domestic product increased 1.5 per cent from a year earlier, the weakest pace since 2009. The won touched an almost two-week low of 1,076.45 per dollar against the dollar in Seoul on December 24 on concern that the US lawmakers won’t have enough time to agree on the budget revisions. The consumer confidence index is based on responses from 2,032 households in 56 cities, with the survey conducted by mail and telephone between December 10 and December 18.

tion. “Provided both sides of the US political divide can find a way to resolve the current US fiscal cliff impasse, and we can overcome other headwinds, as

2013 will hopefully see a further improvement in confidence,” said Mark Robinson, chief investment officer of Berry Asset Management. The poll shows global investors have more conservative positions on average this month than a year ago and the highest bond allocation in at least three years, with many citing tensions over the year-end deadline on the so-called cliff of harsh tax hikes and spending cuts that could damage an already weak economy. “I remain neutral on the markets while the uncertainty and risks surrounding the (fiscal cliff) are resolved,” said Alan Gayle, chief strategist at Ridgeworth Investments. The stalled US fiscal talks grew more heated on Wednesday and threatened to become even more so Thursday when the action is expected to shift for the first time to the floor of the US House of Representatives.

British investors hike exposure to stocks

ritish investors have greeted the year-end by sharply increasing their exposure to shares as hopes rise that economic stability and rising corporate profits will return in 2013. A monthly poll of 13 UKbased chief investment officers and fund managers found the average allocation to equities in global balanced portfolios jumped to 52.3 percent in December, from 50.8 percent a month earlier. The easiest way to build a stock market fortuneClick here to watchThe increase to the highest exposure to stocks since April marks an acceleration of rises over the second half of 2012. Portfolio managers attributed rising confidence to a sense that the world is no longer facing the kind of severe systemic risks seen earlier in the year such as the possible collapse of the euro. “The risks facing markets in 2013 are more likely to be normal risks, as opposed to the systemic, potentially extreme risks which markets faced in 2012,” said Alec Letchfield, chief investment officer for UK Wealth at HSBC Global Asset Management. Some respondents to the poll said they were expecting to be pleasantly surprised by a pick-up in good news about the world economy, further boosting their faith in stock markets.

“We believe that there will be an unexpected upturn in growth and sentiment, particularly in the US, which will help emerging markets and make things a whole lot more pleasant in 2013,” said Lee Robertson, chief executive officer of Investment Quorum. The rise in equity exposure came largely at the expense of allocations to alternative asset classes such as hedge funds, private equity or commodities, dropping to 11.4 per cent from 12.2 percent. The average allocation to bonds eased to 28.2 percent from 28.6 percent while cash was down 20 basis points at 5.4 per cent and property fell by the same amount to 2.7 per cent. But investors cautioned they remain cognisant of a number of potentially serious issues, particularly the knockon impact of policy tightening in the United States as the government grapples with deficits. The euro zone sovereign debt crisis remains unresolved and an economic slowdown in China could have unpredictable consequences around the world, they argue. “We are becoming more confident about a sustainable upturn in the global economy appearing by 2014. Nevertheless, there are risks to overcome,” said Andrew Milligan, head of global strategy at Standard Life Investments.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Fashola , wife fete children at end of year party M URITALA AYINLA

agos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and his wife, Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola recently hosted children at the 2012 End of Year Party with Governor Fashola enjoining the children to continue to study hard and be obedient students. The Governor who spoke at the open grounds of Lagos House, Ikeja, before a large gathering of very happy and enthusiastic children who were having fun also thanked the children for abiding by his advice to them last year that they should be up and doing in their studies. He also commended teachers in the state for imparting knowledge to the students, adding that the results are already becoming evident in results being turned out at the school certificate examinations. Governor Fashola added that from the 2011 results when only 19 per cent of the students who sat for the exams passed with five credits including Mathematics and English, it has moved to 39.8 per cent in 2012. He stated that the improvement is only indicative of the fact that the administration is moving in the right direction just as the government is also improving the quality of schools, training of teachers as well as an improvement of hospitals and healthcare system. The governor also charged all the mothers at the ceremony to become the ambassador of the state by help-

Gov. Fashola (m) and others jointly cutting the cake during the Lagos State Year 2012 Children’s Annual End of the Year Party.

ing to look after the children and ensuring that for those who have not been immunized against the child killer diseases, they are taken for immunization. He also acknowledged the contributions of public servants who assist the government in serving the citizenry, the policemen who look after the people and make everyone safe,

the firemen who keep Lagos safe and all the street sweepers who keep Lagos clean. Governor Fashola appealed to all those who do not pay their taxes to do so in order to allow the children have more opportunities for recreation, to learn in the schools and more drugs in the public hospitals. Speaking earlier, the First Lady,

Dame Emmanuella Abimbola Fashola charged the children to continue to be obedient children and pray for their parents and the nation at large so that the country can continue to be peaceful. She wished all the children in Lagos and their parents a peaceful and wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I feel sad when I see children not in school –Choco Girl L EONARD O KACHIE

ast rising 14-year-old singer and performer, Ebun Oluwa Alaba, a.k.a Choco Girl has said that she is not happy with the situation whereby more and more Nigerian children do not have access to quality education because their parents cannot afford it. Choco Girl who started singing and dancing professionally at age of 5 in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, PPC Parish, Ogba, Lagos said she will do everything within her capacity to encourage children to go to school in order to have a stable future. “It is not a good thing for children not to go to school. They need quality education in order to secure their future. It may be that the parents of those children cannot afford it but on my own, I have started doing something,” she said. Asked to be specific about her contribution towards kids’ education in the country, the Ile-Oluji, Ondo State born artiste said, “Since I started sing-

ing professionally about eight years ago I’ve been saving some money from the little I’ve been making from my shows and sales of my works. That’s why I have instituted a scheme this year whereby I award scholarship to underprivileged children. My target is 5 children every year. And I call on well meaning Nigerians, organizations and government agencies to imbibe this good gesture so that we can have a country we can be proud to call our own in future.” Choco Girl released her first album entitled Jesus Loves Me at age 5. Then she was known as Ebun Oluwa. So, why Choco now? She simply responded thus: “It’s about what I like best. I love chocolate, noodles and cartoons (Hannah Montan). I cannot bear noodles or cartoon as a stage name, so I decided to adopt Chocolate for its outstanding flavour, you know. That’s how I came about Choco Girl.” She is currently working on a follow-up to her second album entitled Romans 10 verse 11 which she released at the age of 7. She entitled the current

Choco Girl

work, Ayo. It contains eight songs. The ever busy performer who was recently honoured with a special recognition award by the Association of

Movie Journalists of Nigeria for her positive contributions to the country’s entertainment industry is grateful to her parents for their encouragement and support. She is quick to say that in spite of her tight schedule in show business, she does not play with her studies. “I have my time table which takes care of each aspect of my life. I have timetable for school, church activities and my domestic work. None infringes on the other. That is why my teachers are happy with me and my passion which is music,” said the kid singer who, in another 20 years, wants to be the best musician that has ever emerged in this part of the world. Apart from music, Choco Girl who is currently in Senor Secondary Class 3 also wants to become a medical doctor in future. And she has some words for her peers:“You can make it if you try. You can take up your talent while still in school; all you need to do is remain focused. Parents should also encourage their children to achieve their ambition.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Young & Next Generation

Thursday, December 27, 2012

How we’re empowering Makoko youths –Falodi-Apoeso Pastor Margaret Falodi-Apoeso is a woman of many parts. She’s a social worker in the United Kingdom, a pastor, politician as well as the executive officer of ASMAT Foundation which is committed to empowering youths at Makoko, in Lagos. She speaks with PADE OLAPOJU on her experience working with youths in Nigeria and the UK. Excerpts: What informed the establishment of ASMAT Foundation? When the Foundation started, we had the intention of working in Makoko community with women, since I work with young people in the community in the United Kingdom. I changed my mind when I visited Makoko and I saw jobless young people, not in school and they were just roaming about. I changed my mind that I would work with the young people in this community based on my work with the young people in the UK. We thought if we started with the young people, they would be able to empower the community, women, men and elders, that was our aim. And I got in touch with someone in Makoko who has the same vision and organization to partner so as to be able to execute the project here. How is it empowering the Makoko youths? We actually started here with vocational training for the youths. We teach them different kinds of skills to empower them. We have distributed toys and children’s clothes and we’ve had support from the Redeemed Christian Church of God. They came here from Redeemed Camp to support us. We distributed treated mosquito nets and plastics. Each time we come here, we normally give them health lectures on tuberculosis and HIV-AIDs. Most of the children here don’t go to school. They are always seen hawking during school hours. The parents don’t want them to go to school because these children are helping in augmenting the family’s income. The government needs to do something urgently in this regard. They need to go into the interior and enforce parents to send their children to school. The government needs to visit Makoko especially. Many of them who don’t hawk are always gathered to drink and smoke and waste their lives away. It is so sad. But today, we are giving out rice, tin tomatoes, washing soap, etc. for them to celebrate Christmas. And we are also raising awareness for HIV-AIDS. That is why we are giving out female condoms because the rate of reproduction here is high. I have an aide here who has been giving birth to babies yearly for the past 3 or 4 years. She says it is a mistake. There’s no recreation here, no electricity. So the pastime is sex! How is the project funded? Do you have sponsors? For now, nobody is sponsoring us. But there are some organisations in London who are interested in sponsoring us. They have visited Makoko, but they impressed it on us to have a functional office here before they could fund the project. When they came here, they saw the problem on ground, but they were not happy that we don’t have a functional office here. That is why we are appealing to the Baale to give us a piece of land for us to build a functional office here for us to keep documents as well as to serve as a meeting place. The global recession also affected Europe and

government there spoils the youth. That is why you see them getting pregnant from 18 years or even below. Many are also involved in crime.

Falodi-Apoeso

by extension, affected grants to NGO’s. That also affected us too. For now, I am using my own money and support from my children to sponsor these projects and donations from church. What motivated you into starting the Foundation? I left this country for London 20 years ago. When I got to London, I encountered God’s favour. I never encountered problems that migrants have. Also, relocation of my four children to the UK was a miracle. Within a year of my relocation, I was able to bring them all into the UK. It was a marvellous thing that the Lord did for me, and I vowed to repay the society, hence my venturing into a foundation to take care of youths both in the UK and in Nigeria. So, why youths? My children were youths at that time. Though I love youths, but youths in Britain are difficult to work with. African youths always miss it in the UK because of the conflict of culture. Most African youths over there are wayward. You can imagine your child telling you, “don’t be stupid, mummy”, “shut up mummy”, etc. Such a thing can’t happen here in Africa. It is a taboo. Most children brought up in the UK don’t have manners. There is too much freedom for them. You dare not beat them; otherwise you could be charged and imprisoned for abuse. The society there encourages children to call the police to arrest their parents even when you talk to them in a harsh way. So, Africans in the UK cannot discipline their children there. Even African women are not spared in this indiscipline because the society favours the woman against the man. Many of them change husbands anyhow. If the man does not behave to their satisfaction, they call the police and send the man packing. Why would you want to bring up your children in that kind of society? The society there has its own advantages and disadvantages. As a minor in Britain, education is free up to the univer-

sity level. They will even give you grants, scholarships and loans that you may end up not paying back unless you have a good job. There are lots of attractive opportunities for children over there. More so, Nigerian universities are not recognised globally. If you are able to bring your children into the UK, they will enjoy a lot of these opportunities. But you need to train your children well here in the African way of life before taking them to the UK. I made sure all my children finished at least secondary school here before relocating them there. It made it easy for me to counsel them against joining the youths there to misbehave. There are more opportunities for young people and women over there. There is free food in school, and if you are interested in reading, the government will be giving you thirty pounds every week. If you are up to 18 years and you are still staying with your parents, you are entitled to a flat to live on your own. So, you see,

Are you thinking of resettling your children in Nigeria? Ah! What are they going to do when they come here? In Nigeria, your getting a good job depends on who you know. Where are they going to start from? They are not even ready to come back because they know what is happening in Nigeria. What about security? What about electricity, water? I have my own house in Lagos, but I dare not stay there whenever I’m around for fear of robbers attacking me, especially when they hear you are fresh from the UK, they think you have money. So, I’ve been staying in hotels since I came back. The roads are bad and insecure. People abroad are afraid of all these reports and government doesn’t seem to be doing anything. What has the PDD -led government been doing on roads, electricity, and security? What exactly is the focus of this government? Most of our leaders have been abroad and they know how government is responsive to the people’s needs there. Our own leaders are just laundering money abroad. No jobs for the youths, the ones who learn some skills cannot practice because of lack of electricity. So, they take to crime and prostitution. Government should empower the youths, set up vocational schools for them to have skills. If you are skilled and you don’t have a job; you can practice your trade or skills that you learnt and be independent. Not all of us can work in the office. The government should establish more technical colleges and vocational schools so that youths can be self-employed and the crime rate will reduce

Minister advocates mentoring on ecological safety TOLA AKINMUTIMI

ABUJA

he Minister of Youth Development, Inuwa Abdul-Kadir, has advocated for the mentoring of Nigerian and other youths in the African continent on ecological safety in order to secure future generations and for sustainable development. Making the case for ecological safety mentoring for youths in his address during the just concluded World Ecological Safety Assembly organised by International Ecological Safety Collaborative Organization held in Bali, Indonesia, Abdul-Kadir stated that the need to involve youths in tackling future ecological challenges had become imperative in view of growing population of youths as well as the need to groom for future leadership challenges. A statement by the Assistant Director (Press and Public Relations Department of the Ministry), Mr. Olusola Abiola, on the

event, quoted the minister as emphasising the great role youths can play in world affairs, particularly in present and future initiatives which border on ecologically safe environment for sustainable socioeconomic growth even as he spoke on the drawbacks of ecological disasters such as flood disaster, desertification, gully erosion, drought and deforestation on the socio-economic and political environment The minister commented on the debilitating effects of these natural disasters on the continent particularly in Nigeria, lamenting that they have been aggravated by inadequate education and lack of infrastructure for prevention or mitigation. While canvassing an innovative strategy to tackle the challenges, Abdul-Kadir advised participants at the forum to develop a holistic pro-active programme of action plans which would allow the youths to participate actively in early warning and preventive advocacy on ecological safety.

Media

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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'Financial consolidation a must for L EONARD O K ACHIE

he media plays a significant role in any society and for it to function effectively there must be financial consolidation. Executive director of the Pan-African Institute for consumers’ citizenship and development (Cicodev), Amadou Kanouté also expressed this point of view, noting that financial consolidation is a must for a good performance of media groups. According to Kanouté, the development of the media cannot be achieved unless there is financial consolidation which would come, for example, from governments or other forms of supports to the media. He was speaking on the occasion of the public debate on the theme "Media and Citizenship" held at the big amphitheatre of the Faculty of Medicine of Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD); this, as a prelude to the opening of the fifth edition of the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF). The AMLF is the flagship programme of African Media Initiative (AMI), providing media owners and operators an exciting opportunity to

Delegates discuss the future of the media industry, in Dakar, Senegal.

interact with peers, investors, policy makers, development partners and technology leaders. The main theme for the three-day meeting held recently in Dakar, focused on “Africa 3.0: Strengthening Media and Governance through Citi-

zens’ Engagement and Innovation”. However, Kanouté said: "We can’t, in a media group, recruit journalists not paid as they should normally be. In this case, they may be committed but it’s not obvious they do their job very well,".

Focusing on the example of Senegal, Mr. Kanouté said it is necessary, in the media code and the discussion about the role played by the media in a State in terms of democracy consolidation, there is financial sustainability at the same time."

Journalists tasked on reporting research findings KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

he Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan, has charged journalists to develop skills in appropriate interpretation of technical data to facilitate effective policy creation and implementation so as to be more supportive to the country’s development initiatives. The institute also reminded journalists of the need to always identify development issues that are of public interest, particularly the 8-points Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), defined by the United Nations, and use their professional prowess to act as agents of positive change in the nation. The Director General of the institute, Professor Olufemi Taiwo, who said this while addressing the media professionals drawn from different parts of the country at the opening of a two-day training programme for media professional on reporting of research findings, lauded the mass media in the country for playing crucial roles in national development through the dissemination of accurate and relevant information to members of the public. He said, “It is with a view to strengthening this partnership that the management of NISER decided to provide a platform for mutual interaction towards proper understanding of how research findings should be reported to the public.” The Director-General who was represented by Professor Femi Olokesusi, said national development involves effective implementation of research findings and recommendations. He said: ''Influence of media depends on accurate reportage. We must know how to utilize research findings to facilitate change and attain developmental goals. I, therefore, urge you all to take the training programme seriously to achieve its ultimate goal.'' One of the resource persons at the training programme, Professor Adigun Agbaje, former Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Ibadan, told the participants that ''the use of language in specialized reporting is very important because of a growing need to

communicate research findings effectively.'' He said media professionals need to develop the appropriate communication skills because researchers, most times, interpret data using technical terms, even as he maintained that journalists must have an insight into activities and operations of research establishments by knowing the fundamentals involved. He also highlighted the problem of research funding in Africa and urged the government to create an environment that is not hostile to research. He said, ''Statistics and publications on Africa are be-

ing defined for us by foreign experts who reside outside the continent. It is very important for us to rediscover ourselves by ensuring that we support the research community. This is to ensure that our voice on issues linking research to development, begins to be heard ‘‘. Another facilitator, Dr Adeyinka Lanihun, of the Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, highlighted the roles of the media in research and development and stressed the importance of disseminating research findings using the appropriate media.

Chairman, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Mrs. Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu and others cutting the Christmas cake with children during the Christmas party organised by NAWOJ recently.

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Media

Thursday, December 27, 2012

media survival' Similarly, Media Trust Limited's chief executive officer, Kabiru Abdullahi Yusuf has suggested to reward media resisting government pressure and control. Kabiru Abdullahi who spoke at the forum lamented that tribalism, the exclusion of minority groups, as well as religious conflicts, are still rife in Africa.He said that Nigeria for instance, is confronted with fratricidal conflicts opposing local populations. He stated that the role of the media has changed, saying : “ In the independence era, media collaborated with all the people, thus playing a positive role. “However, after the independence period marked by fierce fight for the control of public affairs, we have witnessed the birth of partisan media that have fought along with people, thus changing their editorial lines to defend the interests of the holders it the new leaders, to the detriment of vulnerable populations. As a result, grassroots voices could no longer be heard. That gave birth to small newspapers, leading to free media, as opposed to State media. “Conflicts in Africa, particularly in Rwanda have highlighted the negative role of "Radio Des Milles Collines." To-

day, with the pressure of the market and the survival instinct, sensational reporting is prevailing over nationbuilding agendas. Political divisions remain exacerbated by the media in search of more markets shares.” He insisted that there must be change of behaviour if the situation must change. He gave example of media in Kenya and in South Africa which are becoming stronger and are firmly resisting the attempts of government authorities to control them. He suggested creation of a prize to reward the media refusing to fall to some traps such as those used by governments. Also, the executive director of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Hadeel Ibrahim told the forum that social actors in countries plagued by corruption and ineffective governance can be held accountable only through the media. Discussing the role of the media as a vector for good governance, she said that "from a governance perspective, where we are constantly trying to promote transparency, the obvious place for that to happen is in the media. The media frames our public discourse. Effectively, if the media doesn't report something, it might not have happened."

AU seeks collaboration with media on peace, security

he second high level media workshop on the African Union Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) started on Friday (21 December) in Dakar, Senegal, with the theme, “ Promoting the culture of Peace through Media.” Representing the African Union (AU), Professor Abdoulaye Bathily, AU's special envoy on the Mbororo issue, deplored the few resources African nations invest in peace and security efforts and urged the media to act as spokespersons for the continent, especially for peace and human security. Highlighting the theme of the workshop, Bathily emphasised that the culture of peace should be disseminated sustainably "into societies, our spirit and our daily routine". "This should be transmitted to future generations to prevent conflicts" he added. Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Defence of Senegal, Col. Abdurahim Kebe encouraged the collaborative work between the AU and the media to actively promote a culture of peace in all African communities, as it would be sure to trickle down to the general population. The opening ceremony was attended by Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, chairman of newly launched Pan-African Institute of Strategies (IPS). Speaking about the crisis in Mali and the African response to it, Gadio stressed the need for a more unified political approach to conflicts on the continent. He pointed out the shortcomings in tackling the Mali crisis were a regional issue, rather than a continental one. Over the next three days, participants in the workshop and more than 60 media

Media Abroad

China may force real names on internet

hina may require internet users to register with their real names when signing up to network providers, state media said, extending a policy already in force with microblogs in a bid to curb what officials call rumors and vulgarity. A law being discussed this week would mean people would have to present their government-issued identity cards when signing contracts for fixed line and mobile internet access, state-run newspapers said. "The law should escort the development of the internet to protect people's interest," Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily said in a front page commentary, echoing similar calls carried in state media over the past week. "Only that way can our internet be healthier, more cultured and safer." Many users say the restrictions are clearly aimed at further muzzling the often scathing, raucous - and perhaps most significantly, anonymous - online chatter in a country where the Internet offers a rare opportunity for open debate. It could also prevent people from exposing corruption online if they fear retribution from officials, said some users. It was unclear how the rules would be different from existing regulations as state media has provided only vague details and in practice customers have long had to present identity papers when signing contracts with internet providers. Earlier this year, the government began forcing users of Sina Corp's wildly successful Weibo microblogging platform to register their real names. The government says such a system is needed to prevent people

World Press Institute fellowships open

T Bathily

practitioners, will discuss the functioning of the AU in terms of peace and security, its architecture and its different components in terms of crises prevention and resolution, notably through the African Standby Force (ASF). The workshop will also provide participating journalists who specialise on issues of peace and security with reliable information aimed at increasing their understanding of the complexity of these issues, as well as ameliorating the factual media coverage of the AU's peace and security efforts. Launched in November 2011, the APSA media workshop aims to reinforce dialogue between the AU and the media by popularising the many mechanisms of the APSA, conflict prevention and early warning practices.

he World Press Institute (WPI) is offering four-month fellowships for experienced journalists hoping to improve their understanding of American journalism. Journalists who live outside the United States can apply for a fellowship. The program aims to expose fellows to working conditions in the U.S. media. They are required to report on a variety of social issues to see how U.S. institutions respond to different social concerns. The 2013 fellowship will begin August 9. Participants will spend three weeks in Minnesota, travel across the United States for five weeks, then return to Minnesota for the last week of the program, which concludes October 11. Applicants must have demonstrated leadership potential, five years of fulltime news experience and fluency in English. Freelancers are eligible. Applications may be submitted between December 1 and January 31.

making malicious and anonymous accusations online and that many other countries already have such rules. "It would also be the biggest step backwards since 1989," wrote one indignant Weibo user, in apparent reference to the 1989 pro-democracy protests bloodily suppressed by the army. Chinese internet users have long had to cope with extensive censorship, especially over politically sensitive topics like human rights, and popular foreign sites Facebook, Twitter and Google-owned YouTube are blocked. Despite periodic calls for political reform, the ruling Communist Party has shown no sign of loosening its grip on power and brooks no dissent to its authority. Reuters

Lance Armstrong

Sunday Times sues Lance Armstrong over libel case

he disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong is being sued for more than $1.5m by a British newspaper which lost a libel action for publishing doping allegations against him. The Sunday Times paid Armstrong £300,000 (now about $485,000) in 2006 to settle a case after it reprinted claims from a book in 2004 that he took performance-enhancing drugs. This year, the US Anti-Doping Agency found that Armstrong had led a massive doping program on his teams. Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life. The Sunday Times announced in an article in its latest edition that it has issued legal papers against Armstrong. "It is clear that the proceedings were baseless and fraudulent," the paper said, in a letter to Armstrong's lawyers. "Your representations that you had never taken performance enhancing drugs were deliberately false." The paper, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, said its total claim against Armstrong is "likely to exceed" £1m ($1.6m). "The Sunday Times is now demanding a return of the settlement payment plus interest, as well as its costs in defending the case," the paper said. The Guardian

Cocktail

Thursday, December 27 2012

FOR YOUR SUCCESS

WITH DR. DEJI FOLUTILE

Today's Tonic (71)

“Oh man! There is no planet sun or star that could hold you, if you but knew what you are.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson *** MY THOUGHTS The secret of dominion is knowing who you really are. The battles of life comes to us mainly to make us doubt our identity in God. Once you lose a sense of who you are, failure is inevitable. There is no greater revelation than to know that you are created in the image of God; that you are a spark of the divine! And that you are a piece of the MASTER. It is the I AM THAT DETERMINES THE I CAN! (Please meditate on this). We must do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to realize our identity in order to emerge winners in the numerous battles of life. When you know who you are, nothing and no one can intimidate you.

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Oddities

Ukraine reminds Santas about tax C ash-strapped Ukraine yesterday reminded entertainers making money by posing as Did Moroz - the local version of Santa Claus - and his helpers to pay income tax. The former Soviet

republic’s government faces $9 billion in foreign debt repayments next year and its budget deficit almost tripled in JanuaryOctober this year to more than $4 billion. By studying internet advertisements, the state

tax service found out that a Did Moroz with a traditional female Snihuronka (Snow Maid) helper would earn 250 to 3,500 hryvnias ($30 to $440) per hour in capital Kiev this season. “Such citizens will need

to file forms and pay taxes,” the tax service said in a statement. The service said it was barred from conducting tax checks on small businesses but urged ordinary Ukrainians to report taxdodging Santas.

TEL 08104942999 E-MAIL deji.folutile@gmail.com Follow me @TwitterOWOTIDE

‘Ch i ‘Christmas iis b best d day to bust cheaters’

British divorce lawyer says Christmas Day is the top day for “text message bustings” of unfaithful spouses. Ayesha Vardag said she has noticed Christmas Day has become the most popular day of the year for suspicious spouses to conduct the “text message bustings” by finding messages sent

to or from an unfaithful significant other, The Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday. “It is really very sad,” said Vardag, whose highprofile cases include representing German heiress Katrin Radmacher in her $160.8 million divorce case. “There is a psychological sense of Christmas being the barometer of how a family is doing.

Bikers in Santa Claus costumes are seen in front of the Vatican during an attempt to break the world record of the greatest number of Santa Clauses on bikes, in Rome. PHOTO: REUTERS

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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World News

Syrian crisis: Army chief defects, flees to Turkey

PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

gypt’s government asked parliament yesterday to prioritise legislation to organise parliamentary elections, regulate the media and fight corruption as the upper chamber held its first session with temporary new powers granted by the constitution. The Islamist-dominated Shura Council, the traditionally toothless upper house, was granted temporary legislative powers under the new constitution and began its work a day after the official results of the referendum were released, showing the charter passed with a nearly 64 percent “yes” vote. It will legislate until elections for a new lower house are held within two months. The disputed, Islamist-drafted constitution deeply divided the nation, though its supporters insisted it would pave the way for more stability in Egypt and the building up of state institutions. President Mohammed Morsi has had legislative powers for months since a court dissolved the law-making lower house of parliament. In its first act after the constitution passed, the Shura Council convened to swear in 90 new members appointed by Morsi. Twothirds of the council’s 270 members are elected, and one-third are appointed by the president. Speaking to the council, the Cabinet minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Mohammed

Stocking

– UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova

Egypt’s government sets priorities after referendum

Essam el-Erian, vice chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party, speaking during a session at the Shura Council building in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

Mahsoub, said the government will prepare new legislation for parliament to discuss, including a law to regulate the upcoming parliamentary elections, anti-corruption laws, and laws to organize Egypt’s efforts to recover money from corrupt officials from the era of ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Mahsoub said such bills can be ready as early as next week, when the council convenes again for its regular working session.

He said the government also wants to draft laws to revise maximum and minimum wages, expand social insurance coverage and regulate the media, as well as institute Egypt’s first freedom of information act. Such bills, he said, are in line with the new constitution. “I congratulate the Egyptian people on behalf of the government for the passing of the constitution of the second republic, which establishes a modern dem-

‘Africa image harming UK’s aid effort’ negative image of Africa in the UK is harming efforts to raise food aid in the continent, charity Oxfam has said. It found that three out of four people had become desensitised

“I am profoundly shocked by the ferocity thatt has marked the latest round of destruction off Timbuktu’s mausoleums”

to images showing hunger, drought and disease. Three-quarters thought it was possible to end hunger in Africa, but just one in five believed they could play an active role in achieving it. Of the more than 2,000 people surveyed, almost half suggested hunger as the biggest problem facing Africa. Respondents to the survey said over-exposure to negative media and advertising portrayals of Africa and developing countries in other parts of the world was “depressing, manipulative and hopeless”. Oxfam chief executive Dame Barbara Stocking said: “Oxfam has led the way in drawing attention to the plight of Africa’s most vulnerable people and we aren’t trying to gloss over

the problems that still beset so many of them, particularly levels of malnutrition that remain stubbornly high. “But we’ve come a long way since the 1980s and Band Aid’s Do They Know it’s Christmas? We need to shrug off the old stereotypes and celebrate the continent’s diversity and complexity, which is what we are attempting with this campaign. “The relentless focus on ongoing problems at the expense of a more nuanced portrait of the continent, is obscuring the progress that is being made towards a more secure and prosperous future. “If we want people to help fight hunger we have to give them grounds for hope by showing the potential of countries across Africa - it’s a natural

ocratic state where the people’s voices are heard and where injustice, dictatorship, repression, nepotism and corruption take a back seat,” Mahsoub told the session. “At this critical time for the nation, this respected council is required to pass a set of laws for the state to complete building its institutions,” he said. Mahsoub called on the opposition to join in national reconciliation and participate in state institutions.

instinct to turn away from suffering when you feel you can do nothing to alleviate it.” And when speaking to the BBC, Dame Stocking said a negative image of Africa was “not the truth” about that continent. “Of course, there are floods, droughts, and there is conflict, but that is not in every country at all. And there are quite a number of countries now in Africa that are really doing very well. “We want to make sure people have a really better balanced picture of what’s happening in Africa. Of course we have to show what the reality is in the situations in those countries. “But we also need to show the other places where things are actually changing, where things are different.”

WORLD BULLETIN CAR rebels say they don’t intend to seize capital A leader for the rebels seizing towns across Central African Republic said yesterday that his fighters do not intend to advance on the capital and remain open to dialogue with the government. The announcement comes as fear grows in Bangui, a city of about 600,000 people, that government forces could face off against rebels here. While the rebels have taken hold of at least 10 towns, the closest one is still 385 kilometers (240 miles) away. Rebel Col. Djouma Narkoyo said Wednesday that his forces have continued taking towns in recent days because government forces are attacking their positions.

Al Qaeda blames France for Sahel hostage deadlock A leader of al Qaeda’s North African arm, AQIM, has accused France of failing to engage in negotiations to release French hostages the group is holding in the Sahel. In a four-minute video message carried by regional news website Sahara Media, Abdel Hamid Abu Zeid said four hostages seized in Niger two years ago were alive and said Paris had not taken up AQIM’s invitation to negotiate their release. “About a year ago we alerted France to our willingness to negotiate and since then we have been waiting for a response,” Abu Zeid said in a French transcript provided by Sahara Media, viewed as a reliable news portal with strong Islamist contacts.

Terror threat clouds Kenya’s Christmas Authorities in Kenya said they were on high alert Christmas Day because of terrorism threats and other crime countrywide. “To ensure that criminal elements do not interfere with our festivities, we wish to remind the general public it is necessary to remain alert,” Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Okonya said in a statement. “Terrorism has been a security threat for most of this year, whereas the government has put in place extensive measures to guarantee security, we would like to advice the public to continue with vigilance during this season.” Authorities warned people participating in vigils and other gatherings associated with Christmas to remain alert at all times, Capital FM reported.

World News

Obama to cut holiday short over fiscal cliff

S President Barack Obama is set to cut short his Christmas holiday in Hawaii in order to hold talks on the so-called fiscal cliff, a set of tax increases and spending cuts set to take effect next year. Obama is expected to arrive in the capital early today, according to authorities, raising the possibility of renewed negotiations on a budget deal that could avert austerity measures. Congress was also expected to return to Washington today. Despite weeks of negotiations, Obama’s administration has been unable to strike a deal with congressional Republicans that would slash the budget deficit and prevent the fiscal cliff. The fiscal cliff is the result of a poison pill agreement reached earlier this year that would require major spending reductions, as tax cuts passed under former president George Bush expire at the end of the year - should Democrats and Republicans fail to reach a deal to cut the deficit.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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Syrian crisis: Army chief defects, flees to Turkey

he commander of Syria’s military police has defected from President Bashar-al Assad’s government and reportedly fled to Turkey. Lt Gen Abulaziz al-Shalal is one of the highestranking officials to join the uprising against the Syrian regime. The army had failed to protect Syrians and turned into “gangs of murder”, the general said in a video statement. The announcement came amid reports of a deadly government strike in the northern province of Raqqa. After reportedly crossing the border into Turkey, Gen Shalal released a statement saying he had defected because the military had perpetrated massacres in towns and villages instead of protecting Syrians. There are other highranking officers who want to defect but the situation is not suitable for them to declare defection” “I declare my defection from the army because of its deviation from its fundamental mission to protect the nation and transformation into gangs of murder and destruction,”

Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Jassem al-Shallal making remarks saying he is joining “the people’s revolution, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

he said in a video message posted online. Opposition sources said the commander had been secretly co-operating with the rebels from the outset, the BBC’s Middle East correspondent Jim Muir reports. This is believed to be the case with many other senior defectors, our correspondent adds. “Definitely, there are other high-ranking officers who want to defect but the situation is not suitable for them to declare

defection,” he said. An unnamed Syrian security source confirmed the army chief ’s defection but played down its significance, Reuters news agency reports. Meanwhile, Syria’s interior minister, wounded in a Damascus bombing, headed home on a private

jet Wednesday after treatment in Beirut, airport officials said, despite calls from some Lebanese to put him on trial for Syrian actions in their country. Officials at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport said al-Shaar left Beirut and was flying to Damascus. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Al-Shaar was wounded on Dec. 12 when a suicide bomber exploded his vehicle outside the Interior Ministry, killing five and wounding many, including the minister. Gen Shalal was due to retire soon and joined the uprising to “play hero”, the source is quoted as saying. Furthermore, reports of a deadly government strike near a village in the northern province of Raqqa have emerged. Around 20 people, including eight children, were killed in the shelling, according to the UK-based activist group, the Syrian

Observatory for Human Rights. The organisation released video footage purportedly of the victims, showing blood-stained bodies laid out on blankets. The SOHR is one of the most prominent organisations documenting and reporting incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict. The group says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be independently verified Earlier this week, opposition activists said dozens of people had been killed in a government air strike in the rebel-held town of Halfaya in Hama province. Although rebels have claimed some major territorial gains in recent months, the regime has hit back with massive firepower at the areas it has lost. In a separate development, rebel fighters said they had seized the northwestern town of Harem near the Turkish border.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

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Community Mirror Cement company to develop host communities

“May the birth of Christ favour the return of peace in Mali and that of concord in Nigeria, where savage acts of terrorism continue to reap victims, particularly among Christians.” CATHOLIC PONTIFF, POPE BENEDICT XV1

Ajilete monarch, residents lament poor infrastructure FRANCIS SUBERU

oming to Ajiliete, a border community between Nigeria and Benin Republic in Ogun State, what stares one on the face is a vista of rustic community that is totally abandoned even as there are abundance of untapped potentials. The town in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State though strategic to Nigeria’s economy; has porous security, bad road network, no potable water and electricity. Residents lament the total neglect of the community by the federal and state governments; saying for past six years, they are having living like people in the dark ages. They said that despite the community’s status as a border town, there is no visible infrastructure to suggest modernity; even as they said the water supply scheme in the town, commissioned in 1984, by then military administrator of Ogun State, Gen. Oladipopu Diya (rtd) had stopped working. A visit to the town’s water supply scheme showed it stopped pumping water in the last five years. A worker at the site said he was there to ensure the environment is kept clean. He said the equipments for water purification and supply are all damaged and obsolete, adding that the state government would need more than N200million to resuscitate the scheme again. Incidentally, the only international road from Nigeria to neighbouring countries passes through the town and there is a bridge along the route which has become a death trap. The bridge is already

Entrance to the abandoned water scheme

being threatened by erosion and there are no rail guards on it. A motorist who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “this road is very important because people can travel to Benin, Togo, Ghana and other West Africa countries through it but it is sad that it is being neglected by the Federal Government and this has economic, social and even security implications for the people and country. In an interview with the Alale of Ajilete, Oba Dauda Akinniyi Akinlade, he said; “In the past five years, there has been no running water in the town. We have relied on rain water and the philanthropy of a few who can afford to dig boreholes. “When we made enquiries, we were told the machines and other

equipment for purification and distribution at the water scheme is all bad. The workers informed me the state government is taking steps to ensure the project is revamped, but years have passed and we are still waiting.” Speaking on the dilapidated road, linking the town with Owode and Ilaro, Oba Akinlade, said the Federal Government has forgotten the importance of the town to the country’s socioeconomic development; saying its condition is nothing to write home about. “It looks like the Federal Government has neglected us. It does not seem to understand the importance of the road. If you travel between Owode and Ilaro, the road condition has become ter-

Ten communities threatened by erosion JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

rosion is threatening 10 communities in several local government areas of Katsina State, as the situation is forcing residents to migrate to other areas. According to sources, the erosion has cut off some of the communities leaving several people without access to roads and other social amenities. Most affected communities include Kanyaki, Shekawa, Las-

nawa, Funtua Ladan and Koda; others are Tsakiya, Tunbur kai, Matazu, Kangima and Jarkuka. Speaking on the issue, a state House of Assembly member, Hon Isyaku Shagumba, warned that unless urgent measures are taken, peoplein the affected communities would migrate to neighboring villages. Shagumba, cited example of Kanyaki village with a population of more than 300, yet lacks road and social amenities due to erosion. He explained that many hous-

es in the area have collapsed due to ravages of erosion. Another lawmaker,Hon Bala Sani Yaya, said that call had been made on the executive and state assembly to urgently look into the problem, even as Ladan and Koda are presently facing devastating erosion problem. It was however learnt that the state assembly had sent its committee on habitat to visit the affected areas and meet with affected communities for possible assistance from government.

Oba Akinlade

rible, even as the bridge at Ajilete has become a death trap. When government started dualising the road from Ota, we thought it will reach the town, but the contractors terminated it at Winners. The road has become a death trap and even when government promised to rehabilitate it, no concrete action has been taken to affect this, as it has been a tale of neglect in the last four years.”

The monarch said Yewa River which would have provided viable water transportation in the area was has also been abandoned. “We also have Yewa River but the Federal Government is feigning ignorance of it. The river needs dredging and if done, people can move from here to Badagry through water as it would provide an alternative to road travel,” he said.

Organisations urge distribution of relief materials

ivil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Kogi State have called on the government to commence the immediate distribution of relief materials and disbursement of funds to those affected by the recent flood. This was contained in a communiqué at the end of one day interactive session on Human Security conflict and Emergency, with focus on the post flood assessment by civil society and stakeholders in Kogi State. The CSOs condemned the indiscriminate collection of relief materials without a central storing area, even as they alleged it has contributed to the massive stealing of relief materials. The communiqué also observed that poor funding was a

major impediment to the effective operation of the Kogi Emergency Management Agency, KOSEMA, during the flood disaster that ravaged nine local governments in the state They also noted that there was lack of political will in setting up a technical central committee on flood disaster, even as they lamented the failure of state and local governments to invest on water transportation despite the presence of Rivers Niger and Benue in the state. The civil society organisations also queried the inadequate preparation of the government and citizens towards the flood disaster, lamenting that the administration is yet to publish the monetary value of all relief materials received.

Community Mirror

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Cement company to develop host communities DANJUMA WILLIAM GOMBE

shakaCem PLC, has launched a development programme that would see it increasing production capacity from the present 900, 000 to 3 million tons. According to the Managing Director, Mr. Neeraj Akhoury, the development would not only translate in more profit, but also enhance better living standard of its host communities, through the provision of infrastructure and welfare packages. According to him, the Board of Directors had approved a technical feasibility studies on raw material reserves, power and infrastructures undertaking which is progressing well, particular-

ly with regards to additional limestone and coal reserves. He stated also that the Board had emphasized on the importance of conducting financing and operational reviews of the project, so that the company will benefit from Lafarge technical, operational and financial resources in the country, in order to ensure the success of this unprecedented development. “Lafarge, as majority shareholder of Ashaka, gives great importance to Nigeria in its emerging mar-

kets portfolio, and is committed to strengthening the existing businesses and developing new activities in this country” he stressed. He added that “the Board recognized the contributions of Lafarge towards enhancing Ashaka Cement performance and current production capacity, in particular the company’s initiatives in the usage of coal from Gombe State, to substitute expensive imported fuel oil and the increase of clinker in

cement production”. AshakaCem’s vision is to remain the most preferred supplier to its customers and its willingness to make additional efforts to create more local business opportunities, in partnership with its surrounding communities” Mr. Neeraj stated. The Board of Directors also commended the cooperation of the neighbouring communities and the Government of Gombe State, which has encouraged the company into

investing N175 million in the local communities, in the areas of education, village infrastructure and health development and promised to do more. This year’s special programmes have included providing six month vocational courses in different market skills for 70 local youths. In addition, the company is also completing a project to provide electrification for three villages in Maiganga where it operates coal mines.

Council boss warns on dangers of fireworks MURITALA AYINLA

hairman of Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area, Mr Abiodun Mafe, has warned residents, especially youths on the indiscriminate use of fireworks, even as he charged them to shun violence during the Yuletide season. The chairman gave the charge at an empowerment programme and presentation of patrol vans to security personnel in the council. Mafe, said reduction of crime is a priority of his administration, urging residents to joins hands with the council by reporting crime in their areas. He said:” If care is not taken, indiscriminate use of fireworks could lead to disaster. Parents and guardians are advised to warn their wards to be cautious, especially in this Christmas season. “Our youths must also shun all forms of violence while holding their end of the year carnival. The highpoint was the distribution of higher education exercise books to junior secondary school students in the three secondary school in the LCDA, sewing and grinding machines, two patrol vans to and unveiling of Hon. Chief Olu Abel Badejo block

A chicken trader taking a nap following a lack of buyers at Ikorodu.

PHOTO: OLUFEMI AJASA

VC bags traditional title

HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

he Vice chancellor of Nassarawa State University, Prof. Samshudeen Amali, has been conferred with the traditional title of Awuludu of Otukpo, meaning ‘strongman of Idoma’ in Otukpo. Bestowing the honour at Otukpo-Icho village in Otukpo Local Government of Benue State at a civic reception by Ojujuk’Otukpo, a sociocultural group for the honoree and Mr Peter Ochiba, Comptroller of Customs, the Och’Otukpo-Odu, Chief John Eimonye, urged the people to always embrace peace and unity in order to move the community forward. He said the conferment of title on Professor Amali, was as a result of his contribution to the development of education in the country and urged the people to shun rumours and cooperate with the government to develop the state. In his remark, Professor Amali, said he was humbled and assured the Och’Otukpo and people of Otukpo that he would not betray their confidence. Speaking at the occasion, the President-General of Ojujuk’Otukpo, Maj. Gen Harison Adoga, urged youths to shun vices, even as he expressed loyalty to the Och’Otukpo, stressing that the Ojujuk’Otukpo would continue to initiate programmes aimed at improving the lives and well being of the people and community at large.

Borno to establish six irrigation schemes

he Government of Borno State is to establish six irrigation schemes to boost food production in 2013. Disclosing this, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Babakaka Garbai, said that 35 hectares of farmlands would be cultivated under each of the schemes. He said the schemes would be located in the Mobbar, Askira-Uba, Shani, Muguno, Konduga

and Jere local government areas of the state. According to him, 400 households are to be engaged in the schemes, which also aim at creating job opportunities, even as the government would also establish two other schemes in Jere and Maiduguri to cultivate 60 hectares of irrigation land. “We are hoping that at least 550 households will benefit under the 60-hectare scheme, either directly or indirectly,” Garbai

Shettima

said. He said the schemes

would take off before February, 2013. The commissioner also said the government had awarded contract for the provision of electricity in some towns and villages to prevent rural-urban migration. “Contract has been awarded for the provision of electricity in Gashigar town in Mobbar LGA. We have also awarded another for the extension of the 33 KVA line from Damasak to Gudumbali in the

same LGA;” he said. Garbai, said the contract involved the extension of the 33 KVA line from Bama in Bama LGA to other towns like Mararaba Banki, Darajamal and Kajeri, among others. “Arrangements have been completed for the extension of the 33 KVA line from Maiduguri to Mafa in Mafa LGA and Dikwa in Dikwa LGA. The project will also extend to Marte in Marte LGA from Dikwa,” he said.

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North

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Yero, commissioners shun CAN’s prayer for Yakowa A ZA MSUE KADUNA

arely six days after the late governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, was buried, Kaduna State governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, together with his inherited commissioners, special advisers and other top government functionaries yesterday shunned the special prayers organised in honour of the late governor by the Christian

Association of Nigeria (CAN). The prayer session was put together by the Kaduna State chapter of CAN in conjunction with state government. But the event was shunned by government functionaries and no reason was given. The solemn inter-denomination service which held at the Anglican Cathedral along Ibrahim Taiwo Road commenced at about 10.00am and end-

ed by 1:40pm, having only men of God, worshippers and journalists in attendance. But, CAN state Chairman, Rev. Samuel Kraakevik Kujiyat, confirmed shortly after the event that the special prayer invitation letters were sent to the new governor and other personalities, saying they may have been too engaged to attend. His words: “I cannot give reasons why the new

governor did not come. We are not holding anything against anybody. The state government is still part of this inter-denominational prayer programme. “Vice-President Namadi Sambo himself personally called his Grace to appreciate this special prayer session for the late governor. But I believe they may be engaged.” On his part, Archbishop Josiah Idowu Fearon of the Anglican Church, Kaduna prayed that the

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Niger State, Rev. Musa Dada (left), presenting a Christmas gift to the state Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, during a visit to the governor in Minna, yesterday.

NUJ demands release of arrested journalists A ZA MSUE KADUNA

he Kaduna State council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called for the immediate release of the editor of Al-Mizan newspaper, Malam Musa Muhammad Awal and its reporter, Mallam Aliyu Saleh, who were whisked away by security agents to an unknown destination on Monday. In a statement signed yesterday by the Chairman of the union, Comrade Yusuf Idris, he said the duo were taken away from their houses in the early hours of Monday, after their wives and children were manhandled by the security operatives and that their whereabouts were still unknown. Idris said several efforts by the union to know their whereabouts proved abortive as some of the security agents contact-

ed, claimed ignorance of their arrest. According to the statement; “The union viewed this clandestine operation as primitive and unwarranted.” It further stated that security agencies should adopt more civilized and

acceptable standards of carrying out investigations, adding that, this method of attacking journalists and beating up their wives in their homes before they were taken away is unacceptable. The statement urged

the security agencies to produce the two journalists unharmed and adopt acceptable standards of investigating alleged crimes, pointing out that, the right thing to do is to take the matter to court for subsequent action.

Yuguda mourns late Emir of Dukku

auchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, has described the death of the Emir of Dukku, Alhaji (Dr.) Haruna Rashid, as a great loss not only to Dukku Emirate and Gombe State alone, but a loss to Nigeria, considering his immense contribution to the peace and unity of the region. Yuguda, in a press statement issued and signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Ishola Michael Adeyemi, declared that the fatherly advice of the late octogenarian monarch will be missed by all because according to

him, “at times like this when the country is going through political transformation, advice from him were needed.” The governor said the late emir stood for peace and unity as he did not discriminate against anyone nor promote division among his subjects but administered justice to all, not minding religious and or tribal divide. Yuguda, who is the Ardon cikin gidan Dukku, said the late emir will be remembered for his humility, dedication and commitment to the de-

velopment of his people through the promotion of issues that brought unquantifiable development to the emirate. He said his reign witnessed absolute peace and tranquillity, stressing that he will be fondly remembered for his patience and resilience which led to his elevation as a first class emir by the state government. He prayed Allah to grant him a perfect rest in peace and his family as well as the government and people of the state the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Yakowa

death of the former governor should go with the spate of bomb attacks on churches, saying God will not allow anybody to separate Christians and Muslims in the state. “We pray that the places of worship will witness peace, no bomb in churches again. We want freedom and peace in Kaduna state,” he said. The guest speaker, the General Overseer of the Restoration Ministries, Kaduna, Rev. Tunde Bolanta, called on the people not to lose hope in a challenging moment like this. Bolanta further prayed for the repose of Yakowa and that God should lead the new governor. “Sometimes we think that all hope is lost at a time like this but hope is

not lost. We pray for divine guidance and wisdom for the new governor.” Late governor Yakowa died in a navy helicopter that crashed in Nembe Bayelsa State with the immediate past National Security Adviser, Gen. Andrew Azazi and their personal aides while returning from the burial of the father of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Research and Documentation, Douglas. It will be recalled that the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Ameachi, had said during Yakowa’s burial in Fadan Kagoma, that the deceased true friends will be known after the burial.” “All of us should not forget Yakowa’s family. After today we will know who truly are the friends of Yakowa,” he told mourners. An attempt to confirm the reason for the new governor’s absence at the special prayer without a representative from his media aide proved abortive.

Benue govt assures on completion of projects HENRY IYORKASE MAKURDI

he Senior Special Adviser to Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, on project monitoring and implementation, Dr. Maurice Tyavkase, has said that everything humanly possible would be done to ensure the early completion of ongoing projects undertaken by the present administration before 2015. Tyavkase while speaking in a chat with National Mirror yesterday assured that no project would be left midway for the in-coming administration, saying the limited resources coming to the state from the Federation Account notwithstanding. The special adviser said the allocation profile of the state oftentimes stood between N2.3 and N2.5 billion as the case may be and as such we are intensifying efforts to ensure that every project embarked upon by the Suswam administra-

Suswam

tion should be completed in record time. He said so far government has been able to execute various projects in the areas of health delivery as well as roads construction across the three senatorial districts in the state. He, however, did not specify the total cost of the projects but revealed that the entire projects being supervised are worth over N3billion. He threw more light on the ongoing housing scheme in the state, saying that the houses are wearing a uniform prototype design just as it is being done elsewhere according to specification.

Insight

enin City is a bastion of tradition and history with Igun Street, a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) heritage site, located just a stone’s throw from the Oba of Benin’s Palace, the historic moat and the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre, a remarkable masterpiece designed and constructed by the artist, Demas Nwoko. Not far too is the Benin Museum, as well as the Ring Road. But Igun Street, adorned with paved blocks is simple in its greatness. At the entrance, which is an arc but without a gate, there is a deaf woman who communicates by sign language, selling roasted plantain and groundnut. Next to the woman is a transport business with buses that ferry passengers to and from Port Harcourt in Rivers State. Down the paved road is a pharmacy, opposite which is an eatery where the bronze casters who also display their creations for sale in galleries that line both sides of the street, quench their hunger. Igun Street is a place of business where craftsmen and artists create art and make a living. Behind the galleries are the homes of these men, where their wives and children wait for them to return. Some of them like IK Inneh, who is the public relations officer of the Guild of Benin Bronze Casters, have already apprenticed their sons into the tradition for only male children descended from either the Inneh or Omodamen lineage can be bronze casters. Their wives only procure charcoal which the bronze casters source from the northern part of the country. Igun Street was busy on the morning of December 13, 2012 when National Mirror arrived with motorbikes, cars and buses leaving and entering the street as the bronze casters threw open the doors to their galleries. At this time of the day most of them were children or relatives of the gallery owners, who would come in later in the day depending on how pressing the day’s activities turn out to be for each. Incidentally, it was on this day that the three-week Annual Igue Festival began with the Otue Ugierhoba (all chiefs going to pay homage to the Oba from 3 p.m.) “History resides on this street,” said Johnbull Enobakhare, who has been a bronze caster for about 40 years, after exchanging pleasantries with our reporter. Enobakhare’s fabled dexterousness gingered this reporter even as he travelled on the dilapidated Expressway from Lagos to Benin for this story on the revered Benin bronze/brass casting tradition. Enobakhare eventually became the guide on this tour of

A bronze animal figurine

Thursday, December 27, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Benin Kingdom: Sustaining

Gateway to Igun Street.

Enobakhare working on a mace

Benin Kingdom had and still has several adored arts and culture. One of them is bronze casting. TERH AGBEDEH visited the famous Igun Street in Benin City and reports that though the art is fading, tourists still throng the area to see first-hand how ornaments that decorate the palaces of kings are made. the two and half kilometre Igun Street in Benin City, Edo State. While listening to the tour guide, this reporter remembered Prof. Ola Rotimi’s play, Ovonramwen Nogbaise, at the National Theatre in Lagos starring the late Sam Loco Efe, and Ahmed Yerima’s The Trials of Ovonramwen staged by theatre arts students at the University of Jos Open Air theatre. These two plays presented a king, who in spite of his many challenges, trudged on like his forebears in Benin Kingdom that they had to midwife to greatness. In ancient times, the Europeans, especially the Portuguese were marvelled when they set feet on the Ancient Benin Kingdom and beheld their bronze works of art among other attributes like their system of government and defence system. Today, tourists, still come

Some bronze works on display.

from all over the world to behold the bronze casting process that has endured for ages. Secretary of the Guild of Benin Bronze Casters, Eric Osa-Egbomudia, a sculptor, who studied at the Auchi Polytechnic, told National Mirror, “Because of what our bronze works are doing for us out there, some people want to go to the source to see for themselves what is really happening there.” Most of the people that come to Igun Street are, however, appalled at what they see, particularly with the near penury of the bronze casters, who do their utmost but get little in return. This is one major reason bronze casting no longer has appeal particularly for the young members of the family that would rather look to other means of getting bread on their table. “If what you are making a living from is no

longer helpful, you have to find an alternative to take care of yourself,” Enobakhare, who also carves wood and displays such works alongside bronze statues as well as paintings in his gallery, stated. “Many of our people have travelled abroad but many are still here doing the work. Someone like me, if I travel abroad it is only for visit,” he added. But bronze is his first love and he vows that he will do anything to protect the job his forefathers handed down to him. This is not just because he took an oath never to accept and teach an apprentice outside the family

IN ANCIENT TIMES, THE EUROPEANS, ESPECIALLY THE PORTUGUESE WERE MARVELLED WHEN THEY

SET FEET ON THE ANCIENT

BENIN KINGDOM AND

BEHELD THEIR BRONZE WORKS OF ART

A work by Enobakhare with Oba Ovonramwen being led

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Insight

Thursday, December 27, 2012

the fading art of bronze casting

A cast being made for a plaque.

before he was allowed to practise bronze casting. It is also because what stands Benin out all over the world in terms of cultural heritage is bronze casting “and most of us don’t want it to die”. It is the same sentiment all over Igun Street. Interestingly, when our reporter approached another caster, Osa-Ogbemudia, in his workshop, he demanded for N5, 000 from National Mirror before granting an interview. We reached a bargain and Osa-Ogbemudia opened up. This 1989 graduate of sculpture from Auchi Polytechnic, in Delta State is a typical example of someone who left bronze casting but later came back. He was never interested in it in the first place until he worked in an office upon completion of his education at the polytechnic. Now he does cold casting as well as the lost wax method of bronze casting popular on Igun Street. “I majored in sculpture and that is why I’m practising today,” he explained in his workshop where we foundd him making a dragon cast for a plaque to be mounted on a house gate. Osa-Ogbemudia said that many of the youths privileged to be bronze casters are not showing interest these days but according to

to Calabar.

PHOTOS: TERH AGBEDEH

Osa-Ogbemudia adding wood to a foundry.

TO MAKE A BRONZE OR BRASS ART WORK, THE CASTERS FIRST GET RED SAND AND TURN IT INTO MUD BY ADDING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER him, “If one were to compare these days with our father’s days, you will see that you have more youths embracing the job in the bronze casting industry because they were few back then”. The artist, who was also casting a church bell during the chat, pointed out that the turnover rate is not as high as in other businesses and that is why many people are not showing interest since they want quick money. He threw more light on why they have kept to the old way on Igun Street, saying that finance to construct modern foundry is the major problem. It was observed that the bronze casters have since discarded the human powered bellows for battery powered ones. Moses Obakpolor, who is the secretary to the Edo State Tourism Board and presenter of Edo Nimose (Edo the Beautiful) on television, told National Mirror that the art of bronze casting in Benin evolved during the reign of Oba Ewuare the great about 1440AD. “It was exclusively a royal art for the decoration of the palace and also for royal ornaments, bangles and bracelets worn by the Oba and the royal family members,” he explained. It was in fact at this time that the two families that have kept bronze casting going till date were put in charge of the development and production of bronze works. The two families of Inneh ‘Nigun and Omodamen, carried on the tradition until the reign of Oba Akenzua II (1933 – 1978) who gave approval that bronze casting could be moved outside the palace. The palace was then literarily choked with bronze works and the casters found a new home in Igun Quarters in Chief Inneh’s house and Oloton, where Omodamen lived. Except for the latter family’s attempt to modernise the technique by developing the foundry, bronze casting has stayed the same over the years using bellows and coal.

Although Enobakhare remembers what his father, who was a bronze caster told him, the difference is minute. He recalls his father saying that Omodamen learned bronze casting from Inneh upon the Oba’s intervention. “What is the importance of cultural heritage if you do not keep up with what your forefathers taught you?” Enobakhare asked. “So we still use our local way of doing it. Through the local way you have good quality and a good job. You can mass produce with the new method and there are jobs that you can only use the local way,” he explained. Essentially, it is a painstaking process, to make a bronze or brass art work the casters first get red sand and turn it into mud by adding the right amount of water. This red sand abounds in Benin and is the material adopted in building the fence that surrounds the Oba’s palace. In fact, Osa-Ogbemudia said many Benin chiefs build their houses with the same material till date. The mud is then shaped into the image intended to be cast and this initial mould is called the coil. Many of the bronze casters, who refer to themselves as artists, are able to make the coil to perfection. The coil is left to dry and bees wax and not the wax from candles, is used to cover the coil. The wax is shaped into what is intended to be cast. Red mud is used to cover the wax form, a runner, through which the liquid hot bronze will pass, is affixed and left to dry. When the outside covering of mud dries, a copper wire it wrapped around it to keep it firm through the firing process. The next stage is to cover the wire up with more mud so that it will not melt when in the fire and therefore lose its purpose of keeping the contraption firm. It is allowed to get dry one more time after which it is put in the fire that gets to up to 700 degrees centigrade. This is to totally melt the wax as well as make firm the mould that will receive the bronze. At this stage that wax will melt out and leave the

mould hollow. While that is going on, the brass or bronze is melted to a very light liquid like kerosene over charcoal heat up to 900 degrees centigrade. At this point the red mud mould is taken out of the fire and the melted brass or bronze is poured in through the runner. It will take the shape of the wax. When it cools, they break the mould, remove the work, dress and clean it. The first mould, the coil is now removed. That is why bronze art works are hollow. “We use wet firewood because it burns longer and hotter than already dry wood,” Osa-Ogbemudia explained. Though the residents of Igun Street swear that the bronze business is slow they have a clientele that is as wide as it is varied. It includes the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba Erediauwa, as well as from the corridors of power all over the country, who commission them from time to time. In fact, our reporter saw Enobakhare with a mace from one of the legislative houses in Sokoto State brought there by one Malam Zubairu Tureta to be fixed. “I have cast several of these maces,” Enobakhare said with the certainty of one who has done more. People come from universities around the world too on research work. Sadly though, Nigerian art collectors have looked the other way, choosing not to commission bronze casters or patronise their products. In explaining this Osa-Ogbemudia said it is because there is a dearth of creativity among the bronze casters and most of the works, though from different galleries, look the same. “One thing about Benin bronze work is that some of us, especially the craft men among us remain stuck in the old ways, they are not creative and collectors don’t want jobs that are repetitions. You go to one shop and see the same style of work with the rest of the shops so they are not unique jobs. When you have unique jobs people will show interest,” he explained. Perhaps this is why people come from all over the world and what they see is history repeating itself in the works of the members of one of the oldest guilds in Benin City.

WORLD RECORD

Largest high heel race

Vol. 02 No. 522

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Exhortation on true happiness

etween the Stoics and the Epicureans is a vast field of variation on the definition and experience of pleasure/happiness and adversity. Yet, these two experiences underline the motives, intentions and actions of most of us. Pain or adversity is part of the reality of our everyday experiences; however, nobody lives to it. We suffer losses and experience disappointments; for many, not even occasionally. Our expectations fail and aspirations are unmet even when we have toiled and labored so hard. And for many too, life is just so good, so sweet, so smooth that everything they lay hands on just turns gold. They have the Midas touch. For them, things are taken for granted. And we expect them to be happy. But we also have the saying that the rich also cry. The doses of predicaments that are invariably contained in our diets of life ultimately measure the extent of

FOR GIFTS AND NOT PUNCHES

N150

The largest high heel race was achieved by 967 participants at an event organised by Women’s Bureau, Inc. (USA) at Headwaters Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, on 11 September 2010.

angers International FC of Enugu is not observing the Christmas holidays, to prepare for crucial club engagements early in the New Year, a top official of the club said on Tuesday. Media Officer of the club, Foster Chime, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the club decided

Guest Columnist

Abdul-Warees

Solanke

our happiness. The fewer the doses, the more likely are we to be happy; the more of them, the more we suffer depression. But I have known people whose lives are filled with pleasures and manifestations of success that are yet hollow and unfulfilled; I have also seen a lot whose lives are laced with pains and adversities, trials and tribulations that are the happiest people. Of course, these may seem unfathomable ironies. But the attitudes of either group are conditioned by their understanding of the meaning and purpose of existence, the goal of life. What baffles me is that the more we tend to be epicurean, the more we defeat the spirit of Epicureanism, which is pleasure and enjoyment of life or happiness. On the other hand, we tend to see stoicism as human failure whereas true Stoics are unaffected by the storms and sweetness of life, not shattered or defeated by failure or embittered by disappointments in their journeys in life. Whether we fall into the category of the Stoics or of the Epicureans, we must look and live beyond the ordinary categorization of pleasure and pain to find true meaning of happiness. MTN and LG Electronics, in fact, every big advertising spender glamorizes Life as being good. Yes. But the good life that is portrayed on the tubes and the giant billboards is hardly affordable by the average man in our world. So, as we romanticize on living it, we accelerate our

THE DOSES OF PREDICAMENTS THAT ARE INVARIABLY CONTAINED IN OUR DIETS OF LIFE ULTIMATELY MEASURE THE EXTENT OF OUR HAPPINESS desperation, even when we are already blessed with some qualitative but unacknowledged enrichment. This is exactly where we all mostly err. It is in our inability to see the reason to be happy and be grateful in spite our situation or ordeal. We also falter, when we see the reason to be happy, in the mindless celebration of our achievement or accomplishment. In both cases, we must bring ourselves to the understanding of the pursuit of happiness. Since we all see wealth as a major source of happiness, we must begin to count our blessings in order to be happy. We may, however, be very unwise even in the enumeration or evaluation of our wealth because what we count most are the tangibles while we discount our qualitative wealth. When we reflect and discover our areas of strength and wealth in spite of our seeming want, we will find reason to be happy.

So, the extent of our happiness can be measured on our premium and discount in either of quantitative wealth or qualitative riches. Both can be the source of our happiness and the fountain of our desperation. We will also find happiness in our endurance, no matter the turbulence in which we swim, after all the test of our strength and integrity and faith is our steadfastness in the face of odds. We can, however, multiply in our happiness in the extent of joy we spread to others regardless of the ordeals we suffer or the deals we enjoy. I have come across some prophetic saying that a good word is charity; a gift of a date is charity; removing injurious object from the path is charity; even quenching the thirst of a dog is charity. Where I found most of us getting disappointed and hence unhappy is in our expectations. We think and say ceteris paribus, that we should be somewhere, be someone, and have something at some point or age in our lives, forgetting that all things are never equal in most circumstances for most people. We tend to condition results and accomplishments on efforts, exertion and time; whereas so many other variables and circumstances do alter the results of efforts, exertion and time we invest. The joy or happiness we should experience ideally is the consciousness that we were not found wanting, that we have tried our utmost best. That is why we must take our search for Happiness beyond Man and The System. This is not easy because we cannot live outside others and our environment. We cannot be saints. For true happiness let us build our faith in the Most High, such happiness comes in the ease of our access to Him. For in being pleased in Him and He being pleased with us can we experience perfect tranquility and innermost pleasure. Abdul-Warees,korewarith@yahoo. com, is Head, Voice of Nigeria Training Centre, Ikorodu, Lagos

Sport Extra

Rangers shun Xmas holidays to call off the break in order to prepare for the Super Four, expected to hol within the first week of the New Year. According to him, the team will also prepare for the kick-off of the

Premier League, as well as their continental engagements. “They (players) have been in camp all along. During these festivities, the management decided they will still stay in camp and we are not

giving them any break because we have a full programme from January 4. “We will be playing the Super 4 in Kano and after that, you know the league will be resuming in the second week of January and by February, we have our first match in the CAF Champions League,” he said.

Coach Okey Emodi

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