Tuesday, January 1, 2013 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

Vol. 31 N0. 525 115

Tuesday, Tuesday,June January 7, 2011 1, 2013

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2013: We’ll work P harder –Jonathan

BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS

Mark, govs, NLC, Musa, others speak on expectations

resident Goodluck Jonathan has assured Nigerians that his administration is determined to meet their yearnings and raise the quality of life. He also said that he would not be discouraged by those picking on every initiative and effort of his government. “We are determined to continue to push forward. We will do more, not less. We will remain focused,” the President said in his New Year message to the nation. President Jonathan said that he would ensure that more of the programmes and projects envisioned by the present administration were brought on stream in 2013. He said: “I have already given a clear CONTINUED ON PAGE 5>>

Indian revellers hold placards in Amritsar as fireworks explode around the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during the New Year celebrations.

New Year: There’s hope Why we oppose Petroleum Industry Bill for Nigeria, say PDP, APGA, ANPP, others P.6 –Northern senators P.53

President visits Wada in hospital

Fashola signs N499.1bn 2013 appropriation bill into law

P.12

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

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EVENTS OF YEAR 2012 IN PICTURES

Nigeria’s first female Chief Justice, Aloma Mukhtar sworn in by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Remains of former Governor of Kaduna State, late Patrick Yakowa after an helicopter crash in Bayelsa.

L-R: Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; President Jonathan and Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero during the president’s condolence visit to Kano, over several bomb blasts.

Victims of Boko Haram attack on St John’s Catholic Church, Bauchi.

An aerial view of submerged communities in Bayelsa State.

Suspected killers of four students of University of Port Harcourt being paraded by the Rivers State Police Command in Port Harcourt.

Former Chief Security Officer to late General Sanni Abacha, Major Hamza Al Mustapha (middle) after being sentenced to death by a Lagos high court, over the killing of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

Mass burial for the victims of Christmas day bombing of St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Madalla.

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

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Tuesday January 1, 2013

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo condoling with the widow of former Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State, Amina, during his visit to Kaduna, yesterday.

A member of Christian Women in Politics, Mrs. Hannatu Bulus, receiving a wrapper from the Director-General, Bauchi Government House Religion Affairs, Pastor Kennedy Masau, during the distribution of wrappers to the organisation in Bauchi, yesterday.

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Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku (left) and Director, Production, Publication and Documentation, Mr. Lohdan Ndam, at a news conference on activities of government in 2012, in Abuja, yesterday.

L-R: Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission, Ikotun Command, Mrs. Chiwenndu Iwuoha; Sector Commander, Lagos State, Mr. Nseobong Akpabio and Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Lagos State, Mr. Tajudeen Agbede, at the inauguration of the new driver’s licence at Ikotun Motor Park in Lagos, yesterday. PHOTOS: NAN

National News

We’ll sustain maternal, infant mortality reduction –Jonathan ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday pledged the commitment of his administration to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality rate in the country. Jonathan said the Federal Government would continue to commit more resources and effort to accelerate the process of building on the reduction in maternal and infant mortality which had already been achieved in the country. Speaking during an audience with the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, at the State House, the President expressed strong personal commitment to sustaining the reduction. He said the Federal Government was pursuing a multifaceted approach by tackling the problem with improvements in health facilities, public sanitation, education and communication across the country. Jonathan also accepted a request from UNFPA to

assist in mobilising other African Heads of State and Government to give fresh impetus to the Campaign for the Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa, CARMMA, at the next African Union

Summit in Addis Ababa. Acknowledging that there has been reduction in maternal and infant mortality in the country, Osotimehin said the President was invited to assist UNFPA in revitalis-

ing CARMMA because of the excellent credentials he had established as a leading voice for health improvements in Africa through his work as cochairman of the United Nations Commission on

Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, as well as his Saving One Million Lives Initiative. The UNFPA executive director said although 37 African countries had adopted and launched

FG extends destination inspection to June FRANCIS EZEM

he Federal Government has bowed to pressure to extend the Destination Inspection scheme by six months. There have been calls on the government to extend the contract by most stakeholders, who particularly doubted the ability of the Nigerian Customs Service to take over the scheme. The Federal Government had in January 2006 entered into a seven-year Build, Own, Operate and Transfer DI contract with the four service providers comprising Cotecna Destination Inspection Nigeria Limited, SGS, Global Scan, and Webb Fontaine. Under the contract, the service providers are to provide Computerised Risk

Management System; scanning services for all imports into the country at the airports, seaports and land borders as well as train officers of the Customs to take over the scheme at the end of the contract. The extension of the contract was communicated to the service providers through a letter signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Mallam Danladi Kifasi, dated December 31, 2012. The letter, with reference number F10361/S.56/ VA/491 and addressed to the service providers, reads in parts: “I wish to inform you that the President has approved the extension of the agreement dated 1st January, 2006, between your company and the Federal Government of Nigeria for the provision, installation,

operation and management of X-ray scanning equipment and software for inspection of goods. “The agreement which is to expire on 31st December, 2012, has been extended for a period of six (6) months with effect from 1st January, 2013.” The letter also directed the service providers to liaise with the legal unit of the ministry for the preparation and execution of the new agreement within one week of the date of the offer. It was also gathered that there might be slight alterations in the allocation of the various lots to the service providers. “Details of the new allocation of lots will be conveyed in a few days time. “Meanwhile, you are expected to operate within the current allocation,” the let-

ter added. The Corporate Service Manager of Cotecna, Alhaji Aminu Mohammed, who confirmed that his company received the letter, noted that details of the extension were still sketchy. Mohammed said the management was trying to liaise with the relevant authorities as directed by the letter. He, however, promised that his company would do its best to achieve government’s objectives for the extension. The manager added that more Customs officers would be trained within the extension period. Meanwhile, some stakeholders have expressed divergent views over the new development. The National President of National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed

CARMMA since 2007, the agency was working with the African Union, AU, to make the campaign more effective because political commitment to its objectives had not been in tandem with its actualisation.

Customs Agents, Mr. Lucky Amiwero, said the extension was a welcome development and a right step in the right direction. According to him, it is not about sentiment; it is about the interest of the Nigerian nation. Amiwero noted that the service had not shown any serious ability to take over the scheme. He said: “Recent comments and pronouncements by the management of Customs do not show that the service is prepared to take over the scheme and it will be dangerous for the government to have gambled.” But the President of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, Mr. Eugune Nweke, expressed reservations over the government decision.

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2013: We’ll work harder –Jonathan ment for us as a nation,” he said. While describing the year 2012 as a year of mixed blessings, Martins called on Nigerians not to lose hope. He urged the citizens to contribute their quota toward the development of the nation as that there was light at the end of the dark tunnel.

Suffering continues in 2013 – Balarabe Musa

Hamper traders waiting for buyers at Apongbon in Lagos, yesterday. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

indication of the Federal Government’s agenda for 2013 in recent pronouncements. “Our objective for the year is to ensure by all possible means that more of the programmes and projects envisioned by this administration, and which are already being embarked upon are further brought on stream within the next 12 months to meet the yearnings of our people, and raise the quality of life. “We remain resolutely committed to the rule of law, due process and fair play in all circumstances. “Our democracy continues to grow and the scope for human freedom continues to expand. It is an achievement that we will continue to build upon.” While promising that 2013 would be a better year, President Jonathan explained that his administration achieved a lot last year in terms of the positive transformation of vital sectors including public infrastructure, power supply, oil and gas, transportation, education, health and agricultural development. “We will continue to work diligently in 2013 to ensure that our efforts in these areas are carried forward to full fruition in fulfilment of our promise of better public services and improved living conditions for all Nigerians,” the President said. He said that his administration would give priority attention in 2013 to flood and erosion control, the rehabilitation and ex-

pansion of existing federal roads, improved power supply and the continued rehabilitation, upgrading and reactivation of the national rail network. The President also promised that employment generation and wealth creation would remain a primary objective of the nation’s socio-economic agenda for 2013. “Creating more employment opportunities for our youth and graduates of our universities is an imperative that will continue to underpin our drive for massive economic growth, the rapid expansion of our manufacturing and industrial base and the productive diversification of our national economy. “In this regard, we will continue to provide the necessary enabling environment for the private sector to thrive,” President Jonathan said. The President added that since peace and security were pre-requisite conditions for the full realisation of government’s objectives, security agencies would be empowered in the New Year and in partnership with the international community stem the scourge of terrorism and boost security of lives and property in the country. He urged Nigerians to include in their New Year resolutions a commitment to do more in 2013 to support the implementation of the Federal Government’s Agenda for National Transformation. He noted that the task of making the nation a much better place for pres-

ent and future generations could not be left to government alone, stressing that leaders and followers had critical roles to play towards the fulfilment of great national potential.

Nigeria’ll come out of current trials – Mark Senate President David Mark has advised Nigerians to continue to partner with elected office holders to take the country out of its challenges. Mark in his New Year message to Nigerians noted that year 2012 was very challenging but Nigerians resolved to remain one indivisible nation. “We went through a very challenging year. But collectively we kept hope of a brighter tomorrow. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. “Those in elected offices cannot bring forth this light alone. Government alone, without the support of the citizenry, cannot build a society where everyone is free and safe without fear of any form of violence. We must come together in unity to ensure a secure and progressive nation. “I can see our nation coming out of our current trials more peacefully and strongly united. We must, however, not relent in our prayers as we continue to build a vibrant nation that will be a pride of all,” he said. Mark also reiterated the resolve of the National Assembly to continue to provide the nation with legislations that would better the lot of Nigerians just as he prayed for a joyous and

PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

prosperous New Year.

Archbishop tasks Jonathan on good governance The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, The Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has urged President Jonathan to make good his promise of making Nigeria a better place in 2013. Martins made the call in his New Year message signed by the Director of Social Communications, Msgr. Gabriel Osu, and made available to newsmen in Lagos. The archbishop said that Nigerians were looking on the President to better their lot by addressing the challenges confronting the nation. “At this period of our national life, what Nigerians need now is to see practical steps by their leaders to alleviate the growing rate of suffering. “They want to see good governance; we have gone through a lot as a nation and we have been hearing promises upon promises; we want to see action this time around. “I want to believe that the President is very sincere about moving the nation forward but he must prove it with concrete actions and not just mere rhetoric,” he said. Martins said that the past two years should have equipped the President with enough knowledge on the problems confronting the nation and urged him to come out with realistic solutions. “My prayer is that this New Year will usher in new vista of immense opportunities and fulfill-

Former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, was pessimistic about 2013. Musa, the chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, said the negative state of the nation as evident by the level of corruption, insecurity and unemployment would continue “unless something fundamental or revolutionary take place in the country.” He said: “We can’t expect any change or reform coming from the present government. I expect the suffering of Nigerians to continue throughout 2013 unless something revolutionary happens which you cannot rule out. “I have lost hope in government because it is overwhelmed by the problem of corruption and all others. The government is even involved in the corruption.”

Don’t expect security, welfare –Momoh Also, the National Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Prince Tony Momoh, said he was not hopeful that 2013 would show national progress than 2012. “What we should be doing is to attempt to meet the people’s needs. “The constitution says that government is there for the security and welfare of the citizens, there is no welfare, there is no security. There was no welfare in 2012, there was no security in 2012 and the seed we did not sow in welfare and security in 2012 we should not expect welfare and security in 2013,” Momoh told National Mirror.

Yuguda, Akpabio call for prayers Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State also called on

Nigerians to pray that the security challenges facing the country should end in 2013. Yuguda, who made the call in his New Year message, said that this would enhance the effort toward achieving lasting peace in the country. He called on the citizens of the state to make a New Year resolution toward a peaceful co-existence among themselves, irrespective of religious, cultural or political differences. “While we usher in the New Year, I urge you to use the occasion to assess your performances in the last one year and pray for better and prosperous 2013. “I wish to use this opportunity to once again re-echo my call for mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among our citizenry,” he said. The governor said that government would continue to ensure the security of lives and property of the people as well as ensure that citizens move around freely without any molestation. Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has also charged Nigerians and the people of the state on the need to draw close to God as they start another journey of their sojourn on earth, sying that was the only way they would succeed and achieve their objective in the New Year. The governor stated this in his New Year message in a state wide broadcast. Part of the message reads: ‘’As we end year 2012, let us count our blessings and thank God for everything; let us continue to pray for the best in 2013 and continue to draw closer to our creator because that is the only way we can continue to attract his blessings, protection and provision in the New Year as individuals, state and a nation. “As a people and state, we have moved from the fringes of national life to the centre of national attention. We have run a good race in terms of infrastructural development, human capacity building, economic growth and educational CONTINUED ON PAGE 6>>

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New Year: There’s hope for Nigeria, say PDP, APGA, ANPP, others OBIORA IFOH ABUJA

otable political parties in the country have expressed hope for a brighter future for the nation in the New Year even as they called on Nigerians not to despair over the prevalent difficult situation. The political parties include the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA; the Labour Party, LP; the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP and newly-registered United

Progressive Party, UPP. They are of the opinion that with a little more effort, the present leadership can bring the democracy dividends that Nigerians crave for. The PDP said that for the nation to win the battle against ills that retard its growth, there must be a complete change of attitude among Nigerians, stressing that the leaders and the led must seek the face of God. In a goodwill message to mark the New Year, the PDP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh,

lamented the dwindling patriotism among Nigerians, stating that the major preoccupation of the party in 2013 would be to engender positive attitudinal change among the people. It, therefore, urged the leaders of the party at all levels to brace for the challenge. “Our vote for attitudinal change in 2013 is informed by the simple fact that the commonest denominator of the systemic challenges facing our national growth is the dwindling fervor of patriotism on which our founding fathers laid the

foundation of our dear nation. “The adverse implications of this have been manifest in various ills that retard our movement to greatness. “As the party entrusted with the mandate of the people, the onus is on us to show the light so that the way will be made perfectly clear to them. “All our members elected and appointed into positions of authority at all levels now have a double responsibility of meeting up with the performance target we have already set as

L-R: Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu; Head of Service, Mr. Olubunmi Famosaya and Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Ganiyu Owolabi, during the signing of the 2013 Appropriation Bill into Law, in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday.

2013: We’ll work harder –Jonathan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

advancement and healthcare services.”

Utomi criticises Nigerian leaders For political-economist and one-time Director of the Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi, government needs to relinquish control on the economy to the private sector and focus more on creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in order to grow the economy in the New Year. “Government needs to get out of the way as much as possible or we will still continue to have problems,” he said. Utomi, however, expressed optimism that the power sector reforms would be successfult “once the private players are in place, the next challenge will be how to ensure that the regulators concentrate more on creating an enabling environment for

the newly-privatised generation and distribution companies to thrive instead of mere enforcement of rules.” Utomi, who contended that the regulators had done more damage to businesses, said that there was a need to move away from the concept of authority as a bully. “The problem is that anybody in authority in Nigeria thinks this means they have to show maximum capacity to intimidate. They must realise that their role is to create and enabling environment and not being obstructionist. “This is part of the issues we are having with the public private sector partnerships, people are not sure of how government will behave. “You have cases of investors signing agreements with companies and after they have invested substantial amount

of money, another government comes in and cancels the contract. Where else can this happen?” Utomi added that the government needed to focus on rehabilitating and expanding the railway system, pointing out that the economic effect of an efficient and widespread rail network would be tremendous.

NLC seeks end to anti-labour law practices President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Abdulwaheed Omar, said that all initiatives by policymakers that did not favour the nation’s workers should be eliminated in the New Year. Speaking with National Mirror yesterday, Omar said it is on that foundation that other challenges confronting the sector, including those of casualisation of workers and low productivity by workers due to poor welfare and

wages could then be addressed. Describing the federal and state governments as well as employers as critical and strategic partners in nation building, the NLC president explained that the congress, just like workers in the country, was hopeful of “good tidings from its partners” in the New Year. He stressed that a tough stance would be taken against casualisation in 2013. Also, the General Secretary of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said though workers, particularly those in the power sector, suffered much in 2012, electricity workers were hopeful that their expectations of payment of their severance would be effected to move the reforms forward. He explained that it was the expectation of CONTINUED ON PAGE 53>>

well as to lead the way, with exemplary conduct, in this course of value change.” The statement said that the twin evils of corruption and insecurity which inflicted the deepest cut on the memory of Nigerians in the year ended could be overcome with the relegation of warped values by the people. “Are we referring to corruption, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery, tribalism, religious intolerance, nepotism and what have you? The solutions lie in the change of attitude among Nigerians. “We must return to the path of patriotism and those in authority must lead the way.” The party stressed that achieving this change was not for the President alone but required the collective efforts of all Nigerians. APGA also advised Nigerians to make 2013 a memorable year. The party said the New Year should be “a year which the spirit of love, justice, fairness and goodness will ultimately overcome the anguish of hatred, injustice, marginalisation and oppression; a year which the desire and passion to work for the common good of all Nigerians and humanity will subdue the innate urge and compulsion to work for the privileged few, who find themselves in position of power and line of authority; a year which cordial and brotherly relationship and co-existence will conquer mutual suspicion and sectional mistrust among Nigerians; a year which disagreement of any sort will be amicably resolved on a discussion table, rather than through intimidation, harassment, suppression, blackmail and violence; a year which the intent and spirit of the rule of law will prevail in all levels and strata of governance, rather than that of rule of men, arbitrariness, brawn, violence, affluence, influence and contact, and a year which the federal, state and local governments, will live up to their constitutional duties and responsibilities to Nigerians.” In a statement by the National Director of Publicity, Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, APGA wished that the New Year would be a new dawn and a turning point for Ni-

geria and Nigerians; “when the eclipse of corrupt tendencies prevalent in the country will be over.” APGA, therefore, implored Nigerians to be good ambassadors, agents of positive change and deep transformation in their personal and public lives in this 2013. “For Nigeria to work and be great is a collective responsibility between the citizens and the government, which no one should shy away from. Therefore, all hands to the pumps, for God will only work with us and not for us.” Speaking in a similar vein, the National Chairman of Labour Party, Chief Dan Nwanyawu, said there is certainly hope in the horizon that Nigeria will get her acts right in the coming years and that the benefits of democracy will berth for the people to enjoy. He said: “There is hope that with the turn of the New Year, our leaders will wear new garments of service and dedication to fatherland and ensure that the labour of our heroes past would not be in vain. “There is hope that the New Year will usher in a new lease to life where unemployment, insecurity, academic decadence, lawlessness, legislative rascality, economic sabotage, rot in the judiciary, election malpractices and all that would be a thing of the past. “I see a Nigeria where selfishness among the political class and business community will give way to sacrifices, selflessness and love for the nation; where tribe and tongue, religion or political divide will no longer determine issues of national importance. “I dare say that Nigeria may have had it rough in the past but I believe that the present leadership, with the support of Nigerians, can steer the ship out the troubled waters. In his own message, the ANPP National Chairman, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, said he was convinced that Nigeria would be a better place to be proud of. He, however, noted that this could be possible “if we resolve that our democracy will be such that the will of the people remains CONTINUED ON PAGE 53>>

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Tuesday January 1, 2013

NEW YEAR MESSAGES

Obi promises sustained battle against poverty CHARLES OKEKE AWKA

he Anambra State government has promised to carry out a sustained battle against poverty this year. The government’s resolve to intensify the numerous developmental and antipoverty programmes it has been promoting over the years was announced by the state governor, Mr.

Peter Obi, in his new year message released to journalists yesterday. Obi said government had commenced projects geared toward poverty alleviation and creation of more employment opportunities for the people. Obi listed the ongoing developmental projects being executed by his government to include, the Onitsha Hotel and Convention Centre and the Onitsha

Shopping Mall, while work on the hotel project at the capital territory as well as the hotel project at Agulu Lake will soon start. He said the various multinational companies that have established their facilities in the state are also opening windows of employment for the teeming youths, while discussion has been concluded with more companies on investment in the state.

Governor Obi said the on-going massive roads reconstruction across the state has been scaled up to open up the rural communities to give the people at the grassroots access to wealth creation and economic empowerment. On education, the governor said government would sustain its partnership with the church in rebuilding collapsed school infrastructure as well as

L-R: Hon. Justice Muktar Abibola; Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Bolajoko Adeniji; Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Christy Luke and Deputy Controller of Prison, Mr. Lawrence Showumi, during a visit to Agodi prison in Ibadan yesterday.

We’ll make life more meaningful, says Ajimobi

yo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, has congratulated the people of the state on the occasion of the New Year, promising that he would redouble his efforts to make life more meaningful to them in 2013. The governor, in his new year message to the people of the state, assured of new lease of life which he said would be brought to the state through aggressive infra-

structural development. He said the infrastructural activities, which would be unprecedented in the history of state, would cut across all sectors of the economy. Governor Ajimobi also said that the beautification efforts of his administration, which he said were now being widely acknowledged and applauded, would continue unabated until the entire state was given the neces-

sary facelift. He craved for the understanding of the people of the state, particularly those affected by the ongoing removal of illegal structures across the state, stating that it could be likened to the proverbial circumcision, which comes with pain, but whose elegance later on becomes a thing of pride. The governor said that the neighbourhood markets being constructed

by his administration and which would soon be ready, would afford them the opportunity of plying their trade in safe, secure and decent environment. The governor called on the people of the state to continue to support his administration so as to create a conducive atmosphere for the actualisation of its lofty programmes that would ensure the rapid transformation of the economy of the state.

We’ve received cooperation from our people –Amosun

gun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has said that his administration has enjoyed tremendous cooperation from the people of the state in its development strides. The governor noted that; “Contrary to speculations in some quarters that our people are averse to development, the good people of Ogun State have shown unparalleled and rare enthusiasm for positive change.”

He said this in his new year television and radio broadcast to residents of the state this morning in Abeokuta. Amosun’s words: “We have seen people removing the roof of their houses and even breaking walls before the demolition team of the road construction firms gets to their areas. Up till now, we have not received any news of confrontation at any of the sites.” He said his government

had had “pleasant experiences” in its on-going construction work in Sagamu, Sango Ota, Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta and other places, adding that “our people will always support genuine development efforts and make the necessary sacrifices where they see sincere efforts by the leadership to bring about improvement on their standard of living.” The governor said his administration had continued to receive requests

for road projects from communities across the state, but explained that due to limitation of resources “it is not possible to construct all the roads in Ogun State at the same time.” While calling for more sacrifices from residents on the development projects, Governor Amosun assured that his administration would continue to lessen the pains of those affected through prompt payment of their compensation.

ensure that the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme remains free and compulsory while teachers would be trained and retrained to restore the glory of education. He assured that the ongoing building projects in different missionary hospitals in the state will be completed and more projects initiated in collaboration with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office and that the policy of offering regular financial support to selected hospitals in the state will be upheld. The governor said more equipment and facilities would be provided to the state new teaching hospital to make it a model in the country, while the general hospitals will continue to receive special attention to make them fully functional. Governor Obi also said that the Greater Onitsha Water Scheme will be receiving special attention this fiscal year, while work on existing water projects will be completed. He said government will commence the immediate removal of all forms of shanties and illegal

structures in Onitsha as well as enforce the ban on street trading, urging those involved to cooperate with government. The governor restated the resolve of his administration to conduct local government election as soon as possible and appealed to those who instituted one case or another to withdraw them in the interest of the state and democracy. On security, Governor Obi said government has ordered and paid for 300 security vehicles to be distributed to communities in the state and has concluded arrangement to offer direct support of paying salaries of chosen number of vigilance groups while support to all security agencies will be sustained by direct funding and provision of necessary equipment for their operations and recalled that presently, government has provided over 350 vehicles to the security agencies. He said in addition that the state government would buy state-of-the-art tracking equipment for security agencies to assist in tackling the crime of kidnapping.

Okorocha calls for more sacrifices

mo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has urged residents of the state to make more sacrifices to ensure the success and sustenance of the programmes and policies of his administration. He made the call yesterday in Owerri in his new year message to the people of the state. The governor said such sacrifices were necessary to create opportunities for the hopeless and secure a brighter future for the state. His words: “Everyone in the state has a role to play to make my administration succeed. “We shall remain focused in our transformation agenda by promoting only programmes and policies that will impact positively on the lives of our people.” The governor promised that his administration would complete all on-going projects in the state in 2013. He thanked the residents for supporting his administration during

the year, adding that their support enabled him to record many successes within a short period. The governor said that he had put behind the recent clash between his motorcade and that of Senator Chris Anyanwu, representing Imo East, in which a driver was injured. “In the spirit of the new year celebration, I want to express my forgiveness to Senator Chris Anyanwu,” he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the two All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chieftains on December 27 blamed each other for the incident which occurred at Azaraegbelu, near Owerri.

Okorocha

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

NEW YEAR MESSAGES

Fashola urges healthy living, security consciousness MURITALA AYINLA

agos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has urged residents to stay healthy, shun the temptation to cut corners and be security conscious. In his new year message, the governor urged sustained vigilance and compliance to law and order, which represents the measure of the civilization of every society and the only way through which society can identify and put pressure on the few people who are making life difficult for the majority. He said it was by so doing that the people could bring the few spoilers to justice and also continue to secure the state and make her the model mega city of everyone’s collective dream. Fashola informed that the New Year resolution of the administration is to continue to serve the people and continuously evolve policies and programmes that will secure their lives and property, as well as advance their welfare. He reiterated that given the fact that 2012 had some challenges, particularly in terms of security, everyone must now vow to fight the menace collectively if any progress must be made as

a nation and a people in the New Year. The governor stressed that everyone must realise that security is everybody’s business and that those who make life difficult for the rest like kidnappers, armed robbers, suicide bombers and other criminals all belong and live within the communities. He said: “They are not ghosts but people like you and I and so must be known by some people. It is our duty, both as individuals and as communities, to expose such people. Their activities only benefit a few while the majority of us suffer.” He also advocated that

everyone must respect the rights of others and obey the law, noting that it would be difficult to realise any noble aspirations or dreams if there is no order in the society. Governor Fashola also urged a deep reflection on the types of business we are engaged in, adding that a consideration for the safety of others and not money should be our main consideration of doing business. He added that in Lagos, in the past six years, government made concerted efforts collaborating with some individuals and corporate organizations to keep the state comparatively safe and secure.

Fashola said: “We have succeeded largely because we have made the people our focus. It has been our belief from inception that the only reason for our existence as a government is to secure life and property of the people. “Every policy we have introduced in the last six years has, therefore, been tailored towards the welfare of the people. We have, through these policies, created a conducive and enabling environment for enterprise and investment to thrive thereby reducing to the minimum the desperate conditions that instigate crime and insecurity.”

BENIN

overnor Adams Oshiomhole has assured residents of Edo State more dividends of democracy in year 2013. In a new year message made available to journalists yesterday at the Government House in Benin by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Peter Okhiria, Governor Oshiomhole said the people of the state have a lot to thank God for in the outgoing year even as they should look forward to a more prosperous 2013. He said: “Year 2012 was good for Edo State. In the outgoing year, we were

Enugu advises Nigerians on nation-building

he Acting Governor of Enugu State, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi, has called on government at all levels and Nigerians to redouble their efforts to build a better country in 2013. This was contained in his New Year message made available to journalists yesterday in Enugu. Onyebuchi said that redoubled effort was necessary to improve the socioeconomic and political lives of Nigerians. He urged Nigerians to eschew acts capable of impeding the progress of the nation, adding that they should remain prayerful in 2013. “We should learn from the mistakes of the pre-

vious years and commit ourselves to ensuring that improvements are made in all facets of the country’s’ socio-economic and political life. “We must strive to build a stable, secure and prosperous nation in 2013,” he said. Onyebuchi thanked indigenes of Enugu State, security agencies and various organisations for their support for the government in 2012. He assured the people of the state government’s commitment to their welfare.

Plateau committed to residents’ welfare –Jang JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

People in last minute shopping for the New Year Day celebration at Oshodi market in Lagos, yesterday.

Oshiomhole promises more dividends of democracy SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN

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able to execute a number of capital projects which had direct meaningful impact on the lives of the people. “Also in the year, we held our governorship election which has now been adjudged the freest and fairest ever held in the country and is now being used as template for elections in the nation. “However, as we enter 2013, I assure the people of this government’s commitment to deliver more to every nook and cranny of the state so as to justify the confidence reposed in me by the overwhelming victory I received at the polls across the 18 local government areas of the state.”

“I wish to assure the good people of Edo State that all projects started by this administration will be followed up with all due diligence and vigour to ensure their completion. “I urge our people to remain vigilant to ensure that evildoers are not given a free hand in our state in the New Year. I salute the good people of the state: our royal fathers, the professional groups, civil servants, student bodies, civil society groups, market women and the ordinary people in the streets for standing by this administration in the outgoing year.” “Also, I commend the Christian and Muslim

communities for their peaceful and brotherly coexistence in the state. I specially recognize the contributions and efforts of the security agencies in the maintenance of peace and security in the state in the outgoing year. “I, again, count on the goodwill and support of all Edo sons and daughters at home and in the Diaspora in the New Year, as they join me in our determination to make Edo a model state and the first among equals in the country.” “As I wish you a happy and bountiful New Year, I pray that the peace and grace of God abide with you now and forever.”

PHOTO: YINKA ADEPARUSI

NOA DG preaches tolerance IJEOMA EZEIKE ABUJA

he Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, has urged Nigerians to tolerate one another as well as demonstrate good neighbourliness in order to enjoy robust peace and stability in 2013. In a new year message made available to journalists in Abuja, Urging Nigerians to prevent violence in every part of the country, Omeri asked them to support effort by President Goodluck Jonathan to develop the country.

overnor Jonah Jang of Plateau State yesterday reiterated his commitment to transform the state for the welfare of the residents, despite the challenges confronting his administration. Jang, therefore, urged the residents to support his administration to achieve the dream. He urged them to rededicate themselves in their relationship with God. The governor also urged the residents to love one another and embrace peace. In a new year message signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, James Mannok, Governor Jang noted that though year 2012 was full of blessings and challenges for the country, there is need for us the nation to put behind its trials and embrace the future with vigor and determination. He said: “Together we can build an enviable Plateau State for the benefit of all and the future generation and wishes the people a blessed 2013.”

Jang

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News

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Maku restates FG’s commitment to anti-corruption war CHIDI UGWU AND JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

L-R: Kogi State Governor Idris Wada; President Goodluck Jonathan and Dr. Felix Ogedengbe, during the President visit to the governor at Cedarcrest Hospital in Garki, Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE.

2015: Asari-Dokubo shuns entreaty to stop criticism of Jonathan SOLA ADEBAYO WARRI

here are indications that the President of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujarheed Asari-Dokubo, may have shunned entreaties by prominent Ijaw leaders to stop his criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Sources said AsariDokubo was asked to stop his criticisms so as not mar bid by Jonathan to seek re-election in 2015. The sources said that Asari-Dokubo discountenanced pressure by eminent Ijaw leaders and his colleagues in the Niger Delta struggle to put stop his criticisms of Jonathan’s administration. National Mirror learnt that the Presiden-

cy was uncomfortable with the recent utterances of Asari-Dokubo, especially in the media. The Presidency felt concerned that the criticism of Asari-Dokubo was sending wrong signals to Nigerians outside the South/South geopolitical zone on the chances of Jonathan for a second term mandate in 2015. Investigation revealed that the Presidency was embarrassed that AsariDokubo was too strategic to be allowed to “utter reckless statements about the Presidency.” Consequently, the Presidency recruited some notable Ijaw leaders and former militant commanders to persuade Asari-Dokubo to sheathe his swords. It will be recalled that Asari-Dokubo lately embarked on negative media campaigns against

Jonathan’s administration. Specifically, he warned that the re-election of Jonathan in 2015 was doubtful. The ex-militant leader, who said Jonathan had not performed satisfactorily, warned that the re-election of Jonathan hung in the balance. Besides, Asari-Dokubo condemned the rift between Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo and asked the incumbent to mend fences with the ex-Nigerian leader in order to brighten his chances for re-election in 2015. Asari-Dokubo asked Jonathan to extricate himself from some of his aides, who he alleged have hijacked him for selfish interests. National Mirror learnt that the Presidency “hired” the South/ South Leader, Chief Ed-

NLC tasks President on insecurity, unemployment OLUFEMI ADEOSUN ABUJA

he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has set a template for President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2013, asking him to rise up to the security and unemployment challenges confronting the country. NLC also urged the government to priori-

tise constant electricity supply, resuscitation of ailing industries, reduction of lending and inflation rates, massive housing schemes, effective road construction, robust healthcare system and sound education. NLC Deputy President, Mr. Promise Adewusi, said the President Jonathan had spent

enough time laying foundation for the country’s development, stressing that 2013 should be a time of action. He said: “This is the time for rapid and effective deployment and implementation of this government’s research efforts. This new year should decide where the government is heading for.”

win Clark and notable ex-militant commander, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo, alias Tompolo, to prevail on Asari-Dokubo to his action.

inister of information Labaran Maku yesterday rated the Federal Government high in key areas of performance and restated its commitment to tackle headlong the menace of corruption in the country The minister, who spoke at a media briefing in Abuja on major achievements of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2012, said significant achievements were recorded in project execution and policy implementation in various sectors of the economy including, power, agriculture, aviation, education, ICT and transportation, among others. Maku said the security challenges confronting the country slowed down the administration’s drives towards improving holistically the performance of the economy, but that in spite of

the ugly development, government was able to achieve success in the implementation of policies. Recalling the various initiatives in the power sector, the minister said the reforms had improved electricity supply remarkably in major parts of the country with an average of 15 to 18 hours daily. On the anti-graft war, Maku reiterated the government’s determination to pursue with vigour the anticorruption battle by blocking all the loopholes being explored to defraud the nation through the fuel subsidy and several other avenues. Maku said: “The administration of Goodluck Jonathan remains focused in the fight against corruption in the country.” Nigerians will see greater vigour in the fight in 2013. Reforms in the agricultural sector have ended the annual fertiliser supply scams that ran into several billions annually.

News

ROTIMI FADEYI ABUJA

resident Goodluck Jonathan yesterday visited Kogi State Governor, Idris Wada, at the Cedarcrest Hospital, Garki 11, Abuja, where he is receiving treatment for injuries sustained in a road crash last Friday on the Abuja-Lokoja road. Jonathan, who arrived at the hospital at about 3.20pm, was received by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu and the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Dr. Felix Ogedengbe. The President immediately proceeded to the male ward of the hospital, but when he came out about 15 minutes later to return to the

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

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Jonathan visits Wada in hospital

•Governor to be discharged soon –Doctor State House, he did not speak to journalists who had gathered at the hospital to seek his comment after seeing the governor. Before he left the private hospital for the State House, President Jonathan waved at journalists and hospital staff, saying, “thank you”, “thank you” . The governor had broken a thigh bone in the crash which claimed the life of his Aide-De-Camp (ADC), Idris Mohammed, who was said to have been thrown out of the vehicle when the tyre of

the governor’s Lexus Jeep burst on the way back to Lokoja after attending the Igala Education Conference in Anyigba area of the state. But, the CMD later told journalists that the governor was doing well after a successful surgery and would be discharged from hospital within few days. Ogedengbe said though it was a severe injury, the governor was doing well and re-

sponding to treatment, stressing that he was already doing step-climbing. “He is doing very well at the moment. You know it was a severe injury. We have continued to watch out for any other problem that he might have but at this stage, we have not seen any other problem at all,” the CMD said. “From the medical point of view, he is quite healthy and he should be ready to go back

home in a couple of days. I can only, at this stage, tell you that he will be ready to go back home in a few days, but I won’t be able to tell you specifically which day, Ogedengbe added. Speaking in the same vein, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Jacob Edi, also told journalists that his boss was doing well, having undergone a successful surgery for the broken thigh bone. Edi said since the governor was responding to treatment

and in stable health, he would not be flown abroad for further medical treatment. He noted that the governor has confidence in the medical system in the country and has been receiving adequate medical attention at the hospital. On the reported fear of the governor’s security in the hospital, Edi said; “From the eyes of men, the hospital could be small and there could be the fear of security, but security belongs to God. We believe that God will protect him.”

Fashola signs N499.1bn 2013 appropriation bill into law MURITALA AYINLA

agos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday signed into law the 2013 appropriation bill amounting to N499.105 billion. The 2013 budget has a slight increase of 1.5 percent from the 2012 budget. With this development, Lagos is the state with the highest budget estimates and the first to sign the appropriation bill into law within the year it was presented to the state House of Assembly for approval. The appropriation bill now has N229.729 billion recurrent while capital expenditure is N269.376 billion. The bill tagged: ‘Budget of Poverty Eradication and Economic Growth,’ showed an increase of N1.828 billion from the initial appropriation of N497.227billion presented on October 31, 2012. Speaking before signing the bill into law, Fashola said the budget could only be achieved when the state government earns the required revenue within the fiscal year. His words: “It is not how quickly the budget is passed or assented that matters; but what is important to this administration is how rigorously the budget is implementation for the development of the state, especially in improving the standard of living of residents of the state. “And all these cannot be achieved without the energy and commitment of the men and women in the state civil service. So, it is time for the civil servants to lace up their shoes and set for work.” Commending the state

House of Assembly for a speedy consideration of the appropriation bill, Fashola assured that implementation of the budget would commence immediately after the New Year holiday. He added: “It is fair to acknowledge that the Lagos State House of Assembly have given the executive a good head start so that in a matter of few hours, the budget will be in operation.” Speaking earlier, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Ben Akabueze, said 46 percent of the 2013 budget is allocated to recurrent expenditure while 54 is allocated to capital expenditure. He added that signing the bill into law within two months it was presented to the House of Assembly was a clear indication that there is a mutual relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government.

L-R: Deputy Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Kolawole Taiwo; Governor Babatunde Fashola and his deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, at the signing of the 2013 Appropriation Bill into law at the State House, ikeja, yesterday.

Gwari-Fulani crisis: FCT Minister vows to punish perpetrators OMEIZA AJAYI

ederal Capital Territory Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, has vowed to punish anyone found wanting in the Gwari/ Fulani crisis that left two persons dead in Gwako village in Gwagwalada area council of the territory on Saturday

night. He said the decision to make such persons face the full wrath of the law has become necessary in order to serve as a deterrent to potential perpetrators of violent crimes. Mohammed, who spoke yesterday at an emergency meeting of community stakeholders, including representatives of the Gwaris and Fu-

lanis at the Gwagwalada area council secretariat stated: “Anybody found to be culpable or have participated in the perpetuation of this heinous crime, whatever his or her position in society, will face the full wrath of the law”. His warning came even as he constituted a 15-member reconciliation and investigation committee headed by the FCT Command Police

Commissioner, Mr. Aderenle Shinaba. According to him, the constituted committee, which was given one week to submit its report is expected to find out the remote and immediate causes of the incident; assess the damages; required compensation as well as recommend those that will face prosecution. The minister called for calm and urged members of the communities to continue to maintain peace and harmonious co-existence amongst the Nigerian Labour Con- themselves since they have a gress (Osun State Council); long standing history of living the Trade Union Congress, together as one. (Osun State Council) and the He expressed the desire of Chairman of the Osun State the government to get to the Joint Negotiating Council, root of the matter to forestall a Comrade Bayo Adejumo. recurrence of such incidence The state government in the future. had sought five declarations He also sympathised with and two injunctions against the families of those who lost the three defendants. their loved ones, or were inThe injunctions are to jured or lost their property durrestrain the defendants and ing the incident. their agent “from mandatSenator Mohammed coning, calling out, directing sequently directed the FCT and encouraging or in any Urban Affairs Department other manner moving or in- and the National Emergency stigating the workers in the Management Agency NEMA employ of Osun State gov- to continue to take care of ernment to embark on any those displaced by the crisis by strike action.” providing succour to them.

Court restrains Osun workers from going on strike KAYODE KETEFE

he National Industrial Court (NIC) sitting in Lagos has restrained labour unions in Osun State, comprising of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, from calling out their members to embark on strike as a result of a dispute on remunerations involving them and the state government. Delivering judgment in suit no NICN/LA/275/2012, the presiding judge, Justice Benedict Kanyip, held that the organised labour could not legally embark on strike

action until it has complied with the provisions of Section 31(6) of the Trade Unions Act Cap T14 LFN 2004, as amended by the 2005 Amendment. The section, among other things, provides that no trade union shall call out its member to embark on strike unless “a ballot has been conducted in accordance with the rules and constitution of the trade union at which a simple majority of all registered members voted to go on strike.” The court further held that the Osun State government has complied with the requirement of the National

Minimum Wage Act (as amended) by approving and paying the minimum wage of N19, 012.95 per month to every worker in the employ of the state. The judge stated that the said National Minimum Wage Act does not place any obligation on the state government to implement an increase of salaries 100 per cent across the board for all workers, but rather to ensure that the least paid worker in the Osun state public service does not earn below 18,000 naira per month. Osun State government has filed the suit through its Attorney-General against

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

SUPER TUESDAY INEC shouldn’t have de-registered parties – George

Jonathan’s optimism amidst growing distrust

he barrage of criticisms trailing President Goodluck Jonathan’s Christmas Day message, in which he reassured of his administration’s commitment to deliver on its promises in 2013, have once more brought to the fore, the widening disconnect between Nigerians and their leaders. The President had in the message drawn a connection between Christmas and the lessons of Jesus Christ’s mission on earth, the challenges and commitments of his administration, saying the season has great significance for Nigerians as a people. According to him, there could be no doubt that “we all, irrespective of our religious beliefs, can draw immense strength and inspiration from the Messiah’s enduring personification of selflessness, dedication to duty, and commitment to the wellbeing of others.” He reiterated the commitment of his administration to transform Nigeria, stressing that no one should doubt the determination of his administration to fulfil its promises to change the living conditions of Nigerians. His words: “The virtues and ideals of peace, tolerance, faithfulness, honesty, justice, fairness, true wisdom, knowledge and understanding which He (Christ) taught and exemplified also remain very relevant to us in Nigeria as we continue to grapple with the challenges of development and nation-building. “As we celebrate Christmas, the ultimate significance of which is the fulfilment of God’s promise of a Saviour for mankind, I urge you all to continue to trust in our unwavering commitment to fully achieve the objectives of our Agenda for National Transformation for the benefit of all Nigerians. “No one should doubt that we have the political will and determination to deliver on our promise of positive changes in the living conditions of our people in the shortest possible time.” He also spoke on the seeming intractable security challenge, saying that despite the distractions posed by threats to peace and security in some parts of the country, the Federal Government would not shift focus from the primary objective of achieving significant improvements in priority areas such as public infrastructure, power supply, transportation, roads, health, education, job creation, agriculture and industri-

Politics

2013: BUDGET MONITORING, PIB, CONSTITUTION REVIEW TOP SENATE PRIORITY

14&15

The recent outburst against President Goodluck Jonathan’s Christmas Day message to Nigerians and similar ones that had trailed his pronouncements of late tend to speak volume of the mistrust, which the people are fast developing for the nation’s leaders, writes FELIX NWANERI.

Jonathan

HOW DID JONATHAN GET IT WRONG THAT HE IS HARDLY alisation as quickly as possible. “It is my hope and expectation that more of the efforts, actions and measures we are already undertaking in these areas will successfully come to fruition next year (2013) and make the results of the diligent project planning and execution being done under this administration more apparent to all Nigerians,” Jonathan said. A message full of hope, one would say, but unlike in other climes, where citizens take their leaders for their words, no sooner had Jonathan done with his than criticisms from political analysts and stakeholders, especially the opposition political parties ensued. To the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the message is another ploy to deceive Nigerians. “It is doubtful if the President truly believes that Nigerians can trust him on this one, after many broken promises in the past one year and sheer unwill-

BELIEVED ANYMORE

BY THE PEOPLE?

HAS

HE SQUANDERED THE GOODWILL THAT SAW HIM WIN THE

2011 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE?

ingness to assuage the cruelty unleashed on them by his administration’s lethargy and incompetence. “Indeed, this President and his forebears in the ruling behemoth have collectively mismanaged in the last 13 years, the hopes of Nigerians and brought the nation into impecunious status through unprecedent-

ed corruption and profligacy,” the party said through its National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin. The CPC particularly faulted the huge funds being spent on fuel subsidy and the Federal Government’s inability to tackle the growing insecurity in the country, saying: “With N2.67 trillion and N1.05 trillion said to have been spent on fuel subsidy in 2011 and 2012 respectively, this administration has unwittingly created a bleeding pipe in which the scarce resources of state are siphoned into private pockets of cronies and acolytes of the regime. “The administration has demonstrated lack of capacity in tackling the myriad of insecurity issues that have assailed the nation in the outgoing year. After each deadly bomb blast with attendant fatalities, it had become a regular template of presidential response to give assurances of investigation and security cover for all under the nation space. This is why, as a party, we believe the President’s message is a damp squib.” The party further maintained that an administration that continually carries on with nauseous impunity whilst the people’s rights to good living are continually being trampled upon as well as incapable of prioritising the nation’s need as against the avaricious comfort of its principals and minions cannot be trusted. Similar view was held by the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), which said the president’s promise to improve on critical infrastructure in 2013, is empty and diversionary. The group premised its position on the fact that Nigerians have become victims of incessant lies and manipulations by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government that had failed to deliver on all promises it made to Nigerians since the return of civil rule in 1999. The Benue State chairman of the CNPP, Baba Agan, who spoke on behalf of the group, therefore urged Nigerians to disregard the promise or be prepared for another tortuous year of failed promises by a government that has been overwhelmed by development challenges. His words: “We have been told the same thing over and over again by successive PDP governments in this country, but what do we get; steady deterioration of critical infrastructure. The truth is that the present administration, like the ones before it has been overwhelmed by the development challenges confronting the country and the only option left for them is to give NigeriCONTINUED ON PAGE 41

Politics

Chief Olabode George was a former National Vice Chairman (south-West) and Deputy National Chairman (South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He spoke to a select group of journalists recently on the state of the PDP in Lagos and South-West and the party’s preparedness the for forthcoming elections, among other sundry national issues. OLAJIDE OMOJOLOMOJU brings excerpts:

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INEC shouldn’t have

George

As a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), what is the state of the PDP in Lagos State and how prepared is the party for 2015? I am going to talk about the PDP at my own level, because the actual manager of the party today is the state chairman, but I am still a strong and committed leader of the party, so I will tell you what I know. We have tested our hands in one or two elections and in the past, we used to boycott what we called illegalities, that is the additional 37 local council development areas (LCDAs) which jerked up the total number of local councils in Lagos to 57 and because of that we have always said that we wouldn’t take part in local council elections. But this time around, somebody advised and said: ‘Why don’t you take a shot at it, test your strength.’ And we did in the last local government poll in October 2011 and despite the fact that all the procedures were supposed to be the same like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and we collected results from the collation centres and by law the returning officers in each particular location was to announce the results of the election, we got the results and we won so many councillorship seats as well as chairmanships. But of course, they still had a higher number of seats won more than we did, but the shock was that when we got to the Birrel Avenue office of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), and the chairman of LASIEC, a retired chief judge of the state declared that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) won all and we asked: ‘what happened to this and that location where the results showed that we won overwhelmingly?’ And he said: ‘Anybody who is not satisfied can go to court.’ You see we are building up a time bomb, because Nigerians are not stupid. Look at the election done in Ghana, our next-door neighbour, when are we ever going to grow up? After 14 years of democratic practice, are we still going to be conjuring up election result figures? Let us grow out of this so that for anyone in government who would come and ride roughshod over the people, he would have to be careful. We should ensure that the electoral process would be thorough and people would vote their conscience not you writing results for yourself. So for us in the PDP as a party, we are ready, quite a lot of people who fell out not from our own policy, who fell out on their own are manoeuvring their way back into the party and they know that 2015 is a great opportunity. Even most Lagosians are now asking: ‘Have we been better in past 14 years in the state?’ Just ask yourselves, the lower level, the middle level and top level, if they don’t run you out of town because you are poor, they will run you out by sending LASTMA after you, accusing you of contravening one thing or the other and they can send you to jail now. If we believe that the actual practice of democracy is to alleviate the sufferings of the people, you will have a lot of human milk in you. We just link that to the issue of governance, democratic practice, government of the people, for the people by the people. The electorate are your leaders, when you go around campaigning, you are saying please trust me I will do this, I will do that, I have this experience, I have that experience but only to turn around now to say who the hell are you? That is what they are saying. Look at the plight the okada people are facing and the okada people came back here and I said ‘yegere, yegere’, which means ‘didn’t I tell you’. Remember he (Fashola) bought them helmets and at a time they led his campaign heralding him anywhere he went, riding in front of his convoy and hailing him as the king of Bourdillion. What happened? He now turned back to witch-hunt them; collapse their business without any alternative. In a civilised democracy, we would discuss with them;

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

TUESDAY INTERVIEW

this is what the government wants to do, what are your views? Dialogue, what they have done is akin to running a military administration, which didn’t behave like that. I never behaved like that when I was governor of Ondo State. The PDP is waxing stronger, we are getting ready for 2015 but I want to beg this country for something. Prof. Attahiru Jega has enough time now to plan that election, the president has said openly and even in private that he believes strongly in one man one vote; that democracy is about people and on that thrust, let Prof. Jega go and use the best of equipment to prepare ahead of 2015, because it

LOOK AT THE WAY BOLA TINUBU IS GRABBING THE LEGACIES OF LAGOS AND CONVERTING THEM TO

PERSONAL PROPERTIES. IF

MOBOLAJI JOHNSON AND LATEEF JAKANDE HAD DONE WHAT HE IS DOING TODAY, WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LEFT FOR HIM TO GRAB?

is going to be a year of decision for this country. Looking at the state of things, do you think the PDP is well configured now to face election and what reconciliation efforts have been made to re-absorb the aggrieved returnee-members of the party? Let me take it from the last question. On genuine reconciliation, what was the quarrel about? When you fight somebody, there must have been something you quarrelled about that led you to say you are leaving. Was there anything they shared that a fellow colleague got more than you did? The accusation was clear vis-à-vis their activities and if they are sobered up to say we are sorry, we can go back. I think what they mentioned was, I don’t want to reopen the old wounds; they were saying how can we follow an exconvict? That was Bode George they called an ex-convict. What took me to the prison? The person who even said it knew my background, we all grew up together here in Lagos and in terms of family background. What did Justice Oyewole said we stole there? He said no kobo was missing; we disobeyed Federal Government circular in Lagos State court. If it was not political, then what was it? Then you now have the mind to say that would denigrate me and allow me to disappear into a hole and they can take over the party? But the people said no, I didn’t force myself. You saw the crowd of people, the voice of the people is the voice of the Almighty God. When God anoints you, he will give you every necessary tool. If you now run away, you are disobeying him. Let’s go and see them, some people even said don’t talk, I said no, maybe, the day I die I won’t talk again because it is hereditary in my family. Like I told you, my great grand uncle was Herbert Macaulay, the man who founded politics in Nigeria and Papa was an engineer, I am also an engineer. He did his own, I am doing my own; I hope one of my kids

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Politics

Tuesday, January1, 2013

de-registered parties – George would continue. We would not keep quiet. If you have an idea, come, don’t go and sell our idea elsewhere. They now discovered and asked themselves, what are we fighting for, what is there? Leadership; you don’t demand for leadership, you earn it. Even, how long will it be for me to be more active now? I just travelled to Ilesa, whereas in those days we were going everywhere, 137 local governments in South-West, but I don’t have the strength any more, to be doing that. If they want, let them come, someday I can’t be there in perpetuity. And you know what God said, when you climb and you can see the broad light there, call people up so that there would be continuity. That is all we are doing, call the others up, the younger ones should come so, that there will be continuity in the system. We, as a party, are saying we will provide a stable platform; reliable and dependable platform that the electorate can test. That is the beauty of democracy. We know the electorate are even more prepared now. Look at the South Korean election, what happened? The man was there and people voted based on their conscience. If conservatives go to election today with David Cameron in the United Kingdom, they will lose because there is no manipulation in election result. If you are good, people will vote for you, if you are bad, it will be easy to vote you out, not you voting yourself in there. So, for us we are ready, the platform that we will provide is ready, the electorate are ready, they have seen the charade, the lies, the chains of lies, yes absolute lies the present government is telling the people. The okada people have seen the lies, all the promises made to them, where are they now, will they not vote next time? That is the power they have. All these toll gates they put on Lekki, once you travel another kilometre, another toll gate. We thank Baba Jakande for providing that Lekki road, he built it, and they just expanded it and slammed that much money as toll fee and you see the cry on that belt now. What about education, when the government of Jakande started this free education from primary to secondary up to higher institutions? It was N25,000 as school fees. Today, they have jerked it to N250,000. Now, how would children of the roasted plantain seller, the palm oil seller go to school? Where would they get the money from? But it is the right of every Nigerian child to be exposed to education because it is education that makes it easy for the society to be liberated. People are now wiser, I have told them, collect their money and whatever gift they bring for you and vote your conscience. When we were young, we benefitted from government at that time. When Lagos State was created, I led those who were in UNILAG; I, late Alex Oni, Dr. Femi Anibaba and others, who are Lagos indigenes to General Mobolaji Johnson’s office. They said what were these children looking for, it was a military government but I said don’t worry as long as he was there, he is my in-law, he won’t bang our heads and if they lock us up, by the time my mother intervenes, they would release us. By the time they saw us, they said ‘these are our own children, what are they looking for?’ They listened to us. That was how Lagos State had scholarship board and bursary and we benefitted from it. So, what are they doing now? If we don’t educate our boys we are building up a gun-powder. There was vibrancy in the PDP in the South-West when you were the Deputy National Chairman. Going by the current trend in the PDP, are you optimistic of its chances in the next poll? What do you think was responsible for the party’s loss of ground in the South-West? Now there are two things, that happened and I take them in two angles. There is a popular saying by one philosopher, he said that in life and in death, being a public figure, there are two things they will remember you for; the problems you were able to solve or and the problems you contributed to create. If what you were able to solve is higher than what you contributed to create, then you are a good man, The Action Group started in 1951, it was established in

geria (ACN), but because all them were shouting ‘Awo, Awo,’ with their round caps and round glasses, the people thought they were a better alternative, but I have said it, these are fake Awoists. The old men who put them there, those of them who are still alive are cursing them. On the party’s preparedness, the Yoruba would say all of us cannot have the same idea or align to one side of the coin. The only secret in the university is the examination paper. Our strategy for the forthcoming polls would remain close to our chest; we would not divulge that in the open for now. But I can assure you that we will shock our opponents in the coming elections. We have been trying to ameliorate all the frictions here and there. There is also a song in Yoruba, Ba o ba ja, ohun to wa nile o toopin, meaning if we did not fight, what is on ground is enough to go round everybody. In Lagos, members of the party have been struggling for 14 years; I even congratulate and commend them, especially, those who remained and never moved one inch, because they had nothing to show for all their struggles. My concern now is Lagos State. If we are able to work as a solid group, to get to Alausa Government House, would be like a walk in the park. The electorate areready; all we need to do is to be united as a party.

THEY WILL AUTOMATICALLY

GO INTO EXTINCT, BUT WHAT

INEC HAS DONE IS SENDING SOME NEGATIVE VIBES

INTO THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT PEOPLE Owo, now Baba Obafemi Awolowo and others put these entire infrastructure that we are all proud of today as firsts in Africa. These were young people at that time who were determined that they were going to do those things for their people. Those who now shout Awo, majority of them have no iota of Awo policies. Is it in social services, in health, in agriculture even in industrial development? What that Baba did, these young people in power in the zone should take his template and use it in governance, but they have not used that template. I entered Lagos last night (recently); it was like driving from paradise to hell, darkness. And how much does Lagos State get? Lagos State is still looking ahead to borrow $600 million, who is going to pay for that? Our children. Why did PDP lose in the South-West? Unnecessary bickering, unnecessary in-fighting and it is a very dangerous trend in politics. I like this saying of Dr. Nnamid Azikiwe, he said in politics you talk, I listen, when I talk and you listen. There is nothing more formidable and more sustainable than that. You remember the in-fighting between our two governors over a university. I was in the cooler then. What was the quarrel all about? If you remember, that was how the Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors started. Having gotten the mandate from Pa Abraham Adesanya, when he called a meeting, the governors refused to attend and they started calling him names and he cursed them. Unnecessary pettiness, jealousy, unnecessary bickering and innuendoes crept in. These are to be expected, but it is left to the elected person to guard against those things in the interest of the people. These were the issues that contributed to our annihilation in the South-West. But we have learnt our lesson, because the people said if these people are doing these, then let us try the other party, but they didn’t know that there was only one gate into the Action Congress of Ni-

What is your take on de-registration of political parties by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)? I said it last night. Fela Anikulapo sang that ‘Trouble dey sleep, yanga go wake am, wetin he go find? Na palava.’ I have been in administration for over 40 years, INEC knows that some of these political parties are no longer in existence; they were only used during electioneering. Administratively, INEC could have put conditions down for the parties to fulfil and those of them that cannot fulfil the conditions would just fizzle out on their own. Elections are coming, INEC would update voters’ register and they could have used that opportunity to update the conditions for parties to remain relevant and some of these parties wouldn’t have met the new conditions and they would have died naturally. But when you mention de-registration, it is sending a terribly wrong signal to the outside world. Administratively, they could still have achieved the same end without using the method they have used. Some of these political parties are in existence in the bedroom of just one man, but when you give conditions such parties must meet and they cannot, they will automatically go into extinct, but what INEC has done is sending some negative vibes into the outside world. Democracy is about people. Look at India, do you know how many political parties they have? Almost 200. So, why bother yourself ? People can say in this village, this is the party they want and they would win on that platform and from there they can link up with party A or B or C. As a politician and at 67 years of age, what gives you joy? First, let me define what politics is all about. You may have so many definitions of politics, but by my own definition, politics is about the management of the resources for the benefit of the people. So, when you say you are a leader, and you look back and there was nobody behind you, then whom are you leading? These people you call common people that have continually followed me, how much money do I have that I give them? But what I have discovered is that they see that one would tell the truth, no matter whose ox is gored, if one is wrong, one says it and whoever is wrong, one tells him or her, no matter the age that he or she is wrong, so when they know that they would hear the truth, of course, they would come. And when they come, you can’t shut your doors against them. Because they see you as one who solves the problem for them. I want to see how many problems I am able to solve than the number of problems I create, so that the day God call me home and I take my boarding pass and they called my flight, I would be laughing up there. And you know another interesting thing, when a child is born, that child must cry before the mother would carry CONTINUED ON PAGE 44

Politics

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Jonathan, Obasanjo and Dokubo on 2015 presidency

ASO ROCK FILE with

Rotimi FADEYI

Sambo and the N14bn official residence

t was difficult for the Senate to find any reason why the new official residence of the Vice President would cost taxpayers as much as N14 billion as the lawmakers concluded that there was no way such huge amount could be justified. Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Smart Adeyemi did not mince words when he said that N14 billion was too much and outrageous for a project that its original contract sum was N7 billion with Julius Berger as the contractor. Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Adamu Ismail, had approached the Senate for additional N9 billion, saying that N14 billion was what was required for the completion and furnishing of the residence. The Executive Secretary stated that the original contract sum was N7 billion, stressing that upon review, it was agreed that additional facilities should be added to the original concept to fortify the Vice President’s official residence. However, during an oversight visit to the new residence located within the Three-Arms Zone (behind the National Assembly), an official of the construction company told Adeyemi, and other members of the committee that they had left construction site since June 30, as a result of lack of funds to continue work on the project. But Vice-President Namadi Sambo came out last week to clear the air on the controversy that the project has generated, saying that he has nothing to do with budgetary provisions, design and concept of the construction of new official residence. Sambo stated that the official residence was not his personal property but the residence of any Nigerian vice president. While clarifying the issues surrounding the construction of the official residence,

Sambo, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Alhaji Umar Sani, said that Aguda House, the current temporary residence of the Vice President was designated in the Abuja Master plan as a Presidential Guest House. “It should be known that the concept and choice of a residential accommodation was purely by the professionals in the FCT administration and neither has he ever interfered with the budgetary requirements or cost associated with the constructions,” the statement said. The statement further stated that “it should interest members of the public to note that in the FCT 2012 appropriation, not a single kobo was included in the budget for the residence.”

or political analysts and close watchers of political developments in the country in the last few months, plans towards the 2015 Presidency have already began, a development that has caused the seeming disagreement between President Goodluck Jonathan and former President Olusegun Obasanjo Though 2015 may seem far away, various political groups are already mapping out strategies for the election that would take place that year and are even anointing their favoured candidate. In the midst of the political developments, the leader of the Niger DeltaPeoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, said that President Jonathan may not rule beyond 2015 because he is surrounded by greedy politicians who are responsible for the seeming rift between Jonathan and Obasanjo. But the Presidency last week described

L-R: Wife of Vice President, Hajia Amina Sambo; First Lady, Dame Patience, President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo admiring a Christmas card during Christmas Day homage by FCT Christian Community.

President advocates reformation as key to transformastion

or the country to witness rapid transformation in all sectors of the economy, President Goodluck Jonathan believes that positive changes in the thinking of Nigerians and reformation in behaviour and character would serve as necessary catalyst Jonathan, at a church service he attended on Christmas Day, pointed out that the church and other religious leaders in the country had a great role to play if the transformation agenda of his administration must have resounding success. He said: “You can’t transform without reformation and it is the role of the church to do so.” The President urged the church to come up with various programmes to talk about how Nigerians can be reformed. Jonathan said a situation where some criminals vandalised government properties to sabotage government’s effort to provide stable power supply and other critical infrastructure, must be condemned. According to him, no transformation

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can succeed without reformation. He said: “For our transformation to be sustained, we Nigerians must be reformed. “We must not see our country as where we make money only and build walls and live as prisoners because of the criminal activities of few. People play politics with things that affect even their own lives.

“You wonder why a person carries a saw to go and cut down a conductor carrying cables that produce electricity, because you want a government to fail. This happened somewhere in Enugu” “You begin to wonder if they are humans; that is why we need to reform if we must transform.”

In the spirit of Christmas at the Villa

hristmas Day at the State House was different from any other day of the week as President Goodluck Jonathan played host to the Christian community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who came to pay him homage and celebrate and wish him a merry Christmas. Interestingly and in the spirit of the Christmas celebration, the visitors were led by Vice-President Namadi Sambo and his wife, Amina, who are both muslims. While recognising the presence of Sambo and his wife, Jonathan said it was high time both Christians and Muslims celebrated together in the spirit of oneness as both

religion believe and worship the same God. At the event, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onayeikan, in his remarks urged Nigerians to be closer to one another and to relate more with God in order to have divine guidance for the progress and development of the nation. According to him, no nation can develop without the fear and love of God, stressing that the country would overcome all its challenges. Sambo and the Minister of State, Federal Capital Authority, Olajumoke Akinjide, later presented Christmas cards to the President.

Asari-Dokubo’s position as a crab mentality expression, begotten from a wrong premise which does not reflect the innermost feelings of Nigerians about the present administration and the president. Opening up last week on the presidency’s position on Asari-Dokubo’s statement on Jonathan, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati said the militant leader’s tirade came as a surprise to the presidency. He advised Asari-Dokubo to remain consistent, see the big picture and worry less about greedy people who are preventing other Ijaws from reaching the president. On Asari-Dokubo’s allegation that Jonathan chose to surround himself with greedy people, who have refused other Nigerians access to the president, the presidential spokesman said: “There is also a comment from him (Dokubo) about people who surround the president whom he says are greedy and who have cut him off from his roots, what you just take from that is this crab mentality theory of human relationship and I think that there is a lot of this crab theory at play in Nigeria both in terms of interpersonal relationship and in terms of how people respond to public issues. What is that crab theory all about? If you put a number of crabs in a bucket and one of them tries to go to the top, the other crabs will be struggling to pull that one that is trying to go to the top down. They will keep reminding that top crab that you are one of us; this is where you belong and you cannot leave us; we are together. “President Jonathan is not running an Ijaw project. He is running a Nigerian project and I keep saying he is a man who is very conscious of his place in history. “At the end of the day, whether the people say they are being blocked from having access to him or even those of us who work for him and even everybody, whoever it may be, it is important to remember that the only person that will be called to come and give account is President Jonathan. That is the man Nigerians voted for and all of us, whether we are his kinsmen or his staff or his friends, I think we should focus more on the Nigerian project, the Nigerian assignment that President Jonathan has been given and worry less about insinuations like ‘all these people are blocking me from having access and he has forgotten his brothers’.”

Presidential Villa’s visitors 1. Senate President David Mark 2. Former Information Minister, Dora Akunyili 3. Cardinal John Onayeikan, 4. Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission, Kennedy Opara 5. Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mohammed Bala 6. Minister of State for FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide 7. National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh 8. Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Amal Pepple

MORE POLITICS STORIES ON PAGES 41-44

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Views

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Celebrating Bukar Usman at 70 KHALID IMAN

amed for his distinguished accomplishments in the public service, Dr. Bukar Usman (OON), a retired federal permanent secretary, who in spite of his high place in the society, opts to live a simple and quiet life as if he will die the next second. Humble, simple, taciturn and generous, this seasoned technocrat was selflessly resilient in the service of his mother land and humanity, a virtue that made him soared to the apex of his career before his peaceful retirement in April, 1999. Chief Obafemi Awalowo was right for philosophically asserting that “the battle of life does not go to the faster or stronger man; but soon or later, the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can.” During his active service years, Dr. Usman would not hesitate to concur that he had faultlessly served with unrelenting zeal and zest simply because he strongly believes success is his counting on God’s guidance and assistance. At the risk of sounding repetitive, one cannot help summing up the years of this eminent son of Arewa’s decades in the public service as productive years of incorruptibility, commitment, diligence, competence, selflessness, efficiency and fear of God. In appreciation of his many positive contributions to the development of Nigeria and humanity, in 2000, the Federal Government deservedly honoured him with award of Officer of the

HE HAS UNBREAKABLE

CHAINS OF FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND ASSOCIATES ACROSS THE NATION’S

GEOPOLITICAL DIVIDES Order of the Niger (OON). Born on December 10, 1942, at the ancient Biu town, in Borno State, Usman studied, interacted and lived in both the north and the south of Nigeria. Little wonder, he has unbreakable chains of friends, colleagues and associates across the nation’s geopolitical divides. He is a public administrator per excellence, a committed community leader, a renowned public commentator and a prolific author combined. Among some of his critical works and public policy related books are The Interface of the Muse & Government Protocol (Literature/Criticism); Press, Policy & Responsibility (Media); Democracy, Human Rights and National Stability (Politics/ Development); Voices in a Choir: Issues in Democratization and National Stability in Nigeria (Compilation of the author’s articles on the subject); Dreams and Realities: Issues in Nigeria’s Golden Jubilee Independence Anniversary; Globalization and the World After

Mubarak and Gaddafi (2012), among many others. The consummate Dr. Usman has great passion for Hausa language, culture and folktales, a drive which motivated him to churn out over 16 series of thrilling books of Hausa tales, well-crafted and published in Hausa and English languages. Not yet done, he recently produced an unarguably largest compendium of Hausa folktales collection entitled: Taskar Tatsuniyoyi Littafi Na Daya Zuwa Na Goma Sha Hudu). A silent achiever and generous philanthropist, he is the President of Dr. Bukar Usman Foundation, an Abuja based NGO, which he initiated to still give back to the society, especially in the areas of education, health, community development, etc. Through this foundation, Dr. Usman has been touching the lives of the less privileged members of the society. Today, as a book patron, no single individual alive, in my reckoning, has willingly offered himself as a strong pillar of financial support for many academic scholars, researchers, undergraduates, critics and younger writers like Dr. Usman. Moreover, young Hausa creative writers have been in the forefront of those benefiting from his tireless financial support. His exemplary patronage of purchasing large number of copies of young authors’ works, which he freely distributed to public schools across the north, is legendary. To further promote academic excellence in the studies of indigenous languages in our universities, Dr. Bukar Usman, has

quietly instituted a prize for the best Hausa graduating student in Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto. Delightfully, recently he has added Kaduna State University on the list of his philanthropic support. A renowned Lagos based poet, Odia Ofeimun, was right by stressing that, “Any person who cannot speak his mother tongue is half a person.” Interestingly, at the time many of our western educated elite take extreme pride in supporting English language and other foreign languages over indigenous languages, the proactive Dr. Usman, has single-handedly provide Hausa language, the only lingua franca unifying all the inhabitants of northern Nigeria, a lifejacket. Since the intellectual mind always feeds on books, Okechuku Uwaezuoke of Thisday newspaper was apt by describing this brilliant, talented and quiet elder statesman, who recently locked 70 , as a writer whose “enthusiasm for the literary arts is yet to wane.” Finally, as I join numerous well-wishers to celebrate and wish Dr. Usman more selfless and healthy years of unrelenting service to Nigeria and humanity, I conclude by echoing Uwaezuoke’s words by praying that “may the muse continue to abide with Dr. Usman,” to churn more books and informed articles for us, the youth who always feel enriched drinking from his pot of wisdom. Imam, teaches at College, Garko-Kano

Girls

Science

Regional integration option for South West YOMI OBADITAN

egional integration, as a development paradigm, involves the interconnectivity of institutions and processes of smaller polities existing in contiguous geographical milieu. It is all about cooperation among entities for a common good. The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are good examples of such arrangements. The above explanation is necessary to clear the minds of all men of good will to the proposal for the regional integration of all the states in former Western Region. I say unequivocally that there is nothing sinister in the proposal, which I think should be objectively examined on its merit. All the states in this region may not belong to the same political party, but ethnically, they are sons and daughters of Oduduwa. The synergies to be unleashed by the process would create a larger market for trade and investment within the region, and this in the long run will spur greater production efficiency and competitiveness. Regional integration will bring about economic development; it will promote economic deregulation and unbundle greater opportunities among the members states. Speaking on the need to promote regional integration in South West recently, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the governor of the

State of Osun, posited that Lagos is already overcrowded as it is, and that integration would allow adjoining Yoruba states tap into the commercial opportunities in Lagos for their own growth and development. This he claimed would depopulate Lagos the numerous opportunities in the growing member states would draw their citizens in Lagos back home. Aregbesola was emphatic about the emergence of alternative centers of commerce and business in the South West through integration. This is the philosophy of regional integration: collaborating for sustainable development. Ondo State with its expansive oil and gas reserves, would be expected to co-join with the other states in the region to use its vast gas resources to build thermal plants for regional electricity supply. Imagine the multiplier effects from this singular gesture. The attendant industrialisation would throw up infinite employment opportunities. The strong man of State of Osun further mentioned the centrality of Lagos and the fact that its being the commercial hub of Nigeria and a major market in the West African sub-region would be a viable market for farm produce from the region, provided there is efficient transportation for the evacuation of such produce. His best bet is a well integrated rail transport system. Why would Yoruba nation not give serious thought to this proposal? No time is better than now when the alarm is being raised that the Nigerian economy is not healthy and the Federal Government is under pressure to reduce its work force by as much as 50 percent. The Yoruba should not be deceived by

AREGBESOLA WAS EMPHATIC ABOUT THE EMERGENCE OF ALTERNATIVE CENTERS OF COMMERCE AND BUSINESS IN THE

SOUTH WEST

THROUGH INTEGRATION the lame rejection of the job cut suggestion. Rather they should strive for a more efficient utilization of their natural endowment to enhance their competitiveness in the larger Nigerian economy. Chief Obafemi Awolowo once advised on the need to pay more attention to farming less one day we become net importer of food to feed our teeming population. That advice was ignored and 41 years later we are importing virtually every food item we consume today. Proverb 12: 11 says, “He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he that followeth vain person is void of understanding”. The cheapest way to a decent living is the land, but majority of people prefer white collar jobs. The truth of the matter is that the public sector is overfilled and there is no way the governments can provide jobs for all the job seekers. It is for this reason the enabling environment for creating wealth from the land must be provided. For us in the South West,

regional integration is our best option for bringing about the betterment of the lives of our people. We must resolve today to go back to the land. With this we can create wealth, feed our people and the nation, empower the people, and by implication reduce poverty and criminalities. The surplus from the land we can sell to other states and export to other nations. It is by so doing that this present crop of leaders within the old Western Region would be able to leave befitting legacy behind for the incoming generation, or their failure be used to condemn them. The South West has what it takes to become the food basket of the nation and tilling the land would help banish hunger, poverty and starvation, joblessness and criminality among the youths that are roaming the streets without hope of getting jobs. This is possible through regional integration. Through our collective effort, we could put food on our tables and smiles in our faces. These are the true dividends of democracy, not money sharing. Only the sharing of ideas will ameliorate the pains and sufferings of our populace. Obaditan, a social commentator, wrote from Lagos Send your views by mail or sms to PMB 10001, Ikoyi, or our Email: mail@ nationalmirroronline.net mirrorlagos@ yahoo.com or 08164966858 (SMS only). The Editor reserves the right to edit and reject views or photographs. Pseudonyms may be used but must be clearly marked as such.

Editorial

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

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

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HEAD, GRAPHICS

The setting of 2012 and rising of 2013

ot a few Nigerians drew the curtain on the year 2011 with ‘New Yew Resolutions’ reflecting the high hope that 2012 will usher in fresh succour to their lives, homes, jobs or business endeavours. But with the clocks ticked past 2012 barely a few hours ago and the rising of 2013, not many Nigerians would love to flip back to 2012 if it were to be a book page, unless forced to do so. Yet the setting of the year 2012 and the dawn of 2013 will sure rekindle hopes afresh. But Nigerians were literally ushered into the past year with a gift of scorpion christened as fuel subsidy removal. This cruel Federal Government hamper had shot the pump price of fuel up from N65 to N140 per litre, until it was reduced to N97 per litre following nationwide protests by organized labour and civil society agitators. That was the sad note on which 2012 kicked off. The effect of the fuel subsidy removal was pungent on ordinary Nigerians with immediate hikes in transport fares and general cost of living. Many holiday makers who traveled to the country sides to join members of their families and loved ones in celebrating the Christmas and New Year were trapped by the fuel subsidy protests or the outrageous cost of returning to base. The subsidy fracas

was to lead to the unearthing, by the House of Representatives, of reverberating corruption and frauds in subsidy fund management by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, its subsidiaries and dubious fuel marketers who connived to pay subsidy in billions of naira for fuel not supplied or imported. The FG is still battling to retrieve the stolen funds and prosecute the felons albeit, sluggishly, while the suffering of the public continues. Then the Boko Haram scourge which the FG is still marooned on how to determine its end. Official figures said well over 3,000 citizens have lost their lives to the vicious attacks of the violent Islamic sect up North, and the killings are still ongoing. Complicating the Boko Haram insurgency are upbeats in kidnappings and armed banditry in the country’s South, and fratricidal feuds in other parts, particularly Plateau State. The nation is stepping into 2013 with about the flimsiest of hope in security of lives and property. Indeed, most leaders of the business and industrial sub-sectors pinpointed corruption and insecurity as some of the greatest setbacks to economic growth in 2012. The country ranked as 135th out of 176 countries on the latest Transparency International’s corruption perception index; and

AS THE POPULACE STEPS INTO 2013, AN AVERAGE NIGERIAN WALLOWS IN ALL MANNER OF HARDSHIPS placed 7th out 20 world’s most notorious money laundering nations rated by the Washington, United States’-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI) group, a research and advocacy organization. As the populace steps into 2013, an average Nigerian wallows in all manner of hardships and generally dismal economic and living conditions which would have largely been averted with the prudent management of the country’s resources. Still being bemoaned are widespread unemployment put conservatively at over 32.5 million (official 2011 figure) of the country’s about 167 million population; housing shortages which the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) estimate at 17 million; scarcely improved road and rail infrastructure; declining standards of public health and educational facilities; rising inflation, pension frauds running into billions, if not trillions of naira; and a docile judiciary and compromised criminal justice system. The

nation in 2012, equally witnessed unfortunate loss of lives occasioned by three air mishaps in early June, and mid October and December, respectively. Major areas of improvement, debate-able as they are at the moment, include electricity generation and supply, though marred by billing and metering frauds which have led to brazen public extortion by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and its officials, with an accomplice in the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); as well as gas shortages. In addition, the National Assembly, several of whose members have had their fingers burnt with bribe scandals, seems to be tackling its oversight functions with exemplary firmness and seriousness; and perhaps other intangibles. At least, the country is still tottering on. And as has been the tradition, President Goodluck Jonathan will lead the pack of other leaders at state and national levels to feel the air with bagfuls of admonitions and promises of a better tomorrow for Nigeria and Nigerians. But they will do well, if they painstakingly ponder over the gross deficiencies hindering the nation’s growth and development, as well as threatening peace, security and stability; and sincerely take steps to change the tide for the better. Happy New Year!

ON THIS DAY January 1, 2012 Kim Jong-un was officially declared the new Supreme Leader of North Korea following the state funeral for his father on December 28, 2011. Kim Jongun (born January 8, 1983 or 1984) is the supreme leader of North Korea, the son of Kim Jong-il (1941– 2011) and the grandson of Kim Il-sung (1912–1994). He was the First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea and the Supreme Commander of the Korean People’s Army.

January 1, 2009 About 66 people died in a nightclub fire in Bangkok, Thailand. The Santika Club fire occurred on in Watthana, Bangkok, Thailand, where New Year celebrations were taking place. A total of 66 people were killed and another 222 injured when fire swept through the nightclub during the New Year’s celebration as a band coincidentally called Bur n was playing. The fire broke out at 12:35 a.m.

January 1, 1999 The Euro currency was introduced in 11 countries - members of the European Union (with the exception of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Sweden). The euro is the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union and is the official currency of the eurozone, which consists of 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, et cetera.

Aviation in 2012: Accidents, controversy highlight difficult year

Expert sets agenda for insurance industry in 2013 37

SUPER TUESDAY

www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Stakeholders chart roadmap for real sector’s sustainable dev As stakeholders seek ways to revamp the real sector of the economy, key officials of the Ministry for Trade and Investment, at the recently concluded 2nd Annual Seminar for Trade and Investment Correspondents and Business Editors in Abuja, highlight some programmes and policies of government aimed at reviving the sector and placing it on the path of sustainable development. OLUFEMI ADEOSUN, reports.

FLIGHT SCHEDULE 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 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)

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 Revamping the economy

s part of the Federal Government’s commitment to revamping the ailing Nigeria’s economy, particularly the real sector which has long

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

EXCHANGE RATES been seen as underperforming stakeholders are intensifying efforts in the drive to ensure effective implementation of policies and programmes that are critical to repositioning the economy on the path of sustainable development. To many analysts, the pooling of ideas into practical measures to give meaning to the sundry policy frameworks being cham-

pioned by the Ministry of Trade and Investment is believed to be imperative, if indeed, Nigeria is to become one of the leading 20 economies within the next seven years. When the new ministry was created at the inception of this administration, its mandate was to push for a private sector investment flow of about N15trn within the space of four years, make

the local industries competitive, remove all barriers to trade and create more jobs to fill the country’s huge unemployment gap. Aganga, on whose shoulder the task of championing a new economic rebirth rests upon, is arguably living to his bidding. For instance, Aganga’s multifocused trade strategy for NigeCONTINUED ON PAGE 20

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Probe report: Why Reps want Demuren out – Investigation

2012: Protest, strikes dominates, issues unresolved

Housing sector: Slow growth defines lacklustre year

Business & Finance

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stakeholders chart roadmap for real sector’s sustainable dev CONTINUED FROM 19 ria, since he took over the affairs of the ministry, is targeted at the domestic, regional and international markets. Within the last one year, the Trade and Investment Ministry under his watch has succeeded in integrating the trade, industrial and investment policies. And for the first time in over 10 years, the minister has also midwifed the production of a draft document on Nigeria’s Trade Policy. The document is expected to provide a multi-dimensional framework to boost Nigeria’s trade regime as well as facilitate the inflow of investment into Nigeria. Some of these include the introduction of new visa policy which enables investors to get their visas at the Port of entry, registration of companies within 24 hours of filing, and introduction of backward integration policy in the cement sector, among others. How these policies and programmes impact positively on the Nigerian economy, particularly the industrial sector formed the fulcrum of discussion at the Second Annual Seminar for Trade and Investment Correspondents and Business Editors. The two-day event, which was organised by the Ministry of Trade and Investment, presented a veritable platform for the minister and the chief executive officers of some of the key agencies in the ministry to explain how policies had helped them in the discharge of their duties. Reviewing the activities of the ministry in the last twelve months, Aganga disclosed that as a result of the various reform programmes of the ministry, the volume of export had not only increased, but also the value had been enhanced. He stressed that within the year under review, while the volume of export in the country had gone up by 17.23 per cent, the value had risen by 23.5 per cent. Besides, he stated that the fact that capacity utilisation of the industrial sector which was 29.1 per cent in 2010 had gone up to 52 per cent, was a strong indication that government policies to support the growth and development of the sector were yielding good results. He also explained that through the activities of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has witnessed astronomical growth, stressing that thousands of youths across the country now own businesses of their own. According to him, “Every Nigerian has the ability to establish and run his or her own business. All they need is a good investment climate, funding, and the business support. We are working with them to make sure that we have both the right investment climate, funding to create about 3.6 million jobs within the next four years. The minister also noted that the first time, we have completed the database of all MSMEs in the country which we never had before. This database revealed that there are 17.28 million MSMEs in the country employing close to 33 million people. However, most of them are micro-businesses. In terms of overall GDP contribution, MSMEs contribute about 45 per cent of the country’s GDP .This shows that this is the sector that we need to support due to their capacity for employment generation.” In order to boost domestic trade, the minister explained that his ministry had

Aganga

Jonathan

FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE DATABASE OF ALL MSMES IN THE COUNTRY WHICH WE NEVER HAD BEFORE. THIS DATABASE REVEALED THAT THERE ARE 17.28 MILLION MSMES IN THE COUNTRY EMPLOYING CLOSE TO 33 MILLION PEOPLE. HOWEVER, MOST OF THEM ARE MICROBUSINESSES also initiated some reforms that would enable local famers have value for their products, thereby creating jobs. Part of the efforts, he noted, was the commencement of the transformation of the Abuja Securities and Commodity Exchange (ASCE) into a first class commodity exchange. ”This will, according to him, lead to less risk of contract failure and lower costs of market access, resulting in increased rate of commercialisation of farm output; increase export volumes, at better prices and with quality premium.” He added that when the process is completed, the values farmers get on their products would increase from N35 per cent to about 50 per cent. “In terms of export, the volume has gone up by 17.23 per cent while the value has gone up by 23.5 per cent. We are restructuring the Abuja Securities and Exchange Commission and when that is completed, it will increase the price the farmers get for their goods from 35 per cent to about close to over 50 per cent as it is done in Ethiopia. This process will help to create more jobs in terms of the warehouse receipt system that we are trying to introduce,” he argued. Aganga also disclosed that in order to boost local production the ministry had concluded work on a policy which would lead to the imposition of ban the importation of sugar and cement. According to him, while the policy would make cement available and affordable come 2013. It would also make Nigeria one of the leading cement exporting countries next year. The minister who explained that paper work on the policy had been finalised, said the present administration would ensure that

the patronage of local goods is followed by Nigerians as from 2013. He added that “Buy Naija, create more jobs campaign” embarked upon by his ministry would not only be boosted next year, but also be sustained to improve the nation’s economy through jobs creation and increased wealth for Nigerians. “To achieve this, what we need is adequate information to develop ideas for foreign direct investments, FDI; trade; industrialisation and fostering of small and medium enterprises, SMEs. For any company to survive, it needs strong values, team work like the one we do in this ministry. Team work is necessary to help each other succeed, especially among our parastatals and agencies, he stressed. In his presentation entitled, Enhancing the Contribution of the Automotive Sector to Sustained Economic Growth in Nigeria,” the Director General, National Automotive Council, Mr. Aminu Jalal, advocated total high tariff on car importation as a way of growing the country automobile sector, stressing that it was through that that the country could create employment in the sector. He said, For the country to leverage on the gains of auto industry, there should be a ban on import of fully built units (FBU) (e.g.) Brazil and Egypt or high import duties, 100 per cent to 300 per cent on FBU(the rest)during the initial phase. These duties were gradually reduced and currently range from 30 per cent to 90 per cent. In contrast, the highest FBU import duty in Nigeria was 30 per cent and now currently ranges from 10 per cent to 20 per cent.” Present a grim picture of the auto mar-

Jala

ket in the country, Jalal explained that if the 70,000 new and 200,000 used vehicles valued at over N400bn that had been imported into the country since 2008, could be locally assembled, the country would gain over N145bn with additional value incidental, if local content programme in the sector is vigorously pursued. He added that, while at full capacity, the auto market had the potential of generating direct employments for 70,000 skilled and semi-skilled staff and 210,000 indirect employment, the total current operating capacity for local assembly plants by value could not support it, as it stood abysmally low as N6bn. In order to create value chain in the auto market and play its role as a veritable driver of growth, the council in conjunction with all relevant stakeholders, potential investors and consultants have developed a comprehensive, long-term automotive industry development plan. This plan, according to him, would guide the orderly development of the sector with a view to achieving the industry’s potential, industrial development job and wealth creation. Analogous to passing a vote of no confidence on the Nigerian Higher Institutions in the country, the Director General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Prof. Longmas Wapmuk in his paper, “Industrialisation: The Place of Skills Development and the ITF’s role,” lamented the skill gap to support the envisioned industrial revolution, arguing that only one graduate is employable out of every 1,000 graduates. He said,” Nigeria has abundant natural resources, especially its huge oil and gas reserves. As a result, it has numerous business and investment potentials useful for prospective entrepreneurs. However, harnessing and managing these resources requires relevant skill to identify potentially useful and economically viable fields of endeavour and tap into them. Emphasising the imperatives of competency-based training, he added for industrialisation to effectively support economic growth, national security, wealth creation and poverty eradication, availability of employable and technically skilled individuals, must be ensured.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business & Finance

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Probe report: Why Reps want Demuren out OLUSEGUN KOIKI

resh facts revealed yesterday on why the members of House of Representatives want the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren out of office at all cost. A source close to the Ministry of Aviation confided in National Mirror yesterday that one of the Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of one of the major carriers in the country may have a hand in the recommendation of the House of Representatives against Demuren. National Mirror gathered that the CEO was not comfortable with Demuen’s postures on some critical issues in the sector and had vowed to ensure the removal of the Director-General whom he perceived as a major stumbling block to his expansionist agenda through his connection in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. Information gathered by our correspondent revealed that the

Queue at a bank in Otukpo, Benue, yesterday.

carrier, which wanted to assume the status of a national carrier felt it was not supported enough by the regulatory authority and wanted to use the issue of Dana crash to rubbish the no nonsense helmsman. However when our correspondent contacted the Head, Media Assistant to Demuren, Mr. Sam Adurogboye to comment on the

NEITI, auditors to sign extractive industries’ audit agreement TOLA AKINMUTIMI

he Nigeria’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) has confirmed its readiness to facilitate the immediate commencement of the Physical Allocations and Statutory Disbursement Audit of the extractive industry from 2007 to 2011 in line with the decision of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its November 28, meeting. To commence the assignment, NEITI will be signing a contractual agreement with a reputable firm that qualified and was selected in a competitive process for the exercise within the next one week. Confirming this during a chat with National Mirror, a member of the NEITI’s National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG), Mrs. Faith Ossai Nwadishi, said the agreement is to ensure that the nine-month timeline set by the Federal Government for the completion of the audit is met and assured NEITI’s full support for the proposed exercise. She explained: “Like we have indicated earlier, we are prepared for the audit which is part of our statutory mandates in the extractive industry. In line with the FEC decision, we are going to meet the auditors that won the contract early in January to sign the agreement. It is an exer-

cise we are committed to and everything is being done to ensure its success.” Most industry analysts who spoke on the planned audit of the operations on the oil and gas and solid minerals industries endorsed the initiative but would want government to ensure that the auditors’ final report, particularly its recommendations are implemented in a way that would justify the time and resources committed to the exercise. Speaking on the proposed audit and its implications for due process, transparency and accountability in the extractive industries, a seasoned financial expert, Dr. Boniface Chizea, who noted that the exercise appeared to be coming rather late in view of the ugly revelations in the sectors over the past two years, believes that the audit would help in correcting the abuses that have characterised the extractive industries in Nigeria. “I think the planned audit is coming rather late in view of what has transpired in the industries over the past years but whatever we can do to clearly demonstrate that Nigeria is committed to creating a new operational template that conform to global best practices in the extractive industries is welcomed” Chizea said.

issue, he declined, saying he was not aware of any move by any operator to oust Demuren. But, investigation revealed that at one of the probe panels set up by the government recently, the CEO attributed the Dana crash to the negligence of the regulatory authority and called for criminal prosecution of Demure, warning that if not removed, such calam-

ity could befall his own airline. Eye witnesses at the hearing recalled that he veered off his presentation and lashed out at the NCAA DG, accusing him of not supporting his airline, which is big enough to represent Nigeria as flag and national carrier. Sources present at that particular hearing said many members of the committee were surprised

by the unprovoked attack, and demanded to know if the major operator could be placed on record as calling for the removal and trial of Dr. Demuren but he allegedly declined. However, in order to make the threat a reality, he purportedly lobbied and cajoled some of the House of Reps Committee members who in their report also recommended immediate “dismissal and criminal prosecution” of Demuren. The Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha-led committee had on December 19, 2012 recommended that Dana’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) should be revoked, alleging that it was not issued in compliance with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’ (NCAA) Civil Regulations Guideline 2009. The committee also called for the immediate dismissal and criminal prosecution of the Demuren for his action and inaction in the Dana crash of Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos with no fewer than 163 passengers on board and on the ground perishing.

FG now generates 4,502 megawatts of electricity – Maku

he Federal Government said that the current electricity generation in the country had reached 4,502 megawatts, the highest in recent time. The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, made this known on Monday at a news conference on the achievement of government in 2012. According to him, electricity generation is expected to move up to 7,000 megawatts in 2013. ``At the moment, there is an average of about 15 to 18 hours per day of constant power supply to different parts of the country. ``This feat was brought about through the implementation

of the integrated power sector reform programme anchored on the Power Roadmap. ``This includes institutional reforms to involve the private sector in power generation, transmission and distribution,’’ he said. Maku said under the roadmap, 10 new thermal power plants had been completed, adding that more were coming in 2013 to boost electricity supply to all parts of the country. He said that the rehabilitation of power generation and distribution infrastructure across the nation were ongoing as well as the Kainji Hydro power station to generate power at installed ca-

pacity. According to him, the contract for the maintenance of the Shiroro-power station has been awarded. Maku also said that new contracts had been awarded for hydro power plants in Kaduna and Mambila Plateau to generate additional 750 megawatts. ``The implementation of the National Integrated Power Project is being fast-tracked to ensure stability in power supply,’’ he said. The minister said one billion dollars and 150 million dollars loans respectively would soon be secured from the African Development Bank (ADB), to finance gas supply and liberalisation of the power sector.

South Korean construction firms commence business in Nigeria MESHACK IDEHEN

o challenge established construction companies operating in Nigeria, a consortium of South Korean civil engineering and construction companies; COSMO Engineering and Construction Company Limited and IKC Construction Company Limited said, they have established working partnership with a Nigerian Civil Engineering and Dredging firm in order to participate as major players in the Nigeria construction industry. The South Korean construction companies said also that

they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CMD Limited, a Nigerian Civil Engineering firm to begin a working relationship in Nigeria that will cover a wide spectrum of civil works, architectural and plant works. Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CMD Limited, Chief Henry Ojogho, who signed for his company, said the CEO of Cosmo engineering and construction company, Mr. Byong Joon and CEO of IKC Construction Company Limited, Mr. Song Yong Sik, signed on behalf of their companies. According to Ojogho,the MOU was consummated and

sealed in South Korea last week, under the terms of understanding that the South Korean construction firms will come into Nigeria with very strong financial muscle to partner with their Nigerian counterpart to bid for jobs from both the public and private sectors in the area of Housing (Low & High- rise building), commercial buildings, harbor, tunnel, highway, rail roads, embankment water pipelines, power plants, as well as plant works which include power transmission, telecom, steel plant, petrochemical plants, desalination plants, and environment protection projects.

Business & Finance

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

NUPENG warns Chevron over deployment of soldiers MESHACK IDEHEN

he Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), said it is worried about the sudden deployment of soldiers and other security agencies by Chevron Nigeria Limited to its installations in Escravos, Warri, Port Harcourt and other locations with the order to shoot at sight over plans to deny all the contract workers access to its installations. The union said that it is warning that the flooding of Chevron installations with soldiers and denial of over 1700 contract workers access to these installations may lead to a serious industrial

dispute that will not augur well for the oil and gas industry. NUPENG General Secretray,Mr.Isaac Aberare said in a statement on Monday, that the union is stating that the discussions of the end of contract especially on the labour related issues is still on-going and co-ordinated by the Group Executive Director, Corporate Services of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Aberare said the brokered talks on the labour issues was to have been completed on December, 31st 2012, but that agreement had not been reached, and the union reiterates that it submitted a proposal for transition discussion with no agreement

reached. According to him, “the union frowns at the sudden deployment of troops to Chevron installations, when a follow-up meeting has been scheduled for January 7th 2013 in Abuja. This action of Chevron is uncalled for, when agreement on labour related issues have not been concluded”, Aberare said. He said further that the union is advising Chevron management to have faith in the discussions brokered by the NNPC and should therefore put any action on hold, including denying the contract workers access to its installations, and to wait for the outcome of the January 7th 2013 meeting in Abuja to resolve the impasse.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

FG to distribute new tomato, citrus varieties to farmers TOLA AKINMUTIMI

ABUJA

he Federal Government has unveiled plans to distribute new varieties of tomato and citrus seeds to farmers in furtherance of its Agricultural Transformation Agenda aimed at ensuring food sufficiency in the country and making Nigeria one of the leading exporters of processed foods into the global market in the near future. This is even as it also disclosed that in the 2012 operational year, its various efforts targeted at increasing the national food supply yielded substantial results with a total of 8.1 million MT was added to the domestic food supply, representing 70 per cent above the target set for the year and about 41 per cent of the total cumulative food supply target of 20

Million MT set for 2015. One of the major strides of the ATA drive was also the rice intervention programme which increased in the local rice production by an additional 690,000 MT in 2012, a quantity which is 140 per cent higher than the target set for year and also translated to increasing the domestic rice self-sufficiency by 14 per cent from 60 per cent to 74 per cent during the year According to a statement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the five tomato seed varieties (Roma VF, Havesta, Ronita, Rio Grandi, and UC82B) have also been identified for utilization in dry and wet season. It added: The Federal Government will distribute 1,457 kg of seeds during this dry season on GES to farmers in the North East, West and Central states to cultivate 3,000 hectares.

NAFDAC sanctions 101 companies in Edo

L-R: Unity Bank zonal head, South, Mrs. Patricia Nwaiwu; Divisional Head, Products & Channel, Mrs. Fatima Usman and star prize winner of Hyundai car in Unity Bank promo, Mr. Eta Inyang in Uyo, at the weekend.

Lagos proposes Facility Management Bill DAYO AYEYEMI

f the bill being proposed by the Lagos State Government is anything to go by, each ministry in the state may begin to have a separate budget for its facility management. The bill, which is being proposed by the executive, may effectually lead to the establishment of Facility Management Commission in the state for the first time. Speaking during a media chat in Lagos, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said if the bill is passed by the Lagos House of Assembly, would enthrone the culture of maintenance of public infrastructures in Lagos. Justifying its need, the

commissioner for work explained that the bill has become imperative in the face of high cost of projects coupled with lack of maintenance culture among the citizenry. He said, “There is no wisdom in the provision of infrastructure with high cost and not being able to maintain them.” Hamzat cited the example of what is obtainable in the developed society where the cost of maintaining a project is not more that 2.5 percent of the total cost of such project at a given time. “So, our schools, roads, hospitals and similar infrastructure and projects would be structured along that premise that the cost of maintaining them would not be more that 2.5 percent or less,” he said. If the bill is passed by the Lagos House of Assembly , he said would guide the ministry

in awarding contracts, adding that it is going to be a template for all projects. Besides, he stated that the State Executive Council has decided that each ministry must have a budget for facility management henceforth. Speaking further, Hamzat, stated that the number of roads to be awarded in 2013 will depend on the completion of roads awarded in 2012. The commissioner, who used the opportunity to address the allegation raised by some people that the government has neglected their communities in terms of road contract awarded so far , reeled out the numbers of roads and their percentages completed in all the local government areas of the state. Hamzat disclosed that 443 road works had completed in the last three years in Lagos, pointing out that government has not neglected any local council areas as some of the road contracts were functions of criteria set up by the state authority.

he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said on Monday that it sanctioned 101 organisations for various offences in Edo this year. Mr David West, Unit Head, NAFDAC Benin office, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Benin, that 719 companies were inspected in the state in 2012. West said the agency concluded the re-certification of the 120 water packaging establishments in Edo during the period. He said the sanctions imposed on erring companies ranged from the arrest of the offenders, seizures of products, imposition of administrative penalties, to outright closure of such establishments. ``One of the major sanctions was the arrest of six persons who were marketers of unregistered Power

Horse energy drinks, leading to the seizures of over 20 cartons of the drink. ``We also arrested some owners of water packaging establishments, whose factories had poor manufacturing practices,” West said. He said a sensitisation talk on the storage and the use of pesticides on beans was organised in the third quarter of 2012 and explained that the programme, which held at the new Lagos Road Market, was to enlighten beans sellers on the maximum-residual limit of pesticides. ``During the sensitisation visit, we discovered that some of the shops had beans whose pesticides levels were too high. ``We had to confiscate the products and arrest the sellers for further investigation,” he said. He also commended the collaborative efforts of the agency and the Nigeria Customs Service.

Nigeria Customs urges importers, agents to make honest declarations

he Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), on Monday urged importers and clearing agents to be very honest in their declarations in 2013. Mr Chris Osunkwo, the Public Relations Officer of the Tin-Can Island Command of the NCS made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. Osunkwo said such honest declarations would go a long way to assist the officers of the command during destination inspection. He also urged terminal operators to bar unauthorised persons from going into the ports. ``We are pleading with the importers and agents; let them imbibe the culture of honest declaration so that all of us will enjoy this. ``It will be a smooth run; make honest declarations; Customs should not have any issue with you. ``It’s only

when you see a calculator you call it a stapler, you see a phone you call it a perforator that’s where trouble comes. So if they can imbibe that, we won’t have any issues.’’ Osunkwo said that officers were also facing challenges of inadequate offices at the terminals. ``The challenges include inadequate office space as provided by the terminal operators. If you go to the terminals, you will see officers packed like sardines and yet they are sweating. ``Although we are used to inadequate power supply but then at least when the power is there we should have comfortable offices. ``The concessionaires are trying but what we are saying is that they should do more. We expect more because as the cargo throughput increases, definitely we’ll need more officers, more hands.” Osunkwo said.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2012: Protests, strikes dominate, issues unresolved The past year had been characterised by unending labour disputes amid government’s inability to deliver on promises of job creation. MESHACK IDEHEN writes.

s Nigerians opened the page on year 2012, many analysts and observers of the country’s jobs and career scene believed the open disregard of the Nigerian constitution by some state governors concerning the new minimum wage that has been pegged at N18, 000 would be the matter of controversy and disagreements that would remain topical in the course of the year. To other stakeholders however, including Labour and Industrial Relations Expert, Dr. Peter Okhiria, the beliefs held amongst experts as 2012 dawned, was that the unending brutal treatment being continually meted out on the country’s casual workers by various expatriates and indigenous firms; alongside the radual taking over of the available jobs to expatriates immigrants, coupled with the challenges posed by youth unemployment on national security would make the sector vibrate as the year move forward. Alas however, “the bulk of all speculations by most observers”, said Okhiria “turned out differently, for neither was it the largely unimplemented new minimum wage that have left states like Plateau, Sokoto Kwara and others almost comatose; or the acts of some companies acting in collaboration with government officials, or even most critically the dangers posed by youth unemployment that grabbed headlined in the sector”. Nevertheless, as events began to unfold beginning from the very first day of the year, not a few Nigerians in or outside of the country’s shores would likely forget in a hurry how the year started, considering that very first day of 2012 came with the execution of well prepared battle plans by major combatants and stakeholders in Nigeria’s organised labour, jobs and career scene; combatants and stakeholders which included but not limited to the Federal Government, organised labour and affiliates, and later on in the struggles, civil society groups and non-governmental organisations. Led on one side in the main by the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress, (TUC), the protest battles which also raged simultaneously in the various

Minister of Labour, Emeka Wogu

TUC President, Peter Esele

MANY JOB SEEKERS WERE DUPED OF MONEY AND DIGNITY. REVELATIONS FROM GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WERE WORSE, WITH HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS SWINDLED BASED ON PROMISES OF JOBS WITHIN AGENCIES LIKE THE

NIGERIA CUSTOMS SERVICE, AMONGST OTHERS

capital cities across the country, and Abuja because of the decision of the government to tinker with the petroleum sector through the full or partial withdrawal of cash subsidy on imported petroleum products by oil marketers, also saw the debut a new method of organising rallies and protests in the country; a novelty so effective in large protests and demonstrations that President Goodluck Jonathan had cause to worry and later complain about the “good food and bottle water energised protest and demonstrations by labour and its allies”. The protests, rallies and demonstration spearheaded by labour groups crippled the country and not just the economy during the period it lasted, it is on record that many human lives and socio economic initiatives and activities were also crippled, and that several deaths and disability were recorded. Probably yet unaware of the enormity of what Author and Human Resource Practitioner, Mr. Kunle Rotimi termed “the full wrath of angry employ-

ees”, the government declared its readiness to continue the battle as demonstrated through its (government’s) insistence that the fuel subsidy removal which led in the first place to the disagreement would not be restored leading to other pro workers groups entering the fray. With the matter assuming a frightening and international dimension, the government had to do some readjustment with its stand and declared an official pump price of petrol at N97 per liter; a move that some experts said have left millions of workers frustrated, and small business units and other aspects of living and development in the country to a near halt. Meanwhile, as the subsidy protests was thinning out slowly, oil and gas workers union in protest at various action of government and their employers (indigenous, multinational oil companies, government owned companies like the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, NNPC, NAPIMS) subtly or openly multiplied the woes faced by workers by the decision to down tools

severally. The oil and gas workers unions which includes amongst others, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, (NUPENG), the Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Senior Staff Association, (PENGASSAN) and the Petroleum Tankers Drivers, (PTD) gave conditions that government is yet to meet, with temporarily negotiated agreements only in place. Taken together, all the scars of all these long running battles are still visible on all sides involved, but those were only the beginning of the events that marked the sector during the year of strikes and protests according to Labour Activist, Mr. Emmanuel Ezeume,as electricity workers under the auspices of National Union of Electricity Employees,(NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Corporations,(SSAEAC), also successfully got repeated mention, as the unions made good its threats and warnings by successfully holding up the reforms going on the power sector, and by

so doing, kept millions of their country men and women in perpetual penury through their non generation and distribution of power and inexplicably inconsistent billings to consumers. Not satisfied with some much wreck done to the system, including what some analysts like Mr. Tope Awosegba and Matthew Odin said claimed the job and career of the former Minister of Power and driver of the reforms, Professor Bart Nnaji, NUEE and SSAEAC ensured that even the experts brought in as managers from Canada by the Federal Government were not spared the aggression of electricity workers. Their leadership and supporters have made sure that the greater parts of the matter at stake remain unresolved. In the same vein, the gale of protest and rallies in 2012 also affected other sectors, including education, aviation and the public service. In the education sector for example, some states and federal government owned tertiary institutions either remained shut down for months on end, or are still closed down with students and lecturers alike now fully engaged in other ventures, but learning and imparting learning. In particular, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) were some of the unions that had all effectively mobilised their members across the country to join one strike, mass rally or protest this year. At institutional levels, productivity, Akintunde said dwindled across board within and outside the public sector, while the proliferation of professional institutes became the order of the day, a situation that compelled the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) to threaten to take up the matter with the National Assembly and Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). “Job scammers had a fruitful year. Many job seekers were duped of money and dignity. Revelations from government agencies were worse, with hundreds of thousands of individuals swindled based on promises of jobs within agencies like the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and Nigeria Prisons Service amongst others.” Human Resource Expert and Managing Director of Prot International Limited, Mr Sunny Agboju, said such level of fraud and successful activities of job scammers at agencies of government cannot be possible with the support of some top, middle and junior level officials of government.

Jobs & Career

Tuesday, Januaty 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

NLC wants ILO convention on maternity ratified MESHACK IDEHEN

he Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), National Women Commission has called on the Federal Government to ratify the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 183 on maternity protection for women to ensure decent life and work for working women. Outgoing Chairperson of the Women’s Commission, Mrs. Ladi Iliya, who made the call at the NLC Women Delegates Conference which held recently in Abuja, also called for greater participation of women in governance. She called on the legislators to consider women issues as priorities in the constitutional amendments. Specifically, she emphasised that the nation’s constitution should outlaw all negative and discriminatory policies, cultures and practices that are against women particularly the right to of women to property, inheritance and full

Omar

Somavia

employment. According to her, Nigeria is overdue for protective legislation regarding women’s right, adding strict laws against sexual harassment, rape and violence against women are needed. “The Nigerian constitution should outlaw all negative and discriminatory policies, cultures and practices that are against women particularly the right to of

women to property, inheritance and full employment,” she said. Speaking further, Iliya said the commission has submitted proposals and various resolutions that would enable the NLC improve the status, welfare and rights of women within the trade union movement and the larger society. According to her, the commission provides the platform

Yuletide: Labour kicks against delayed salaries, allowances MESHACK IDEHEN

ollowing the protest by workers of the Ministry of Science and Technology over poor welfare and non-payment of salaries to the newly employed workers, organised labour said the coming year will witness a new phase of protests as far as poor working condition, including delayed salaries and allowances are concerned. President of Trade Union Congress, Mr. Peter Esele, told National Mirror that many workers in the country are likely to enter the New Year without wages that have been legitimately worked for, adding that the era of working without pay for the country’s workers are gone for good. On his part, the Chairman of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, Mr Shehu Yahaya, said the way the management handled staff

ob vacancies for this week begin with openings for IT Marketing Representative (www. jobs. vanguardngr.com) in a firm in Lagos. The minimum qualification required is a degree, while experience of between 1 and 3 years are also needed. Some of the key responsibilities for the position are to create, maintain and develop an account base of regular spending customers and identify and close opportunities

welfare was not encouraging, and that one of the grievances of the workers was that the ministry failed to carry the workers along while taking decisions about their welfare. “We are not saying the welfare must be sharing of money all the time, but there are many ways to tackle the welfare issues. We have been agitating that whenever the issue of welfare will be discussed, we should be carried along, but such is not happening here.” It would be recalled that the union also protested the non-payment of about 105 junior workers recruited and trained by the ministry. Some of the workers who pleaded anonymity, told reporters that the ministry had stopped paying his salary since January, saying he wrote an application letter and the ministry offered him employment.

for women to deliberate on wide range of gender and women-specific issues in the labour movement and the larger economic and political sphere. Giving details of the proposal, she explained: “In the economic sphere, especially the informal sector, women earn less in real terms in relation to the diverse responsibilities and needs that are associated with their domestic roles. “They are generally confined to marginal, tedious and lowincome activities largely concentrated in the agrarian and urban informal sector, where they are prone to abuses and exploitation. The implication of all these is that women are getting poorer. The feminisation of poverty is an indictment of the structures of the production and distribution of resources nationally, regionally and internationally”. Also speaking at the conference, the ILO Director for Nigeria and other West African countries, Ms. Sina Chuma-

Mkandawire, said lack of awareness of national and international standards has prevented working women from exercising their fundamental rights in workplace. She explained that there was a wide gap between the rights set out in the labour standards and the real situation of workers, despite the ILO conventions and recommendations that seek to improve the working and living conditions of women and men. Another reason she cited, could be that the percentage of women in decision-making positions in trade unions was small that they have not been able to influence policies that enhance gender equality. She maintained that the women commission has a lot of work to do in increasing the level of women participation in decision making in NLC, improving the situation of women workers and promoting gender equality in the workplace, labour market and the society.

Tips for dealing with change in the workplace

he technology of the 1980s and 1990s bears almost no resemblance to what we have today. In the same way, our jobs and organisations probably bear little resemblance to that time. Companies reduce their staffs, outsource their operations, rearrange their organisational structure, and upgrade their platforms Recognise that change does happen- Our own personal lives change as we grow older. Why should our careers and jobs be any different? Denying that change is or will be occurring, and continuing to live in the past only makes things more difficult. The more we understand that change will happen, the less upset and surprised we will be when we encounter that change. Be aware of your surroundings-recognise when change might be occurring in your

own specific situation. Keep alert to subtle clues. For example, are you being excluded from important meetings? Does your boss seem more distant? Is the rumour mill engaged? Recognise the stages-All the stages don’t necessarily occur. The progression might not be a smooth linear one, and different amounts of time may be involved with the different stages. Regardless, the quicker you get to the acceptance and moving on stages, the better it will be for you. Communicate with others-Communications is always important, but especially so when you face change. A lack of communications from others can have a negative impact, while effective communications can have a positive one. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, you need details about the change, so that you

can determine how it affects you. Don’t just sit back and wait for things to happen. Part of the fear of change involves dealing with the unknown. If possible, try to minimize this factor by talking to others who have undergone such a change. Do a self assessmentSWOT analysis can be just as helpful to you. What skills and strengths do you have? Where do you need to improve? By understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, and knowing as much as you can about the new situation, you have a better chance of finding a place to fit in. Be flexible-Change requires flexibility. The better able you are to adapt to change, the greater your chances of being successful. After you complete your selfassessment, take a look at the requirements of the new situation.

ware quality assurance best practices and methodologies. The position for a Junior Infrastructure Officer is also available on job vacancies this week, and requires a minimum qualification of a degree and experience 3 - 5 years Responsibilities for this position includes good knowledge of installation and management of Citrix XenApp 6.5, SQL 2008, Microsoft System Centre 2012, CRM, Exchange, Active Directory, VDI, VM-

ware, SANs and network integration and Upgrades and migrations to Windows 7 and Office 2010 amongst others. Furthermore, experience within the IT industry, preferably with more than 3 years of hands-on experience and experience of Virtualisation VMware, Citrix or HyperV (certifications) and cloud based technology a distinct advantage as would be any Microsoft accreditations MCP, MCSE, MCITP, VCP are required.

Job vacancies for managed service products Produce profit in line with current company and individual targets Also on job vacancies, is the position for a Senior IT Business Analyst (jobs.vanguardngr.com) in a Lagos based company. Minimum qualification is also a university degree, while required experience of 5 - 7 years may also come in handy. The responsibilities for this post are planning projects and

providing status reports to IT and user management on regular schedules, and realising when a request is out of scope or poses unusual time or technical challenges and notify IT Management in a timely manner amongst others. Other experience and qualifications required are proven experience with business and technical requirements analysis, modelling, verification and methodology development and Strong knowledge of system testing and soft-

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Real Estate & Environment dayoayeyemi@yahoo.com 08033312578

Housing sector: Slow growth defines lacklustre year 2012 has come and gone, but housing experts say that except for the attainment of a new housing policy, slow rate of performance of the sector is what the year will be remembered for. DAYO AYEYEMI, writes.

Demolished Minanuel Housing Estate in Abuja.

s curtail draws on 2012, there are few things the outgone year will be remembered for. To many professionals in the real estate sector, 2012 is a remarkable year as the new housing policy was initiated and signed by President, Goodluck Jonathan. But to others, there is nothing worth mentioning about the year as it was full of disasters, raging from building collapse, fire incidents and flooding. Many people said most of the happenings in the sector were due to the fact that the sector has not being fully regulated, resulting in incessant building collapse, demolition of built up estates as witnessed recently in Abuja and so many regulatory inadequacies as observed. Speaking with National Mirror, Chairman, Faculty of Housing, Nige-

DESPITE

SEVERAL

YEARS OF CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE

NATION ’ S LAND LAW BILL , THE BILL FOR ITS AMENDMENT IS STILL BEFORE THE

NATIONAL

ASSEMBLY

rian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Chief Kola Akomolede, described 2012 as a bad year, According to him, except the launch-

ing of the new Housing policy, no success would have been recorded in the year. Despite the rolling out of the new housing policy, he said there has not been any action in terms of its implementation which was expected to kick off in the year. Besides, he expressed that the fact that there was no budget for the housing sector in 2012 portrayed the year as a bad one. However, Akomolade said the rolling out of a new policy in 2012 remained a step forward when compared to previous years. He said, “There was no budget for housing. The policy is a good step forward compared to previous years that government did not think of it. We are

waiting for the implementation of the new housing policy.” He condemned government for paying lip-service to the amendment of the Land Use Act, which experts have found to be inimical to the progress of the housing sector. Despite several years of campaign against the nation’s land law bill, the bill for its amendment is still before the National Assembly. Another major issue in the year, Akomolede said has to do with high price of cement. Despite huge local production, he noted that the price of cement has refused to come down. “Also there is the issue of cement. The price is still high despite huge local CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Housing sector: Slow growth defines lacklustre year CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 production at home,” he said He pointed out that in 2012 , the Federal Government failed to initiate any housing project or propose any in the year. Another professional, Mr. Gbenga Akinsanya, a builder, stated that the rich benefited so much in 2012 as many expensive properties in choiced locations across the country changed hands. Such locations, he said included Banana Island, Park View in Ikoyi, Lagos and Maitama, Abuja. In the middle-class section, he said more tenants were oppressed by shylock landlords in Lagos as they used high rental values to move them from urban centres to the semi rural areas thereby, making movement to workplace difficult for them. He said, “Also, there is no safety net for the poor as they are left alone. This has led to increase in the number of slum settlements . 2012 was a disaster when it comes to housing. Though not many activities occurred in the housing sector in 2012, but the sector is gradually recovering from the slump of 2006 and 2007. Speaking, President of the Nigerian Institute of Building, Mr. Chuck Omeife, noted that the housing sector in year 2012 started with lots of promises with respect to formulation of the housing policy, its public presentation and its approval by the Federal Executive Council. According to him, the emergent housing policy was full of proposed institutional and regulatory framework which if boldly and decisively put in place will change the face of the sector for good. In terms of physical performance, he stated that not much was achieved, “but in term of planning, a lot was achieved, and what is left its implementation, adding that on the whole, the sector did well on the average. He explained that the greatest challenge to the growth of the sector was lack of political will by government and insincerity in its transformation agenda as it relates to the sector. He said, “ This is based on the premise and assumption that government is adequately knowledgeable about what it takes to move the sector forward. However, the recent housing policy was a clear and concise roadmap for the sector and if fully and strictly implemented, will turn around the fortune of the sector.” However, contrary to what was obtainable in 2008 and 2009, property values grew by 15 percent in 2012. According to the latest report from the Bizmark Rewane’s led Financial Derivatives Company Limited, property valued improved moderately by 15 per cent as the market stabilised from the bust. Despite lull that was prevalent in housing sector in the first and second quarters of 2012, the managing director of FDI stated that property market grew by 10.24 per cent in third quarter

Pepple

Akomolede

THERE IS NO SAFETY NET FOR THE POOR AS THEY ARE LEFT

ALONE.

THIS HAS LED

TO INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SLUM SETTLEMENTS

Kumo

compared to 10.86 in third quarter of 2011. He noted that crash in real estate due to the nation’s cash-squeezed economy was more structural in the year especially in prime areas such as Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikoyi, Lagos. The FDC boss explained that rental values are becoming more realistic as property owners now factor in economic conditions in pricing, adding that price appreciation and capital value were felt more on the Lagos Mainland due to affordability. He said, “Hot spots for property development in 2012 included Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikeja. Hot spots for property lease include 1004, Lekki, Maryland and Ikeja. He noted that impact of flood on rental values was short-lived, adding that vacancy factor inched up slightly in 2012 compared to 2011, while vacancy factor in Ikoyi averaged 41 per cent and 28 per cent in Victoria Island. Rewane predicted rise in property development in 2013 as economic conditions improve. However, the NIOB President, Chucks Omeife noted that the recent housing policy has enumerated steps that should be taken to address the numerous challenges facing the sector. “The critical steps that are required to jumpstart the whole process includes the establishment of different institutional and regulatory frameworks. Up till this moment and six months after

the policy has been approved, not much work has been done. One would have expected that some of this institutional frameworks would have started coming on board,” he said. The housing sector despite its dismal performance in 2012, he said has contributed to the country’s GDP, “unfortunately, because of the uncoordinated operation of the sector it is difficult to be certain about its percentage contribution.” During the outgoing year, the monthly 2.5 per cent National Housing Fund mortgage deduction by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria rose from N950 million to about N1.3billion. According to the Managing Director, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Gimba Ya’u Kumo, the bank also attained higher grounds on request by contributors for refunds, which moved up from N70 million previously to N1.5billion. Kumo attributed the feat to the reform strategy implemented by the new FMBN management in line with the transformation agenda of the Federal Government. He stated that prior to the current year, the bank also had deficit of N4.420 billion in 2010; N8. 898 billion in 2009; N6.560 billion in 2008; and N5.974 billion in 2007. He noted that the FMBN-administered National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme had been making gradual impact on Nigerians, adding that the scheme has since funded the building of more than 61,193 housing units in the six geo-political zones in the country. The FMBN boss said the bank would soon complete the computerisation of its operations to make it easier for it’s over 3.7million customers to access its products and services.

During the year, more than five cases of building collapse occurred in Lagos with associated loss of lives. Incidence of collapse of buildings is no longer news in Lagos as more than 30 structures had failed in the last four years despite government’s threat to sanitise the housing sector. The recent building collapse within government estate revealed years of abandonment and lack of maintenance while many public buildings such as offices and police barracks are suffering same fate across Nigeria. Already, 14 out of 15 houses, numbering 84 flats built at the same time in Jakande Estate at Isolo have been marked for demolition having shown signs of distress, while others are undertaking integrity test to know their fitness for human habitation. About 90 per cent of the buildings in Zone M34 of the estate have been marked for demolition at the last count by National Mirror while residents are yet to relocate. During the year, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished 372 units of houses already subscribed to by low income Nigerians in Minanuel Housing Estate on the account of building on unapproved land. Since the demolition, tongues have not seized to wag regarding the sincerity of the present administration to address the huge housing deficit, which is put at over 17 million units and the workability of the Public Private Partnership arrangement in addressing the infrastructure deficit in the country. While some stakeholders viewed the demolition exercise as part of a ground designs to push ordinary people out of the FCT, others took a swipe at the present administration’s slogan of “Housing For All”, as mere charade contrived to deceive Nigerians. Also, devastating storm ravaged Kuramo Beach, Lagos in 2012, carting away sea shore businesses and drowned about five people. Many states and cities in Nigeria such as Benue, Kogi, Anambra, Imo, River, Bayelsa, Delta, and Oyo states suffered devastated flood in 2012, leading to sack of many settlements, loss of lives and destruction of properties. It would be recalled that since the 2006-2007 economic meltdown in the United States of America which spread across the world, housing prices which peaked in early 2006, started declining in 2006 and 2007, and reached new lows in 2012. Increased foreclosure rates in 2006– 2007 among U.S. homeowners led to the crisis in August 2008 for the subprime, Alt-A, collateralized debt obligation (CDO), mortgage, credit, hedge fund, and foreign bank markets. The collapse of the U.S. Housing Bubble has a direct impact not only on home valuations, but the nation’s mortgage markets, home builders, real estate, home supply retail outlets, Wall Street hedge funds held by large institutional investors, and foreign banks, increasing the risk of a nationwide recession.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Tennis in 2012: A glimmer of hope in the horizon 29

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

I am most pleased that Les Bleus are witnessing a great rebirth under Didier Deschamps –France legend, Zinedine Zidane

Home-based keeper faces Cryuff’s killer squad IKENWA NNABUOGOR

Super Eagles’ players, Ogenyi Onazi, Kenneth Omeruo, Azubuike Egwueke (behind) and Ahmed Musa cool off during Saturday’s training in Faro, Portugal

Int’l friendly: Eagles leave Faro for Catalunya

ollowing the absence of the two invited foreign-based goalkeepers, Vincent Enyeama and Austin Ejide, Eagles’ coach, Stephen Keshi, will name either Chigozie Agbim or Daniel Akpeyi in goal to face Johan Cryuff’s killer squad in tomorrow’s international friendly game against Catalonia selected side. The Isreal-based duo of Enyeama and Ejide are yet to arrive at the Faro, Portugal camp of the Eagles due to club engagements. Both keepers were in action for their clubs in Israel last weekend and will not be joining their mates in the camp until later this week. They will be expected to hit the camp before the January 5 deadline. Agbim and Akpeyi have been in good form in training since they arrived at the camp last week. Keshi is now spoilt for choice to pick

who starts between the sticks on Wednesday. Catalonia is an autonomous province in Spain with their headquarters in Barcelona. Top clubs like FC Barcelona and Espanyol are the two biggest clubs in Catalonia and the players that will play against the Eagles will be drawn from these two clubs. Meanwhile, Dutch legend, Johan Cryuff, has released a killer squad of 22 players to face Nigeria at the Espanyol home ground, Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, including Andres Iniesta. The list is made of 10 players drawn mainly from FC Barcelona and Espanyol , with Barca getting the lion share of the invited players. Barcelona legend, Hernandez Xavi, leads the pack of nine other Barca players, while Espanyol contributed seven; Rayo Vallecano also released two of the players for the clash. AC Milan, Red Bull Salzburg and Gatefe, with one player each, complete the killer squad.

•Match M t h ki kicks k off ff 99pm att EEspanyol’s l’ stadium t di EVEREST ONYEWUCHI

uper Eagles left their Faro, Portugal camp early this morning to Catalunya, Spain, where they will on Wednesday (tomorrow), play a friendly match with a Catalonia selected side. National Mirror was informed earlier today that the Nigerian senior national team jetted out to the Spanish province at 5am Portuguese time (6am Nigerian time) today. The team will later this evening, specifically at 8.15pm, train at the Nou Estadi Cornella El Prat stadium, home ground of Espanyol Football Club, venue of tomorrow’s match. Media Officer of the Super Eagles, Ben Alaiya, said yesterday that the match will kick off at 9pm Nigerian time tomorrow. Meanwhile, Celtic of Scotland playmaker, Rabiu Ibrahim, is expected to join the Eagles preparing for the South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Catalunya today.

Ibrahim was expected to have arrived in Faro earlier but because of flight delays, was advised to join the team in Catalunya, Spain instead. That means Ibrahim and hitman, Ikechukwu Uche, will be the last two players that will join up with the Eagles before the

friendly. The Catalonia selected side is managed by Dutch legend, Johann Cryuff. It will be recalled that the Eagles were beaten 5-0 by a Catalonian side at the same venue on December 22, 1998 under the reign of Dutch coach, Thijs Librets.

Chigozie Agbim

Taribo West harps on discipline

ormer Super Eagles’ defender, Taribo West, yesterday implored the current generation of players to conduct themselves with decorum in the buildup to the forthcoming AFCON in South Africa. The former Inter Milan FC defence ace made the remark during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. West said that the recent tantrums generated by Osaze Odemwingie’s exclusion from Stephen Keshi’s provisional 32man squad for the AFCON was uncalled for and urged Keshi not to relent in the task of put-

ting a formidable team in place for the continental tournament.

Taribo

West, who also had a stint with Auxerre FC of France, stressed that discipline was the only key to having a cohesive national team that everybody would be proud of. “We need our players to show more commitment to the team and Keshi is ensuring that they do just that because discipline is a key component for a formidable team. “In recent times, the level of discipline in the team has been on the decline, but I am sure that with the way things are, our players will have to toe a new path. We don’t need any distraction from anybody;

the players should act in accordance with what their coach expects from them and they will be glad they did,” West said. When asked on how it was in his active football days, the 1996 Atlanta Olympics gold winner said that their emphasis was purely on the game. ``When we went outside the shores of this country to search for greener pastures, it was not all about money; it was not all about what you acquire. We went there to work and the passion, the determination, the zeal and the commitment was there, but I think it has drastically declined in recent times.”

Sport

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

I can partner anyone in Eagles’ defence –Yobo Despite the competitive nature that the looming Africa Cup of Nations has assumed since the last edition in Gabon/ Equatorial Guinea, Super Eagles’ captain, Joseph Yobo, tells MTNFootball.com that Nigeria will emerge victorious in South Africa 2013. He also talks about his charity work When are you joining the rest of the Super Eagles at the training camp in Faro, Portugal? There is a deadline set for us to arrive by the coach and I am sure that I will not exceed that deadline.

Sports Minister, Abdullahi

NSC set for talent discovery AFOLABI GAMBARI

he National Sports Commission (NSC) has unfolded plans to organise an annual U-17 Games its effort to discover motivational talent across the country. Media aide to Sports Minister Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, Julius Ogunro, who made the revelation in Abuja yesterday, said the plan was aimed at creating a sustainable future for Nigeria’s sports. “We have discovered that the National Sports Festival has not played this role effectively after

we discovered that the average age of the medallists at the Eko 2012 is 24 while the average age and entry point for athletes in international sporting competitions is 19-20,” Ogunro said. “This situation puts Nigeria at great disadvantage because athletes of 24 years and above have not many sporting years left in them,” the ministerial aide added, stressing that the maiden teenagers’ games would hold this year. “The hosting state will be announced soon and the games will be fully funded by the NSC,”

Ogunro further said. According to him, the recently reconstituted Nigeria Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM) headed by businessman Yemi Idowu will organize the games in conjunction with the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) and Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) who would organise qualifying games in states and zones before the national event. “We believe that the games will contribute to the development of the sporting federations with the annual production of new talents,” Ogunro remarked.

2013 will be better for football –Maigari AFOLABI GAMBARI

resident of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Aminu Maigari, has described 2012 as a brilliant year for the country’s football, saying he expects this year to offer greater promise. Maigari, who reviewed the out-gone year in Abuja yesterday, said hard work

Maigari

and perseverance had ensured what he also described as brilliant results. “I have conviction that the year 2013 would be even better,” the NFF boss said, adding, “We are looking forward to great performances in a number of tournaments and qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, among other objectives.” The Super Eagles qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations billed for South Africa this month while the Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets qualified for the African Youth Championship in Algeria and Morocco respectively in the year under review. The Falconets also reached the semifinals of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan while the Flamengoes got to the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Azerbaijan, although the Super Falcons lost their African crown to Equatorial Guinea. Maigari, who listed the resolution of the impasse in the Nigerian league among the federation’s feat last year, also commended President Goodluck Jonathan, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, and Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi for their efforts at lifting Nigerian football.

How would you describe the AFCON preparation for the Eagles so far? It has been good. I believe in coach Stephen Keshi being an ex-captain and as he knows what he wants at the competition. Nothing is perfect in life, so there maybe one or two difficulties along the line, but we will handle them definitely. What do you have to tell some players who have problems with the national team? Those that have issues or problems with the team or anyone know why they have that and it is their problem. Nigeria is bigger than anybody. I am here today as captain, but tomorrow I might decide I don’t want to play for Nigeria again. The country has done a lot for me as an international player. People are different. So, those who have problems in the national team create those problems and should fix it themselves. We should be grateful for what Nigeria has done for us, not what we have done. It is give and take. I have played for over 10 years for Nigeria. If I don’t go to the AFCON or World Cup, life goes on. I will thank God because where I am today, I didn’t expect it. What should Nigerians expect from the Eagles in AFCON? I know Keshi has a big plan for the Nations Cup. The players also want to win the trophy, so we will put in everything within us to see that we go as far as possible. We will look at getting through the group, then quarterfinal, semis and final. The trophy is our target.

the AFCON? Well, it is good to be rated as an underdog as it eases pressure on the team. We are better off this way. What motivated you to give to children in need? I have been doing this for a long time, but this is my first time of coming here to do it by myself. I love kids and I am pleased to give part of what I have to make them happy. How would you describe the experience going round the wards to see the children? I was touched, it is painful to see them in such situation, it is even more painful to know that most of them will die. One must therefore be grateful to God for the gift of life. I had private discussion with the owner of the home on what I will do to further help the kids and the house. It is great to help. I am therefore calling on Nigerians to help those in need. One doesn’t need to be rich before he engages in charity work and nothing is too small or too big to give, so far it comes from the heart. If we all could be involved in this, we would raise the hope of many. Will this visitation in anyway lift your spirits ahead of the AFCON? No, this has no connection with football. It is my life what I choose to do. I could have been like any of those kids, but God chose not to let it be so. Life goes on without football. I am happy that I am able to put a smile on their faces and give them reason to hope. Football is my job, but it is not my life. There is a lot more about life than football.

How would you rate the Super Eagles of Nigeria from last two years when they failed to make the AFCON cut? The year 2011 was bad because we could not qualify for the AFCON 2012, but we have enjoyed a better time this year. How do you feel that, once again, a player from Nigeria did not make the top three in the CAF African Player of the Year award? No hard feelings, they know what they used to pick the winner. So, I congratulate Yaya Toure for winning it again. You have partnered different players in the heart of the Eagles defence, who is your preferred option? I have no preferred option. It’s for coach to decide as all those I have played with have been wonderful. What do you think about some pundits writing off Nigeria’s chances of winning

Joseph Yobo

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sport

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Tennis in 2012: A glimmer of hope in the horizon Crippled by years of neglect, lack of competitions and dearth of quality players, not much is usually left to be celebrated about the Nigerian tennis scene. However, IKENWA NNABUOGOR writes that tennis in 2012 seemed to witness a slight improvement from what was obtainable in recent times.

Fatima Abinu

he season began early for members of the junior national team who took part in the 2012 Africa Junior Tennis Championship (AJC) qualifiers for West and Central African nations which was held from February 6 to 12. Nigeria was meant to serve as host to the qualifiers but owing to security threats posed by the activities of Boko Haram, the hosting right was awarded to Togo. Nigeria’s participation suffered a setback following this development as the contingent had to be reduced from 34 players to 12. The squad also featured in a number of tournaments but national junior coach, Mohammed Ubale, recounted that financial constraints impeded their plans. He however rated the team’s performance in 2012 as fair, going by the level of support received from the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF). “I will say it has been good because so far we played in about four international tournaments this year. We had two in Togo, one in Senegal and the other in Benin Republic. We won two gold and three silver medals at the first competition. We then went to Egypt for the main AJC which is the biggest International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior event in Africa. Joseph Imeh performed very well at the event where he got to the quarterfinals. He also secured a scholarship to South Africa,” Ubale said. “In Senegal we won four gold, three silver and two bronze medals. In Benin Republic, Sarah Adegoke won two gold, while Emmanuel Idoko won a bronze medal. There were a couple of events we couldn’t go for due to lack of finance and so it has been very good. The players would have done much better if we had the financial backing. No matter how hard you train, you need to go for competitions.” In March, the 6th Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Junior Tennis Championship was

Sani Ndanusa

FOR LOVERS OF TENNIS IN NIGERIA, THE MUCH ANTICIPATED VISIT OF INTERNA-

TIONAL STARS,

VE-

SERENA WILLIAMS, WAS THE NUS AND

Abdulmumini Babalola

held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club (LLTC) in Onikan. However it was a different story for the senior players whose season didn’t begin until May 3 when the 34th edition of the Annual CBN Open Tennis Championship served off at the lawn tennis court of the National Stadium, Lagos. A number of upsets were recorded at the competition but most impressive was the display of junior player, 15-year-old Sarah Adegoke who defeated the 2011 champion, Biola Akewula and other top seeds and made her way to

ICING ON THE CAKE the final. Though she eventually succumbed to her more experienced opponent and Nigeria’s No.1 women’s player, Fatima Abinu, Adegoke was unveiled as one of the players to watch out for in the near future. The men’s category was won by old timer, Abdulmumuni Babalola. Following the CBN championships, it was glaring that the NTF went to sleep once more while players were left idle and hungry for competitions. The men’s team was expected to feature in the Davis cup but the trip was cancelled due to lack of funds. One

of the players who were supposed to represent the country at the event had already decided not to participate even if the trip had materialised, owing to the funds being owed him by the federation. As a result of their absence, Nigeria will play in Africa Group III for the fifth consecutive year in 2013. Nigeria’s best Davis Cup performances have been semifinal finishes in Europe/Africa Zone Group I, which were recorded 1988 and 1989. Respite eventually came the way of the players after a fourmonth hiatus in the form of the Annual Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship which served off on October 13 at the LLTC, Onikan. Though the tournament itself witnessed increased entries from 35 countries in 2011 to about 57 last year, there was nothing spectacular about the performance of the indigenous players. Ranked 1409, Lawal Shehu was the only Nigerian player to be named in the main draws of the first futures of the championship. His other compatriots had to fight for the main draws slots in the qualifiers and at the end of the day, none of the players made it beyond the second round of the both futures of the two-legged event. Shehu and Sunday Maku could only make it to the semis of the men’s doubles unlike the feat he accomplished in the 2005 and 2008 editions where he partnered with Candy Idoko and Babalola respectively to win the doubles event. However, Shehu hit out at Nigerian critics, stating that he and his colleagues could not be expected to compete with players from developed countries who had everything at their disposal. “It’s not easy playing tennis in Nigeria. There are so many times I regret the fact that I even play tennis at all; it is so disheartening because you put in a lot of money but get nothing in return but with the right support, we can go far,” he said. “For instance the strings to my racquet cost N25, 000 and there is no telling how many times it will get torn during training. My racket costs almost N45, 000 while my shoes are about N35, 000. When you add up all of these, it costs money. It costs about N1.5 million to go to any of the training centres around the world so how does a Nigerian player cope with all of these without sponsorship? “We are meant to play against people who have been exposed to the right facilities and all of that so there is little we can do. I do not see myself remaining in this game much longer because of too many frustrations.” In spite of the dismal performance however, cheering news came in the form of an announcement by the Governor’s Cup Local Organising Committee which stated that plans have been put in place to commence the hosting of the junior edition of the tournament in 2013. Chairman of the LOC, Pius Oluwole Akinyelore said, “We are about to sign an MOU with the JC Ferrero Equelite Tennis Academy of Spain. The agreement will include the hosting of a Governor’s Cup Junior Championship and the granting of scholarships to train four junior players for four months and two senior players for six months and five coaches and administrators every year for three years at the academy. We hope this will come on stream in 2013.”

Sport

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

On the track with

YEMI OLUS danyella172003@yahoo.com

Monitor NSF talent –Ogunkoya

Noah Akwu (left) with Usain Bolt at the London Olympics

Athletes are not miracle workers –Akwu

uartermiler and Middle Tennessee State University undergraduate, Noah Akwu, has criticised individuals and bodies who expect so much from himself and his colleagues despite the lack of attention being paid to national athletes. Nigeria’s failure to win medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games stood out like a sore thumb among other misfortunes that have befallen Nigerian sports in recent years. Akwu, who competes in the 200m and 400m, participated in the London Games where he ran alongside triple Olympic gold medallist, Usain Bolt, in the heats of the 200m and placed fifth. Despite not making it beyond the heats, the Physical Education junior said going to the Olympics should not be described as a waste. “There are many challenges which athletes face, especially when you are a home-based athlete, like not been well taken care of but people expect you to perform miracles when you go for competitions,” Akwu said. “Track and Field is not like that. It could get better if such issues are addressed. The Olympics is the biggest and greatest competition in the world and it is the dream of all athletes to be there.

“Participation accords you much respect amongst your peers because even qualifying takes a process because you compete against the best. My best is yet to come. I haven’t done the best

I can do yet. I gained the much needed experience from participating and this will go a long way in preparing me for 2016 in every aspect you can think of. I know what to expect in 2016.”

Coach laments training challenge

he standard of coaching in the country has been identified as one of the key factors that have led to the decline of track and field but athletics coach, Kola Adebayo, believes that Nigerian coaches should be commended than criticised. Adebayo coaches national record holder in the women’s high jump, Doreen Amata, amongst others and says considering the economic situation, training athletes is no walk in the park. “I know what I went through for Doreen to be who she is today and she also knows what she went through. It gets to a stage sometimes when I have to go and beg some individuals in order to assist some of these athletes,” the coach. “When I look at the situation sometimes, even I cannot settle some of my bills. I have to take care of my family, pay my rent and need to look good; it is very challenging.” Adebayo said he has been tempted to turn his back on track and field several times after suf-

fering frustration. “It won’t cost me anything to go back to my accounting field and pick a job but it’s like killing my vision. These athletes are the people through whom you show off your work so that people will see that you know what you are doing,” he said. “Sometimes even when we go on international engagements, we are paid peanuts and at the end of the day the money will still be spent on the athletes. “Sometimes they go for competitions without transport fare so you would have to give them, because how can you train an athlete without such athlete going for competitions? Will I just fold my arms and look at them? What am I a coach for? I know the amount I owe right now as debts and I didn’t spend the money on myself. “It is painful because you are not getting anything back, only to be depending on the athletes that one day they will appreciate you or waiting for when you will be invited for national engagements. This is the other side of life.”

frican record holder in the women’s 400m, Falilat Ogunkoya, has canvassed for proper management of the talent discovered at the recent National Sports Festival to enable them to transit to the national team in the near future. Ogunkoya-Omotayo was one of the scouts delegated by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN). Others were the duo of Sunday Uti and Moses Ugbisien who won a bronze medal in the 4x400m at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, as well as track and field coach, Tony Osheku. The Olympics bronze medallist said that her team discovered a number of athletes who could do the country proud in the near future if well managed. “We saw a few athletes who can make us proud in the near future if we do what we are supposed to do,” she said. “We want to get them good coaches who have a passion for athletics. I think by 2014 or 2016, there will be no need to wait for six months before the Commonwealth Games or three months to the Olympics to commence preparation. “This year will take us to 2014 which is the year of the Commonwealth Games. What they have to do is that by next month, these athletes should be called to camp and start pre-

Falilat Ogunkoya-Omotayo

paring from 2013 to 2016 for the Olympics.” Track and field at the Eko 2012 Games was not heralded by a lot of broken records but Ogunkoya-Omotayo said the athletes would not be blamed for this occurrence. “I was very impressed with the performance of the athletes this is December. By now they are supposed to be completing their build up, not competing. Some of the girls ran 52secs and 11.5secs in the 400m and 100m respectively.” Reliving her own days as a junior athlete, Ogunkoya-Omotayo, who won four gold medals during the 1985 edition of the NSF, said the trend during her active days was different from the current situation. “I won gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays for Ogun State. The festival is different from what was obtainable then because the athletes make more money than we did. Also nowadays athletes don’t compete for their states. “They go to the states that can give them money. However I was very impressed with the gesture of the then governor of my state, Col. (Rtd) Oladayo Popoola, who came to my town and gave us electricity, and offered me a scholarship as well as a result of my performance; I was really happy.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Govt should support implementation of new housing policy - NIOB boss Mr. Chucks Omeife is the President of the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB). In this interview with DAYO AYEYEMI, he takes a cursory look at activities in the construction/ housing sector in 2012, giving it a pass mark. He also speaks on the new housing policy, enjoining government to give necessary support for the implementation of the different aspect of the policy, which will require legislation and act of parliament. What is your assessment of the housing / construction sector in year 2012? Construction /housing sector in the year 2012 started with lots of promises with respect to formulation of the housing policy, its public presentation and its approval by the Federal Executive Council. The emergent housing policy was full of proposed institutional and regulatory framework which if boldly and decisively put in place will change the face of the sector for good. In terms of physical performance, not much was achieved, but in term of planning, a lot was achieved, and what is left is now implementation. On the whole, the sector did well on the average. What are the obstacles to the growth of the sector? Severally, I have mentioned that the greatest challenge to the growth of the sector is government political will power and sincerity in the government transformation agenda as it relates to the sector. This is based on the premise and assumption that government is adequately knowledgeable about what it takes to move the sector forward. However, the recent housing policy is a clear and concise roadmap for

the sector and if fully and strictly implemented, will turn around the fortune of the sector. What is the necessary steps government failed to take to move the sector forward? The recent housing policy has enumerated steps that should be taken to address the numerous challenges facing the sector. The critical steps that are required to jumpstart the whole process include the establishment of different institutional and regulatory frameworks. Up till this moment, six months after the policy has been approved, not much work has been done. One would have expected that some of this institutional framework would have started coming on board. In terms of growth, do you think the housing sector contributed anything to the GDP in 2012? The housing sector despite its dismal performance in 2012 always contribute to the country GDP, unfortunately because of the uncoordinated operation of the sector, it is difficult to be certain about its percentage contribution. What is your view about the new housing policy?

Building societies offer best mortgage deals in UK

uilding societies are dominating the mortgage best buy tables in United Kingdom, offering 57.5 per cent of the most competitive deals despite taking around 21percent market share of gross mortgage lending, a new analysis shows. A report from shared equity mortgage provider Castle Trust shows that 23 out of 40 mortgage best buy deals across fixed, variable and buy to let deals are provided by building societies, nearly a third higher than the 18 out of 40 best buy deals offered by building societies in 2008. According to Property Wire report, average rates on building society best buy mortgages are currently 3.4 per cent compared with 6.2 per cent in 2008 and lower than the 3.81 per cent in October 2012, when Funding for Lending started to take effect. Building societies currently offering best buy deals include Marsden and Newbury for remortgages while Nottingham and Nationwide are competitive for fixed rates and Mansfield, Marsden, Hinckley & Rugby and National Counties are competitive for discounted rates. Coventry and Hinckley & Rugby also score well for variable rates. The competitive position of building societies as real contenders to the banks is clear and they are proving to be innovative and responsive to market conditions, said Sean Oldfield, chief executive officer, Castle Trust. Increased availability of funds through the Funding for Lending scheme

is helping to boost the mortgage market as a whole but there remains a real need for further innovation to help unblock the housing market in support of Government schemes such as FirstBuy and HomeBuy, he added. Castle Trusts Partnership Mortgages are for 20percent of the value of an owner occupied home alongside a repayment mortgage of up to 60percent from a traditional lender and a deposit of at least There are no monthly commitments on the Partnership Mortgage and Castle Trust will share 40percent of any profit made by the homeowner when they sell or at the end of the mortgage term. The company will also share 20percent of any the loss made on a home bought with a Partnership Mortgage. Many people, despite having good credit histories and sizeable deposits, are finding it difficult to secure mortgages. This is as a result of the banks desire to preserve capital. In the last five years, building societies have looked to offer a wide variety of innovative mortgage products that provide homeowners with a diverse range of financing options. Our Partnership Mortgage helps lenders overcome this issue so many more good quality customers can secure the mortgage they want, explained Oldfield. Funding for Partnership Mortgages will come through two investment products launched by the company, both of which can be taken out for terms of three, five or 10 years, with investment from 1,000.

Omeife

The new housing policy is a good policy just like other proposed housing policies before it. Nigeria has always had something good when it comes to policies, the problem has been implementation. I must say without sentiment that this new policy is all encompassing, robust and definite about the direction the sector should go and the prayer is that government will give necessary support for the implementation of the different aspect of the policy which will require legislation and act of parliament –that is law backing up the establishment of such regulatory or institutional framework. These are the major issues that had to be addressed immediately. What are the positive things you expect to take place in the sector in 2013?

2012 ended with a ray of hope in government policy pronouncement about reserving projects below N5 billion for local contractors. This pronouncement if followed with sincerity would have started the process of growth for the Nigerian construction industry especially by growing the capacity and capability of local or indigenous stakeholders. This will also translate into empowerment and work for Nigerians. I expect that this pronouncement will become a policy issue that should be fully implemented for the collective good of Nigerians. Other countries have such policy in place to protect and empower local stakeholders as well as growing local capacity and capability in their construction Industry. What are your recommendations for the growth of the sector? I know that the sector is not yet fully regulated and this is why a lot of things that we are experiencing in the sector is still happening. For example, the incessant building collapse, demolition of built up estates as witnessed recently in Abuja and so many regulatory inadequacies observed. 2013 to my mind should be considered the year of transformation of the built environment and professional institutions and regulatory agencies in the built environment should play a leading role. The entrenchment of protection and empowerment policy for local stakeholders in the sector just as we have the recent local content policy in the Oil and Gas sector.

Good reasons not to buy a home

hese are red flags that you may want to ponder before plunging into buying a home or making the decision to continue renting. Any one of them, according to can stand alone as a reason not to buy a home. It might still make sense to buy a home if one of these situations applies, but more than one should definitely raise a caution flag. an expert at about.com guide, Elizabeth Weintraub,writes No down payment: Excluding VA loans and a smattering of first-time home buyer programs, you will need to make a down payment to finance a home purchase. This amount can range from 3.5 per cent of the sales price for an Federal Authority Housing (FHA ) loan to a minimum of 10 percent for a conventional loan. The best interest rates are offered to those buyers with 20 per cent to put down. Bad credit: This can disqualify you from obtaining any mortgage. Those with credit scores below 620 might find hardmoney sources that will lend on a home, but the interest rates and fees will be through the roof. A higher interest rate equates to a higher mortgage payment. If you have borderline credit, consider waiting, and make changes in your spending habits to improve your FICO score. High debt ratios: Lenders change the rules all the time for debt ratios. If bills eat up 50percent of your gross income every month, you probably cannot afford a mortgage payment on top of those expenses. Because lender guidelines have changed since the mortgage meltdown of 2007, your debt ratios will need to be line or you will never

get through underwriting. Consider paying down or paying off your credit cards before buying a home. Little job security: If you have reason to believe that your job may be in jeopardy, now is not a good time to buy a home. Many home owners who go into foreclosure end up in that position because they have lost their jobs. Unemployed individuals often place priorities on buying groceries and putting gas in the car over making a mortgage payment, hoping they can make up the mortgage payments later. Instead, they tend to go deeper into debt. When renting is 50 per cent cheaper: If your main objective is to put a roof over your head, consider whether it’s smarter to rent than to buy. In some real estate markets, it can be a bit of a stretch to meet the financial obligations of home ownership while rents in those areas are 50% lower than a mortgage payment. When home prices are so high that few buyers can afford to buy their first home, you may be better off renting and paying less for that roof. Tend to move every year: Buying a home is generally a long-term commitment. If you love the excitement of new digs, which makes you want to constantly change your environment, you may find that it’s impossible to sell your new home in a relatively short period of time without absorbing a big loss. The reason many people buy a home is to build equity, and it’s very difficult to build equity if you’re buying and selling at the drop of a hat, especially in areas where appreciation is little or none.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Your home deserves best decor in 2013 Rugs: A new rug not only creates art on the floor, it also improves acoustics. Add a burst of crayon-esque colour to any room with a bright rug. With blond wood, try a rug in soft earth tones. Lamp Shades: Changing a lamp shade is an easy and affordable way to see your home in a new light. Paper shades produce a nice, soft light. Changing shades is an easy way to bring new life to your home. New lighting is one of the most effective ways for bringing new life to your home. Try placing some lamps in new places at home. You will feel the difference. Cushions: Small change, big difference; a different cushion on an old sofa can make the entire room feel like new. You can make your home reflect the different seasons by simply changing the cushions on your sofa, armchair or bed-you can go from summer to autumn in an instant. Windows: Curtains are like clothes for windows. With curtains, blinds and panels, you can create your own style, block out light and keep out of sight. Comforters: Warm or cool at night? A comforter can actually make you sleep better. Linen: Bed linen is closest to your skin and needs to feel comfortable. That’s why there’s a choice of satin, cotton, linen and more. Sometimes a new look is as simple as tossing on a new throw.

Source: The 2013 IKEA catalog

Dresser Drawers: Tired of your old chest of drawers? Try covering it with fabric. All you need is a staple gun, fabric and scissors. Drawers made of untreated pine are beautiful in itself, but also easy to paint. Lighting: LED lighting uses up to 80% less energy then incandescent bulbs, lasts more than 20 years and contains no mercury. Storage and Organising: Put all your little storage pieces together to make one big storage piece. Got a little extra space behind the bed? A thick velvet curtain can create a soft wall and in an instant one room turns into two. The more storage you have on the wall, the more floor space you’ll have to move around on. A storage combination with doors could help you create a clutter-free hallway. Boxes that can be hung turn wall space into storage space. Simple hooks turns a wall into a closet. Colour: Adding a bright colour to an all-white space creates some interesting tension in the room. One bright spot makes the room “pop.” Mixing light wood with a light colour can create a calming atmosphere. Black and white is always a good foundation (base) to build on when creating your personal style at home. And it’s easily combined with many different colors and designs. Black and white never goes out of style.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Top real estate predictions for 2013 Home prices have been predicted to increase ever since the housing slump began in 2005, but it will be a reality in 2013. Elizabeth Weintraub at About. com Guide, writes. Home prices rise fter years of falling prices, many areas of the country will experience rising home prices as the economy struggles to recover. This will happen, in part, based on purchase offers made by cash buyers. That’s because buyers who rely on financing are at the mercy of an appraisal. An appraiser will choose similar types of homes in the same condition and location that have sold over the past 3 months. Appraisers, as a general rule, do not apply premiums for market conditions. The appraisal is matched to the last comparable sale. This prevents price increases. How can a home value go up if it will appraise only at the amount of the last comparable sale? Until recently, cash buyers often received a discount for paying cash. A cash buyer could beat out a first-time home buyer who is utilizing financing to purchase. In the case of multiple offers, cash buyers will overbid and pay above market value because they are now in competition with other cash buyers. It’s those cash buyers who will push up prices because there is no appraisal required with cash. Reduced resale inventory In addition to increased sales prices, demand will continue to be high. As a result, there will not be enough homes available for sale to meet the demand. In a healthy real estate market, buyers turn over inventory by selling their first home and buying a bigger or more expensive home. These are called move-up buyers. That has not been happening over the past 7 years. Many people left their first homes but they did not buy a new home. Out of the many ways to lose a home, foreclosures and short sales dominated most of our major cities. As a result, these former home buyers have to make it through a 2- or 3-year waiting period before they can buy again. And some of those people do not want to buy a bigger home. They want to buy the home they lost. Having been burned once, they are not ready to take a bigger leap into real estate by jumping in over their heads. But there is nothing for sale. In this frenzy, we have former homeowners, first-time home buyers and cash investors all fighting for the same limited housing stock of entry-level homes New Home construction uptick Because of rising home prices and limited inventory, I predict new home builders will begin construction again. It is the one piece missing from a full-circle real estate cycle. We need new homes to enter the mix in the marketplace and fill the increasing demand from first-time home buyers. Interest rates are extremely low, which keeps mortgage payments low and affordable. In many instances, it is cheaper to buy a new home than it is to rent. And nothing says new home like a brand new building that has never been occupied before. Not only that, but we’ll see construction that

Central london property

EXPERTS ESTIMATE THAT BANKS CUT THEIR LOSSES BY SOMEWHERE AROUND 30% TO 40% OF THE SALES PRICE WHEN CHOOSING A SHORT SALE OVER A FORECLOSURE.

ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.

THIS HAS NOT

I DON’T KNOW IF IT WAS

GOVERNMENT BAIL-OUT MONEY OR MORTGAGE INSURANCE SCAMS THAT LED SOME BANKS TO

CHOOSE FORECLOSURE OVER SHORT SALES, BUT NOW THE REVERSE SEEMS TO BE TRUE was half finished being completed in 2013, which will raise the hopes of those presently living in these devastated communities Modification of mortgage interest deduction If you had asked me several years go if I thought the mortgage interest deduction would go away, I might have laughed at that question. It would seem unthinkable to lose a time-honored deduction as familiar to homeowners as the roof over their heads. You think nothing will happen to it and then one day during a rainstorm a tree falls on your house. Stuff can and will happen, especially in politics. Experts say first-time home buyers don’t really benefit from the mortgage interest deduction because they tend not to itemize deductions. Millionaires and billionaires don’t benefit because the deduction is capped at $1 million of debt. If the poor people and the rich don’t benefit, then it’s the middle class who do, and these are the people who will be affected. The federal government is not required to balance the budget. The deficit is huge and growing. I predict the mortgage interest deduction will be modified. I don’t believe it will be eliminated all together, but I suspect the cap will be reduced even further.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac revisions .Our two nearly insolvent mortgage giants, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, have been a thorn in the government’s side for years, long before US regulators stepped in. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) took over the government-sponsored entities (GSEs) in 2008. It wasn’t until 2010 that their shares were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. The GSEs are in debt to the tune of billions, owing much of their troubles to the housing market collapse. Whatever distressed homeowner assistance has been offered by the federal government, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have participated in these programs under separate conditions and terms. It’s time that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play by the same rules as everybody else. I predict a hard overhaul of the two GSEs and revisions of their existing programs Extension for mortgage debt relief It’s inconceivable to think that the federal government would not pass an extension for mortgage debt relief. I cannot fathom, for the life of me, how the government can rip out the rug from under the feet of so many people. True, we are $16 trillion in debt and it’s growing into a bigger deficit every single day. But to penalise sellers who have been

forced to sell a home as a short sale is like kicking a guy in the gut when he’s down. Very few sellers want to do a short sale. It’s not always their fault their home lost value and they can’t afford to pay off the mortgage. To try to tax them on the deficiency is outrageous. Our government has shown a forgiving nature throughout the housing disaster by providing an exemption for these people. I predict that the government will continue to help them out, even if it’s in retrospect. Government foreclosure review program exposes fraud The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a department of the US Treasury, is directing the Independent Foreclosure Review program. The program is examining the foreclosure activities of 14 federally regulated mortgage service providers. Its purpose is to uncover errors against borrowers that caused borrowers to lose their homes or otherwise face financial injury. Compensation may be offered to offset those injuries, including cash payments up to $125,000. The deadline for review expired on December 31, 2012. Based on the number of mistakes outlined in earlier cases as those stemming from the National Mortgage Settlement, you can bet your bottom dollar the feds will find more errors through the Independent Foreclosure Review process, including major cases of fraud. It just comes with the territory because, like with most things such as this, the opportunity was there. Bank emphasis on short sales over foreclosures Experts estimate that banks cut their losses by somewhere around 30% to 40% of the sales price when choosing a short sale over a foreclosure. This has not always been the case. I don’t know if it was government bail-out money or mortgage insurance scams that led some banks to choose foreclosure over short sales, but now the reverse seems to be true.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Wealthy property investors name Dubai as preferred location

ubai is the most attractive destination to private investors within the Middle East region, with Riyadh and Doha emerging as strong secondary and tertiary target locations, respectively, a new report shows. Despite Eurozone uncertainty dragging down the performance of the broader global economy, the Middle East is the only global region to have recorded positive growth in total HNWI wealth from 2010 to date, says the report from real estate specialists Cluttons. According to Property Wire report, this corresponds with International Monetary Fund predictions of an average GDP growth of 3.4 per cent across the Gulf Cooperation Council next year and expectations for Gulf States to outperform major western economies. The report, which examines investor sentiment in the region, says it is therefore unsurprising that the number of HNWI looking to invest regionally is 60 per cent higher than in 2011 and that 80 per cent of those surveyed are very likely to make an investment in the region during 2013. Dubai emerged as the top investment target for both investors from the United Arab Emirates and those from all other cities surveyed, with 80 per cent of HNWI very likely to make an investment in Dubai during 2013. Within Dubai itself, HNWI interests are split across several sectors with 40% looking at residential, the same at hotel and leisure property investment and 20 per cent retail and malls. Typical budgets for Abu Dhabis HNWI seeking residential assets in

Dubai property

Dubai range from AED50 million to AED80 million, with multi storey G+8 to G+12 tenanted residential buildings which contain some mixed use and good covenants, topping wish lists. Aside from Dubai, Saudi Arabias residential market and Dohas office, hotel and leisure sectors remain high on the lists of Abu Dhabi s HNWI. For investors based in the Bahraini capital, Riyadhs residential market and Doha’s residential, office and hotel and leisure sectors are also of high importance. For HNWI from Muscat industrial assets in Riyadh

Central London buy-to-let sector expected to be strong in 2013

London Property

uy to let purchases in central London are increasing, despite falling rental demand and declining rents, according to property consultants and chartered surveyors Cluttons. Average rental values slipped by 2.3 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2012, taking average weekly rents to £996, the first time they have dipped below £1,000 since the beginning of 2011. According to Property Wire report, areas in central North West London with formerly outstanding rental growth figures, such as Belsize Park and St John’s Wood, are now recording the steepest falls of 6% and 5.4% respectively and the dip in weekly rents has resulted in average values being 2.3% down compared with this time last year. Despite the rental adjustments, Cluttons noted an upturn in investor activity in its quarter four Residential In-

vestment Monitor. Buy to let investors are particularly keen to diversify their investment capital in the face of economic uncertainty and are contributing to positive sales activity in Central London. Cluttons’ figures suggest buy to let investors made up almost 15% of sales during 2012. ‘Despite the expectation of further rental falls during the first quarter of 2013, investors remain unfazed and are taking a long term view to purchases,’ said Sue Foxley, Cluttons head of research. She pointed out that over a quarter of households in London live in private rented accommodation and the research undertaken for Cluttons by Professor Ball, of the University of Reading, found that this number will grow as home ownership moves out of reach for a growing proportion of Londoners.

and Dohas hotel and leisure sector come second to Dubai. After Dubai, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emerged as the next most desirable investment destination for the regions HNWI, with 20% in Abu Dhabi and 15% in Manama stating that residential property in Riyadh was high up on their target lists, while the Saudi capitals industrial assets topped Muscats HNWI interests at 20%. Some 60% of Riyadh based investors identified Dubais residential, office and hotel and leisure sectors as sought after asset classes. The report points out that the abolition

of all restrictions on foreign property ownership in May 2012 has helped to propel Istanbul on to the radars of the regions HNWI, with 60% of those surveyed naming the Turkish capital as an emerging destination of high interest. Doha, which hosts FIFAs World Cup 2022, is also experiencing an upturn in investor interest as the country plans to undertake up to US$150 billion of infrastructure development over the next 10 years in the run up to the event. Specifically, the Qatari capitals residential and hotel and leisure sectors are of particular interest for the regions.

Govt policies could dampen demand in prime property markets in Asia Pacific in 2013

sia-Pacific prime property markets are unlikely to outperform the other regions of the world in 2013 as government policies dent demand for residential homes, it is predicted. According to Nicholas Holt, Knight Frank’s research director for the region, government interventions, aimed at mitigating the risk of asset bubbles and addressing concerns of affordability are taking a toll. ‘These cooling measures have dented demand for prime residential product in some markets, through limiting financing, introducing extra taxes for foreign buyers and penalties for disposing of the property within a certain time period,’ he explained. Many of these measures have targeted the high end residential market. For example, loan to value ratios in Hong Kong are limited to 50% for properties over HK$10 million. But more often they have been introduced to penalise multiple home owners at the expense of first time buyers, which disproportionally impacts the prime residential markets. ‘At the same time that the market has become more difficult for some buyers, the attraction of prime property markets outside their domestic markets has continued to provide incentives to move their money abroad,’ said Holt. ‘With an increasingly mobile, educated and well travelled class of property owners in the Asian region, the lifestyle

choice of having a second home abroad, for personal or for children’s educational use is proving to be one of the key narratives for HNW Asian buyers,’ he explained. ‘Given the lack of alternative investment options, property in so called safe haven cities around the world has become an attractive asset for Asian HNWIs. Domestic currencies that have strengthened against destination market currencies have also provided a currency play which has, in some cases, provided significant discounts in real terms,’ he added. He pointed out that with the ongoing global west-east shift in the economic balance of power, there is no doubt that the prospects in the medium term for prime residential markets in the region are promising. ‘Our forecasts show however, that given the protectionist measures introduced over the last 12 months in the Asian safe haven and lifestyle destinations of Singapore and Hong Kong, we expect fairly subdued price performances in these markets through 2013,’ said Holt. A survey by Knight Frank found that shrinking mortgage availability is the top risk that respondents regard to be affecting markets followed by restrictions on multiple ownership, changes to CGT rules, large scale house building programmes and finally stamp duty increases.

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Aviation

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Aviation in 2012: Accidents, controversy highlight difficult year The year 2012 came with high hopes for Nigerian aviation industry, unfortunately, the Dana Air crash slowed down progress in the sector. OLUSEGUN KOIKI writes.

xpectations of both stakeholders and professionals in the Nigerian aviation industry were high at the commencement of 2012, simply because of the huge success recorded in the sector in 2011, which included the commencement of the remodeling 11 airports in the first phase by the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah and the celebration of five years of accident free years in the sector. But, the unfortunate Dana Air accident of Sunday June 3, 2012 dealt the industry a devastating blow, which rubbished whatever achievements that were recorded over the years in the sector by the helmsmen most especially the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren who had earlier indicated interest to return to private life after the expiration of his five-year tenure. Since the ill-fated accident involving Dana’s MD83 aircraft at the Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos, the industry has not returned to its former bubbling self, rather than activities, it has been lull of events ever since. The Dana plane crash brought out quacks as professionals not just among the stakeholders, but also in the government circuit most especially from the National Assembly who regularly and intentionally misinformed the public on sensitive matters in the sector, which has been described by stakeholders as an attempt to return the country to the 2005 and 2006 era of torrents of plane crashes. 2012 commenced with vibrant domestic carriers like Air Nigeria, Dana Air, Chanchangi Airline, FirstNation, Arik Air, Overland Airways, IRS and Arik Air, but like a bolt out of the blues, Air Nigeria, FirstNation, Chanchangi and Dana Air’s flight operations were halted for several operational reasons and left the flying public in the hands of few carriers not enough to airlift them to their destinations. Just recently, the Nkiruka Onyejeochaled House Committee on Aviation called for the dismissal and prosecution of the Directior-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren for negligence of duty in the crash of Dana Air aircraft and recommended that Dana’s AOC should be revoked because it was not issued in compliance with NCAA Civil Regulations Guideline 2009. The committee alleged that under Demuren’s leadership, an NCAA inspector, Suleiman Akwuh, who did pre-arrival inspection on the ill-fated Dana Aircraft, was found to be without prerequisite professional qualification. The NCAA was equally purported to have allowed an aircraft into the country despite having no rated pilot in Nigeria.

Crash site of Dana Air accident of June 3, 2012

IT HAS BEEN A VERY DEPRESSING YEAR FOR

NIGERIAN CARRIERS. IT HAS BEEN A YEAR I

THINK THEY SHOULD BE COUNTING LOSSES AND COMPARING THEMSELVES WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE THEY ARE MANAGING TO SURVIVE Although, the Senate Committee on Aviation led by Senator Hope Uzodinma is yet to submit its report to the larger House, but stakeholders and professionals expect no difference from its recommendation having earlier accused NCAA leadership of incompetence and misinformed the public that the MD 83 aircraft that crashed was only being operated in Nigeria. Also, in the course of the year, the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah embarked on a controversial road shows to Canada, United States of America and China to woe foreign investors to invest in the industry, but despite the controversies that trailed the road show abroad, some foreign investors have indicated interest to invest in some critical aspects of the country’s aviation industry. Speaking on the activities in the sector in 2012, the President, Aviation Round Table (ART), Capt. Dele Ore described the year as depressing for Nigerian carriers. He explained that rather than the carriers counting profit, they should be counting their losses in the year under review, saying that they only managed to survive in 2012 with several challenges that crippled their flight operations. He decried that the environment is still hostile to the operating airlines, adding that unlike in the other climes where consistency of policies had reigned supreme, the same can not be said of Nigeria, which has witnessed several policy summersaults depending on whom is at the helms of affairs.

Oduah

He said, “It has been a very depressing year for Nigerian carriers. It has been a year I think they should be counting losses and comparing themselves with other parts of the world where they are managing to survive. I will want to read an extract for you: ‘in this industry, there are still smart people whose job is it to make money in any state of the market. Aviation industry whose survival depends on consolidation, depends on spend cutting and unfortunately, some carriers are failing. “While others are failing, the rest are able to survive to the extent that today, some airlines in other parts of the world can even review shares, today, the airlines in Nigeria, whatever price they are charging can not make ends meet. So, the summary is that environment is still hostile for the airlines in Nigeria because there are too many things on ground and not a level ground. “For instance, there is huge policy summersault at the appointment of any new minister. Government policy that cannot guarantee cheap fuel and the government is still dreaming of turning either Lagos or Abuja into a hub. All those things cannot happen. What is there to attract you to the hub? Is it the fuel, cheap catering, duty free shop? These are things that normally attract one to a hub and make room for profitability. Those things are completely absent here. The airlines in this part of the world can only die and not make progress. That is the summary.” Besides, the Chief Executive Officer

of Scope Centre Limited, Mr. Adebayo Babatunde in an interview with National Mirror said that activities in the sector were a bag of mixed feelings. Babatunde like Ore insisted that the industry was not a good year for operating airlines in the sector most especially as a result of the Dana crash, which claimed 163 souls on board and on ground. He mentioned the prohibitive loans to the airlines by the financial institutions as one of the factors militating against growth in the sector, maintaining that the current long term funds at 25 to 27 per cent to the airlines are not feasible to them. He however called for soft loans for the operators in order to remain competitive in the dynamic and competitive aviation industry. He added, “Secondly, economic oversight of the airlines, which presently is part of the statutory functions of NCAA, I think, deserves to be reviewed. In other climes, the civil aviation authorities have the sole mandate of overseeing safety and security. They have that mandate to focus on issues relating to safety and security of the aviation industry. That does not allow for any economic compromise. “In a situation where the safety police is also the economic police, leaves some gaps. So, going forward in the New Year, we expect a policy shift that will lead to an Act that will devolve the economic function away from the NCAA. Look for example in South Africa, its CAA is responsible for safety and security oversight, but there is an economic management committee that is set up under the civil aviation law that oversees all economic and service rendered. The same thing applies to United Kingdom where the monopoly, oversights all economic issues. “So, going forward in 2013, we expect this type of policy shift so that we can allow NCAA to fully concentrate on safety and oversight functions and this new body will be able to oversee economic issue of the airline thereby there will be no clash of interest. “ On airport infrastructure, Babatunde commended Oduah for being able to remodeled 11 airports in the first phase, but called for installation of quality equipment like the conveyor belts, security equipment and other necessary equipment that would make the airports functional. Also, an aviation consultant, Mr. Stephen Garba told our correspondents that a lots were expected in the area of airfield lighting for the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA), Lagos runway (18Left), but despite the high hopes in 2012 and the transfer of that function to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), nothing tangible had been achieved in that direction. He lamented that the inability of the government to install the airfield lighting over five years after re-opening for operations, indicated that the government was insensitive to the plights of the domestic carriers who regularly burn fuel from the international runway to local after visual flights.

Aviation

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Ex-Nigeria Airways image maker berates Reps over call for Demuren’s sack STORIES: OLUSEGUN KOIKI

ormer General Manager, Public Affairs of the defunct Nigeria Airways and His Royal Highness, Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Towulade of Akinale, Owu, Abeokuta, has described as parliamentary brigandage, the recommendation of the House of Representatives that the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren be sacked for alleged professional and criminal negligence over the Dana crash. Oba Ogunleye said this last week at a one-day interactive retreat organised by the Nigeria Air Space Management Agency (NAMA) for Aviation Journalists in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. The royal father insisted that it is parliamentary brigandage for the legislators in the lower House to recommend that Demuren be sacked, adding that he has not committed any offence to

warrant such recommendation. He maintained if such recommendation was implemented, Nigeria would have made itself a subject of ridicule among the aviation community worldwide, adding that the legislators do not have the expertise to speak on the issue. The former NAL image maker contended that if the lawmakers destroy Demuren’s reputation with the recommendation they have made, they are indirectly destroying Nigeria’s representative at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) representative, Dr Benard Aliu, who is contesting for the position of President of the ICAO Council in 2013. He explained that Aliu got the recommendation and support because of the achievements of NCAA spearheaded by Demuren. It would be recalled that the Secretary General of African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Dr. Elijah Chingosho, had declared that Nigeria’s candidate

Airside shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

Where National Assembly’s aviation committees got it wrong

Demuren

is not only the best man for the job, but also that AFRAA approves his candidature. Oba Ogunleye recalled that Demuren who is being rubbished today by some segments in the country came onboard when Nigeria aviation was nose-diving, adding that it took Demuren and his team a great effort to salvage the sordid situation.

Med-View boss laments lack of cooperation among indigenous airlines

he Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Med-View Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole has described lack of cooperation among indigenous airlines in the country as a great setback to the industry. Speaking in Lagos last week, Bankole explained that unlike in other developed aviation industries in the world where airline operators see themselves as partners in progress, the reverse is the case in Nigeria. Rather, he said that operators see themselves as competitors, maintaining that with this attitude, it would be difficult for the airline-sub-sector to grow in Nigeria. He maintained that interlining agreement being spearheaded by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would not be possible in the country unless the airlines’ CEOs change their attitudes to their colleagues in the industry. He said, “Airlines are not together in Nigeria and this is very dangerous for our environment. Their attitudes can simply be compared to when we say dog eats dog. Personally, there is nothing wrong with someone with three aircraft to liaise with an airline that has five aircraft in its fleet. “Our industry is small and I expect utmost cooperation among the operators, but this has not been possible over the years. In other countries, air-

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he media was awashed recently with the recommendations of the Aviation Committee of House of Representatives who called for immediate dismissal and criminal prosecution of the DirectorGeneral of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren over his role in the crashed Dana Air aircraft MD 83 at the Iju-Ishaga area of Lagos. While a lot of stakeholders and professionals have spoken on the issue, Airside wants to use this medium to educate the National Assembly members on some misinformation passed to the public by its committees. For instance, the committee in its report said that the MD 83 aircraft that crashed was no longer in use anywhere in the world, but the committee wittingly or unwittingly misinformed the public.

Information at the disposal of Airside indicates that there are 207 MD 83 aircraft still being flown worldwide in 21 countries by 59 airlines with the youngest age at 16 years old while the oldest is 27 years old. Some of the countries include United States of America, Spain, Denmark, South Africa, Argentina, Egypt, Kenya, Mali, Romania, Ukraine and Greece among others. In the US alone, 151 of the aircraft type are still flying in their airspace. Airside feels that the National Assembly members who are supposed to give the Nigerian public who voted them into power undiluted and unbiased information are the ones really spreading falsehood to the public. Airside advises them to always crosscheck their facts before feeding the public with wrong information.

FAAN management, please remember MMIA in your decoration drive

irside observed that the headquarters of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is wearing a new look courtesy of the yuletide season. Every major area in FAAN is wearing a scintillating look and made the agency cynosure of all eyes. In fact, Airside hopes the agency will continue to wear the brilliant look for a long time to come, but surprisingly, despite the new look in FAAN; the international wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport

(MMA), Lagos is yet to witness any decoration that befits the current season at least to show to the travelling public most especially first time travellers to the country that we are in celebration mood. Airside feels this is an oversight on the part of the management of FAAN and hopes this will be corrected in no time no matter how little it may be. Please do something to improve the look of the terminal despite the ongoing remodeling of works.

British Airways names top 13 destinations for 2013

T Bankole

lines form alliances, but unfortunately, it is not so in Nigeria despite all the efforts of NCAA to make this happen. The airlines need to come together for the industry to move forward.” Speaking on the cabin crew of the airline, Bankole insisted that they were all professionals with several years of experience behind them. According to him, the minimum hours flown by any of the pilot is 13,000hours adding that with these professionals in the airline, there is no way it would not survive. On the in-flight services, he

said, “For those of you who have not been onboard this aircraft we want to implore you to go in there. I discussed with my colleagues that why do we have to leave our house to come to the airport in heavy traffic to catch our flight; you don’t have time to take tea or coffee. So, we say why don’t we provide a complete breakfast for them on-board? What we serve in our business class and what we give to our economy passengers is an added value to what we are selling.

he oldest foreign carrier flying to Nigeria, British Airways has last week compiled its top 13 destinations to visit in 2013 with much focus on Far East. The Head of UK and I sales, Mr. Richard Tams said the 13 destinations were picked as priority because of the yearnings of travelling public to explore the opportunities the Asian continent has to offer. Tams said that consumers will continue to be driven by value-for-money in 2013, with routes such as Dubai, Cape Town and Bangkok already proving popular, adding that the airline was also experiencing a real growth in Asia while responding to demand with a number of new routes, including Seoul and Sri Lanka.

In a recent poll on the airline’s Facebook page, over 2,660 users nominated the overseas destinations they most want to visit in 2013, maintaining that New York topped the list with 22 per cent, followed by Australia, eight per cent, Hong Kong, seven per cent, Rio de Janeiro, five per cent and Dubai with three per cent. The top 13 destinations for BA in 2013 according to an online statement sent by its media consultant in Nigeria are Sri Lanka, which is described as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean.’ The statement stated that the tropical island of Sri Lanka has seen a recent boost to tourism, becoming the must-visit destination for intrepid travellers. It will be recalled that BA launched flights to Colombo in April, starting from £721 return.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Experts set agenda for insurance industry in 2013

he insurance industry is a crucial part of the FSS 2020. The vision of the industry as contained in the FSS 2020 document is, “to become the insurance market of first choice in Africa noted for high level of capacity, transparency, efficiency and safety and attain the 15th position in world insurance premium generation by the year 2020”. From this vision, the industry’s regulator is enthused to ensure that the sector is financially sound, the insurance market structure remains efficient and profitable to attract further investment and the confidence of the policyholders is rebuilt and sustained. More so, with two years left in the tenure of the commissioner, the commission is bent on sanitising the sector by getting rid of erring insurers, brokers and agent. In doing this for instance, selling of insurance policies by insurance operators on credit becomes illegal from today, January 1, 2013. Aside from this, the revised draft Consolidated Insurance Bill which is a consolidation of Insurance laws in the country may be ready this year. The Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Fola Daniel who confirmed this while addressing members of the Lagos Business School (LBS) and Pan African University Breakfast Club in Lagos recently expressed optimism that the industry would soon assume a leadership position in the continent and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He observed that the commission experienced serious regulatory challenges arising from the multiplicity of laws relating to insurance and the regime of compliance-based regulatory framework. “The current legislations are not only weak but sometimes difficult to enforce. The present regulatory framework is ‘compliance-based’ rather than ‘framework’ as is the case with most advanced jurisdictions. This arrangement hardly gives the commission the capacity to take regulatory initiatives in urgent and critical situations,” the commissioner lamented. To resolve these challenges, the chief regulator said the commission embraced framework-based regulation, adding that at the last count, six guidelines have been issued by the commission in this regard. “The commission has continued to provide leadership and roadmap for the industry in the relevant areas through the issuance of regulatory guidelines, circulars and letters. Notably, as part of its efforts at achieving a measure of efficiency, the commission has since 2011 ceased issuance of operational guidelines. “Instead, thematic guidelines now exist under the following heads oil and gas, AML/CFT, Risk management, claims management, micro-insurance and takaful insurance”, Daniel said. He, therefore, made a strong case for the consolidation of insurance laws in the country, saying, “A major condition for the development of insurance business is a healthy legal regime. It is therefore, desirable that the various pieces of legislations constituting the existing legal framework should be consolidated.” “The revised draft Consolidated Insurance Bill is ready for passage to the Legislature by the Executive and depending on the agenda of the National Assembly the country may expect a new insurance regulatory regime before the end of 2013,” he added. Speaking on the future of the insurance industry, Daniel said: “The insurance sector in Nigeria has just emerged from the dormant stage, where, despite a huge population advantage failed to achieve an appreciable growth in 35 years.” He, however, maintained that the sector has been making steady progress. “It is my belief that if the industry is able to maximise and take advantage of all the prevailing opportunities opened to it, the sector will assume a leadership

Insurance

The insurance industry is expected to grow tremendously this year following series of guidelines and the new insurance law to be enacted soon. Experts in the industry have however set agenda for the regulator and operators for the year. OMOBOLA TOLU-KUSIMO reports.

Olowude

Adetimehin

WE ARE PLEADING WITH GOVERNMENT TO MAKE LAWS THAT OPERATORS CAN COMPLY WITH AND WITH LESS DIFFICULTY.

WE WANT THE

GOVERNMENT TO SET THE PACE AS IT IS THE BIGGEST BUYER OF INSURANCE IN THE COUNTRY position in Africa’s insurance market and make significant contribution to the Nigeria economy in the nearest future,” he added. Daniel also pointed the way forward for insurance supervision, saying the commission would continue to enforce corporate governance in organisations under its supervision. “The Commission in 2009 introduced a Code of Good Corporate Governance for the Insurance Industry. It is aware that corporate governance issues are at the core of regulation and supervision; hence it will continue to ensure that good corporate governance is restored to the companies,” he said He identified some of the major challenges facing the country’s insurance industry including limited industry capacity, low insurance awareness and lack of public confidence. The commissioner also posited that opportunities for growth abound in the industry, particularly in the areas of individual life insurance and micro-insurance, compulsory insurances, oil and gas business as well as the emergence of other financial inclusive products. President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Dr. Wole Adetimehin said the new insurance law will reshape the industry this year. “We are all aware of the new law and we are repositioning ourselves so that we can fall in line when the law is invariably enacted. The industry need to be more serious and dedicated. We also need a lot of strategic moves to move forward. “We are pleading with government to make laws that

operators can comply with and with less difficulty. We want the government to set the pace as it is the biggest buyer of insurance in the country. Once government set the pace, all operators and buyers will key in so, we are appealing to government to rise up to their obligations”. Adetimehin noted that although government have reassured them that quite a number of initiatives are being put in place along with the reform agenda going on in the industry. Chairman, Nigeria Insurers association (NIA), Mr. Remi Olowude stated that there the need to promote ethical standards amongst NIA-member companies, improve the quality of insurance education and practice, build better platforms of communication between NIA and all NIA-member companies and improve relationship between NIA and its regulatory agencies, including the National Insurance Commission, Central bank of Nigeria, securities and Exchange Commission and the National pension commission”. Olowude added that the association will look inwards to take advantage of the untapped potential demand for insurance in Nigeria, for it is a major step to engender the relevance of insurance business to the growth of the nation. Towards achieving this goal, he said, “We shall work closely with other stakeholders including government to maximise the benefits derivable from the provisions of the Insurance Act 2003 and other related legislations”. An expert and Principal Researcher of Independent Insurance Researchers, Mr. Obinna Chilekezie in an interview with National Mirror called for more intervention by NAICOM in the industry. He said there is need for market discipline noting that all over the world, insurance is highly regulated. The essence for regulations is to protect the policy holder. President, Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria (ARIAN), Mr. Kingsley Obuvie on his part expects a more active regulator in terms of implementing ideas or project they have at hand. He urged the operators to be less technical but rather fund the insurance market. “The operators are too conservative and technical. But they need to force the market open by advertising on both prints and electronic media”, he said.

Insurance

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

NAICOM condemns MDAs’ disregard for insurance premium STORIES: OMOBOLA TOLU-KUSIMO

ommissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Fola Daniel has expressed displeasure at the delay and non payment of insurance premium by government at all levels. Describing them as major culprit in non payment of premium, he said the commission has noticed that budgetary provisions for insurance of government assets and properties are either inadequate or in most cases not made at all. Daniel said this while speaking at the sensitization workshop on the implementation of the No-PremiumNo-Cover rule as contained in the

Insurance Act 2003 organized for insurance desk officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Federal Government recently in Abuja. The workshop was meant to appraise the MDAs on the modalities for the implementation and enforcement of the rule in order to avoid gaps in the insurance covers of Government Assets. He disclosed that where the provisions are made, payments of premium to insurance companies are either delayed for months or the fund redeployed to meet other needs by ministries, departments and agencies of government which is in clear breach of Section 50 (1) of the Insurance Act 2003.” He reiterated that part of the rea-

sons insurance companies are unable to settle claims promptly can be attributed to the delay or non-payment of insurance premium by the insured.

STI adopts new business model

Onaolapo

overeign Trust Insurance Plc has announced the re-modelling of its internal business structure to optimize performance and increase its market share in the Nigerian Insurance industry in the years ahead According to the spokesperson of the organisation, Mr. Segun Bankole, this was the conclusion reached at a joint Strategy Session between members of the Board of Directors and the Senior Management team of the company held recently at the Southern Sun Hotel, Lagos. Bankole who briefed journalists on the development stated that the new

business model is designed with the aim of harnessing greatly the vast opportunities that are inherent in the insurance business as well as explore new untapped market in the insurance industry in the country. He said under the new business model, the activities of the underwriting firm will be anchored on three divisions namely, Retail and Business Development, Operations and Finance & Administration respectively. He noted the company also concluded that it is very imperative that business models are periodically reviewed to ensure that the opportunities in the market space are adequately addressed in taking a vantage position”. “In furtherance of the implementation of the business model, the Management has equally appointed Officers who will be responsible for propelling the initiative. They are Olaotan Soyinka, Kayode Adigun and Ugochi Odemelam. “Olaotan Soyinka the erstwhile Divisional Head of Energy Division takes charge of the Operations Division with the responsibility of directing the affairs of the Departments under the Division which are Energy, Technical and Branch Operations. Kayode Adigun is to oversee the affairs of the newly established Finance

Insurance brokers confident for coming year

new survey on insurance brokers has revealed high confidence levels of retaining and attracting new business even though SA’s economic and political uncertainty remains high. The brokers were concerned about the wave of regulations which are affecting insurance companies as regulators tighten oversight of the financial services sector. The latest CIB Broker Confidence Index (BCI) showed that confidence levels among insurance brokers had risen on renewed optimism among companies and

consumers who were unlikely to cut back on their insurance needs despite the current economic challenges. The survey is based on responses from 335 brokers in both large and small companies. The survey says broker confidence about business conditions had increased by four percentage points in the third quarter compared with the preceding period. The survey also revealed that confidence in attracting new business over the next 12 months had risen by nine percentage points in the third quarter.

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How to save money on life insurance

Daniel

and Administration Division with responsibility for Finance and Investments, Corporate Services, Human Resources, General Internal Services and Legal services. Ugochi Odemelam formerly in charge of the Marketing & Relationship Management Division moves to Head the Retail & Business Development Division of the company with responsibility for Direct Marketing, Agency Network, e-business as well as Bankole further stated that the change was informed by the need to sustain high level performance across the company, ensure human resource optimisation, and provide exceptional customer relationship management. “It is expected that the change will bring about monumental growth in terms of the company’s market share and impact positively on the underwriting firm’s balance sheet in the years ahead adding that management will continue to make appropriate changes in the company’s structure and processes to achieve the set goals and objectives as defined in its corporate philosophy”. Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc will continue to deliver on its promise by ensuring exceptional service delivery in every facet of its underwriting business, he said. Insurance normally suffers during economic downturns as consumers cut budgets‚ resulting in higher lapse rates‚ when policies are no longer paid or are cancelled. Douglas Donnelly‚ the chief executive of CIB Insurance Administrators‚ said the high confidence levels among brokers was a positive sign that the sector would not be affected by low demand. Ian Kirk‚ the chief executive of Santam‚ SA’s largest short-term insurer by market share‚ warned in a recent interview that insurers were under pressure to raise premiums in order to protect margins.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ust as there are different life insurance plans to meet your needs, there are different ways to save money on life insurance. Most importantly, comparison shop for life insurance quotes. There are hundreds of insurance companies offering a wide variety of plans and prices. Comparison shopping can save you big bucks. In addition, here are more ways you can save money on your next life insurance purchase. Consider term life insurance Some financial planners advocate permanent life insurance policies with cash value components because the policies force you to save money. Others recommend you buy term life insurance for the cheaper premium and invest the difference. But cash value in life insurance should not be considered a traditional investment. Any withdrawals or loans not repaid will reduce your death benefit. Also, if you take a partial withdrawal from the cash value of your policy in an amount greater than your total premiums, the withdrawal in excess of your total premiums is considered taxable income. Furthermore, the difference in premiums between term versus permanent life insurance is not just a matter of a few dollars per year. According to the Society of Actuaries, premiums for whole life can be five to 10 times higher than the same amount of level term life, depending on the kind of level term being compared. For example, if you’re comparing the premiums of 30-year level term it will be a smaller multiple, while premiums on a 10year term policy could be a larger multiple. Seek out low-load life insurance policies “No-load” or “low-load” permanent life insurance policies have fewer expenses built into them, such as agent commissions and fees, than other life insurance policies. For variable life insurance, these lower expenses mean a higher percentage of your premium goes to work for you right away, allowing you to build your cash value faster. Not many companies sell no-load or lowload policies. No-load policies can be purchased mainly through financial advisors who charge flat fees rather than collecting commissions from insurance companies. Those that sell no-load policies include Ameritas Advisor Services and TIAA-CREF. Also, these policies may not be available in all states. Don’t buy a guaranteed issue policy if you’re healthy With some guaranteed issue policies, you could end up paying more in premiums after only a few years than your beneficiaries might ever receive from the death benefit. “Guaranteed issue” life insurance policies require no medical exam but may ask a few basic medical questions. Guaranteed issue policies are riskier for the insurer and are, therefore, more expensive than fully underwritten insurance policies. Guaranteed policies are generally purchased by people who have difficulty obtaining life insurance due to medical problems. If you have some medical problems you’re still likely to get better life insurance rates by opting for an underwritten policy, for which you take a medical exam. The high premiums, combined with a low face amount for the death benefit, can make guaranteed issue life insurance a less desirable option. With some of these policies, you could end up paying more in premiums after only a few years than your beneficiaries might ever receive from the death benefit.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Capital Market

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Equities Index hits 28,000, closes 2012 with 35% gain JOHNSON OKANLAWON

he benchmark index of equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange rose to 28,000 physiological barrier yesterday, ending the year up 35.4 per cent. The performance was led by growth in the consumer goods and banking sectors, which is expected to continue this year. The All Share Index closed the year with 35.5 per cent return. Egypt led other African markets with 49.6 per cent year-to-date return, followed by Kenya with 39.3 per cent and Ghana with 23.8 per cent. Market capitalisation

on the NSE appreciated by N67.9bn to close at N8.97trn, higher than the increase of N44.1bn recorded the preceding day to close at N8.90trn. Analysts at Meristem Securities Limited, an investment firm, noted that as 2013 trading commences on Wednesday, market performance should benefit from the trio of positive sentiments, international leverage and regulatory reforms. Four sectoral indices closed positive on Monday, as the NSE 30-Index gained 0.88 per cent to close at 1,336.07 points, while the Oil and Gas Index rose by 0.22 per cent to close at 152.92 points. The Consumer Goods

Index increased by 0.72 per cent to close at 838.97 points, while the Banking Index appreciated by 2.18 per cent to close at 339.63 points. The Insurance Index shed by 0.13 per cent to close at 118.49 points, while Lotus Islamic Index lost 0.14 per cent to close at 1,769.07 points. Guinness Nigeria Plc led the gainers’ table with N2.88 or 1.06 per cent to close at N275.00 per share, followed by Nigerian Breweries Plc with N200 or 1.38 per cent to close at N147.00 per share. Julius Berger Plc gained N1.65 or five per cent to close at N34.65 per share, while Zenith Bank Plc appreciated by 86 kobo or 4.62 per cent to

Shares steady as US totters on fiscal cliff

nited States stocks edged up yesterday and global equities prepared to wrap up a strong year as US lawmakers held last-minute talks to avoid a budget crisis that many fear could cripple the world economy in 2013. Traders still at their desks on the last day of the year were focused on talks in Washington, where politicians were trying to agree on a deal that would prevent $600 billion of tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect in January. Economists fear such a blast of fiscal austerity could shrink output in the world’s biggest economy by about four per cent, which would threaten a fragile global recovery. Investors, however, have for months expected a deal

would come down to the wire and markets were taking it in stride. After a subdued day in Asia, where Japan’s Nikkei as well as a number of other indexes had already shut for the year, limited yearend European trading left the MSCI all-world index on track to end the year up nearly 13 per cent. “It is still expected that a deal be reached in early January. That will probably be greeted positively by markets, but it looks like it will be a very shortterm fix rather than one that addresses the longerterm issues,” said Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi currency analyst Lee Hardman. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 7.45 points, or 0.06 per cent, at 12,945.56 points.

The Standard and Poor’s 500 Index was up 4.53 points, or 0.32 per cent, at 1,406.96 points. The Nasdaq Composite Index was up 17.63 points, or 0.60 per cent, at 2,977.95 points. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 has also gained roughly 13 per cent this year, largely due to the European Central Bank’s vow to tackle the region’s debt crisis, and recovered from an early morning dip to end the year at 1,131.64 points. With the world’s major central banks expected to keep pumping stimulus into their economies at any sign of weakness, most economists forecast further gains in equities next year. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury note was down 10/32, with the yield at 1.74

close at N19.49 per share. On the flip side, Vitafoam Plc lost 12 kobo or 3.17 per cent to close at N3.66 per share, while Continental Insurance Plc shed two kobo or 2.56 per cent to close at 76 kobo per share. Custodian Insurance Plc dropped three kobo or 2.26 per cent to close at N1.3 per share, while Fidson Healthcare Plc dipped by two kobo or 1.85 per cent to close at N1.06 per share. Transaction volume in equities fell by 0.59 per cent, as a total of 215.58 million shares valued at N1.68bn were exchanged in 2,714 deals, compared to 216.85 million shares worth N2.00bn traded in 2,930 deals the preceding day. per cent, with some traders citing a possible deal on the fiscal cliff as weighing on bonds. That’s not to say uncertainty will evaporate in 2013. For one thing, any deal to avert the US fiscal cliff is expected to be a temporary fix that doesn’t address a long-term plan to reduce the US budget deficit, which has been above $1trn for four straight years. Europe’s debt crisis, meanwhile, has eased thanks to aggressive ECB efforts to protect the euro. Yields on Spanish and Italian sovereign bonds, a measure of the risk creditors attach to lending those governments money, spiked in the summer but have since fallen sharply. Euro zone bond markets were closed for the day on Monday after a roller coaster year.

European shares stable as US growth hovers near cliff

uropean shares ended slightly higher in the final truncated trading session of 2012, but investors were unwilling to take on much risk given the United States budget crisis and after strong year-to-date gains. The FTSEurofirst 300 was up 1.21 points at 1,131.77, while the euro zone blue chip index inched up 6.59 points to 2,633.44, according to provisional data. With some European stock exchanges such as the French, Dutch, Span-

ish and UK markets only trading for half the session on Monday, and those in Germany, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland recorded light volumes. Hopes were fading for any sort of broad fiscal deal in the US when Congress comes back on Monday, with only a few hours of legislative time scheduled in which to act if an agreement materialises to avert the tax hikes and spending cuts set to come into force automatically in January.

But most of the few traders still at their desks had already closed positions heading in to the year end, and financial markets are largely anticipating that US politicians will compromise eventually, given the damage the automatic measures would do to the US economy. “There are very few deals being done and there are few sellers out there with most of us having flattened our positions in the build up to Christmas,” a London-based trader said.

“Emphasis is shifting from prevention towards retrospective measures in the United States, but it will be interesting to see how Wall Street reacts and what happens when traders get back to their desk in the new-year,” he said. US stock futures were notably up, although a failure to find any common ground on the budget on Monday would rattle markets. The Eurofirst 300 has just posted seven straight months of gains for the first time since 1999.

Source: NSE NIBOR QUOTES 28 DECEMBER & 31 DECEMBER 2012 20.00 19.00 18.00 17.00 16.00 15.00 14.00 13.00 12.00 11.00 10.00 9.00 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00

2 8 -De c -1 2

3 1 -De c -1 2

Source: FMDA

Market indicators Market indicators

All-Share Index 7,853,874,916 points All-Share Index 22,191.14 points Market capitalisation 24,671.47 trillion Market capitalisation 7,084 trillion

Stock Updates GAINERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

CHANGE

% CHANGE

GUINNESS

272.12

275

2.88

1.06

145

147

2.00

1.38

JBERGER

34.65

1.65

5.00

ZENITHBANK

18.63

19.49

0.86

4.62

OKOMUOIL

41.89

42.5

0.61

1.46

PRESCO

16.4

0.60

3.66

BERGER

8.56

8.98

0.42

4.91

AIRSERVICE

3.8

4.18

0.38

10.00

FCMB

3.45

3.75

0.30

8.70

ETI

11.29

0.29

2.64

CHANGE

% CHANGE

LOSERS COMPANY

OPENING

CLOSING

VITAFOAM

3.78

3.66

0.12

-3.17

CONTINSURE

0.78

0.76

0.02

-2.56

CUSTODYINS

1.33

1.3

0.03

-2.26

FIDSON

1.08

1.06

0.02

-1.85

JAPAULOIL

0.56

0.55

0.01

-1.79

WAPCO

59.4

58.53

0.87

-1.46

NASCON

8.1

0.10

-1.23

HONYFLOUR

2.1

2.09

0.01

-0.48

STANBIC

11.03

0.03

-0.27

DIAMONDBNK

4.95

4.94

0.01

-0.20

Primary Market Auction TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

91-Day

21,838.51

12.70

3-Jan-13

182-Day

57,729.22

15.31

3-Jan-13

70 -Day

27,510.50

14.50

3-Jan-13

Open Market Operations TENOR

AMOUNT (N’mn)

RATE (%)

DATE

84-Days

55,35.37

14.05

3-Jan-13

87- Day

91,310.00

14.05

3-Jan-13

Wholesale Dutch Auction System AMOUNT OFFERED

MARKET DEMAND

AMOUNT SOLD

DATE

$300m

N/A

$300m

19-Dec-12

$200m

N/A

$200m

17-Dec-12

Capital Market

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stock exchange daily equities summary Equities as at December 31, 2012 1st Tier Securities

1st Tier Securities Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

Sector

Company name

No Of Deals

Quotation(N)

Quantity Traded

Value of Shares(N)

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Jonathan’s optimism amidst growing distrust

CONTINUED FROM 13 ans false hope through lies and fallacious remarks.” The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) also accused Jonathan of running a government of deceit, making false promises to Nigerians and overstating its achievements. The party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, described the President as a professional mourner who had resorted to endless lamentation instead of decisive action on terrorism. The ACN said: “We are not surprised at the claim of reduced terror attacks by the Jonathan administration. After all, the same administration claimed that global anti-corruption body, Transparency International, acknowledged Nigeria’s progress in fighting corruption, when nothing like that ever happened. “To set the records straight, 750 people have been killed in terror attacks in the North this year, a figure higher than about 570 killed in 2011, and not counting the latest killings in Borno and Adamawa states.” It added that the PDP-led administration has failed to provide employment opportunities for teeming Nigerians, adding that claims by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, that government will generate 780,000 jobs in 2013 through the Young Graduate Employment Scheme and 5,000 jobs in each of the 36 states through SURE-P is the latest example of the administration’s lies. “Our advice to the teeming young graduates who have no jobs is that they should not allow themselves to be hoodwinked by this promise. They should remember that this same administration promised to create 10,000 jobs in each of the 36 states through SURE-P in 2012. The year is over, and all we have now are phantom jobs and more fake promises,” the party said. The ACN also said the Federal Government’s promise of stable electricity in 2013 was unrealistic and deceitful, saying: “The administration said it has generated an alltime high 4,500 megawatts and will increase the number to 7,000MW in 2013. What a celebration of tokenism! In the first instance, the government should be ashamed to tell Nigerians it has been able to generate only 4,500MW from a huge expenditure of $16 billion.” The party therefore advised the Jonathan administration to level up with Nigerians by admitting its failings and rolling up its sleeves, so to say, to reverse the ‘transmogrification’ which the President’s Transformation Agenda has become, instead of relying on a hypocritical spokesman to peddle lies to citizens who are already reeling under the failure of an impotent government. The opposition parties were not alone in faulting the President’s “message of hope.” Jonathan’s social media (Facebook) fans, who accounted for the majority of the votes that ensured his victory in the 2011 elections, also slammed him. One of his friends, Kaycee Aloy-Obi wrote: “Mr. President hold your greetings. You and your family are having great celebration. A litre of petrol is sold at N110N120, against N97 which is the official price. There is unprecedented traffic jam on Ore-Benin road due to bad roads. “People cannot go around to visit love

Tinubu

, Momoh

BY HUMAN THINKING, WE ARE SLOW...

GOVERNMENT

MUST THINK THINGS PROPERLY BEFORE

IT ACTS.

WHEN YOU

DON’T THINK THINGS THROUGH PROPERLY, OR WHEN YOU RUSH, YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES ones because of insecurity. Bury your head in shame with your 4,500 MW when South Africa is generating 50,000 MW. It is paradoxical that many Nigerians are having dry Christmas in midst of plenty.” Another friend of his, Yusuf Suleiman, asked the President to match his words with actions, adding that his “advisers are not telling you the true picture of what is happening.” He said: “In Nigeria today, under your watch, the country recorded the highest looting of our treasury, and you didn’t do anything. We also have seen how citizens were massacred; in fact, the highest since civil war ended and your government is not doing enough to stop that.” This distrust and criticisms that had trailed the President’s pronouncements of late has prompted political analysts to raise the following posers: How did Jonathan get it wrong that he is hardly believed anymore by the people? Has he squandered the goodwill that saw him win the 2011 presidential election in a landslide? Proffering answers, some however averred that the Christmas Day message would not have attracted such magnitude of condemnation if the President had not raised the hopes and aspirations of Nigerians by promising total transformation during his campaigns for the 2011 elections as well as in his acceptance speech shortly after he was declared president-elect. It will be recalled that Jonathan had then appealed to Nigerians, especially those that opposed his candidacy and victory to sup-

port him in establishing true democracy. His words: “We have by this election, reaffirmed our unity as one nation under God; reiterated our faith in democracy; and underscored our determination to fully join the free world where only the will of the people is the foundation of governance. We will not let you down. We will not let Nigeria down. “Together we will build a new economy that is strong and dynamic and underpinned by a patriotic work ethic. Together we will remake our society to emphasize the most noble of our national values, and together we shall recreate a great nation welded in unity and harmony; a nation marching towards collective progress in which no one is left behind.” Has President Jonathan kept these promises to date? The response of most Nigerians is likely to be in the negative. A former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the ACN, Bola Tinubu, insists that Jonathan’s assurance of better days in 2013 should be taken with a pinch of salt, saying: “This current administration rather than translating its touted Transformation Agenda into impactful performance has hastened the transformation of most Nigerians into poverty, into a world of unemployment and insecurity.” Tinubu further noted that Nigerians survived 2012 through dint of hard work and courage than the support of the government. “The situation our country is in today is both sad and unacceptable. We are as a people without a leader, a country with no trustworthy men at the helm of affairs and a nation lost at sea. Our leaders must commit to a better country, not tomorrow, but beginning now, because time is not on our side and the continued patience of the people may no longer be guaranteed,” he said. But apparently replying his critics, Jonathan had come out to explain that the seeming slowness of his administration in deciding on major national issues was to avoid costly mistakes. Speaking at a Christmas Service at the Cathedral Church of The Advent, Abuja, last Tuesday, the President said he would not begin to rush decision-making process because of the public’s perception that his administration is slow. “Sometimes, people say this government is slow. Yes, by human thinking, we

are slow, but I can say that we are not slow. Government must think things properly before it acts. When you don’t think things through properly, or when you rush, you will make mistakes. It is more difficult to correct errors. “But where we are required to act very fast, we will do so, just like we did during the recent flood disasters because it required immediate response,” he said, insisting that Nigerians must be reformed for his administration’s Transformation Agenda to be sustained. He equally cautioned against politicising issues that affect the people. It was against this backdrop that the PDP berated the opposition parties – CPC and ACN – for their condemnation of the Christmas Day message. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, said the intentions of the CPC which is to stir public distrust and trigger a flood of mutiny against the PDPled Federal Government will continue to suffer still birth as Nigerians are capable of sifting the truth from tissue of lies. It 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. “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 express road to Somalia?” The PDP accused the ACN of engaging in politics of hate and creating an atmosphere of fear and disenchantment against the government. It said: “That the ACN and opposition parties in Nigeria often resort to insults and doomsday predictions is not surprising, as they have exhibited no capacity to govern by their failure to suggest alternatives and/or solutions as is the hallmark of credible opposition parties all over the world. To recycle insults and engage in doomsday predictions is a sign of a confused and demented opposition totally attuned to preferring anarchy as a system of government.” Further accusing the ACN of planning to sabotage the power sector reform, the PDP said: “We recommend to ACN to continue to patronise generators imported by their leaders who are desperate to sabotage the ongoing power reform. To the rest of Nigerians we ask you to keep faith with our honest and humble president in his selfless agenda to transform our power sector and other vital sectors of our economy.” With more brickbats expected from both camps, especially as the battle for the 2015 elections begins, the days ahead will determine if the PDP and the President has squandered its mandate and goodwill, though analysts are of the view that the rate at which groups and individuals that hitherto backed Jonathan’s presidential bid in 2011 are recoiling, points to fact that urgent steps need to be taken to curb his administration’s fast dwindling support.

Politics

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

2013: Budget monitoring, PIB, constitution review top Senate priority THE

PARLIAMENT

the joint budget session stated quite clearly that: “When the 2013 budget is passed and signed into law, the National Assembly will deploy its weapon of oversight, more than ever before, to ensure accountability, probity, transparency and full implementation. The need to ensure the efficient utilisation of public finance for the promotion of the public good will be our guiding principle. We will work to ensure that the lofty developmental goals embedded in the budget are fully realised.” Against this background and also against such similar assurances by some other principal officers of the Senate at different fora, there are no doubts that the Senate, albeit, the entire National Assembly will place top priority on the issue of budget monitoring and implementation this year.

As senators settle down to work upon resumption from Christmas and New Year break on January 15, the task of monitoring the implementation of the 2013 budget appropriation act, completion of the review of the 1999 Constitution, consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), amongst others, will top priority by the lawmakers, writes GEORGE OJI.

he senators will no doubt have their hands full when they resume from Christmas and New Year break on January 15. Before the lawmakers vacated on December 20, they worked round the clock to ensure that the 2013 budget appropriation was passed into law. At the end of the day, the lawmakers made history by ensuring that for the first time in the history of the current democratic experience, which began in 1999, the budget was passed by the National Assembly before the year end. Of course, this was not without some costs. Some other businesses of the Senate were neglected and subsequently suffered some varying degrees of setback. So, as the lawmakers resume for full legislative activities this year, efforts are expected to be made to redress some of the legislative setbacks.

PIB One of the businesses of the Senate, which became a casualty of the accelerated attention given to the 2013 Appropriation Bill was the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). In order for the PIB to be given accelerated hearing, the Senate had set aside two separate days, December 18 and 20, 2012 to debate the bill. Chairman, Senate committee on Business and Rules, Eta Inang (Cross River North-East) explained that the Senate allotted the two days for the consideration of the bill because of the importance attached to it. Somehow, at the end of the day, the bill suffered serious drawback as the two days allocated to it were used for the consideration of the 2013 Appropriation Bill. It is therefore hoped that as the Senate resumes in a fortnight, the PIB will be one of the first bills to be re-listed for consideration by the parliament. The PIB was forwarded by President Goodluck Jonathan to the National Assembly in July, shortly before the it proceeded on its annual vacation on July 24. Meanwhile, the PIB successfully passed second reading before the end of 2012 at the House of Representatives. There were claims that some International Oil Companies (IOCs), who were opposed to some provisions of the bill, were mounting pressure on the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, to frustrate the passage of the bill. However, Inang, while speaking with National Mirror, refuted such claims. He said the inability of the

Constitution review Mark

Senate to commence deliberation on the bill earlier was because of the need to speedily dispose of the 2013 budget before the end of the year. He had assured that once the Senate was through with the budget, it would commence deliberations earnestly on the PIB. He also assured that the bill would be given accelerated consideration once the Senate commenced hearing on it. The PIB is a legislative instrument that government hopes to use to transform the Nigerian oil industry. This understanding no doubt, prompted the immediate action of the Federal Government through the Petroleum Minister Mrs. Dezieani Alison-Madueke to set up, early in 2012, an eight-man panel headed by Senator Udo Udoma to accelerate the passage of the PIB into law to regulate the oil industry. The panel, which comprises former lawmakers, a labour leader and other stakeholders in the petroleum sector were mandated to work alongside a technical committee to review all versions of the bill and produce a draft bill within 30 days. The eight-man panel which was inaugurated on Thursday, January 19 at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources had Tunde Ogbeha, Lawan Shuaibu, Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, Abdullahi Gumel, Habeeb Fashiro and Mr. Peter Esele as members. The legal adviser of Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources served as its secretary. The committee had the mandate to work with the National Assembly to ensure the quick passage of the bill into law. The first attempt by the Federal Government to fashion out the PIB was in 2005 with the setting up of the Oil and Gas Industry Committee, which drafted the original PIB. The bill was the first attempt of government to consolidate all the laws in the petroleum industry into one document. It was to serve as an all encompassing piece of legislation to reform the industry. The fundamental objectives of the bill are to increase oil capacity, gas sector development, transparency and good governance, community development, develop-

Ekweremadu

AS THE LAWMAKERS RESUME FOR FULL LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR, EFFORTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE MADE TO REDRESS SOME OF THE LEGISLATIVE SETBACKS ment of Nigerian content, independent and commercialisation of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), reform of the entire institutional framework of the sector, regulatory and policy making efficiency, resolution of the funding issues through the creation of the Independent Joint Ventures (I-JVs) as well as transition to self sustaining I-JVs.

Budget monitoring Another legislative activity that would consume the time and attention of the senators this year will be the monitoring of the implementation of the 2013 budget. In 2012, the issue of budget implementation became so contentious that it pitched the executive against the legislators. The situation became so intense that it led to calls for the impeachment of the President by some members of the House of Representatives. However, when President Jonathan presented the 2013 budget appropriation bill before the joint sitting of the National Assembly on October 10, last year, Senate President David Mark and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal both used the occasion to make the point that the National Assembly would go the extra miles in ensuring the religious monitoring of the 2013 budget to ensure its full implementation. Indeed, Mark in his welcome address at

There is no gainsaying that the review of the 1999 Constitution, which begun last year will also receive top priority as the Senate resumes this year. During the series of stakeholders’ meetings, which members of the Senate Committee on Constitution Review held last year, chairman of the committee and the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, repeatedly pledged that his committee would conclude its assignment on the exercise by July 2013. Given this promise, it is expected that when the Senate resumes plenary this year, constitution review would be upscale in its list of legislative activities in order to meet the July deadline set by the committee for the conclusion of work on the constitutional review. Before the Senate vacated in December, the constitution review committee had held its retreat in Asaba, Delta State, conducted a national public hearing in Abuja and capped that up with the six zonal public hearings to articulate the various inputs of Nigerians to the exercise. Essentially, the constitution review committees of the National Assembly are concentrating on 16 thematic areas for review during the exercise, which is the third in the series by the National Assembly. In 2010, the National Assembly successfully reviewed the 1999 Constitution twice. However, those reviews were mainly in the areas of electoral reforms. This time around, the 16 thematic areas had to do with devolution of powers, creation of states, recognition of the six geo-political zones in the constitution, role of traditional rulers, local government autonomy, taking out the NYSC, land use act and code of conduct of the constitution and fiscal federalism. The rest are immunity clause, Nigerian police, judiciary, executive, rotation of executive officers, gender and special groups, mayoral status for the FCT administration, residency and indigene provisions as well as any other issues.

Deregulation of petroleum sector Another likely issue that may engage the attention of the senators this year as CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

THE

PARLIAMENT

Politics

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Events that will shape the House in 2013

TORDUE SALEM writes on the agenda before the House of Representatives in the New Year.

s we enter 2013, the House of Representatives is expected to fulfil key promises: adopt a thorough oversight of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and track the implementation of the 2013 Budget that is already in progress. The House is also expected to tidy up its work against importation of refined petroleum products and pursue the implementation of the report it submitted to the Presidency earlier last year. Because of the scandals its committees were involved in last year, the House would this year, intensify its monitoring of these committees’ activities. Several key reports, including the one on the probe of N30 billion earmarked by the Presidency to print more national identity cards for Nigerians is expected to be laid in the first quarter for debate. Report of a major probe of non-remittances to the Federation Account, by more than 60 agencies is also expected to be laid by the House Committee on Finance by the first quarter. Before instituting the probe, the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, had warned that if the habit of non-remittances persists, national budgets will continue to falter, adding that it was imperative to hold the government agencies accountable to the public, in line with section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. Some of the biggest culprit-agencies, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), though were resistant; the House is expected to rein them in, this year. Though these agencies have insisted that by the Acts establishing them, they were to generate revenues and spend same on salaries and other expenditure, the House also stood its grounds that whatever such agencies generated must first be remitted to the federation account according to constitutional provision. A compromise or truce may also be brokered between the House and the DirectorGeneral of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ms. Arunma Oteh, this quarter, before the implementation of the 2012 Budget is exhausted.

THE SENATE IS WITH US ON THIS MATTER. OTEH MUST GO AS FAR AS WE ARE

CONCERNED. IF SHE DOESN’T GO, WE

WON’T TOUCH THE

BUDGET.

WE STILL

MAINTAIN THAT

STAND, IT HAS NOT CHANGED The House had last year engaged Oteh in a protracted battle over her allegations that the Capital Market Committee of the House was corrupt. The House had lodged an inquest into her claim, but went ahead and demanded her sack after indicting her in a separate investigation of the collapse of the market. The decision of the House got the blessing of the Senate, leading to the ultimate decision of the House to resolve that it will not approve any budget for the SEC until Oteh was sacked by the Presidency. Before passing the 2013 budget, last year, the House of Representatives, had declared that “all revenues, howsoever described, including all fees received, fines, grants, budgetary provisions and all internally and externally generated revenues shall not be spent by Securities and Exchange Commission for recurrent or capital purposes or for any other matters, nor liabilities thereon incurred, except with prior appropriation and approval by the National Assembly.” At a press briefing after passing the 2013 budget, House spokesman, Zakari Mohammed, said the House will not touch SEC’s budget until and unless all its resolutions on the commission are implemented in entirety by the executive. Mohammed said: “If we (House) resolved and we have done our findings and say this is the situation. Of course, we don’t have the authority to say let her go, but we will always meet. It is like a child who has offended his parents; they will meet at the dinner table. In SEC’s case, we have met at the dinner table and we want to see what monies will be used to run SEC in the year coming.”

Tambuwal

According to him, “even though people will say it is mere advisory, it was not advisory when we had the doctrine of necessity that brought up the first beneficiary who is the head of the executive arm today. The Senate is with us on this matter. Oteh must go as far as we are concerned. If she doesn’t go, we won’t touch the budget. We still maintain that stand, it has not changed.” The House is also expected this year to focus its energies on building capacity of its committees and individual members for budgetary and general oversight challenges. The relationship of the House with the Presidency is, however, expected to worsen this year. The reasons would be tied to 2015 and the insecurity in the country. Since the incessant bombings and general violence in the country today are socio-political, sadly, the spate of violence and insecurity may exacerbate in the New Year, and because the Presidency appears hamstrung by several reasons to stop the trend, a flurry of motions and other pieces of legislation would certainly arise against the attitude of President Goodluck Jonathan on the matter. Part of the legislative agenda of Tambuwal would be cleverly mixed with his presidential/governorship ambition and the House would therefore be charged with activities. To endear himself to Nigerians across

board, Tambuwal would unveil his National Agenda through various ways. He is expected to also re-jig committees and place Southerners in traditionally reserved committees for Northerners and place others from other geo-political zones in traditionally reserved ones for Southerners. On resumption, the House would tidy up on two key reports: the much-awaited Ethics and Privileges report on allegations by business magnate, Femi Otedola that he gave an Ad hoc Committee chairman investigating fuel subsidy regime, then headed by Farouk Lawan (KanoPDP), $620,000 in bribery to delist his (Otedola) company from among companies indicted on subsidy payment. The other key report that should be taken this year from the Privileges Committee is the one on a contentious probe of N44 million bribery allegations earlier levelled against the chairman of the House Committee on Capital Market, Herman Hembe by the DG SEC, Ms. Oteh. Though the committee is yet to invite Oteh, it is expected that because of the standing position of the House on her, she is likely not going to be exonerated. Top on the agenda of the House is the 2013 Budget, its implementation and the usual spats between the House and the executive that would follow. Another next item of great priority for the House this year would be the amendment of the constitution. Going by how predictably interesting the 2015 elections would be, the House would be expected to include areas of interest like state creation, independent candidacy, immunity clause deletion and place more hurdles against electoral malfeasance in the document. The House would also persist in its battle to cage the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and its controversial governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and subject it to its oversight and fiscal powers under section 162 of the 1999 Constitution. To this end, amendments are likely to be proposed to the section to name the CBN among other agencies that must be expressly submissive to the fiscal whim of the legislature. The resort to the constitution may come as an option away from the ill-fated attempts in the past to amend the CBN and associated acts to achieve that goal. Should the House achieve all these items on its 2013 agenda, then the year would surely have been an eventful year, worth the while to the House and its members.

2013: Budget monitoring, PIB, constitution review top Senate priority CONTINUED FROM PAGE 42 they settle down to full legislative work is the need to fully deregulate the petroleum sector. Going by the reactions, comments and body language of the senators during the debate that preceded the passage of the N162 billion 2012 Supplementary Appropriation Bill, it was certain that one issue the lawmakers may likely take a second look at is that of full deregulation of the petroleum sector. Indeed, experiences of the Yuletide, where fuel sold for N120 per litre in the average in most parts of the country despite the huge sums paid to the product

importers goes to support the argument by some senators that the time has come for the Federal Government to fully deregulate the petroleum sector and put a stop to the huge corruption associated with petroleum subsidy in the country. This argument was strongly pushed by some senators during the debate before the Senate passed the N162 billion fuel subsidy Supplementary Appropriation Bill last December. Mark had observed in his concluding remarks shortly before the senators gave their nod to the supplementary budget that, “It is no gainsaying and it is not a se-

crete anymore to say that there is so much corruption in the fuel subsidy industry in whatever system they are adopting.” Mark stated that: “The nation must make a decision now whether to continue this or to stop it. If they cannot eliminate and stop the corruption in the industry then the other alternative will be to stop the fuel subsidy and we must take the one that is easier and the one that will bring less pains to Nigerians. The nation in my candid opinion must make that decision sooner than later because we cannot continue to carry on this way.” Other senators like Ayogu Eze, Nkechi

Nwogu, Bassey Otu, Abdul Ningi, Ganiyu Solomon, Enyinnaya Abaribe, amongst others were also on the same page with the Senate president that there was pressing need to put a halt to the fuel subsidy payment as a way of addressing the corruption in the exercise, which enriches a few Nigerians and at the same time excludes the majority of Nigerians from benefiting from the scheme. It will therefore not surprise National Assembly watchers if the Senate makes the issue of full deregulation of the petroleum sector one of its top priority considerations this legislative year.

Politics

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

In defence of Mr. President, Anenih and PDP THERE IS NO DOUBT

JOHN AINOFENOKHAI

THAT WHOEVER THESE

he abandonment of etiquette in the articulation of private fixations was manifest in Theophilus Ilevbare’s mumbo-jumbo, entitled: “Jonathan, Anenih and PDP Cahoot (sic)”, which was published in Peoples Daily edition of Monday, December 24, 2012 at page 13; and the hogwash in THISDAY of Thursday, December 27, 2012 at page 14, entitled: “Anenih and NPA” written by one Suleiman Abubakar. Every paragraph of their so-called opinions reeked of invectives and malice. They employed the instruments of direct and veiled attacks against President Goodluck Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the re-appointed Chairman of the Board of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Chief Tony Anenih. By resorting to personal attacks, they betrayed their predilection as sponsored commentators, whose perspectives to issues and deductions therefrom as exemplified in their write-ups, were tainted by bias and commonplace allegations which are largely unsubstantiated. Both their premises and conclusions, that because Jonathan re-appointed Anenih as chairman of the board of the NPA, the President’s fight against corruption was lacklustre, were non-sequitur. For sure, there is nothing creepy about Anenih’s reappointment as to threaten the anti-corruption war. In fact, his re-appointment is to continue the regime of fiscal discipline and prudence by ensuring accountability in the administration of funds by the management of the NPA, which he was able to emplace during his first missionary journey at the Authority from February 2009 to October 2011. Had these hatchet writers chosen to be fair, they should have celebrated Anenih’s first successful missionary journey at the NPA the way they celebrated the denouement, which the “politically-motivated conspiracy, trial and conviction” of Anenih’s predecessor, Chief Olabode George, represents to them. They should have also done their researches to objectively locate the achievements of the NPA under the direction of the Anenih-led board, especially in the area of tackling ports congestion and other reforms aimed at sanitising the operations at the ports and the Authority. The point is, had Anenih deployed the instrumentality of his office, which is not an executive position, in any case, as these writers had tried to portray it, to divert the funds of the NPA in bogey contracts to fund PDP elections and other selfish interests, the opposition would have by now exposed the deeds. The NPA is a public trust: its operations are not in the realms of occultism. But it is amusing that these writers and their sponsors, who are under a mental siege that once a PDP leader or member is appointed into the boards of these socalled lucrative agencies, it is for the purpose of plundering and pillaging public funds domiciled there. Would they have wished that they and their opposition leaders were appointed into these boards,

BOGUS WRITERS

ARE, THEY KNOW THE CAPABILITIES OF

ANENIH... TO DISCOUNT HIM IN ANY POLITICAL CALCULATIONS... IS

TO COMMIT A GRAVE POLITICAL MISTAKE

Jonathan

Anenih

which are reserved for credible and competent members of the ruling PDP? The PDP could not have appointed Ilevbare and Abubakar’s godfathers in the opposition parties to occupy and superintend their so-called honey-pots which, according to them, the boards of the NPA, and other so-called lucrative agencies, typify. The malicious campaigns they and their sponsors embarked upon against Anenih and other PDP leaders would not diminish the status of these patriotic Nigerians. But in a bid, for instance, to demonise Anenih, the writers had re-echoed the trite claim that as Minister of Works and Housing from 1999 to 2002, he misappropriated funds to the tune of N300 billion meant for road construction and rehabilitation.

It is sardonic that politicians in the other camp have continued to regurgitate this allegation more than eight years after the former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, who made it in 2004, recanted the allegation, tendered a written apology to Anenih in a peace move that was brokered by the Oba of Benin, Omo N’oba N’edo Uku Akpolokpolor, Oba Erediauwa. Anenih had to consequently withdraw a libel suit he filed against Kalu in court. Even the Senate, which probed the transportation sector in 2008, had received a presentation by Anenih through its Ad-Hoc Committee chaired by Heineken Lokpobiri that the total amount that was released to the ministry while he was in the saddle as minister (from May 1999 to October 2002) was N123, 240,812,239.00, out of which N120, 723,387,635.00 was expended on road rehabilitation and construction, while the sum of N2, 517,424,604.00 stood as balance that was left in the ministry’s coffer. It is important to make these points so that like of Ilevbare, Abubakar and their sponsors who have been deploying dishonourable tactics to tackle Anenih would know that their readers are capable of seeing through their antics and chicanery. As if both writers got their brief from the same source, they talked about Anenih losing grips as “Mr. Fix It” with the outcome of the July 14, 2012 Edo governorship election and therefore impliedly not suitable to sell Jonathan’s re-election in 2015. If he has lost grip, why not forget about him? Why have they been very worried about his re-appointment as NPA board chairman? There is no doubt that whoever these bogus writers are, they know the capabilities of Anenih to rebound in the face of political adversities and temporary setbacks. To discount him in any political calculations, especially in relation to presidential power politics, is to commit a grave political mistake. Anenih is a political strategist, who

knows how to plot his way to political victory and where he fails, how to retreat and re-plot for success. He also has the capacity to provide disciplined leadership in party administration; which is why, unfortunately for the opposition elements, the PDP leadership, acting in concert with the Presidency, may well saddle him with the task of chairing the Board of Trustees of the party. Contrary to proposition by the opposition camp, it is not necessarily all about 2015 self-succession gambit. It is essentially about giving leadership responsibility to someone who deserves it and has the capability to deliver. It is also not about recycling old hands when it comes to filling critical positions; it is about demonstrating courage, political will and wisdom in the discharge of responsibilities by the occupiers of the positions. I do not see how these policy decisions conduce to corruption to warrant one of the writers’ warped conclusion that: “the Jonathan administration will readily go down in history books at the end of his four years as one of Nigeria’s most corrupt administration (sic) if the plethora of reports, investigation and other indices are yardsticks.” I still shudder at the self-conceited and hypocritical pontifications in the closing thought: “President Jonathan has shown from his despicable appointment of Tony Anenih as NPA chairman that he is in Aso Rock to perpetuate sleaze, entrench impunity and sustain the legacy of waste bequeathed to him by his predecessors. It is a cinch that corruption has come to stay in his administration. As 2015 beckons, Nigerians must be vigilant and vote wisely.” If this was the interpretation of Anenih’s appointment by one of the hatchet writers, then I sympathise with him for his little knowledge, which was further compromised by filthy lucre. Was he saying that he did not know that the chairmanship of the board of NPA is not an executive position? How would this appointment amount to perpetuation of sleaze in Aso Rock? Sincerely, I cannot understand these propositions. Indeed, is it not clear from the last sentence: “As 2015 beckons, Nigerians must be vigilant and vote wisely” that the writer is on a contemptible errand for the opposition group which has begun electioneering when the time to do so has not come? Should right-thinking persons or well-meaning Nigerians relate well with the propositions of this self-betrayed campaigner of the opposition parties? Ainofenokhai sent this piece from Abuja.

INEC shouldn’t have de-registered parties – George CONTINUED FROM 15 it; if it doesn’t, they would shake it until it cries, because if it doesn’t cry, it is dead. When it cries, everybody would be laughing and congratulating the parents, but the day the child, may be after attaining old age, dies, everybody would be crying. If you have served your God and kept the faith, while you are smiling going up, people down here would be crying. That is the beauty of life. What am I saying? When

people come and you are in a position to help, no matter how small, offer that help. If you can give a little bit to your environment, do it. This nation trained us, otherwise how would we have become what we are? So, give people equal opportunity. All we are after in the political thing is not job for the boys, but to get the best man to manage the resources of the state for the people, so that everyone can be well off at the end of the day. What else do I want?

Am I going to contest for presidency or governorship? In about two years from now, I will be 70. All I can do now is to assume advisory role, so that at old age, one does not see rubbish. Look at the way Bola Tinubu is grabbing the legacies of Lagos and converting them to personal properties. If Mobolaji Johnson and Lateef Jakande had done what he is doing today, what would have been left for him to grab? That is food for thought.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror Flood-ravaged LG appeals on road repairs

“The first thing God did that surprised us most was that He dropped two big rivers in Nigeria; He then used gold, bauxite and so many others to beautify the country.”

Iboro indigenes appeal over obaship crisis FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

undreds of indigenes of Iboro town in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State have appealed to Governor Ibikunle Amosun to wade into the alleged attempt at imposing a new traditional ruler on people of the town. The appeal followed a peaceful protest staged by the youths of Iboro community over the weekend, when hundreds of them came to lodge the complaint in Abeokuta, the state capital. Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘Our Dear Gov: We have chosen our Oba, please give him to us’, ‘Governor Ibikunle, save us as God saves you please’ ‘Gomina wa Iya yi poju, ako seru mo’, ‘We need somebody like Olu of Ilaro the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland in Iboro as Oba’,’Iboro Community we need a change’ They argued that the selection and choice of one Abayomi Salako as the monarch for the town had been done through due process in 2007, with certificate issued out by the state government through the local government. However, they alleged that four years after, some influential people in the town have started making frantic efforts at imposing another candidate, against the people’s wish. The protesters under the aegis of Iboro Progressive Youth Forum were led by Mr Lamidi Elegbede and Mrs. Abeni Adeoye. The protesters declared that their choice is the 45 year old Abayomi Salako who they said the kingmakers had initially cleared. Speaking on behalf of the forum, Lamidi Elegbede emphasised that the people of the town preferred an enlightened monarch to an aged man; so that the town can progress. He noted that the delay in selection of Oniboro of Iboro and crowning of aged people had in the past hindered the town’s development; even as they urged the state government to support the people’s choice.

FORMER PRESIDENT OLUSEGUN OBASANJO

Woman arrested with 757.5kgs of Cannabis AUGUSTINE MADU-WEST KANO

he Kano State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) has smashed a major dealer in Cannabis Sativa, Hajiya Fatima Jimoh, 40, who was arrested with 75 bags of dry

weeds, suspected to be Indian hemp. Commander of the agency, Alhaji Garba Ahmadu, disclosed that the exhibits, weighing about 757.5 kilogrammes were impounded at two warehouses in different locations within Kano metropolis, owned by the suspect.

According to the NDLEA boss, Hajiya Fatima was apprehended at her residence in Dandishe, Dala Local Government Area of the city, alongside her husband, Folorunso, who denied knowledge of his wife’s involvement in the illegal business. Upon his arrest, Folorunso the NDLEA officials that he did

The drug suspect, Fatima Jimoh standing with bags of Cannabis Sativa (Indian Hemp) in Kano

School donates boreholes to community FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

s part of efforts to fulfilling its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a model private secondary school, Vanguards Academy has donated boreholes to its host community – Odosengolu, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. Chairman, Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area, Mr Razak Daddah and his vice, Rafiu Baruwa led some of the council senior officials to commission the boreholes. The gesture, according to the Vanguard’s Management Board Chairman, Alhaji Dawud Arogundade, was meant to ease water scarcity in the community. The essence, he said, is to fur-

ther cement the already cordial relationship existing between the school and the community as well as contribute to its development. “We have been playing certain social responsibilities expectedly, we have embarked on road repairs, provision of free health care, facilitating provision of transformer to the community, donation of gifts and the provision of pipe borne water,” he said. He stated further that the school would continue to promote good neighbourliness and bring in programme aimed at developing the community. Alhaji Arogundade called on government at all levels to support private school owners by granting them subventions, so that government can realise its vision 20:2020.

“Nigeria’s ability to realise its vision as one of the twenty largest economies in the world by 2020 is largely dependent on its capacity to produce highly skilled and competent citizens for global competitiveness. Hence government should not only supervise private schools but support them with subvention and grants in order to collectively attain the MDGs goals,” he said. The Ijebu-Ode council boss, Daddah, hailed the school for its stride in producing good students from the school. “For me the school has done very well for the community. That is why we have been clamouring that corporate organisations should endeavour to undertake their corporate social responsibilities,” he said.

not know his wife was into the illegal business; saying “I am not aware of her involvement in drug trafficking. I just came back from a journey before I was arrested by NDLEA officials.” Confessing that she has been dealing in Cannabis Sativa for a long time, Hajiya corroborated her husband’s claims, saying, “Honestly, my husband is not aware of this business. He is not into it with me. I do not bring it to the house and he was not in any way involved.” The NDLEA boss explained that the suspect operated two warehouses. “We got about 74 bags of Cannabis Sativa in one of her warehouses used for wholesale; while one more bag was found in the second warehouse, apparently used for retails.” Alhaji Garba described the December 27, 2012 arrest as the highest made by the Command in recent times, adding that, “we have been on her trail for some time now and through a tip off, we were able to track her down.” It would recalled that between October and November, 2012, about 125 suspected illicit drug users and traffickers were arrested in Kano with 836.862 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa and other psychotropic substances.

He said the gesture will help the government in its efforts to provide basic amenities to the community. The council boss urged the community to make judicious use and proper maintenance of the water provided for them by the school. “My message to the community is that they should cultivate maintenance culture, it is one thing to provide infrastructure to the people, and another to maintain it, they should take it as their own property, the boreholes should not been seen as Vanguard’s problem or property, they should properly maintain it,” Daddah said. He urged the school management to continue its good work and sustain the qualities they have set.

Community Mirror

Motorists, hail FG on EnuguPH-Onitsha expressway

otorists and commuters in Enugu State have commended the Federal Government for rehabilitating the Enugu-Port Harcourt and Enugu-Onitsha Expressways for the yuletide. Speaking, a taxi driver, Mr. Jude Achi, said the repairs on the roads did not only ease the traffic, but also saved their vehicles from frequent damage. “I am happy that government was able to repair the roads because I know how much I spend on a daily basis to repair my car each time I ply the routes,’’ he said. A civil servant, Mr. Ephraim Ogu, who travelled on Enugu-Port Harcourt route to Abia State, said he was happy to see that the road was repaired. Accord-

ing to him, lack of maintenance was responsible for the deplorable condition of the roads in the country. Mrs. Ebele Ajiri, a commuter, who also expressed appreciation on the gesture, urged the Federal Government to award road contracts in the South East to capable contractors. “When you look at Enugu-Umuahia route, you will see that the contractor that handled Enugu to Okigwe did a better job than the one that handled Okigwe-Umuahia axis,’’ she said. Reacting to the development, the Federal Controller, South East of the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr. Joe Onyejekwe, said the contractors were on ground to ensure that the roads were rehabilitated for the festive season.

Protesting youths destroy Kuru Bridge

ouths protesting against the killing of their peer by stray bullet in Kuru, near Jos, have the only bridge in the area. Capt. Salisu Mustapha, the STF media officer made this known in Jos. Mustapha said: “the youths have destroyed one part of the bridge, only one part is passable and vehicles must queue up to take their turns from opposite directions.’’ He confirmed that one youth was hit by a stray bullet but rejected the youths’ position that the bullet was fired by soldiers. The STF spokesman also confirmed that the stray bullet also injured one other youth. “The bullets were fired

indiscriminately by gunmen, who quickly ran away. The bullets were not fired at anyone in particular. We want to focus on fishing out the unknown gunmen but the protest by the youths is distracting us,” he said. Mustapha said that the youths also destroyed street lights, burnt a car, and torched the STF check point in the area. “The youths have also drilled holes on the highway and the STF men have been trying to refill them but we have arrested 10 of the protesters and STF would go after the unknown gunmen that killed the youth after restoring law and order in Kuru;” he said.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Flood-ravaged LG appeals on road repairs STORIES: FRANCIS SUBERU WITH AGENCY REPORT

esidents of Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State have appealed to the Federal Government to repair roads destroyed by the flood that recently ravaged the area. The residents made the appeal in an interview with journalists at Ibaji. Community Mirror gathered that the flood cut off, the only major road that link Ibaji Local Government Headquarters to Idah town. Ibaji council area – a border community between Kogi and Anambra States, comprises 34 villages. Vehicles have to veer off the tarred road and go through bush paths in Ugwoda and

Ejule-Ojebe villages -- about 12km from the headquarters in Onyedega. Community Mirror found that the untarred road which connects the 34 villages has numerous potholes, gullies and craters, making motorcycles the preference for transportation in the council area. The motorcycles have created bush paths especially at Unale and Onyedega villages in a bid to avoid the road. Few vehicles which attempted to ply the damaged road either got stuck inside ditches or on undulating landscape. Mr. Gabriel Inebeli, a nurse at Unale, journalists that: “Ibaji roads have been terrible for long, but the flooding destroyed the only tarred

road leading to our local government headquarters. The flood destroyed several roads and cut off about 12 communities. “In the past, we experienced flooding between August and October, but none has ever been as bad and devastating as this last one. We use to hear that there were ecological intervention funds but our community has never enjoyed them. “We are appealing to the Federal Government to come to our rescue and assign the right people to administer the funds to ensure they are not diverted, “ he said. Mr. Isaac Okenyin, who also narrated the flooding experience, said that nobody could iden-

tify roads because they were covered by waters. Pastor Peter AjumayaAkebe of the Grace of God Mission in Enweli Village, also regretted the effects of the flooding on the roads saying; “after the flooding, the roads became so bad that every time we travel, we take drugs because of the aches and pains we experience. “I am appealing to both the federal and the Kogi State governments to come to our aid because we are cut off from social and commercial activities due to the damaged roads. We also urged the Federal Government to construct a highway that would connect Ibaji with Anam and Nzam towns in Anambra State.”

Makurdi residents seek God’s intervention

akurdi residents have resolved to pray for God’s intervention concerning the security challenges facing the country instead of relying on leaders in 2013. Journalists who went round the Benue State capital reports that the people were optimistic that their security comes from God and He would save the country from all insecurity and other problems next year. “Our security is in the hands of the Lord, we would go to him, cry to him, petition him, and appeal for the forgiveness of the sins of Nigeria, we know our God, He would never let us down.

“We would serve God wholeheartedly from today (January 1, 2013) so that he would intervene in our security challenges in the country. We would pray so that God will change the minds of our leaders and they would fulfill their promises;” they said. A cross section of the residents insisted that 2012 was a year of change for every Nigerian. Mr. Macikpah Ata, of AT-JAY collection Makurdi, told Community Mirror that

God would take all the glory for all his wonderful works in 2012. “I thank God for all He had done for me and the country, but in 2013, I have resolved to pray fervently for the unity, peace and security of our dear country. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and it is our duty to protect, pray for her success. The security of the country depends on all of us”. She said. Mr. Terhide Anede, said he had resolved to be more committed to God’s

work in 2013 due to his wonderful works in his life and that of the state in 2012. “God has been so fair to me throughout this year not minding my sins; in 2013 I would serve God with everything I have. I will give him my life; time; and most importantly pray for the peace of my country”. A journalist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that she had decided to serve God in truth and in spirit in 2013.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

World News

“It’s tough to remember that goodness prevails when bad news — deaths, violence and injustice — makes more noise than good.” -Pope Benedict XVI

Clinton hospitalised after doctor discover blood clot

Ghana bans second-hand fridges

ban on the import of second-hand refrigerators is coming into force in Ghana to reduce energy consumption and harm to the environment. Many old fridges contain chemicals called Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which damage the Earth’s ozone layer. Although these are already banned or being phased out, they are thought to be commonly

Grace Morris, 3, Ashton Coles, 8, and Freya Coles, 3, at Glenelg celebrating the New Year in Australia.

Photo: Adelaidenow

CAR rebels ignore power sharing negotiation

R Tourists posing as they carry umbrellas with numbers to welcome the New Year 2013 in Agra, India. Photo: AP

An Indian barber gives finishing touches to the hair style of a young boy with numbers to welcome the New Year 2013 in Ahmadabad, India Photo: AP

World celebrates New Year in grand style PAUL ARHEWE

WITH AGENCY REPORTS

ew Zealand’s main city of Auckland became one of the first to see in the New Year with onlookers gathering at the harbour to enjoy the fireworks display, kicking off celebrations around the world. As the clock struck midnight 11:00 GMT (12 pm Nigerian time, yesterday), fireworks were set off over the city’s 328-metre Sky Tower near the harbour, to the sound of boat horns. In Sydney, eager revellers camped Sunday night on the shores of the harbour to get the best vantage points as 1.5 million gathered to watch the fireworks show centred on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sydney’s skyline erupted with fireworks as revellers cheered. The crowds were undiminished

by Australian government warnings that the Washington deadlock on the U.S. debt crisis was partly to blame for a slowing Australian economy. Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue hosted the event. New Yorker Mathieu Herman said he had flown to Australia specifically for the New Year celebrations on the harbour. “I saw it last year on TV and it looked fabulous. I said to myself it’s something I’ve just got to do,” Herman said. The South Pacific nation is one of the first to greet each New Year because of its proximity to the International Date Line. In Asia, also among the first countries to see 2013, increasingly democratic Burma, also known as Myanmar, is having a public countdown for the first time. Jakarta plans a huge street party befitting Indonesia’s powering economy.

In Hong Kong, this year’s $1.6-million US fireworks display is billed by organizers as the biggest ever in the southern Chinese city. Police expected as many as 100,000 people to watch, local news reports said. The buoyant economies of the Asia-Pacific are prepared to party with renewed optimism despite the so-called fiscal cliff threatening to reverberate globally from the United States and the tattered economies of Europe. Celebrations were planned around the world, with hundreds of thousands expected to fill Times Square in New York City to watch the drop of a Waterford crystalstudded ball, and the annual outdoor festivities in Canada featuring celebrity musical acts at popular partying locations such as Toronto’s downtown Nathan Phillips Square outside city hall, and Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls, Ont.

used in Africa. The head of Ghana’s energy commission told the BBC the ban made Ghana “a pioneer in West Africa”. The ban was first introduced in 2008 but was extended to give dealers time to adjust. However, some Ghanaian traders have criticised the ban, saying thousands of jobs will be lost. Energy commission head Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkora says the second-hand refrigerators are harming the country as they were not built for use in Africa and so consume too much electricity.

ebels in the Central African Republic yesterday rejected appeals for them to halt their advances and to negotiate to form a coalition government. The rebels had been urged Sunday by the visiting leader of the African Union and by President Francois Bozize to stop seizing cities and preparing to attack the capital, Bangui. The Seleka rebels have taken 10 cities in Central African Republic’s north in the past three weeks and have moved within striking distance of the capital, Bangui, a city of 600,000. AU president Thomas Boni Yayi, who is the president of Benin, called on the rebels to enter into negotiations with the aim of forming a government of national unity. Bozize also appealed to the Seleka rebels to halt their ad-

vances and said he would agree to bring them into the government. But the rebels on Monday said they did not trust Bozize’s offer. “We are not convinced of the commitments made by President Bozize,” said rebel spokesman Juma Narkoyo when reached by telephone. “Bozize has always spoken, but he never keeps his word.” The rebels — who call themselves Seleka which means alliance in the local Sango language — said they would enter negotiations “only if the head of state releases all our relatives they have arrested without reason.” The rebels claim that Bozize has abducted more than a dozen of their family members. They warned if Bozize uses foreign troops to protect his government, they may continue their campaign toward the capital.

L-R: President of CAR, Francois Bozize walking the AU Chairman and President of Benin Thomas Yayi Boni at the Photo: Reuters airport in Bangui, on Sunday.

World News

Briefs

Al-Qaida in Yemen offers bounty for US ambassador Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen has offered to pay tens of thousands of dollars to anyone who kills the U.S. ambassador in Sanaa or an American soldier in the country. An audio produced by the group’s media arm, the al-Malahem Foundation, and posted on militant websites Saturday said it offered three kilograms of gold worth $160,000 for killing the ambassador, Gerald Feierstein. The group said it will pay 5 million Yemeni riyals ($23,000) to anyone who kills an American soldier inside Yemen. It said the offer is valid for six months. The bounties were set to “inspire and encourage our Muslim nation for jihad,” the statement said. The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa did not respond to an Associated Press phone call asking for comment. Washington considers al-Qaida in Yemen to be the group’s most dangerous branch.

Egypt arrests former Israeli soldier in Sinai Egyptian security officials say they have arrested a former sergeant in the Israeli army after he illegally entered from Israel into the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula. The authorities say the 24 yearold unarmed Israeli entered Egypt near the Taba crossing. He was detained by Egyptian authorities Monday. The officials say he was trying to reach the Gaza Strip through Sinai to fight alongside Palestinians. They identified him as Andre Yaacoub. Also known as Andre Pshenichnikov, a Jewish immigrant to Israel from Tajikistan, he made headlines earlier this year when he announced he wanted to renounce his Israeli citizenship and move to a Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank.

Ex-Greek Minister faces nepotism probe Greece’s coalition government has backed the investigation and potential trial of former Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou. MPs from all three coalition parties - including Mr Papaconstantinou’s Pasok - signed a proposal calling for his investigation for allegedly tampering with a public document. He is accused of deleting his relatives from a list of possible tax evaders. He denies doing so, saying the case against him was fabricated. The proposal has been signed by 71 MPs from the three-party coalition, the AP news agency reports. It was due to be submitted to parliament on Monday. It calls for Mr Papaconstantinou to be investigated for tampering with a public document and breach of duty. Based on the outcome of the investigation, he could be tried by a special court.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Clinton hospitalised after doctor discover blood clot

India gang rape: New Year celebrations scaled back

ecretary of State Hillary Clinton was admitted to a New York City hospital after doctors discovered that a blood clot had formed, the State Department said in a statement. Philippe Reines, a deputy assistant secretary, said in the statement that the clot stems from a concussion Clinton sustained several weeks ago. Reines said that Clinton, 65, is being treated with anticoagulants at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. She will be monitored there for the next 48 hours, he said. “Her doctors will continue to assess her condition, including other issues associated with her concussion,” he said. “They will determine if any further action is required.” Dr. Roshini Raj, a physician at New York University Medical Center and a contributor to the TODAY show, says it’s not at all clear where Clinton’s blood clot is – which is important for understanding how serious her medical condition is. “It’s a little murky,” Raj told TODAY. It is uncommon for a concussion alone to cause a blood clot. More likely is a blood clot elsewhere from lying in bed to recover from a concussion, Raj said. Clinton suffered the concussion from fainting earlier in December. She had been sick for several days with the flu and had cancelled a trip to Morocco where she was to officially recognize the Syrian rebels. Brain injury doctors told NBC News said that although details haven’t been made public, initial reports indicate that Clinton may have developed a blood clot in her lower limbs as a result of prolonged rest and inactivity after her recent concussion. A deep vein thrombosis, known as a DVT, or a dural venous sinus

resident Barack Obama told Americans yesterday that ‘it appears that an agreement to prevent this New Year’s tax hike is in sight, but it is not done.” He said the fallback deal being negotiated in Congress ahead of a January 1 deadline would start to solve America’s budget and deficit problems in several steps rather than in a big, comprehensive deal that he had hoped for. His remarks gave hope that Vice-president Joe Biden and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell were making progress on an agreement that would undo or postpone most of the $500-billion (U.S.) in tax increases and spending cuts that were set to kick in at midnight. The terms of a potential deal began emerging on Monday morning that would see income taxes go up only on households earning more than $450,000 a year. Mr.

Clinton

thrombosis, could be two types of blood clots treated with anticoagulants, said Dr. Alex Valadka, a spokesman for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. A blood clot could be dangerous if it breaks free and lodges in a vital organ, such as the heart. A deep vein thrombosis could be serious, but not necessarily lifethreatening, and would require months of treatment with bloodthinning drugs, said Dr. Inam Kureshi, chief of neurosurgery at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn. “Usually hospitalization is more of a precaution,” Kureshi said. It is possible that Clinton developed a blood clot elsewhere, including her brain. Doctors interviewed would not speculate about treatment or prognosis for the secretary of state.

Days after she fainted, State Department officials said she was at home recovering. Officials also issued a statement from Dr. Lisa Bardack of Mount Kisco Medical Group and Dr. Gigi El-Bayoumi of George Washington University that provided more information about the secretary’s condition: “Secretary Clinton developed a stomach virus, leading to extreme dehydration, and subsequently fainted. Over the course of this week we evaluated her and ultimately determined she had also sustained a concussion. We recommended that the Secretary continue to rest and avoid any strenuous activity, and strongly advised her to cancel all work events for the coming week. We will continue to monitor her progress as she makes a full recovery.”

ndia has scaled back New Year celebrations, as it mourned the death of a woman whose gang rape on a bus a fortnight ago sparked public outrage. The army has cancelled all official celebrations as have the states of Punjab and Haryana. The president of the governing Congress party, Sonia Gandhi, also said she would not be celebrating. Meanwhile, protests continued on Monday in the capital, Delhi, where the 23-year-old medical student was assaulted. The victim died on Saturday morning in a Singapore hospital where she was being treated for severe injuries. She was cremated in Delhi on Sunday. The attack sparked huge protests expressing anger over attitudes to women in India and calling for changes to the laws on violence against women. As vigils continue to be held, hotels, clubs and business houses and celebrities announced they would be cancelling or toning down planned events for New Year’s Eve. There has been an unprecedented outpouring of anger and grief in India and on the eve of the New Year, many say they have decided not to celebrate. Many private clubs, hotels and citizens have decided to cancel or tone down their planned festivities.

Fiscal cliff deal in sight , says Obama

Obama

Obama had sought higher taxes for families making more than $250,000, while extending Bush-era tax cuts for everyone else. A major sticking point remained, however. Republicans want to postpone about $110-billion in spending cuts set to take effect on Jan. 2 for only three months. Democrats want the cuts put off for a full year, giving Congress more time to seek an alternative

and to ensure that those spending cuts are left out of upcoming talks to raise the debt ceiling. Even if an agreement if reached, it would be characterized as a “mini-deal” that leaves most of the tough fiscal issues facing the country to be settled later. And there is no guarantee that a deal could pass both houses of Congress before the deadline. Indeed, liberal Democrats were

unhappy with the $450,000 threshold for income tax increases floated on Monday. And they balked at the GOP request to postpone the spending cuts for only three months. “As I have said, no deal is better than a bad deal, and this is a very bad deal, the way things are shaping up,” Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin said on the Senate floor on Monday morning. The failure to reach a deal to roll back scheduled tax increases on the middle class and more than $100-billion in shortterm spending cuts would likely push the U.S. economy into recession in 2013. Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney has also warned it would create an “immediate risk” for this country’s economy.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

South West

Tuesday January 1, 2013

Fayemi signs N97.6bn 2013 Appropriation Bill Ex-govs, deputies now to get pension

kiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday signed the 2013 Appropriation Bill of N 97.6 billion and nine other bills into law. The nine bills include law to provide for the grant of pension to former governors and their deputies and other auxiliary matters, Ekiti State Peace Corps law 2012, Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places law 2012,

Ekiti State Lotteries law 2012 and House of Assembly Commission Loans Board 2012. Others are Ekiti State Board of Internal Revenue law 2013, Ekiti State Advisory on Prerogative of Mercy Law, Local Government Service Commission (amendment) law, and Local Government Administration (amendment) law. Appending his signa-

ture to the bills, Fayemi said the focus of the 2013 budget was to consolidate on all ongoing projects across the state through people empowerment. The governor said this informed the proposal to create the Ministry of Rural Development and Empowerment to ensure that all of government’s projects were effectively delivered to the grassroots. While noting that this

was the first time the state budget would be passed before the New Year, Fayemi said the 2013 appropriation was tailored in line with the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, which covers all sectors of the state economy. He, however, assured that the budget would be “carefully and faithfully implemented”. On the other laws, Fayemi said the establishment of Peace Corps was to consolidate the existing rela-

tive peace in the state because the corps members, according to him, know the local terrain more than other security agents. The governor promised that the corps members would collaborate with other security agencies in the state to ensure peace. He said that the Board of Internal Revenue law was to reduce dependence on federal allocation and achieve the vision of his administration on revenue generation.

Lagos shuts 67 firms for withholding N450m workers’ tax

he Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, said it had shut 67 companies which failed to remit workers’ personal income taxes in 2012. The Head, Distrain Unit of LIRS, Mrs. Folasade, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos yesterday. Coker-Afolayan said the total amount the companies failed to remit amounted to N450 million in the last six years. She described tax enforcement by the Lagos State Government as very successful; stressing that tax payment was a civic responsibility of all. Coker-Afolayan urged companies to remit their workers’ personal income taxes promptly in 2013 to avoid being shut. She said: “Prompt payment of taxes will enable the government provide the necessary infrastructure and improve the peoples’ standard of living.” Coker-Afolayan also advised tax payers to cooperate with the tax officers, stressing that it was an offence to assault tax officials.

Fashola

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (right) and Executive Secretary, Ayedaade Local Government, Hon. Gbenga Ogunkanmi, during the flag-off of construction of 218.12km council road projects across the state, starting from Ile-Ogbo in Osun State, yesterday.

SARS arraigns eight suspected cult members KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

ight suspected cult members arrested by men of the Oyo State Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, at Ajibode area of Ibadan, the state capital, were yesterday arraigned before a Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting at Iyaganku, Ibadan. The suspects; Asalu Babatunde, 22, Isiaka Stanley, 27, Florin Arenrey, 18, Kadiri Marvin, 21, Sunday Godwin, 21, Yakubu Luk-

man, 24, Salami Ibrahim, 28, and Kayode Olakunle, 23, were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and membership of a secret cult. According to the charge sheet with suit number: MI/2113C/2012, the accused on December 21, 2012 at Ajibode area of Ibadan, did conspire together to wit; members of unlawful society and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of Criminal Code Cap 38

Vol. 11 Laws of Oyo State, Nigeria 2000. It added that the accused on the same date, time and venue were found to be members of Black Axe confraternity, a secret society, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 64(a) of Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. 11 Laws of Oyo State, Nigeria 2000. But all the suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges while their counsel asked the court to admit them to bail.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Adewale Amos, who did not oppose the bail application, however, told the court to be careful in granting them bail because the suspects did not reside in Ibadan, but were from Lagos, Oyo and Ogbomoso. The Chief Magistrate, F. A. Badrudeen, however, granted each of them bail in the sum of N100,000 and two sureties, one which must be a biological parent of the accused and the other owner of a landed property within Ibadan.

Two men bag 10 years for destroying postal parcel KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN

wo former employees of the Centre for African Settlement Studies and Development, CASSAD, Messrs Niyi Abidoye and Nicholas Dosunmu, have been sentenced to five years imprisonment each for destroying a posted parcel belonging to one Mr. Michael Ebofin. A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Iyaganku, Ibadan,

presided over by Alhaja F. A. Badrudeen, yesterday found the accused guilty of conspiracy and illegal concealing of postal matter, which were two out of the three charges brought against them. The chief magistrate, however, gave them a fine option of N50,000 each, maintaining that though the people were first offenders, they were educated and old enough to know the consequence of their action.

The accused had in January 2007 intercepted and destroyed an admission package and scholarship offer sent to Ebofin, also a former employee of CASSAD, by the Coady International Institute, Canada. The accused were, however, arrested by the police following a petition by Ebofin, who after getting an email message from the institute on January 25, 2007 that he had been con-

sidered for the programme slated for July 2007, was disappointed to hear that his former colleagues at work had destroyed the package out of envy. After five years, the court pronounced the accused guilty and sentenced each one of them to two years in prison for conspiracy and three years for unlawful secreting of postal matter, while the jail term will run concurrently.

Aregbesola launches 218.12km council road projects

overnor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State yesterday flagged off 218.12-kilometre road projects in line with his administration’s desire to provide infrastructure. The roads are to be constructed across 30 local government areas and one area council. Tagged 10km roads per local government, the project, with total cost of N16.21 billion, is entirely a local government financed project but coordinated and implemented in conjunction with the state government. According to the governor, part of the money for the project came from funds accruable from the Excess Crude Oil Fund, ECOFUND. Out of this amount, the government provided N6 billion while it got permission from the House of Assembly to borrow the balance, which would be repaid within five years to make the repayment easy for the councils. Aregbesola said there would be no excuse for any contractor not to perform and deliver on schedule because all of them would be adequately mobilised from first week of January 2013. The roads, which are billed to be completed between March and September 2013, according to the governor, have been awarded to the best and competent contractors through due process. He said: “What we are doing today is to tell the people through the flagoff that the road project is entirely the brainchild of the local government councils. “The state government only partnered with them in the area of coordinating implementation and execution of the projects. “What our administration is demonstrating with this road project is to tell the people that not all politicians are wasteful with regards to resource management.” Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Local Government, Hon. Kolapo Alimi, said the success of the road projects hinged on the governor’s innovation and financial ingenuity.

News

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Suspected abductors of Nollywood actress•Asarrested police parade 20 suspects

CHRIS NJOKU OWERRI

mo State Police Commissioner, Adisa Bolanta, yesterday in Owerri, described the state a graveyard for kidnappers and criminals as the command paraded 20 suspects including those who kidnapped Nollywood actress, Nkiruka Slyvanus. Also paraded are four suspects who kidnapped the four-year old daughter of the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Imo State chapter, Mr. Blyden Amajirionwu, right inside the house at Uratta Housing Estate in Owerri North Local Gov-

ernment Area while he travelled to his village, Ngor Okpalla. While parading the suspects, the state commissioner of police said three police teams carried out a serious manhunt on Nkiruka Slyvanus’ kidnappers and eventually arrested the four suspects, Okoro Basil, Stella Opara, Festus Olegeme and Chijioke Chima, at their hideout at Imerienwe in Ngor Okpalla Local Government Area. He said the suspects, in their separate statements, confessed to be collaborators of the kid-

nappers, adding that they also implicated one Chinedu Okoro, alias Mopol, Ifeanyi Onyekwe, alias Alaye, Ezekwem Onyekwe and Ifeanyi (surname withheld) as the main kidnappers that abducted the Nollywood actress. “Since the kidnappers have been identified by the police, there has been repeated visitation to their houses and hideout in a bid to arrest them.” The police boss also disclosed that based on the information provided to the police by Mr. Amajirionwu, two suspects, one Tochukwu Ekeh, a

Kaduna NMA protests killing of members

cripple and Ngozi Ihemba, were arrested while one suspect escaped with bullet wounds during exchange of gunfire. Also, the police command said it rescued a 78-year-old kidnap victim and arrested three suspects in connection with the kidnap. The victim, Mrs. Christiana Okere, was kidnapped from her home in Ngor Okpala on December 18, 2012 and taken to Iguruwuta in Rivers State where she was held till December 28, when she was rescued by the anti-kidnapping unit of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). According to the com-

missioner, the suspects were arrested after a member of their gang disclosed the location of their hideout in Rivers State to the police. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N20 million from the son of their victim before she would be released. He warned that criminal elements in the state should desist from their nefarious activities or quit the state as the police would hunt them down. “This state is now a graveyard for kidnappers and other criminal elements.” The commissioner also warned against the use of sirens by unauthorised people, saying all such vehicles would be impounded.

he Kaduna State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday cut down its working hours to protest the continued killing of its members by gunmen. State NMA Chairman, Dr Aliyu Bappah, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that three medical doctors had been killed by gunmen in the last seven months in the state. Bappah said the association had directed its 1, 500 members yesterday to cut down their services by 30 minutes, between 12 noon and 12:30 pm every day, for one week. He said during the protest, the members would observe one minute silence daily for the repose of the souls of the deceased, while 29 minutes would be used to discuss matters relating to their safety. According to him, the recent killing in Zaria of Prof. Hycinth Mbibu, an urologist at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, was unacceptable to the association. He recalled that Dr Chris Ugwu of Saidu Dange Hospital Zaria and Dr Andrew Abutu, were also shot dead under similar circumstances in Zaria some times in the past.

Some members of the National Union of Postal and Telecommunications Retirees protesting the non-payment of their 43 months pension arrears at the gate of NIPOST office in Awka, Anambra State, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Stop deregistering political parties, CNPP tells INEC WOLE ADEDEJI ILORIN

he Congress of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) Kwara State branch has called on with the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to discontinue its ongoing de-registration of political parties. The group said this would allow the country’s democratic experience grow and be entrenched through the maintenance of a multi-party system. In a statement by the congress Chairman, Hon. Lekan Alabi and Secretary,

Hon. Adebayo Lawal the congress requested INEC to ensure that no party is deregistered for not winning elections at any level. “The on-going mass deregistration of political parties by INEC is not a good omen for the country’s nascent democracy,” pointing out that “the action amounts to a wholesale infringement of the citizens’ rights to association.” The CNPP added that; “It also amounts to a rape on widely accepted democratic norms the world over.” The statement said some political parties were de-

registered for not wining any seat in the past elections, whereas those that should be deregistered for election that were nullified by tribunals or the courts on the basis of electoral malpractices were spared, it said. The congress said it would have been acceptable to all political parties if the de-registration exercise came against all the parties for flouting the laid down rules of the electoral body. This, however, would be as it affects the absence of party offices or contact points in the federal capital territory, failure to render annual financial reports

and non-participation in the elections and other INEC activities, they added. The statement noted that other de-registration criteria must include proven cases of election rigging and other electoral malpractices carried out on behalf of any party by identifiable party members and supporters in favour of the party concern. With all these, CNPP still commended INEC and its Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for the efforts put in to make democracy thrive in the country particularly, the body’s efforts in sanitising the commission.

Police deny release of Gombe lawmaker D ANJUMA WILLIAMS GOMBE

ombe State Police Command has denied a media report (not from National Mirror) and rumours making the round that the kidnapped member of the Gombe State House of Assembly, Ahmed Jalo Ganga, has been released and has rejoined his family. According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Atajiri Fwaje, the report was embarrassing and is condemned in its entirety. The PPRO also debunked the claims that the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Suleiman, announced the reunion of the family members as reported by an international broadcast media. His words: “The Gombe State Police Command wishes to state unequivocally that the message is false, callous, mischievous and made to undermine police investigation, thereby misleading the public.” He therefore called on members of the kidnapped legislator’s family and the general public to remain calm as well as disregard the rumour as the imagination of a mischief maker. The PPRO said the police are on top of the matter and are doing their best to locate the whereabouts of the lawmaker and get him freed. He also confirmed that there has been no communication with the abductors of the state House of Assembly member but that investigation was on and would make the result public soon. Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, Hon. Ahmed Jalo Ganga, was kidnapped at about 5.00 am in front of his house in Gombe metropolis while returning from morning prayers last Sunday.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Tuesday January 1, 2013

More govs, senators, VIPs will die in 2013 –Prophet SEBASTINE EBHUOMHAN BENIN

he year 2013, which begins today, is a year of judgment that will witness the death of many very important Nigerians. The General Overseer of the Divine Evangelical Prayer Ministry International Incorporated, Apostle Femi Samson Enweliku, made the prophetic revelation in Benin, Edo State yesterday. His predictions came at a time Nigerians are still mourning the death of a governor, lawmakers, and some other important personalities. Enweliku, who is also the president of the National Association of Prophetic Ministers, advised citizens to prepare for the death of more members of the ruling class in 2013, if they continued to wallow in sin. In an interview with our correspondent in his church after his “State of the Nation” predictions,

the apostle appealed to government at all levels, groups and individuals to declare a fervent three-day fasting and praying session in January and another seven-day fasting and praying session in June to avoid the disasters which might befall the country. Enweliku, whose many past predictions have come to pass, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately tackle corruption otherwise it would truncate his government sooner than expected. The apostle specifically warned Jonathan against seeking re-election in 2015 which, he said, would result in bloodshed and a possible disintegration of the country even before the election year. Enweliku asked the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to begin the search for Jonathan’s successor in 2015. He said: “The Lord told me that the year 2013 is going to be a year of fulfilment in the life of every believer who trusts in the Lord.

“The Lord told me, at the same time, to declare that 2013 is going to be a year of judgment for those who refuse to repent and continue to live in sin. “It is going to be a year when establishments, institutions, marriages, businesses that are built on the platform of deceits are going to collapse. I call on President Goodluck Jonathan to stand still and be a man of faith. Jonathan has a good plan for the citizens but the problem is going to be corruption. “In 2013, Nigeria is go-

ing to experience corruption of the highest order. Budget 2013 should put smile on the faces of Nigerians but those in the cabinet of Jonathan are going to disappoint him owing to corruption. If Jonathan must bring succour to Nigerians, corruption must be tackled.” Enweliku also said that the government must act fast to avert calamities and disasters that would befall the country in the year which would be worse than the flood disaster that ravaged the country in 2012.

He said: “I see prominent Nigerians, governors, senators and others dying from strange illness, untimely deaths, etc. “There will be more plane crashes. The year 2013 is going to be a year of judgement. So, I advise President Jonathan not to attempt to come back in 2015. He should not try it. I can’t see anything good in his coming. There is going to be bloodshed in 2015 if Jonathan comes back on board. “I see people dying in bloodshed in a bid to prevent him. In the interest

of Nigerian, Jonathan should not come back because heads will roll. Northerners have their agenda. I hope Jonathan would prepare to go. I pray God to guide him. PDP should prepare to hand over to another person because I see people running helter-skelter. I do not see Jonathan ruling even if he forces himself in power. “In 2013, I see anger, famine, plane crashes, fire outbreaks and natural disasters. The only people that will survive the year are those who have covenant with God.”

Ogun Assembly passes N211bn 2013 budget FEMI OYEWESO ABEOKUTA

gun State House of Assembly yesterday passed the 213 budget proposal of N211.86 billion earlier presented to it by Governor Ibikunle Amosun. The House, which has 21 lawmakers in attendance and presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, said the budget was passed after considering it “clause by clause and section by section”. The proposal tagged: “Budget for Sustainable Growth,” was presented

before the seventh Assembly on Tuesday, November 20, 2012 for the lawmakers’ consideration and passage. The budget comprised N118.23 billion capital expenditure, representing 56 per cent, and N93.64 billion recurrent expenditure, representing 44 per cent of the total budget outlay, with a slight increase of 5.6 per cent compared to the 2012 budget. Reading the budget proposal on the floor of the House yesterday, Adekunbi said the budget had been passed and sent to the governor for his assent.

Scene of a multiple crash on Lagos - Benin Expressway, yesterday.

Sambo seeks support for Yero, as Obasanjo visits Kaduna A ZA MSUE KADUNA

ice-President Namadi Sambo yesterday urged emirs and traditional rulers in Kaduna State to support Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero. The call coincided with the visit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s condolence visit to the state over the death

of Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa. At a meeting with the emirs and traditional rulers under the chairmanship of the Emir of Zazzau, Dr. Shehu Idris, the vice-president urged them to give Yero the same support they gave him while he was the governor, which they also extended to the late Yakowa. He said: “We are here

Speaker tasks Bayelsa residents on N2bn micro-credit scheme The speaker gave the in finding collective soluHe added that the AsEMMA GBEMUDU YENAGOA

ayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Konbowei Benson, yesterday asked businessmen and women in the state to take advantage of the N2 billion micro-credit scheme of the state government. Benson said obtaining loan from the micro-credit scheme would boost their various businesses and improve their well being.

charge while delivering a lecture entitled: “Representation and Democracy,” at Ogbia town at a conference organised by the Ogbia Legislative Assessment Foundation. Benson, who spoke through his media aide, Piriye Kiyaramo, argued that the challenge for parliaments and politicians the world over was to respond strategically to public expectations in a way that would reinforce their role

tions to citizens’ problems. He said: “Constituency service which has become central to parliamentary representation is part of the job of parliamentarians. It appears to be growing in volume, content and complexity by the day, in way that no serious minded parliamentarian could shy away from it.” The speaker said the Assembly had passed 22 bills and several resolutions, under his leadership in the last nine months.

sembly had made public its activities to enable the citizens make inputs in the legislative process. This, according to him, is to give the electorate an opportunity to add their voice to governance. Benson said it was imperative for representatives at all levels to develop strategic responses to the growing needs of their constituents by evolving meaningful and effective service delivery approach.

on the sad event of the late Governor, Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa and we pray that God give him eternal rest. “I called this meeting to solicit your support for the new Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero and and his deputy, Ambassador Nuhu Audu Bajoga. “They need your maximum support and cooperation as traditional institution to ensure peace and development of Kaduna State. I know you can do it and I am sure you will do it. Sambo, however, prayed that God will continue to make Kaduna State and Nigeria peaceful and secure. Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, Idris noted that Yero needed more support from them, adding that they were ready to assist him. He said the governor should not hesitate to call on them for whatever

form of support. However, Obasanjo who equally used the meeting to condole with the state government over Yakowa’s death, described the late governor as a bridge builder who strived to ensure development of Kaduna State and its people. He urged Yero to carry on with the giant programmes of his predecessor. Idris, who responded on behalf of the state, expressed appreciation to the former President for finding time to pay condolence visit to the government and people of Kaduna State.

Sambo

North

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Protest as gunmen kill two in Plateau JAMES ABRAHAM JOS

he killing of two people by gunmen in Kuru, near Jos, the Plateau State capital, sparked a violent protest by youths yesterday. The gunmen, eye witnesses said, came in a white Hilux van on Sunday night and shot the two people in front of their houses before driving away. While one of the victim

identified as Victor Davou died on the spot, his friend, who was rushed to the Plateau Specialist Hospital, died some minutes after. Angered by the incident, the youths, who accused security operatives of complicity in the killing yesterday, took to the streets in protest. The over one thousand angry youths blocked the popular Kuru-Kaduna-Abuja Road. The only bridge linking Kuru community to other

parts of Jos South Local Government Area was also torched by the protesters. It took the quick intervention of the Special Task Force (STF) and policemen to restore normalcy to the area. Chairman of Jos South Local Government Area, Hon.Peter Vwang Dung and Special Adviser to Governor Jonah Jang on Media and Publicity, Hon. Ayuba Pam, confirmed the incident to National Mirror

yesterday in Jos. They also condemned the killing. Meanwhile, the Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Olakpe, has appealed to residents to ensure that peace reigns during the New Year celebration. At a stakeholders meeting with elders, religious and traditional leaders held at the Police Officers Mess in Jos, the police boss called on the residents, particularly youths to shun violence.

Security agents at the scene of a protest by youths of a Trade Centre at Kuru in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State over the death of their kinsmen allegedly killed by gunmen, yesterday.

Hearing impairment won’t hamper Al-Makura’s performance –PRP IGBAWASE UKUMBA LAFIA

he Nasarawa State chapter of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has dismissed alleged report by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura is not physically fit to carry out official assignments. PRP governorship candidate in the 2011 general elections, Abdullahi Yusuf, said that Governor Al-Makura “is neither deaf nor dumb, contrary to a recent report by the Nasarawa State PDP chairman, Chief Yunana

Iliya, that the governor is physically disabled hence should resign his office or face impeachment.” Yusuf said in a press statement issued to journalists yesterday in Lafia, the state capital, that anybody who has cause to associate with the governor could testify that he is neither deaf nor dumb. He said: “Granted that Governor Al-Makura has hearing impairment is not sufficient enough to warrant a declaration of incapacitation on him. Even advanced countries accommodate hearing or sight impairment in political office holders.

We, however, viewed the statement credited to Chief Yunana Iliya, the chairman of Nasarawa PDP, in which he called for Al-Makura’s resignation or be impeached by the state House of Assembly on account of hearing impairment as not only unfortunate but out of tune with the democratic norms. “Hearing impairment is not among the incapacitation that Section 189 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is talking about and above, Governor AlMakura cannot be declared incapable to carry out his official functions on account of

hearing impairment.” Similarly, the Joint Chairman of Persons With Disability in Nasarawa State, Andrew Awu, flayed the call on Al-Makura to resign. He said: “We react to the statement by the PDP chieftain as it affects us, the physically challenged. It appears the PDP chairman hates people who are physically challenged. “I will like to draw his attention to Section 42 of the Nigeria constitution which guarantees freedom against the discrimination to all citizens, including persons with disabilities.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Bauchi teachers reject planned screening EZEKIEL TITUS BAUCHI

eachers in Bauchi State have protested planned by the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) to embark on a screening exercise to wield out unqualified ones among them. The teachers, under the aegis of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), described the decision as attempt by the state government to victimise them. SUBEB, under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Abdullahi Dabo, had resolved to undertake the screening exercise for all the 18,000 teachers to determine their eligibility or otherwise. SUBEB had, last week, resolved that it would not bow to pressure to shun the exercise, adding that the decision was taken to boost education in the state. When SUBEB took the decision to screen the teachers last week, NUT kicked against the exercise, alleging that it was a deliberate move to maltreat its members and also sack some of them. NUT, therefore, directed the teachers not to honour the screening. According to the Bauchi Local Government Chairman of the union, Mr. Suleiman Idris Noma, the unqualified teachers the SUBEB referred to were holders of NCE Distance Learning Studies (DLS) and

Yuguda

State Teachers Up-grading Programme (STUP). Noma said the DLS and STUP were introduced by the Federal Government and recognised by the 36 states of the federation. He said that the two programmes were run by the National Teachers Institute (NTI) established by a national law, saying there is no justification whatsoever for a state programme or edict to supersede national commandment or law. The peaceful protesting teachers in Bauchi local Government Area visited the palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu, who assured them of taking up the matter to the appropriate authorities. “You are the custodians of our children, I assure that I will take up the matter with appropriate authorities for amicable settlement of the dispute”, the emir told the demonstrating teachers. Some of the teachers’ placards read: “Dabo must go for peace to reign in the education sub-sector” and “We want education administrator not immigration officer.”

Wealthy Nigerians urged to assist the poor JAMES DANJUMA KATSINA

ormer President of Court of Appeal, Justice Umar Abdullahi (rtd), has called on wealthy Nigerians to assist the poor. Justice Abdullahi specifically asked them to initiate programmes and projects to assist the poor, especially those living in the rural areas.

Justice Abdullahi spoke yesterday at Bazangamawa village in Katsina State where he donated items worth over N1 million to 100 skills trainees under his Walin Hausa Foundation. He said projects aimed at assisting the poor should not only be located in the urban areas, but in rural areas also where most people lack basic necessities of life.

Group tasks Southern Kaduna elders on polling units’ delineation A ZA MSUE KADUNA

group under the auspices of Concerned Southern Kaduna Professionals yesterday called on its elders to prepare for the forth-

coming constituencies and polling units delineation. In a statement entitled: “Southern Kaduna needs elders of integrity and courage” the group said the exercise would correct the Southern Kaduna

political barrier as well as economic marginalization aim at enslaving the peoples of the zone. In the state signed by its convener, Dr. John Danfulani, the group reminded its elders to agitate for Southern Ka-

duna State rather than pushing personal interest. The statement reads in part: “The recent deputy governorship saga further shows how some so called elders are short-sighted as they

were falling atop each other fighting, instead of challenging the calculated ploy and deliberate subjugation and political landmines planted in our path. “The recent politicking in Southern Kaduna

after the death of Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa proved the expediency and the need for our area to have real elders, people of integrity and courage to help in taking Southern Kaduna to a greater height.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

News

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Why we oppose Petroleum Industry Bill – Northern senators

hairman, Senate Committee on Housing, Sen. Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, said yesterday that the North was opposed to the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, because of its lopsidedness. Abba-Ibrahim, who stated this at an interactive session with journalists in Abuja, said that the clause in the PIB, which was asking for additional 10 per cent revenue for oil producing communities,

was unacceptable. “Derivation is only one out of seven sources of revenue for the oil producing states. They have the Federal Government’s take home, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with over N500bn being projects only in oil producing communities. “They also have the Niger Delta Ministry with over N400bn Federal Government grants in the

2013: We’ll work harder –Jonathan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

the leaders and members of NUEE and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Corporations, SSAEAC, in 2013 to contribute towards the stability of power generation and distribution in the country. Speaking with National Mirror on the phone, the Secretary General of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Comrade Isaac Aberare, said oil believed there would be no reason to embark on any industrial action in 2013. Aberare said due to the strategic role that the petroleum sector occupies in the country’s economy, government should endeavour to avoid crisis in the sector, through timely response to issues.

Hope for capital market Meanwhile, the former President of Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria, ASHON, Alhaji Rasheed Yussuff, has said that the capital market will perform better in the New Year. He noted that since the resolution of brokers’ outstanding margin loan by the Federal Government, the capital market had been responding positively, closing the year at 35 per cent increase as against the 16.3 per cent decline in 2011. The ASHON boss noted that as government yields on bond continued to decline, a lot of money that had migrated from the capital market to the money market would return. He said: “With the re-

turn of some brokers that were affected by the margin loan to the market and the increase in the number of institutional investors, local investors have begun to come back.” Yussuff, who is the Managing Director of Trust Yields Securities Limited, explained that as the demand for stocks increase, there would be new investments in the market, particularly through Public Offers and Rights Issues this year. He, however, appealed to the National Assembly to rescind their decision on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s budget, saying that “whenever the market is recovering, there are always negative signals from the politicians at the expense of the country’s economic growth.” He added: “We are worried in the market because now that the market is rising, it is unfortunate if wrong signal is coming from the government. “We need stability, not negative pronouncements in the interest of Nigeria’s economy. The National Assembly and the SEC should resolve their issue amicably.” Analysts at Vetiva Capital also had positive expectations for the New Year. “With continued interest in financials and consumer goods, we expect the market to extend gains into the New Year,” they said in a note to investors yesterday, adding that banks would lead the charge in 2013.

name of amnesty and oil companies doing social corporate responsibility.” According to him, adding another 10 per cent to the already existing revenue generators for the zone was unfair. “Adding another 10 per cent to all these seven sources, I don’t know how you are going to have peace where resources allocations are so skewed to one side and unfair,” the former governor noted. He said the addition in

the PIB was unacceptable and suggested that the money should go into the treasury so that every Nigerian could benefit from it. “Nobody planted or farmed oil, it is God, who put it there and it will not last forever. It will get to a point where the oil will finish and another natural resource will come up and every Nigerian will benefit from it,” he said. The lawmaker added that the North was also op-

posed to the PIB because of its failure to make provision for the exploitation of other minerals all over the country. He said: “We have over 800 million tonnes of limestone in Gulane, Fune and Guljimba local governments of Yobe State, but as a state government, you cannot go and exploit, it has to be Federal Government.” He is, however, optimistic that the bill when passed, would sanitise the Petroleum Industry and

address the issue of corruption in the sector. Speaking on the current security challenge in the country, Abba-Ibrahim said that although dialogue might not be the only solution, it remained the best option. “To me, dialogue is not the only solution, but it remains the best solution. I am not saying it is the only solution because there are many ways to solve it, but I believe that dialogue remains the best,” he said.

Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Benson (left), presenting four bills to Governor Seriake Dickson, at Government House in Yenagoa, yesterday.

New Year: There’s hope for Nigeria, say PDP, APGA, ANPP, others CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

supreme such that the vote truly counts and the voter matters in an election that is not only free and fair but also peaceful and credible.” He said: “As we think of how to improve our lives in the New Year, we should also reflect on how we can rededicate ourselves to a more conscientious pursuit of those cherished attributes that will enable

Nigeria’s democracy and her development to flourish and blossom. “The way we want our future to be will depend on the choices we make today. We urge our fellow country men and women to strengthen their faith in themselves, put the interest of the nation first, reaffirm implicit confidence in the power of a collective determination to succeed and

above all, insist that never again shall we fail to do it right and get it right for the sake of both today and tomorrow. “We urge Nigerians not to despair for surely after rainfall must follow sunshine! We must continue to pray for Nigeria. Our faith in our country must remain strong. We must continue to remain courageous and resolute, knowing that success

is not for the fainthearted but for the brave and unrelenting with abiding faith in the will of the Almighty God.” The UPP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Ogbuechi Dike, said that the New Year offers yet another opportunity for Nigerians to seek the face of God and resolve to build a strong, virile and prosperous democratic society.

Jonathan approves board of directors of 9 agencies

resident Goodluck Jonathan has approved the constitution of the Board of Directors of nine Federal Government parastatal agencies. They are the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), National Examination Council (NECO), Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and Onne Oil and Gas Free

Zone, Port Harcourt. Others are the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Voice of Nigeria (VON) and the Agricultural Research Development Council of Nigeria. This is contained in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja and signed by Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). The statement named Chief Bisi Ogunjobi as Chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria

(FMBN) which has nine members. It also named the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed as Chairman of the eight-member FCDA board; Mr Ben Murray Bruce as Chairman of FRCN which has 11 members, and Dr. Paddy Njoku as chairman of NECO, which has 18 members. Similarly, the statement named Mrs Grace Clark as Chairman of the 11-member NEPC board; Mr. Chris Asoluka as chairman of the 15-mem-

ber Onne Oil and Gas Free Zone, Port Harcourt; and Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha as chairman of the nine-member SON. It said that the ninemember Voice of Nigeria has Mr. Andy Aghaji as Chairman, while the 16-member Agricultural Research Development Council of Nigeria has Chief Olabode Mustapha as Chairman. The statement said the dates for inauguration of the boards would be announced in due course.

Features

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tackling the perennial challenge of potable water in Katsina Given its importance to survival, water has always occupied premium position in human civilization. So its scarcity is always a source of concern both to citizens and governments. In Katsina State, the lack of adequate potable water is tasking the creative ingenuity of the government, which is leaving no stone unturned to tackle the problem. JAMES DANJUMA, reports that all hands are on deck to achieve this objective. A woman drawing water from a shallow pond.

THE TAPS ARE DRY MOST OF THE TIME AND THE WELLS AND BOREHOLES ONLY PROVIDE

BRACKISH WATER, UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION Part of the Ajiwa Dam

orld Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme on Water Supply and Sanitation (JAP) estimate that more than one in six people worldwide do not have access to improved water sources. Going by the 2011 estimate of 7 billion people on earth, it translates to more than 1.1 billion people lacking access to improved or potable water, with over 70 percent of these said to be living in the developing counties. Experts say about half of the Nigerians lack access to tap water and other safe water sources, with most of those affected living in the rural areas. The Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe, concurred when she revealed last February that more than 70 million Nigerians lacked access to potable water. Ochekpe, said current “water supply service coverage in the country is 58 per cent, which is about 87 million people. This translates to lack of potable water for about 70 million people. In the rural areas, only 42 per cent have access to potable water supply.” She lamented that “many of our children are also dying of water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhea and river blindness. This is unacceptable to the administration and is, therefore, focusing more attention on the water sector.” She reiterated that the low access to potable water was unacceptable, and that the Federal Government would collaborate with stakeholders to increase the supply in the country. In Katsina State, the major challenge has often been how to effectively supply potable water to the 6.5 million people scattered across 34 local government areas. The state, being agrarian, has 70 percent of people living in rural communities, while 30 percent live in urban areas. During the rainy seasons, rural communities seldom have water challenges, as the wells, rivers and local storage facilities are

full. But as soon as the dry season sets in, usually from November to May, rural dwellers have to face the uphill task of getting water for their daily use. Investigations in several rural areas in Daura, Mashi, Charanchi, Malumfashi, Faskari, among several other local governments, show that many of the community members depend solely on water scooped from dry river beds. Water vendors in these areas set out early in the morning hours to near-by river beds, using digging equipment to dig some few metres for water; which are then scooped into jerry cans and sold to consumers. In some other villages, there are some form sources, like wells, boreholes and harvested rain water, but with the dry season, these sources deplete. Another problem affecting potable water is desertification and lack of underground water in many community areas. While desertification dries existing surface waters, the rocky and hard nature of some earth surfaces, making it difficult to harness underground waters, especially in the case of borehole construction and digging of wells. A visit to some community with wells and boreholes, reveals that several of these water sources have stopped working and are now been abandoned as the hard surfaces do not allow for further digging. Council area like Kankia and surrounding communities is mostly located on a rocky surface, which has made it difficult for wells or boreholes to be dug. This has made the state government to consider the possibility of laying water pipes that would link the area with dams, but the idea has yet to see light of day due to the financial cost involved. For the urban areas, the absence of potable water supply is evidenced in the ubiquitous water vendors who depend on boreholes to supply many customers in the state capital and other urban areas.

The water challenge is also common in the urban areas during the dry season, when the Ajiwa Dam, in Mani Council Area, records low amount of water. The situation has compelled many people to seek other means of getting water due to constant empty taps in many homes. Sources at the state’s water board, also say that lack of power supply; among others has been a factor to the challenges being faced in providing potable water. They said water generation needs constant power supply, to ensure the reticulation reaches all nooks and corners of the state. Commenting on the constant shortage, a Katsina blogger, Hajia, lamented that the state was witnessing “its worst water shortage in decades. “The taps are dry most of the time and the wells and boreholes only provide brackish water, unfit for human consumption. But the situation is in the midst of plenty, as large bodies of water in dams are within reach.” The blogger said, though the Ajiwa Dam, which provides most of the drinking water for the state capital was there, the water works is not sufficient and obsolete. “The supply is now erratic and to make up for the shortfall, water vendors sell them in yellow jerry cans. And they do not come cheap.” He also suggested that other existing dams be harnessed to supplement what is available from Ajiwa Dam.” Governor, Ibrahim Shema and the Commissioner for Water Resources, Jamilu Danmusa, have admitted that the state is facing shortage of potable water. Shema, said that there is no state one could go and would not encounter the challenge of potable water supply. At a recent event, he noted that lack of surface and underground water was a major problem facing effective supply of potable water in the state and in Northern Nigeria. He however appealed to the Federal Government to assist in the area of water reticulation, which was a major problem facing the state.

Children carrying water in plastic cans

As way of assistance, the Federal Government has started work at the Zobe Dam in Dutsinma Council Area, and laying underground pipes that will link several communities and the state capital for the provision of potable water. The Federal government is also working to expand utilization capacity of some of the existing dams, for the provision of potable water to communities in the state. On its part,the state government is working to ensure that potable water reaches many people, and while some water-related projects have been executed to improve the situation. The state government said it rehabilitated 27 semi-urban water supply schemes in the state, and introduced several independent water supply schemes (IWSS). It procured several borehole rigs for drilling of boreholes in communities, and trained some of staff on water-related issues both locally and abroad. The state has also bought several water vehicles and distributed same to the 34 council areas for distribution of water to communities that lack the commodity. Just weeks ago, the government approved six contracts to upgrade and expand the semiurban water supply schemes at the cost of N454 million. Speaking on the issue, the Water Resources commissioner, Jamilu Danmusa, said contract for expansion of Kankia semi-urban water supply scheme would gulp N160 million while that of Mani is to gulp N55 million. He said contract for expansion of Danmusa scheme was awarded at N36.29 million and that an upgrade of Zango semi-urban water supply scheme, will take N74 million. He said the contract for the upgrade of Mai’adua semi-urban water supply was awarded at N112 million, while the one at Batsari council area is to be upgraded at N118 million.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Features

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Gateway Hotel: A spectacle of decay and neglect The Gateway Hotels chain, established in 1979, by the former administration of late Olabisi Onabanjo was once a pace setter and bench mark for the hospitality industry. Today, the story is that of monumental neglect, decay and dilapidation as those conversant with the history yearn for the good old days. DAYO AYEYEMI was at the hotel in Ota, Ogun State and writes that the entire complex looks like an abandoned territory.

hen last did you visit Gateway Hotels in Ota, Ogun State? If you have not, you need to do that this season. You will be surprised at the level of degradation of the facilities and environment, as weeds and rodents have taken over. From the two entrance roads to security posts within the hotel vicinity, it is a story of neglect as the hotel which was once talk of the town is now a shadow of its former self, as dilapidated buildings, broken walls, and many others now adorn the place. As National Mirror was investigating what could have been responsible for this sorry state, a middle-aged man came in to make enquiries with regards to an international programme he wants to host this January. ‘Please, I am expecting some foreigners to attend a programme here. How can I book reservation for an auditorium and bed spaces in the hotel?” he asked while anticipating direction and help from the two security personnel. To his surprise, one of them told him to look for an alternative hotel in the area, as the Gateway Hotels has been under lock for more than two years. The man was taken aback and wondered what could have been responsible for the total abandonment of the place. Approaching the National Mirror correspondent, he intoned, “Sir, my name is Segun, a lecturer in one of the high institutions in the area. Look at the dilapidated state of this hotel and how weeds and rodents have taken over our common property in Ogun State and no one is asking those responsible any questions nor demanding cogent answers”. The security men who were cautious in their answers demanded we leave and look elsewhere for alternative venue for the proposed programme. National Mirror correspondent had initially asked them whether there was space for children’s party in the hotel. Trying to explain reasons why we must leave, one told us that there is pending court case over the hotel. He said, the former governor of the state sold Gateway Hotels to a private firm but the new administration reversed the sale.

Part of the hotel overgrown with weed.

Abandoned part of the hotel.

THE DECISION OF IMMEDIATE PAST

GOVERNOR GBENGA DANIEL TO CONCESSION THE STATE-OWNED GATEWAY HOTELS WAS NOT WITHOUT CONTROVERSIES He said “The private firm that bought the hotel sued the state government, so that is why there is no activity here since two years.” Asked if other Gateway Hotels in Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ode also are deserted, the security men, who pleaded anonymity, said the issues concerning the other hotels have been resolved and are now functioning. A passer-by, Mr Jide Hassan, said he

A boarded section in the hotel.

was disappointed when he came in company of some tourists to the hotel and discovered it in the present ramshackle state. He berated the government for the poor state of the hotel, blaming a lack of continuity in policy for the rot. The Gateway group of hotels located in Abeokuta, Sango Ota, and Ijebu Ode, was set up in 1979 by the first civilian governor, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, shortly after his inauguration. The decision of immediate past Governor Gbenga Daniel to concession the stateowned Gateway Hotels was not without controversies during his administration. Some state indigenes had kicked against the alleged sale of the legacy of the state founding fathers, on the claim that the hotels had performed badly, making only N24 million in its over 20 years of existence. This claim had forced the government under Otunba Gbenga Daniel, to divest its shareholding and to allow private investors take over the running. Forty-six companies made bids for con-

PHOTOS: BAYOOR EWUOSO

cession of the various hotels, of which the Silverbird Group, won concession to manage the Gateway Hotel, Abeokuta for 25 years, while MIBC and American Best Resort, won the bid for the Sango-Ota Gateway Hotel and the Equity Assurance Plc, won that in Ijebu-Ode. The current administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun, had reportedly reversed the sale and concession of the properties that include the Gateway Hotels inAbeokuta, Ijebu-Ode and Ota. While presenting the 2013 budget, the governor said, his administration would rehabilitate one of the Gateway Hotels in Abeokuta. He said the resuscitation of the Gateway Hotels in Ogun State will generate more employment opportunities for the youths and earn revenue for the government. He explained that other Gateway Hotels had been leased for more than 15 years, but assured that his administration would not relent in ensuring that it takes over all of them.

WORLD RECORD

First use of DNA profiling to clear a criminal suspect Vol. 02 No. 525

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

N150

The world’s first DNA-based manhunt took place between 1986 and 1988 in Enderby, Leicestershire, UK, during the investigation of a double rape-murder: Linda Mann (UK) in 1983, and Dawn Ashworth 1986.

2013 and unending hope

t long last, the year 2013 is here and, as expected, Nigerians who have been given the grace by God to see the beginning of another year have every reason to be grateful and appreciative for the privilege to be alive and well. There is no doubting the fact that the year 2012 was indeed an eventful one with many issues to contend with. The year had its own fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly. It was, indeed, a year like no other one given the way Nigerians entered the year in a volatile manner while protesting the proposed withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products, an attempt that was vehemently resisted by the people. This did not pass without its own at-

ustralian star, Mike Hussey, has announced that he is to retire from all forms of international cricket this month. Reports said his final Test match will be against Sri Lanka which starts in Sydney on Thursday, and he will also be available for the five-

TALKINGPOINT Seyi Fasugba

seyifasugba@yahoo.com 08053069514 (sms only)

tendant casualties as witnessed in the violent protests which led to the loss of many innocent lives, individuals who had hoped for a better year ahead. The initial challenges had hardly died down when the country witnessed yet another tragedy with the Dana air crash, which visited many families with an unexpected disaster and mourning of the loved ones who died in the accident. Many Nigerians had hoped for and wished that the outgone year would have marked the end to endless waiting for those facilities that will make life more meaningful and which the politicians have promised the previous year that they will soon begin to enjoy, but this was to be a mere wish as other things brought the country back to the status quo till date. The fuel subsidy protests, which pitched human rights campaigners against government officials, changed the entire landscape going by the subsequent developments which followed shortly afterwards. In order not to appear defeated in the whole episode which later graduated to a war of ego, government officials launched the offensive against the fuel importers, who have illegally benefitted from the subsidy regime if only to prove to Nigerians that there was genuine rea-

HAVING LOOKED FORWARD TO A STABLE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY FOR MANY

YEARS,

HAVE EVERY CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS YEAR SHALL INDEED BE THAT OF FULFILLED PROMISES son to end the regime. The oil cabals were eventually unveiled when their trial began, but Nigerians were shocked to see the names of those within the corridors of power among the suspects accused of milking the state resources at the expense of the majority of Nigerians. What, perhaps, kept Nigerians on the edge throughout the year was the insecurity in the land which was further heightened by the renewed onslaught of the Boko Haram Islamic sect which created panic everywhere, including worship centres, a trend which was com-

Sport Extra Hussey set to quit Aussie cricket match one-day series which ends 20 days later. The 37-year-old, who first played for Australia in February 2004, has contested 78 Test matches, 185 ODIs and 38 T20s, as well as making 19 Test tons and scoring over

NIGERIANS

six thousand runs at an average of 51.52, while he has pounded 5,442 runs at 48.15 in one-day internationals. He will play out the remainder of the Australian summer, and will review his availability for the Western

pletely alien to the country and which nobody could have thought would persist this long in the history of religious violence. In spite of obvious challenges the country passed through last year, there is still reason to hope for a better experience in 2013. The adage says man proposes, but God disposes. It is for man to plan ahead for what to experience and for God to make it come to pass. So, it can be said that when expectations are dashed, it could be as a result of poor or lack of planning to ensure that such expectations are met. To Nigerians and in spite of the challenges we have witnessed in the past 365 days, the hope loaded into the next 365 days cannot be underestimated. Having looked forward to a stable electricity supply for many years, Nigerians have every cause to believe that this year shall indeed be that of fulfilled promises and possibly that which will bring to many homes the reason to celebrate the dividends of democracy. Nigerians will also want to believe that the year 2013 will bring improved transportation on the roads, the sea and the air. If the potholes and craters created on the roads will get the needed attention this year, at least, Nigerians and regular travellers will again hope that their movement will not be restricted and that as expected, there will be great boost for business and economic activities. This is one year that even the jobless will have hope that all things being equal, a better future will manifest and no longer wait for too long. No one has certainly lived the year ahead, but there is great gain to be sure of the unending hopes that the next 365 days portend for the individuals and the country at large.

Warriors and Perth Scorchers at the end of the current season. Hussey has four young children all aged under eight and says he is quitting the international game for family reasons. “I will not play for Australia anymore,” he submitted.

Michael Hussey

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