Tuesday, april 19, 2016 by GLOBAL MEDIA MIRROR LIMITED

NIMASA: How N1.1bn Port Security fund was diverted –EFCC Wale IgbIntade

Magu

n investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Orji

Chukwuma, yesterday gave graphic details of how N1.5bn released by former President Goodluck Jonathan for a project in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and

N47.7bn fraud: EFCC arraigns Tompolo, siblings in absentia

Safety Agency, NIMASA, was diverted. Chukwuma said although the money was requested by a former Director-General of NI-

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...as CCT chairman insists prosecution won’t stop Senate sittings •CSOs ask Reps to kill CCB, CCT Amendment Bill

george ojI, doosuur IWambe and ezekIel tItus

hairman, Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Danladi Umar, said the trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, will henceforth proceed day-to-day until the conclusion of the case. Saraki is facing a 13-count charge bordering on allegations of false asset declaration and money laundering. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3>>

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, arriving at the court during his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal in Abuja, yesterday.

Senate’s purchase of 108 exotic cars insensitive, criminal –NLC Boko Haram insurgents attack Nigerian troops in Kareto

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Kachikwu takes oil output freeze battle to OPEC P.5 Foreign loan: Ignore Fayose, Reps’ Leader tells Chinese President P.7

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Saraki’s trial goes daily CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges. Umar, who stated this at the resumed hearing in the case yesterday, said his decision to conduct the trial day-to-day was in line with the provisions of section 396 (6) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. He said the trial will begin 10 a.m. and end 6 p.m. every day. The tribunal chairman also noted that he would not defer the trial in deference to the Senate sittings. The Senate sits on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. At the preliminary stage of the trial, senators had always accompanied the Senate President to the tribunal each time the case came up for hearing. Yesterday, 13 of them were on ground to give support to their embattled leader. Saraki’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi, SAN, had urged the tribunal at the end of yesterday’s proceeding to skip the three days to allow the Senate President attend plenary. Agabi’s request was however opposed by prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, who warned that the Senate was not on trial and should not be dragged into the matter. “The Senate is not on trial. The person that is on trial is the defendant. The Senate should sit. It’s a disgrace to our nation to be saying that,” Jacobs said. Responding, Umar rejected Agabi’s request on the ground that only an individual, who happens to be the Senate President is on trial. “The Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not on trial, the Senate should sit. The only thing is the personality of the defendant, who happened to be the Senate President. The Senate should continue to sit,” he said. Saraki, in a statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), said his ongoing trial will not disturb the activities of the Senate. He stated this after Mr. Umar announced that the proceedings in the trial involving the Senate President would now hold on a day-to-day basis. Saraki said now that

the trial proper had commenced and the Senate was in session, he would not want the trial to affect legislative business. “I am the one on trial not the Senate. Even though I have been overwhelmed by the solidarity displayed by my colleagues, it is important that the work of the Senate is not unduly affected by this process,” he said. The Senate President affirms that the legislative body being an institution, would not be affected by the absence of any of the principal. At yesterday’s sitting, an EFCC witness, Michael Wetkas, told the tribunal that Saraki used different bank drafts to buy properties in Ikoyi, Lagos. The EFCC witness, who was led in evidence by Jacobs, said Saraki bought the properties through his companies. He said investigation revealed that House No. 15, Macdonald Street, Ikoyi, Lagos and Block 15, Flat 1 to 4 of the same street belonged to Saraki. According to him, the Senate President bought the properties from the Presidential Committee on Sale of Federal Government Landed Properties in Lagos through his companies. He added that the defendant made a bank draft in the name of TYNITY Company limited, which he declared in the Asset declaration form. He noted that when EFCC investigation team wrote to the presidential committee seeking clarification, the committee said that from their records, the

L-R: Chairman, Education Committee, Board of Governors, National Judicial Institute, NJI, Hon. Justice Walter Onnoghen; Chief Justice of Nigeria/Chairman, Board of Governors, NJI, Justice Mahmud Mohammed and Administrator of the NJI, Hon. Justice Rosaline Bozimo, at a refresher course for magistrates on current trends in law and administration of justice in Abuja, yesterday. only property sold to the company was No. 15, Macdonald Street, Ikoyi. Wetkas said 75 per cent, which amounted to N123.7m was paid for House No. 15, Macdonald Street, Ikoyi, through a bank draft from the account of one of Saraki’s company called Skyview Properties Limited in Access Bank. He also said that investigation revealed that the defendant made a bank draft through his company TYNITY and paid for House No. 17, Macdonald Street in Ikoyi, Lagos in the sum of N256.3m. “My lord, there was a draft of N12.8m and another draft of N20m from Zenith Bank, as well as a draft of N4m from GTBank

as part of payment for the purchase of House No. 17, Macdonald Street. “The N20m draft came from Carlys Properties and Investment Limited and a draft of N136.1m was made on January 13, 2007 for the purchase of same property. “Another draft of N180.6m was made through Saraki`s personal bank account in GTB,” he said. The prosecution tendered a total of 43 exhibits, which were admitted in evidence. Meanwhile, over 29 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, yesterday asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to assent to the bill amending the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, and Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, if eventually passed

by the Senate. Similarly, the coalition urged the House of Representatives not to toe the same unpopular path as the Senate to amend the CCB and CCT Acts. At a press conference in Abuja, the groups described the amendment bill as self-serving, scrupulous, immoral and illegal mutilation of the Acts setting up the CCB and CCT. The CSOs in addition urged all Nigerians, particularly the media to keep up the pressure of opposition as the only way to frustrate the plans of the Senate to achieve the amendment of the proposed bill. The Senate last week began the process for the amendment of the CCB and CCT Acts.

The first amendment bill, which is sponsored by Senator Peter Nwaboshi (Delta North) and entitled: “Code of Conduct Act Cap C15 LFN 2004 (Amendment) Bill 2016,” was first laid before the Senate on Tuesday last week and had by Thursday passed the second reading. The second bill, which is sponsored by Senator Isah Misau (Bauchi Central) and tagged: “A bill for an Act to amend the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and other related matters,” seeks to remove the CCT from the list of courts statutorily empowered to initiate criminal proceedings against accused persons. Debate on the second bill has been

was siphoned through six companies and by N3m cash transactions at 15 different times. Chukwuma said this on Monday when he appeared as a prosecution witness before a Federal High Court in Lagos where Akpobolokemi and five others were standing trial for allegedly defrauding NIMASA to the tune of N2.6bn between March and June 2014. Akpobolokemi was arraigned with Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz Limited and AlKenzo Logistics Limited

before Justice Ibrahim Buba on December 4, 2015. But the defendants pleaded not guilty to the offence. Chukwuma was the 12th witness called by the EFCC in its bid to prove the allegations. He was led in evidence on Monday by an EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo. The investigator, who said he was a member of the EFCC Special Task Force, said the anti-graft agency moved to probe NIMASA upon receiving an intelligence report that a “monumental fraud” was

perpetrated in the agency by the accused persons. He said the background checks carried out by the EFCC revealed that Akpobolokemi was a lecturer at the Delta State University prior to his appointment as the Director-General of NIMASA. According to the witness, Akpobolokemi was the one who set up the ISPS committee and made the 2nd defendant, Agaba, who was a former employee of Mobil and then an Executive Director in NIMASA, the chairman. The witness said Agaba was one of the signatories

to the ISPS committee’s bank account from which the N1.1bn approved by Jonathan was diverted through six companies. Chukwuma, who gave his testimony with the aid of a power-point projector, gave the names of the companies and the amount allegedly diverted through them as: Seabulk Offshore Operator Ltd (N437, 726,666); Ace Prosthesis Ltd (N66,800,000); Extreme Vertex Nig. Ltd. (N21,802,000); O2 Services Plus Ltd. (N14,200,000); Southern Offshore Ltd (N402,480,000) and Caniz

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NIMASA: How N1.1bn Port Security fund was diverted –EFCC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

MASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, in 2013 for the implementation of the International Ship and Port Security facility in NIMASA (to carry out security checks on vessels entering Nigeria) 89 per cent of the fund was diverted. Chukwujekwu told a Federal High Court in Lagos that Jonathan approved N1,123,400,000 on November 4, 2013 and it was released to NIMASA through a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, on January 3, 2014. But he said the money

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Senate’s purchase of 108 exotic cars insensitive, criminal –NLC Olufemi AdeOsun ABUJA

he Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) yesterday came down hard on members of the Senate over the purchase of 108 Toyota Land Cruiser (Sports Utility Vehicle), describing their action as not only reprehensible, but also criminal. In a statement by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the union called on the Senate to return the cars or face the full wrath of the Nigerian workers. He said while it was morally despicable and shameful to order for such exotic cars after the upper legislative chamber had openly admitted that its standing committees could not perform their statutory functions due to paucity of funds, inflating the prices amounted to a criminal act. “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress equally consider it a willful and grievous criminal act, the inflation of the unit cost of each of the cars by over a 100 per cent, as each car supposedly cost N35.1 million instead of N17 million. “Aside from this, Nigerians are keen to know from where they got money for the purchase of

these cars without appropriation,” he said. Wabba described as laughable the defence offered by the Senate spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, to the effect that special advisers use SUVs. The NLC President further noted that it was an act of insensitivity for the members of the Senate to embark on such extravagant spending at a time the nation was experiencing severe economic challenges and deepening poverty. “Their multiple acts of criminality, ranging from acquiring these cars after previously taking loans for the same purpose; spending money without appropriation and overinflating costs constitute not just corruption but a crime against the Nigerian people whom they claim to represent. “Accordingly, we demand they return those cars to whoever supplied them or the appropriate agencies prosecute them for corruption. In the event none of this happens, they should be prepared to keep a date with Nigerian workers and their civil society allies including market women and students. “No one is above the law,” he said.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige (left), presenting the 2014 National Policy on Labour Migration to Project Officer, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Mr Naozad Hodiwala, during the visit of a delegation from ICMPD to the Minister’s office, in Abuja, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

NIMASA: How N1.1bn Port Security fund was diverted -EFCC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Limited (N12, 250,000). According to him, 15 cash transactions of N3m each, amounting to N45,000,000 were also allegedly carried out by the defendants. Chukwuma told the court that the 3rd defendant, Nwakuche, who was a personal assistant to Agaba, owned the two com-

Saraki’s trial goes daily CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

slated to commence this week. The groups stated that the end game of the Senate by the said amendments is to strip the tribunal of the powers to sanction corrupt individuals, regretting that the lawmakers want to “transform the CCT into a toothless bulldog.” “Nigerians must rise against the unethical behaviour of legislative leaders weakening laws so that they continue to enjoy impunity,” they said. The CSOs noted that the moves being made to amend the Acts is not about making it better; to strengthen the anti-corruption fight, rather, it is clear that such uncommon legislative strength, power and time deployed towards the amendment are clearly not directed at promoting the interests of common Nigerians.

The groups condemned what they described as the irresponsibility of senators who had abandoned work on so many critical bills to concentrate on the amendment to the CCT Act. They noted that key legislations of critical importance to addressing poverty and supporting economic growth such as the Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, and the Gender and Equality Opportunity Bill had remained dormant for years, while all energies were now focused on protecting Senator Saraki. Meanwhile, a political group known as Misau Concern Citizens has threatened to recall Senator Misau, one of the sponsors of the bill. It was also learnt that the senator was pelted with stones by angry youths in Ningi Local Government

Area of Bauchi State The youths were allegedly angry that their representative was among the senators backing Saraki over alleged false declaration of assets. Chairman of the forum, Dan Asabe Abdu Misau, told newsmen that the senator had assumed the duty he was not sent to perform in the Senate Chamber by supporting Saraki. The forum also warned Senator Misau to toe the path of honour and distance himself from the embattled Senate President or face sack from the constituency. “By supporting Saraki, it means Senator Hamma Misau is supporting corruption in the country. As such, we will not relent in our effort to recall Hamma, unless he agrees to the wishes of the constituents not to support Saraki,” he said.

panies - Blockz and Stonz Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistics Limited - that were charged along with the accused persons as the 5th and 6th defendants. “The money was meant for the ISPS 2013 but it was released in 2014. “This shows a pie chart

representation of the funds meant for the ISPS 2013,” Chukwuma said, pointing the court’s attention to the power point projection. “89 per cent represents the total money diverted by the accused persons and 11 per cent represents part of the money received by sus-

pects who are now at large and also in the execution of some projects,” the witness said. The case was adjourned till April 29, 2016 when Chukwuma, who is the last EFCC witness, will be cross-examined by the defence counsel.

LG chairmen tenure: Public outcry over Lagos Assembly’s amendment bill

issenting voices have greeted plans by Lagos State House of Assembly to extend the tenure of council chairmen from three to four years. A public hearing held on the proposed Local Government Administration amendment bill that also seeks to give the House of Assembly power to override the governor in the event a resolution is passed to remove the chairman or vice-chairman after investigation met stiff opposition from stakeholders. The public perception of the controversial veto power introduced by the lawmakers has generated heated debate in the public, especially in the political space. All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State,

represented by its Legal Adviser, Mr. Demola Sadiq, gave the party’s position at the public hearing. He categorically told the members that the party is clearly opposed to the insertion of the overriding clause. Sadiq premised his position on the fact that the doctrine of Separation of Power and Rule of Law frowns at such reckless and arbitrary use of the legislative power of veto. He also spoke on the doctrine of double jeopardy that would make the chairman and vicechairmen of local government at great disadvantage as they could be impeached by Councilors and be removed by the House of Assembly. Although some mem-

bers, who were at the public hearing, including Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Majority Leader, tried to justify their position, but majority of the speakers, including Hon. Jokotade Pelumi, a former Speaker, were not convinced of the proposed amendment. According to them, the introduction of the power to override the governor to exercise discretion on a resolution of the House of Assembly is strange to parliamentary democracy in Nigeria. It would be recalled that the Senate is currently facing stiff resistance from the public over its attempt to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, and Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, Acts.

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CJN decries delayed trial in corruption cases Doosuur Iwambe AbujA

hief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Muhammed yesterday admitted that delay in trials has remained a major challenge confronting the justice system. He, however, advocated for lasting solutions that will improve the administration of criminal justice system, reduce delays, restore public confidence as well as improve judicial performance. The CJN spoke while declaring open the 2016 refresher course organised for Magistrates on current trends in Law and Administration of Justice by the National Judi-

cial Institute, NJI, in Abuja. He said: “More often than not, trial delays are caused by the antics of parties and to some extent the court, which results to unnecessary adjournment. “Often, prosecutors or defence counsel are unable to present their cases or witnesses and investigating police officers are often unavailable or transferred. “There is sometimes a lack of diligent rendering of legal advice on whether there is a prima facie case to prosecute, an increased use of preliminary objections, unnecessary legal devices for delaying trials and a myriad of others too numerous to mention here.” He also stressed the need

to reduce the backlog of cases especially in criminal matters, which he said, have contributed to congestion in prisons and expressed optimism that the course will provide an avenue to device ways of achieving this. “I find it distressing that many criminal trials are not given the attention that they deserve. “I urge you to accord criminal matters priority as had been the legal tradition and not to unduly delay proceedings “For emphasis, I wish to draw your attention to S 35(4) and 36(4) of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic if Nigeria (as amended), which have the combined effect of underlining the need

Long queue for fuel return to Lagos, yesterday.

to expeditiously try criminal matters in view of the various fundamental rights that an accused is deprived of, especially when in custody or detention. “On our part, the Nigerian judiciary will continue to actively pursue lasting structural and ethical reforms that will better position it to meet the aspirations of the average court user for a speedy, affordable and transparent system of administration of justice,” he added. Earlier in her welcome address, Administrator, NJI, Justice Roseline Bozimo (rtd), while stressing the importance of law reforms said it is essential for the purpose of enhancing and promoting judicial importance.

PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

OPEC will achieve consensus on freezing of crude oil supply —Kachikwu

inister of Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu has expressed hope that Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, will achieve consensus on crude oil production freeze. This was contained in a statement signed by Alhaji Garba Deen Muhammad, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, in Abuja yesterday. Kachikwu said that in spite of the stalemate on crude oil production freeze at oil producers meeting in Doha, OPEC would chat a way forward.

He added that OPEC must work at achieving a workable consensus on the issue by bringing everybody on the negotiating table. “We are just going to work at it. “It is a supply and demand issue and we need to consult and bring everybody into the circle. “Thank God that a committee is now in place to try and work towards getting everybody on board,” Kachikwu said. The minister noted that once every member country of OPEC was brought on board, it would become easier to convince other major oil

producers to sign-up to the freeze policy. The policy, he said, was designed to remedy lingering decline in the price of crude oil in the international market.

It is expected that the consensus issue being canvassed by Kachikwu will be pursued vigorously in the next OPEC Ministerial Meeting slated for June in Vienna, Austria

She commended the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act 2015, saying all the provisions of the act are geared towards ensuring speedy dispensation of justice. She added that the

refresher course with the theme: “Promoting judicial performance through innovation and reforms” is aimed at ensuring that the relationship between the bar and bench is maintained.

We have statutory powers over all traffic regulations —FRSC Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, yesterday insisted that it had the statutory powers to arrest traffic offenders and impound vehicles used to commit traffic offences. Public Relations Officer of the commission, Mr. Bisi Kazeem, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja. Kazzem was speaking against the backdrop of social media reports that a Federal High Court in Lagos recently nullified its power to impose fine on traffic offenders and impound their vehicles. He said FRSC was aware of the post on social media and the questions it had raised regarding its powers. “The truth is that there is no recent judgment of the Federal High Court Lagos on the Tope Alabi case as is being circulated. “What happened was that one Barrister Tope Alabi challenged the powers of the FRSC to arrest him and impound his vehicle and make him pay fines for offences alleged. “The Federal High Court presided over by Justice Tsoho held that FRSC had no such powers. This was in September 2014. “However, in a case on all fours with the Tope Alabi case earlier in March, same year, 2014, same Justice Tsoho in the case of Bren Williams & Anor v FRSC, held that FRSC had statutory pow-

ers to issue notice of offence, arrest, and detain vehicles suspected to have been used to commit traffic offences. “This decision was challenged on appeal and the Court of Appeal held, inter alia, in October 2014 that FRSC had statutory powers conferred by its enabling laws made pursuant to the Nigerian Constitution to regulate the use of number plates, design and set deadlines for change over to new ones. “The September 2014 judgment of Justice Tsoho, which has also been challenged on appeal, is the one currently being circulated on the social media by mischief makers. “Note that in another case by the same Tope Alabi before same Justice Tsoho, the Federal High Court, taking a cue from the Court of Appeal’s decision in Emmanuel Ofoegbu's case, held in FRSC's favour in June 2015. “For the avoidance of doubt, there are reported Court of Appeal decisions to the effect that FRSC has powers to arrest, issue notice of offence to suspected violators, and impound vehicles used to commit traffic offences. “And electing to pay the prescribed fines instead of challenging the notice of offence in court does not amount to usurpation of court powers. “It is the voluntary decision of whoever decides to pay fines instead of challenging the notice of offence in court.”

BPE urges FG to concession all lands around dams

cting DirectorGeneral, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Vincent Akpotaire, has urged the Federal Government to concession the 380,000 hectares of land around dams across Nigeria to large scale farmers. He told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja yesterday that this would help drive the diversification

efforts of the government through agriculture. Akpotaire said most of the lands were acquired about 40 years ago and had not been used, thereby wasting the irrigation facilities set up on some of them. This, he said, was because there were no concerted operational strategies for the facilities to function. “Most of the irrigation

facilities are stilted up but they can easily be opened and upgraded if we put someone in charge. “All we need to do to tap the value of that investment today is to ask BPE to reform the sector,” he said. He said large scale farmers would also employ the local youths in their thousands to work on the farms. Akpotaire also said the huge size of their harvests

would necessitate setting up agro-allied packaging within the centres which would in turn develop the rural areas. According to him, government will achieve value addition to the nation’s agricultural produce and also guarantee huge increase in harvest. The director-general also spoke about the eight reform bills it initiated that were before the National Assembly.

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L-R:Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, Bishop Dapo Ogunsola; Presiding Bishop of the Ministries, Bishop Francis Wale-Oke and Director of Central Administration, Pastor Moji Oyelami, at a news conference on the state of the nation, in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

L-R: Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Tunde Ogunleye; Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi and Parmanent Secretary, Ministry of Information Strategy, Mr. Fola Adeyemi, during a press briefing on Land Use Charge in the State, at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Lagos, yesterday.

L-R; Participant, (SEC 38) National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Olivet Jagusal; Director Staff, NIPSS, Brig. Gen. A D Chnoko mni; Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and participant, Abubakar Ismaila, during a courtesy visit by study group six of NIPSS to Government House, Ilorin, yesterday.

L-R: Mrs. Habibat Ajibola Basiru; Osun State former Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Dr. Ajibola Basiru and Governor Rauf Aregbesola, during a dinner party in honour of Dr Ajibola Basiru who recently obtained Ph.D in Private and Property Law from University of Lagos, at Arora Events Centre, Osogbo, at the weekend.

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2016 budget: FG plans to optimise 7,000mw of power in 1 year

ederal Government said it will optimise 7,000 megawatts installed power generation capacity and provide facilities required to transmit and distribute it in one year. This was contained in a document obtained by News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, from the Ministry of Budget and National Planning yesterday in Abuja. The document, titled as “Strategic implementation plan for the 2016 budget of change”, is an implementation plan for a road map of key macroeconomic and sectoral policies. It is a strategic target for the 2016 fiscal year. According to the document, government will distribute the capacity through privatisation and concessioning under its priority strategies in power, rail and roads sectors. The statement said it would include tariff of all costs of transmission, generation and gas at new price and that DISCO cost required operating,

maintaining and upgrading distribution network. “The government will complete the Kaduna-Abuja and the Ajaokuta-Warri rail lines scheduled for 2016; revise the National Rail Master plan and finalise negotiations for Lagos-Kano and Lagos-Calabar rail projects.” It would ensure delivery of 2,192 kilometres of federal roads across 31 projects scheduled for 2016 (through public works and other interventions) and explore Private Public Partnership options for completing other projects. It would resolve all issues on gas pricing, tariff and payment assurance, and also conclude road map on gas development,” it stated. Other major strategies in the implementation plan include the areas of policy, security, governance, diversification of the economy, oil and gas reforms. It stated that under the oil and gas plan, government had set deadlines to achieve selfsufficiency and net export of

a certain number of agricultural produce and items. The document listed tomatoes, vegetable oil, cashew nuts, groundnuts, cassava, poultry, fish and livestock as the items. It would revitalise and expand agro-allied processing, increase manufacturing capacity through operationalisation of industrial parks, free and export processing zones. The document added that government had developed and adopted a road map to stimulate investment into the solid minerals sector. It also developed and adopted a road map to stimulate investment in tourism and entertainment sectors. It would create high-technology innovation hubs to support growth in the digital and technology sector. According to the document, government has revolved to work with the National Assembly to pass a revised Petroleum Industry Bill to privatise NNPC and ensure the regulation of the

downstream sector. It stated that the government would set deadline to stop importation of refined products. On ease of doing business, it stated the need to move Nigeria 20 places up in the Ease of Doing Business Ranking and fast-track visa application and issuance processes.

It would implement social intervention projects included in the budget, invest in housing and urban development. It stated that government would implement school feeding programme, conditional cash transfer programme, pro-poor credit, social housing reforms and science and technology.

The document stated that government was set to achieve a flexible and appropriate foreign exchange regime, increase low interest lending in the real sector and maintain capital spending. According to the document, the government will maintain capital spending in the budget at a minimum of 30 per cent.

Akwa Ibom to prosecute 9000 workers for alleged salary scam

o fewer than 9,000 employees in the Akwa Ibom State civil service were to be prosecuted for alleged fraudulent drawing of salaries from more than one pay point in the state. Governor Udom Emmanuel, who disclosed this to newsmen in Uyo yesterday, said the massive fraud was uncovered in the preliminary bio-metric exercise recently conducted by the office of the state Accountant-General.

“It is shocking to know that a section of the employees in the state are drawing salaries from more than a pay point. “We have given the affected employees and those yet to be uncovered, the option to refund the salaries they have fraudulently taken or be prosecuted,” he said. The governor directed the Permanent Secretaries in Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs, in the state to commence finger print verification of all em-

ployees. He said employees who failed to participate in the verification exercise would have their names deleted from the automated salary paying system and nominal roll. The governor noted that more than 1,000 employees were yet to comply with the directive. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to making discipline and zero tolerance for corruption its watchwords.

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Foreign loan: Ignore Fayose, Reps’ Leader tells Chinese President Ubong Ukpong AbujA

ouse of Representatives Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday took a swipe at Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, over his letter to Chinese President, Xi Jingping, to discourage him from granting Nigeria the loan requested by President Muhammadu Buhari, during his visit to China. Gbajaniamila in a letter to the President of People’s Republic of China, made available to newsmen in Abuja, told him that the governor was a meddlesome interloper and bankrupt of the intricacies of national debts and loans. He therefore on the grounds of these, asked the Chinese President to go ahead and relate with Nigeria as a sovereign nation and with President Buhari as the Head

…says governor was a meddlesome interloper

of State, by giving out the loan to support Nigeria’s infrastructural development. Gbajabiamila said that he knew that ordinarily, the Chinese President would not stoop so low to have dealings with a governor of a state in matters that the President of that state was directly involved. He said it was a clear affront on Nigeria’s Constitution and ultra vires Fayose’s mandate, for a governor of a federating state to delve into any matter outside his state, particularly as it concerns international agreements between two sovereign nations. The Majority Leader stressed that the duties and responsibilities of a governor were clearly spelt out in the Nigerian Constitution and they do not include negotiating loans on behalf of the country nor do they extend to foreign affairs or economic

Dock workers protest nonpayment of salaries by ENL Terminal Francis EzEm

ort activities at the ENL Terminal located at the Lagos Ports Complex were on Monday disrupted following a protest embarked upon by dock workers over nonpayment of salaries, allowances and severance packages by the management of the company. ENL Consortium, the concessionaire in charge of berths C and D of the LPC, is accused of owing the workers over 10 years of arrears of salaries and allowances. The protesting dock workers numbering over 100 carried various placards with various inscriptions including; ‘ENL pay us our salaries running into millions of naira’, ‘Human right groups please save us from slavery and ‘Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN, has disappointed us.’ The workers had last week as a build-up to the curCORRECTION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that ONOME IZZY UBUANE is the same person bearing ONOME IZI UBUANE. All documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as APENA ZAINAB OLAIDE, now wish to be known an addressed as AHMED OLAIDE. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

rent protests, which they said would be sustained until they were paid the last kobo of their money, protested to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, which is the regulator for the dock workers affairs. Coordinator of the dock workers, Mr. Kenneth Olisey, who spoke in an interview with National Mirror, accused the management of the terminal for practically enslaving them for over 10 years. He said the company over the years ignored the minimum standards set by the Federal Government in terms of the minimum working conditions for dock workers, as many of them have been casualised for this period. On claims by the company that accumulated severance package for the workers were ready for collection, he disclosed that the highest amount offered was only N350, 000 for one dock worker, which he said, is a far cry from their rightful entitlements. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as ALEGU ONYEKACHI EGWU, now wish to be known an addressed as ALEGU SOLOMON ONYEKACH. And my date of birth 4th of May, 1978. All documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS OYATOMI TOYIN SUSAINAH, now wish to be known an addressed as MRS. SHITTU TOYIN SUSAINAH. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

diplomacy. Indeed the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution he said, contains the oath of office sworn to by the governor of a state in assumption of office and it states: “........that I will exercise the authority vested in me as Governor so as not to impede or prejudice the authority lawfully vested in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” “Therefore a governor who overreaches himself and acts outside his constitutional mandate can at best be described legally as a meddlesome interloper. “Mr. President, perhaps our governor is not fully seized of the way budgeting works at the federal level. The Federal Government of Nigeria has a 3 year budget rolling plan captured under a Medium Term Expenditure Framework. The MTEF 20162018 has a borrowing compo-

nent in which the legislature approved for the President to incur both domestic and foreign loans for the purposes of infrastructural development and deficit financing. “This MTEF was passed unanimously, by the National Assembly including the 6 House Members and 3 Senators from Ekiti State, the governor’s state. “I am therefore dismayed as many members of the National Assembly are, that the governor would claim that the loan sought from your government did not have parliamentary imprimatur. “It is also a fallacy that the country’s debt is being financed with 25 percent of the Federal Governments annual budget as there is something in economic and legislative borrowing parlance called nominal debt service where a portion of borrowed monies in this case about 1.3trillion stays within the country’s financial system.

“Such are the intricacies of national debts, aids and loans. Surprisingly, the governor refers to a two billion dollar loan as opposed to a six billion dollar investment package. This betrays the fact that he is not fully seized of the facts of the transaction between our two countries. “Mr President, I am unaware of the western nations that turned Nigeria’s requests down for a loan as claimed by the governor. “As you are probably aware, transacting business with China was a strategic and economic decision on the part of the Nigerian government, which will be of mutual benefit to our two countries. ‘Such symbiotic relationships are the kind of relationships for responsible governments embrace. The people of Nigeria overwhelmingly elected President Muhammed Buhari to make such strategic decisions for them and

on their behalf not any state governor. “Finally Mr President, yes, we are a democratic nation and yes citizens do have a right to freedom of expression (though not absolute), however, this letter to you by an opposition governor is a new low in opposition politics”, his letter reads in part. He said that he was not aware of any instance in modern day contemporary politics when an opposition governor went outside the shores of his country to oppose the efforts of a Head of the State and gleefully attempt to denigrate his President and country in the name of opposition. On the contrary, Gbajabiamila said what nations do in times of crisis (in this case economic crisis) and history is replete with this, is to pull together as a nation in the “national interest”, asking the Chinese President not to be discouraged by Fayose’s action.

L-R: President/CE, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chairman of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Mr. Jiang Jianqing and Chairman of China Export and Credit Insurance Corporation (SINOSURE), Mr. Wang Yi, during signing of $2 billion loan from the Industrial Commercial Bank of China Ltd, for two cement plants, in Beijing, China recently Back Row: President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari; President, People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping.

Private guards to get unified identification card - NSCDC

ommandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Alhaji Abdullahi Gana, says private guard companies in the country will get unified identification card soon. This is contained in a statement issued by Emmanuel Okeh, Spokesperson of the Corps, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Monday in Abuja. The statement quoted Gana as saying this when a delegation of the Road

Transport Employers Association, RTEAN, led by its National President, Alhaji Isiwele Musa visited him in Abuja. The commandant said that the move was to further reposition the companies and make their operations standard. Gana said that the core mandate of the Corps to protect critical infrastructure and other national assets were very vital for the economic growth of the country. He added that the corps would continue to work hard to discharge its notable na-

tional assignment. Gana assured the association that the corps would continue to maintain the existing good relationship between the two organisations. Earlier, Musa noted that RTEAN was a major stakeholder in the transport sub-sector of the Nigerian Economy with over 16 million members spread across the country. The RTEAN president said that the association seeks to establish a good interface with the corps and to further strengthen the partnership and deepen the exist-

ing relationship. He thanked the NSCDC that their efforts really helped transports owners and all Nigerians, as the fuel queues have now disappeared. He maintained that the effective implementation of the core mandate of the NSCDC of protection of critical infrastructure and national assets against vandalism was highly commendable. He said the association presently has its own data capturing machines with the capacity to produce 80,000 identity cards in 10 hours.

South West

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

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LAGS douses residents tension as air force begins night flying training Francis suberu

President, Women Arise for Change Initiative, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin (4th-left), leading a peaceful protest against the alleged murder of Mr Oyelowo Oyediran by his Lawyer, at the Oyo State High Court, in Ibadan, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

We are ready to reveal Power Sector problems –Union

enior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, SSAEAC, yesterday said it was ready to reveal the challenges facing the Power sector in Nigeria and how to solve them. The newly-elected president of the union, Mr. Chris Okonkwo, stated this in Lagos during the handover ceremony by outgoing president, Mr. Bede Opara. According to Okonkwo, the focus of his administration is to ensure that the Federal Government is informed about the problems inhibiting the

development of power and how it will be solved. “Our challenge is to make sure that the government knows the facts that are hidden from it, to ensure that the right thing is done. “Our new administration has been talking to key government agencies, even on off-point issues, to know the facts on how to solve problems in the power sector. “We shall use our knowledge to engage the President, ministers, and other stakeholders. We shall explain to the president low monetary collec-

tion by the Distribution Companies (DISCOs) and the non supply of meters, even when consumers have paid,” he said. The new president said the biggest challenge currently facing the sector was the after effect of privatisation, which has failed to yield the expected results for the government. He said the intention for the privatisation was to free money for the government to invest in other areas and make the electricity sector more efficient. He said SSAEAC would focus on collaborating with the National Union

of Electricity Employees, NUEE, to achieve a peaceful power sector in Nigeria, devoid of crisis. Okonkwo, however, noted that the success to achieve a peaceful power sector depended on the cooperation of management in the electricity sector. He said managers of any organisation should see workers as partners in progress, to achieve more benefits. Okonkwo said the unions would not relent until government listened to them on how to improve the sector.

Osun, EU to spend N666m on water for 10 rural communities

sun State Government, in partnership with the European Union, EU, would be spending N666m to sink new boreholes and improve dams for 10 rural communities in the state. Head, Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Local Government, Mr. Olarenwaju Demola, said yesterday that 10 towns from Ayedade and OdoOtin Local Government Areas would benefit from the projects. The project is in partnership with the European Union through its European Union Water Supply and Sanitation Sector, EUWSSS. According to him, part of the money would be spent to provide two new boreholes, while the remaining part would be

used to rehabilitate old ones and repair surface water scheme projects. He said the state government would provide N199, 865,345 as its own counterpart funding representing 30 per cent of the total cost. Demola said the EU would provide the remaining N466, 352,470, representing 70 per cent of the total cost of the projects. He said that the state had already paid its own agreed contribution and that procurement process for the project had been concluded. He said construction work would commence soon. The unit head also said the procurement was done by the National Planning Commission, NPC, adding that the work pattern had been divided into ‘priority

and main works’. Demola said the state would be spending an additional N20m to rehabilitate 59 motorised boreholes in 11 communities in seven local government areas of the state. He said the boreholes were those built between 2005 and 2012 through EUWSSS’s Reform Phase 1 programme. Demola said the

EUWSSS Phase 2 programme, which had been running since 2013 till date, would provide water for communities that were not covered in the first phase. He, however, said that all the water works being carried out by the state government were aimed at improving the water supplies to communities within the state.

agos State Government has advised Lagosians not to panic as the Nigerian Air Force commences night flying training exercise in the state yesterday night. The exercise, according to the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, runs from 18th to 23rd April, from 7.00pm – 11.00pm daily. This exercise will involve the usage of C-130 Hercules aircraft and the 201 Heavy Airlift Group. The commissioner further explained that the

Anti-robbery policemen arrested for diverting trailer load of goods Patience Ogbo Lagos State police Command is investigating an alleged armed robbery by four men attached to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS, in the state. Police sources said the robbery was carried out on Sunday night at Sagamu, Ogun State, where the policemen allegedly attacked and robbed a trailer loaded with vehicle spare parts and sold the goods for N30m. The alleged armed robbery has incurred the wrath of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, who it was learnt is personally handling the investigation. A police source said one of the operatives was arrested after the occupants of the trailer alerted their company that they had been robbed at gun point. The source said: “They described the vehicle of the men that robbed them. The company alerted the officer in charge of FSARS, Ikeja. The OC SARS, unaware that

Academic staff of MOCPED, Epe, commence indefinite strike

olleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU, Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, MOCPED, Noforija, Epe Chapter yesterday declared an indefinite strike and staged a peaceful protest around the college. Chairman of the Union, Mr. Michael Adefuye said the strike was declared as a re-

sult of the non-implementation of the union’s demands by the College authorities. Adefuye said the union had served the college management an initial 21-day ultimatum, followed by a 14day ultimatum and lastly a 7-day ultimatum on April 11. He said the management ignored the ultimatums sent by the union to them and did

C-130 Hercules aircraft will fly very low in some locations across the state, but assured that residents should not panic as all precautionary and safety measures have been put in place. He assured that residents should go about their normal duties, as the exercise is to be conducted with a very insignificant discomfort. “The only unusualness of the exercise is the low flying nature of the aircraft and the increase in noise level which will be noticed during the six days exercise, only along the training routes,” Ayorinde said.

not invite the union for any dialogue. “Following the ultimatum and notice of indefinite strike served on the Management dated April 11, 2016. “The Chapter’s Executive Council, CEC, convened an emergency congress on April 14 and discussed the inevitability of the industrial dispute.

his men were the robbers, alerted police patrol team along that axis. “The leader of the FSARS, who led the team for the robbery is said to be one Inspector Durojaiye Taiwo. Durojaiye and two other members of the team escaped, while one Victor Omorokai is presently detained in FSARS cell in Ikeja. Omorokai was arrested after a gun duel with policemen.” Another police source confirmed that the policemen had sold the goods. He said: “Four FSARS men, from Ikeja, Lagos State Command, went to Sagamu to rob a trailer loaded with vehicle spare parts. “Along the line, there was shootout between the FSARS men and some policemen after the company sent a distressed call to the OC SARS. “The police has since arrested and detained a policeman identified as Victor, but he said that his gang had supplied the goods to a receiver and collected N30m and the money is with the leader of their gang a policeman called Durojaiye. “But Durojaiye and two other policemen escaped. “The CP wanted to parade some suspects today (yesterday), but because of these escapades by his men, he postponed the parade. He’s very angry.” The state police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos confirmed the arrest.

South East

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

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Street hawking: ITF partners Ebonyi on skill acquisition james abraham JOs

oncerned by the number of its indigenes that are engaged in street hawking around urban centers across the country, Ebonyi State Government has entered into negotiations with the Industrial Training Fund, ITF, with a view to equipping indigenes of the state, particularly the youth, with technical skills for them to be able to favourably compete in the labour market. ITF’s Head of Publications/Media Relations, Felix Otuwarikpo, who disclosed this yesterday in Jos in a statement, said that already the Fund had dispatched a delegation to Abakiliki, to fashion out details of the partnership. He further disclosed that during the visit, Secretary to Ebonyi State Government, Professor Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, said that it was this need that informed the State Executive Council last year to approve a skills programme tagged; “Street to Skills”, which is targeted at equipping street traders from the state with new skills. In his words: “We started a programme last year, which was approved by the Executive Council of the state. If you have gone around Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Onitsha, a lot of young people are

engaged in street hawking. Unfortunately for us, majority of these people engaged in this street hawking are from Ebonyi State. “So we became worried that no matter the progress we make as a people; if we do not withdraw these young men and women and give them skills, they will erode whatever progress we make in governance,” he added. Odoh stated that the expectation of the state government was for the proposed collaboration to yield tangible results within 12 to 18 months by taking these youths off the street by equipping them with skills to earn a living, noting that the state was prepared to extend start-up capital to beneficiaries of such skills training. Director of Technical Vocational Skills Training Department, Engineer Mike Afadi, who led the ITF delegation in his response, said the ITF viewed the invitation from the state government as a clarion call and in tandem with the organisation’s mandate of giving Nigerians relevant skills for employability and entrepreneurship. Afadi disclosed that the ITF was currently implementing the National Industrial Skills Development Programme, NISDP,

that trains 1,000 Nigerians in each state of the federation and the FCT, noting that the only way to combat youth restive-

ness was to equip Nigerians with skills for employment or to enable them start their businesses. He commended the state government for ini-

would not only be exposed publicly, but also handled decisively. “People or persons who are in the habit of trying to influence the tribunal or claim to have such influence and deceive innocent people for monetary gains, are advised to have a rethink. “We in the tribunal will not hesitate to bring any such persons to justice. To be forewarned is to be forearmed,” the chairman said. He said there was no electoral process worldwide that is completely devoid of certain degree of imperfection. The chairman also threatened to sanction any journalist whose report did not reflect what

that the ITF has entered into a similar collaboration with the Lagos State Government for training of the youth in the state.

Newly elected executive members of the National Igbo Cultural Association, Adamawa Branch, taking Oath of Allegiance in Yola, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Okorocha chides PDP over zoning vice president position to South East … slot a welcome development- party chieftain

mo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha yesterday critised the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over zoning the position of Vice-President to the South-East for the 2019 election.

But in a swift reaction, a PDP stalwart, Enyinaya Onuegbe, said Governor Okorocha should apologise to Ndigbo for deceiving them to move to the All Progressives Congress, APC. The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, described the

transpired at the tribunal’s sittings. “We have not come here to upturn the electoral victory of the respondent nor endorse it,” he assured, adding that the tribunal would meticulously consider all the grievances, complaints and responses to the grievances. According to him, the tribunal will correct such grievances “where they are found to be justified’ or “where such grievances are found to be frivolous, say so.” He said that the tribunal received three petitions; one from the re-run election in Abia North Senatorial District and two from Aba North State Constituency. It would be recalled

that Chief Orji Kalu, of the Progressive People’s Alliance, PPA, is challenging the declaration of Senator Mao Ohuabunwa, (PDP) as the winner of the re-run in Abia North. The victory of Dr. Blessing Nwagba in Aba North State Constituency is also being challenged by Ogbudinka Nkemka, PPA, and Kennedy Anunobi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance. Meanwhile, the tribunal has struck out Ohuabunwa’s motion in which he claimed that he was not duly served the petition by Kalu. The tribunal also granted Kalu’s application seeking to inspect the materials used during the re-run.

Chris Njoku Owerri

Don’t attempt to influence our decisions, tribunal warns hairman of the National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, Justice James Abundaga, has warned politicians against any attempt to influence the course of justice. The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the tribunal was inaugurated to handle petitions arising from the Senatorial and House of Assembly re-run elections held in Abia North Senatorial District and Aba North State Constituency. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Abundaga said that any attempt by anybody to influence the tribunal

tiating the collaboration and expressed the preparedness of the ITF to meet the objectives and desires of the state. He disclosed further

whole thing as a mockery of the South-East zone and her people. ‘’When one remembers that the PDP has suddenly felt that the SouthEast could occupy the VicePresident position for the 2019 election and almost one year after it had lost power, and it does not have the slightest chance of winning the 2019 poll. Indeed, the PDP is just making mockery of the South-East.” He noted that for 16 years, the PDP was in power, the party never had any reason to remember that the SouthEast, as a major block in the country, could occupy the Vice-President position or could hold any of the sensitive positions in the country, adding that they are just waking up from their slumber after being out of power. “The PDP never allowed the South-East to have the President, the Vice-President, the Senate President, the Speaker of House of Representatives and so on. The South-East totally lost out in the PDP government. “Even in terms of projects, the South-East had a very rough experience in the PDP government. All the federal roads in the zone were all death traps

until the party was voted out of power. The second Niger Bridge became endless pit for the PDP. Some oil locations belonging to some states in the zone were taken away and given to other states outside the zone. It was a hopeless situation for the zone in PDP,” he noted. According to the governor; “they have begun to dangle or brandish the Vice President position before the zone because they desperately want power again. And they also know that what the zone could not get from the PDP government, they could now get from the Mohammadu Buhariled APC government. He said that the SouthEast would be strong in APC if they give President Buhari all the needed support and solidarity, adding the South-East should see the PDP’s Vice President gift as a Greek one. Reacting to the Governor Okorocha’s comment, former Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Imo State, Enyinaya Onuegbu, flayed the governor’s stand, noting that the governor was the same person that said that the Igbo man was nowhere within the top echelon of PDP administration at federal level.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

New protocol causes congestion at Lagos Airport

… passengers scramble for immigration form Olusegun KOIKI

he arrival and departure halls of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, were over the weekend thrown into chaos over the inadequate Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, Passenger Form given to air travellers. Our correspondent who was at the terminal, observed that most of the arriving passengers knelt down on the ground at the arrival hall of the airport to fill the forms, which was hitherto given to them by either ground handling companies or airlines before going through check-in processes. The form is filled by air travellers either departing or arriving a country. Our correspondent further observed that the landing and embankment form, which is popularly known as immigration form is now given directly to air travellers by immigration officers at the airport, a situation, which has led to uncontrolled congestion at the arrival and departure halls of the terminal. At the arrival hall, passengers of British Airways and other airlines that arrived on Saturday evening were seen kneeling down on the floor and scrambling for few available spaces to feel the form before they could proceed for other processes. At the departure hall, there are only three small immigration counters, which could only accom-

News

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

modate five air travellers dedicated for such purpose. Passengers with luggage and family also placed the form on the floor of the hall to fill. A source close to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, NCAA, who does not want his name in print as he is not allowed to speak to the media on the issue confided in our correspondent that the agency was worried about the poor situation the passengers were exposed to by the immigration officers attached to the airport. The source said that NCAA through the Consumer Protection Directorate, CPD, had written a letter to NIS complaining of the inhuman treatment meted out on passengers and urged the agency to reverse to the old practice, but was yet to receive a response from the service.

N47.7bn fraud: EFCC arraigns Tompolo, siblings in absentia Wale IgbIntade

he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday arraigned former Niger/Delta militant leader, Government Oweize Ekemupolo, popularly called Tompolo before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. Tompolo, who was arraigned in absentia, is facing a 22 count-criminal charge bordering on fraud, conversation of public fund to personal use and forgery. Also arraigned are siblings of the immediate past Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Ziadeke Akpolobokemi, who was also arraigned before the court. The Akpolobokemi’s siblings include: Igo Akpolobokemi, Julius Akpolobokemi, Stephen Akpolobokemi,

Victor Akpolobokemi, Norbert Akpolobokemi, Emmanuel Ebizimo Akpolobokemi, and Clement Akpolobokemi. While those docked alongside the former NIMASA Director-General were: Kime Engozu, Josephine Otuaga, Rita Uruakpa. Also arraigned with Akpolobokemi are seven limited liability companies which include: Mieka Dive Training Institute LTD/ GTE, Oyeinteke Global Network Limited, Wabod Global Resources Limited, Boloboere Properties Estate Limited, Gokaid Marine and Oil and Gas Limited, Muhaabix Global Service Limited and Watershed Associated Resources. The EFCC in charge number FHC/L/C/31c/2016, alleged that the accused persons had sometime in 2014, within the jurisdiction of the court with an intend to defraud, conspired among

themselves and obtained the total sum of N47, 683, 464, 822 billion from the Federal Government of Nigeria, The accused persons also alleged to have between May 6, 2014 and December 2, 2014, forged and uttered a Certificate of Customary Rights of Occupancy of the old Bendel State of Nigeria, and purportedly issued same to NIMASA, claiming that it was issued by Warri South Local Government Council, Delta State, to the prejudice of the Federal Government of Nigeria. They were also alleged to have received the sum of N11,900,000,00 billion from the Federal Government of Nigeria, by falsely pretending that all the land and its appurtenances lying and situated at Mieka Diva Training Institute, Kurutie, Warri South LGA, Delta State, be acquired by the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, for the

L-R: Secretary to Delta State Government, Hon. Ovie Agas; Director, North China Construction Nigeria Limited, Mr. Bob Lin; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa; Chairman, North China Construction Nigeria Limited, Mr. Wu Guo Qi and Managing Director, North China Construction Nigeria Limited, Dr. Osadebe Osakwe, during a courtesy visit on the governor by a delegation of the construction company in Asaba, yesterday.

temporary campus of Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Warri South, LGA, is from encumbrance. The offences according to EFCC prosecutors, Mr. Festus Keyamo and Rotimi Oyedepo, are contrary to sections 8, 1(b) of Advance Fee Fraud, 18 (a), 15 (1) of Money Laundering Prohibition Amendment Act, 2012, and punishable under section 1 (3), 15(3) of the same Act, and 1(2)(c) Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the federation 2004. All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges. Counsel to the accused persons, which includes; Dr. Joseph Nwobike, (SAN), Mr. inaji E. U, and Mr. Oyesoji Oyeleke, urged the court to admit them to bail in liberal term. Nwobike (SAN), and Inaji, particularly pleaded with the court to allow their clients, Akpolobokemi and Kime Engozu to continue with the bail terms granted them in other criminal charges they have before the court. Ruling on the bail application, the presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba, while conceding to the request of Nwobike (SAN), and Inaji, however admitted bail to Josephine Otuaga, Rita Uruakpa in the sum of N50 million with one surety each. The surety according to Justice Buba, must show evidence of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, and sworn to affidavit of means, while the two accused persons be remanded at EFCC custody, pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

Former YABATECH Bursar to account for N1.6b missing money –Management saIdat alausa

acked Bursar of Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Lagos, Mr. Olusegun Ibirogba and six others are to account for missing N1.6 billion allegedly stolen from the college coffers between 2008 and 2013. In a press release signed by the Head of Public Relations section of the polytechnic, Mr. Charles Oni, and made available to National Mirror, the money, according to a committee set up by the management to audit the Student Ac-

count Section of the institution based on audit query raised by Adebayo Arowolo & Co auditing firm, found out that about N1,682,806,539 was unaccounted for within the period. Chairman of the investigation committee, Mr. Joseph Akeju, explained that Ibirogba and his associates, Charles Akhariya, Mrs Onabanjo Olukorode, Azeez Ajewole, Michael Oyenola, Amu Foluke, Egbemi Chinwe and Florence Egbeni allegedly jointly carted away both the software and hard copies of records of payment and other records from the Student Account

Section of the bursary. “Although that made the assignment tedious, but because of the commitment of the committee members, we were able to collect data from the Registry on student enrolment, bank reconciliation reports, interview with both bursary and registry staff and we were able to get results. “Comparing the actual amount with the expected earnings between 2008 and 2009, the committee found that the variance in 2008 was N108, 393,665. The variance for 2009 was N119, 807,030 and the figures continued to increase to N656,376,570 in 2013,” he

said. Akeju blamed the alleged theft of huge sums of money from the bursary during the period covered by the investigation when Ibirogba and Akharayi were bursar and head of student section respectively on “the throwing up of strangers into the bursary unit to boss their seniors and rampage the system,” a serious infringement of the system. Ibirogba who was brought in from the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, and became a bursar a few months before the incumbent Rector assumed office was allegedly given ac-

celerated promotion, and allowed to bring into the system, six other accountants from his former institution. According to Akeju, Ibirogba allegedly used his hirelings to block the control system and circumvent the audit control mechanism, thereby allowing leakages in the revenue accruing to the college. “Normal account reconciliation became non-existent as the Student Accounts Section became a sacred cow where nobody dare ventured, contrary to Section 2501 and 2502 of the Financial Regulation of 2009.” Receiving the report, YA-

BATECH Rector, Dr. Margaret Ladipo, expressed dismay at the level of fraud allegedly perpetuated by the sacked bursar and his collegues. Ladipo said all efforts would be made to retrieve every kobo stolen by the group through lawful means. “This is an eye opener that it was corruption that fought the college almost to a standstill these past few years.” It is pertinent to mention that Ibirogba who joined the college in 2006 was suspended in 2013 and was later sacked by the management of the college last year.

North

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria, France to sign N11.15bn loan for power training Chidi UgwU ABUJA

he Federal Government and the government of France are set to commit 50m Euros (N11.15billion) for upgrading of power training facilities in Nigeria. The Director-General, National Power Training Institute of Nigeria, Engineer Reuben Okeke, disclosed this during the NAPTIN Graduate Skills Development Programme graduation ceremony on Monday in Abuja The NAPTIN boss said both countries are to sign a 50m Euros (N11.15bn) loan in May for the project. According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to sign on behalf of Nigeria, while French President will sign for his country. Okeke said: “By next month, the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria and that of France will be signing a loan agreement to get NAPTIN completely transformed, up to a tune of 50m Euros.” Central Bank of Nigeria on Monday puts one Euro at N222.8, meaning that Nigeria and France will be signing a loan that is worth N11.15bn. The NAPTIN boss further stated that the fund would support the institute in its NGSDP initiative, stressing that the programme was the answer to solv-

ing manpower shortage in the technical skillsset in Nigeria’s power equation. He said: “Mindful of the fact that the success of the recent power sector reform will in part depend on the availability of qualified workforce to meet the needs of the industry and the corresponding need to structure its operations to reflect the needs of the private sector, NAPTIN is currently working with a leading international consulting outfit through funding support of the Agence Francaise de Development to evolve a new strategic plan. “This plan does not only encompass the training needs of the new private entrants, but also their participation in the delivery process.” Okeke stated that with the assistance of AFD, the Nigerian Power Institute would become a hub for power sector professional development for not only the West African Coast, but for the continent in general. He said 154 candidates enrolled for the NGSDP training under the 2014/2015 batch. “Out of a total of 154 candidates that enrolled for the 2014/2015 batch, today, we are witnessing the graduation of a total of 142 engineers, comprising of 48 distribution engineers, 58 generation and 36 in the transmission cadre,” he said.

Boko Haram insurgents attack Nigerian troops in Kareto

he military yesterday confirmed that its troops were fiercely attacked by Boko Haram insurgents at Kareto, Borno State. This was contained in an operational update issued through the Director of Army Public Relations, DAPR, Colonel Sani Usman. Usman said that the terrorists engaged the troops for hours through-

out yesterday. He said that the fighting commenced in the early hours of Monday. “Boko Haram terrorists attack troops of 113 Battalion at Kareto, Northern Borno State. “The troops have been battling the insurgents since early hours of today. Details to follow shortly,” assuring to update on the outcome.

National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), picketing the Jos Electricity Distribution Plc’s headquarters over the sack of some workers and disparity in salary of staff, in Jos, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

ICPC arraigns fake doctor …seeks to recover over N17m earned as salary MarCUs FatUnMole ABUJA

ndependent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, yesterday arraigned a fake doctor, Martins Ugwu, before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, demanding among other punishments that he return “over N17 million” he earned as salary to government. Ugwu, who has been widely described as notorious impostor by leaders of the Federal Ministry of Health, was alleged to have stolen the certificates of his childhood friend, Dr. George Davidson, and used same to seek and gain employment with government for nine years. Ugwu, according to earlier reports by National Mirror, did not only romanced and won the hearts of various leaderships of the Federal Ministry of Health where he worked between September 21, 2006 and May 31, 2015, he headed all doctors working in the ministry for many years. He won election as Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, the ministry’s chapter. Ugwu was the best man to his friend, Davidson, the day he wedded. Davidson had told National Mirror

that his credentials got missing on his wedding day, and that the news went viral, even in newspapers then. The accused unsettled leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health when he revealed to journalists, last year, how the N1.9 billion Ebola Virus Fund released by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014 to enable the ministry fight the disease was looted. The ministry’s helmsmen soon scrutinised his credentials through the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, as he was seen to have amassed immense power in the ministry. That was how he was discovered to have been earning salaries and other benefits from government for nine years as an impostor. He specifically earned N17, 024,017.90, without tax and union deductions, according to government. Ugwu was said to have worked in areas where expertise of a doctor could not be tested in the ministry. Police waded into his allegations against his bosses and made frantic efforts to arrest the former Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Linus Awute, among others. Ugwu’s allegations were soon discovered by the police to have

been unfounded. Prosecutor said the offences committed by the accused are punishable under section 25 (1) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000. He was also accused of deceiving the Chairman of Federal Civil Service Commission when he claimed in the form submitted that his next of kin is ‘Ugwu Martins’ “thereby making false statements contrary to section 25 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.” The Police had in August last year arraigned the 44-year-old before a Federal High Court Abuja over the stealing of certificates of exemption of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (obtained in 2002 at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria) and General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level), all belonging to Davidson. At the commencement of trial yesterday, Ugwu’s counsel did not appear in court, prompting an adjournment to May 25. The court ordered the accused to pay N20, 000 to cover transportation and accommodation for Davidson, who travelled from Jos, where he in residency training at Bingham Uni-

versity Teaching Hospital. Ugwu is being charged on eight count charge of stealing and impersonation. In the charge signed by Osuobeni Ekpo Akponimisingha for the Attorney General of the Federation, ICPC accused Ugwu of presenting stolen certificates of his friend to the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC on 30, August, 2006 to gain employment with the Federal Government. The accused was placed on Grade Level 12 when he joined the ministry. Until his arrest, he was a Senior Medical Officer II, SGL13. Mr. Martins Ugwu Okpe hails from Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State. The Real doctor Davidson had also told National Mirror in Abuja that he was disappointed with the attitude of his friend and that his action had caused him (the real doctor) shame. The accused bowed his head all through the proceeding in court yesterday. Ironically too, it was the first time in ten years that he would face his friend Davidson, who was available in court to testify against him. Ugwu did not look at his friend in the face all through the period he was in court.

Monday, April 19, 2016

Only Edo people will decide Oshiomhole’s successor —Imansuagbon

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Edo PDP guber aspirants at loggerheads onAzenA Abbey BEnin

risis is currently brewing within the various camps of the gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Edo state ahead of the party’s primary over alleged campaign of calumny and character assassination . One of the gubernatorial aspirants, Osaro Onaiwu, yesterday petitioned the leadership of the party to call Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu , also an aspirant , to order over inflammatory comments against other aspirants of the party He quoted Pastor IzeIyamu to have said besides

him no other PDP aspirants can boldly criticize Governor Oshiomhole and that he was the only one that gave N100,000 to each 192 wards during the elections coupled with the fact that he is the only person that has the capacity to fight APC and that other aspirants don’t have what it takes. “But let me remind him, he said he has structures more than three of us, during the last elections, I am from the two Ovia, we were able to deliver the two constituencies for Omosede Igbinedion to win the House of Representatives election. Mathew Iduoriyekemwen is from Ikpoba Okhai, he was able to deliver EJ Agbonay-

inma as a House of Reps member today. “Solomon Edebiri is from Uhumwonde, he delivered Uhumwonde votes. Pastor Ize-Iyamu is from Orhiomwon and our candidate Larry Ogieva lost the House of Representatives election. He could not deliverfor Larry in Orhiomwon. Urhoghide who is a senator today in Edo South, went to the court because of Oriomnwon votes. So if he says he is the one who can win election,

he should have delivered Orhiomwon for PDP. “Also don’t forget he is the only aspirant among the four of us who has changed his Local Government twice. He was operating in Oredo , has moved to Orhiomwon. Is that the kind of person you want us to trust. They destroyed PDP in this state that we are trying to build back. No matter the differences you had in the party you ganged up against it and you are proud to say that you formed the

Grace Group to destroy PDP and today you said you want to pick PDP governorship ticket. “You are proud to say that the leadership of the party at that time de-registered you and you went to form ACN, why did you not remain in the ACN that you formed, why did you not remain with Oshiomhole that you are criticizing. Was it that Oshiomhole was not doing well when you left him. If there are issued you have with Os-

hiomhole go and sort it out and leave the party out of it. Don’t create an impression that you are the only one that can fight APC, we are not going to war and no individual have an exclusive right to violence. He therefore urged the party leadership to advise Pastor Ize Iyamu to go about his campaign telling the people what he can do for them when elected and not going about assassinating other peoples characters

Ex-FERMA Chief, supporters dump PDP for APC in Ekiti Abiodun nejo Ado Ekiti

ollowing alleged neglect, former board member of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, Mrs Remi Anisulowo-Fadipe and key members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP have dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress, APC. Anisulowo-Fadipe who joined the APC on Sunday evening in her Are - Ekiti Ward in Irepodun/Ifelodun Council area alongside about 60 of her supporters, said she left PDP because of alleged injustice and dictatorial tendencies of the state governor. She added that the alleged failure of the governor to carry everybody along in the party and governmental affairs had made the PDP in the state unattractive. The former PDP exofficio expressed regrets that key PDP leaders in all parts of the state were leaving the state ruling party in droves over the governor’s leadership style which, she alleged, had rendered the party unpopular in Ekiti.

The new APC member said that she was attracted to her new party because of “the quality of leadership and sincerity exhibited by President Muhammadu Buhari in tackling the problems created by the 16-year leadership of the PDP”. At hand to receive Anisulowo-Fadipe and the new entrants were the APC State Deputy Chairman, Mrs Kemisola Olaleye; Ekiti Central Senatorial Chairman, Chief George Ojo; State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun; State Women Leader, Mrs Dupe Bakare; ward and local government executives of the party. Anisulowo-Fadipe, who described her new party’s chances as “very bright,” promised to work hard for the APC in Are Ward, Irepodun/Ifelodun council area and the state in future elections. Ekiti APC Deputy Chairman, Mrs Olaleye, who described Mrs Anisulowo-Fadipe as “a grassroots mobilizer, giant with a lot of electoral value and an asset,” said new APC members were accorded the same privileges with old members.

L-R: Member House of Representatives Committee on Army, Hon. Adeyinka Ajayi; Clerk of the House, Hon. Balarabe Inuwa and Chairman, House of Representatives, Committee on Army, Hon. Rimamnde Kwewum, during the fact-finding visit to investigate the alleged Army invasion of Ogoni land, in Port-Harcourt, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

PDP ’ll sweep Lagos councils poll-Salvador

s Lagos State warms up for another local government election, the poll’s umpire-Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, LASIEC-has been tasked to rise above board and ensure that the will of the people prevail through the ballot box. Giving the charge in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, a leading contestant for the position of Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chairman, Hon. Moshood Salvador said going by the realities on ground, both in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole, the next Lagos council poll will end up as a

popularity test between the PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress. “The PDP is fully prepared for the council election but we urge the LASIEC members to write their names in gold by ensuring that the will of the people prevail. Also, Lagosians should stand in vigilance by their votes. “The PDP is doing the needful to make serious impact at the next council poll because we are a party that is not owned by any individual; the people at the grassroots own the party, they are to decide their representatives and nobody is going to impose anybody on them.”

Salvador also hinted that factions within the Lagos PDP had closed ranks for the common goal of rebuilding the party and restoring it to the path of victory in future polls. He averred that it was for this reason that some contestants in the forthcoming PDP congresses and Convention offered to sacrifice their ambitions to ensure that consensus candidates emerge. Salvador particularly hailed the maturity displayed by some contestants in the Lagos PDP who withdrew from the race to enable him emerge as their chairman. “They knew that I am only

coming to build the party, to devote my personal resources, as I have always done, to ensure that the PDP consolidate on its commendable feat in the last election, by taking over Lagos. “I am not coming to spend the party’s money but to spend for the party and my records are there for everyone to verify,” he explained. Meanwhile, Salvador, who was a member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2003, has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari administration against “the blame game,” concerning the parlous state of the economy.

Politics

Monday, April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Army-Shiite clash: Arewa youth decries plans to politicise investigation AdeolA Tukuru AbujA

s the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the December 2015 killings in Zaria, Kaduna state continues to sit, the Arewa Youths Intellectual Forum have raised an alarm over plots to politicize the investigation ahead of the 2019 general elections. The group said there are plans by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN to pitch the Federal Government against the Kaduna State Government in the investigation. The National Secretary of the Forum, Peter Bawa, yesterday in Abuja said it will do all it can to resist the sinister attempt to politicise and rubbish the investigation into the Zaria incident. The group also urged the Federal Government to do everything possible to stop the radicalisation and militarisation of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, IMN or any other group, sect or religion that has the indoctrination of youths as its focus. “ It is out of our desire to

prevent a repeat of the trauma that Arewa Youths have endured and must never be allowed to experience again” “We are worried that the various probes of the Zaria incident are at risk of being politicised and the narrative hijacked by the IMN. “We have signed up to being part of a secular Nigeria and therefore we are at a loss as to where IMN wants to drag this country to “These elements are trying to create unnecessary bad blood between the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Nigerian Army and the Kaduna State Government as a last resort to remain relevant in the minds of Nigerians and to impress the foreign powers that are bankrolling them. “ We should all be worried that persons who are citizens of this country are the ones undermining not just its sovereignty but are also bent on wiping Nigerian off the map of the world as we currently know it “The attempt to politicize the proceedings was inducing enough without trying to paint the Nigerian Army into the politics of 2019.

“We are desirous of unbiased findings that will help in fashioning future responses and initiatives that will free youths from the clutches of extreme doctrines. “We are in an age where youths of other countries are charting the way to conquer space and we have here educated persons debunking the concept of a sovereign state in pursuit of extremism. While lamenting the stigma that the Northern youths have passed through as a result of the December 2015

incident, Bawa said, “when Boko Haram insurgency became a national, regional and later an international nuisance it was the youths of northern origin that bore and still bear the brunt of the sins of these extremists. “Whenever we travel to cities outside of our home states we are given that derisive look on public transport, at job interviews, in open spaces, and any other place that we are compelled to be by necessity. “Travel out of the country

offered no relief as nations of the world have been sold the bogus myth of “ChristianSouth and Muslim-North” that led to the inevitable conclusion “Since Arewa Youth has been known as a a Boko Haram sympathiser, we are profiled by the security agents of these countries on the assumption that the search for radicalised youths is more effective when confined to youths of our extractions “he said “Equally important is

that by virtue of geographical proximity, Arewa Youths constitute the larger percentage of persons that have been killed by the insurgency. “Some of those lucky to be alive have likely lost bread winners or other loved ones to the terrorists. “In terms of employment, the years of violence have not only destroyed the economy of the affected places but have also killed off all the possible employment opportunities that would have kept us gainfully engaged.

Lagos assembly to establish LG Economic Planning Board

obert Awokuse

Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly are set to pass a bill to establish Local Government Economic Planning and Development Board for Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in the State into law. A private member bill sponsored by Deputy Speaker, Hon. Eshilokun Sanni yesterday sailed through its second reading during the Assembly’s plenary. The bill if passed into law according to the lawmaker would synchronize the Local Government and LCDAs in economic planning and development. The bill is in cognizance to the constitution and will go a long way to promote and strengthen the financial status of the state. Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa said the intendment of the bill is to harmonize the economic growth in our country and to promote harmony between each LG and LCDAs in other to pro-

mote and sustain the state economy especially from the grassroot. Hon. Rasheed Makinde, representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency II, reiterated that the bill is people- oriented bill. He said if properly managed it would allow the local government to look beyond their allocation. It will also increase their income and expenditure while it will allow government to do better in areas of development. The bill has been assigned to Committee on Economic Planning and Budget for further actions that would speed up its passage into law. In another development, the members have adopted the presentation of report of a six-man ad-hoc committee on petition titled “Re: Allocation of a Parcel of land at Alabeke, Inukan village, Oloko-Nla, Eti-Osa Local Government Area also referred to as Moremi Residential Scheme by the Lands, NTDA and Surveyor-General Office” as a resolution of the House.

L-R: Senator Ganiyu Solomon Lagos SSG, Mr Tunji Bello and Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, during the 1st Year 2016 Quarterly Town Hall meeting of the Governor held at Ikorodu, recently.

I won’t leave office until 2018- Kwara PDP Chairman Wole A dedeji IlorIn

wara State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo has said that contrary to wide speculations, the party will not hold congress in the state until 2018. Iyiola made this known on Monday in Ilorin while addressing selected party leaders from each of the 16 Local Government Areas of the State at the party secretariat. He demanded of the meeting to ignore any call from any quarter for the dissolution of the state executive of the party which he said amounted to “an act of

indiscipline”. According to Oyedepo, his executive came into office in the middle of April 2014 and was sworn- in on April 17, 2014 pointing out that their four-year term would not end until April 15, 2018.. “Section 47(1) of the 2012 PDP amended constitution gives to any officer of the party elected through congress a tenure of four years. By the Constitution of the party, we are due to leave office on the 15th of April 2018. “We are not asking for elongation of tenure, but on the constitution of the party we stand,” Oyedepo added. The chairman decried the call by a section of the party members who he said wanted to dis-

solve the state executive that he heads unconstitutionally. “It is also calculated to destroy the party and the way some of our so called leaders go to champion the dissolution project shows an evidence of party indiscipline,” he stressed.. He accused the agitators for the dissolution of his executive of being “saboteurs and destroyers of PDP because they refused to take cognizance of the relevant sections of the party’s constitution”. Defending himself from being responsible for the defeat of PDP in the 2015 general election, Oyedepo lamented that “the fact that PDP in Kwara went for elections in 2015 and lost

woefully was not the making of the executives of the party”. “All the candidates of the party ran their elections the way they wanted with very scanty reference to the party executives at all levels. We did not handle campaign funds of the candidates and we were not involved in the logistical operations of the campaign. According to him, during the 2015 governorship election, all the candidates controlled their own garrison, adding that no party member was ready to listen to the executive. Oyedepo said it was after the elections that the process of rebuilding the party for future elections began. “

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Tears as Reps begin probe of Ogoni killings Dennis naku, Port Harcourt

ears flowed freely yesterday as the House of Representatives began investigation into the alleged killing by the Nigerian Army in Ogoni land, Rivers State. This is as families of victims of those killed cried openly and called on the federal government to come to their aid. Members of the House Committee on Army has paid a courtesy visit to the state governor, Nyesom Wike, and Speaker, House of Assembly, said they were in the state on fact-finding mission. Chairman of the Committee, Rima Shawulu Kwewum, while addressing members of the State House of Assembly in Port Harcourt at the Assembly complex, said the visit became imperative following the weighty nature of the allegations leveled against the Nigerian Army. He stated that presently, Army was deployed to the 36 states of the federation, adding that it had the obligation to protect the nation from any aggression. In his opening remarks, the chairman stated that, “We are not here to pursue anybody’s agenda. We are here because of the allegation against Army. In his remark, the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Dabo Adams, charged the committee members to be transparent in their fact-finding mission in the state, particularly concerning the alleged Army killing in Ogo-

niland. First to give testimony at the sitting was the Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO), which was presented by the Chairman, CLO, South-South, Karl Chinedu. He told the Committee that CLO’s petition was based on several reports submitted to the organisation by communities and families of victims affected. The traditional ruler of Yeghe Community, Chief Barinaada Gbaranee, in his testimony, alleged that Nigerian Army’s invasion had caused unrest in his kingdom. He reiterated that Mr. Solomon Ndigbara was a peaceful citizen of Yeghe, adding that the exit of the Army in his community would bring peace and jubilation. He maintained that there was no crisis in his community to demand Army invasion and victimisation. The paramount ruler stressed that Army lied in their statement that they were attacked while responding to distress calls. According to him, over 30 persons died as a result of the Army onslaught in Yeghe and other neighbouring communities. Legal representative to Chief Ndigbara, Barr. Eugene Odey, declared that the manner and operations of the Army in Yeghe Community did not conform with the 1999 Constitution. He said his client was not convicted and should be protected by the amnesty programme. Odey stressed: “Army should be withdrawn from Yeghe community, and the property of my client should be restored. The

Apprehension in Edo over dissolution of LGAs Onazena abbey Benin

orkers in some of the eighteen local government councils in Edo State yesterday shut down the entrance gates to the secretariats in protest of non-payment of their thirteen months salaries few days to the expiration of the tenure of the council chairmen who are expected to officially hand over on Thursday this week Meanwhile official business in some of the councils secretariats have been grounded in apparent dissatisfaction with the executive chairmen who, for one reason or the other, were deficient in regular payment of salaries.

Workers in the council including political appointees lamented the inability of the chairmen to pay their claims, saying that records in their various accounts department showed that the claims have been collected by the chairmen. They lamented that even when council workers couldn’t get money for Christmas, New Year and Easter celebration, some of the chairmen were busy organising parties, and building mansions. Meanwhile, the Edo State House of Assembly has directed council chairmen across the eighteen local governments to hand over power to their Head of Service latest on Thursday 21st April, 2016.

manner of operation is what we are questioning”. A mild drama ensued as the families of the victims broke down in tears for several minutes, crying and calling on government to save them from Nigerian Army. Also testifying at the public hearing was the husband of the pregnant woman, allegedly shot dead by the Army on February 22, 2016. Sorbarinor Dornubari Nwiba-

ni, 27 years old widow, alleged that her husband was shot dead by soldiers. She called on the committee to carry out thorough investigations on the allegation. Also, Thomas Nwafor from Ebonyi State told the lawmakers that he lost his two younger brothers, Chinedu and Kelechi Nwafor, as well as two others people. According to him, four of them died on the spot.

Israel Iganali, 25 years, told the committee that his elder sister’s husband, Kenneth, was shot dead at No. 1 Taabaa Road, Bori. “I witnessed everything that happened,” he said. Another eyewitness simplied identified as Goodluck, said he survived by the whiskers. Another testifier, Justus Nwika, told the committee that his son, Joel, was allegedly killed by soldiers, at Taabaa junction.

Chairman house of Representatives Committee on Army, Rep. Rimamnde Kwewun (l) receiving Souvenir from Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers during the Committee`s Courtesy visit to the Governor in Port Harcourt, yesterday. PHOTO:NAN

Road repairs: C`River wants N34b refund from FG RichaRD nDOma calaBar

Cross River State government is seeking N34 billion refunds from the Federal Government as compensation for rehabilitation of federal roads in the state. National Mirror gathered that Cross River State government had defended its claims before the National Assembly Committee on Works and Finance who carried out findings on the claims made by government of Cross River State. However, it was also learnt that government of Cross River State got about N250 million only as refund from the federal government for the money which it spent to rehabilitate federal roads in Cross River despite the

fact that the committee on road rehabilitation gave approval of N4 billion out of the N34 billion which the state claimed to have spent on road repairs across the state. The Cross River State Commissioner for Works, Engr. Dan Osim-Asu, made the remark when he spoke on the sorry state of both state and federal roads across the state. The commissioner maintained that the amount was too meagre, when compared to the amount the state government spent to rehabilitate the roads. “If you go round the entire South-South region of Nigeria, you will discover that the state of federal roads is worst in Cross River. “I have mentioned this and taken it up in several fora and met the minister twice on this,

and he has promised to visit and see things for himself. “The problem of access of Calabar-Itu highway has become incessant. In most cases, that road is rendered impassable for months either by heavy rains or heavy traffic. “As a result, the state government has moved in repeatedly to provide palliatives to rehabilitate that road,’’ he said. The commissioner averred that the Governor Ben Ayade’s administration was desirous to take over the Calabar-Itu federal highway by means of a tolled superhighway. “We thought that we should be able to take over the CalabarItu Federal Highway by means of a tolled superhighway. We wrote for that to the president through the minister,’’ Osimasu maintained.

C’River setsinto asideyour Invite God N1.7 billionpastor for Food marriage, Bank urgesCommission couples RichaRd Ndoma CAlAbAr CALABAR

T A

hessistant Government of Cross Pastor, ReRiver State has budgeted deemed Christian about N1.7 billion the Church of forGod establishment of a food bank (RCCG), Calabar Cross commission in the state. River Province 4, Pastor Governor of the state, Ben Albert while Oluwaleyimu, a Ayade, receiving ain delsermon held at the weekegation from Heritage Bank led end married couby itscharged coordinator of the Home ples in the country to Grown School Feeding valProgramme, Mr. Godwin ue the presence ofUkwat, God on in a courtesy visit in his office in their matrimonial homes Calabar, . if theyMonday are interested in The governor averred that that enjoying the blessings the Food Bank Commission is associated with the marwas structured in a manner riage institution. that each local government Oluwaleyimu gave would have a director, whilethe excharge the at willingness the solemnisapressing of the tiongovernment of holy to matrimony state key into the Home Grownformer School Feeding between Miss Programme on the condition Martina Inyango and Mr. that it is given the(Jnr.), free hand to Samuel Ntino held run it. in Calabar. Ayade decried the fact that In his sermon titled, the practice of agriculture in ‘The ABC of a Glorithe country was still at the subous Home’ he said sistence level, stating that itthat was the importance of God’s time the country embraced the presence in every maruse of technology in farming. “We are at a time agririage could not where be overculture is driven by stressing technology emphasised, in developed where that before countries; any marriage farming is inGods the hands of big succeeds, presence farmers and infrastructure must be acknowledged at such as roads, water and power all times. are provided,” the governor The clergy maintained maintained. that instiHe marriage argued thatas it an would be tution was ordained by counter-productive to encourGodfarmers and urged thosewith in age to continue “stone-age” agricultural practhe institution to operate tices which dotenets not evenof provide within the God insurance cover for the farmers. if they did not want to see In his presentation, the shame. Heritage Bank Head of AgricThe pastor stated that Finance, Mr. Gbenga Awe, said it Godschool had thatwas the because home grown regards for the institufeeding programme was one of tion of marriage Jethe social safety nets ofthat the fedsus government, Christ wentwhich ahead to eral seeks to employ 300,000 youths in the perform his first miracle country . of turning water into He at disclosed that the prowine a wedding feast gramme is meant toto feed school According him, pupils from Primary One to Six “The letter A means you with the aim of encouraging should ask for the preslearning, asserting that it was ence ofdifficult the king ofchild glory. usually for a to If the kingand of learn glory is an in concentrate with your stomach. marriage, you will empty never NothAwe know furthershame. explained that ingscheme brings shame to on a the would be funded the basis of than 60 perdefeat cent forand the marriage federal government and 40 per failure. cent“B formeans the stateyou governments. must beHe outlined the benefits to lieve in Him, while C emstates to include a boost to Inphasises the need to call ternally Generated Revenue as on Him at all times. Marit brings a large population of riage has itsthe own sharesecof persons from informal life challenges, it’s full of tor to the formal sector thereby trials and temptations.” expanding the state access to cautioned married theHe tax base. couples against He listed states inviting that are already on whenever to the proa thirdsigned party gramme to include,challengKaduna, they experience Zamfara, Osun,matrimonial Oyo, Jigawa, es in their Benue home.and Enugu states.

Tuesday, Tuesday, April April 19, 12, 2016 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

A’Ibomtodetects 1,458 BVN-related frauds Ayade include non-indigenes in cabinet in public servants, pensioners’ accounts

kwa Ibom government on Monday said it had uncovered 1,458 cases of Bank Verification Number (BVN)-related frauds involving civil servants and pensioners in the public service. The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon, said this while inaugurating an eight-man BVN Verification Committee to address those anomalies in Uyo. Okon said the present administration had done a lot to reposition public servant’s payroll system for efficiency and effectiveness. He added that BVN was one of the mechanisms deployed to checkmate activities of ``ghost workers’’ and pensioners, particularly in the public service. He explained that each individual was entitled to one BVN, irrespective of the number of accounts one had. Starter packs for distribution by the Delta government as empowerment items to 540 youths who He said ``the Akwa Ibom State graduated from the State’s Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (STEP) after a six-month trainGovernment has detected cases ing, in Asaba, yesterday. PHOTO: NAN where one BVN is tied to more than one person. Okon charged the committee to ``This is worrisome and it may Other members of the commit- the Assistant Director, Computer see the assignment as a clarion call imply multiple and pension of Finance, tee areAlamieyeseigha Mrs. Eno Offiong, the PerCasket bearingsalary the remains of the former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepriye arriving atCentre, BanquetMinistry Hall, government house to the service of the state. collections.’’ for a Valedictory State Executive Council Session In Yenagoa, at the weekend. manent Secretary, Office of the would serve as Secretary. The News Agency of Nigeria The commissioner stressed the Head of Service and Mrs. Stella The committee has one month (NAN) reports that the Verifi- government. with participation, the governor hadBVN instructneed for public servants to take that complete thetheir authentication exEtukakpan, the Permanent Sec- to that R ichaRd of Ndoma cation Committee is on headed by the ownership the payroll system to there would be enduring peace “You know that His Exceled him to embark a tour of ercise and also make recommendaretary , Department of EstablishCALABAR Permanent Secretary in the Minisensure it was not opened to fraud the in to the state. Ayade has em- tions three senatorial districts lency, the state government. ment, Governor while Mr. Sunday Udioko, try of Finance, Mrs. Eme-ete Imuk. and leakages. rrangement has been of “Cross River State is a tourthe state to sensitise the barked on a number of projects concluded by the gover- people on government policies and some of them are at the ism state and both indigenes nor of Cross River State, and programmes. verge of completion. We need and non-indigenes must work Prof. Ben Ayade, to include nonHe added that his major task non-indigenes to participate in together to ensure peace and Afisere, Ughelli; theisPhase II of Areas the NDDCso boss inspectthe slow pace of work done at acthe this indigenes in his cabinet. If there enduring government that they stability. was to make non-indigenes Nosa akeNzua the Bomadi-Iuomo-Tamigbe Ojobo ed include the Ativwor-Idjedaka, prototype hosted project of the uniTo actualise that the gover- quaint themselves with the ac- can benefit maximally; that is peace, investors will take adAsAbA versity, stating that it was clear that Adjawini road; the Phase 2 of the road and bridges, the Gbaregolornor has commenced holding tivities of the administration why I will be holding town hall vantage of it and all of us will sharp disagreement on the contractor was not ready to de- Koko Ogherge Escravos road, the Gbekebor Ogulagha road, and the town hall meetings with the of Ayade. the SA added. meetings in the three senato- be better off,” Agoloma-Toru-Adelfbiri Sunday ensured between liver the job eleven years after the 132kv transmission line and a Patani non-indigenes. He said that the town hall rial zones,” Maigoro said. “Governor Ben Ayade holds road. 30MVA 132 133 KV substation at Toru Anigiama – Udophori contractors handling proj- award of the contract. Briefing journalists in Calameeting would include stakeThe SA maintained that non-indigenes in a very high ects at various communities in bar onState Sunday, Adviser Delta and Special the Acting Man- esteem, that is why he is doing Ayade was desirous of sensi- holders in the political, relito governor on Non- everything to ensure that he tising non-indigenes to take gious and social sectors as well aging Director,Ayade Chief Executive spent as the of FOC Eastern Naval as The Indigene Matters, Development Barr. Musa integrates them and give them advantage former maintained Officer Niger-Delta youths and FOC traditional rulthe opportuniCommand, Calabar, Abdulkadir that among during his reign at the comAbdullahi stressed Commission Maigoro, (NDDC), Mrs. Ibim aRichaRd Ndoma others. in his government, noting ers, free hand to participate in ties emphasised that under his watch mand, the Nigerian Navy ships Semenitari, over disturbances or- CAlAbAr illegal vessels were arrested for Òkpabana and Sagbama’, rescued chestrated by host communities’ he out-going Flag Officer conveying adulterated crude oil a hijacked foreign ship `MT Maxiresidents. Eastern Naval Command and other stolen products along the mus’ off the coast of Sao Tome in Mrs. Semenitari who, during in(ENC), Nigerian Navy, Rear Calabar-Oron waterways. ormer President and his achievements him during the 2015 poll and enFebruary 2016. spection of projects saidGoodluck commu- of late Alamieyeseigha, fondly foundation Atiku Abdulkadir, at the `Ìn the last seven months, we joined Jonathan said that the Admiral called the Governor-General of still dot every nook and cranny them to imbibe the char`Ìt was during my leadership nities ought not tohas obstruct projects charged navy officers and have arrested a total of 25 ships civil- weekend in the virtues Command the Nigeria Ijaw nation at the Saint Peters of Bayelsa; even the re-designing acter, andthat forthrightness being demise executedofin the theirfirst domains, ratings to, at all times, give useful which include tug boats, Cotonou ian governor Bayelsa, Chief NavyAlamieyeseigha, Ships - Okpabana and SagAnglican Church in Yenagoa. and re-building of this cathedral of whom he stressing that itof was rather necessinformation to the new Flag Officer, boats, and we have as well arrested Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, bamawas - rescued a foreignand hijacked Jonathan said Alamieyesei- (Saint Peter’s Anglican Church) said unparalleled absosary for communities to createwas an Rear Admiral James Oluwole, as a good number of oil thieves. a personal loss to him, he de- gha would forever be remem- was ship `MT Maximus’ off the coast Alamieyeseigha’s legacy,” lute toward the betterment of enabling environment foras contracthe information could be used for `Ìt is tosaid. the glory of the Com- Ijaw scribed him astheir a social of Sao Tomeand withthe 18 unity crew membered as his political mentor and Jonathan tors to complete project.trans- arrest people of all of criminals at the Calabar mand that during my watch as bers. former of the and the sociExpectedly , state contractors han- waterways. leader and Atiku that his legacy would According to him, Alamieye- Nigerians. gave the charge FOC, we had the gallant officers ``We will continue maintain ety. various projects across the remain on the sands of time. dling seigha changed state’s acroDickson prayed tothat God at the handing over ceremony of who from had the passion to ensure our presence at sea nation in order to Alamieyeseigha laidconto state had complainedwas of the The former president added nym Pride of the Nation to should bless Ijaw with Rear Admiral Atiku Abdukadir to that crude oil theft and maritime curb illegal movement, sea Alamipiracy, rest on disturbance Saturday at by hisresidents country that while some people did not Glory of All Land. tinued many more people like Rear Admiral Oluwole held at the crimes are reduced. hijack of passengers’ oil home Amasoma,saying Southern of host in communities, that Navy live their name, Alamieyeseigha On his part, Gov. Seriake Dick- eyeseigha that would vessels, stand and headquarters in Calabar on ``The Command under my theft and others,’’ he said. Ijaw Local Government Area of their disturbance had contributed lived his son of Bayelsa described the late defend her integrity. Friday . full names. watch had also destroyed several While harping on the challengBayelsa. to their slow pace of work in recent He explained thatit``the governor as his pillar of In his remark, Bishop Oko He stressed that was name only former illegal refineries on a daily basis. es faced by the command under Jonathan spoke on Sunday at a times. Solomon peace and wisespecially during his Jaja of the Anglican Church adwhen suchmeans useful information was strength, We get the information, we proceed his watch, the FOC lamented that thanksgiving service attended by While warning the new leader- provided dom, while Peter means rock or electioneering campaign when monished the people to emulate to authorities of the Navy on patrol, we arrest and destroy funding had been one of the chalformer Senate President, Adolship of the commission would not that fearless Alamieyeseigha was Alamieyeseigha served in differseaand pirates and oil thieves who lived his them,’’ he said. The outgoing Navy Alamieyeseigha lenges which he faced throughout phus Wabara, the firstjobs Military accept any substandard from could trackedwith down along the ent indeedbe endowed uncommon reconciliation committees to life as `à candle the wind,’’ boss averred that the destruction the times he lived inin Calabar. Governor of old Rivers State, the contractors, Mrs. Semenitari waterways. wisdom, exhibited peace and bring members of the PDP in the adding that he was a selfless poliwas done in line with the Nigerian Reacting, the new FOC, Rear Alfredthat Diette Spiff, Speaker of added no payment would be “Sometimes might stood for justice,problems fairness and eq- state and Ijaw people together. tician. Navy’s mandate, which was to Admiral Oluwole, solicited for Bayelsa Assembly , Konbowei made on any poorly executed proj- brew uity.’’ up and the man at the top clampdown He said that a major vacuum Oko noted that Alamieyeseion crude oil theft and maximum cooperation from offiBenson, State Chief Judge, Kate ect. may notthat to have the capacity had Heseem noted Alamieyeseigha been created by the demise gha was God-fearing and dedicatillegal refineries. cers and ratings of the Command Abiri, Ijaw National Congress She urged the contractors to to resolve the problem alone unless was an astute politician and leadand confessed that his campaign ed the state to God while hetowas ``We also maintain a steady pa- so that they could both bring an President, Obuoforibo. show sense Boma of commitment to qual- you give him the necessary super that could never be intimidatexperienced its lowest moment in office as governor; and prayed trol on our maritime domain to end the theft of crude oil and other service were port that will enable him tackle the ityOthers delivery at andthe timely completion ed when he was convinced about when of Alamieyeseito grant the wife, Mrs. Marensurethe thatdeath we secure the nation’s God maritime related crimes within Ijaw Youth Council President, problem,” of projects awarded to them. said. the truth Atiku or what was right and gha filtered into the Alamieyeseigha and had the economic assets andstate. other multi- garet the Calabar channels which Udengs Eradiri, and government The NDDC boss at Delta State While speaking onforward. his achieve- million just to move society He lauded the people of the children, the fortitude to bear the dollar offshore investments brought untold hardship to the officials. University (DELSU) frowned at ment throughout the times he and platforms,`` he said. `Àlamieyeseigha laid the state who stood in solidarity with irreparable loss. people of the coastal areas. The service was in honour

A NDDC boss, contractors disagree over projects in Delta A

Navy seeks information on oil thieves

AlamieyesighaTwas a social transformer –Jonathan

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South West

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Lagos moves against malpractice in WASSC exams Tunbosun ogundare

L-R: President, Agricultural Extension Society of Nigeria (AESON), Prof. Agwu Ekwe; representative of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Gbemisola Oke; representative of the Minister for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Alphonsus Onwuemeka; General-Secretary of AESON, Dr Temitope Sinkaiye and Participants at the Annual National Conference of AESON, themed: Positioning Agricultural for Sustainable Agricultural Development and National Economic Regeneration in Ibadan , yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Land Use Charge: Lagos to seal off defaulters’ properties Francis suberu

agos State Government yesterday said it would not hesitate to seal off the properties of residents who default in paying their Land Use Charge, LUC, just as it warned that it may explore the option of prosecuting defaulters according to the law. Addressing journalists at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa Secretariat, Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi, disclosed that the state government has put in place a variety of payment options which includes; paying at the bank or the nearest Land Use Charge Offices to residents using cash or POS or paying online through credit or debit cards. Akinkunmi, who apolo-

gised for the delay in the distribution of the bills this year, attributed it to the need to clean up the data sets which were previously in operation, adding that a more robust clearer data sets were now in place. He however, said that despite the delay in the delivery of the bills, tax payers are still entitled to the usual 15 percent discounted rate if payment is made within 15 days of bill delivery, while others who pay outside the 15 days grace not exceeding 30 calendar days would pay the actual due amount. He said that failure to do that would attract penalty from the 45th day after bill delivery and rise further afterwards, and that properties in such category would be sealed, while owners would be

prosecuted in court in accordance with the law. The Commissioner also clarified the debate on who should be liable to pay Land Use Charge, stated that by law, the onus falls on land owners/landlords to pay LUC and not the tenants. He counseled residents to desist from patronising touts or any official in a bid to cut corners on the payment of Land Use Charge, just as it urged people to imbibe the culture of willful payment of taxes. He said the process of payment of the charge has been fully automated by the government; hence residents should stop patronising touts henceforth in other to avoid paying twice. He said percentage payable based on owner-occupied is 0.0394 percent of

the value of the property, while the percentage for industrial, educational, residential properties occupied by owners and third parties is 0.132 percent. Commercial and residential properties occupied by third parties, according to Akinkunmi would pay 0.394 percent of the value of the property. While clarifying the methodology adopted in determining the value of a property, the commissioner said the value of properties vary with location, hence the ministry has a template for carrying out valuation process. He also warned against harassment of government officials by residents in the course of carrying out their lawful duties.

NDLEA winning war against drug abuse –Agency abiodun nejo ADO EKITI

ational Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, said yesterday, that it is winning the war against drug abuse among Nigerian youth particularly students. NDLEA Commander in Ekiti State, Mr Suleiman Jadi, said that the feat was achieved through series of sensitisation campaigns or-

ganised by the agency and other stakeholders. Jadi spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, during the grand finale of the Ekiti State chapter of a national essay competition for secondary school students on the theme: ‘Drug Abuse, Cultism and Youth Violence in Secondary Schools in Nigeria’. The programme was initiated by NDLEA and a non-governmental organ-

isation, ‘Youth Saving Lifestyle Creation Initiative’ and sponsored by an Ekiti State born US marine, Captain Sunday Adebomi. Reeling out statistics to justify his claim that the NDLEA was winning the war against this menace, Jadi said: “In 2013 out of 600 suspects arrested by our agency for drug related offences, 76 of these cases were students. “But between Septem-

ber, 2015 and now, only four cases have been reported to have connection with students’ involvement, which shows that drug abuse indexes in Ekiti State had dropped. “We are appealing to the sponsors of this programme to make it annual event because youths are the ones involving in hard drug and they normally exhibit such tendency from secondary school level,” he said.

o prevent recurrence mass cheating in the West African Senior School Certificate, WASSC, examinations in Lagos State, the state government has constituted special inspection teams, which it deployed to various schools to monitor the ongoing May\June WASSC exam being conducted by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, across the state. It will be recalled that no fewer than 30 public and private secondary schools in the state were sanctioned by WAEC following mass cheating recorded during the last edition of the exam. The Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Education, Mrs. Olabisi Ariyo, who led one of the teams unannounced to the Living Stone College, Oke-Ira, Ogba, yesterday reaffirmed the state’s government stand

against any form of indiscipline from candidates and school workers as well as invigilators in the conduct of the exam. Her team monitored the centre throughout the objective session of English Language held yesterday nationwide. Ariyo, in a press release by the Director of Public Affairs of the ministry, Mr. Adesegun Ogundeji, noted that experience had shown that most students found cheating easier during objective tests than during theories. She however, urged all private school owners who mostly indulge their students in exam malpractice to prepare them well for exams long before time, rather than helping them to cut corners in order to get undeserved marks. She said they should inculcate in their students virtues of hardwork, self -confidence, truthfulness so as to be able to perform well whenever they are put to tasks in future.

One held, as suspected cultists kill rival in Osun boladale bamigbola OSOGBO

ne person believed to be a member of an unnamed cult group has been killed by two men, said to belong to a rival cult group in Osogbo the Osun State capital. The perpetrators of the act it was learnt fled the scene immediately after attacking the deceased identified as Wale. Police source however, claimed that one person has been arrested in connection with the crime, as the state command of Nigeria Police Force, declared commencement of investigation into the killing. The incident which threw Tinumola Estate where it happened into panic, also led to many residents hurriedly moving out of the area for fear of being caught in the cross-fire. The incident which happened Sunday evening left a middle aged man, whose identity could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, dead after his skull was

hit with large stone. Police operatives from Dada Estate Police Division were said to have arrived the scene not long after the deceased was attacked and took his remains to a mortuary at Lautech Teaching Hospital, Osogbo. Though the identities of those that carried out the act could not be ascertained, but sources in the area claimed that one of the two men that carried out the act was only recently released from prison. They were said to have lured the deceased to the premises of Winners’ Primary and Secondary School located at Tinumola Estate and crushed his skull with a big stone. A reliable source who was present when the corpse was being evacuated from the scene of the incident, said ‘’not long after he was killed, Wale’s father called his phone, and when the call was picked, the man simply told his son to immediately return home, but we did not tell him he was dead at the time.

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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Promoting ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ products Tayo ogunbIyI

f late, there seems to be genuine efforts by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and other such similar bodies to diversify the Nigerian economy. Considering the current economic reality of the country occasioned by dwindling price of oil in the global market, there is no auspicious time than now to promote the non-oil sectors as a way of salvaging our nation’s ailing economy. If we are really serious about the diversification of the economy, one vital approach would be to revive our ailing local industries. The time has come for us to encourage the development of local industries through the promotion of the patronage of locally made goods and services. Our over reliance on crude oil as the primary export commodity and foreign exchange earner has, no doubt, worsen the situation of local industries in the country. It is encouraging to note that the Federal Government is currently working on plans to promote the production and consumption of local products. Undoubtedly, this is a sensible thing to do. Aside providing solution to the unemployment problem in the country, encouraging the production and consumption of local products could usher us into the path of economic prosperity. This is the secret behind the rising profiles of the now prosperous Asian Tigers. Our ability to achieve similar feat will depend on our capacity to harness human and material resources towards the promotion of made-in-

Nigeria goods that can compete in both local and international markets. Sustainable development that would guarantee jobs, vary the economy, advance the standard of living of Nigerians as well as promote the security of lives and properties depends on the existence of a robust economic development agenda that encourages production and sustenance of local goods. Fortunately, we have an amazing advantage in our population of about 170 million. Nigeria is home to about one in five Africans. It behooves on us as a nation to leverage on this factor to promote the Nigerian brand in terms of products and services as this remains the only means through which sustainable employment can be guaranteed. Nigeria is in a position to play a strong continental and global role becase it benefits from a large population of energetic, educated, and entrepreneurial people, as well as from an abundance of natural resources. For local industries and local goods to enjoy sufficient patronage from local consumers, there is need for the National Assembly to come up with a local patronage bill that would ensure that made-in-Nigeria goods and local producers are protected. It is a thing of serious concern that the production capacity of the local industries can neither suit local consumption nor export. A situation where Nigerians depend on imported goods for all manners of items is, to say the least, appalling. The idea of patronizing made-in-Nigeria goods should not be regarded as a parochial scheme. Rather, it should be viewed as a call for nationwide partnership to develop the kind of collective commerce

There is no

counTry ThaT has managed To Transform iTself wiThouT adequaTe indusTrial growTh pattern that would have positive bearing on national development. It has the potential to enhance the utility value of goods as products and consequent services for the specific orientation and cultural needs of the Nigerian people. There is a need for holistic overhaul of our importation policy to discourage items that can be locally manufactured, as the leather exhibition has proven. One is actually in support of plans by the Federal Government to discourage the importation of certain items that the country has the potential of producing locally. We need to embrace attitudinal, structural, and cultural change that would enable major stakeholders to modify their outlook towards madein-Nigeria goods. In our drive towards a varied and dependable economy, it is vital that we build internal structures that will establish it as an independent commercial hub wherein our position will be strengthened in the course of international collaborations and our negotiation powers leveraged by a culture of home-grown technical expertise.

Certainly, made-in-Nigeria goods will boost the nation’s manufacturing sector and by extension create more jobs. It is through this that indigenous firms can take advantage of bigger markets at regional, continental and global levels. It is important for the country to appreciate its fundamental dynamics by making policies that will ensure sustainable economic development. Advocating and supporting made- in -Nigeria goods is a sure way to turn around our dwindling economic fortune. There is no country that has managed to transform itself without adequate industrial growth. Therefore, we need to empower local industries, and this could only be done by embracing locally made goods. Recent giant strides in the cement industry have sufficiently demonstrated that local industries could act as catalysts for economic growth if only the needed impetus for growth and development are put in place. This is where funding and other related issues come in. Though the Bank of Industry (BOI) is currently making good efforts in this respect, there is need for more banks and financial institutions to buy into the ‘made– in-Nigeria’ vision in order to ensure enhanced industrial growth in the country. Equally related to this is the all important question of stable power supply. Presently, the power situation in the country is yet to really get out of the woods. Ogunbiyi s of the Feature Unit, Ministry of Information & Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

Revisiting the three-year validity of JAMB results Israel abIodun

f course, in what was clearly a case of stampede by the Upper chamber of the National Assembly, a resolution compelled the Governing Board of the Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB) to approve a three-year validity life-span for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). No doubt, some students and parents/guardians’ applauded the decision without the least consideration of the dangers it posed ahead for their wards craving for higher education. Before now, JAMB exclusively conducted exams into Nigerian universities, which it christened the Universities Matriculation Examination (UME). But in 2010, the exams body expanded its tentacles to include entrance examinations to polytechnics, colleges of education and monotechnics under the tag of UTME. So far, JAMB has not fared badly, especially under the current Registrar, Professor Dibu Ojerinde; with yearly innovations to improve the standards, as manifest in the introduction of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) intended to gradually supplant the analogue Paper and Pencil Test (PPT) to curb exam frauds. However, Professor Ojerinde has admitted that nearly 1.8 million candidates sat for the 2016 UTME in March and placement spaces in the about the 120 universities in Nigeria and even with a dozen polytechnics, colleges of education and monothecnics across the country, available vacancies

nigerians should noT forgeT ThaT qualiTy educaTion liberaTes The individual and The naTion

is in the range of about 500, 000 spaces in all the institutions combined. By implication, there is high demand for admission slots yearly from post primary school candidates angling for higher education. The scramble for these few slots is also massive with unarguably stiff competition. Nonetheless, it is the considered opinion of most Nigerians that these circumstances should not warrant the lowering of standards for candidates seeking for higher academic qualifications, as the three-year validity period seems to espouse. The Nigerian Senate which engineered the decision of the three-year validity period for UTME results never articulated any reason. And JAMB Board too approved it without considering the repercussions and the peculiarities of the Nigerian educational system. But from inference, it is clear the decision must have sprouted out of the pressures of parents, who perhaps, complained of repeatedly spending much money for the same admission process of their children. This is a worthy lamentation and the dilemma of parents/sponsors of candidates is deeply appreciated. However, Nigerians should not forget

that quality education liberates the individual and the nation. It gingers development in all spheres. And to provide quality education anywhere in the world is quite expensive. It explains why the United Nations has prescribed the allocation of 26 percent of annual budgets, especially of developing countries, to the educational sector. And Nigeria as a developing country has been faced with the almost insurmountable challenge of according its citizens qualitative education. The degeneration and decay in the education sector is so massive and loathsome to the extent that the craze to acquire certificates at the expense of knowledge is propaganda mounted on Nigeria beyond its shores. It is evident that in the past 15-20 years or more, some students who claim to be graduates would hardly spell their names correctly. To ask them to justify the certificates they flaunt in various fields is synonymous with the Biblical proverbial camel passing through the eye of a needle. There are instances where final year students display helplessness in even accurately copying questions in an exam for a course they have studied. Years back, a former Director-General of the NYSC drew the country’s attention to the pathetic brand of graduates churned out yearly from the higher institutions, when he encountered some of them who could not fill their personal data on NYSC registration forms at orientation camps. It may sound like tales from Ara-

bian Nights, but this is the true picture of the unhealthy state of education in Nigeria. Based on this backdrop, Nigeria as a country should be worried over this development. It is important not to leave any stone unturned in reversing the steady decline in our education today. Therefore, it is incumbent on government to enforce proper checks at all levels of exams to ensure those who cross the Rubicon merit the marks and grades they earn. And every segment of the educational structure in Nigeria should rather be actively supported to accomplish this feat. JAMB has a critical role to play at this point; hence it bridges the gap between secondary education and higher education. By its status as the only legal body empowered by law to organize and regulate the conduct of entry exams into higher institutions in the country, JAMB should truly be the final bulwark of education for students who dubiously plot their academic progression. Educational psychologists would attest that for a student who has stayed for threeyears without any compelling reason to read, returning to the same task three years after, would be so alien to him/her. Abiodun is an Abuja-based public affairs analyst 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 April 19, 2016

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

SUNDAY OLAJIDE n MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO BEN MEMULETIWON n ACTING DAILY EDITOR GBEMI OLUJOBI n SATURDAY EDITOR AYO OLESIN n SUNDAY EDITOR DOZIE OKEBALAMA n COORDINATOR, EDITORIAL BOARD CALLISTUS OKE n EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR OBIORA IFOH n ABUJA BUREAU CHIEF

FRSC and Speed Limiting Device controversy

he Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) got entangled with a gale of broadside from the National Assembly and the Nigerian motoring public when it broached the sensitive subject of introducing Speed Limiting Device (SLD), an electronic gadget to be fixed in mainly commercial vehicles to help detect over-speeding. The road safety agency claims roughly 50 percent of ghastly road accidents in the country were caused by speeding excessively. Had the National Assembly bought into the idea, the FRSC would probably have kick-started the project last April 1. But with the vehement opposition of the House of Representatives and the commercial transport sector to the project, the FRSC may be looking at September 1 this year as the take-off date. The Reps asked FRSC to explore a better state-of-the-art technology option, like the Spider Technology, that detects over-speeding vehicles from afar, instead of going for SLD which many countries that found themselves in Nigeria’s shoes have since abandoned. Commercial transporters are also embittered by what they viewed as the exploitative unit cost of SLD put at N36,000. Nevertheless, for many, the SLD project coming after the death of a top government function-

ary and some members of his family in an auto crash seems a panic-stricken measure. Indeed, it is not improbable that the FRSC wanted to use the SLD initiative to justify its assertion that the recent fatal road crash that claimed the lives of the late Minister of State for Labour, Mr. James Ocholi, his wife and son on the Abuja-Kaduna highway was caused by over-speeding. The road safety body’s analysis of the crash, we recall, indicated that the Lexus LX570 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) the Ocholis used for the tragic trip was not only driven by a fellow that had no licence to drive, but that the driver over-sped far beyond acceptable limits. The result was the driver’s failure to apply himself professionally when the vehicle lost one of its rear tyres while on breakneck speed. Other facts, so to say, brought to the fore by FRSC’s Corps Marshal, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi a day after the crash were that the left tyre of the SUV was underinflated; that the tyres of the vehicle were wrongly fixed; and that the Ocholis failed to use seat belts during the trip. But if truly the FRSC was convinced that 50 percent of road crashes nationwide were traceable to uncontrollable speeding, is it not strange that it waited for too long until the death of the Ocholis pre-

We implore the FrSC to FirSt

obvious coincidence between the death of the Ocholis and the SLD project buttresses the conCompel the politiCal spiracy of overzealousness with which some government agenand other Convoycies discharge their responsibilities, with their sharp eyes Crazy eliteS to fixed on commercial exploitaComply With road tion of their domains to the SaFety ruleS and detriment of ordinary citizens. Ours is a country where scores regulationS With of less privileged citizens have vigour been perishing in all manner of road mishaps for decades sented an excuse for it to flaunt without any special or innovathe idea of SLD? tive programme by the agencies We agree with antagonists superintending road safety to of SLD who argue that Nigeria stem the tide. Emphasis had been presently has no facility as yet on cosmetic, money-spinning to factually state what caused a measures like changing number road crash. It is, therefore, mere plates and driver’s licence. conjecture to blame over-speedWhereas we welcome any ing for as much as 50 percent of policy borne out of patriotism as road accidents in the country, against zealotry, which can draswhen there are no speed monitically cut down the rate of actors on any road nationwide; cidents in the nation’s cities and when gullies and craters dot the on the highways, we implore the roads, including highways; when FRSC to first compel the politino flattering report is available cal and other convoy-crazy elites to prove the FRSC has made any to comply with road safety rules headway in controlling drunkand regulations with vigour, driving, when scraps and poorly especially in relation to reckless maintained vehicles freely ply driving, abuse of other road usthe roads; when disobedience ers and over-speeding; while the to road signs and common trafgovernment should ensure the fic rules go largely unpunished roads are truly motor-able and or are compromised; and when safe; and not death traps. Confinreckless, oppressive and largely ing the SLD to just commercial irresponsible convoy driving transporters makes a veritable are still the order of the day. The mockery of the policy.

ON THIS DAY April 19, 1960

April 19, 1971

Students in South Korea held a nationwide pro-democracy protest against President Syngman Rhee. The April Revolution, sometimes called the April 19 Revolution or April 19 Movement, was a popular uprising in April 1960, led by labour and student groups, which overthrew the autocratic First Republic of South Korea under Syngman Rhee. It led to the peaceful resignation of Rhee and the transition to the Second Republic.

Sierra Leone became a republic, with Siaka Stevens as the president. The West African country is bordered by Guinea to the northeast, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. Sierra Leone is a Constitutional Republic with a directly elected president and a Unicameral Legislature. The country has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests.

April 19, 2011 Fidel Castro resigned from the Communist Party of Cuba’s central committee. Castro (born August 13, 1926) is a Cuban communist revolutionary and politician. He was the Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976; and President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces from 1959 to 2008; and as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from 1961 until 2011.

Business

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Economic diversification through agric may fail 21 –Don

Investors’ eye hospitality business to stave-off dwindling real estate 24

Nigeria: Grappling with pros and cons of forex management

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Currency swap with China desirable for economy –Emefiele22

AIRLINES’ FLIGHT SCHEDULES Med-View Airline Lagos- Abuja (Mon-Fri): 07.00, 08.50, 12.00, 16.30. Abuja- Lagos (Mon-Fri): 09.00, 14.00, 15.00, 18.30. Lagos-Yola (Mon-Fri): 8.50am. Yola-Lagos (Mon-Fri): 13.00. Lagos- PHC (Mon-Fri): 17.00. PHC-Lagos: 19.00. Abuja-Yola: 11.00. Yola-Abuja: 13.00. Lagos-Abuja (Sat): 08.00, 08.50. Abuja-Lagos (Sat): 10.00, 15.00. Lagos-PHC (Sat): 17.00. PHC-Lagos (Sat): 19.00. Lagos-Yola (Sat): 08.50. Yola-Lagos (Sat): 13.00

Dana Air Johnson okanlawon

igerian foreign exchange market has in recent times been at its lowest ebb and it appears, there is no solution in sight. The naira has lost over 100 per cent of its value on the streets, even as the gulf between the official exchange rate and the parallel market has continued to widen beyond normality. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, sells dollars to banks at an average rate of N197 while at the interbank market; the value of the naira has continued to hover

around N199. However on the streets, where the bureau de change operators alongside the street hawkers otherwise known as black marketers sell foreign exchange, the exchange rate has moved from around 220 last year to around N305 to the dollar. So far, the value of the naira has depreciated by 17.2 per cent at the CBN window from N165 to the dollar, which it was at the end of December 2014 to the current rate of N197. The depreciation was huge at the parallel market as the value of the naira dipped by 66.6 per cent within the period of one year and one month.

the easiest answer is to use the value on the street but that is not necessarily the true value and some say it is the

cbn rate which is not

also always the true value

The pressure on the foreign exchange market is not being helped by the declining value of Nigeria’s major source of foreign exchange, oil at the international market. The price of crude had dropped from just below $50 per barrel at the beginning of 2015 to about $33 per barrel last week. This had impacted heavily on Nigeria’s revenue and foreign exchange reserve which has so far declined by 18.6 per cent to $28.06 billion from $34.46 billion, which it was at the beginning of last year. To the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Sterling Bank, Mr. Yemi Adeola, the options for managing foreign exchange at a critical time such as the one Nigeria has found herself in is two prong-capital control as well as allowing currency to float. He explained that to adopt capital control as a strategy, one focuses on key sectors, “in other words, you determine where you want the foreign exchange to go to, you want to curb the wastage of the foreign exchange, you

don’t want a situation, where people will use the foreign exchange for speculative proposes, you want to control it and that is what is happening now. “But it is a double edged sword, when you adopt capital control, investors are reluctant to come in because if they bring their money in at 200, they are not sure if by the time they are going out they will be able to get money to buy and at what rate. So you shut your door to new money coming in which is not a desirable option. It is a supply issue and it is a function of your productive capacity and ability as a country. “The other thing you can do is to let the Naira find its true value. But what is the true value, the easiest answer is to use the value on the street but that is not necessarily the true value and some say it is the CBN rate which is not also always the true value. The true value is in between the parallel market and CBN rate, but there are ways we can find the true value of the naira and devalue CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

Abuja-Lagos 9am, 1pm, 5.28pm daily Lagos-Abuja 7am, 11am, 1.23pm,3.30pm daily Lagos-PH: 7.20AM, Ph-Abuja9.54am, Abuja-ph: 3.30pm and Ph-Lagos: 5.28pm daily Lagos-Uyo: 9.20am, Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am, Abuja-Uyo 1.05pm, Uyo-Lagos: 3pm daily Weekends Lagos-Abuja: 7.02am, 9am, 3.30pm Abuja-Lagos: 9am, 2.20pm and 5.28pm Lagos -Phc: 11.07am Phc-Lagos: 1.05pm Phc-Abuja: 12.51pm Abuja-Phc: 10.50am Lagos-Uyo: 9.18am Uyo-LOS -3.03pm Uyo-Abuja: 11.07am Abuja-Uyo: 1.05pm

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) Lag-Benin: 07.45, 11.00, 15.30 (Mon-Fri/Sat/ Sun) 12.30 (Sun 15.30 (Sat) Ben-Lag: 09.15, 12.30, 17.00 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) 17.00 (Sat) 14.00 (Sun)Lag-Owe: 7.45am, 2pm daily

Business

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Economic diversification through agric may fail 21 –Don

Investors’ eye hospitality business to stave-off dwindling real estate 24

Nigeria: Grappling with pros and cons of forex management

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Currency swap with China desirable for economy –Emefiele22

Dana Air Johnson okanlawon

the easiest answer is to use the value on the street but that is not necessarily the true value and some say it is the

cbn rate which is not

also always the true value

Business News

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria: Grappling with pros and cons of forex management CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

to that extent. If people are sure that they are getting true value for their dollars, then the dollars will come in.” The CBN chosen the path of capital control as it had embarked on measures to reduce the rate of foreign exchange outflow from the reserves. It had exempted 41 items from the list of eligible for foreign exchange, and closed the Retail Dutch Auction System, RDAS, and established an order based system. It had also reduced daily and annual limits on naira cards outside the shores of the country from $150,000 to $50,000 annually and $300 daily and backed the move by banks to stop accepting foreign currency deposits as well as the recent ban on the usage of naira denominated cards abroad. Asides this, it likewise reduced its weekly foreign exchange sales to BDCs from $30,000 to $10,000 and had eventually stopped the sales out rightly early this year while putting off calls for the devaluation of the naira. An import dependent economy, Nigeria imports majority of its consumer goods and many manufacturing companies also have a portion of their raw materials that are imported while most machinery are imported. A devaluation of the naira which would have bettered the fortune of an exporting economy will cause a spike in the cost of production and the prices of goods and services and ultimately a rising inflation in an import dependent nation like Nigeria. Already, prices of imported goods have begun to rise. For instance, sachet tomatoes paste which used to cost around N30 per sachet now sells for N50, and this goes for other import based products. Indirectly, this has led to a rising inflation as the Consumer Price Index for December last year rose sharply from 9.4 per cent in November to 9.6 per cent. Inflation is expected to hit double digit this year. The current situations in the Nigerian foreign exchange market has also not favoured many companies in the country as manufacturing companies and well as assembling plants that import their raw materials are having a hard time sourcing foreign exchange. Particularly, companies whose raw materials or equipments have been categorized under the not eligible for foreign exchange items. The owner of a health equipment company and laboratory in Lagos explained that he has been facing a hard time paying his suppliers abroad. He explained that since he could no longer access foreign exchange from banks and cash deposit of foreign exchange had been discontinued, he had resorted to paying for his goods using

the cards of his staff until their annual limits are exceeded. While this might have been achievable for a small business, large companies have been in a fix as they ran out of raw materials and reduced production leading to reduced income, lesser capacity to pay staff and higher possibility of running out of business. One of those affected is Dag Motorcycles Industries Nigeria Limited, the assemblers of Bajaj tricycles and motorcycles which had terminated its contract with Ashton consulting which supplies its labour. The company according to its Secretary/Legal Services, Ademuyiwa Abe, had been forced to cut down its 1,000 per day production capacity by 40 percent, thereby putting some of its labour force out of work. Noting that the forecast for the Nigerian economy for 2016 is not looking too good for the company, he said “we were forced to cut back on some of our operations. In the last few months of last year, there was restriction on foreign exchange by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, so most of the time, there was no foreign exchange to bring in the completely knocked down parts, CKD, not just the CKD, but other items required for assembling. “Since there was no more foreign exchange, the situation became so bad that we had no choice, but to terminate the services of our contractor, who supplies the workers that do the assembling,” he said. With the dollar being priced at around N305 at the parallel market, Abe said considering the current situation, “the finish product will no longer be affordable and if it is unaffordable, the market segment is out of reach because there will be no demand and the purchasing power will definitely be affected.” The CBN however seems adamant on its stance as there was no decision taken on the prevailing circumstances in the foreign exchange market at its first Monetary Policy committee meeting of the year, which held late last month. The inaction of the apex bank to-

The

Emefiele

Adeosun

wards the foreign exchange challenge of the country analysts say will further increase uncertainties, pressures on the naira and further reduce the waning global confidence in the Nigerian economy. Analysts at WSTC as well as Financial Derivatives Company Limited noted that the refusal of the apex bank to address the challenge of the current disequilibrium in the foreign exchange market will further put more pressure on the naira. Stating that the current restrictive measures adopted by the CBN will not be sustainable in the mid-term, analysts at WSTC said they expect the downward pressure on the Naira in the interbank forex market to persist, reflecting the realities in the macro economy. “We do not expect the Naira to continue to trade at the same peg that was set almost a year ago (in February 2015) after which crude oil, the major source of forex supply, has declined in value by about 50 per cent. “Moreover, the nation has arguably become less attractive to foreign capi-

tal inflows during this period as a result of policy uncertainty, and more recently lower returns on Nigerian risk-free assets. “Also, it is important to note that the current exchange rate amplifies the adverse fiscal implications of low price of crude oil, which is currently trading around a 20 per cent discount to the benchmark price of $38 set in the 2016 Appropriation Bill. This will, all other things being equal, widen the estimated budget deficit beyond the N2.2 trillion provided for in the Bill or ultimately affect the implementation of the budget,” the analysts at WSTC explained. To FDC analysts, the inaction of the CBN will increase uncertainty in the economy and heighten exchange rate pressures. “The decision to maintain status quo does not do much to support the stock market as sell pressures caused by speculation on possible naira devaluation are expected to persist. In addition, the decision is unlikely to incentivize international investors, many of whom have remained on the sidelines.

decision To mainTain sTaTus

quo does noT do much To supporT The sTock markeT as sell pressures caused by speculaTion on possible naira

devaluaTion are expecTed To persisT.

in addiTion,

The decision is unlikely

To incenTivize inTernaTional invesTors, many of whom have remained on The sidelines

“There will be further uncertainty in the economy unless the CBN implements measures to stem pressures at the forex market. There is not a more critical time for the CBN to implement a flexible exchange rate policy than now. This will bridge the gap between the official rate and parallel market rate which is currently at N105, the FDC analysts said. In spite of these, the government and organized private sector believes that keeping a tight grip on the foreign exchange would prompt the country to look inwards and learn to produce what it needs.

Business News

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Nigeria: Grappling with pros and cons of forex management CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

The

Emefiele

Adeosun

decision To mainTain sTaTus

quo does noT do much To supporT The sTock markeT as sell pressures caused by speculaTion on possible naira

devaluaTion are expecTed To persisT.

in addiTion,

The decision is unlikely

To incenTivize inTernaTional invesTors, many of whom have remained on The sidelines

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Business News

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Economic diversification through agric may fail-Don Kemi Olaitan Ibadan

n expert in agriculture development, Dr. Charles Akinola has said the planned diversification of the nation’s economy through agriculture may come to nought, if the growing concern over majority of farmers becoming old is not urgently tackled. Akinola, who raised the concern while chairing the 40th anniversary of Department of Agricultural Extension, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, tagged “Agricultural Extension for Sustainable National Development”, said due to the dying system, agricultural production may also be a thing of the past. According to him, for the country to truly diversify the economy through agriculture, energetic youths must be involved in large scale production, noting that the average age of a farmer, especially in

the Southwest sub-region is 57. He said, “This development of “dying agriculture” is dangerous for the sustainability of agriculture in the country. Youth and unemployment is a global issue, if you look at it today, the average age of farmer in Osun state is 57, which is the average age of a farmer in the Southwest, stressing that they are using machetes and hoes to do the same thing over and over. “How do we get young people on the farm, young people would rather ride Okada, it is a return on investment, young people don’t want to stay on the farm, if we want to look at the innovation, we need to be innovative, but you don’t need to own tractor in cultivating 10 hectares of land, you can lease, when we cook, do all of us have blender in our houses?’’ “But we can go and grind pepper, look at mechanization, establish companies where young people can lease tractors and do

what they want to do, they own tractor for one day, they don’t have to buy tractor, get final thing for young people, make rural areas conducive for leaving, we have an experiment at a place called Oloba in Osun, there is hardly a place you cannot get on the internet, you can watch Arsenal, we have to make the community conducive for the young people to stay there. Give them all the kinds of incentives that we have”, he stated. While calling for innovation among the stakeholders to meet the challenges of the 21st century demands in agricul-

ture, he said, “ there have been so much talk of policies in agriculture, and we are still where we are, the answers are not far-fetch, there is need to re-engage, look at what has been worked on, we have not been innovative as we should. Policy is too important to be left to politicians alone. We have other people to be carried along, we have the farmers, and we have government. It is when that gap is filled, that is when we will know what will work and what will not work.”

The Guest Lecturer, Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, who is the Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, FARA, Ghana, urged governments at all levels to look beyond gender and age and make policies that would help Africans tap all the potential in the sector. He said Nigeria and its people have to invest more in technology, saying that there is no economy in the world that has broken the food security barrier without technology.

NCC to sanction operators over spectrum license

isaiah erhiawarien

igerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that it will, sanction winners of spectrum license, who fails to meet the rollout obligation as stipulated in its rollout obli-

gation. Giving the warning in Lagos, the NCC said operators need to be educated on the proposed auctioning of the 2.6GHz spectrum, saying it is no longer going to be business as usual. Director of Spectrum Administration, Engr. Augustine Nwaulune, who briefed newsmen on the issue, said the time-line for rollout services is one year, disclosing that the regulator would start counting once the winner of the spectrum is announced. He said that the NCC would be very strict in applying the spectrum obligations, noting that the last time that a winner did not utilise the spectrum or there was a delay in the rollout, would be the last as it will not repeat itself. He however warned that even if an operator has rolled out its services, after been given the license, but was not meeting the rollout obligation as released by the Commission, the operator will be sanctioned. Nwaulune also explained that the industry is so much in need of service that the regulator cannot accommodate a situation, whereby a winner will emerge and not utilise the spectrum stressing that “it will be strictly enforced, and they have one year to rollout from the time that the license will be granted. We will give them rollout obligation.” He also debunk claims that the spectrum auction was meant to generate revenue for the Federal Government, saying that it was to bring high speed broadband internet access to more Nigerians. While giving further clarification, Nwaulune said that he came to Lagos to solicit the support of the media to educate key stakeholders on the modalities for bidding of the spectrum, saying that the 2.6 GHz would ease access to high speed broadband internet in most part of the rural and urban Nigeria. According to him, besides the 2.6GHz spectrum costing less, its equipment is readily available noting that it is a robust technology, whose signal propagates very rapidly. While calling on both new and telecoms operators in the country to take advantage of the possibility of the spectrum to deliver quality services to Nigerians, he said that with the spectrum more people will be able to deliver broadband. He however said that interested applicant most take time to do their own due diligence to study the prequalification requirement which are hosted on the website of the Commission adding that He disclosed that the administration of the spectrum by the NCC has been designed in such a way that the whole nation will be covered in eight years, stressing that that is the minimum operation but that operators are expected to go beyond the limit. He said that the essence of the strict management of the spectrum is to ensure that Nigerians get quality services while the operators are also given opportunity to make money.

L-R: President, Center for Global Development, Nancy Birdsall: Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Rwanda, Claver Gatete: Minister of Finance, Nigeria, Kemi Adeosun and Deputy Managing Director, IMF, Mitsuhiro Furusawa during the Sub-Saharan Africa Seminar at the meeting of Board of Governors of the World Bank/IMF in Washington DC last Friday.

World economy to accelerate to 3.5% in 2017 sYlVa emeKa-OKererKe

s the world economy is witnessing a disappointing pace in this fiscal year, indications are rife that it might grow to 3.5 percent in 2017. However, these projections have continued to be progressively less optimistic over time. Experts say the global economy has been too slow for too long. The downgraded forecasts, according to the world economic outlook, reflect a broadbased slowdown across different country groups. ‘’If you look just at emerging markets, there are some large emerging markets growing at over 7 percent annually, some shrinking close to 4 percent’’, according to the economic outlook, noting that to support both global growth and guard against downside risks, a three-pronged approaches based on monetary, fiscal and structural policies must be followed’’, the world economic outlook revealed. While most countries have managed to cope with the prevailing situation, more strains could begin to appear. Currently, a number of low-income countries and emerging market countries are facing drought and flood conditions, which could easily undermine the baseline outcome as 3.2 percent growth outcome for this year may be more fragile, owing to its lower level of growth. According to the outlook, balanced budget tax reforms can also be a component that can support aggregate demand, encourage labour force participation, and enhance social cohesion. As this latest World Economic Outlook also explains, a range of well-sequenced structural reforms can boost potential out-

put, especially if accompanied by complementary fiscal support. Pro-competitive market reforms, in particular, can be supportive of growth, even in the short term, and we have a number of country experiences of this. Finally, further financial strengthening is essential in order for the three prongs of policy—monetary, fiscal and structural to be most effective. In addition, continuing international cooperation to improve the functioning of the International Monetary System and the stability of international finance are vital to global economic resilience.

EU develops standard for sustainable ship recycling

he European Commission, EC, has published a technical guidance for ship recycling facilities that need to be approved under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Such yards will need to ensure safe working conditions, pollution control including proper downstream waste management and enforcement of international labour rights. This step comes together with the call by environmental and human rights NGOs for a relocation of ship recycling to platforms that can ensure sustainable practices. Ship recycling is an industrial activity that needs industrial methods, equipment and standards, according to the EU. Workers and the environment anywhere in the world have the same right to protection under the EU Regulation. Some Member States with strong shipping interests have tried to water down the requirements of the regulation, more specifically, to accept low-cost breaching facilities in South Asia as environmentally friendly and safe for workers, however, they have not been successful, according to the NGO Ship breaking Platform. “Recycling yards that want to make it on the EU list of approved facilities need to meet high environmental and safety standards. The EC is clear in its message: an unprotected beach is never going to be an appropriate place for a high-risk heavy industry involving hazardous waste management”, Ingvild Jenssen, Policy Director of the NGO Ship breaking Platform points out.

Business News

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Currency swap with China desirable for economy–Emefiele TOlA AkinmuTimi WAshington D.C

overnor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, on Sunday said that the monetary measure by the Federal Government on currency swap with the Republic of China was in the best interest of the economy. Emefiele, who made the clarification during the Nigerian delegation’s media briefing at the end of the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington

D.C, said that in addition to its positive implications for Naira exchange rate stability, the measure also was desirable for bilateral trade and investment relations between the two countries. This is even as he pointed out that the policy stance of the apex bank on the exchange rate of the nation’s currency was informed by sound analysis since adjusting the exchange rate indeterminately, or without aligning it with structural reforms in the economy,

would invariable hurt the economy. The seasoned banker said that one of the structural economic imperatives required to minimize pressure on the naira and the nation’s foreign reserves was diversifying the economy, a move he commended the Federal Government for initiating now. Emefiele noted further that contrary to the wrong impression that the nation’s monetary and fiscal policies are not achieving desired goals, the measures were

already getting positive responses from the global investment community as some investors had moved in to invest in fertilizer and sugar cane processing industry in the past few months. He explained: “Basically talking about the transaction between Nigeria and China, in 2015, basically all countries of the world were challenged. But after 2015, China’s growth turned out to be the strongest. All the countries of the world have challenges but at least China is coming out stronger than

Booming black market as fuel scarcity continue at filling stations in Lagos. PHOTO: SAMUEL ADETIMEHIN

UNIDO partners FG, states on hydro power projects Olufemi AdeOsun AbujA

nited Nations Industrial Development Organization, UNIDO, in collaboration with the Energy Commission of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Environment have partnered on how to develop Small Hydro Power, SHP, projects in the country. During a one-day seminar, facilitated by experts in SHP project planning and development, key stakeholders in the energy sector, including the United Nations agencies and multilateral organizations agreed to identify promoters and investors for the final development of SHP sites across the country with a cumulative capacity of generating at least 3.1MW of electricity. The project falls under the framework of UNIDO/Global Environmental Facility (GEF-5) project, “Scaling up Small Hydro Power in Nigeria.” Speaking during the seminar in Abuja, the Officer-in-Charge of UNIDO Regional Office in Nigeria, Dr. Chuma Ezedinma, said the Small Hydro Power Project in the country was part of UNIDO’s wider renewable and rural energy effort, aimed at promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development, ISID, globally.

He said the clean and sustainable energy was an integral part of UNIDO’s overall mandate to support efforts geared towards productive activities, which would ultimately lead to creating shared prosperity, advancing economic competitiveness as well as safeguarding the environment. “The seminar was designed for interested state governments, key decision makers at the federal level as well as the private sector operators, who are willing to invest in the development of SHP in Nigeria. At the end of the seminar, stakeholders are now aware of the projects on scaling up SHP development in Nigeria, the list of potential SHP sites with cumulative capacity of up to 3.1MW identified for development, and the potential investors (public and private) who are ready to invest in the SHP sites identified’’, he stated. According to him, the development of SHP in Nigeria, especially in rural areas has the potential to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 9 by ensuring access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy for all and to build resilient infrastructure. Over the years, electricity supply in Nigeria has been unreliable and always characterized by frequent shutdowns, load shedding and grid failures. The country’s estimated electricity demand is about 15, 000MW. On the supply

side, Nigeria’s total installed generating capacity is about 10,000MW while actual electricity generation currently hovers around 4, 000MW. According to a statement from the Abuja office of the UN agency, in order to help government of Nigeria achieve Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development in collaboration with the Federal Government, currently building human and institutional capacities for the development of Small Hydro Power Projects across the country. UNIDO has supported the establishment of a Regional Centre for SHP development, RC-SHP, in the country in addition to developing local capacity for the fabrication of Small Hydro Power turbines to reduce project cost. “Over 200 potential SHP sites have been identified across the country while 19 feasibility studies with detailed project reports and bankable documents have been carried out by the RC-SHP. As at today, three SHP Projects have been completed in Taraba, Bauchi and Enugu states while there are on-going projects in Ogun, Osun and Benue states’’, the statement added.

her peers. “On the swap, I think the important thing here is that about the time we have been holding discussions with the people’s Bank of China about the swap arrangement which entails the use of RNB for trade transaction between Nigeria and China. “So what we did was to sign a mandate between the CBN and the Industrial and

Commercial Bank of China which is the biggest bank in the world to act as our agent in consummating the deal between the CBN and the People’s Bank of China and basically the issues are two folds: that it affords Nigeria traders opportunities to open letters of credit using the RNB as a currency, rather than using the dollar.

Stakeholders hold commodities exchange colloquium

n a bid to better understand the dynamics of commodity markets, policy makers and other stakeholders in the nation’s agricultural sector would be holding a colloquium in Abuja next week. With discussions billed to centre on commodity trading and risk management, the seminar is aimed at helping stakeholders understand how to optimise value created and traded in the market. Targeted stakeholders include commodity importers, exporters, industrial consumers, financial services organizations, policy makers, industry influencers, regulatory bodies, exchanges as well as government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, at the national and subnational. The seminar, organised by INTL FCStone Limited in partnership with AFEX Commodities Exchange Limited, according to the organisers, would afford participants the opportunity to understand their roles in setting up, operating and trading in commodities markets through exchanges as well as how to evaluate and identify the scope of markets in order to mitigate risks from commodity exposure. According to them, based on the current economic conditions in the country, the development of markets for agricultural commodities would provide the much needed diversification of the nation’s economy. Director, INTL FCStone Inc, Scott Branch said the goal of the event is to give stakeholders a vision of how structured modern markets can help agribusinesses generate prosperity at the scale required to eradicate poverty, ensure food security and tackle the issues of unemployment across the country. “We live in a world full of opportunities in financial markets, but not a world full of access.

AFAN holds maiden agric fair Lagos chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, has concluded plans to hold its first Lagos International Agric Fair at the National Stadium this month, with the theme: “Improving Agriculture for sustainable economic growth”. The fair, being jointly organised by AFAN along with the Exhibition & Fairs Limited with the support of Lagos Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources would showcase their produce to the world as well as their potentiality in the agricultural sector as against the insinuation that there is no farmer in the state. Speaking at the Press briefing and sensitization programme, the AFAN Chairman in the state, Otunba Femi Oke said the purpose of the fair was to sensitise and draw attention of international community to the potential of the Nigerian farmers, especially those in Lagos state on agriculture produce. He said about 63 commodity associations along agricultural value chain would exhibit their products while foreign investors have been invited to observe and inspect those commodities and certify their standards. “I will therefore appeal to all agricultural stakeholders, ranging from the farmers, the Local Council and the LCDAs, the agro-chemical industries, the poultry association and catfish farmers association among others to participate fully in the event. He disclosed that there would be a 2-day seminar during the fair, where the existing and would-be farmers would be trained and lectured on different farm improvement and advance topic.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Jobs & Career

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

ILO urges job seekers to shun racketeers sylva emeKa-OKereKe

nternational Labour Organization, ILO, has warned the public, especially job seekers of fraudulent schemes, purporting to solicit applications for employment or business opportunities on behalf of its officials. ILO strongly recommends that prospective applicants and recipients must carefully verify the authenticity of solicitations and offers before sending any

response. It said electronic communications should be disregarded, if they originate from any source, other than an ILO email account-@ilo.org-or its website- ilo. org. “ILO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process whether at the application, interview, processing or training stage. It does not require or need to know any information relating to the bank account details of applicants.

We’re building capacity for aviation industry – Bankole Olusegun KOiKi

anaging Director of MedView Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole has said that the airline was proud to contribute immensely to capacity building in the nation’s aviation industry. He expressed satisfaction that the airline, which commenced scheduled flight operations less than four years ago, would continue to train aircraft captains, first officers, engineers and other technical staff needed for the allimportant sector. This is coming on the heels of the growing manpower deficit in the aviation industry, thus making poaching the order of the day. Speaking to newsmen recently in Lagos, Bankole said he had lost a lot of pilots to poaching in recent time, noting that aviation was an industry, where airlines feed each other while pilots and engineers move on to greener pastures. He however insisted that the only way to counter loss of manpower was by continuous training. The dearth of qualified technical personnel in the aviation industry started, after the liquidation of the national carrier, Nigeria Airways. Many professionals, stakeholders are of the strong opinion that when the defunct national carrier was still flying, it accounted for the training of almost all the technical staff that most airlines can boast of today. Analysts are of the view that, if this generation of pilots and engineers retire, the nation would be faced with serious shortage of personnel. This according to experts implies that Nigeria would turn to expatriates that would cost the country a lot of capital flight in addition to the existing trend in aircraft and spare parts acquisition as well as maintenance of aircraft. Bankole, a product of the defunct national carrier said he was not deterred as his airline was filling the gap left behind by the demise of the national carrier, stating that Medview Airline would continue to train and retrain professionals for the industry.

“We will continue to train. Most of our pilots have been poached, but that will not stop our training. Our airline already has eight of my pilots, my captains and we will continue to train because that is the only way to sustain this industry” he stated.

Any such request should be rejected’’. ‘’Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on-behalf of the ILO should be reported to the ILO at the following email address JUR@ilo.org. It can also be reported to the local law enforcement authorities for appropriate action’’, it stated. It also noted that the paramount consideration in the filling of any vacancy shall be the necessity to obtain a staff of the highest standards of competence, efficiency and integrity. Due regard, according to it, should be paid to the importance of maintaining a staff selected on a wide geographical basis, recognizing also the need to take into account considerations of gender and age. Every official shall be required to possess a fully satisfactory knowledge of one of the working languages of the Organization. ‘’Without prejudice to the foregoing, officials shall be selected without discrimination on the basis of age, race,

ILO DG, Guy Ryder

gender, religion, colour, national extraction, social origin, marital status, pregnancy, family responsibilities, sexual preference, disability, union membership or political conviction’’, it added.

FBN retires, appoints new director

irst Bank of Nigeria Limited has appointed Dr. Remi Oni to its Board of Directors as Executive Director, Corporate Banking, effective April 15 while announcing the retirement of Mr Abiodun Odubola from the Board as Executive Director/ CRO from June 30, 2016. The bank said, Odubola was retired to enable him pursue his personal interests. Until this appointment, Oni was the Executive Director, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Nigeria and West Africa at the Standard Chartered Bank. He had concurrent primary respon-

Labour House, Abuja

sibilities for the International Corporate Client Segment business for Standard Chartered Bank in West Africa. Prior to his appointment, Oni held several senior management positions, including Executive Director/Head of Origination & Client Coverage at Standard Chartered Bank in Uganda and concurrently Regional Head, Network Clients business for SCB in Africa as well as Head of Local Corporate in SCB Nigeria. A seasoned banker with over 24 years’ experience in Corporate Banking, Corporate Finance, Commercial Banking and Retail Banking, he would

bring to bear, his practical skills in the areas of deals origination and structuring, relationship management and business management and strategy. He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Ilorin, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, DV, as well as Master of Science in Public Health and Preventive Medicine from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. It would be recalled that Odubola joined the Board of FirstBank in 2014, after being appointed Chief Risk Officer in 2013. He had previously been Head, Credit Analysis and Processing Department in First Bank and Chief Risk Officer at Ecobank Nigeria Plc. Odubola started his banking career with Citibank over 20 years ago and garnered diverse experience, covering relationship management, credit underwriting, credit risk management, country risk management and credit audit within and outside the country. While commenting on the developments, the Managing Director/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Limited and its Subsidiaries, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan thanked Odubola for his contributions to the development of First Bank over the years and wished him the best in his future endeavours. While welcoming Oni to the Board, the CEO of the bank said, “Remi’s cognate experience is a perfect fit for our bank’s expanded corporate banking directorate. I believe he will deliver to our desire to remain at the vanguard of innovation, creativity, enterprise, and service excellence”.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Real Estate & Environment

Investors’ eye hospitality business to stave-off dwindling real estate

Investors are veering into hospitality business to stem the tide of the dwindling real estate sector. SYLVA EMEKA-OKEREKE reports.

ith the growing lull in the nation’s real estate, investors are veering into hospitality business to stave-off the dwindling fortunes in the real estate of the economy. Already, some developers as well as big time investors have renewed commitments toward developing hospitality industry, widely regarded in some countries as money-spinner. Some African countries like Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Netherland, Columbia, Singapore, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates among others are making huge revenue from the hospitality industry. An investment expert, Chuks Ohi told National Mirror, that hospitality industry would soon take away investments from the real estate, saying the sector is not growing as expected due to the cash squeeze in the country. Explaining how the industry would generate enough funds to the country, Ohi said, if there is much passenger traf-

Illegal logging, NCF calls for rainforest protection

fic, it would lead to building more international airport, which would in turn provide many jobs as construction workers would be needed to perform the fabrications. This, according to him, would be in addition to thousands of people, who would get jobs to run the airport, disclosing that since passengers start flying into the country, several hotels would be required. It therefore means that hotel companies would pay state and federal govern-

ments millions of dollars for permits to build the hotels and also gives jobs to many Nigerian workers. Also, they are expected to pay construction companies in the country to build the hotels, thus giving more jobs to many Nigerian. ‘’The multiplier effect is much more. So, we need to encourage those investors to invest in hospitality industry. It is the same thing as property business, since they tend towards building houses or hotels, which would also create employment and generate revenue to government and individuals’’, Ohi stated. Hospitality, he said, is a welcomed boast to the global economy, especially in countries, where there is high level of poverty. In any slow economy, tourism can lend millions of dollars through foreign exchange while allowing for cultural ex-

The mulTiplier effecT is much more. so, we need To encourage Those invesTors To invesT in hospiTaliTy indusTry. iT is The same Thing as properTy business, since They Tend Towards building houses or hoTels, which would also creaTe employmenT and generaTe revenue To governmenT and individuals

change among people and creates working places for the citizenry. Hospitality services include accommodation, hotels, resorts, shopping malls as well as amusement parks among others. Ohi said, ‘’once a passenger is off the plane, he will pay for hotels and also spend money for sightseeing. He will pay tour guides, boat captains, cab drivers as well as buying foods and drinks or souvenirs, which give income to governments at all levels. Describing the sector as an alternative to property business, a stakeholder in the real sector, Mr. Femi Olojo said the present economic reality, caused by global oil glut, has spurred the needs for diversification into different sectors of the economy, including hospitality. He said, the sector is not only money spinner, put capable of generating huge revenue to government as seeing in some developing and developed countries of the world. According to him, the Tinapa project as well as the Ogudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River state would have been major revenue spinner for the state government and by extension, the federal government, if not because of the attitudes of some politicians, who believed that there is no glory in continuing the projects of the past administrations. CONTINUED ON PAGE 25

N5.3tm Pension assets: Fund managers urge FG to develop infrastructure bonds

Stakeholders seek compliance to reduce fraudulent transfers 31

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Investors’ eye hospitality business to stave-off dwindling real estate CONTINUED FROM 24

Noting that earlier investors in hospitality industry did not recoup their investments, due to non-patronage of the sector, Olojo said the situation is a sharp deviation from the past, going by the current trend in the sector, which has over 70 percent returns on investment. According to him, what the government needs to do, is to ensure guarantee peace, improve the facilities at the airports while encouraging investors to invest in the country. Tourism, according to him, has high potential than real estate; saying in the past, cash was not rolling in the sector, assuring that the sector would once again bounce back to glory, considering the global oil glut. ‘’As long as the economy continues to improve, the fortune of the sector will continue to grow, compare to real estate industry’’, he stated. According to him, the sector would witness an impressive growth in the next few years, reiterating that tourism industry engages in hosting services such as hotels, bars, cruise lines, cattle ranching as well as other related businesses. He recalled that the influx of local and foreigner tourists into the country, is capable of boosting the nation’s economy, adding that the Gross Domestic Products, GDP, of some African and western countries come from tourism industry. Urging estate developers to channel their funds into developing hospitality industry, he said overtime, the sector would play major role in the revenue generation of the nation while increasing her Gross Domestic Product, GDP. Also, Dele Alimi, a tourism analyst said the industry is a multi-billion dollar business, stressing that it is the most economically-active of the sector’s developments, especially in accommodation and food services. Prior to the discovery of oil as a major source of revenue, he said Nigeria was primarily an agrarian economy with little or no investments in hospital industry. Recalling that the oil boom of 1980s brought high demands for hospitality industry, especially hotel businesses, as Nigerian military government was isolated from international community, he said this led to the influx of foreign nationals into the country. However, he said, the country’s return to democracy in 1999 saw a resurgence in the sector, as improved economic and political stabilities in business environment, which encouraged foreign and local investments in oil and gas as well as telecommunications, thus playing down on tourism development. It would be recalled that hospitality business dates back to 1942, with the unveiling of Lagos Airport Hotel, followed by other hotels like Bristol Hotel in and Federal Palace hotel. Consequently, more hotels opened across the country in 1960s and 1970s, including Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt, Eko Holiday Inn and Festac 77 Hotel as well as Gateway Hotels in Abeokuta. Others include Ijebu-Ode and Ota, which were developed by government in the absence of capacity in private sector. Experts say, there was an influx of regional and international chains of hotels as Nigerian hotel industry was not significantly affected by the 2008 and 2009

Mohammed

Fashola global economic crisis Regional and internationally branded hotels continued to open in the country, especially in Lagos state, Abuja and Port Harcourt among other areas. Tourism investments cut across other sectors and such potential cannot be underestimated, considering serious population growth in the country. For instance, overcrowding as well as overpopulation of in some academic institutions in the country is capable of encouraging governments as well as the private investors to build and run hostels. Presently, a lot of Nigerian banks are involved developing hostels, hotels among other tourism potential in some institutions of higher learning. Some of the banks, including Spring Bank, Zenith Bank among others have stakes in some of the private and public institutions in the country. This is not applicable to Universities alone, but also Federal and state Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Technical Colleges as well as Teacher Training Institutions. Experts have maintained that no matter the location of the institutions, whether rural or urban areas, they can still generate a lot of traffic, especially during academic session. The rush for such investments makes the rent higher than most urban ar-

eas with the same square meter area of rooms. According to experts, the returns on investment is high as students pay yearly, thus generating lump sums of money to build more or add to the existing ones, which can easily be rented out again. ‘’Your contract with students is usually on yearly basis, which terminates at the end of every session. You are paid before new tenants come in, unless the present occupier can afford to pay new rates, which are usually added almost every year. The student sojourn is always short and transitory, which makes it easy for you to increase your rent, after he must have packed out’’, an estate developer stated. For potential investors, there are two options through which they can participate, one is by going into partnership arrangement with more tertiary institutions to obtain land under leasehold agreement, build and manage the hostel on agreed terms. Also, to speculate for land around tertiary institutions, obtain necessary titles and approvals from government agencies, build and then manage the hostel. The hostel does not have to be located within the school premises, but should at least be in the town or close to the school, hence the closer it is, the higher the rate. One can start with small rooms, about

Progressive hosPitality organizations have currently heeded the warning signs that dynamic markets and changing industry requirements are Part of the new ‘normal,’ and have taken time to

invest in the right training to be better Placed to effectively conduct business in the market Place

4-5 rooms on a half plot of land and grow steadily to build bigger ones in the institutions scattered all over the nation. Banks; mortgage and other financial institutions can collaborate in this regard. A reliable investment, hotels produce constant and predictable returns. They represent an alternative to investing in traditional real estate markets, such as the residential and tertiary sectors. The hospitality industry is built on solid fundamentals and is able to weather economic storms. Revenues and profits have risen steadily over the past decade. The sector is particularly dynamic in France, which remains the world’s premier tourist destination with a 6 percent increase in visitor numbers in 2012. As wider hospitality industry continues to face a slow recovery, savvy hotel owners and managers are looking inwards to ensure better technology to run their facilities. While some hotel organizations have used the present economic downturn to adequately plan for the future through improved technology and staff investment, many others are shedding costs. Progressive hospitality organizations have currently heeded the warning signs that dynamic markets and changing industry requirements are part of the new ‘normal,’ and have taken time to invest in the right training to be better placed to effectively conduct business in the market place. In consideration of how investment in hospitality technology can support business growth, it is important to look at what operational efficiencies can bring, including improvements in staff activities and morale to generate more revenues. As hotel industry continues to move towards a more dynamic and inter-connected environment, it is vital that correct technology infrastructure is in place to meet this challenges.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Illegal logging, NCF calls for rainforest protection

MORTGAGE NOTES

with Adenike Fasanya-Osilaja Email: Nike@MVPSolutionsinc.com https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=35277333

Women and Home Ownership

wrote at length last time, about the mortgage finance industry needs to rethink the verbiage used in marketing its products, to help the consumer market get more comfortable, and therefore more willing to access mortgage finance. This week I would like to discuss the challenges facing women in home ownership. While my primary focus is Nigeria, I am aware that the issues I will raise today apply to pretty much every “developing country” in today’s global system. In several cultures worldwide, it is sad but true, that women are very much second class citizens. In fact, I would say women are third class citizens because a woman’s children have a say in her husband’s family, while she does not. This is the concept of the “chattel wife” as seen over and over again in our system. We have a system where a woman goes through years of education and multiple degrees, attains the highest levels in her career, and works as hard, if not harder than most of her colleagues, yet when she steps into her husband’s family home, she becomes almost nothing more than a shadow – seen and not heard. Her CEO status is taken off at the door along with her shoes, and her place until she leaves at the end of the day, is in the kitchen. In several societies, a woman cannot own property, or even accept employment, without her husband’s permission. Again, the traditional role of the woman has been to give up her natural impulses to achieve at the highest levels available to her, in deference to the traditional notion that she has no rights or privileges beyond those magnanimously ascribed to her by her husband. Young women are advised not to be too successful, and if they are successful, not to live a life commensurate with their level of achievement, because driving a Mercedes Benz or owning a luxury apartment would “intimidate” would-be suitors, and doom her to the “horror” of never getting married. Nowhere is this travesty more apparent than in the area of home ownership. It is amazing that in 2015, with the world class education and access to enlightenment in our society, a woman (traditionally) still has no ownership in her own marital home. We still have a system where, upon a man’s death, his wife is forcibly ejected from the home she shared with her spouse,

(in several cases, along with her children), and the husband’s family takes over the property. The saddest part of this is that, though very few men will admit it, these women had actually supported their spouses throughout the construction of the property, contributing both in cash and in kind towards it. As if that would not be devastating enough, these families proceed to basically loot their deceased brother’s home, impounding any vehicles, clothing, jewelry and other items of value, with the assertion that it “belonged to their son’, as if the poor wife played no part whatsoever, in the husband’s economic growth. It must be seen as a challenge for all of us, especially our new Minister for Housing, Attorney BabatundeRajiFashola, a seasoned Legal Practitioner, and his housing team, to focus squarely on addressing this injustice. We must start to talk about the unfairness of this practice. We must start to recognize a woman’s right to have a spousal interest in her marital home at a level superior to his family’s interest. We must allow women, nay, we must EMPOWER women, to confidently seek to become home owners in their own right, should they so wish. With the advent of a much more robust lands registry, the notion of customary courts deciding such property matters should be widely discouraged, and what we call “Homestead Rights” must be established. A homestead right simply refers to a prima facie right of a spouse, to remain in the house she has shared with her husband (or the other way around). Even a mortgage lien is subordinate to a homestead right, and that right can only be waived with the written consent of the spouse. I am convinced that this would quickly contribute to the stabilization of womens’ lives and homes after the devastation of the loss of their spouse. One of the most efficient ways to empower homebuyer purcahses in women would be through

Real Estate & Environment

the provision of Down Payment Assistance (DPA) funds. In several countries, Down Payment Assistance is provided by the government to assist citizens with a portion of their down payment for an owner occupied loan, in those sections of the populace that a need to increase ownership is identified. A DPA is usually monetary in nature, and is provided on behalf of a home buyer that has completed some preapproval processes, especially homebuyer education and counseling, to reduce the amount she would have to come up with, as her portion of the funds to purchase the property she is interested in. I have ALWAYS thought that I would absolutely LOVE to set up an NGO/Non Profit foundation, simply for this purpose. The need for such assistance is so obvious to me, that I am surprised the government has not done anything nationally on this matter. Our mothers should not be cast out on the streets, with the children they birthed during their marriage, simply because their husband is no more. This is immoral, inhumane, and should be roundly condemned anywhere it exists. With all the hoopla about the “17 million housing deficit”, I would have expected someone to realize that the number is not just made up of the male, but also includes the female gender of the population. So please let us stop with the fake posturing and gimmicks, and actually address the areas of our system that need correction…and I would put it to you that not only would the real estate market see a large influx of new buyers, but we will have made provision for the widow and the orphan, which is a duty placed on all of us. As usual, I welcome all comments on this article. I can be reached by email at nike@ mvpsolutionsinc.com, on LinkedIn at Adenike FasanyaOsilaja, and please follow me on Twitter @NikeFinancePro.

ABOUT THE WRITER Fasanya-Osilaja a lawyer and mortgage expert has owned and operated Marvel Ventures Mortgage, Inc. (www.marvelmortgage.com), a Chicagobased Mortgage Brokerage Company since 2000 and has worked in the US Mortgage industry since 1996. She also consults and facilitates industryrequired activities, from set up of mortgage organisations to documentation, training and compliance.

n spite of efforts by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, NCF, to promote forest conservation in the country, especially in Taraba state, some people are still engaging in illegal logging in the state. The state, according to the NCF, is blessed with Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria’s largest protected area, manned by the Federal Government. However, the Foundation said the park stands the risk of logging, if urgent actions were not taken to curb the pace of illegal logging in the state. A Climate Change Officer, NCF, Lagos, Mr. Solomon Adefolu said, a community forest assessment conducted in 2015 showed an alarming situation in the state’s forest estate, which are being continuously depleted in a fast-rising deforestation rate annually. He said, the state is losing its forest estate at a rapid rate than it can replenish, disclosing that finding has shown that these logged timbers are exported abroad with no commensurate income generated for the state. ‘’Though, there may be government plan for re-afforestation, the state is seen not to be implementing any of such re-afforestation plan, considered to be the only way it can replenish the lost forest. The state also lacks a monitoring measure that can checkmate over-logging as the granted logging permits are used over the required number of days by loggers without checks’’.

‘’Recently, the state government increased the cost of logging permit from N70, 000 ($235) to N400, 000 ($1335) with the aim of discouraging the timber loggers from the business but this strategy is not working as the dealers are conveniently paying the increased amount with the notion that they will recoup their loss in multiple folds from the sale of the illegally logged timber’’, he stated. Acceding to him, some of the issues contributing to this rapid deforestation rate in the state include youth unemployment, as youths are often used across the timber value chain because of lack of daily jobs, thus becoming easy for them to accept the ‘peanuts’ offered to be part of the logging process. The other critical issue, according to him, is the lack of political will to curb the illegal practice as evidenced in the number of truckloads of timber that go out of the state on a daily basis. However, in the state, some community forests and forest reserves are still left untouched by virtue of community participation in the protection efforts as well as the presence of natural barriers such as rivers and mountains for easy penetration by loggers. This exceptional case only applies to the Buru Forest, Bissaula Forest Reserve, Akwabe and Afrobe Community Forest and a few others. The government, he noted should see the forest as renewable natural resources with great livelihood benefits for the people rather than a source of short term income that cannot sustain the state.

African nations urged to decentralize renewable energy initiatives By Olufemi AdeOsun

frican Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, have called for the need to decentralize renewable energy and make it people-oriented. The CSOs made the charge on the sidelines of the sixth special session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, AMCEN, holding in Cairo, Egypt. In his remarks during the presentations on Post-Paris conversations on climate change, renewable energy, energy transformation and access in Africa, Mithika Mwenda, who represents African farmers, both women and youths, under the aegis of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, urged African leaders to work towards ensuring that energy is decentralized and not concentrated on urban areas only. Mithika noted that initiatives such as the African Renewable Energy Initiative, AREI, need to consider how local communities can benefit from energy instead of focusing on big corporations whose profit-oriented actions favour the urban areas Also speaking, Augustine Njamnshi from Cameroon stated

that “there is need to invest in decentralized production and use of renewable energy and to make it community-driven if we are serious about transforming people’s lives with energy,”. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, representing Mbororo pastoralists in Chad and Co-chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, said there was the need to look at energy as veritable means to food security, job creation, poverty reduction among other several key social-economic developments that come with availability and accessibility to energy. “The most urgent need for someone in rural area is food; lighting up the home only comes as a secondary need. We therefore need to take into account how energy can bring food to Africans and that is energy for agricultural production. Energy is more than just lighting up homes,” she said. Head of Water Engineering and Renewable Energy Unit at the Nuclear Research Center in Egypt, Dr Ahmed Hegazi added that energy is a catalyst for development without which there can never be development.

Real Estate & Environment

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Egypt tasks African leaders on environmental issues STORIES BY SYLVA EMEKAOKEREKE

ifty-four African leaders are currently in Cairo for the sixth special session of the African Ministers Conference on the Environment, AMCEN. Egypt’s Minister of Eenvironment, Khaled Fahmy said the conference will follow up on the agreements made during the COP21 conference in Paris Ministry handout Prime Minister Sherif Ismail addressed African leaders on behalf of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi at the sixth session of the African Ministers Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), currently held in Cairo. This year’s session follows the adoption of a historic agreement on climate change in December 2015 during the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (COP21). It was also preceded by the introduction of the UN’s new sustainable development goals (SDGs) in September 2015 for the next 15 years, which address climate change as one of the main goals. Ismail said climate change and development issues currently top the agendas of African countries, adding that Africa is the most vulnerable continent to climate change effects, despite

contributing the least amounts of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Moreover, he highlighted other key challenges in security, politics and economy facing the African continent. “We should combat those challenges together by promoting bilateral work,” Ismail said. According to Ismail, Egypt is committed to continuing its contributions to developing the capacities of African nations through several national mechanisms, including the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, EAPD, which was established in 2014. He added that the environment is one of the cornerstones of the Egypt 2030 strategy. “The strategy falls in line with the climate change goals, which include advancing the quality of life and providing clean sources of energy.” Egypt sent the 2030 strategy to the parliament at the end of March for further review. The theme of the sixth session of AMCEN is “Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement: From policy to implementation in Africa”. Among the topics included in the AMCEN agenda are the African common strategy on combating illegal trade of wild fauna and flora and implemen-

Cleaner environment: Cotton bud makers go plastic-free

eachcombers have a reason to celebrate this week with the announcement that manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and UK retailer Waitrose have committed to phase out plastic from their own-brand cotton buds by the end of 2016. The two leading UK brands pledged to switch from plastic to paper cotton bud sticks, marking an important step toward cleaner seas. Fidra, an environmental charity based in Scotland and partner of Fauna & Flora International while announcing this, said it would encourage retailers and manufacturers to switch from plastic to biodegradable alternatives through its cotton bud project. Amongst the tangles of seaweed you are likely to find lots of little plastic sticks, which are often mistaken for lollipop sticks or straws but are actually the remains of the hundreds of thousands of cotton buds flushed down toilets every week in the UK. Because of their size and shape, plastic cotton bud sticks slip through wastewater treatment systems, wash into rivers and seas, and end up on our beaches. On one Scottish coastline, 13,500 of these sticks were found by Ma-

rine Conservation Society Beachwatch volunteers in a single visit. Not only do they look bad, they also mark the trail of sewage from bathroom to beach, indicating a potential public health risk. These plastic sticks pose a danger to marine life as well, and have been found in the stomachs of dead fulmars and loggerhead turtles. What’s more, plastics in the ocean act like sponges for chemical pollutants such as pesticides, and toxins that may be present at low amounts in the sea can build up to high levels on plastics as they are adsorbed from the surrounding water. To help tackle the threat, Fidra has been liaising with manufacturers and retailers of plastic cotton buds, encouraging them to switch from plastic to a fully biodegradable alternative such as paper. The charity says it is delighted that Johnson & Johnson and Waitrose have responded with a commitment to phase out the plastic in their own-brand cotton buds and move to paper by the end of 2016. “Plastic in our seas is a major pollution problem. Better materials are out there and the more we use them the closer we are to a cleaner ocean,” said Fidra’s Dr Clare Cavers.

tation of the regional flagship programmes, according to the United Nations Environment Programmers, UNEP. UNEP Deputy Executive Director, Ibrahim Thiaw said on

Monday that the illegal trade of wild fauna and flora is the most threatening issue for Africa’s development strategy. According to Thiaw, Africa has the largest wealth of natural

resources worldwide. “Sustaining such resources requires reallocation of funds and adaptation strategies to the diminishing resources and also the population increase.”

L - R: Marketing Director, Nigerian Bottling Company, Sergio Vieira; Director, Public Affairs and Communications, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Clem Ugorji; Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Patricia Jemibewon and Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Cletus Onyebuoha, during the launch of Coca-Cola’s “Taste The Feeling” campaign, in Lagos, at the weekend.

Expert calls for home buyers’ awareness

foreign-based mortgage expert, Nike Fasanya has called for proper education of home buyers on intending properties to buy. Disclosing that property buyers abroad are given enough trainings on the potential of properties they intend to buy, she said ’what the Nigerian government fails to do is the home-buyer education’’. ‘’This is being done abroad. But in Nigeria, we have not been able to educate home buyers on the potential of the sector’’ She said that statistics have shown that when home-buyers are properly educated prior to buying, about 90 percent of them are more likely to know that they can keep their properties, thus making them successful home owners, urging Nigerians to adopt the system. ‘’We want home owners to

have a voice and also have a stake. It is not only enough to say, yes we want to build and whatever we can build, the homeowner should buy. No, it should not be so; the home buyer should be driving the transaction. They should ask questions on what they need. If you are a first time home buyer, you may not be looking for a mansion. We need to get this clear, so that we will not over-improving our property. When the property is too high, you put too much into it; it is more likely that it might become unaffordable’’, she stated. Statistics, according to her, have shown that Nigeria is having over 17 million housing deficit, wondering how the country could fill this gap. She said the issue is not about the 17 million housing deficit but to ascertain the sector of the market, where such deficit exists. She said, ‘’we know it is not from the high-end of the market

as mansions litter all the nooks and crannies of the country, but from the low-end of the property market. She said ‘’if we don’t have affordable housing sector, then our foundation is shaky. We can only build on something. Affordable home buyer is the first building block of any sustainable home ownership and real estate markets. I think we jumped the gun a little bit, so we probably need to go back, look inwards and reassess the situation and do it over and over again, we will definitely do it right’’. She said government and the private sector should be involved in the funding of the sector; otherwise, the system would be stuck government’s slow-movement. ‘’That is the way the system works abroad and we have to be able to incorporate affordable housing component with the market forces’’, she added.

Low oil price impacts on global real estate

he sharp drop in oil prices has led to speculation that real estate would regain its past glory as one of the nation’s economic engines. However, the impact of the energy downturn on the nation’s real estate is just starting to be felt in the sector. The negative impacts of lower oil prices, forecast a 20 percent drop in energy sector investment this year, and indeed some energy companies have postponed or shelved many projects in light of business conditions. Yet on the real estate side, investors appear to be biding their time as there are little on large real estate purchases and sales taking place in the country, although firms are putting space up for sublet. Alberta’s experience with boom and-bust cycles has taught compa-

nies that sometimes the best strategy is to simply hold. Elsewhere, low energy prices may prove a boon to certain sectors and their related real estate markets. Canada’s weaker currency should make the country’s non-energy exports more competitive. If gas pump savings should materialize, this too could boost business and consumer spending, potentially benefiting retailers, among others. This could, in turn, drive activity in industrial, office, and commercial real estate, especially in the east. Many respondents expect foreign investment to continue to flow into Canadian real estate—not only into traditional markets like Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, but also into Montreal and even Saskatoon, where interest in farmland

and development land is rising. Foreign investors face numerous hurdles in entering the Canadian market. As a result, they are determined to ensure that they realize a good return on their investments. Interest in hotel and office properties is rising, and observers expect that foreign While developers are building condominiums and mid-density products like stacked townhouses to meet municipal and provincial urban density demands, it is getting harder for developers to build affordable housing in the urban centers that people covet, which could have consequences for Canada’s urbanization trend. Developers and builders believe that several issues are pushing housing prices up and potentially out of reach for many prospective homebuyers.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Aviation

Stakeholders decry tanker drivers’ menace on Lagos Airport road Airports generally are supposed to be free from obstructions, capable of causing danger to regular users; however, the reverse appears to be the case with Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, Lagos, where tanker drivers have turned the restricted area to another dreaded zone. OLUSEGUN KOIKI reports.

bviously, the havoc cause by trucks and tankers at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, Lagos is unquantifiable. From indiscriminate parking on airport roads to heavy gridlocks caused by such trucks and down to non-conformity of traffic laws, the Lagos airport is gradually turning into another Oshodi-Apapa expressway for passengers, who go through harrowing experiences on daily basis. Experts say the attitude of tanker and truck drivers has been a source of concern to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, which some years back, relocated them to the approved tanker park, even though, they were reluctant to move away from the airport road, which they had turned to their permanent park several years ago. The agency led by its Managing Director, Engr. Saleh Dunoma said the relocation has become necessary for the tanker drivers to comply with the rules of their engagement. FAAN was worried that, if the indiscriminate parking by the drivers was not decisively checked, Lagos Airport road may turn into another Oshodi-Apapa expressway. Lagos Airport is the busiest in the country with estimated passengers of about seven million (both local and international) out of the 15 million yearly passengers’ traffic in the country’s aviation industry. Investigation by our correspondent reveals that most of the tankers had no business at the airport, as the only approved tankers at the airport are those supplying Jet A1, however, despite restrictions, tankers with Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, and diesel are lined up on the airport road awaiting their turn to load at Apapa. FAAN had insisted that the rules must be adhered to, as far as parking and operating around the airport environment was concerned. Dunoma told journalists that the notorious act of parking tankers along the airport road would no longer be tolerated as the act was capable of jeopardising safety and security of the airport, which would adversely affect airport users. He noted that adequate parking spaces had already been provided for the tanker drivers by the authority, explaining that there was a standing agreement between FAAN and the leaders of the tanker drivers’ union to only make use of the aviation designated trailer parks for parking purposes, except during loading or discharging of fuel at the tank farms. But despite the efforts of the agency, tankers and trailers still line up at both ways at the airport road, causing avoidable

Fuel tankers at the Lagos Airport road

The AssociATed Airline plAne crAsh involving The former minisTer of AviATion corpse, dr. olusegun AgAgu ThAT occurred in 2013 would hAve crAshed direcTly on The TAnkers if noT for divine inTervenTion…

gridlocks and hardship to motorists and commuters. The tanker drivers hide under the guise of uplifting aviation fuel to airlines in the airport and threatened to down tools whenever their action was challenged by the airport authorities. What would have been a massive tragedy, loss of lives and property was recently averted at the Lagos Airport, when spark from welder’s battery led to major explosion at the trailers’ car park. The place of the incident was about 300 meters to the international terminal of the airport. A source close to the scene of the incident told our correspondent that the welder was severely burnt as a result of the incident, stressing that he was working on one of the trailers parked at the motor park before the explosion occurred. But, the swift response from the fire fighters of FAAN put the raging inferno under control and prevented it from spreading beyond the area. Commenting on the activities of tanker drivers at the airport, the Ag. General-Secretary, National Union of Air Transport Employees, NUATE, Comrade Olayinka Abioye said the activities of the tanker operators were inimical to the practice of

safety and security in aviation industry. He explained that in other countries of the world, distribution of Jet A1 to aircraft was not done by the surface tankers, adding that the Murtala Muhammed Airport had such facility and wondered why its usage was suspended over the years by FAAN. He insisted that if the usage of the underground facility was not stopped by the government, it would have helped in reducing the number of fuel tankers seen at the airport while the inherent danger they pose to users would have been avoided. Abioye declared that in order to prevent the impending disaster, the airport landlord, FAAN should as a matter of urgency call a meeting of all tanker operators at the airport, maintaining that with the current situation safety and security could not be guaranteed in the system. He said, “What they have to do is for the oil companies to come in and put their pipes into the aircraft from the underground tank and the aircraft would collect the fuel. But for the reason best known to FAAN, that facility is no longer in use. That is why you see Jet A1 being loaded into the tanker and taken to the tarmac, which is a very serious safety and security concern. “The Associated Airline plane accident

involving the former Minister of Aviation corpse, Dr. Olusegun Agagu that occurred in 2013 would have crashed directly on the tankers, if not for divine intervention and if that happens, only God knows the enormity of the damage that would have been inflicted on the Lagos airport and its environs. Something needs to be done immediately in this direction.” A safety expert, Mr. Emmanuel Innocent, said that safety implication of the gradual relocation of the tanker drivers to Lagos Airport road was unimaginable, describing it as a time bomb waiting to explode. Innocent hinted that tanker drivers that have no business at the airport road now park broadly on the two sides of the road, gradually compounding the traffic situation at the airport while the management of FAAN seemed helpless on the matter. “From where the aviation tanker drivers were given as their park, they are gradually taking over, now parking their tankers on the sides of the road extending close to Mobil petrol station on one side and Conoil petrol station on the other side. “Apart from the aviation fuel tankers, tankers of PMS also park along the airport road. And a look at some of the tankers shows that a few of them have broken down and are just parked there to occupy space,” he stated. Besides, the President of Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, Capt. Nogie Meggison called on the Federal Government to revive the Aviation Turbine Fuel, ATF, at the Warri refinery, including the pipeline –hydrant system of supplying aviation fuel to Lagos Airport. He also appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to look into the possibility of reviving the pipelines, which obviously must have become rusty and corroded having been abandoned for over 18 years. “We need NNPC to revive this pipeline so that airline can get cheaper and cleaner aviation fuel”, he said. He maintained that the pipelines that supplied aviation fuel to the airport before it was shut down by the late General Sani Abacha led military regime in January 1996 were fully functional. He said, “Before the pipelines were shut down in 1996, aircraft were using the aviation fuel hydrant at the Murtala Muhammed Airport and no one truck supplied fuel to the airport from the port, as fuel was pumped through pipeline from Atlas Cove and Mosimi. “One of the causes of high cost of aviation fuel is the cumbersome chain of distribution and supply it has to pass through before getting to airline operators.”

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Aviation

Fuel tankers at the Lagos Airport road

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Airspace managers back NAMA on sustained safety StorieS by oluSegun KoiKi

he Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, has promised to sustain the current air safety record in the nation’s aviation industry. This is coming on the heels of the managers of the Agency, who have thrown their weight behind the current management led by the Acting Managing Director, Engr Emma Anasi in his bid to sustain the gains of safety across the country’s airspace. The Airspace Managers under the auspices of Managers’ Forum commended the new management for making sure that navigational infrastructure across the country was working optimally. Speaking at this year’s first quarter Airspace Manager’s Forum, the Chairman of the Forum, Mr. Gabriel Akpen also commended efforts of the management in building capacity of critical personnel within the agency through training and re-

training of staff. Earlier in his address, the Acting Managing Director, NAMA, Engr. Emma Anasi expressed gratitude to the airspace managers for ensuring safety of air navigation in their various domains. He however called for transparent and broad review of the processes and administrative structures at every level to enhance efficiency of service delivery. Anasi also declared that the agency was not going through some challenges due to the absence of a substantive Managing Director due to the detention of its erstwhile Managing Director, Engr. Abdulsalami Ibrahim and some other management staff. Anasi also assured airspace managers of NAMA’s committed to the delivery of uninterrupted air navigation services across the nation’s airspace. He said, “This is reinforced by the fact that all our navigational facilities across the country

Anasi

have remained serviceable and are performing at optimal levels. We recently calibrated our navigational aids and also successfully completed the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, Audit within the period of this present management.” The NAMA boss affirmed that both operational and administrative processes in the agency were going on seamlessly, even as he enjoined the media to always verify their stories before going to the press.

Delta Air Lines earns $1.56bn pre-tax income in Q1

he American giant carrier, Delta Air Lines has announced $1.56 billion pre-tax income in the first quarter of 2016. The figure represents $966 million increase over the same period in 2015. The airline also hinted that it earned $1.0 billion or $1.32 per diluted share in its adjusted income between January and March 2016. The airline in March quarter also shared a total $882 million in dividends to shareholders. A statement by the media consultant of the airline in Nigeria quoted Delta’s incoming Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mr. Ed Bastian as saying that the airline commenced 2016 with tremendous momentum, generating, delivering industry-leading operations including 49 days of perfect mainline completion factor for its customers. Bastian added that the airline within the period under review also reached its goal of becoming an investment grade company. He added, “With these results, the Delta people have proven again that

Delta 747-400

they are the very best in the industry. We will continue to be disciplined with our business in the face of volatile fuel prices, strengthen our foundation, and prove our position as the airline that consistently delivers top results for our employees, our owners and the customers and communities we serve.” The statement declared that Delta’s operating revenue for the March quarter decreased 1.5 per cent, or $137 million, driven by $125 million in foreign currency pressures and a $5 million impact from the recent events in Brussels. Passenger unit revenues declined 4.6 per cent, including two points of impact from foreign currency, on a 2.7 per cent increase in capacity. Besides, Delta’s incoming President, Glen Hauenstein commented that the momentum with its commercial initiatives, including corporate share gains, Branded Fares, and partnership with American Express, allowed the airline to maintain its top line performance in the March quarter despite 40 per cent lower market fuel prices and $125 million of pres-

sure from foreign currency. He forecasted a unit revenue decline of 2.5 – 4.5 per cent for the June quarter, stressing that this would be an improvement over the March quarter performance. He maintained that the management was focused on getting unit revenues back to a positive trajectory and would make adjustments to its fall capacity levels if it was not making sufficient progress over the coming months.

Airside shegzzy4live2000@yahoo.co.uk 08186007273

Where is the aviation policy?

ometime in March, the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed the plans of the Federal Government to unveil a new national aviation policy within two weeks to all stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation industry. The minister said the ministry would engage relevant parties, the media and members of the public, to acquaint them on government’s policy direction and programmes towards actualising the change agenda in the sector. But, Airside observes that over five weeks after the pronouncement, the ministry has suddenly gone silent on the issue. Airside says the nation’s aviation industry has been on a standstill in the past six months of Sirika’s appointment as a minister in

the sector. Unfortunately till date, no player in the industry knows the direction of the government on aviation sector. Pathetically, this is happening under aviation professional that unions, associations, stakeholders and professionals craved for in the past. Rather than Sirika to sit down at home and face the enormous task of improving on the legacies of his predecessors, he is busy junketing around the world. He was recently spotted in Singapore by an eagle eye player in the sector. Sirika should stop being a ball boy to the Minister of Transport, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi who despite not being a transport expert is already making a statement in maritime and railways with his actions. Time to act fast is now.

When a CEO’s hands are tied

ometime last week, a leader in one of the leading unions in the Nigerian aviation industry alleged that a particular Chief Executive Officer, CEO, (names withheld) in one of the agencies murmured that “my hands are tied” and so could not take some audacious decisions that would move the concerned organisation forward. In fact, the same CEO faced a tug of war before he could be chosen as an interim replacement in the parastatal after the incumbent was enmeshed in historical financial mess. It took the intervention of the oga at the top before he could be allowed to wear the seemingly oversize shoes. But, since his emergency ap-

pointment, the CEO seems incapacitated as some leading voices in the agency complained openly that the organisation has been in the doldrums since his coming onboard. Airside says since it is obvious that the CEO can’t perform, rather than draw back the agency in particular and the industry at large, he should step aside and allow someone with unchained hands to do the job effectively. Or better still, he should roll of up the sleeves of his shirt and prepare for work. The nation’s aviation industry can’t wait for an unprepared CEO to run it into another avoidable air accident before the needful is done. Airside says we can’t put our fate in the hands of a tied CEO.

Africa World Airlines gets IOSA certification

frica World Airlines, AWA, has joined airlines around the world with the enviable International Operational Safety Audit, IOSA, Certificate from the International Air Transport Association, IATA. The Vice President, IATA, Africa, Mr. Raphael Kuuchi presented the certificate to the Chief Operations Officer of the airline, Mr. Samuel Thompson in Accra, Ghana recently. A statement by the media consultant of the airline in Nigeria, said that Kuuchi in his presentation informed that IOSA Certification was not mandatory for airlines, but it is a safety and security audit run by IATA globally. He however declared that for airlines that adopted it, IOSA enhances their safety and operational effectiveness, stressing that it is a compilation of industry best practices and safety. He noted that IATA encouraged

all airlines to get the IOSA certification, stressing that airlines that are IOSA-registered have the highest level of safety compared to the ones that are not IOSA. He added, “What this means for AWA is recognised as one of the over-400 airlines with the highest safety hallmark or credentials. “Many airlines that are IOSAregistered around the world will be seeking to do business with airlines that are also IOSA-registered. AWA now has to take advantage of this and get out there to try and work with other partner airlines that are IOSA-certified and try and grow their networks.” In his response, the COO of AWA, Mr. Samuel Thompson hinted that with the IOSA certification, customers could have comfort knowing that an IOSA-registered airline actually complies with the stringent standards and practices governing aviation safety.

He added that IOSA certification also opened doors for alliances and partnerships with other IOSA registered Airlines, maintaining that it also put AWA on the map for good business opportunities. In attendance at the event were Minister of Transport for Ghana, Mrs. Dzifa Ativor, Area Manager West Africa for IATA Mr. Samson Fatokun. Officials from China Africa Development, CAD, Fund, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, Social Security and National Insurance Trust, South Africa Airlines and Emirate, Ghana Airport Company Limited and Zenith Bank, Ghana. With its operational base in Accra Ghana, Africa World Airlines Limited is a Ghanaian registered private-sector company formed with the sole vision of making air travel an option for majority of travellers within the markets in which it operates.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Insurance

N5.3trn pension assets: Fund managers urge FG to develop infrastructure bonds By Z aka khaliq

s the country is faced with funding constraints, occasioned by the dwindling revenue source from oil, the Pension Fund Administrators, PFAs, said they would assist the Federal Government to finance its infrastructure projects through the N5.3 trillion pension assets. To ensure this, the industry players asked the government to develop attractive infrastructure bonds that would guarantee the fund. The operators, who spoke at a seminar, organised by Pension Fund Operators of Nigeria, PenOp, for Pension correspondents in Lagos, noted that pension operators were not running

away from financing infrastructure, disclosing that there is currently, no single infrastructure bond in the country. Chairman of the Operators, Mr. Eguarekhide Longe, said members of the group were ready to invest in infrastructure bonds, whenever the government decided to float them to finance key capital projects. Promising that the pension fund managers are ready to engage with government to expand the economic space, even though, it is not their primary objective, he added that, care must be taken not to invest pension fund in a project that will not regenerate it, saying, ‘if you put pension fund in a project that does not regenerate it, the money is gone and in many cases, as we have

FMDQ partners PenCom on improved governance By Z aka khaliq

MDQ OTC Securities Exchange has formalised its partnership with the National Pension Commission, PenCom, through the co-signing of a Regulatory Supervision Collaboration Agreement at a brief ceremony at the commission’s office in Abuja at the weekend. Speaking at the event, the Director-General of PenCom, Mrs. ChineloAnohu-Amazu, acknowledged and commended FMDQ on its positive impact and giant strides in the development of the Nigerian financial system, noting that this agreement will allow the realisation of PenCom’s investment objectives of safety of pension assets and maintenance of fair returns on investment. In the same vein, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, FMDQ, Mr. Bola Onadele Koko noted that the partnership will seek to achieve, among other things, the Commission’s objectives, as outlined in the Pension Reform Act, 2014, through data access and visibility of its supervisees’ (Pension Fund Administrators) transactions on FMDQ; improved transparency of all PFAs’ transactions in the Nigerian fixed income market, as well as the money market through the applicable systems. He added that it will equally enhances capacity building sessions for relevant PenCom Staff on the use of the applicable systems and the development of performance benchmarks for fixed income asset classes: bonds (sovereign, sub-national and corporate), money market securities (treasury bills, commercial papers etc.) and fixed deposits.

Whilst delivering the special address of FMDQ Chairman, Independent Non-Executive Director at FMDQ, Ms. Daisy Ekineh, said: “this ceremony marks the formalisation of a partnership expected to be formidable and long-standing, as it will bring about integrity of service, assured investor protection and fair return on investments, serving to fundamentally change the way in which our financial markets operate to the benefit of the nation’s investors, in particular, the pension assets, and ultimately the Nigerian economy.” FMDQ, she added, in its unwavering commitment to support efforts to galvanise the development of the Nigerian economy, remains resolute in promoting an efficient, transparent and well-regulated financial market, which will attract and retain investors (domestic and foreign). PenCom, through this agreement, will be conferred membership of FMDQ as an Affiliate Member (Regulators), providing the commission with benefits including, but not limited to data access and market visibility rights over the market activities of the commission’s supervisees within FMDQ and access to realtime pre- and post-trade prices on fixed income securities. For PenCom, this partnership, which would allow it online real time access to FMDQ’s trading system(s), will among other things promote increased transparency in trades, efficient pricing of transactions, higher professionalism of players in the fixed income markets and fair returns on pension fund investment, for the ultimate benefit of pension contributors and the Nigerian economy at large.

found, the project has not been delivered because it was not properly conceived.’ While debunking claims that PFAs don’t want to invest pension assets in infrastructure, he said the managers had requested the investment banking community to come out with products that abide by the investment guidelines in Pension Act, which operators can finance, noting that this has not been done. “The fact is that there are ample provisions in the investment guidelines that allows for investment in projects, so to say, infrastructure, private equities and real estates, bonds, among others. But what has happened is not that the money is idle in the PFAs or that the fund managers have not looked for those projects. It is not their jobs to go and create projects, but we have actively sort the investment banking community to develop products that we can invest in,” he pointed out. Earlier, the Head of Investments, Pensions Alliance Limited, PAL, Mrs. Abimbola Sulaiman said lack of investment options, bankable projects, transparency; shortage of data as well as high risk related Greenfield investment among others, are challenges limiting investment of pension funds, especially in infrastructure. In a paper entitled: “Investment of Pensions Funds, Processes- Challenges, Risks and Re-

PenCom DG, Anohu Amazu

wards”, she suggested some consideration and review of existing engagement rule to create opportunities for investment in critical areas in the economy, adding that infrastructure bonds remain the easiest way to introduce majority of pension funds into infrastructure investments, as it is similar to traditional bond investments. Sulaiman opined that when considered that an estimated $3 trillion is required over a period of 30 years to cover infrastructure deficit according to the National Integrated Infrastructure, the limit of spending is grossly inadequate.

Royal Exchange appoints new managing director

oyal Exchange Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Benjamin Agili as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Royal Exchange General Insurance Company, REGIC, following the confirmation of his appointment by the National Insurance Commission, NAICOM. Announcing the appointment recently, the Chairman, Board of Directors, Royal Exchange Plc, Mr. Kenneth E. Odogwu, said Mr. Agili, with his extensive experience and knowledge of the insurance industry, will seek to drive the continuous growth and profitability of Royal Exchange General and make the company a market leader in general insurance business in Nigeria. The new Managing Director of Royal Exchange General Insurance Company is to oversee the continued growth and expansion drive of Royal Exchange General, as the company seeks to be amongst the top five general insurance companies operating in Nigeria. He holds a Higher National Diploma (HND)

in Building Technology from Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA, Financial Management) from Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos state. Following his completion of the mandatory Youth Service programme, he worked briefly as a Project Manager with Savannah Enterprises Limited before he joined the insurance industry as a Superintendent with UNIC Insurance Plc, rising through the ranks, culminating in his appointed the Area Manager, Eastern Operations in 2000. Mr. Agili joined Royal Exchange Assurance Nigeria Plc, (as it was then known) in 2003 as an AGM Eastern Operations and later elevated to Regional Director, East in 2007. He then left Royal Exchange to join Insurance PHB as General Manager, Branch Marketing in 2008 and rejoined the company in 2010, following a stint as the Managing Director of an Insurance Services firm.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Money

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Stakeholders seek compliance to reduce fraudulent transfers As many organisations, especially financial institutions continue to lose huge sums of money through fraudulent transfer; experts say robust compliance systems are capable of curbing the trend. UDO ONYEKA reports.

here are indications that Nigerian government and multinational companies have continued to lose huge sums of money through fraudulent transfers as well as poor compliance systems in some financial institutions. To this end, experts have stressed the need for stronger collaboration between banks, governments and other stakeholders to combat the financing of terrorist organisations while sealing all money laundering channels. Managing Director, MOSECON Africa, Mr. Uzoma Kingsley, in a presentation titled: “Beyond Anti Money Laundering and Terrorism Funding Law(s),” at the annual Access Bank Plc’s Compliance Week in Lagos had noted that the 21st century, also known as digital age, is characterised by the cancer of terrorism and illicit money laundering activities. According to him, financial institutions are hubs for funds distribution, storage and at the same time victims of circumstances. “Financial Intelligence Unit, FIU, is to serve as monitoring centres and identifiers in aiding law enforcement agencies to respond to their existential calling. The confidentiality traditionally tagged on financial transactions is a big constraint, whilst financial institutions lack the forensic apparatus to substantiate their suspicion,” he stated. He listed the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, the IMF, the World Bank, the Interpol and the FBI among others, as key institution leading the war against illicit activities, arguing that the FIU has the potentiality to weaken the illicit enterprise economic muscle. “Domestic and cross-border surveillance has not succeeded in deterring, detecting and arresting the activities. Loopholes and differences among nations and regional protocols/policies are to the advantage of money launderers and terrorist financiers. Jurisdictions with weak or ineffective legal and institutional frameworks remain heavens for the bandits,” Uzoma added. Group Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Obinna Nwosu said his bank had put in place structures that would ensure that the bank continues to comply with anti-money laundering regulations. He however, called for improved collaboration among financial institutions so as to remain ahead of terrorists and fraudsters. “I believe that compliance both at a personal level and at a corporate level is very important to have a decent society,” Nwosu noted. On his part, the Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Barrister Ekpo Nta in his presentation, titled: “Compliance and the Fight against Money Laundering and Related Crimes,” pointed out that banks and other financial institutions had been veritable tools by organised criminals to carry out their nefarious activities. “Many small scale enterprises have been crippled or destroyed by fraudulent movement of their funds in the banks. Some depositors have lost their life savings through poor conduct and compliance culture of certain banks. National

CBN Gov., Emefiele

EFCC, Chairman, Ibrahim Magu

ComplianCe and the Fight against money laundering and related Crimes, pointed out that banks and other FinanCial institutions had been veritable tools by organised Criminals to Carry out their neFarious aCtivities security has been compromised and impinged by poor conduct and compliance mechanisms,” Nta added. But he called for due diligence and compliance to security of funds, protection of customers’ deposits, banks’ potentials and national security. Noting that increasing electronic frauds in the banking sector may have also resulted in cases of Money Laundering and Terrorism Funding, a senior official of Bank Fraud Section, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Shazali said that the electronic transaction crime in the country is on the increase and has reached N6.2bn in 2014. Shazali has tasked the banks to provide lasting solution to reduce the rising electronic frauds in the banking system, as well as adopt better approach to enhance financial inclusion. He said this in a workshop for financial journalists organised by Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, in Ilorin recently, noting that with an average of N80 billion worth of daily transaction, banks and necessary authorities should adequately prepare for huge risks that accompany e- transactions. He said that Nigeria Inter–Bank Settlement Systems, NIBSS, recent data reported a volume and value increase of 50 per cent and 20 per cent respectively between 2013 and 2014 in electronic banking. According to him, as technology advances more and more financial institutions are utilising innovative technological platforms, which make them highly vulnerable to fraudulent activities.

“Nigeria has experienced a remarkable increase adoption of electronic transactions with volume and value accounting to 86 per cent and 82 per cent of all transactions respectively in 2014 and 2013. “While these figures are highly encouraging as it shows that Nigerians are increasingly embracing cashless transactions, it also serves as a pointer to the urgency required in developing rigorous standards for monitoring and security of electronic banking transactions”, he stated. Also to tackle illicit financial flows within the Nigerian capital market, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC have formed partnership. Director General of SEC Mounir Gwarzo, disclosed this when he received the Director of NFIU, Usani Francis in his office in Abuja. He also expressed the Commission’s readiness to work with all relevant government agencies and stakeholders to ensure strict enforcement of all applicable laws against money laundering or financing of terrorism. Gwarzo said the need for collaboration with all relevant stakeholders has become necessary given the important role the SEC plays in the financial system and the need to effectively police the market and ensure that activities are properly scrutinised to enhance integrity and confidence in the Nigerian Financial System. “SEC considers compliance to anti-money laundering laws as an important factor in appraising capital market operators. From the onset, having a knowledgeable compliance of-

ficer is a prerequisite for registration of a firm that seeks to operate in the Nigerian capital market. Secondly, the compliance officer must prove during interviews to be very conversant with the anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework”, Gwarzo said. He disclosed that the SEC had facilitated training for NFIU officers in the past, indicated the Commission’s willingness to work with the NFIU to further build capacity through workshops or training exercises for compliance officers. He also noted that the responsibility of a compliant officer goes beyond knowledge of the relevant laws that govern their operations. Speaking on the need to collaboration in tackling the menace, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu identified illicit financial activities such as terrorism financing and money laundering as a major challenge affecting the country’s quest for development. He said that a lot of investments that are done in the country are from funds earned through illegal activities. Ribadu, who spoke in Abuja at the 2nd AntiMoney Laundering/Combating Financial Terrorism Stakeholders Consultative Workshop organised by the Association of Certified AntiMoney Laundering Specialists, ACAMS, said Nigeria had yet to maximise its potential owing to terrorism financing and other money laundering activities, noting that the country lost a huge amount of money though such activities. “Everything that is wrong about Nigeria has to do with dirty money. If you can follow it, get it back and punish these people, then you would have cured the problem of Nigeria. “When I look around, I see a lot of investments that were done with dirty money. Government needs help in identifying and catching these people. “Though, it may seem like a daunting task, but with professionals like ACAMS, Nigeria is already poised to achieving this,” he also noted. Ribadu said there was the need for collaboration between relevant stakeholders to fight money laundering and terrorism financing. He called for the building of a strong antigraft institution to spearhead the fight against money laundering, adding that the restructuring of the banking sector had also helped to restore confidence in the Nigerian economy. “In 2003, Nigeria was on the black list of most developed countries, especially US, for money laundering. This meant that our financial institutions found it difficult doing business in foreign lands. “We could not use MasterCard, Visacard or credit card. Our financial institutions could not access international loans. At one time, it was almost impossible for a Nigerian to open an account in the US or UK. “Nigerians, travelling abroad, were subjected to serious scrutiny relating to drugs, terrorism and money laundering. The list is endless.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Capital Market

Foreign investors will not return until CBN devalues naira – MD, CSL Stockbrokers

The Managing Director, CSL Stockbrokers Limited, Mr. Gboyega Balogun, speaks with OKANLAWON JOHNSON on current downturn in the market and the exit of foreign investors. your pension funds, asset managers and family offices. Those are our primary focus. In terms of retail investors, particularly in periods of depressed activities and price volatility, we prioritize on the following two options for our clients. One is going through mutual funds, of First City Asset Management, which is a far safer option in times of price volatility. Furthermore, cost of execution is cheaper and there is an inherent ability to diversify one’s investment. Second is one line real time solution, which takes away the human interface and allows clients access to all the necessary data to make informed investment decisions. Our core business however is institutional investors. We are a corporate and institutional brokerage organization.

As one of the leading Institutional and corporate brokerage service providers in the country, how can you describe activities in 2015, relating to the capital market and outlook for 2016? The second half of last year was faced with dwindling global oil price and the risk of currency devaluation. Both factors affected the capital markets negatively, especially when you consider that the major drivers of our capital markets are international investors. We have seen the capital market depreciating drastically with the All-Share Index depreciated by 17.4 per cent. It has negative implications with the value of shares traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) almost down by 30 per cent in 2015. Naturally, this has an effect on brokerage commissions. During the year, almost 70 per cent of our activities were from international investors coming to Nigeria. They are the most sensitive to currency devaluation and they have spoken with their feet which involves a sell-off .All that has proved challenging for the industry. What have been the responses from your clients in 2016? Our own clients at CSL stockbrokers are not ready to buy anything in Nigeria until the currency is devalued. If there is devaluation, we will see the foreign investors coming back to the capital market. Currently, they do not agree with the federal government macro economy policies. Foreign investors want to see a credible macro economy blueprints. NSE are targeting retail investors with mobile apps portal. What has been the level of investors’ acceptance? The acceptance of local investors’ is light. Mobile application and online portal are geared particularly towards retail investors and retail investors’ activities are even lighter. From a medium to long term perspective, we are strong advocates of mobile applications and online trading portals but in the short term, the activities on both sides are still low. We need to create more awareness of our offering and there are still a few tweaks we need to make with our own mobile and online solution. Once that is done, we will conduct a proper launching. At that point, we will create more awareness. Are we expecting another this year? From the International perspective, which is where we have buyers from, it is about the currency volatility. If Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not devalue the Naira, foreign investors will continue to exit because as it is now, it is not sustainable. Reserve is fallen to $28 billion, some argue it lower, and I think the import bill is about $3 to $4 billion per month. It means we have 7 months import in our reserve, however if the figure is nearer $20 billion, we start to hit critical stage which I believe is 3 month cover. The only way we can reduce demand for dollar is by devaluing it. If you want to sustain your reserve, it means CBN has to devalue. In what way do you expect the 2016 budget to have impact on the capital market? The 2016 budget is all about full implementation in order for it to have a positive impact on the capital market and economy at large, but the federal gov-

Balogun

When there is a better implementation in the

economy, We Will feel the required impact of the capital market on the nation’s

Gdp

ernment has to fund it. There is a funding gap and they need international investors to support. If the international investors don’t support it, it will be a difficult task for the government. The budget is very sound and logical but the big issue is funding. CSL Stockbrokers over the year has joined the big league in volumes traded on the equities market, what is the drive behind this? A number of years ago, we decided to go after International investors. It has been very successful because what we offer to a lot of these investors is the best of both worlds. On the one hand, we have a local presence but on the other hand through our international offices, we offer them International best practice when they come to us. International investors are able to get a local perspective as to what is going on in the capital markets. It is something our international peers cannot offer whilst feeling safe in the fact that their counterparty is regulated by the same regulators as they have become accustomed to. Information is key and to invest in the Nigeria’s capital market, you cannot do this remotely, You must have a deep insight of what really is going on, which is where we come in for our international clients who are sitting overseas. We have been able to develop that relationship with international investors and that is what differentiates us from the pack. What is CSL Stockbrokers doing to drive domestic investors since their exit in 2008? We are institutional brokers. We look primarily at

How can the capital market support the nation’s Gross Domestic Product? For the capital market to support the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), we need a conducive environment for sectors within the Nigeria to list on the NSE. Right now, the full spectrums of the sector are not represented in the capital market. We don’t have the telecommunications, full complement of upstream Oil & Gas, Power and industries companies listed on the Stock Exchange. When there is a better implementation in the economy, we will feel the required impact of the capital market on the nation’s GDP. As of now, few company would want to be listed due to decline in prices of listed companies. I think there is need for more conducive environment, cost of listing must be reduced and macro economy environment must be conducive for investment. With the fall of shares in the capital market, are you not worried? Everybody should be worried. We brokers should be more worried because we are going to feel the full effect of it. But I think all these things have a cycle; they will come and go. The reality is that Nigeria is too big an economy to be ignored by FPIs. It is during these quiet times you consolidate on your relationship with these clients whilst at the same time think outside the box to generate incremental revenues. It is important to note that so long as you can find the other side of the trade, and there is always the other side if the price is right, as a stockbroker whether a foreigner is buying or selling, we will still make our brokerage commission. They may leave now but they will be back. We must note that there are different types of investors. If I am an investor with five-year investment horizon or I have a strategic interest in a business, I will put my money in the capital market right now because valuations are compelling. There is still going to be more volatility over the next six to twelve months. As such if you are a short term investor, you cannot stand the volatility, the stock market will be a very tough proposition. Nigeria is very well endowed with the people and natural resource. The rational for not devaluing or limiting the supply of dollar is to limit the importation of inflation and force import substitution to allow industries develop locally. There are many sectors FG can develop. Unfortunately, we are not quite there yet to pursue full import substitution and there will be the inevitable demand for imports to cover the gap. Government is looking into it but we will see how far it will go.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday Tuesday,, April April 19, 12, 2016 2016

Home-based Bayelsa solutions ’IIguber: boost healthcare Tribunaldelivery grants–Amadi Sylva’s T request to inspect election materials Doosuur Iwambe ABUJA

he Bayelsa State Governorship Election Petition Nosatribunal akeNzua sitting in Abuja AsAbA yesterday granted the prayers of the All Progressives Party and its governorship Timipre elta candidate, State governSylva, praying to inspect and ment it yesterday inmake copies of thirty items used dicated interest in for the governorship in collaborating withelection the Imthe state. perial College of London TheProf. threeHippolite man panelAmadi, of the and tribunal headed by Justice Kainitiator of “Recycle Incuzeem Alogba however refused to bation Technique” (RIT), to grant sevenareas other the prayers of can the fine-tune state Sylva saying failed to convince explore in he Frugal Medicine the tribunal on how those with a view to boostingitems the would affect hisindices case. healthcare of its Reacting to the development, SMART Agenda. Governor Seriake Dickson said Dr. Churchill Egbegbra, a the request granted Sylva to indirector in the Department spect electionBiotech, materialsMiniswould of Natural not the fact that he was try change of Science and Technolnot the people of the the ogy,wanted who by represented state. Health Commissioner, Dr. In a statement media Nicholas Azinge,byathis a stakeaide, Francis Agbo, the governor holders’ forum on Frugal stated: “PDP is very confident of Medical Technology organvictory at the tribunal because ised by the Delta State PriGovernor Henry Care SeriakeDevelDickmary Health son won the December and opment Agency in5, 2015 Asaba, January 9, 2016 noted that in polls line with withvalid the votes, withAgenda a wide margin the SMART of the in presfull glare of the world. ent administration, great “Sylva is in the tribunal emphasis was placed to ongasp lofor political oxygen and to use it cal content as the studies to raise would funds from unsuspecting learnt be domesticatAPC chieftains for survival. Sylva ed for Nigeria and Africa’s cannot win because his petition is benefits. watery and lacking and He revealed thatcontent the state, since you cannot build something through his ministry was on nothing,collaborating there are no grounds already with for pronouncing himof governor. the University Ibadan

the request, Governor Dickson urged the tribunal to refuse the application for lacking in merit. His lawyer, Oyetibo submitted that the prayers in the application of Sylva did not support what he wanted the tribunal to do for him. In his ruling yesterday, chairman of the tribunal, Justice Kazeem Alogba held that the request by the petitioners was in line with the provisions of section 151 (1) of the Electoral Act. He however refused to grant part of the request on the grounds that they are not relevant. Meanwhile the tribunal has fixed April 14, 2016 for continuation of pre-trial proceedings. In objecting the request for the inspection of some election materials, the governor’s counsel had specifically insisted that the petitioner’s request was vague because it failed to mention the author or maker of the material Rivers State Arts and Culture Troopes performing during the launching of Urban Water Sector Reform and sought Port Harcourt Water Supply and to be inspected. Sanitation Project Port Harcourt the weekend. Cross section of 11inmembers of theatRivers House of Assembly with the Resident Electoral CommissionAccording to Oyetibo,” It is a er, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak (middle) after receiving their Certificates of Return in Port Harcourt, at the weekend. well settled principle of law that tiated a system to manage According to him, this their solu- Commission on“Whereas biotech APC research, is notaddon ing nor from thehome-based blues.” (INEC) to allow him or reliefs sought by a par‘Evening Fever Syndrome prayers initiative was an Africantion that would be of intering that collaborating with ground in Bayelsa, Sylva is a poIn the said motion the petition- inspect election materials used ty to an action must be precise, in Neonate’, (adverse ef- driven solution. national standard to solve Prof. Amadi on Frugal Medlitical reject and cannot become er, had through his counsel, Chief for the polls. capable of beof hot weather in new unambiguous “Evening andFever Syncare at all fect icine would helpthe to save cost health governor through back-door Sabastine Hon problems (SAN) specifically Among the 37 materials sought ing granted by court.” born) and said that it was drome in Neonate was as order that of was only to and improve the economy. as boasted by the APC because he levels, sought an thethe tribunal be inspected are the ballot paThe tribunal ordered INEC to propelled by a huge need Made-in-Nigeria solution, they could earn respect Prof. charged knows he Amadi lost the election andNithe way to compel the chairman of the pers used and thumb-printed. allow them access to the material for neonatal care in hot re- exported to the world”, he themselves. gerian scientists rise up for tribunal cannot maketohim goverIndependent National Electoral However, in his opposition to within 14 days. affirmed. He revealed how he ini- gions.

to the challenge of creat-

UNIPORT hike in fees A’Ibomstudents warnsprotest on encroachment on state’s land

urveyors DeNNIs Naku, in Akwa Ibom PORT HARCOURT have been

advised

againstof the encroaching tudents University on government land while of Port Harcourt, UNIcarrying surveys for PORT, out yesterday protested their clients.in school fees by the increase State Surveyor-GentheThe institution’s management, blocking the entrance andgave exit eral, Mrs. Emem Isang, of the school. The protest resulted in a gridlock on the East-West Road even as the situation spilled over to the Expressway. It was learnt that the instiBoarhe DicksoNthe fees to tution increased benin since November 2015 N47,000 and students to April 4, here had haveup been up2016, toroar pay at up Ambrose or be de-regisAlli tered. University (AAU), But the students had deEkpoma, Edo State, over an manded an extension, saying alleged sexual harassment the deadline given to them was and victimisation involvshort. ing a graduate student, one They also expressed unhapMiss Joy Edobor, and huspiness that UNIPORT was the band federal of the vice chancellor, only university that Prof. P.E Agbebaku. would be paying the new regime An originated petition on of N45, 000, when other instituthe matter signed tions were paying less. by B.A. Iluobe, forRegistrar B.A. Iluobe But the(Esq) Deputy and spokesman of the institution, and Co. dated 08/04/2016 adDr. William in his reacdressed toWodi, the Chairman, tion said: “What’s going Pracon is Independent Corrupt that than two related per cent ofof ticesless and other our students are protesting and fences Commission (ICPC) are to allow workers by refusing the Environmental and and other students to come into

the campus to start their exams

finally April 7 about 98 per cent

or doadvice their legitimate duties. the during an inter“We with sensitized our students action members of Asas far back of as November 2015, sociation Private Practhat we are going to change the ticing Surveyors of Nigeria perception of university where (APPSN), Akwa Ibom, chapstudents carry over school fees ter in Uyo on Monday. from year one to thethe finalcoopyear Isang solicited and that they should pay what eration of the association to

of students complied but about comply with the e-payment two per which cent of required the students method the have not and they are use of complied Tax Identification the ones (TIN) making heaven and Number of each client earth meet,” Wodi explained. to remit funds into governOn the penalty for those who ment accounts. fail to comply, he said, “It is the The surveyor general apposition of the Senate of the inpealed to them to encourage stitution. All those who are yet their clients to obtain their

we gave as outstanding charges because we do charge school fees. “We told them that all returning students are to pay N45,000. That has been communicated Human Rights Justice Comthrough the school website, cirmittee (EHRJC) was yestercular and the school bulletins. day presented to newsmen “When we wanted to enforce theBenin payment at. the beginning of in City theEHRJC session stated we saw that that the combriefed pliance was very low,graduate the first by the father of the deadline recently was 21 February 2016, student on the matso we it to March an 11, ter, theextended group was seeking 2016, we madeintervention it lecture-free for immediate of all students so they the commission oncould why pay aftheir fees. ter graduating, the said Miss “We (the university) recorded Joy had been denied her some mileage. Then we extendNYSC call up letter needed ed it to March 30, 2016. to embark on the mandatory “We still had some students one year national service. who had still not paid so we National gathered opened our Mirror portal on April 5 that based on the latest defor them to pay but we still had velopment issues emanatproblems with a couple of them ing the it new is and from reopened on petition April 6 and an appeal by the petitioner closed it on midnight of April 7. demanding the that ICPCfrom and Noits “You can see chairman to use its organ vember last year to February 12, March 11, March 30, April 5 and

to pay by midnight of April 7, 2016 will automatically carry over the semester not de-registered.” Asked if UNIPORT would be ready to allow the independently and defaulting open up writeintheir examinaastudents fresh to case court with tions and pay later, he answered charges bordering on the in the negative. subject. “No. The same Federal GovAccording to the petition, ernment insisted based on the the said graduate student

negotiations between Academic

TINs aid the of eStaff to Union of process Universities, payment. ASUU, and other unions that if lecturers “I will invigilate furnish for youexams with they need to be and paid. hard Wherecopwill both digital the of institution money to ies plans onhave the extensive pay invigilators? years land acquired Over by the governparents students have had ment alland over the state to crethe notion that students can ate awareness and ensure pass no through the will institution that surveyor plead without paying and after graduation they would pay. The decision of the institution is a recent development,” he said. Wodi argued that Nigerian ment the about courseN860 of parentsand hadinspent investigation were to billion as fees for theirmade children release theinresult of the stuand wards Ghanaian univerdent nine (9) of sities after that could not years compare with some state universities. victimisation and alleged But Andrew former refusal to sleepAjayi, with athe pro-

AAU student petitions ICPC, alleges sexual harassment

fessor, the husband of the present vice chancellor of the university. But the affected civil servants, Although sources and a in a statement issued and signed close ally to the embattled by professor absolved him of Obus Anthony Efe theRegha claims asand to him getting Djele, a copy made to available involved in such an act as reto ourcorrespondent, that gards demanding stated sex from their sack by the present adminstudents, National Mirror, istration had adversely affected however could not authentheir socio-economic lives well ticate all such claimsasindeas their numerous dependents. pendently as effort to get Part of from the statement reads: comment the authority “We have decided to cry and those involved were out reover our present unbearable sisted.

student union leader who com-

mented on the face-off between ignorance when next such students schoolshe authorities order is and floated,” said. said the institution insensiIsang, who is awas Fellow of tive. the Nigerian Institution of Ajayi argued that it wasthe inSurveyors, described sensitivity on the part of UNIsituation where governPORT authorities to have inment pillar numbers were creased the fees in January and removed from government’s to expect parents to pay in the land by strange characters month of January when paras “condemnable”. ents and guardians had scarce She resourcesacknowledged after Christmas the fessmooth working relationtivities. ship between office and Ajayi did nother spare students private surveyors. who are protesting over school Earlier, the chairman fees increment. of He APPSN the state, Mr. said in between January Clement Akpan,should said that to April parents have no surveyor intenstruggled to pay would the fees of their children. go into government tionally land to carry out a survey. He said that with the provision of digital documenDr. Ifeanyi to reconsider tation ofOkowa all government our sack or we may be forced to land to the association, seek redress at the law court; we practising surveyors would watch with helplessness our deall know where such parcels pendents dying of hunger, just of land existed. as we are losing our integrity on Akpan promised that suraveyors daily basis as we can no longer in the state would provide our loved complyforwith the ones”. e-payment The statement further exmethod. plained in the past nine The that chairman appealed months, the sacked civil servants, that the association be givmany of weeks whom, to have resorted en two clear their to driving tricycle as a means of desks before the new methlivelihood. od was applied

6,000 sacked civil servants petition Okowa in Delta

who was admitted in 2003 to study Political Science with matriculation number: FSS/ POL/03/02334 had had a runNosa akeNzua ASABA ning battle with the said professor wherein her6,000 finalsacked year o fewer than result civil was servants earlier indenied Delta her until the intervention of State yesterday petiICPC through an earlier petioned Governor Ifeanyi Okowa tition 20th of January askingdated for reinstatement or face 2014. litigation. The petitioner claimed The civil servants were reportthat the said Prof. Agbebaku edly sacked following alleged and the spouse, C.AappointAgbeirregularities in their baku, were both invited by ments by the then Uduaghan led ICPC and after making stateadministration.

predicament for His Excellency

Capital Market

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

NSE extends trading hours, equities shed 0.5% Johnson okanlawon

he Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday experienced a disruption to its trading services, as it extended trading hours till 4p.m. However, trading recommenced at 2.15p.m and was extended to 4.00p.m. (from the usual time of 2:30 pm) in order to give investors the opportunity to complete their desired transactions for the day. A statement from the Exchange stated it regretted any inconvenience the incident might have caused, and reas-

sured investors and stakeholders of its commitment to provide best in class trading services with optimal availability. It stated that it intends to open for trading at the normal trading hours today. Meanwhile, trading in equities continued on a negative note on the Exchange yesterday, as more investors sold their holdings. The All Share Index depreciated 0.5 per cent to close at 26,526.02 points, compared to the decline of 0.08 per cent recorded on Friday to close at 26,719.27 points.

Market capitalization shed N34 billion to close at N8.47 trillion, compared to the drop of N8billion recorded on Friday to close at N8.50trillion. Transnational Express Plc led the gainers’ table with nine kobo or 9.09 per cent to close at N1.08 per share, followed by Diamond Bank Plc with 11 kobo or 8.46 per cent to close at N1.41 per share. Caverton Plc gained eight kobo or 4.85 per cent to close at N1.73 per share, while StanicIBTC Plc added 65 kobo or 4.76 per cent to close at N13.65 per share.

May and Baker Plc was up four kobo or 4.76 per cent to close at 88 kobo per share. Conversely, Conoil Plc dropped N1.70 or 9.37 per cent to close at N16.45 per share, while Oando Plc shed 38 kobo or 8.33 per cent to close at N4.18 per share. CCNN Plc declined 35 kobo or 4.98 per cent to close at N6.68 per share, while Law Union Plc fell three kobo or 4.92 per cent to close at N58 kobo per share. Cutix Plc lost seven kobo or 4.86 per cent to close at N1.37 per share.

Source: NSE

Market indicators All-Share Index 24,626.02 points Market capitalisation 8.47trn

Zenith Bank profit margin rises 26.7% in first quarter Johnson okanlawon

enith Bank yesterday reported a 26.72 per cent rise in profit after tax margin in the first quarter of 2016, from 24.43 per cent recorded in the same period of 2015. The bank’s loan to deposit ratio rose stood at 75.22 per cent from 70.91 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2015, while cost to income ratio remained unchanged at 52.77 per cent. However, the bank’s gross earnings dropped 12.3 per cent in the review period to N99.4 billion, from N113.3 billion recorded in the same period of

2015. According to the result presented to the Nigerian Stock Exchange yesterday, profit after tax fell 4.0 per cent to N26.6 billion, from N27.7 billion recorded in the first quarter of 2015. Analysis of the bank’s balance sheet showed net assets of N621.1 billion, from N526.4 billion in the corresponding period of 2015, an appreciation of 18.0 per cent. The bank’s loan and advances to customers increased to N1.93 trillion, from N1.90 trillion it stood in 2015, while deposits to customers dropped to N2.56 trillion, from N2.68 trillion recorded in the same

period of 2015, a decline of 4.4 per cent. The bank’s total liabilities however dropped marginally by 1.2per cent to N3.37 billion, from N3.41 billion recorded in the same period of 2015. Meanwhile, the bank had declared a profit after tax of N105.66 billion for the financial year ended December 31, 2015, from N99.46 billion recorded in 2014. The profit represents an increase of 6.23 per cent or N6.21 billion when compared with the figure for 2014. Its profit before tax stood at N125.62 billion compared with N119.79 billion declared in the corresponding period of 2014.

The bank’s gross earnings rose to N432.56 billion from N403.343 reported in the preceding year, an increase of 7.24 per cent. Net interest income appreciated to N224.58 billion from N206.503 billion in the preceding year. Further breakdown of the bank’s result indicated that total assets surged to N4.01 trillion from N3.755 trillion, while total liabilities stood at N3.41 trillion from N3.202 trillion in 2014. It paid a final dividend of N1.55 per share to all its investors after an interim dividend of 25k in 2015.

European shares shrug off Doha deal failure, ends higher

uropean shares recovered yesterday after a weak open, with auto and travel stocks gaining and the energy sector off its lows after a meeting by major exporters in Doha collapsed without a deal to freeze output. A deal to freeze oil output by OPEC and non-OPEC producers fell apart on Sunday after Saudi Arabia demanded that Iran join in despite calls on Riyadh to save the agreement and help prop up crude prices. The failure to agree a deal put pressure on the oil and gas sector, with the STOXX Europe Oil and Gas index slipping 0.2 per cent, although oil had trimmed its steepest losses by the close. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index touched its lowest intraday level since Wednesday, before turning higher to trade up 0.4 percent at 1,355.26 by the close, follow-

ing US shares up in afternoon trade. The index remains over 13 per cent off of lows hit in February, after concerns over a slump in oil prices and China’s growth knocked European stocks back nearly 20 percent in the first few weeks of the year. “Although we reacted to the downside on the news yesterday, the broader market has recovered,” said Atif Latif, director of Guardian Stockbrokers, referring to the OPEC meeting. “The overall market is starting to absorb this news more easily than we have seen over the last few months, despite volatility in oil and gas shares.” The rise up from the day’s lows was aided by stocks that benefit from a low oil price. Travel and leisure stocks rose 0.5 percent, helped by the fall in crude prices as oil is a major input cost for airlines

and tour operators. Travel operator TUI was the leading gainer in the sector. It was last up 2.3 per cent after Berenberg upgraded the stock to buy from hold. “TUI continues to deliver a superior performance within its tour operation business. This is reflected in a stronger top-line evolution and also it has had a superior cash generation for shareholders,” analysts at Berenberg said in a note. Auto stocks also rose, up 1.5 per cent and the top sectoral gainer. BMW was up 2.6 after Goldman Sachs upgraded its rating on the stock to buy from sell. Spain’s Caixabank tumbled 3 percent after it said it was making a fresh takeover offer worth around $1 billion for the 56 percent of Portuguese lender Banco BPI that it does not already own. Chipmakers such as ARM Holdings and Dialog Semicon-

ductor fell 3.8 percent and 3.3 percent respectively. Traders linked the drop to a report in the Nikkei business daily saying that tech giant Apple will continue its reduced production of iPhones in light of sluggish sales.

FGN Bonds Description

8.2

MPR

Crude oil price

$58.96

Exchange

Rates (N)

WAUA

270

USD

196.95

Price

Yield

Price

Yield

13.05 16-AUG-2016

1.88

101.80

11.93

101.95

11.84

15.10 27-APR-2017

2.58

106.85

11.92

107.00

11.85

16.00 29-JUN-2019

4.75

114.45

11.91

114.75

11.83

16.39 27-JAN-2022

7.33

119.25

12.31

119.55

12.26

14.20 14-MAR-2024

9.46

109.75

12.42

110.05

12.37

10.00 23-JUL-2030

15.81 83.70

12.37

84.00

12.32

Rate (%) Inflation

Offer

Bid

Closing Market Prices of September 29, 2014

Treasury Bills Maturity Date

Bid

Offer

1-Jan-15

10.90

11.21

9-Apr-15

10.30

10.89

3-Sep-15

10.30

11.39

EURO

214

CFA

0.32

YEN

1.64

Tenor

Rate (%)

SWISS FRANC

202

O/N

10.6917

12.2857

POUNDS STERLING

293

13.0989

SDR

273

14.1347

NIBOR

The Fixings of September 29, 2014

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Politics

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Only Edo people will decide Oshiomhole’s successor —Imansuagbon Kenneth Imansuagbon, a frontline gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of the APC is one of those jostling to succeeds Governor Adams Oshiomhole. In this interview with our correspondent, ONAZENA ABBEY , he spoke against the plot to endorse any of the aspirants by the state governor and his chances of winning the party’s primary among other issues. Excerpts :

What are your chances of winning the APC primary amidst alleged endorsement of Godwin Obaseki as the preferred candidate of the Governor? Who has endorsed anybody ? Nobody has endorsed anybody . There is nothing like endorsement. That is a wrong rumour coming from wrong quarters. It is the Edo people that will endorse a candidate in a free primaries that is going to be held by the grace of God in June. It is the Edo APC delegates that will endorse their choice as the party’s flagbearer. So, nobody will force a choice on the people. It will be the people who will endorse who they want. Power belongs to God and the people not to one individual. Edo State of today is not Edo State of yesterday. Nigeria of today is not the Nigeria of yesterday. President Muhammadu Buhari has set the ball rolling. He said it is your PVC (Permanent Voters Card) that would henceforth determine who wins election. Meaning that there will be a free and fair primaries and a free and fair general elections. So, where comes the endorsement? If you endorse a candidate in the primaries, would you do the same thing during the general elections. I keep saying it that the market women, the artisans, the students are the ones that will determine the next governor of Edo State, not one person. I can tell you that categorically. I am not bothered by the reckless statement of anybody that there is an endorsed candidate. What endorsement? It is even insulting to the will of the people. It is an affront; a confrontation for one man to sit somewhere and say he has endorsed someone. What triggers off trouble is little things like this. I think President Muhammadu Buhari is a blessing. His change mantra is there for everyone to emulate. One of the reasons advanced by Governor Oshiomhole for endorsing Godwin Obaseki is that he has what it takes to govern the state especially because of his economic expertise. What do you say? Obaseki is the weakest of all the aspirants. He will come last in the primaries. Mark what I am saying. Unless they will kill all of us in the stadium that day because I know that Obaseki would come last. The people are ready. We are ready. Let’s pray that all of us see that day. You’ll remember today as the day that I said that Obaseki will come a distant last. I have been in the business of creating jobs for the past 25 years since I left the university. Let Obaseki show me the job he has created. I have been paying different kinds of taxes to the state and federal governments, let Obaseki show us proof any tax he has paid to either the state or federal government. If you borrow money and make commission on it. His company, Afrinvest, brokers borrowing of money for which it is paid money. It is a proxy and is paid agency fee. Is that an achievement? Is that a scorecard? Let him go to Samorika in Akoko Edo Local Government Area whether he’ll be recognized. Let him take a walk around Ring Road (the commercial hub of Benin) whether the artisans and traders will know him. But I have ties with the people for the past 13 years in Edo. Ties of scholarship been given to their children by me; stomach infrastructure by sharing bags of rice to the people every year; yearly widows empowerment programme etc. The incumbent governor, Adams Oshiomhole is right to say that his successor should have the ability to create jobs and not to always run to Abuja for money from the federal purse. But it is wrong for Oshiomhole to say that it is only Obaseki that has that quality. I have that quality better than Obaseki. My antecedent makes me the

Imansuagbon

The people are ready. We are ready. leT’s pray ThaT all of us see ThaT day.

you’ll

remember Today as The day ThaT

I saId ThaT

obasekI WIll come a dIsTanT lasT. most qualified of the pack. All the other aspirants have benefitted one way or the other from the government either through contracts or appointments. I have never done contract for any of the three tiers of government via the local, state and federal rather, I have given to the government and to my people in Edo State. On this basis, the people of the state are eagerly waiting to compensate me. Are you among those aspirants said to be ganging up against Obaseki? Obaseki is not an issue. It’s you guys (the media) that are making him an issue. He is not an issue. Is he an issue? What makes him an issue? He was an aide of the governor. If the governor muscles his way in the party

primaries can he do the same during the general elections? The Buhari government know that Edo state is vital in the present political dispensation. That winning the election in the state this September will play a big factor in the party’s winning of the 2019 presidential elections. So, everything will be done to ensure that the APC primaries is free, fair and credible. How do you intend to tackle the issue of youth restiveness and unemployment in the State ? The major problem of Edo State is the issue of unemployment. That is why there is crisis and insecurity everywhere. This is caused by lack of jobs. A responsible governor must make job creation a priority. I already have a master plan of how to create jobs. Fifty per cent of my master plan is hinged on how to improve on agriculture. Immediately I am sworn in I will present a bill to the house of assembly on ways of improving our agricultural yield. If you are a young boy or girl of Edo extraction, you must go to the farm instead of loitering around the streets to cause mischief. I will create what will be called Edo Farms in each of the three senatorial districts of the state. In the first six months of my administration I will create at least 30, 000 jobs through the Edo Farms. Each farm will have some industries attached to it. This will be done in less than 30 days of my assumption of office. I have started discussing with corporate America and corporate Europe on the need to come and invest in our agriculture. My friends in the corporate world are interested in coming to assist me. The passion must be there to succeed.

Mail Mirror

Politics

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Kogi Assembly: Reps, AGF, IGP and allegations of illegalities

THE HOUSE OF REPS with

Ubong UKPONG

08036017966, email: ubongpong@yahoo.com

t has been an absurd illegality in the Kogi House of Assembly, where only five out of 20, in the 25-members assembly, considered it lawful to impeach a sitting Speaker and install another. Already, the House of Representatives, has pronounced this action as illegal and had taken over its legislative functions in line with the law, asking the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Solomon Arase, to seal up that Assembly Complex, but the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice minister, Abubakar Malami, is saying that the Reps are on the path of illegality. The five Kogi Assembly members who are benefiting from this crisis, share the opinion of the AGF, but the IGP, pretends not to know who among these parties is perpetrating illegality. However, the Reps, which is obviously superior is bent on establishing that both the AGF, IGP and the five lawmakers are wrong. Following the festering crisis in that House of Assembly, which is a fallout of the February 16 ‘impeachment’ of the Speaker, Momoh Jimoh-Lawal by the five members, the House of Reps, on Wednesday March 9, decided to take control of that Assembly. When fully constituted, the Kogi Assembly has 25 members. However, as of February 16 when the said impeachment was pronounced, the House had 20 members, as the other five were sacked by electoral courts. This goes to say that five of the 20 members pronounced the removal of the speaker, and this was the immediate cause of the entire crisis. The issues here therefore, border on procedure and the right number to effect the impeachment, which are clear by common sense following the 1999 constitution, but technically they are unclear and would require judicial interpretations and interventions. However, given its own powers under the constitution on such matters, the House of Representatives in its wisdom, on February 23, passed a resolution describing the action of the five legislators of the state as “unconstitutional, null and void.” The resolution followed a motion brought by Karimi Sunday, Kogi Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The House adopted his motion and arguments and resolved that the five lawmakers failed to comply with the provisions of Section 92(1)(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). The House further resolved to invoke Section 11(4) of the same constitution if the Kogi lawmakers refused to revert to the status quo. As it were the acclaimed impeached Speaker, Jimoh-Lawal, has 15 out of the 20 members on his side, while the faction that claimed to have impeached him, has just five members, and has attempted to show strength by vehemently resisting the authority of the House of Assembly and House of Representatives. That five-man faction sees nothing wrong in what it has done, and of course, like it is often said, when you see a masquerade dancing outside in day time, someone in the bush is beating the drums. The recent happenings have clarified that this crisis is orchestrated by the executive at the state led by the Governor, Yahaya Bello and Abuja is pleased too, giving these five men the impetus to freely take the laws into their hands with impunity. In spite of the warning by Reps, the five-man camp continued to see itself as the state legislature, carrying out same duties under security protections, while the 15-man camp also enforce its rights leading to anarchy in the state. Having satisfied the law and conscience that the protracted crisis in that state assembly did not allow legislative duties to take place, the Reps on March 9 made good its threat by taking over the legislative duties of the state and asked the IGP to deploy special police team from Abuja to Lokoja and seal off the Kogi assembly complex. The Reps’ action followed the recommendation of a 10-man investigative panel chaired by the Deputy Whip of the House, Pally Iriase, who had earlier visited Kogi over the matter. Section 11(4), invoked by the Reps, states that, “At any time

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Malami

Arase

when any House of Assembly of a state is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in the state, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that state with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the state.” In view of the fact that the constitution clearly required National Assembly to do the taking over, this resolution of the House was not respected by the factions, which still sat, especially that of the 5-man, which claimed it is in court. The IGP also for weeks, did not obey the directive of the House, until the Senate finally concurred with Reps in a communication it sent to the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, which was read on Wednesday March 23, before proceeding on the Easter recess. Few days after March 30, when the police complied and sealed the Kogi assembly complex, the Attorney -General of the Federation, AGF, Malami, was reported to have ordered the IGP to reopen the complex, that the House of Reps was acting in illegality. Upon resumption from the Easter recess last Tuesday, Ossai Nicholas Ossai, brought a point of order, Order VI, Rule 19, under privilege before the House, notifying it of the opposing role the AGF was playing against the House’s resolution. Ossai recalled that the House passed a resolution on Tuesday February 23, 2016, (HOUR. 44/2016) on the crisis in the Kogi state House of Assembly and consequently resolved to exercise its constitutional power by taking over the legislative business of the assembly, recalling also that the Senate subsequently concurred with the action of the Reps. He noted that a recent media report quoted the AGF as stating that the action of the National Assembly was unconstitutional and unwarranted. He described the declaration of the AGF on the matter as a breach of his privilege and that of the House, and therefore sought the leave of the house to present a motion on it forthwith. The leave was granted by Mr. Speaker, leading to Ossai’s motion on the dclaration by the AGF concerning the resolution of the House of Reps on the crisis in the Kogi state House of Assembly. The lawmaker noted that on Tuesday February 23, the House considered a motion on the illegal removal of the Speaker of the Kogi House of Assembly and, pursuant to Section 11 of the 1999 constitution (as amended), resolved inter allia, to, set up and delegated a five- man fact finding delegation to look into the affairs of the Kogi assembly with the aim of

restoring the House to sanity. He noted also that on Wednesday March 9, the House considered the report of the delegation and approved the recommendations as amended. The lawmaker expressed the concern over the statement credited to Malami, where he also advised the IGP to unseal the Kogi Assembly complex against the express directive of the National Assembly. Ossai told the House that the outburst of the AGF was a direct attack on the National Assembly and constituted authority. His motion raised serious debate as lawmakers took turn to examine the action of Malami vis-a-vis his position as a minister and AGF, as well as background as a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN. Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamilla was quite offended by the AGF’s action, which he said that he, the AGF, based his action on section 11, on the security of the state and that he was absolutely wrong. Gbajabiamila said that the section was clear enough, that once any state assembly is unable to perform its functions, then the NASS should, and must take over. He said that sections 96 and 100 were clear on quorum, which the five members did not form and so could not conduct government business and pass bills. Also, Minority Leader, Leo Ogor said principle of fair hearing should be followed, saying, “let him come and face the committee on judiciary as the number one law officer, to uphold his claims that what the 5-man faction did was right. Throughout the debate, Speaker Dogara looked astonished that a lawyer in the person of Abubakar Malami could stoop so low to misrepresent law, the grand norm at that, which he swore to protect as number one law officer of the country. This made him to say, “we have to determine whether the AGF actually authored this letter. I sincerely doubt it.” For Aliyu Magaji, “if we have this man as legal adviser to Mr. President, then there is a problem.” Another member was of the view that the prayers brought by Ossai Ossai, were too lenient, saying that he should come here to answer questions doesn’t hold water. “My prayer is that the AGF should be sacked”, he said to underscore the gravity of Malami’s offence. Another Lawmaker said, “He is working against the constitution which he swore to defend. It is now clear that the office of AGF should be separated from Minister of Justice.” Solomon Arase is not spared in this rebellion against the House as members are angry that it took the IGP so many weeks to obey the resolution of this House adding, “ he should be invited to explain whether he approached the AGF for adviCe on the matter.”

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FADEYI

Buhari wants Nigeria-China trade balance

ast week while on working visit to China, President Muhammadu Buhari called on the Nigerian and Chinese business communities to work harder to reduce the trade imbalance between both countries which was currently in China’s favour. At the opening of a NigeriaChina Business/Investment Forum, Buhari said that trade and economic relations between the two countries must be mutually-beneficial and conducted with reciprocated respect and trust. “Although the Nigerian and Chinese business communities have recorded tremendous successes in bilateral trade, there is a large trade imbalance in favour of China as Chinese exports represent some 80 per cent of the total bilateral trade volumes. This gap needs to be reduced. “Therefore, I would like to challenge the business communities in both countries to work together to reduce the trade imbalance. “You must also imbibe the spirit of having a mutually beneficial relationship in your

business transactions. You must not see Nigeria as a consumer market alone, but as an investment destination where goods can be manufactured and consumed locally,” Buhari told the gathering. The President said that his administration was committed to supporting investors that were ready to establish manufacturing and processing facilities in Nigeria. “Last year during our meeting in New York, President Xi Jinping and I agreed to explore ways of practical cooperation in trade, investment, finance, human resources, agriculture and fishing. “We also agreed to strengthen industrial capacity cooperation in the manufacture of cars, household appliances, construction materials, textiles, food processing, and others. “This is in line with our government’s focus on import substitution through the creation of a diversified and inclusive economy that will meet most of our consumption needs.

Pipeline vandals as Boko Haram insurgents

resident Muhammadu Buhari last week issued strong warning to vandals and saboteurs blowing up oil and gas installations in the country. He warned them to desist from the heinous act or face the same drastic action being taken against Boko Haram by the Armed Forces. Buhari spoke through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina in a statement issued after he met members of the Nigerian Community in China. Buhari also reaffirmed his total commitment to winning the war against corruption, saying that corruption was an arch-enemy of the nation which has destroyed the lives of many Nigerians. “I ask for your support to make our vision of stamping out corruption a reality in the shortest possible time. Whoever is caught will not be spared. “The government is still being dared, but those who

are sensible should have learnt a lesson. Those who are mad, let them continue in their madness. “I am aware that in the last two weeks, the national grid collapsed a number of times. I hope this message will reach the vandals and saboteurs who are blowing up pipelines and installations. “We will deal with them the way we dealt with Boko Haram,” the President declared. Buhari assured the Nigerian Community that the Federal Government was working very hard to overcome current national challenges and deliver on its promise of a better Nigeria. “Clearly, our vision of a diversified and inclusive economy will not be achieved overnight. It will be a long, and in some cases, painful journey. I am very confident we will get there. But we must start that journey now.

Osinbajo’s assessment of Buhari on money matters

ASO ROCK FILE Rotimi

Politics

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

ice President Yemi Osinbajo represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the book presentation of his wife, Aisha last week, an event which took place at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa. According to the programme, Osinbajo was listed as the Special Guest of HonHon our at the presentation of the book titled “the essentials of beauty therapy” authored by wife of the President, Aisha Buhari.

When it was his turn to speak at the event and knowing that donations are expected from guests to support the author, Osinbajo who knows the financial situation of the county very well told the gathering that himself and the President are on half salaries. He therefore said much financial support should not be expected from them. The Vice President did not stop at that, he also described the President as a person who is strict when it comes to money matters.

Speaking further, Osinbajo stressed the importance of the book, saying that it was more of instructional manual than an ordinary book. Vice President noted that the wife of the President has decided to dedicate the proceeds of the launching of the book to victims of the insurgency in the North- East, particularly the families of the Chibok girls as well as that of the boys that were killed at a boarding school in Buni Yadi, Yobe state in February, 2014. While stressing the im-

portance of girl- child education, Osinbajo said girls not having the opportunity to go to school was still an issue, saying that if the wife of the President never had the opportunity of going to school, she would not have had the opportunity to reach others. “It emphasizes the importance of education. Her desire to dedicate the proceeds of the presentation to the victims of insurgency and particularly the families of the Chibok girls is commendable”, Osinbajo said.

President Muhammadu Buhari meets Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China

Buhari’s message of hope for parents of Chibok girls

ast week Thursday marked two years of the abduction of the over 200 school girls of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by the members of the deadly Boko Haram sect. The group which had been campaigning for the rescue of the school girls, Bring Back Our Girls, organized some activities to commemorate the abduction in order to further put pressure on the federal government to ensure that the school girls are rescued and reunited with their families. As part of the activities, the group was to march to the Presidential Villa but was prevented from gaining access by armed security agents. Although President Muhammadu Buhari was in far away China, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who was in

the Villa about the time the group was denied access, attended the book presentation of wife of the President, Aisha Buhari. Osinbajo who was Special Guest of Honour at the event said he attended in his personal capacity and also as representative of the President. While the event was going on, the Bring Back Our Girls campaigners were making efforts to gain access to the Villa but security agents would not allow them. But President Muhammadu Buhari later spoke on the abduction of the schoolgirls through a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu. In the statement, Buhari assured parents and relations of the girls that he frequently reflects on the ordeal of the captives in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists

and shared the pain of their continued absence from home. Buhari affirmed that as a parent and leader of the country, he understands the torment, frustration and anxiety of the parents and would not spare any effort to ensure the safe return of the girls. The President said he continues to believe that with the total commitment of the Federal Government, Nigerian Armed Forces and security agencies, and the support of the international community, the girls would

be eventually rescued. Buhari noted that thousands of persons, mostly women and children, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram, have already been rescued and reunited with their families. He shared the hope of the parents that the girls would ultimately be rescued and reunited with their families as well. The President assured the parents that the Federal Government and security agencies would continue to explore all possible options for the safe return of the girls.

Last week’s Presidential Villa’s visitors

1. Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello 2. Former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke 3. Secretary to Government of Federation, David Babachir 4. General Overseer, Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare 5. Wife of APC National Leader, Senator Oluremi Tinubu 6. Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire 7. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar Ibrahim 8. Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu 9. Former Super Eagles Skipper, Joseph Yobo 10. Senator Daisy Danjuma

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Features

Thurday, April 19, 2016

Diversification: Oyo and its agricultural initiatives Kemi Olaitan IBADAN

hen the present administration in the country under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari came into power on May 29, last year, one of the promises it made to Nigerians was to diversify the economy from the dependence on oil, no thanks to the dwindling revenue accruing from its major export earner - oil. For many, the government cannot afford to do otherwise, given the fact that the nation had found itself in a terrible economic strait such that what the nation is earning as income cannot meet its expenditure and the demand for forex far outweighs supply. This was not to be limited to the federal government alone with most, if not all the states, finding it difficult to survive and pay salaries of their workers. Thus to get out of the negative effects the economic crisis in the country is having on the people of Oyo State, the state government, under the leadership of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, in less than a week organised two consultative assemblies to brainstorm on the revival of its agriculture potential as an alternative source of revenue. The first consultative assembly held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, State Secretariat, Ibadan, was attended by prominent traditional leaders in the state that include the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji; the Aseyin of Iseyin and Eleruwa of Eruwa as well as caretaker committee chairmen of all the 33 local government areas of the state. Ajimobi, while speaking on the rationale behind the meeting, decried the negative effects of the dwindling economy across the country where the state that receives N5 billion in the past now receives about N2 billion. According to him, with this kind of situation, the state did not have any other option than to go back to the root which is agriculture. While pointing out that the state which has about 28,555 km square metres, more than six times of Lagos State, more than seven times of arable farmlands in Imo State and with the highest number of agricultural research institutes in the country such as IITA, CRIN, NIHORT and NISER among others, the governor maintained that Oyo State be the true basket of the South-West sub-region of the country. He called on traditional rulers, civil servants, students, corporate organisations and other stakeholders to, as a matter of concern, support the move of the government in generating more money in this era of fall in oil price. The governor then declared that about 100 hectares of farmlands will be acquired in each of the 28 out of the 33 local government areas of the state to ensure that the state is fully involved in agriculture. At the second consultative assembly held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), top officials of agriculture research institutes, finance institutions, agro-allied business

L-R: DG, IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga; Governor Abiola Ajimobi; the Regional Director (South-West), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Comfort Awe and Head, Development Finance Office, CBN, Ibadan, Mr. Bamiji Akinola, at the second consultative assembly, held at the IITA, Ibadan. investors and other stakeholders, also brainstormed on the revival of agriculture potential as alternative source of revenue. Governor Ajimobi was joined at the forum by the Director-General of the IITA, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga; Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Prof. James Adediran. Also in attendance at the event tagged “AgricOyo” were top officials of the Cocoa Research Institute, National Horticultural Research Institute, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Central Bank of Nigeria, among others. Indeed, it was an opportunity for corporate investors, agro-input companies, banks, agricultural technology fabrica-

crashed, the government and our people should put to maximum use the available landmass, physical infrastructure and clean environment to invite investors for the economic growth of the country. Nigeria is now at crossroads, because even our strategic reserve is nothing to write home about. Oil is our largest source of income in Nigeria, but it has crashed due to oil glut in the international market. “We are very lucky in Oyo State. Out of our 33 local governments, 28 are agrarian. So, what Lagos State has in water, Oyo State has in land. We need to harness these through the agriculture value chain to revive our economy.” The DG of IITA, in his remarks, said it was lamentable that young people were no longer interested in farming due to

As A reseArcher I dIscovered thAt only old people And chIldren Are left In the fArm, not only In nIgerIA, but Across AfrIcA. I’m AfrAId of whAt wIll hAppen to AgrIc In the next ten yeArs If thIs trend contInues.

tors, commodity associations, agriculture research institutes, federal agriculture and development agencies and potential investors in the agriculture value chain to offer ideas on how to chart a new path for the sector in the state. The governor, while speaking at the event, stressed that the target of the state was to harness the agriculture potential of the state with the ultimate ambition of becoming the food basket of the SouthWest, Nigeria in the short run and West Africa in the long run. The governor, while maintaining that the state had the largest arable land in the Southern part of the country and human resources, which gave it comparative advantage over many other states, called for attitudinal change among the people. He advised that the people of the state must work hard to survive instead of relying on prayers alone to provide their needs. His words: “Now that oil, which is the major source of economy of Nigeria has

the hostile environment. He stated that as a researcher in one of the farms in the state, he discovered that majority of those engaging in farming nowadays were old people and children, which he said portended danger for the future of farming in the country. He then pledged the commitment and support of IITA for the agriculture initiative of the state, which he said had the wherewithal to feed the country comfortably. His words: “As a researcher I discovered that only old people and children are left in the farm, not only in Nigeria, but across Africa. I’m afraid of what will happen to agric in the next ten years if this trend continues. “Young graduates come to IITA every Friday of the month to be engaged as casual labourers and you will be shocked to know that some of them are graduates of reputable institutions. We only pay an equivalent of $3 per day and they still besiege us.

“We had to change their mindsets and give them fresh orientation. Today, some of them have embraced agriculture. I’m proud to present to you today a female lawyer and a male economist among the beneficiaries of this initiative who are today doing very well.” The Director of IAR and T lauded the initiative of the governor, which he said was the first time top agric researchers and other stakeholders would be assembled to offer suggestions and their expertise on any agriculture development in the state. Adediran said, “No such forum has happened in the last 30 years where directors of institutes of research would gather like this to discuss the future of agriculture in Oyo State. This paradigm shift is a welcome development and I want to pledge the support of IAR and T and all of us here. “The research institutes have done everything possible to improve the lot of farmers in Oyo State. We have been working hard to see to the improvement of agricultural production, techniques, pushing out of end products to the markets. “On behalf of all the research institutes here present, I pledge our support to the government of the state, because your success is our success. We are ready for strategic partnership with you. We will stand by you to ensure that this project succeeds.” For the investors that were present, the new agriculture initiative was a welcome development as an agriculture entrepreneur, Mr. Babs Aina, pledged an initial investment of $30m. Aina, the Managing Director of Numerix Development Limited, who promised that the figure would progressively increase to $100m in the next few years, said the investment would target maize and soya beans in the interim. Other investors that pledged commitment to the initiative were the Managing Director of Winchester Farms Limited, Ibadan, who is also the Managing Director of Costain West Africa Plc., Mr. Ayodeji Karim; and the Chief Executive Officer of Psaltry International Limited, Mrs. Yetunde Iranloye.

Features

Wale IbrahIm LOKOJA

o doubt, one of the numerous problems confronting Kogi State today is the over-bloated civil service with its attendant huge monthly wage bill. The state contends with having to pay over 39,000 civil servants every month, despite the dwindling monthly federal allocation which is not enough to pay workers’ salaries in several states of the federation. Perhaps this accounted for the reason Governor Yahaya Bello vowed to reform the civil service in the state to change the orientation of the workers and improve their productivity for the benefit of all. In his speech during his inauguration as the executive governor of Kogi State, Bello disclosed that there was no evil than corruption and nothing champions that evil more than impunity. He stressed that corruption and impunity made sure the people repeatedly arrived at a promised future and found it bereft of substance or the promised better future. “Let it be on record today that the future generations will not be given reason to count the incoming administration among those reveled in corruption or impunity. We will be different by the grace of God. We must and will be that generation of leaders who made entirety of Kogi resources for the entirety of Kogi people.” “Accordingly, I hereby declare and affirm that the Yahaya Bello Administration will have zero tolerance for corruption and impunity. I will lead Kogi State by honest example. So help me God,” Bello pledged. At the inauguration of Kogi State Civil Service staff audit committee, the governor pointed out that he would not be a salary paying governor without meaningful development in the state. He charged the committee to do a thorough job to ascertain the real staff strength and flush out ghost workers who had been feeding fat on the state government. At the occasion too, the chairman of Kogi State Civil Service staff screening committee, Brigadier Paul Okutimo pledged to carry out the assignment diligently without fear or favour. However, before the commencement of the Kogi civil service staff screening exercise, the state government had directed all the permanent secretaries and head of parastatal and government agencies to proceed on compulsory leave in order to ensure of the success of all important exercise aimed at reducing huge monthly wage bill. Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has expressed optimism that the ongoing staff screening exercise will yield positive dividends for the state and the citizens at large when all the loopholes created by greedy individuals must have been exposed and taken care of. According to him, “The issue of screening that is ongoing is very important, when we came on board, the wage bill was N3 billion and a staff strength of over 39000. “When you move round the state where are the offices, where are the schools, where are the hospitals and we

Thurday, April 19, 2016

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Bello’s determination to sanitise Kogi civil service

Governor Bello are aware that since 2011 there has not been any advertisement for recruitment of staff. So, how can we be having this heavy wage bill monthly?” Governor Bello stated that what accrued to the state from the federation account monthly had drastically dwindled to between N2 billion to N2.2 billion, stressing that the Internally Generated Revenue was hovering around N400 million and N500 million monthly. He explained further that when all were put together they would not even be enough to pay salary, hence the state would have to rely on borrowing to service overhead, which is not sustainable hence the screening exercise become very imperative in this circumstances. The governor, however, expressed satisfaction with what has been uncovered so far from the screening exercise. He lamented a situation, for example, where it was discovered that a staff is earning salary in four offices and another staff is taking the salaries of over 40 people. The governor said to ameliorate the hardship in the delay in salary payment he had given a directive for the heads of ministries, departments and agencies to work out the payroll for the genuine workers for payment of salaries pending the completion of the exercise. He pointed out that so far one senatorial district had been completed, expressing the hope to complete the exercise before the end of the month. On the local government and the in-

ability of workers to get 100% salary he said it was not his making. He added that he granted them financial autonomy but with over-bloated staff the same problem that bedevilled the state was also affecting them. “I gave full autonomy to the local government on assumption of office so that they can have full autonomy financially but we will superintendent and oversight the generation of those funds and other activities. “Some of the local government’s salaries are over-bloated. If the wage bill is N120 million and N85 million accrues to the local government how would you be able to pay 100%? But reasonably they should be able to up the percentage of their pay, that is the reality and that is the reason for the screening,” he noted. Prior to this time, the rot in Kogi State civil services cannot be over exaggerated as some senior official in the ministries always flout the orders of the executives and add fictitious names to the list of staff and divert their salaries. Since 2003 there has been an astronomical increase in the number of civil servants in the state as successive administrations had turned civil service to political patronage where Tom, Dick and Harry are enlisted into the state workforce by whatever means. Although successive administrations in the state had had to curtail the influx of people into the civil service, the more they tried, the more the increase in the

Although successive AdministrAtions in the stAte hAd hAd to curtAil the influx of people into the civil service, the more they tried,

the more the increAse in the number of stAff who cAme in through the bAck door.

number of staff who came in through the back door. Several attempts were made under former governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, to know the exact number of state workforce with a view to reducing the huge monthly wage bill, the cartel within the system, however, frustrated the efforts of the government . While the staff screening exercise was going on, they were busy issuing out free employment letters at various business centres in the state capital as cover up for ghost workers whose name were used to drain the state’s purse at the time. Apparently disturbed by the increase in monthly wage bill from N1.6 billion to N3.2 billion in 2009, then former governor, Ibrahim Idris, again engaged the service of a consultant, the Sally Tibot Consulting firm to audit the state civil servants and come out with reasonable numbers and give recommendation on how to sustain sizeable workforce. With the commencement of the staff screening exercise, the government which paid a sum of N70 million to the consultant was however expecting a good result from the exercise, but the cartel within the system devised other means of frustrating the screening exercise. Civil servants with questionable credentials demonized the Chief Executive Officer of Sally Tibot Consulting firm, Ms. Saadat Otun Bakrin, and called her all sorts of names. At the end of the five months exercise, the consultant discovered a lot startling revelations and submitted the report and recommendations. The report was however left on the shelf to gather dust for what many believe, was political reason as the 2011 governorship contest was fast approaching then. Also between 2012 and 2016, the immediate past administration of Captain Idris Wada conducted several staff screening exercises to ascertain the number of state civil servants on the government payroll. The last staff screening exercise was carried out by the committee headed by a Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Deborah Ogunmola, which recommended that over 6,500 should be relieved of their work for not genuinely employed. Alas, this did not see the light of the day because they wanted governor Wada to return for second term. Be that as it may, the present administration under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya Bello has taken the bull by the horns and appears determined to get to the crux of the matter on how a number of Kogi State civil servants rose to 39,000 when the federal allocation has dropped to between N2.5 ant N2.2 billion monthly and wage bill is N3.2 billion Meanwhile mixed reactions have been trailing the Kogi civil service staff screening exercise, but majority of those who spoke with National Mirror are in support of the efforts and believe that if well done and recommendations that may emerge from it are carried out, the state and its people would be the better for it.

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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Community Mirror

We must be strong, focused and believe in ourselves because there can never be a Nigeria without an Igbo man, because the Igbo nation is represented in all the nooks and crannies of this country. –GOVERNOR OF IMO STATE, ROCHAS OKOROCHA

o fewer than 10 small scale business owners were on Friday given N50,000 credit facility by the Rotary Club of Omole Golden to improve their businesses. It was the second tranche of an interest-free micro-credit scheme established by the club to assist young Nigerians boost their business. The first set of 10 beneficiaries had obtained the loan earlier in September. Speaking at the ceremony held at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Lagos, the club’s President Mr Idowu Afelogun said the intervention fund which has grown over the years, was meant to give small businessmen suffering from cash flow crisis a new lease of life. “We found out that so many young persons have had their dreams cut short as a result of lack of funds. So many others who could afford to start their businesses do not have the capital to move their business forward. That is why we decided to set up a microcredit scheme to assist anyone in business,” the club’s President said. Afelogun said the club also engaged in vocational and skill acquisition training and some of its graduates have also benefited from the scheme. He said each of the beneficiaries are expected to pay back the credit facility in six months, adding that facility is open to all beneficiaries who

community Rotary gives N.1m interest-free Ogun task Amosun on loan to small business owners infrastructure R

President, Rotary Club of Omole Golden, Idowu Afelogun (2nd right front row), being assisted by visiting President Moses Danjuma (right) and Mrs Yemisi Balogun (left), presenting the cheque to the beneficiaries

faithfully repaid their facility. Afelogun advised the beneficiaries to make good use of the credit extended to them and be a good ambassador of their guarantors for the facility. He urged the guarantors to continue to mentor their wards to ensure that they succeed in their endeavours, as their failure will jeopardise the continuation of the project.

He also praised the club for being able to sustain the project for the past four years, adding that the encouraging success rate is an indication of the rate of acceptability of the club’s activity in the society. He said the club achieved about 90 percent recovery rate of the credit earlier issued to beneficiaries in September, adding that this has encouraged the club in en-

suring the take off of the second batch. The Chairman of the Micro credit Project Mrs Yemisi Balogun had earlier said three previous beneficiaries have had also qualified for this second exercise. She urged the seven newly qualified beneficiaries to make very good use of the funds in order to encourage the club in doing more for the society.

Lagos introduces film show to impact knowledge on students Dare akogun

ith a view to keying into Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s ‘Operation Zero Tolerance for Examination Failure’ in the state, Tutor-General/ Permanent Secretary of Lagos Education District 1, Dr. (Mrs.) Yimika Ayodele has introduced film show as a way of improving learning. In a chat with our reporter, Ayodele noted that the aim was that apart from what the

students would read, something like film show would also be of greater assistance. According to her, when the idea of introducing film show “was brought to my attention, I wholeheartedly keyed into that idea because I am a witness to that kind of learning methodology, because we know that whatever students see in form of film or movies, would sound in their memories. “We actually started with the Literature subject and the film among other things

thought them the rudiment of understanding examinations questions. We even brought their literature teachers, who after watching the film broke them into groups for various discussions on what they have just watched and thereafter, ask and answer questions. “Let me tell you that it actually worked for our students because the film was shown to our students two days to their examinations and we saw the impact. The students came out with good result,”

she added. The Tutor General explained that arrangement is at advanced stage to extend the film show to other subjects like Mathematics, because according to her, “We could see that Mathematics is an everyday affair and we could see that it would pay us as a district to further extend our tentacle to other areas, hence our resolve to commence discussion with Mathematics teachers on possible way forward”, she enthused.

esidents of Warewa, a community in Ogun State, under Ifo Local Government Area has called on Governor Ibikunle Amosun to extend the dividends of democracy to them. Beale of Warewa, Chief Aina Ogundele made the call while inaugurating the Warewa International Market which he said is to be built on a 20-acres of land donated by the Osholarogun family at Kilometer 30, Lagos-Ibadan expressway. “The land was donated by the Osholarogun family since 2010 for the purpose of building Warewa International market which should in turn bring economic development to the community but we have been writing to the Ifo Local Government Area to come and build the market since 2010 but no response until this present administration came to our rescue”, he said. According to him, residents in the community have been trading on the road, before the Osholarogun family decided to come to their aids by donating the land. He however called on the Ifo Local government to bring the Area Office to the market in order to speed up development intarsia while also calling on Ogun State government to establish Magistrate and customary courts in the area. “All these are located in Ifo which is quite far from here and all our local cases are taken there for settlement which are supposed to be settled within our jurisdiction”, he said. The community leader also appeal to the government on the need to establish a public secondary school saying the only one around is in Lagos and it takes a lot of stress and expenses as children have to board three different buses to get to Ojodu where the school is located.

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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

World News I don’t respond to Donald Trump and his string of insults about me. I can take care of myself and I am sure of this. –US DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL, HILLARY CLINTON

Earthquake: Equador death toll hits 350 AfolAbi GAmbAri

WITH AGENCY REPORT

he number of people killed in a powerful earthquake that struck Ecuador over the weekend rose to about 350 yesterday, the government has said. There have been desperate scenes as rescuers and family members searched for survivors, often with bare hands. Reports also said teams from Switzerland, Spain and several Latin American countries have arrived to join the search effort. More than 2, 000 people were injured in the quake, Ecuador’s most powerful in decades, which hit its Pacific coast. Earlier, President Rafael Correa warned that the death toll was likely to rise, and said there were still people alive under the rubble of collapsed buildings. “This is the biggest tragedy to hit

A boy at a collapse site reviewing the damage yesterday Ecuador in the past seven decades,” Correa said during a visit to some of the people affected by the disaster

after cutting short a visit to Italy to return to his home country. “I fear that figure will go up be-

cause we keep on removing rubble as there are signs of life in the rubble and that is being prioritized,” he added. The president warned that the quake would cost Ecuador billions of dollars, coming at a time when the oil-producing country is already reeling from the slump in global crude prices. Meanwhile, the country’s energy industry survived the quake mostly intact but exports of bananas, flowers, cocoa beans and fish could be delayed because of impassable roads and hold-ups at ports. The magnitude-7.8 quake struck on Saturday evening. Coastal areas in the north-west were closest to the epicenter and there have been about 230 aftershocks across the country. A state of emergency has been declared and some 10, 000 troops and 3, 500 police have been deployed in the affected areas.

Rousseff ‘vows to fight on’

ollowing a defeat in the lower house of Congress yesterday, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has vowed to keep on fighting against moves to impeach her, according to Attorney General Eduardo Cardozo. The motion will now go to the upper house after lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favour of a motion on Sunday to impeach her on claims she manipulated government accounts. A vote in the Senate is expected in May, and reports suggested that most senators woulod vote against the president. If that vote goes against her, she will be suspended while the Senate proceeds with the impeachment trial. “The president will not be disheartened and will not stop fighting,” Cardozo said, adding, “If someone thinks she is going to bow down now, they are fooling themselves.” Interestingly, impeachment supporters netted 367 votes in the lower house of Congress, well above the 342 they needed. The “no” camp took 137 votes, seven deputies abstained and two did not show for the ballot. Victory celebrations were loud and colourful among the hundreds of thousands of dem-

onstrators who watched the vote live on huge TV screens on city streets across the country. A Senate trial could last up to six months. If at the end of it two-thirds of senators were to vote to impeach, Rousseff would be out of office for good. Brazilian governments are required to meet budget surplus targets set in Congress, which

investors regard as a measure of economic health. Rousseff is accused of allowing creative accounting techniques involving loans from public banks to the treasury, which artificially enhanced the budget surplus, although she argued that she did nothing criminal but her opponents were unforgiving.

Beleaguered: President Dilma Rousseff

Boko Haram: UK, US can’t take glory –Women group AdeolA Tukuru ABUJA

he Coalition for Women Advancement in Africa have acclaimed that only Nigeria and Nigerians deserve commendation for winning the war against Boko Haram and not

President Muhammadu Buhari

the UK and US authorities that are taking advantage of the situation in the media at the moment. Executive Vice President of the coalition, Mrs. Jummai Samuel Pukat, said the group viewed the abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School Chibok as inhuman, saying it was convinced that the Buhari administration had capacity to end the insurgency. “The new military chiefs have put the insurgents in their rightful place as funds are no longer diverted for personal use of service chiefs or their political allies and the Nigerian Army now records victories against terrorist on a daily basis,” Pukat said. “Boko Haram commander one after the other gets apprehended even as the terrorists’ foot soldiers are surrendering to our

troops. Displaced persons are returning home to rebuild towns and villages that Boko Haram once occupied,” she added. “We are alarmed that Western interests are again on the verge of editing the history of the war against Boko Haram terrorism in way that will suggest that they cleaned up Nigeria’s mess. We appreciate all humanitarian aid and support so far but it is important to note that the war on terrorism was won by the Nigerian Armed Forces and credit must be given strictly to the Buhari administration. The coalition, which also condemned the alleged handing of weapons to rebels to kill Nigerian soldiers and civilians, said: “We call on all and sundry not to relent in the efforts to ensure that the Chibok Girls are rescued.”

WORLD BULLETIN

Armed men kill 140 civilians Authorities in Ethiopia said yesterday that armed men have killed 140 people near its border with South Sudan and abducted at least 39 children. Ethiopia’s Communications Minister, Getachew Reda, said the attackers were members of South Sudan’s Murle tribe. He said security forces were chasing the attackers and had killed 60 so far. Ethiopia is hosting thousands of South Sudanese refugees who fled the 2013 clashes that began when President Salva Kiir sacked his deputy Riek Machar, accusing him of plotting a coup. Machar denied the charges, but then mobilised a rebel force to fight the government. He is due to return to the capital Juba to form a transitional government as part of a peace deal.

Thousands protest Brussels attacks At least 7, 000 people took to the streets of Brussels yesterday in a march against terror and hate. Heading the processions were some of those caught up in the suicide bomb attacks on Belgium’s airport and metro station that killed 32 people. Reports described the march as calm and silent. The march had been due to be held a week after the March 22 attacks, but officials asked for it to be postponed because of the security threat. Relatives of victims, and paramedics and airport staff affected by the attacks joined people of several religious faiths on Sunday’s march. Flowers were carried in memory of those who lost their lives.

Guatanamo: Yemenis released to Saudi All of those recently released will be put through a government-run rehabilitation programme in Saudi Arabia which aims to reintegrate them back into society The US has transferred nine Yemeni prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba to Saudi Arabia, officials said yesterday. The Saudis agreed to take the prisoners because Yemen was considered too unstable for them to return them to. The transfer leaves 80 prisoners at the US military jail - most of whom have been held without charge or trial for more than a decade. “The United States is grateful to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility,” a Pentagon statement said.

North

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

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Katsina Assembly backs FG’s takeover of NPC James DanJuma KATSINA

Bauchi State Deputy Governor Alhaji Nuhu Gidado (2nd-right) and other dignitaries bidding farewell to the Emir of Jama’are, Alhaji Muhammadu Wabi II, as the Emir’s depart his palace in Bauchi State for Medical Treatment in Egpyt , yesterday. PHOTO: NAN

Workers picket JEDC over alleged anti-workers policies James abraham anD Williams attah

lectricity workers under the aegis of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, yesterday sealed the premises of the Jos Electricity Distribution Company, JEDC, over what they called antiworkers policy of the company. NUEE also gave the management of the company seven days ultimatum to recall the sacked workers or further face the wrath of the union. It was gathered that vice president north east of the association and over 50 staff were sacked ‘’without justifiable reason’’. A letter to the Managing Director/CEO of Jos electricity Distribution Company said the action was a surprise to the union giving the commitment of the workers to their job. The letter which was signed by Mr John Sule, Assistant General Secretary, of the union said this development is coming barely three months after the management of the company relieved some workers of duties. The Assistant General Manager while addressing staff of the company who occupied the entrance of the company protesting the alleged

sacking of staff and poor condition of service, said enough of customer exploitation, NUEE say no to sack of workers without justification. Some of the placard carried by aggrieved staff also read “privatizations evil, reverse it, give us light not darkness, no justice, no peace.” He pointed out that the protest was called to tell Nigerians and NUEE as stakeholder, JEDC did not recognised any condition of service, as workers are treated like slave and with high handedness. Reacting to the development, JEDC management said the on-going protest was unnecessary; stating that talks with the union has been on-going before now and will continue to dialogue with them to resolve all complaints. The company in a statement issued in Jos and signed by its Public Relation Officer, Hajiya Lubabatu Rabiu said: “The allegation of disparity in salaries as part of their grievances is however, unfortunate, as there is no organisation in the world where salaries are not based on qualification and terms of service. “For instance, you don’t expect an SSCE holder to earn same as a BSC or an HND holder. The management however, wishes to inform the general public that things do not seem

to look like the way are being projected. We shall continue to do everything within our power to ensure the welfare of our teeming staff and the general public at large.” Also in Gombe State, the union went round picketing JEDC offices, calling on costumers not to pay their electricity bills. Addressing journalists during the exercise in front of the JEDC Business Office in Gombe, the State Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees, Mr Babangida Mohammed, warned that JEDC must stop the exploitation of its workers and customers. According to him, the company had arbitrarily increased electricity tariff without consulting the union, thus making it extremely dangerous for them to work in the field as they face violent and angry customers who wield dangerous weapons against them. He said: “There are a lot of injustices going on in JEDC, they demote workers arbitrarily, terminate our appointments without concrete reasons, encourage insubordination and selfish promotions”. “They have refused to distribute pre-paid metres, even when it is available and they force us to distribute crazy bills to customers, this is unfair

and the customers do not understand that it is not our fault that is why we have decided to down tools and if possible set the whole nation in blackout”. “We have written the management in Jos four times to address these issues and even gave them a seven day ultimatum which ended on the 4th of April, but to no avail, that is why we are embarking on this action and we want you to tell the world that JEDC customers should not pay their bills until the tariff is reduced,” he regretted.

atsina State House of Assembly yesterday threw its weight behind the take over of the Nigerian Peace Corps, NPC, by the Federal Government as a security outfit. Established in 1998 alongside the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, the private security organisation complements military and paramilitary efforts in ensuring security in the country. There are plans to make it a Federal Government outfit, of which a bill to that effect had passed first and second reading last year at the National Assembly. But the plan is reportedly being frustrated by some elements in country; especially those who feel giving NPC such recognition could have negative effect on the police and NSCDC. But the Speaker of the state house of assembly, Honourable Sabiu Aliyu Muduru, on Monday, said the lawmakers were in support of Federal Government’s takeover of the security outfit. Muduru spoke when he received the state Commandant of the organisation, Mohammed

Ibrahim, in his office. The speaker said taking over the NPC by the Federal Government would go a long way to improve the security situation in the country as well as generate employment for the youths. He added that the house would set up a committee to participate in the on-going public hearing at the NASS on the possible take over of the NPC by the Federal Government. He said the state government would ensure that the state gets equal share in the area of recruitment as soon as Federal Government takes over the organisation. Earlier, the state NPC Commandant, Mohammed Ibrahim, called on the house to support the organisation towards actualising its objectives in the state. Ibrahim said the state had been left behind in the area of recruitment of officers into the organisation. According to him, the state was allocated 4,042 slots, but only 443 were filled by interested youths. He called on the leadership of the assembly to ensure that the state filled vacancies allocated to it by encouraging youth to join the organisation.

Bello gives quit notice to drug peddlers Priscilla Dennis MINNA

iger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has issued quit notice to hard drug peddlers in the state to relocate or be prepared to face the wrath of the law. Giving the order in Sarkin Pawa, Munya Local Government Area of the state following reported increase in the wave of drug induced unruly behaviours among youth in the state, Bello said that drug peddlers are agents of destruction; hence, their presence is not needed in the state. He stated: “I am by this statement giving them

quit notice from the state. Failure to pack out of the state, they should be ready to face the full wrought of the law,” he said. According to the governor, reports reaching him and the terrible experience he had with some of the youth, most of them operating under the influence of drugs, calls for urgent and decisive attention. “We are declaring total war against drug dealers and peddlers in the state. They are agents of destruction. We don’t want them and they are not allowed in Niger State.” He also warned politicians to desist from using the youth for thuggery and other violent acts, and afterward

dumping them, vowing to deal with any linked as sponsor to any lawlessness by youths in the state. Against this backdrop, he called for community participation in the drive against drug abuse by his administration, while directing that a communication line be opened for members of the public to enable them send in any information on drug dealers directly to his office. He also ordered security agencies and other relevant bodies charged with responsibility of drug control in the state to clamp down on any drug dealer or peddler in the state.

Tuessday, April 19, 2016

‘Nigeria can produce rowing, sailing Olympic champions’

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Ogba, Attah give recipe for NFF permanent peace ABUJA

hairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Obinna Ogba, has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, to as a matter of urgency approach aggrieved stakeholders within Nigerian

football family and reconcile with them. Ogba who spoke last week at the Extra-Ordinary General Assembly of the NFF in Abuja said, “If you don’t do the reconciliation and you think you can solve any fracas in football or politics, it’s not true.” Ogba who was then ‘1st Vice President’ of the Chris Giwa-led

•While NFF is enmeshed in leadership tussle, the game suffers as Egypt sent Super Eagles out of AFCON 2017 finals

group before his election to the senate and consequent parting of ways with the group added, “For me, I don’t have any problem. I want to assure you people that in this football family, I am a member. “A lot of you expected to hear something from me, let me tell you my presence here has said all the things you want to hear.

“I want put on record that since I became chairman of the senate committee on sports I have given the Minister and NFF all the support they needed. There is nothing they asked that they did not get. But I want to tell you that I am a politician, I am not scared of rumours neither am I scared of blackmail. “But what is important is

mittee. Oganwu earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from the University of Ibadan in 1971 before turning out for then Green Eagles in 1972. He was in the Nigeria team for the football event of the 2nd All Africa Games but had to leave the camp for his graduate work few months before the competition.

“I dare say that the resurrection of this unwholesome matter has to do with the nonfamiliarity of the present Minister of Sports with the principles of association football. If he were acquainted with the FIFA rules and regulations, he would simply have dismissed the case from the first time it was brought to his notice.

Giwa should wait till 2018 – Oganwu

he first university graduate to play for the Senior National Team of Nigeria, John Oganwu, has advised aggrieved members of the Nigeria football family to sheathe their swords in the interest of the nation, and wait to contest elections in September 2018, when the tenure of the Amaju Pinnick-led Board would be over.

Speaking last weekend, Dr. John Oganwu said, “Since the highest court in sports, Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), has dealt conclusively with this matter and dismissed it, any other discussion or deliberation on it is ill-advised.” He was referring to the case by Chris Giwa and group against the election of the Pinnick –led NFF Executive Com-

Sport

If we had rugby union’s ten-metre rule in our game, Willie Miller of Aberdeen would have played most of his football in Norway Tony Higgins (1991)

JOEL AJAYI

that one has to be focused and whether in politics or football politics you must always leave one window open for reconciliation.” Yesterday too, former Super Eagles Coordinator, Emmanuel Attah, appealed to all aggrieved members in Nigerian football fraternity to sheath their swords for the growth and development of the game in the country. For permanent peace to reign, Attah called for a review of the NFF statutes. Attah said recent leadership tussle in the federation was a big distraction to Nigeria’s preparation for the World Cup qualifiers and Olympic Games participation. “Because nobody will say he knows it all, let us go and review Nigeria football statutes once again and do things right,” Attah said.

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ADDITION OF NAME That I was formerly known and addressed as MBAH LOUIS that I now wish to add UDEAGWU to my former name that I now wish to be known and as MBAH LOUIS UDEAGWU. All former documents remain valid. Banks and general public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that AYODELE TAIWO KOSEMANI is one and same person as AYODELE OLUROPO, now wish to be known and addressed as AYODELE TAIWO OLUROPO KOSEMANI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to certify that UMORU JOHNSON ADEGBE is one and same person as UMORU PETER AYEH ISIAKA that henceforth wish to be known as UMORU JOHNSON ADEGBE. All former documents remain valid. GTB Plc, Unity Bank Plc and general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

LOSS OF DOCUMENT This is to inform the general public that Certificate of Occupancy No. B.P 4392 issued in the name of MR. OCHAPA OLOFU is missing. If found please contact the undersigned.

This is to confirm that ONYENACHO IFEANYI ISRAEL and ONYENACHO IFEANYI belong to one and same person. All documents bearing these names to remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as LOVELYN ESSIEN ENANG, but now wish to be known and addressed as LOVELYN OFEM EKWE. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as AMAKA NWACHUKWU, but now wish to be known and addressed as AMAKA GRACE EZEAMAKA. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

MADUKWE: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS MADUKWE AMAKA MONICA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ANIOKE AMAKA MONICA. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

OFORDILE: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS OFORDILE GERALDINE NWANECHE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AKPAH GERALDINE NWANECHE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as ADOKE EGWEBE GRACE, now wish to be known and addressed as FATI USMAN. All former documents remain valid. NSCDC and general public to please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as MISS OLAJIDE KHADIJAT DAMILOLA, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. YAKEEN KHADIJAT DAMILOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

SHUKRALILLAH MOSQUE, OYO

This is to inform the general public that the above named Mosque has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Abuja for registration under part ‘C’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 1. of 1990 THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Alhaji Fatai Salaudeen 2. Hajia Halimat Salaudeen 3. Alhaja Monsurat Salaudeen 4. Taslim Salaudeen 5. Jamaldeen salaudeen 6. Toheeb salaudeen

— Chairman — Secretary — Member —Member — Member — Member

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVE ARE: 1. To propagate the business of Islam Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the RegistrarGeneral, Corporate Affairs Commission, 420 Tigris Crescents, off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, P.M.B 198, Maitama, Abuja within 28 days of this publication. Signed:

ALHAJI FATAI SALAUDEEN CHAIRMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CHANGE OF NAME

NNAMANI: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS NNAMANI NKECHI LILIAN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ANEKE EKENE NKECHI LILIAN. All former documents remain valid. ESUT, Banks and general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as JOHN CHIJIOKE NWAIGWE, now wish to be known and addressed as JOHN DONATUS NWAIGWE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME/ CORRECTION OF DATE OF BIRTH

OBINOKWARA: Formerly known and addressed as OBINOKWARA KELVIN CHINEDU now wish to be known and addressed as IZEBOU KLEVIN CHINEDU I was born on 12th January 1981 as against 23rd september 1979. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OGUNDIPE YETUNDE OLAJUMOKE, now wish to be known, called and addressed as, ABDULSALAM YETUNDE OLAJUMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to confirm that IKE CHINECHETA SUNDAY is the same person as IKEH CHINECHETAM SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. General public please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

ONOVO: I, formerly known and addressed as MISS ONOVO CHINEMEREM E., now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ANI CHINEMEREM. E. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. Formerly known and addressed as MISS ALLOCHUKU EZIAMAKA OLAMIDE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OGUNSANYA EZIAMAKA OLAMID . All former documents remain valid. General public take note. ASOGWA: Formerly known and addressed as ASOGWA OBIANUJU, now wish to be known and addressed as INNOCENT OBIANUJUNWA PERPERTUAL. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME/ CORRECTION OF AGE

I, formerly known as AHMOD DAUDA OLALEKAN, now wish to be addressed as LABODE DAUDA OLALEKAN with Corrected age of 25/09/1981 instead of the stated 25/09/1979. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

LUCINE HOMAKON BENJAMIN is one and same person known and addressed as AYO BENJAMIN, with correct age of 12th August, 1975. All former documents remain valid. The general public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

MR. ONAZI OCHAPA OLOFU 08027799139

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as OKOYE KELECHI JAMES, now wish to be known and addressed as OKAFOR KENECHI JAMES. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHUKWUNYERE: Formerly known and addressed as CHUKWUNYERE OKEKE now wish to be known and addressed as OKEKE CHUKS MARCELIUS. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

OBIEZE: I, formerly known and addressed as OBIEZE NNAMDI MICHAEL, now wish to be known and addressed as UCHEGBU NNAMDI MICHAEL. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

TIJANI: I, formerly known and addressed as TIJANI HAMMED KOREDE now wish to be known and addressed as TIJANI HAMMED OLAWALE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net CHANGE OF NAME I formerly known and addressed as MISS UCHE FELISTA EFEDIRIONU now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. ODURUKWE FELISTA EFEDIRIONU. All former documents remain valid. Ideato South LGA, First Bank Plc and the general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

CHANGE OF NAME SADIKU: I, formerly known and addressed as SADIKU OLORUNTOBILOBA SAMUEL, now wish to be known, called and addressed as EMMANUEL OLORUNTOBILOBA SAMUEL. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

My name was as wrongly written as YAHAYA ISAH instead of the correct name as YAHAYA ISA. All former documents remain valid. Eco Bank Plc, Unity Bank Plc and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as ALEGU ONYEKACHI EGWU, now wish to be known and addressed as ALEGU SOLOMON ONYEKACHI and my correct date of birth is 4TH MAY,1978. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as MISS OYATOMI TOYIN SUSAINAH, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. SHITTU TOYIN SUSAINAH. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as BONIFACE BONIFACE, now wish to be known and addressed as CHIKEE BONIFACE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as APENA ZAINAB OLAIDE, now wish to be known and addressed as AHMED OLAIDE. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME Formerly known and addressed as MUSTAPHA IBRAHIM, now wish to be known and addressed as MUSTAPHA IBRAHIM ALLI. All former documents remain valid. My correct date of birth is 4th day of February 1994. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as SALAMI ADEWALE GAFARU, now wish to be known and addressed as SALAMI ADEWALE IGE. All former documents remain valid. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as RICHARD BENNINO UMBERTO, now wish to be known and addressed as RICHARD UMBERTO ODO. All former documents remain valid. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME OLUSHOGA: Formerly known and addressed as OLUSHOGA OLUWAFERANMI ABAYOMI OMOBORIOWO now wish to be known and addressed as OLUSHOGA OLUWAFERANMI ABAYOMI. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

ISHOLA: Formerly known and addressed as ISHOLA SUEBAT BOLANLE now wish to be known and addressed as ISHOLA JUWERATU BOLANLE. All former documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

TADE: Formerly known and addressed as TADE OLUWATENIOLA NAOMI AKU now wish to be known and addressed as ALABI OLUWATENIOLA NAOMI AKU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

That I formerly known, called and addressed as PRINCE IRHEMUN, now wish to be known, called and addressed as PRINCE ELISHA OBINYAN. All former documents remain valid. General public and Concerned Authority should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as MISS IGWE IHUOMA NWANYIOMA, but now wish to be known and address as MRS. IHUOMA NWANYIOMA ONUOHA. All former documents remain valid. General public to take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as MISS SOLARIN BUKUNOLA ABOSEDE, but now wish to be known and address as MRS. SHITTU BUKUNOLA ABOSEDE. All former documents remain valid. General public to take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Mr Rinkat Paul Dareng now wish to be known and addressed as Mr Ato Zakka. All former documents remain valid. General Public take Note

Formerly known and addressed as Olabode Oluwakemi Kehinde now wish to be known and addressed as Adewusi Olabode Kemi. All former documents remain valid. General Public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Oduntan Damilola Temitope now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Isreal Damilola Temitope. All former documents remain valid. Diamond Bank and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I, Formerly known and addressed as Miss Nofiu Azizat Tunrayo Now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Oladipupo Temitope. All documents remain valid. Sky bank & Wema bank and general public should take note.

CHANGE OF NAME FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADRESSED AS OYEDE ADEBIMPE DIMEJI NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS NWACHUKWU ADEBIMPE DIMEJI. ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID, STATE UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION BOARD SUBEB ABEOKUTA AND IJEBU NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDUCATION AUTHORITY AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS ADELAJA BELLA OLAJUMOKE NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS KAZEEM BELLA OLAJUMOKE ,ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to certified/confirm that Isaac Agboola Komolafe and Komolafe Isaac A.is the same one person as Komolafe Isaac Ajayi, that henceforth wish to be known, addressed and called as Komolafe Isaac Ajayi.. All former documents remain valid; Wema Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc and general public should please take note.

Formerly known and addressed as OWOLABI WASIU now wish to be known as OWOLABI WASIU ARIYO. All former documents remain valid.Banks and general public take note.

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to certified/confirm that Wahab Omokehinde Morufu is the same one person as Muraina Omokehinde Morufu, that henceforth wish to be called, addressed and known as Muraina Omokehinde Morufu. All former documents remain valid, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

AMINU: Formerly known as AMINU ISAH WASHE now wish to be known as AMINU ISAH. All former document remain valid. Gen public take note CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME

This is to certified/confirm that Ajiboye Babarinde Jonah is the same one person as Jonah Ajiboye Olalude, that henceforth wish to be addressed, known and called as Jonah Ajiboye Olalude. All former documents remain valid, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

MOSES: formerly known and addressed as OYELOWO MOSES now wish to be known and addressed as OYELOWO MOSES IDOWU. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MR ALI YUSUF KUMBA, now wish to be known and addressed as MR. LUKE YUSUF KUMBA. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as OYEDEJI OLAMIDE RODAH, now wish to be known an addressed as OLADAYO OLAMIDE RODAH. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Hakeem Tunde Taiwo now wish to be known and addressed as Hakeem Tunde Alate.All former documents remain valid, general public take note CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly AMEDU EMEKA BENJAMIN now want to be known, called and addressed as EJIKE DAVID CHUKWUEMEKA. Also, my correct date of birth is 27th day of September, 1988. All former documents remain valid. First Bank Plc, sterling bank Plc and general public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Affiong Edet Eyibio now wish to be known and addressed as Affiong Edet Obem.All former documents remain valid, general public take note ADDITION OF NAME

Formerly MOMOHJIMOH MOSHOOD DADA now wish to be known and addressed as IREYI MOSHOOD MOMOHJIMOH. Also, my correct date of birth is 14th day of June, 1992 and not 14th day of July, 1992. All former document remain valid. GT Bank Plc and general public take note.

CORRECTION OF NAME

CONFIRMATION OF NAME This is to confirm that ONWUZULUIGBO FESTUS SUNDAY is the same person bearing ONWUZULUIGBO FESTUS IDAMA now wish to be known and addressed as ONWUZULUIGBO FESTUS SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and General public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OKOH OKEKE SUNDAY NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OKONKWO SUNDAY.ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID.BANKS AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly addressed and known as Miss Olaniyi Omojibola Olusayo now wish to be called and addressed as Mrs Awolusi Omojibola Olusayo. All former documents remain valid, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Skye Bank Plc, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc(GTB) and general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and as Nnah Dinne Douglas now wish to be known and addressed as Nnah Douglas Adiele. All former documents remain valid general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS IFEOMA OKOLI, now wish to be Known and addressed as MRS. IFEOMA ILOKA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

OBOK: Formerly known and addressed as OBOK GODWIN OGAR now wish to be known and addressed as NEJI PIUS OGAR. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly MISS ALANA BILIKISU HAPPINESS now wish to be known, called and addressed as MRS OLORUNFEMI HAPPINESS ETANA. All former documents remain valid. Authorities concerned and general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss AKinola Damilola Grace now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Odunaya Damilola Grace. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS SALAMI ADEBAYO MICHAEL NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AS SALAMI WASIU ADEBAYO, ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

I, MISS BURAIMO OLABODE ADEREMI now wish to be known and addressed as MISS OLA-BURAIMO OLABODE HADIJAT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Kumuyi Bamidele Stella now wish to be called and addressed as Mrs John Bamidele Stella. All former documents remain valid, State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBEB) Odigbo Local Government Ore, Ondo State and general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly Qoodrat Adebola Gidado, later Qoodrat Adebola Hammed and Qoodrat Adebola Ogunlade, now wish to be known and addressed as QOODRAT ADEBOLA OMOTAYO. All documents bearing the names remain valid. General public please note.

PUBLIC NOTICE

THE CHRISTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOUNDATION FOR VULNERABLE WOMEN AND CHILDREN This is to inform the general public that the above named NonGovernmental Organization (NGO) has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja for registration under part C of the Companies and Allied matters Act, 1990. THE TRUSTEES ARE: 1. Pharm. Plangnan S. Tadin 2. Dr. Ibrahim Kefas Bakshak 3. Mr. Samson M. Tadin 4. Rev. John Pofi AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1. To foster unity among the people and encourage the fight against social vices as drugs and substance abuse that will bring any form of disunity. 2. To promote gender equality. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission Abuja within 28days of this publication. Signed: PHARM. PLANGNAN S. TADIN

ADDITION OF NAME

This is to inform the general public that, I, SIMIO COMFORT hereby add ISEGBE to my former name. That i now wish to be known and addressed as ISEGBE SIMIO COMFORT. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OCHOCHE EJELECHE, now wish to be known and addressed as SUNDAY ADIOR. All former documents remain valid. FIRST CITY MONUMENT BANK PLC(FCMB) and general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as MISS ABIOYE RAFATU, now wish to be Known and addressed as MRS. ADENIJI RAFATU. All former documents remain valid. UBA Plc and general public please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

ALUKO: Formerly known and addressed as ALUKO SULAIMON OLANIYI now wish to be known and addressed as ALUKO SULAIMON OLAITAN. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Usman Adeshina Mutiu now wish to be known and addressed as Mutiu Saheed Olasunkanmi.All former documents remain valid, general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Miss Oluwole Omowunmi Oluwaseyi now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Fakeye Omowunmi Oluwaseyi. All former documents remain valid. General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGUNYEMI RALIAT ADEOLA NOW WHICH TO BE KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS OGUNYEMI TITILOPE RAMOTA ,ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Silifatu Funmilayo Rodipe (Nee Aluko) now wish to be known and adressed as Mrs Silifatu Funmilayo Bisi Rodipe.All former documents remain valid and general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly addressed and known as Mrs Olanrewaju Gbemisola Felicia now wish to be known and called as Mrs Joseph Olusola Felicia. All former documents remain valid, general public should please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as OYEDEJI OLAMIDE RODAH, now wish to be known and addressed as OLADAYO OLAMIDE RODAH. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note CORRECTION OF NAME

I am ONOME IZZY UBUANE and not ONOME IZI UBUANE as being wrongly spelt. All documents bearing ONOME IZZY UBUANE remain valid. General public please take note. CHANGE OF NAME

MUHAMMED: Formerly known and addressed as MUHAMMED YUNUSA now wish to be known and addressed as MUHAMMED YUNUSA AWEDA. All former documents remain valid. General public take note. CONFIRMATION OF NAME

SHITTA: This is to confirm that SHITTA ISMAILA and SHITTA ISMAILA KOREDE refer to one and same person. All documents reflecting any of the Stated names remain valid and should be treated as one person. Banks and the general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Kukah Obadiah Kaje now wish to be known and addressed as Kukah Obadiah Auta.All former documents remain valid, general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly Known and addressed as Miss Odususi Mopelola Eniola now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Ogunleye Mopelola Eniola. All former documents remain valid. Teaching Service Commission and First bank and General public take note CHANGE OF NAME

FORMERLY KNOWN AND ADDRESSED AS MISS OLOWOOKERE ADEYEMO ADEJUMOKE BOLANLE OLURONKE ABIGAEL NOW MRS OSIBANJO BOLANLE ABIGAEL BUKOLA , ALL FORMER DOCUMENTS REMAIN VALID AND GENERAL PUBLIC TAKE NOTE. CHANGE OF NAME

Formerly known and addressed as Mrs Agbaje kikelomo Adenike now wish to be known and addressed as Mrs Agbaje-Ogundimu Kikelomo Adenike. (compound name) All former documents remain valid. FIRST BANK PLC, OGUN STATE PENSION BOARD and general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

FALADE: formerly known and addressed as FALADE SEGUN EMMANUEL OLADAPO now wish to be known and addressed as FALADE OLUWASEGUN VICTOR EMMANUEL OLADAPO all former documents remain valid authority concern and the general public should please take note. CORRECTION OF NAME

This is to confirm that ONWUZULUIGBO FESTUS SUNDAY is the same person bearing ONWUZULUIGBO FESTUS IDAMA now wish to be known and addressed as ONWUZULUIGBO FESTUS SUNDAY. All former documents remain valid. Fidelity Bank Plc, First Bank Plc and General public take note.

This is to inform the general public that ONOME IZZY UBUANE is the same person bearing ONOME IZI UBUANE. All documents remain valid. General public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Balogun Nimota now wish to be known and addressed as Giwa Taibat Moradeyo. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

Formerly known and addressed as Rueben Victor now wish to be known and addressed as Ugboaja Victor. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

FAMILY CHANGE OF NAME

We formerly known and addressed as (1) COSMAS UGWOKE, EZENWAUGWOKE (2) COSMAS PATIENCE (3) COSMAS UGWOKE GOODLUCK (4) COSMAS AMAECHI MIRACLE (5) COSMAS MARVELLOUS now wish to be known and addressed as (1) EZE COSMAS (2) EZE PATIENCE (3) EZE GOODLUCK (4) EZE MIRACLE (5) EZE MARVELLOUS. All former documents remain valid. General public should please take note.

CHANGE OF NAME

I formerly known and addressed as Ayeni Taiwo Stella now wish tobe known and addressed as Mrs Adeyosoye Taiwo Stella. All former documents remain valid ,general public take note. CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known and addressed as ATTAMA NNAEMEKA VITUS now wish to be known and addressed as EZE NNAEMEKA VITUS. All former documents remain valid, general public take note.

Sports

Thursday, 5, 2015 Tuesday,March April 19, 2016

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Mfon Udoh of Enyimba

CCL: Group stage battles climax …Enyimba upbeat in Sousse

he CAF Champions League (CCL) will be narrowed down to the final eight clubs when the return leg matches of the second round are staged today and tomorrow. This represents the first time that CAF club matches have been scheduled for a midweek, with the only other times that games have been played outside of a Friday, Saturday or Sunday due to a postponement because of bad weather or other logistical problems. This midweek’s matches see several big names in trouble, including defending champions TP Mazembe, who find themselves 2-0 down ahead of hosting Wydad Casablanca in Lubumbashi tomorrow afternoon. Reigning Confederation Cup champions, Etoile du Sahel, look set to ‘drop’ back into that competition after losing 3-0 away to Nigeria’s Enyimba in the first leg.

The Tunisians will need a stunning result at home at the Olympic Stadium in Sousse tomorrow to continue in the ‘premier’ tournament. Today’s action sees Zesco United looking to wrap up progression as they host Stade Malien. The Zambians claimed an impressive 3-1 away win in the first leg in Bamako and will be confident of adding to their advantage in Ndola. Ivorian giants ASEC Mimosas and Cairo heavyweights Zamalek, travel to Al Ahly Tripoli and MO Bejaia respectively – both with a 2-0 lead from the first leg – while the clash between 2014 winners ES Setif and Sudan’s El Merreikh promises to be a thriller, with the teams locked at 2-2 ahead of the return game in Algeria. Al Ahly will be targeting a home win when they host Tanzania’s ever-improving Young

Africans (the teams drew 1-1 in Dar Es Salaam in the first leg), while South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns need a victory against DR Congo’s AS Vita after a heartbreaking 1-0 loss in the first leg in Kinshasa. The eight aggregate winners will advance into the group stage of the Champions League, while the eight losers will move into the playoff round of the Confederation Cup. Tomorrow, Enyimba will look to complete an aggregate victory over Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel when the teams meet for the second leg of their CAF Champions League second round clash in Sousse. Mfon Udoh scored a superb hat-trick in the first leg in Port Harcourt. The young striker has since signed a new deal with the cub which keeps him on their books until February 2019.

Kompany, Sterling set for City return at Newcastle

anchester City stars Vincent Kompany and Raheem Sterling are set make timely returns when Manuel Pellegrini’s men continue their quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League away to Newcastle today. City captain Kompany is set to make the journey to the north-east after a month out with yet another of the calf-related problems that have plagued the Belgian defender this season. Meanwhile, England forward, Sterling, is available again after five games out since he succumbed to a groin injury during City’s derby defeat by Manchester United last month. Having both players back will be a boost for Hart City, who face Spanish giants Real Madrid in a the first leg of their Champions League semifinal at

Eastlands next week. City have often looked defensively vulnerable in Kompany’s absence, although Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala have been more resolute in recent games. “I am very happy with the way they are playing now, both of them, and Vincent will also be an important help for our defence,” said Pellegrini, who will be replaced at the end of the season by Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola. “I always say if we are fighting for important things it is because we have a very good squad. “Sterling is just coming from an important muscle injury and we will see tomorrow if he can play some minutes. It depends how he returns from the injury.”

Vardy charged by FA, faces ban, fine

eicester City striker, Jamie Vardy, faces an extended ban during the Premier League title run-in after being charged with improper conduct by the Football Association. Vardy, 29, remonstrated with referee Jon Moss after he was shown a red card in last Sunday’s 2-2 draw with West Ham. BBC Sports reports that The FA has also charged Leicester with failing to control their players after West Ham won an 83rdminute penalty. Vardy and Leicester have until 6pm on Thursday to respond. Vardy, the Premier League’s joint leading scorer with 22 goals this season, was shown a second yellow card early in the second half for diving. He appeared to confront Moss - who was criticised for his performance by Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer - before leaving the field. The England international re-

ceives an automatic one-match ban for his dismissal, but that looks likely to be increased following the FA charge. Chelsea striker, Diego Costa, was given an additional onematch ban and was fined £20,000 after admitting a charge of improper conduct last month. The 27-year-old was punished for his reaction to his sendingoff against Everton in an FA Cup tie on 12 March. Arsenal defender, Gabriel, was also banned for one match, and given a £10,000 fine, after admitting the same charge last September.

Jamie Vardy

Olympics: Siasia woos Korea, China for friendly games

ollowing last Thursday’s Rio Olympic football draw, which paired Nigeria in Group B with Sweden, Colombia and Japan, Nigerian coach, Samson Siasia, is shopping for tune-up matches for his team. Siasia told HotSports.tv on phone from Brazil shortly after the draw that he had commenced discussions with his colleagues who also came for the draw on the possibility of agreeing for friendly games for their teams. He said, having known Nigeria’s ‘foes’, he was already talking with South Korea, Iraq, China and one other European countries for tune-up matches so as to adapt his team to their playing styles.

“Yes I am talking with other coaches, who came for the draws here on the possibility of arranging friendly games for our teams. “We have a couple of few things we have to agree upon, but we all agree that we need friendly games as soon as possible. “We are talking to a couple of countries that have playing styles to our opponents in the group – South Korea, China, Iraq and some Scandinavian countries,” he said. Siasia also told HotSports.tv that he was equally trying to procure video clips on the matches of Nigeria’s opponents in order to study them as quickly as he can. Nigeria kick-off her campaign with a match against Asian champions, Japan on August 4 in Manaus.

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Sports

Tuesday , April4,19, 2016 Thursday September 2014

A Nigerian rower

NFF mourns former board member, Olaiya

‘Nigeria can produce rowing, sailing Olympic champions’

he Nigeria Rowing, Sailing and Canoe Federation (NRSCF) says the country has the human and material capacity to produce world-class sailing and rowing athletes. Technical Director of the federation, Mr. Patrick Egbele, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos yesterday. “The potential is great, we are

looking at the age group level, we are looking at the intermediate and the senior levels. “We have the natural and human resources in this country that can propel us,” Egbele enthused. The NRSCF top official added, “We have tried it before; even in the recent past we’ve trained athletes between three and six months and they have performed

40 coaches attend NFF first CAF ‘A’ License coaching course

he first-ever CAF ‘A’ License coaching programme in the history of Nigeria started in Abuja yesterday, organised by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The two-week programme is a 240-hour course with over 40 coaches in attendance and will end on April 30, while the second phase is billed for the midseason period of the Nigeria Professional Football League next month. Before now, a number of CAF ‘B’ and ‘C’ License courses had been held in the country over the years. But the course that started at the FIFA Technical Centre, Abuja yesterday is the first CAF ‘A’ course in the country. National Technical Director, Shaibu Amodu, is coordinating alongside assistant technical directors, Rafiu Yusuf and Siji Lagunju (both ex-Nigerian internationals), with former NFF general secretaries, Bolaji Ojo-Oba and Tijjani Yusuf; FIFA Advisor, Linus Mba; former NFF Technical Director Kashimawo Laloko and former Nigeria coaches, Adegboye Onigbinde and James Peters among the resource persons.

“We are very happy that this programme is finally taking place. Previously, we had been doing CAF ‘B’ and ‘C’ courses. The ‘A’ License programme means that we are stepping up. I am also happy about the response of our coaches to this programme,” Amodu told thenff.com. Yesterday, Amodu introduced the course content to the participants, while Onigbinde and Laloko began the series on “Soccer Simplified” which will last for a number of days. Laloko also spoke on “Fitness for Success in Football” and “Typical Training Session.” Today and tomorrow the “Soccer Simplified” series will continue, and on Thursday, Director of Sports Medicine in the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Dr. Abdulkadir Muazu, will speak on “Injuries and Rehabilitation, Recovery and Regeneration, Conditioning for Pros, Drug Testing and Fitness Testing Environmental Problems.” Mba will talk on “The Laws and the Coach: the Laws and the Spirit of the Game: Analysis of New Proposals.”

quite creditably at international competitions. “We also had four of our officials that were trained as international technical officials, which mean that we can officiate at continental and world championships; it’s a plus for us. “And we can also, by that qualification, organise proper championships and competitions at the local level. So, it’s a plus for us and we are moving.” Egbele said the federation

would not relent in its effort to raise the development of the sport by focusing on the potential at the grassroots. He, however, called on corporate organisations to complement government’s effort at moving the sport forward. NAN reports that Jonathan Akinyemi and Chierika Ukugo have qualified to represent Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics holding from August 5 to August 21 in Rio de Janeiro.

he Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed shock and sorrow at the death last Friday of a former member of then NFA Board, Dr. Thomas Adeleke Olaiya. Olaiya, a former president of the Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF)was a member of then NFA Board under the leadership of Brigadier-General Dominic Oneya (retd), as a representative of inter-collegiate sports. “We are very sad to hear about the death of Dr. Olaiya, more so when it was only recently that he buried his dear wife. The NFF and the Nigeria football family feel the pain and grief of the children and close family members at this time,” said NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi. Thenff.com learnt yesterday that Olaiya died at the Wesley Guild Teaching Hospital, Ilesa on Friday, less than two weeks after the burial of his wife, Adeola. A former NFF Board member, Mr. Taiwo Odebunmi, told thenff. com that burial arrangements for the late Dr. Olaiya would soon be announced by the family.

Okpekpe hosts 150 Para-powerlifters JOEL AJAYI ABUJA

bout 150 Para-powerlifters are expected in Okpekpe, Edo State today ahead of a National Championship organised by Nigeria ParaPowerlifting Federation (NPPF). Technical Director of the federation, Samuel Ekeoma, disclosed this in Abuja, saying the championship holding from April 19 to April 24 would have 12 states in attendance. Ekeoma named the states to include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Ekiti, Edo, Imo, Kano, Oyo, Plateau, Ogun, Cross River and Anambra. He said that FCT withdrew from the championship due to lack of funds. “It will have been good to see all the para-powerlifters come together for this championship, which will include those that qualified for the Paralympics because this is part of their preparation,” Ekeoma said. “It is mandatory that all the

athletes that qualified for the Paralympics (in Rio 2016) must be in attendance for us to monitor their performances after the qualifiers.” Speaking further, the NPPF director said the federation will begin local camping for the Rio Games as soon as the Ministry of Youth and Sports gives the go ahead and later embark on foreign training tour in Korea or Germany from where the team

A powerlifter, Folashade Oluwafemiayo

would proceed to Brazil. He noted that the federation was leaving no stone unturned to ensure the power-lifters were adequately prepared for the Paralympic Games. National Mirror reports that 18 Nigerian Para-powerlifters have qualified and would be competing for medals when the 2016 Paralympic Games begin in Brazil in the summer.

WORLD RECORD

Fastest time to burst three balloons with the back The fastest time to burst three balloons with the back is 12 seconds, set by Julia Gunthel, aka ‘Zlata’ (Germany), on 23 November 2007.

N150

Vol. 06 No. 1351 Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Arrogance of power and the verdict of history Continued from last Wednesday

overnments and states will evolve “theories” like “regime change” the axis of evil” , recognition of radical opposition”, and moderate rebels” in order to fan the embers of tumult in the world. Afraid of the “axis of evil” doctrine and the way it was used against Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Muamar Ghaddafi of Libya and Bashar Hafez al-Assad of Syria, it was only sensible for Iran and North Korea to arm themselves to the teeth with nuclear weapons. They have gone over the bend in their nuclear pursuit. The Russian intervention in Syria halted the hegemonic practice of dictating who will rule in Syria. The Hitlerite push by Trump to seize power in America is worrisome. His policy proclamations signal the coming of belligerent governance as the center-piece of the world politics. The consequences will be

orussia Dortmund have given the “all-clear” to star striker PierreEmerick Aubameyang for their German Cup semi-final at Hertha Berlin tomorrow after the Gabon international limped out of training yesterday. Aubameyang, who has scored 37 goals in all competitions for Dortmund this season, broke off the last five min-

Guest Columnist

Emmanuel

Esiemokhai

too much to contemplate. The CNN will be elated to broadcast weird news of the death and destruction that will happen with glee. CNN airs curious and laughable programmes under the generalized motion that “Africa is one country”. The themes for discussion are infantile, insulting, demeaning and denigrating. Richard Quest once came to Nigeria and went to the back streets of Oshodi and other out-of –the –way dilapidated slums. Erin Burnett once spent two years showing the downtown areas of various African slums from Cape Town to Cairo. What is bad publicity about Africa in aid of ? One would ask oneself, can a healthy mind only enjoy news about wars, demonstrations, social disorder and the rhetoric of anti-Christ politicians and wicked souls. The way the news of the Norwegian idiot and mass murderer in Norway was handled was sensational. Five years later, he still shows Hitler’s salutes. His treatment has triggered similar actions by young sons of Satan worldwide. The Calamity News Network (CNN) is carrying out its nefarious assignment of promoting mayhem, crisis, deaths and disorder in the world. The CNN broadcasters depict hilarious mien, when presenting sad news. The false eyebrows do not conceal the tragedies they help to propagate. It is my learned guess that the CNN tries to dissuade African-Americans from exodus to Africa. Ghana has received a lot of African-Americans. This is laudable, it was Nkrumah’s dream. In contradistinction to the CNN misguided programmes on Africa,

If ClInton and trump are theIr partIes’ nomInees, amerICans must be Careful who they vote for In

november

the Chinese donated a whole TV station (CCTV) to Africa. The world is no longer open to demagogic analyses flowing from the filthy hearts of anti-Christ agents. In Nigeria, money has destroyed the very soul of politicians, military officers, apostate religionists, tribalists, who think that they must be the ones to occupy every available post in the nation. They then fail to deliver. Our “prominent politicians’ and citizens all became rich as a result of crooked dealings, looting the treasury and being proud of it. Hegemonism has no conscience. It is unfeeling and conceited. To continue to show the pulling down of Saddam Hussein hurts the national pride of Iraqis. It is a deeply radicalizing factor. The terrorists who caused mayhem in Paris and Brussels were infants when Saddam was killed. For over 10 years they have watched this attack on their national psyche and the disbandment of Iraqi soldiers, their fathers, who remained jobless were then pushed to join ISIS. Does this view sound plausible or are we blinded by arrogance? Does this logic mean anything to hegemonists?

Let every nation have the right to selfdetermination and not be dictated to by pretenders to knowledge of how God’s world will be run. In 2014 or thereabout, I published an article in Nigeria’s in America.com entitled, “Mrs. Hillary Clinton US President? I followed that study with another paper entitled, “How and Why She Will Win”. Donald Trump, backed by US dollars, jumped into the presidential race. As far as economic matters are concerned, he holds the aces. However, his power politics is propelled by psycho-galvanic reflexes, which are universally seen to be psychotic, Maverick and ill-defined. If Clinton and Trump are their parties’ nominees, Americans must be careful who they vote for in November. North Korea, China, the Arab world could prove difficult in a Trump presidency. Are we going to be safe? SCHEM SCOT NI SHUTIT? Trump’s rhetoric is incurably vexatious, tendentious, insatiable, loquacious, unsalable and “ill-defined”; (Professor Omoh Esiemokhai – Press Conference Nigeria, Abuja, March 30, 2016). In Beijing, I met a Chinese who was very angry that CNN has a programme, whose sole purpose was to create fear about China and its economy. He complained that Trump is making Chinese fear for future China/US relations. Tien Chang said that if Trump wins, China will demand that America pays back all the loans the US took from China. CNN’s Lu Stout is wiping up fear about China’s future. North Korea is threatening brimstones and other disquieting measures which could have disastrous consequences for the world. Terrorists feed fat on global disquiet before predatory actions are unleashed on nations and individuals. I call for a World Conference on Peace before it is too late. If individuals can assemble bombs in hidden cells, SCHEM SCOT NI SHUTIT? Some batteries now can catch fire! To be continued Professor Esiemokhai is the Academic Chancellor, BOSAS International Law Bureau, Abuja, Nigeria.

Sport Extra

German Cup: Aubameyang available for semi-final utes of the yesterday morning’s session clutching his right foot as Borussia prepare for Wednesday’s semi-final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Dortmund-based newspaper, the Ruhr Nachrichten, posted a video on Twitter of Aubameyang limping out of training, but the club later said he should

be fit to play in Berlin. Aubameyang is on an incredible goal-scoring run in the German Cup, having scored in each of his last seven cup games dating back to the start of last season. He has netted in each of Dortmund’s three cup matches so far this season

and also scored in the 2015 final defeat to Wolfsburg, when Borussia lost 3-1 in Berlin. The 26-year-old sat out last Sunday’s 3-0 Bundesliga win at home to Hamburg which kept Dortmund second in the table, seven points behind leaders, Bayern Munich, with four games left.

Aubameyang

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